When he finished, he placed a lingering kiss on first one cheek, then the other, both wet with tears of pain. “All right, sugar, listen up. I’ve already told Heather that you’re leavin’ at four. You know the drill. Wait for Adam to come get you. Don’t leave without him, okay, baby?”
“Okay,” she sighed, “but, really, how much longer are we going to have to do this? How can you be sure Ryder Malone is still a threat?”
Ryder Malone. The man who’d just been released from Red Onion prison after serving an eight-year stint for attempted rape. The man whose brutal attack on Sarah that horrible, long-ago day, the day of her eighteenth birthday, had nearly destroyed her. But by some miracle, Jesse had been there, too, appearing out of the blue like an avenging angel, come to the rescue.
Only he’d done more than just rescue her. For one brief moment, holding her in his arms, warmed by her heat, engulfed by her sweet, feminine scent, he’d nearly acted on the hunger and need he’d ruthlessly suppressed ever since she’d turned fifteen, and taken her himself. Lost in a haze of lust, he had brought her to two shattering orgasms with his mouth and fingers before reason had finally grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and shaken some sense back into him, forcing him to back off.
But, by allowing her that brief, tantalizing glimpse into what being loved by him could be like, his subsequent disappearance had devastated her, scooping out her insides until nothing was left of her but an empty husk, hollowed out with grief. Leaving her haunted and lost and vulnerable to abusive predators like her ex-fiancé, Phillip Nugent.
Grim-faced, without answering her, or even looking at her, Jesse focused his entire attention on unfastening her skirt and tucking the tails of her blouse into the waistband. He then rebuttoned and rezipped the skirt, smoothing the badly wrinkled fabric down around her hips and thighs. “Back up a bit, sugar.” As she stepped back, he rose, taking both her hands in his. Lifting them to his mouth, he brushed his lips across the backs of her knuckles. “The clamps are to remain in place until Master Adam removes them.”
“Jesse, please don’t treat me like a child.” She tried, without success, to disguise the frustration in her voice. “I’m a grown woman who is neither stupid nor blind. Granted, you’ve gotten more subtle about it over the past few weeks, but don’t think for one instant that I haven’t noticed that you and Adam continue to choreograph our comings and goings so that I’m never anywhere without one or both of you. Don’t think for one instant that I haven’t figured out that those two extra ‘bailiffs’”—she made air quotes with her fingers—“out in the lobby—you know, the ones who are not bailiffs at all, but a couple of Adam’s operatives? The ones who always dress in black suits and who stand so still they might as well be statues? The ones whose mirrored sunglasses seem to have been surgically attached to their faces? The ones who—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know them. Get to the point, sugar.”
“The point is, I’d be willing to bet that, no matter how still their bodies are, their eyes are never still. That behind those dark glasses, they’re constantly scanning their surroundings and assessing the threat level.” By now she was completely wound up. “The point is, every time I step foot into the lobby, they practically fall all over themselves to help me “carry” my case files back and forth between the courtrooms and my office—case files which, by the way, are strapped to a rolling cart that could be pulled by an arthritic ninety-year-old, therefore not needing to be carried at all—thus placing them in the perfect flanking formation to leap to my defense should I be attacked. Am I going to be attacked, Jesse?”
“Of course not. And they’re the reason why.”
“Because anybody who would even consider attacking the county attorney in the middle of the courthouse would have to be the stupidest person on the face of the planet.”
“Or the most desperate.” The instant the words were out of his mouth, the stricken look that crossed her face ripped through his heart, making him want to call them back. “Sarah…”
She shook her head. “Let me finish, Jesse. I need to get this out. I’d also be willing to bet that in addition to their shoulder holsters, which are obvious, by the way, beneath their suit jackets, they each have another gun tucked into the small of their backs and probably yet another in an ankle holster, plus assorted knives, hand grenades, and flash-bangs—”
“How do you know about flash-bangs?”
“It’s a wonder they don’t clank when they walk.”
“Again, baby, the point?”
She sighed. “They’re just so…damn…conspicuous. They don’t…blend.”
“They’re not supposed to.”
“Then I guess the point is, I want them to. I need them to.”
“And I need them to be so visible that even someone as monumentally stupid as Ryder Malone will stop to consider before even thinkin’ about messin’ with you.”
“They’re scaring me, Jesse.”
“Sarah, if either one of them has ever said or done anythin’ to make you uncomfortable…“
“No, no, that’s not it. They’ve both been perfect gentlemen. It’s just, I guess when I say they’re scaring me, I don’t mean the fact of them, so much. More the idea that you and Adam even think they’re necessary. It’s been over a month since Ryder was released from prison. One month, during which time, I might point out, there have been no threatening letters, emails, phone calls, or incidents.”
Jesse’s lips thinned. “Aren’t you forgettin’ somethin’? Like the total destruction of your bedroom over at Marshall’s Hill? Like the pig’s blood splattered everywhere? Like the message, ‘I’m comin’ for you, bitch, and you’re gonna pay?’ written in blood on your wall? You don’t think that was pretty damn threatenin’?”
“Phillip did that!” she cried, but her tone lacked conviction.
Jesse quirked an eyebrow at her. “We’ve been over this, Sarah. He insists he didn’t. And, much as I hate to say it, I believe him. It’s the only thing that makes sense. He wouldn’t cop to three felony charges—kidnappin’, attempted murder, and investment fraud—and vehemently deny a vandalism misdemeanor.”
She bit her lip, trying not to freak out. She hated this. Hated it. Hated living with the knowledge that at any minute someone could launch an attack against her out of the blue, like an Acme refrigerator suddenly falling out of the sky and flattening her like Wile E. Coyote. She sucked air into the bottom of her lungs, held it there, then released it slowly. “I hate this, Jesse.”
He lifted a hand to caress her cheek with his knuckles. “I know, baby. We hate it, too. Just give us a little more time, okay? We’re gonna get him, I promise.” He leaned forward to place a gentle, lingering kiss on her lips, inhaling her soft floral scent deep into his lungs. His cock, still semi-hard thickened against the zipper of his black cargoes. Christ! If he didn’t get back to his office right now, he’d take her again. Stifling a groan, he buried his face in the sweet curve of her neck, where it met her shoulder.
“So,” she said, striving for a calm she was far from feeling, “bottom line here, Malone’s still a threat?”
“’Fraid so, baby.” He sighed. “We fucked up with Nugent. Never shoulda let you outta our sight. He grabbed you and hurt you, coulda killed you. That’s on us, and I can guaran-damn-tee that it’s not. Gonna. Happen. Again. So, until Malone either leaves the state or does somethin’ stupid enough to get himself arrested, we’re stickin’ to you like glue. Any questions?”
“Do you know where he is?”
“Got a good idea.”
Okay, that would be a no. “Is anyone doing anything about it?”
“Workin’ on it.”
Uh-huh.
“Okay,” she sighed, knowing that that was all she was going to get out of him. For now. “I guess I can put up with this a little longer.”
Chapter Two
As soon as you enter the house, you will have two minutes to strip, fold your clothes, and stack them on the kitchen count
er.
Even without the “Message from Adam” alert, she would have known the text was from him. After all, he was right behind her in his big, black, macho Land Rover. She could see him grinning at her in her rearview mirror.
Bossy Dom, she texted back with a smiley face.
Mouthy brat. That’s five. Plus five more for texting while driving.
Crap. She hadn’t expected that. She risked another glance in the mirror. He was still grinning. Irritating man.
As soon as you’re naked, wait on the ottoman in the living room, ass high, in the Usage position, ready to receive my cock in the hole of my choosing.
He was the only one of her two Doms who ordered her to wait in the “Usage” position, a more humbling variant of Jesse’s “Present Ass” position, because, with her knees spread wide and her ass raised high, extending her arms above her head and crossing them at the wrists instead of extending them straight out to the sides, somehow emphasized her helplessness and made her act of submission all the more primal.
And Adam demanded that of her. As a Dom he was nothing if not primal, and she loved that about him. He had a much harder, sharper edge than Jesse, though in the four weeks the three of them had been together, neither man had allowed her to get away with even the tiniest infraction of their rules. Rules they often seemed to make up as they went along. Rules insidiously designed to keep her nipples perpetually hard and achy, her clit throbbing, and her pussy juices flowing in the state of perpetual sexual upheaval they delighted in keeping her in. And, much as she hated to admit it, she loved that about them, too. Jesse had been right when he’d told her that inside her modest, uptight, sexually repressed psyche, Angel, there lurked a wanton hedonist just begging to be let out, Dolores.
Trembling with a heady mix of excitement and anticipation, Sarah pulled her Prius into the garage. Not wanting to waste time gathering up her purse, her briefcase, and her laptop, she just left them on the passenger seat and raced up the garage steps into their spacious kitchen as she hurried to follow Adam’s terse instructions. Hopping on one foot, she kicked off her black stilettos, while at the same time reaching behind her to unbutton and unzip her teal silk skirt, pushing it down over her hips. Thanks to Jesse’s visit to her office just over an hour ago, she was no longer wearing panties.
She bent to pick up the skirt pooled around her feet, sucking in a sharp, hissing breath as the weighted chain between her breasts succumbed to the force of gravity, tugging her nipples sharply downward and sending shockwaves of pleasure/pain radiating through her entire body.
The sudden jolting sensation zapped straight to her clit, which felt as big as a baseball and was already throbbing with anticipation. She folded the skirt and placed it on the granite countertop. Swiftly unbuttoning her blouse, holding the fabric away from her super sensitized nipples, she removed it, folded it, and placed it on top of her skirt. Since she was no longer wearing a bra either, also thanks to Jesse, they were the only two items of clothing she was wearing.
Holy crap! The unmistakable rumbling sound of the garage door closing sent her scampering frantically out into the Great Room, heart stuttering in her breast like a trip-hammer. Smooth, buttery-soft leather cushioned her hands and knees as she crawled up onto the enormous, oversized ottoman, specially made to Jesse’s specifications exactly for this purpose. The weighted chain between her breasts tugged at her nipples, making her hiss in her breath. She positioned herself with her knees spread wide, shoulders and upper torso flat against the ottoman’s surface, arms stretched up over her head, wrists crossed. She arched her back, lifting her ass high in the air, pointing back toward the kitchen.
Although Adam hadn’t specified that particular orientation, she knew it was what he expected. That he wanted the first sight to greet his gaze as he entered the Great Room to be her soft, heart-shaped ass and the glistening pink folds of her aroused pussy. She looked exactly like what she was, a wanton, sexy slave girl shamelessly begging her Master to use her.
She didn’t hear him approach, but she felt the air thicken and stir softly against her naked skin as he moved to stand right behind her. And she felt the sheer power radiating off of him in waves, threatening to obliterate her.
He gazed down at her through narrowed eyes, his right hand pressed hard against his left pec as if to keep his heart from bursting through his chest wall. Christ, he loved this woman. Jesus, she’s so fucking gorgeous! And how perfect is that ass? Unable to stop himself, his other hand lifted and curved around the sweet globe of one butt cheek, stroking across the warm satin of her skin. His cock was hard as a railroad spike.
“Now, that’s what I like to see,” he murmured, enthralled by the grace of her posture and the depth of her submission. “A naked, willing sub spread out before me like a pagan sacrifice.” He circled around her, touching her, stroking her heated skin until she was a quivering mass of need. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day,” he went on in that deep baritone voice she loved so much. The one that sent goose bumps shivering up and down her spine. The one that sent a dark tide of longing surging through her womb. The one that sent an entire squadron of butterflies the size of fighter jets taking flight in her stomach. “It’s all I’ve been able to think about—you on your knees before me, presenting me with three delectable holes to fuck.” His hand stilled on her ass cheek as he stepped in front of her, close enough that she could inhale his scent. Tangy. Citrusy. Totally masculine. “Eyes on me, Sunny.”
With tremendous effort, she raised her head, staring up at him through the thick cloud of her hair, her heavy-lidded eyes glazed with need. Her breath caught in her throat, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. She’d never felt more vulnerable, more stripped of her defenses. Not that she actually needed any defenses. She was safe here in the protective circle of his love.
His cock was an enormous bulge, straining against the khaki fabric of his pants. Her mouth watered, and she licked her lips in anticipation. Trailing his fingers along her jawline, he continued speaking almost absently. “Three delectable holes. Which one shall I use first, hmmm? Your mouth? Open, Sunny.” He pushed two fingers deeply into her mouth, depressing her tongue and nearly gagging her before removing them and walking around behind her. She shuddered, struggling to catch her breath. Electrical sparks cascaded through her system, short-circuiting her brain.
“Your cunt?” He bent to run his tongue through her dripping slit, making her moan with ecstasy, inhaling her rich, womanly scent deep into his lungs before thrusting the same two thick fingers into her vaginal opening. She let out a yelp of pleasure.
“Or your ass?” Scooping up plenty of her slippery cream on his fingers, he used her own natural lube to glaze the tiny opening both inside and out before thrusting both fingers ruthlessly inside her anal passage.
A series of shuddering moans burst from her lungs as he fucked his fingers in and out of the tight opening, scissoring them, preparing her to take his cock. Then he pulled out completely, ignoring her moan. “Since all three holes seem to be so needy, I’ll just have to fuck all three of them, starting with that delectable little mouth.
Oh, yes, please.
“But first, I believe you have a punishment coming. How many did I say?”
Crap.
Suppressing the urge to give him a flippant response, she said quietly, “Ten. Master.” After all, wasn’t it her flippant responses to his texts that had gotten her into this situation in the first place? She sighed. Would she never learn?
“Ah, yes. Twenty it is, then.”
Shit.
“Usage position, Sunny.” He waited while she resumed the abjectly submissive posture, ass up, arms over her head, wrists crossed. “Very good.” He stroked the satin-smooth skin of her buttocks, making her skin tingle in anticipation. “Christ, I love your ass. It’s so gorgeous, especially when it’s red and hot and wearing nothing but the marks from my hand.” His hands fell away. “You may make as much noise as you wish.”
Thwack!
A slap to her left butt cheek, hard enough to heat her up, not hard enough to hurt. Gratified, he watched the white hand mark on her smooth skin turn red.
Thwack! A slap to her right butt cheek. Harder than the first.
Oh, dear. There are going to be twenty of these? I’ll never make it.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwackthwackthwackthwackthwack! A flurry of slaps on the curve of her ass, her thighs, even her pussy, that had her crying out in one long, sobbing moan. So many slaps she lost count. They hurt like hell, but at the same time they felt so good, heating her flesh, stimulating her nerve endings, preparing her for the pleasure to come. It was over too soon, ending with Adam’s hands again stroking her reddened skin, massaging the heat more deeply into her flesh. Then he walked around to stand in front of her. “Lift up, sweet pea, hands and knees. I want you sucking my cock.”
Oh, God, yes, I want that, too! She nearly sobbed her response.
As she pushed herself up, the jeweled fishing weight swung freely from the chain that linked her clamped nipples, tugging on them painfully. Her sharply hissing intake of breath caught Adam’s attention. “Ah. I see Master Jess has ornamented you with some lovely nipple jewels. It will be my pleasure to remove them for you. But not right now. First…” He stepped closer, his hands moving to his waist.
She watched, mesmerized, through tear-filled eyes as he unbuckled his belt, unsnapped his jeans, and slowly lowered the zipper, gradually pulling the flaps open to reveal the thick, fleshy cock curving just beneath. Abruptly, he pushed his jeans down, freeing his cock to spring upward toward his belly. It was long and thick, the base nestled in a thicket of dark blond curls, the tip an angry-looking purple. Pearly drops of pre-cum dribbled down over the satin-smooth head. Her mouth watered, and she held her saliva, letting it pool on her tongue and in the back of her throat, knowing he liked it wet. His musky, masculine scent, accented by the slightly sour scent of his sweat, engulfed her nostrils, making her moan. Her eyes drifted shut in ecstasy.
Owning Sarah [Sequel to Loving Sarah] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 4
