“Keep going! Fifteen seconds!” Trevor shouted.
“Really?”
The thing twirled around and around, sending her hair flying. Her vest parted. Since she was only wearing a demicup bra beneath, she was bordering on a wardrobe malfunction. And no doubt, she was jiggling. Breathless and exhilarated, she laughed.
“Twenty!”
The bronco pitched forward, the head almost all the way down to the crash pad, catapulting her into the air.
She landed on her butt, a little breathless.
Before she could find her feet, Trevor was there, helping her up, brushing strands of hair from her face. “You okay?”
“That was amazing!”
He high-fived her. “Officially clocked at twenty-seven seconds. You’re in third place!”
“Seriously?” She studied the scoreboard before looking at him. He wore a huge, proud grin. “I had an excellent instructor.”
Together they laughed, and he drew her against him. She could stay there forever, safe and warm.
“Did you enjoy it?”
“More than I thought I would.”
“So did I.”
“That’s saying something.”
“Oh. Most definitely.”
When she pulled away a little, he adjusted her vest, covering her erect nipples.
Another couple walked toward the bronco, and Trevor scooted her out of the way. Already, she didn’t want to think about leaving him.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes.” Trying to hide her sudden moroseness, she wrinkled her nose, pretending to be in deep thought. “Planning my strategy for next time. I need to move my free arm more.” Though he frowned a little, he didn’t question her small fib.
They made their way to the lobby area for her to claim her bag. “I need about five minutes to change.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Inside the locker room, she dropped her bag onto a long wooden bench and then lowered herself beside it.
Nothing in her experience could have prepared her for Trevor. With his kindness wrapped in steel strength, he’d started to chip away at the defenses she’d erected around her emotions.
“Hey.”
Shaking her head, she looked up at Hannah Gill, one of the friends she’d come here with.
Hannah’s eyebrows were furrowed. “Are you leaving?”
“I…uhm. Yes. With Master Trevor.”
“Fiona told me he wanted you.”
Shelby blew out a short breath. “I suddenly think I understand how you felt at that one event.” When Master Mason had outbid everyone else at the charity slave auction to have a chance to claim Hannah for a weekend.
Without an invitation, Hannah sat beside her on the bench. “At least I knew what I was getting into.” She grinned. “Well. As much as I could have. I made the choice in advance.”
“Right?” Who could have guessed that Hannah would fall in love with the man or that they’d end up filming pilot episodes for their own home improvement television show. Mason was clear that he wanted to be planning a wedding too.
“You know that Fiona and I are both here for you. We’ll rescue you so fast he will have no idea what happened if you call either one of us.”
“She is a badass.” And she definitely looked after her friends.
Over drinks at happy hour, Shelby had heard all about Fiona flying to Texas to spend time with Hannah after she’d left Mason. Almost from the start, he’d wanted a commitment from her, but the idea of uprooting her carefully constructed—and safe—life had freaked her out.
“On the other hand, Shel, you could end up having a great time.”
Maybe she could still influence Trevor to help out David.
“Mason tells me that Trevor’s house is wonderful. Right on Lake Catherine.” She shrugged. “Maybe it can be like a mini-getaway. You need one, right?”
“I’d been thinking more along the lines of the Bahamas or something.”
“But something about being here makes you seem more relaxed already.”
She blinked. “Am I that transparent?”
“You’re glowing. Okay, you seem a little overwhelmed. Not in a bad way, though. More like what the holy hell is happening here, and how do I make sure it doesn’t stop?”
For the first time, Shelby laughed.
“My advice? As long as you’re willing, relax and seize every moment of pleasure that you can. You are willing, right? Fiona said you were.”
“Nervous. But yes.”
“In that case, carpe the hell out of it. You may never get this kind of chance again. If it doesn’t work out, no harm, no foul. Call us. We’ll dissect it at happy hour. But if you have fun, you’ll have great memories when you finally settle down with someone boring. Maybe you can replay it when you’re having vanilla, oh baby, that was soooo good sex with some other guy.” Hannah exaggerated every syllable and infused them with a deadly dull tone. “And regardless, we still want all the details.” She tossed back her blonde hair. “Either way, you’ve got friends and happy hour.”
Before leaving, Hannah squeezed Shelby’s hand. “Mason will be wondering what happened to me.”
A few moments later, the locker room door slammed open. “Shelby!”
She jumped up. Trevor’s uncompromising voice shot shivers through her.
“Three minutes, or I’m coming in!”
Grinning hugely, Hannah popped her head back inside. “I think he means it. You might want to hurry.” Waggling her fingers, she disappeared.
Because she could no longer think straight, Shelby struggled to remove the boots and chaps.
His voice alone was enough to turn her insides into a river of need.
She worked her way back into her tight jeans, then slipped back into her boots. Time had to be up.
Then she shrugged out of her vest and folded it nicely before putting it in the bag.
And then…
He was there. Near her, hands on his hips. So large. Imposing.
My Dominant.
Breath trapped in her lungs, she looked up at him. Her nipples hardened, and her clit throbbed. From fear? How fucked-up would that be? Or maybe her reaction was caused by the warm approval in his eyes that stood as such a contradiction to his unyielding posture.
“Our car is waiting.”
“Master Trevor!” Trinity, the club’s hostess, burst into the locker room. As always, she was in a tight-fitting catsuit. And tonight, instead of her hair being a sleek pink bob, it was wild, spiky. Her violet eyes sparked with protective flares. “You can’t be in here!”
“My sub and I are leaving.”
“Out,” she insisted.
Shelby grabbed a T-shirt, pulled it on, then picked up her bag. “Ready, Sir.”
“Mistress Aviana will be speaking with you,” Trinity warned.
“Thank you for looking out for Shelby.” His voice was polite and polished. And his smile dazzled.
“You can stuff the charm, Master Trevor. It won’t work on me. Club rules exist to protect our submissives.”
“Which I appreciate. I’ll accept whatever punishment Aviana deems necessary.” He tipped his hat. “Evening, Trinity.”
How was the woman immune from him? Shelby was smitten. She’d forgive him anything. “Not much of a rule follower, are you?” she asked after they made it past Trinity.
“When they suit me.”
“Do we really have a car waiting?”
He opened the doorway at the top of the stairs that led to the exit. “Indeed. Even though the hotel is close, I wasn’t sure those boots of yours were actually made for walking.”
Even if she hadn’t agreed to have sex with him, there was no doubt his smile would charm her out of her panties in less than an hour.
Outside, the cloying air of a New Orleans summer night wrapped around her, drenching her skin.
A driver stood next to a sedan that was emblazoned with the Maison Sterling logo. As they approached, the woman no
dded toward Trevor, then opened the back door.
Trevor took Shelby’s bag while she slid across the leather seat. Cool air streamed from the overhead vents, like tiny whispers from heaven. “This is seriously deluxe,” she said when he scooted in beside her. “Thank you.”
Because unruly Saturday evening crowds spilled from sidewalks into the streets and numerous pedicabs wove through traffic, it took forever for them to pull in front of the majestic brick hotel with its wrought-iron balconies.
Her door was opened by a tall woman wearing the chain’s livery, and Master Trevor placed a hand on her back, guiding her beneath the historic building’s signature green awning.
She pushed through the revolving glass door and entered the lobby that spoke of elegance from years gone by. A few chairs were occupied, and farther away, jazz notes from a live band drifted into the air.
“We could stay and listen, if you’d like. They have a pizza and beer buffet for guests.”
“Or?”
“We could go straight upstairs to the room.”
Anticipation surged through her, and she nodded. “I’d rather do that. If that’s okay with you?”
“Either way is fine.” He drew her toward the elevator and pressed the button. “But my preference is to have you alone as soon as possible.”
His words made her senses swim.
There were other people in the elevator, so he remained silent during the ride up, but the way he kept his gaze on her was a promise.
Within a minute, they arrived at his room, and he opened the door to reveal an enormous suite. The far wall had a bank of floor-to-ceiling windows, and the curtains were wide open, showing he had one of the sought-after balconies. Because they were at the front of the building, they overlooked the French Quarter. Enchanted, she placed her bag to one side, then crossed the room. “This is amazing.”
He came up behind her. Close. So close she inhaled his scent—power and determined heat.
“I could order a bottle of wine. Champagne, even, if you want to sit outside for a while.”
She turned, bumping into him.
He cupped his hands around her shoulders, steadying her, shooting her pulse into a flurry.
“I thought we might… I mean I’d rather…”
While she sorted through her thoughts, trying to put them into words, he waited.
She’d never had an experience like this, with a man who was Dominant but was seeming to let her set the pace. He’d risked a lot of money to spend time with her, which meant she was at little risk for rejection right now. Still, though, she was apprehensive. She wet her lips before confessing, “I’d like to have sex.”
Chapter Four
His soft smile was slow, containing a hint of predatory triumph.
Shelby swallowed deeply, not knowing what to expect.
“There’s nothing I’d like more.” He swept off his cowboy hat, tossed it onto a small table near the window, then claimed her mouth.
His kiss was anything but gentle. He took possession of mouth, heating her. He was possessive, as if he meant it when he’d claimed her for himself.
Trevor was completely in charge of the pace, making her realize he’d allowed her to think she was in control a moment ago. She never had been. He hadn’t merely been waiting for her to ask him to make love to her; he’d been seducing her.
With a groan, he pulled her tighter against him, and the hard, angular planes of his body were strikingly masculine, contrasting with her soft, feminine curves. He tasted of sweet persistence, and when he plunged deeper, demanding surrender, she was helpless to resist.
With agonizing slowness that was still too fast for her, he ended the kiss. The world tilted beneath her, and she grabbed hold of his shirt for stability. Once again, he was there, keeping her steady. Against her belly, his cock was hard.
When she was able to look up at him, he released her for a few seconds while he closed the privacy blinds. It shielded them from view, she imagined, but allowed some ambient light to filter in.
“At the club, I undressed you.” He pulled over a chair and sat. “This time, I’d like you to remove your clothes while I watch.”
No one had demanded this from her before. She guessed he wouldn’t appreciate her suggesting they turn off the lights and jump beneath the covers instead.
She started to loosen the bolo, but he raised a hand.
“Leave it, please.”
Of course. He had mentioned a collar.
Shelby tugged off her T-shirt. Beneath his gaze, her nipples puckered.
“Your breasts are magnificent.”
Her ex had told her they were small and suggested she get implants once he was finally making the big bucks. The approval in Trevor’s eyes told her she was perfect to him, making her confidence soar.
She bent to remove her boots, and although she wobbled, he didn’t make a move to help. “Are you liking this, Sir?”
He grinned. “Immensely.”
Next, Shelby unfastened her jeans, then worked them down her thighs and finally, off.
For a moment, she stood there before removing the demicup bra and her panties. It took all her self-discipline not to try to cover herself or say something to distract him.
“I’m greedy enough to want you naked all the time.”
Then, he moved so fast, had her in front of him, then facedown over his lap. Breath whooshed out as she pushed her hands toward the floor.
“Your ass is hot.” He kneaded her flesh before teasing her cunt.
The room spun, making her grab on to his calf for stability.
Within seconds, he had her on the verge of an orgasm. Instead of letting her come, he took hold of her waist and set her back on her feet.
“Sir!”
“All in good time, Shelby.”
She clamped her mouth shut and curled her toes into the expensive carpeting. Her clit throbbed. Demand chased through her, as if his firm touch was a drug she craved. Master Trevor was frustrating. Utterly… Dominant. She reminded herself she’d wanted that.
Fantasy and reality were nowhere close to each other.
Frustration crawled through her as she waited for his next move or instruction. When he didn’t say a word, she clenched her hands at her sides.
Damn it.
A minute or so later, sexual desire no longer clawed at her. Instead, it receded enough for her to clear her thoughts. It was there, though, coiled, waiting for him to summon it, with either a command or a look.
“That’s it,” he said when she exhaled. “Patience.”
She frowned ferociously, and all that did was make him glance at his watch.
He wouldn’t be outmaneuvered.
That knowledge frustrated her and, shockingly, gave her comfort.
Shelby closed her eyes and counted backward from ten, a technique she used to refocus herself at work.
When she looked at him again, he was studying her, his hands steepled. She shivered, realizing he’d never taken his gaze off her. “I think I’m not supposed to get frustrated, or something,” she said.
“Whatever you feel is fine. I was prepared for anything when I denied you a climax.”
“Would anything work?”
“I’m not easily swayed.”
But he hadn’t said no.
Finally, realizing she was holding on to her earlier frustration, she loosened her fists and allowed her shoulders to drop a little.
“Yes, precious sub. That’s it.” He stood.
If she’d moved through her emotions faster, would he have reacted quicker? On the other hand, her own work taught her that it took time for people to process new information and make peace with decisions.
He crossed the room to his bag and removed two pairs of soft cuffs.
The arousal reawakened ferociously.
His steps purposeful, he walked toward her. He tossed one set onto the mattress, then continued toward her. “Turn your back to me, and place your hands behind you.”
Though the words were demanding, his tone was anything but. Rather, it was seduction and promise, making her want to comply.
His motions were sure as he fastened her wrists together. The truth was, he could have immobilized her with just the power of his words.
Then he lifted her from the floor and carried her to the bed and sat her on the edge. “Make your way to the middle, please.”
Secured as she was, she was going to be a spectacle.
Instead of complaining, she pursed her lips as she tried to figure out how to comply. There was no way to do this without wrecking the duvet.
Shaking his head, he reached out and pushed her onto her back. She squealed from the surprise. Then she realized that, in this position, she couldn’t use her feet as leverage.
“Get on with it.”
Holy hell, he’d been Dominant, and she loved it. Tightening her abdominal muscles, she wriggled about.
“This is fucking sexier than I thought it would be.”
“You’ve got a mean streak, Master Trevor.”
“Until you, I didn’t. I have to confess that I may lose sleep dreaming up ways of making you move like this.”
She contracted each buttock in turn and rotated her shoulders to inch back a little.
Shelby had to angle her body in order to pull each foot off the floor. “You could help me.”
“I could.”
But he didn’t budge.
She sighed. With a sigh, she continued her crablike awkward motions to scoot across the bed. “With you, it really is all about the jiggling, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “When it comes down to it, I’m a simple man, Shelby.”
That wasn’t true in the least. But that he appreciated her curves made her giddy.
When she was in place, she tucked her shoulders back and propelled herself backward to land with a small plop.
“Very appealing.” He sat on the bed and fastened the second set of cuffs around her ankles.
“I’m not sure how we’re going to have sex like this.”
“Let me worry about that.” After standing, he tossed his wallet onto the nearby table, then pulled out a condom.
Hungrily, she turned her head to the side in order to watch his every move.
Facing her, Trevor unfastened his belt buckle. Then, as if wanting to torment her, he opted not to lower his zipper. Instead, he began unbuttoning his shirt, starting at the bottom.
His to Love (Titans Quarter Book 2) Page 5
