by Leah Brooke
Kelsey forced a laugh that did nothing to relieve the tension inside her. “You still scare the hell out of me. I know you think that I don’t want any emotion between us because I feel nothing.”
Grimacing, she looked away. “It’s just the opposite. I care too much, but I have no idea if I can be what you need. I just don’t want to be hurt.”
The silence that followed filled her with unease, her nervousness and anxiety growing as it lengthened. Finally, she couldn’t stand it any longer, and turned to look at him, surprised to find that he was no longer standing behind the bar and had moved in behind her.
Kelsey’s face burned, the tension inside her building as she waited for him to say something. She set her glass aside to wrap her arms around herself, and turned to face him, once again self-conscious that he could see everything through her clothing, her body and thoughts both laid bare.
Gabriel stepped closer, reaching out to run his finger over the clasp between her breasts. “You have no idea what it does to me to hear that. I care for you, too, Kelsey. If I told you how much, I would scare you even more. We’ll play this week the way you want—nice and easy—but never for one minute think I don’t care for you. Before we leave here, we’ll figure it out. Just relax and enjoy.”
The clasp between her breasts opened, and Gabriel lifted it to his lips as the fabric fell away. “I need you to trust that I won’t give you more than you can accept, and I want you to experience things you’ve probably never considered.”
He smiled at her startled look, running the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “Remember those punishments? By the time we leave here, you’ll realize that not only can you handle them, you’ll work to goad me into administering them.” The amusement and affection in his eyes wiped away her trepidation. “I wouldn’t want you getting too nervous about trying something new. I think you’re going to like the adventures I have planned for you.”
Kelsey blinked, a little surprised that he’d been thinking about doing things to her that he hadn’t done yet. “You have things planned for me?”
His smile held a hint of frustration. “I’ve been imagining things I want to do to you for a long time now.”
Rubbing her cheek against his hand, she moaned at the feel of his fingers on her nipple. “According to what you said before, you’ve been easy on me. Why? Are you afraid I can’t handle it?”
Gabriel sighed, staring down at the nipple he circled. “I didn’t want to scare you away. I told you once before that you’re going to break my heart.”
“Never.”
Leading her to the sofa, he sat, settling her on his lap. With an almost absent caress, he cupped her breast, running his thumb back and forth over her nipple. “What else is bothering you?”
Leaning against his shoulder, something she’d never done with any man before, she sighed. She couldn’t get over how right it felt to be with him this way, and how feminine she felt being cradled on his lap. “It’s nothing important, just something I have to figure out. Can we talk more about this submission stuff? What kind of things do submissives do that you think are going to scare me away?”
His fingers moved over her breasts, his eyes following the movements as though he couldn’t look away. “I told you, my pet. There are all kinds of things a Master expects from his submissive, but each Dom is different and has different expectations.”
Struggling to concentrate on the conversation when his touch had her nearly mindless with pleasure, Kelsey had to swallow heavily before speaking again. “Like what?”
His tender touch didn’t demand. It cajoled, the slow, casual slide of his fingers awakening every nerve ending in her breast and making her nipple ache for his attention.
Gabriel’s eyes lifted to hers. A slow smile spread over his face, a wicked smile of anticipation that told her he had another sinful adventure planned. Taking the fabric he’d removed, he tied it around her eyes, blindfolding her.
“Pretend with me.”
When he used that velvety, playful tone, she’d follow him blindly.
Being blindfolded made her feel even more naked, taking her to another level of vulnerability, mainly because she never knew where he was looking. The shimmers of heat from his fingertips seemed to settle at her nipple, making the ache almost unbearable. It travelled to her slit in a stream of heat, one that brought her clit to life.
Taking a shuddering breath, she dug her heels into the sofa cushions and lifted her hips, wiggling in invitation. “Okay.” She jolted at the touch of his lips against her ear, shivering at the feel of his warm breath caressing her. “What are we pretending?” She smiled at the feel of his fingers on the underside of her breast, arching to give him better access.
His low hum of pleasure added to her own, warming her inside and out. “I’ll give you a scenario. If you were mine, we could be sitting like this in a special room at the club. It’s a room for conversation, and for Masters to take their submissives to show them off, or to offer them to their friends.” Gabriel trailed his fingers down her back. “Other Doms would be present with their submissives seated either on their laps or at their feet. Each sub would be dressed, or undressed, in a way that suited their Master, but whatever they wore, they would be exposed to everyone’s gazes.”
Her nipples tingled, his caress and thoughts of other men looking at her making her heart race. “They would be looking at me?”
“Of course, my pet. You’re very beautiful. They’d have a hard time taking their eyes off of your beautiful breasts.” Rolling a nipple between his thumb and forefinger, he tugged gently. “Submissives in my club aren’t permitted to look any Master in the eye unless told to. I would make you follow the same rule, of course.”
Bending close again, he scraped his teeth over her shoulder. “Because of it, you have no idea how many of them are looking at you. But, I know. I see them admiring you and wanting some time with you in the playroom.”
Her breasts felt swollen and heavy, her nipples tingling so badly she found it difficult to sit still. The confidence and authority in his silky tone emphasized his position as a Master and drew her deeper into the fantasy he created. “I don’t want to be with anyone else. Are you going to let them take me?”
She didn’t want to go with any other man, and she realized that she would have no one to count on except Gabriel to keep her safe.
“Absolutely not. I don’t share.” Cupping her breast, he lifted it, running his thumb back and forth over her nipple until she cried out. “No sounds. No matter what I do, you must remain quiet. Those sounds of pleasure belong only to me. The other Masters can see your pleasure, but they can’t hear it unless I allow it. Spread your thighs. I want them to see how wet you are for me.”
Kelsey shivered, biting her lip to hold back a cry of pleasure as Gabriel pushed the material of her sarong aside. Feeling the material rest high on her thighs, she began to shake at the very real threat of having her slit exposed. “They can’t see my pussy, can they?”
She couldn’t believe how real he made the fantasy feel, and found herself enjoying it immensely. She could live a fantasy she’d never realized she’d had, but in a completely safe way.
“Not yet, my pet. If you’re good, I’ll reward you later, but if you misbehave, I may just spank you right here in front of them.” His voice deepened and lowered. “I’m going to sit here, listening to their conversation, and very slowly run my hand up to your mound. I’m going to push back the hood, and expose your clit so that everyone can see it. The other Masters will be watching your reaction. They’ll know what you’re feeling, and so will their submissives. They’ll all be looking at you, and there won’t be a thing you can do about it. Maybe others will come by and look, too. Some might even ask me if they can touch you. A red, swollen clit is a breathtaking sight.”
Kelsey took a shuddering breath, and then another, shaking helplessly. She could feel it.
The atmosphere.
Their gazes.
His
pride in her, and her own delight in pleasing him.
She wanted him to be proud of her, and want her more than he’d wanted any other woman. She could picture the scene, and the other people. A sudden thought made her stiffen.
“Are you looking at the other submissives?”
Gabriel touched his lips to her shoulder. “Of course. They’re beautiful. I wouldn’t insult my friends by ignoring their property. They brought their subs here for the same reason that I have—to show them off.”
“Do you want them?” She hated the jealousy in her voice.
Gabriel pinched her nipple hard enough to make her wince. “You and I have an arrangement, not a relationship. Remember? I could take one of them in front of you and you would have no say in it. Just as you have no say in anything else. For example, one of the other Masters has asked me if he could examine your breasts. He’s a good friend of mine, and has shared his submissives with me in the past. Of course, I’ll allow it. Put your hands behind your head and lace your fingers together. I want to see if you like the way he touches you.”
Hesitating, Kelsey turned toward him.
“Don’t you dare say my name. Don’t question me, or defy me. I won’t tolerate any belligerence or disrespect, especially in front of my friends.”
His voice lowered, once again silky smooth. “Show them why you’re so special to me. Show them that you want to do whatever you have to do to please me.”
The expectancy and hint of challenge in his voice told her how much her willingness to do this now meant to him—how much this fantasy excited him.
She pushed her elbows back and arched her back to offer her breasts, concentrating on nothing but pleasing Gabriel. If they’d really been in a situation such as the one he described, she wouldn’t have been thinking about anything except him.
Wishing she could see his face, she gasped at the feel of his fingers moving over a nipple. Fire shot through her, his expert touch on first one nipple and then the other, making her nipples bead impossibly tight.
He moved with a grace and sureness that told her he’d done this often.
“You’ve done this with other women, haven’t you? I know I’m not supposed to ask, but you seem to know a lot about this.”
Gabriel’s tone hardened, but his touch remained gentle as he moved his hands over her, one over her breast and the other threading through her hair. “Yes. I’ve shared submissives with Masters, and accepted the use of theirs on occasion.”
Turning toward him, she rubbed her thighs together, the tingling in her clit driving her insane. “I wouldn’t be able to do that. It just shows that I was right about us. There’s no way we could have anything more than this week together.”
Gabriel laid her back over his arm, running his hand over her belly. “I wouldn’t share you at all, my pet. Ever.” The material around her eyes fell away. Cupping her cheek, he turned her toward him and bent over her, his eyes glittering with possessiveness. “I’m looking for something permanent now, a woman who would belong only to me. I won’t share, and I certainly wouldn’t want any other woman. No other man would ever see you.”
Taking her hands from behind her neck, he held them to his lips. “You’d be completely mine. Mine to tame.”
Aroused and anxious for his touch, Kelsey brushed up against him, looking up at him through her lashes. “Show me.”
A brow went up. “Do you mean, fuck you?”
“Yes.”
Gabriel smiled faintly. “No.”
At first, Kelsey thought she’d misunderstood—until she saw the cold intent in his eyes. “What do you mean, no?”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think you truly understand what I want. You knew the rules before we started this and you’ve disobeyed me several times. When you choose to give yourself over and ask for your punishment, we’ll continue.”
Stunned to see the hint of vulnerability in his eyes, Kelsey reached for him. “What do you mean? What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to think about what you want. I want you to think about what you’re willing to do to get it.” He glanced at his watch, and stood, settling her before moving away. “I have some calls to make and some work to do while you figure out just how far you’re willing to go to obey me.”
Chapter Twelve
Leaning back in the chair, Kelsey couldn’t take her eyes away from Gabriel as he sat forward and bent over some papers he’d strewn out. Sitting in the chair across from where he sat on the sofa, she listened absently as he spoke on the phone, taking advantage of his distraction to study him. She hadn’t heard the cold, clipped tone he used now very often, and she listened in fascination, not paying much attention to his words, but focusing on his voice.
It got colder when he got angry, lower and deeper, but without the silky cadence it held when she’d done something to disobey him.
Pleased that she’d begun to understand him, and the way he lived, and loved, a little better, she leaned back, swinging her foot as she listened to him reprimand an employee.
It made her understand just how gentle he’d been with her.
He made her reevaluate herself, something she hadn’t done for a long time, and listening to him now, she had the chance to think.
She hadn’t fallen in love before, and figured she’d never feel that emotion.
Until she met Gabriel.
He’d taught her more about herself than anyone ever had, and with it, the knowledge that she could love—and love deeply. He’d ruined her for anyone else.
He didn’t take, but enticed her to give.
And gave back in return—more than anyone had ever given her.
“You’re staring.”
Kelsey blinked, meeting Gabriel’s amused gaze. Smiling at the picture he made, she curled her legs under her and let her gaze rake over him. The rush of warmth no longer surprised or alarmed her, the combination of his magnificent looks and confident gleam in his eyes so sexy she wanted to jump him.
Lost in thought, she hadn’t even noticed that he’d finished his call.
Tilting her head, she licked her lips. “You should be used to having women stare at you.”
Stretching, he laced his fingers behind his head, his pose relaxed, but his eyes sharp and watchful. “You didn’t seem to even see me. You appeared lost in thought. Is something bothering you?”
“No.” She’d gotten a little more used to being naked—or close to it—in front of him, but still felt incredibly exposed when he looked at her with such possessiveness. Gesturing toward the scrap of pink draped over the back of the sofa, she raised a brow. “Are you going to give my top back?”
“No. You won’t be wearing it anymore tonight.”
A little unsettled that she couldn’t read him, or guess his intentions, she shifted restlessly. “So what’s the plan for tonight? Since you don’t want to fuck me, I’d say our options are limited.”
Gabriel grinned. “A statement which proves that you don’t know me at all. Why didn’t the authorities come looking for you when you ran away from the foster home?”
Grinning, Kelsey sat back, wondering how long it would take him to get back to that. “My foster parents woke up to their son screaming that I’d beat him up. I told them that I was leaving and if they called anyone and told them I was gone before I had a chance to cover my tracks, I’d tell them why I left and have her son arrested.”
Getting to her feet, she made her way back to the windows, crossing her arms over her breasts. “I don’t know how long it was before anyone checked on me, but I’d moved to Philadelphia by then.”
“And looking over your shoulder until you turned eighteen. So, what happened then?”
Kelsey shrugged. “With makeup, I looked older. It was easy enough to find a job working for cash. Once I turned eighteen, I was home free.”
* * * *
Gabriel could only imagine what it had been like for her. Alone and scared, she’d probably had to live on the streets until s
he made enough to find a place. No money, no friends, and in a strange city, she had to have been frightened. Hungry.
But, she’d made it.
It had made her tough and understandably distant.
“I’m proud of you, Kelsey.”
She turned from the window, frowning. “For what? Surviving? There really wasn’t much of a choice.”
Getting to his feet, he strolled toward her, aching with the need to hold her. “Yes, for that, but also for what you’ve been doing since we got here. You’ve been letting me in. I know that’s been hard for you.”
Shrugging, she looked away, smiling when he came up behind her and slumped against him. “I don’t really have any choice. I can’t seem to resist you.”
Sliding his hands around her, he cupped her breasts, smiling at the way she slumped against him without hesitation. Kissing her hair, he stroked her nipples with his thumbs, the satisfaction welling inside him nearly choking him. “I can’t seem to resist you either. I’ll go slow, baby. As slow as you need.”
He wanted to dress her in the finest clothes. He wanted to bring her back here often, to get her to relax. He wanted to build a life with her, to wrap her in a cocoon of security and love.
He couldn’t seem to stop smiling. “We’re both going to live out our fantasies. Since I don’t want to let anyone else see you naked, though, I’ll have to indulge your fantasy, and your fear of public exhibition in other ways.”
A fiery blush accompanied her look of shock. “What desire for public exhibition? I don’t want to be naked in public.”
Gabriel smiled, anticipation flooding his veins as he thought about all he could teach her about herself. “Being naked on the beach aroused you. When you were in my arms and pretending to be naked and surrounded by other men, you were wet and got that little catch in your breath that you get when you’re aroused.”
She’d also done something that had thrilled him, something that he’d probably never tell her.
She’d shifted her focus to him even more, tilting her head as though listening for the slightest inflection in his voice. She’d been so attuned to him that she’d responded to his change in tone and even in the rhythm of his breathing, and he doubted she even knew it.
