by Leah Brooke
Without thinking, she wrapped her arms and legs around him, loving the growing familiarity of having his body pressed against hers. “I need them.” Shrugging, she inwardly cursed the burn in her cheeks. “Business was good then and I needed more help.”
“Uh-huh.” Pushing her hair back from her face, he ran his thumb over her lip. “And you couldn’t let them go when business slowed down.”
Insulted, she stiffened. “Are you saying I’m not a good businesswoman?”
Gabriel smiled, rolling back to his side and gathering her close. Settling her head on his chest, he pulled the covers over her. “Not at all. I’m saying you’re softhearted and more concerned about others than you are about yourself.”
“You’re trying to piss me off.”
Gabriel chuckled. “It’s not much of a challenge. Go to sleep, my love. I think I’ve figured out an answer to your dilemma.”
“Really? What?” She tried to sit up, but the hands moving over her back both held her in place and lulled her closer to sleep.
“We’ll talk about it in the morning.”
“But—”
“I said that we’d discuss it in the morning.”
Frowning, she opened her eyes, disconcerted that she couldn’t see anything, until she realized he’d turned off the light. “You’re arrogant. Sometimes, it pisses me off.”
“It pisses off a lot of people. I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to deal with me. Now, go to sleep. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
She tried to keep her eyes open, and then wondering why she bothered, let them drift close again, “Really? What’s so special about tomorrow?”
“Since you’ve accused me of trying to control you by making you come, I’m going to spend tomorrow teaching you to hold back your orgasm. You won’t be allowed to come, my pet, for quite a long time.”
Lying in the darkness, Kelsey smiled faintly, once again overcome by a vulnerability she couldn’t quite shake.
“Gabriel?”
“Yes, my love?”
“Would you do me a favor?” The fact that she needed more proved to her that she wasn’t ready for a man like Gabriel.
“Darling, I’ll probably spend the rest of my life spoiling you. What is it?”
“Will you kiss me?” After all they’d shared, it seemed a silly request, and one she regretted almost immediately. She tried to turn away, blinking back tears. “Forget it.”
She hated feeling so needy.
“Not a chance.” Gabriel rolled her to her back in a quick move, covering her body with his.
At the first touch of his lips on hers, Kelsey melted, the tenderness and possessiveness in his kiss reaching deep inside her and pulling every bit of emotion for him to the surface.
It made her want him more. Need him more.
Panicking, she turned her head away with a sob. “No.”
“Yes.” Cupping her face, he pressed his thumbs against her chin, forcing her to open her mouth to admit him. He slid his tongue past her lips to slide against hers with an intimacy and possessiveness that stunned her.
His breath mingled with hers, his fingers sliding into her hair and tilting her head back to give him better access. The slow, incredibly sensual slide of his lips over hers erased every rational thought from her mind as his body moved on hers, pressing her to the mattress.
A whimper escaped as a sense of deep vulnerability washed over her, a much stronger vulnerability than she’d felt with him before.
The emotional vulnerability proved much stronger than the physical, the impact on her senses sending her reeling.
With his firm, but gentle touch, he drew from her more than she’d ever planned to give. She felt raw inside as if he’d touched her soul.
Somehow, he gave it all back, enveloping her in a warm sense of security that made her feel as if she could conquer anything.
Empowered.
And the bond grew.
Gathered against him, she felt as if she truly belonged.
Silly. Stupid. Scary.
Enthralling.
Her struggle to resist it proved useless, and she found herself drowning under the wave of possessive demand and sensual persuasion. The slow rise to arousal surprised her, but the warm, slow swell of it proved irresistible.
She needed him as much as she needed her next breath. She needed this closeness, this sense of being part of something more potent and beautiful than anything she could have imagined.
The muscles in his chest and arms bunched and shifted under her hands, the sounds of his increasingly ragged breathing so intimate and so beloved she wanted to cry.
Gabriel shifted slightly, and she heard the sound of the drawer being open and closed next to her. Reaching between them, he rolled on a condom, his kiss becoming deeper and even more passionate.
Wild for him, she matched him kiss for kiss, unable to get enough of his mouth, another whimper escaping when he lifted his head. Fisting her hands in his hair, she tried to pull him back down, her breath catching when he gripped her wrists in one of his big hands and lifted them over her head.
“You and I belong together, Kelsey.” His free hand moved down her body, closing on her breast as he thrust into her with one powerful stroke. “Denying it is just wasting time that we could be spending in more productive ways.”
He made love to her with a slow thoroughness that left her trembling and amazingly weak, nuzzling her jaw as he continued his firm strokes into her, making the inner walls of her pussy quiver with sensation. Threading his fingers with hers, he nipped at her lips until she parted them, and with a groan of satisfaction and possession, pushed past them. “Mine.”
Taking her mouth with the same arrogance and purpose that he used to take her pussy, Gabriel used his legs to force hers wider. Sliding deeper than ever, he forced her over with an ease that left her feeling as if he’d branded her as his, her entire body burning with the stamp of his ownership.
The gentle swell ebbed and flowed through her, warming her from within.
Struck at the feeling of well-being and complete sense of rightness that washed over her, Kelsey clung to him in desperation.
With a last slow thrust, Gabriel groaned, his cock pulsing deep inside her. Still holding her hands, he lifted his head. “This is all that matters, Kelsey. Us. Together. No matter how hard you try to deny it, it’s there, and it’s not going anywhere.”
Kelsey blinked back tears and buried her face against his neck, very much afraid he was right.
She loved him, and her feelings for him continued to grow no matter how much she fought them.
Somehow, she had to find a way to have a relationship with him—without allowing herself to get hurt.
“You’re going to break my heart.” Her low cry escaped before she could prevent it. Wishing she could call the words back, she stiffened when Gabriel raised his head.
Touching his lips to hers, he gathered her even closer. “I was just thinking the same thing about you. We’re in this together, Kelsey. Just remember that. We can hurt each other. Trust, baby. We have to trust each other, or we’ll both get hurt. As strong as this thing is between us, if we hurt each other, neither one of us will ever recover.”
Chapter Nineteen
They didn’t get up until late the next morning, and by the time they did, both of them were starving.
Expecting Gabriel to tease her about the previous night, the way she’d surrendered, and even asking for him to kiss her, Kelsey felt as if she walked on eggshells around him.
He was tender with her, and she could sense a change in their relationship, but to her surprise, he said nothing about the weakness she’d shown as he ordered breakfast and they showered, but his eyes remained watchful. Not until they went back into the bedroom and she waited for him to pick out something for her to wear did he mention the night before.
“You’re not getting any clothing today. We’re staying in the room, and, as I mentioned last night, I prefer you nak
ed.”
She stood still as he massaged the lotion he preferred into her skin, watching him closely for any sign of distaste at her clinginess.
After several minutes, she couldn’t stand it any longer. “I’m sorry about last night.”
In the process of rubbing the lotion onto her legs, he glanced up. “Sorry for what, my love?”
Kelsey fisted her hands at her sides as he smoothed the lotion over her mound. “For being so clingy. It’s not like me.”
Gabriel smiled. “It’s exactly like you, especially after having so many orgasms wrung out of you. It’s a Master’s responsibility to ease his sub back down, especially after a session like that. You felt vulnerable and raw, and needed to be held.”
Smiling, he bent forward to place a kiss on her mound. “And I wouldn’t want it any other way. There’s nothing that makes me happier than being needed by you.”
Getting to his feet, he held out a hand. “Come on. I want to look at my property while I eat my breakfast.”
She tried not to let him see how vulnerable she felt eating breakfast totally naked, and tried to keep the conversation casual, but his eyes told her he knew exactly what she was feeling. “So, we’re staying in the room all day? What are we going to do?”
His look of amusement made her wish she’d kept her mouth shut. “Oh, my pet, I’m sure I’ll think of something to keep you occupied.”
As they ate, his eyes lingered on her breasts, making her nipples bead tightly and ache with the need to be touched.
Sitting back, he sipped his coffee. “Flustered, are you? There’ll be times when you’ll be required to sit with your legs parted while I feed you. I have all kinds of delightful adventures in store for you.”
She went into the bedroom while the waiter came to clear their breakfast away, and when she emerged, she found Gabriel sitting on the sofa. Automatically moving toward him, she stopped, distracted by the sparkle of the sunlight hitting something on the coffee table.
Stepping closer, Kelsey swallowed heavily as she recognized the items, and eyed the assortment of glittering chains dubiously.
She lifted her gaze to meet Gabriel’s, the gleam in his eyes warming her even more than the sun shining on her.
Looking back at the small chains he’d laid out on the coffee table as an excuse to avoid his gaze, she shifted restlessly at the surge of arousal, her nipples pebbling at the reminder of the weights that had been on them the night before.
She started to cross her arms to cover herself, but lowered them almost immediately, not about to show any sign of weakness, especially after showing so many the night before. “What are those things for?”
Dressed in cotton shorts and a white cotton shirt that made him look even darker and more masculine, Gabriel sat back in his chair, his eyes raking over her in the arrogant way that irritated as well as unsettled her. “I’m going to use them to decorate you. Instead of wearing clothes to cover you, these will emphasize your nakedness and keep your attention focused where I want it to be.”
Frowning to hide the way her body reacted to his words, Kelsey unobtrusively rubbed her damp thighs together. “I’m not a damned Christmas tree.” Her nipples, still sensitive from the previous night, beaded even tighter and began to tingle.
Gabriel’s smile sent a sizzling delight through her, bringing every erogenous zone to life. “No, you’re not. You’re even better. I can decorate you to my heart’s delight and find all kinds of treats along the way.”
His eyes narrowed, and with an arrogant look, he spun his finger in a silent demand that she turn. The satisfaction and flash of hunger in his eyes filled her with a sense of power, one that had her shaking her ass at him as she watched him over her shoulder.
Gabriel’s gaze moved over her with slow deliberation. “That cream I massaged into your skin makes it glisten. Very nice. I’m going to have to order a case of it to take back home.” Lifting his gaze to hers, he held out his hand. “Come here.”
She tried to glare at him, but the look of promise and appreciation in his glittering eyes had her taking a step toward him. “I’m going to have to do something about that arrogance.” Smiling at his raised brow, she placed her hand in his. “You really are bossy. You act like—”
“Like I own you?” Raising a dark brow again, Gabriel smiled, his expression one of both patience and mild curiosity. “I thought we’d already settled this. We belong to each other, something I’m sure will take some getting used to for both if us, and something I won’t let you forget.”
Settling her on his lap, he gestured toward the array of chains while running his hand over her, his eyes hooded and dark with possessiveness. “This aspect of our relationship has already been established and agreed upon. But, either one of us can end it at any time, which is making both of us a little nervous.”
Something of her apprehension must have shown on her face because Gabriel’s eyes sharpened, his faint smile not reaching his eyes. “Trust is scary as hell, isn’t it?
Bending, he touched his lips to hers, cupping her breast and running his thumb over her nipple. “But, we’re going to do this, Kelsey. The alternative isn’t an option. Never forget that.”
Taking her mouth in a heated kiss, one that left her senses reeling, Gabriel slid his hand from her breast, over her stomach, and to her mound. Lifting his head, he smiled down at her, moving his hand over her bare, sensitive skin. “I have a proposition for you.”
Kelsey’s breath caught, her heart pounding in expectation. “What kind of proposition?”
Sliding a hand under her hair to cup her neck, Gabriel slid the fingers of his other hand through her folds, teasing her clit before he sank a firm finger into her. “Let’s talk while we work on your ability to focus. You aren’t allowed to come, and talking about things might help distract you.”
Kelsey stiffened, the need to come growing with every touch. “What if I do come?”
Gabriel’s eyes hardened. “If you do, I’ll shove a large butt plug up your ass, spank you, and then whip your pussy, and I won’t let you come the entire time. You won’t like it. I promise.”
Sucking in a breath at the feel of his finger moving inside her, Kelsey tried not to clamp down on it. “Why would you do that to me?”
“Because you have to learn not to come without permission. You’re going to be teased relentlessly all day, and you’re going to be mad as hell, but it’s a lesson you need to learn. I mean what I say to you, and if you disobey me, especially during a scene, you’re going to pay for it.”
He ran his thumb over her clit, sending sharp need through her, and making her clench on the finger he moved inside her despite her determination not to. Something of the strain she felt must have shown on her face because he smiled faintly. “You didn’t really think you could keep from clenching on me, did you?”
Holding his finger deep, he lifted her face to his. “I want you to obey me in the playroom and during a scene because we’ll both get more pleasure from the lessons you learn there. It’s also my responsibility to keep you safe, and you will obey me. Once again, trust is important. I don’t do anything to be mean, or on a whim. I take our pleasure, our relationship, and mastering you, very seriously.”
Running his thumb over her clit, his gaze sharpened. “I expect the same from you.”
Blinking back tears of emotion, and struck by his ability to slice through her defenses and inhibitions, Kelsey reached up to cup his jaw, unable to help herself. She spread her thighs, opening to him both physically and emotionally, a low moan escaping at the slow slide of his thumb over her throbbing clit.
“You know I’m just going to mess this up, don’t you? I’m going to do something to piss you off, or be too naïve about something, and that’ll be the end of it.” Frowning, she lowered her eyes, staring at the dark hand between her thighs. “I told you already that I’m not the submissive type.”
Gripping her chin, Gabriel forced her to face him, tightening his grip when she tried
to pull away. “I like a woman with spice. I’ve already told you that a submissive had to be strong. I swear, my pet, I don’t know why I put up with your insults. I know what the hell I want—and I want you.”
Bending slightly, he scraped his teeth over her nipple, smiling when she cried out. “Now, behave yourself so we can talk about my proposition.”
Sitting naked on his lap, with his finger the stroking the inner walls of her pussy, Kelsey moaned, unable to keep from rocking her hips. “I thought your proposition was just to talk. How the hell do you expect me to carry on a conversation when you’re doing that?”
Chuckling, Gabriel tapped her clit. “You have to learn to focus. We are talking. Now, pay attention.” Pressing against a spot inside her that made her breath catch and her body tighten, he began to rub with slow deliberation. “You don’t want to have the coffee shop anymore, because you’ve outgrown it. It served its purpose—giving you the independence that you wanted. I’m sure you were tired of working for someone else. Why don’t you just sell it while you have the chance, and put the money in the bank until you decide what you want to do?”
Trembling as the need to come became stronger, Kelsey shook her head from side to side, losing the battle to keep her voice steady. “Please. I’m gonna come. I can’t think.” She tried to close her legs against him, but he continued to stroke her pussy, pressing on the spot that he seemed to find with incredible ease.
Her breath caught when he slid his other hand down her body and parted her folds, closing her legs as much as she could with his hand between them.
He reacted fast, withdrawing from her pussy to slap her clit. “Open your legs and behave yourself. Don’t you dare try to close against me again.”
Kelsey cried out at the sharp slap to her clit, stiffening and crying out again when she hesitated to obey him and he delivered another. The hot tingling spread like wildfire, making her clit sting and then burn, the heat flowing through her slit in waves of both pleasure and pain.
Warning tingles began in her exposed clit, making the sensitive bundle of nerves ache and throb even harder. Spreading her legs took more effort than she would have ever thought possible, but she finally managed it. Her thighs shook, another cry escaping as Gabriel slid a finger into her again.
