by Jane Henry
I blew out a breath. “Christ! No, I didn’t. Can we please stop talking about Francesca? It’s like you’ve got an obsession.”
“She’s the one who’s obsessed.”
“Rae enough. And you have no proof of that.”
“You wanna bet? You don’t see the way she moons over you with those big eyes of hers. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”
“Moons over me? Honest to God, Rae, no more of this. I don’t want to hear it.”
She was quiet for a minute. “If I keep talking about her, will you spank me?”
I paused a beat, my jaw clenched. “Yes.”
She drew a little closer and leaned in to whisper, but I put a finger up to her lips. “Don’t push me, babe. You push me now, and you’re not going to like what happens. You’ll find yourself bottoms up over my knee, and there’s no climaxing for bad girls who get their asses punished.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it again, then opened it, then shook her head, but said nothing.
“We’re going in to take a look at the footage with Caden, or to see what he’s found. You’ll do what I say and not ask questions. I don’t know who to trust here, and I can’t make any decisions until I know more information. Okay?”
She nodded. I leaned in and wrapped my hands around the back of her neck, drawing her close to me. I kissed her forehead. “Good girl. You’re a very good girl. And remember, there are rewards for good girls at the end of all this.”
She sighed, her eyes closed. I pulled away. I needed more time with her, time to kiss her until she was drunk with the taste of it, tie her up and show her what it meant to give control to someone who would take care of her, to spank her headstrong ass and teach her to mind her Daddy. So much time. I needed to get this shit out of the way so I could get to the good stuff.
I input the numbers to the locked door of the surveillance room, and pushed it open. The room was brightly lit, and Caden sat on a swivel chair, not even turning to acknowledge us when we came in. He didn’t need to. A full camera in front of the desk showed him who stood there.
“Found who brought your arrangement, boss,” he said. “Zack. He came by about an hour ago and delivered it to your desk. Not sure how he got in. I’ve looked at the footage repeatedly and the best I can guess is that he used your key code. Not sure how he knows it, but you need to reset it as soon as you can.”
“Got it.” Fucking hell. And Dean had gone to him.
“I told you that he has the police department in his pocket,” Rae said, wringing her hands. “Ryder, I told you.”
“And I heard you, but I’ve had no contact with the police department at all. The only one who has is Dean. Didn’t Francesca date Zack a little while back?”
Caden shrugged.
“I’ve got some digging to do. Alright. I’ll get in touch with Zack, and figure out what the hell’s going on here. Right now, I’ve got to get my girl some lunch.”
Caden smirked. “This your girl?”
I nodded, feeling a rush of pride as I introduced her. “This is Rae. She’ll go by the name of Anne for now. And yeah.” I tugged her close and kissed her temple. “She’s my girl.”
12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Rae
My stomach churned with hunger. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and I didn’t handle hunger very well. It was likely part of the reason why I’d flown off the handle at the little bitch who called Ryder Sir. I mean, it wasn’t really like me to lose my temper that easily. Then again, I’d never really had much interaction with other people.
“Thanks for digging, Caden,” Ryder said, getting to his feet and taking my hand. He’d called me his girl and I still felt a little flush from the memory. “Going to get something to eat.”
Ryder ordered pizza to be delivered to his office, and then pointed for me to sit down at a chair by his desk while he made his phone call. “Zack, it’s Ryder over at Limits. Got some questions for you. Give me a call.”
He hung up the phone. “So how are you feeling right now?”
“Starving. Out of my mind famished,” I said. “And also, pretty confused. You think the fruit arrangement thing was sent here by Martel? Like a clue he knows I’m here?”
He shrugged. “No idea. Don’t want to risk ignoring it, though.”
I nodded. He didn’t break eye contact with me, but his blue eyes focused harder on mine. Thinking. Then he lifted a hand and crooked a finger at me. “Come here.”
The low, insistent demand made me shiver. I pushed myself to standing, and walked over to him. He swiveled his chair out, and I once again took in his large, muscled chest, the expanse of his shoulders, the way his muscular thighs stretched against his jeans, the flat of his stomach. He patted his knee. For one brief moment, I fantasized about him patting his knee to signal for me to go over his lap. To be punished.
But when I came within arm’s reach of him, he leaned back in his chair, and pulled me straight onto his lap. The strong, masculine smell of him, like whiskey and sunshine, filled my senses.
My heart beat a little faster as his hands encircled my waist and rested on my lower back, the warmth of his touch seeping through my clothes.
His deep rumble of a voice arrested my attention, pulling me out of my fantasy.
“I want to hear what you want to know about BDSM. The lifestyle. Scening. What appeals to you, what doesn’t. What have you learned from the books you read?
My stomach twisted, my cheeks flaming even hotter. “I don’t know if I want to talk about it,” I said, feeling a little nervous and shy.
His grip tightened. “Didn’t ask you if you wanted to talk about it. I told you to tell me.”
I bit my lip, planning my reply, needing to goad him a little. My voice came out in a husky whisper. “And if I… if I don’t tell you?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “You need to ask?”
I closed my eyes briefly. I knew what would happen if I didn’t. I didn’t want to be punished so much as I needed to hear him say it. He’d threatened. Something told me I was fresh out of threats, and soon he’d be making good on his promise.
I swallowed before I took in a deep breath and spoke. “Well, the whole idea of punishment is sexy,” I began. “Being punished by someone I’m attracted to like I am to you… the loss of control… the pain that turns to pleasure. There are lots of ways I haven’t been spanked, and lots of ways I want to try.”
His cock twitched beneath my ass and his eyes sobered. When he spoke, his voice was lower, husky. “You like when I spank you.” It wasn’t a question because he knew the answer.
At the words, I felt my panties grow damp between my legs, licks of fire stoking the embers of my arousal. “Like what you keep threatening,” I whispered. Could I say it? I would try. “Like your… your belt.”
He huffed out a laugh. “You’re way overdue for Daddy’s belt.”
I closed my eyes briefly, overcome with warmth and longing.
“I want to try restraints,” I said in a choked whisper before I looked at him again. “Cuffs, or rope, or something like that. I’m curious what it would feel like to have no control, so you could do whatever you want to me. And then I… want you to do anything you want to me.”
He nodded. “Excellent. Restraints I can do. Go on.”
“I want to be punished in front of a room full of people while they all watch.”
“Hell yeah. What else?”
My excitement grew, and I felt braver. I looked into his probing eyes, deep and fathomless like the sky at dawn.
“Wax play.”
He blinked, startled, and the corners of his lips quirked up. “You want to try wax play? You just jumped several octaves there, babe. And not everything may be as hot as you think when you experience it. A crowded room might overwhelm you, even.”
I nodded and swallowed hard, a nervous giggle bubbling up. “I’m curious. With the wax… yes. Just mild… the heat and a little sting of pain… again, your control over me… it
sounds… good.”
He gently kneaded my lower back. “You’re a very good girl. Anything else?”
I had to think a minute. “Well, I am curious about gags, but I’m not sure they’ll be my thing. I like… when you lick and bite me, but I’m not sure that’s kinky.”
He chuckled. “I can make it kinky.”
Ohhh. I shivered again.
“Calling you Daddy. That’s a big kink.”
“Damn right. You do it perfectly.”
A warmth of contentment filled me. “And… what about you? What do you want to try with me?”
“I’m a red-blooded male.” He chuckled. “I really just want a blow job.”
I laughed out loud. “A blow job? I’ve read about those. I bet I could…learn.” My panties dampened at the mere thought.
He reached for my hair and wove his fingers through it, grasping it before he gave it a little tug. “I look forward to teaching you.”
My heart pattered in my chest, and when I spoke, I hardly recognized the sound.
“I’d like that,” I said in a husky whisper. “When’s my first lesson?”
He held onto me and glanced at the clock on the wall behind him. “We have fifteen minutes before our food arrives. Now’s a good time.”
A spike of fear and exhilaration coursed through me.
Gently, he guided me off his lap. I stood in front of him and his eyes met mine.
His low command made me shiver. “On your knees.”
I sank to the floor in front of him, my hands falling to his thighs. I was eager to please him, having climaxed now twice because of him. I wanted to make him feel pleasure as keenly as I had. But I was nervous. I felt my eyes grow wide as he nimbly unfastened his belt, the clink of metal giving way to a soft whoosh as he tugged the thick leather belt from its loops. My mouth grew dry as I imagined what he’d do with that belt.
I swallowed hard as I watched him wind the belt around his hand until he’d fashioned a strap. With his empty hand, he freed his cock. I felt both cold and hot as apprehension flooded me.
“Open.” I obeyed, shaking a little. He guided his silky, hardened cock into my mouth. He tasted a little salty as my lips wrapped around him and I sucked.
I’d read about this, too. I could at least fake it. I longed to please him.
I gasped as the tail end of his belt snapped on my ass. “Don’t stop, Rae. You stop, or disobey me, and I’ll whip you with my belt.” The sting of pain melted into heat, and as I sucked his cock, I wanted more, needing to please him. His large, muscular thighs fell open, and his eyes met mine. My head bobbed between his legs, my own arousal amping up with every lick and suck.
His nostrils flared, his chest expanding as he barely stifled a groan, reaching for my hair and giving it a sharp tug. He was enjoying this. And God, if he was, so was I. Making this strong, stern man groan in pleasure empowered me, my pussy throbbed with arousal.
The belt snapped again on my ass, the sharp crack of leather making me squirm, my belly dipping. “Good girl,” he groaned. He began to tense, his body coiling, and I knew he was getting close. I wasn’t sure what I would do at that point. He pulled himself out and I mewled at the loss. He soothed me with the soft stroke of his hand on my cheek.
“That’s all for now. You did such a good job, baby. But I need to ease you in. I want to save myself for tonight. I want to be ready for you.”
He slipped his hardened cock back in his pants and zipped up.
“Doesn’t that hurt you? Don’t you need to climax, too?”
He smirked. “I will, babe. You don’t worry about me. All you need to worry about is obeying me.” He tapped a finger on my chin. “Yes, Daddy?”
I smiled back, flames still licking at my core, my voice husky with want. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Good.” He pulled me to my feet, laced his fingers around the back of my neck, and drew me closer to him, kissing my forehead before he whispered in my ear. “You’re mine, Rae. You came to me because you needed help, and everything you’ve given me you’ve given freely. It will take time for us to get to know each other, to know where we go from here. But I take very good care of what belongs to me.”
My eyes closed at his words. He was right. We’d only just met, but I’d already given myself to him. I had nowhere else to go and even if I did, I didn’t want to. Ours was a special relationship, forged with the bonds of trial and circumstance, but I would do whatever I had to.
I didn’t know how to respond, so I didn’t even try to censor myself, instead I just spoke what was on my mind. “Thank you, Ryder. For rescuing me. For showing me what my fantasies are like come to life. For giving me a chance.” I smiled. “For claiming me as your own.”
He pulled me to him in a tight embrace. “When this is all over? Where you go next or what you do will be up to you. I won’t stop you or hold you back. Now it’s time for you to find out who you are. But until this is over, and while you’re under my protection, I expect you to listen. That way I can protect you and meet your needs.”
“Yes.” I wouldn’t give my submission to a man who hadn’t earned it. Ryder made me want to give him everything. “I understand.”
A knock sounded at the door as Ryder quickly fixed himself, fastening the belt at his waist.
“Food’s here, boss.”
Ryder nodded to me. “It’s Caden.” He opened the door, and Caden came in, carrying a large paper bag, but beside him was someone I didn’t recognize, a very tall, burly police officer dressed in a blue uniform with light brown hair, keen brown eyes, and a five o’clock shadow. He looked stern and formidable, and I wondered if he was someone to be trusted. I looked to Ryder to gauge his reaction. He first nodded at Caden to bring the food in, then looked to the officer.
“Zack. Nice to see you.”
Zack looked from Ryder to me, then back to Ryder, taking it all in. Though I wore a different outfit, and my hair was cut short, I worried that somehow this man would identify me, like I was on public display. Zack had been the man who put Ryder’s arrangement on his desk without permission. If Ryder didn’t trust him, neither did I.
“Thank you, Caden. I want you and Seth and Dean to be sure the rooms are set up according to protocol. We have a demonstration in arena one this evening, arena two will be open to the public, and arena three is for a private function, no guests allowed.”
Caden nodded. “Got it. Will do, sir.”
He shut the door behind him, leaving me and Ryder with a bag of delicious-smelling food, and Zack.
“Zack, have a seat.” It wasn’t an invitation but a command, as Ryder pulled a chair from his desk and shoved it over to Zack. I hadn’t been around people very much, but even I could figure out there was no love lost between these two.
The officer extended his hand. “Officer Zachary Hunter,” he said. “And you are?”
I opened my mouth to say “Rowena,” when Ryder jumped in.
“This is Anne. She’s with me, and I’m training her. She’s to listen and not speak. Have a seat.” Ryder pulled another seat out for me next to his desk and opened the brown paper bag. He removed a clamshell container of salad, opened the salad dressing and poured it on top, gave it all a quick toss with a fork and pushed it over to me. I nodded my thanks, and when he gestured for me to eat, I needed no further encouragement, tucking into the food and listening as the men talked.
“Tell me why you were in my office earlier,” Ryder said.
Zack’s jaw clenched but his gaze never left Ryder’s. “I delivered your arrangement. You’re welcome.”
“And how did you know the code to get in?” Ryder asked.
Zack rolled his eyes. “The door was already unlocked.”
“That’s bullshit.”
Zack cocked his head to the side. “Is it? So you tell me. How did you know I was here to begin with?”
“Surveillance cameras.”
“Naturally. So reel them back further. You’re missing something here. I’m not your
suspect.”
“That’s what they all say,” I muttered.
Zack’s formidable gaze swung to me. “Excuse me?”
Ryder growled, but I continued. “Read a lot of mystery novels,” I said with a shrug. “No one ever says, ‘Oh! Right! I’m your number one suspect. Thanks for the opportunity!” I shook my head, ignoring Ryder, who was silently shaking his head at me. “They all deny involvement,” I continued. “Sometimes they’re telling the truth and sometimes they’re not. Gotta keep digging to find out.”
Zack’s lips pursed then looked back to Ryder. “You let your subs talk out of turn like this, Master Ryder?” He cocked an eyebrow and crossed an ankle over his knee. I wanted to take the rest of my food and toss it into his beautiful, smug face.
Ryder looked at me, his features darkening as he spoke to Zack. “What I allow and do not allow is between me and my submissive, officer.”
Zack stared at Ryder, but Ryder had eyes only for me, and those eyes were not pleased.
Alrighty then. “Can I have my sandwich, now, please?”
Frowning, he took half a sandwich and handed it to me. I shoved it in my mouth to prevent myself from saying anything else out loud.
“Dean came to me this morning,” Zack said. “Wanted to get details on a kidnapping that happened twenty years ago. This have anything to do with you?”
Ryder took a bite of food and shrugged a shoulder. He chewed, and swallowed, taking his time before answering. “I’m not sure if it does or not yet. Go on.”
“I looked into it and there was a child reported abducted from a homeless couple twenty years ago. I’m not sure why that information was something Dean picked up on, as we’ve had countless abductions since then, sadly. But I did want to give him the information I found. We know that it was a newborn baby, and the parents say she had a birthmark on her right shoulder. That’s all we’ve got, though.”
The food in my stomach felt heavy.
I turned my face away from him, my heart pattering in my chest, as he continued. “Records show that the parents were poor, and their baby was taken by an infamous loan shark by the name of Frederick Martel, but when detectives went to investigate, they found Martel had legally adopted the child, and there was no verifiable proof that she was kidnapped. He was released, and no one ever saw the birth parents after that.”
