by Unknown
“Says the adopted son of a first son who will one day inherit everything.”
He rewarded her quip with a belly-deep laugh. “You’ve shored up your spunk while I was gone.” Leaning back, he reclined on the swing and pulled her on top of him. “By the way, isn’t the damn chef our uncle’s legitimate son?”
A gust of wind blew over the lake. Cold, moist air caressed her arms and shoulders, triggering a fit of shivers.
She burrowed into his chest. How could he radiate heat while wearing a T-shirt? Left with a tank top and jeans, she feared turning into a popsicle. “Eric is openly gay, and his father loathes him for it. If he wasn’t so good at his job, he wouldn’t have a position at all. It was his idea to start a B&B. He’d inherited a downtown property from his maternal grandmother, and we’ve pooled together enough money for renovations. We’re not heading over to Sanctuary’s competition, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I don’t plan on letting any member of your band of rebels walk away, so I’m not worried at all.”
He sounded so confident she couldn’t resist smacking his shoulder. When her palm met hard muscle, she winced. “We’re not so easily bought.”
“It’s all about finding the right offer. But right now, I have something much more important to deal with.”
Her brows furrowing, she straightened one arm to prop herself up. “Like what?”
“My hard-on.” He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger before draping it over her chest. The tendril of ebony formed a curved path to her budding nipple. “Your bra isn’t padded, and you’ve been on top of me for a while now. It’s getting damned uncomfortable.”
She tried to climb off him, but he caught her waist with both hands. “I thought you said—”
“I want you closer, not farther away.” Pulling her forward, he bit the tip of her breast. Despite the cotton barrier, the twinge was potent enough to curl her toes. Tipped off balance, she was forced to straddle him. His erection tented his jeans, the bulge impossible to miss even through the denim barrier.
When she wiggled, the pressure woke nerves at her core. Biting back a moan, she attempted a diversion. “I never understood why you didn’t offer the same terms to me as you did Lee-Ann.” He’d intended to form an alliance with her cousin in name only. When he’d switched brides, he’d also removed several conditions from the original contract.
“I married a completely different woman. You, I want to fuck. While we’re on the subject, let’s get a few pesky details over with.”
“The details of what?” Terror and excitement warred. Sweat clammed up the palms she’d rested on his shoulders.
“Our sex life.” He slid his hands up her torso, trailed them down her arms, and stopped at her wrists. “Do you plan on taking lovers?”
She flinched as if he’d slapped her.
“Easy, kitten. It was a question, not an accusation. A lot of relationships aren’t exclusive. I’m glad we both agree ours will be.”
“You plan to be faithful?” She’d never expected it. In her social circle, fidelity was almost always one-sided. Men with wealth and power kept mistresses. The question wasn’t if, but when and how many.
“Of course. Don’t you?”
She nodded, but self-doubt churned her stomach. What if she couldn’t give him what he needed? What if she wasn’t enough?
“I’m not some randy teenager.” He quirked a brow. “Don’t look so worried.”
Mirth turned her exhale into a cough.
“Next question. Do you enjoy inflicting pain?”
Whatever expression colored her face provoked a husky laugh. “I didn’t think so. How do you feel about fucking more than one man, or woman, at the same time?”
Her cheeks flaming, she lifted her butt. “This conversation is—”
“I’ll take that as a maybe. Sit down.”
Her bottom met his groin before her brain processed the command. His grin fueled her embarrassed ire. “You’re playing mind games with me”
“No, I’m discovering your limits. It’s what I do before I play with someone for the first time. I’m glad we’re on the same page. I don’t share my lovers. Others can watch, but I won’t allow touching. I’m also the only one here who’ll ever hold a whip.”
Despite her interest in clarifying all the points he’d raised, she couldn’t seem to get past his second sentence. “What do you mean by play?”
“You’ll find out as soon as we’re done with the preliminaries. When is the last time you had sex?”
The question was a punch to the gut, but she refused to break eye contact. “A long time ago.”
Pulling her until she bent at the waist, he gripped her neck with one hand and her shoulder with the other. “Tell me about it.”
She tried to control her breathing and failed. “Why does the past matter?”
Their breaths mingled. She could smell the hint of toothpaste lacing his breath, the minty scent mixing with spicy aftershave. “It doesn’t to me, but it does to you. I need to know what to look out for.”
Tears distorted her vision. She blinked them away. “I can’t.”
“You will. You’re tougher than you think, but let’s switch to my first question. When was the last time you had sex?”
When he continued to hold her captive, she hooded her gaze. She was damaged goods. She might as well spell it out. “Seven years ago.”
Through a curtain of dark lashes, she saw a deadly flicker in the depths of his eyes. “You were seventeen.”
Flinching at the strength of his disapproval, she nodded.
“So you’ve had lovers. Men and women?”
“A man.” The correction slipped out. Recognizing the trick, she glared at him.
“He must have been shit in bed.” To her surprise, he pulled her closer and traced his tongue over the seam of her mouth. Her taut neck muscles relaxed when he didn’t force his way in, choosing instead to nibble on her lower lip. Unable to peel her gaze away, she noticed his face’s darkening hue, and recognized the sheen of moisture on his chocolate skin as a sign of arousal.
After what she’d told him, how could he still want her?
He sucked her swollen flesh into his mouth, tormented it for two eternity-long breaths, before backing off. “You have beautiful lips. How about oral? Given? Taken?”
Her ears still roaring, it took a moment before the intimate query registered. When it did, her heart pounded faster. She attempted an answer, but no sound came out.
“I’ll take that as a ‘no’ on both. Good. It gives me some wiggle room.” His eyes held a wolfish gleam.
Her heart in her throat, she sputtered out the next breath.
He patted her cheek. “Okay, I’m done. Your turn.”
To what?
After she stared at him for another ten seconds, he prompted. “Any questions for me before we move on?”
Despite her growing trepidation, her wits somehow kicked back into gear. Realizing he’d teased her rather mercilessly, she couldn’t resist giving him a dose of his own medicine. “Sure. How many women have you slept with?”
“I don’t keep count, but a lot. Is that all?”
Though he held her prisoner, she batted her lashes and inquired in her sweetest voice, “Any diseases I should know about?”
Chuckling, he flicked the tip of her nose. “Good one. No, I’ve been careful. So, is there any reason you can think of why I shouldn’t make love to you tonight?”
You shouldn’t want to. We never should have married. You deserve better.
She tried to turn her face away, but he gripped her chin before she succeeded. “I’m not interested in… pain.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Good thing I’m a sexual dominant, not a sadist.”
When she remained silent, he slid his fingers from her shoulder and brushed the crease at her elbow. “What? No comeback?”
“I… I don’t know what you mean,” she admitted.
“Domination a
nd submission games turn me on, not hurting women.” He brought one of her palms to his side and slid it under his shirt’s seam.
When her fingertips met warm, supple skin, she shivered. Touching him was pure pleasure.
“We might play with pain, but only if it heightens your arousal. For me, it’s not a goal in and of itself. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.”
As if of its own volition, her hand lifted to explore his hard abdomen. As she traced the muscled lines she yearned to see, her other arm inched forward. Her fingers closed over the hem of his shirt.
Such a willing slut—so eager, so ready to pleasure me.
The haunting memory froze her in place. Icy moisture coated her skin. The back of her eyelids burned as they drifted shut. She’d been on the verge of taking off his shirt. Why had she done that?
“Look at me.” His laced his fingers through her hair and tightened his grip, the sudden bite prompting her eyes to pop open. “Who do you see?”
She tried to blink away the dark edges. “Damien… I’m sorry…. I can’t….”
“As my wife, it’s your duty to make me happy. That includes touching me. Can we agree on that?”
Her gaze glued to the ticking muscle over his jaw, she nodded.
“If what you did pleases us both, why should you feel any guilt?”
Conceptually, she understood his words and recognized her reaction as the artifact of an old wound. She wanted to give him what he wanted, wanted to be who he wanted, but she couldn’t shut out the deafening accusations swirling in her mind. “You’re giving me an excuse to be a….”
The label lodged in her throat—whore.
He huffed out a breath. “We’re going to talk through this problem of yours, and then we will have sex, but right now there’s a workaround.” He stood, lifting her by the nape. “On your knees.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Down.” He pressed her shoulder. The order rather than his shove bent her legs.
Letting go of her hair, he unbuckled his belt. The leather made a swishing sound as he yanked it through the denim loops. Metal clinked when he formed a small noose. He circled to stand behind her. Pulling both her arms back, he slid her wrists through the makeshift restraint.
She stopped breathing.
A thousand different protests raced through her brain even as relief rendered her pliant. He’d taken matters out of her control, liberating her from any blame. “We’re outside. People might….”
“If you haven’t noticed, I chose this location for privacy. You’re mine to do with as I please.” Her back arched as he pulled her left shoulder, bending her so he could loop the belt’s free end under her ankles before knotting it to the original circle. On her knees, with her wrists bound to her legs, the position left her with limited mobility. “Does anything hurt? Any part of your body going numb?”
Even as she tried to stall for time, she shook her head. “I need to think—”
“Stopping you from doing that is kind of the point.” He marched around to glare at her. “Until I say otherwise, do as you’re told—nothing more, nothing less. Are we clear?”
Understanding relaxed her muscles. This might work. “Yes.”
He captured her chin and tilted her face up. “Yes, what?”
Her brows furrowed. “Yes, husband?”
He chuckled. “I guess that’ll do for now.”
Kneeling, he circled her waist with one arm. His other hand splayed over her jaw. “Open your mouth.”
Without hesitation, she parted her lips. His tongue pushed in, demanding her response with brutal determination. His much larger body surrounded her, reminding her of their difference in size.
When liquid warmth kindled between her legs, the ever-present shame didn’t kick in. Her body softened against the restraints. Faced with a man of his strength, even without her hands and legs bound, she had no choice but to comply.
When he pulled back, she drowned in the depths of scorching blue fire, every inch of her skin so sensitive her clothing resembled hard bristles. Releasing her, he slid one palm up her torso, his callused fingertips raking her imprisoned body. Over her bra, he closed his hand around her breast, crushing the small globe hard enough she winced.
“One day, I will see every inch of you.” He pressed his mouth under her ear. His teeth scraped her flesh. “Touch every inch of you.”
The light sting turned molten as he sucked. Then he tugged her demure neckline down and marked her cleavage. “I want to hear you scream when I bury my cock balls-deep.”
She whimpered.
“I want to keep you naked so I can touch you where I want, when I want.” With a groan, he tore his hands off her and stood. “But until I’m sure you’re ready, I’ll use that pretty mouth to take the edge off.”
While she teased apart his statement, he walked around her and shoved something soft and square-shaped into her hand. Tracing the edges, she guessed it was his wallet. His breath grazed her earlobe as he murmured, “If you need me to stop. Drop it.”
Facing her once more, he yanked down his zipper. The uneven rhythm of her shallow breaths mingled with the steady sound of rippling waves. She clutched the leather tighter and licked her lips.
“Good girl.” Reaching under his waistband, he freed his erection. The last time she’d glimpsed a man’s length, it had been in a dimly lit room seconds before impatient hands shoved her against cold sheets and pushed her knees apart. Too afraid of what would come, she’d never gotten a good look.
With Damien’s crotch at eye-level, his thick member filled her vision. Veins snaked from the base, forming an alluring pattern over his shaft. Contradicting her preconceptions, the head was smooth as silk and bigger than the rest. When she opened her mouth, his penis jerked up. A drop of clear liquid emerged from the very tip.
“Go ahead. Taste me.”
She snapped her mouth shut.
“That wasn’t a request.”
Responding to the guttural order, she parted her lips, trembling as he closed in. When he grabbed her by the hair, she lashed her tongue over the head. He tasted like salt.
“God, that feels good. Do it again.”
He tilted her forward by a small fraction, enough to allow her to explore the underside of his shaft. When she used her tongue to draw a pattern near the tip, his breath came out in a hiss. The immediate approval filled her with a satisfied glow.
His free hand closed over her shoulder as he tightened his hold on her nape. “I’ll let you play later. Right now, don’t move.”
With her arms restrained, it’s not as if she could. A second later, he jerked his hips forward and shoved into her. Instinct prompted her to close her mouth around his hard flesh. When he pushed farther, she relaxed her jaw to accommodate his size. Tears stung her eyes as she fought the gag reflex and won.
Holding her head captive, he slid in and out—his rhythm fast, his strokes deep. His grip prevented her from escaping his assault. His relentless surge coated her skin with sweat, made her breasts swell and her nipples throb. Frustration coiled at the apex of her thighs.
Her nerves went haywire as his thrusts impacted her body. Each time he entered her, she shifted by the tiniest fraction. Her zipper pressed over damp cotton, abrading her oversensitive flesh.
“Fuck.”
His shout barely penetrated her consciousness, her mind too absorbed by the alien slide of his flesh over hers. When his shaft lengthened in her mouth, she trusted intuition and sucked. With an unintelligible roar, his hips jackhammered. A few breaths later, warm liquid glanced off the back of her tongue.
***
After undoing the restraints, Damien scooped Kailee’s limp body into his arms and marched over to the glass doors. Her weight so slight, he maneuvered them inside with ease. Relief relaxed his tensed muscles when she buried her face against his chest. Damn, they’d gone a lot further than he’d planned. So much for easing them into a physical relationship.
She hadn’t used the master suite, choosing instead to stay in a spare. That would change starting now. Carrying her to his king-sized bed, he lowered her onto the plush mattress.
Alarmed by the terror that had gripped her at their wedding, he’d decided to give her time to heal. Certain he couldn’t keep his hands off her if they’d remained together, he’d chosen to maintain safe distance. It had been a mistake. By avoiding contact, he’d given the simmering hunger no escape, and today it had boiled over.
Grabbing her tiny hands, he massaged her wrists before bringing them to his lips. Brushing a kiss over her still-racing pulse, he heaved an uneasy breath and waited for the chips to fall. He’d either screwed up royally, or she was as strong as he’d given her credit for.
She ran her fingertips over his jaw before beaming a shy, but genuine smile. “I think…. I think your workaround succeeded.”
Scooting to the head of the bed, he poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the nightstand. Circling his arm around her waist, he lifted her until her head rested over his shoulder. Bringing the water to her lips, he watched her gulp every last drop.
Putting the glass aside, he pressed a kiss onto her sweat-damped hair. With the pad of his thumb, he traced the dark circles under her eyes. Though she’d put on a brave face, the recent emotional roller coaster seemed to have drained her. While the entire scene took less than half an hour, it had been a giant step. Her defenses were down, and he intended to take advantage.
Tilting her head up to meet his gaze, she asked, “How did you know tying me up would help?”
“I didn’t. I took a calculated risk, though it’s better if I knew all the land mines. Time to tell me what happened seven years ago, kitten.”
Her brows knotted, but she laced her fingers through his—a timid display of trust. “You must have already guessed.”
He hugged her closer. “You’ll feel better if you tell me.”
“What is there left to say? They spoke the truth.”
“You were seventeen.” Grinding his teeth, he tempered his desire for vengeance into a honed blade. When he prompted her, he kept anger from coloring his tone. “I’ll guess, and you can fill in the gaps. Second Uncle has a gambling problem.”
