by Aline Hunter
When she tensed, he murmured, “Easy, angel. Relax. Let me in.”
She took a deep breath and he eased his finger inside her. He could feel the pulses of the vibrator, making her all the tighter. He knew exactly what plug he’d use first to build Lacey’s confidence. He’d start out small and move up in size until she was ready to accept his cock. He couldn’t wait to take her as no man had. The possessive part of him was elated that he would be the only lover to show her the pleasures of anal sex.
“How does that feel?” He corkscrewed his finger and gently moved it in and out.
After a pause, she groaned, “Different.”
“You’ll love it when I fuck you here. I’ll put a dildo in your pussy and take you nice and slow. You’ll come harder than you ever have in your life.”
“I’m close right now.” There was a twinge of annoyance in her tone.
“I know. But I haven’t told you to come, have I?”
Her sphincter muscles clenched his finger. Close was an understatement. His little submissive wanted to come so badly she wouldn’t be able to help herself if he touched her in the right way, even if he didn’t give her permission to do so.
She gasped as he licked a line from the finger in her ass to the top of her cunt, stopping shy of her clit. He brought his tongue to the folds just below and flicked the tip against the soft tissue. The tremor that swept through her body told him all he needed to know. She’d come, he’d punish her for it, and then he’d tell her about his plans for the evening.
He sucked the swollen bead at the top of her pussy into his mouth and tapped his tongue against the bundle of nerves. She screamed, wrapped her hands into his hair and writhed beneath him. The pulses against his finger told him she’d found release, an orgasm that was so intense it lasted for several seconds. He didn’t release her clit until she was sighing and the muscles against his finger relaxed.
“Stay here. Don’t move.”
He removed his hand, slid from the bed and walked to the adjoining bathroom. It was neat and tidy, done in the same white motif as the bedroom. Simple, refined, elegant—just like the woman waiting for him in the bedroom.
Talk to her, he told himself. Tell her why she can’t let her insecurities come between you.
His still-hard cock pulsed in his jeans and he felt like a total bastard. He planned to talk to Lacey after he punished her properly for coming without permission, but he couldn’t erase the memory of her orgasm from his mind, the way she’d looked as she surrendered to him and let herself go. If this was it, if she turned him away and they parted ways, would it be so wrong to love her one last time? Would he regret not caving in to the temptation she presented before he let her go? Could he honestly tan her ass as he’d promised without doing anything more?
Fuck no, he couldn’t. He might walk away after today, pretending his emotions were locked in an impenetrable box, but he’d leave an important piece of himself behind. Even if she never knew it, Lacey would continue to hold his heart in her hands.
To hell with it.
He quickly washed his hands, stripped off his pants and removed a condom from his back pocket. After he’d sheathed himself and threw the foil into the trash, he strode into the bedroom.
“Roll onto your stomach. I want you on your hands and knees.”
She flipped languidly onto her belly and did as he ordered. After he walked to the bed and climbed onto the mattress, he got in position behind her. Her head was bowed and he could tell she was totally relaxed.
It was time to change that.
He brought his hand back, put some force behind his swing and landed a heavy swat to her ass. A pained yelp, a muffled curse and she was once again at full attention. He speared his cock into her cunt, gliding into her from tip to base. Rolling his hips, he brought his arm up again. This time the blow was light but firm.
“You came without permission. That means you’re due for another punishment.”
He alternated smacks against her ass with thrusts of his cock, leaving red imprints on each of her cheeks. Her cunt was hot and sleek around him, cradling his length. He moved in and out, steady and hard.
“Michael, please…” She started pressing back to meet his thrusts, moaning despite the swats.
“I don’t think so, baby. This time it’s all for me.”
He bent over her body, nuzzled her nape and bit her shoulder, marking her with his teeth. Grasping her waist in his hands, he began hammering into her, using enough force that she was sent forward with each stroke. His sac tightened, a tingle started at the base of his spine and he slid into her one last time, holding himself still as he came.
Their combined breathing was the only sound in the room as he came down from the high of orgasm. He kissed the area he’d bitten and removed his slowly softening cock from the haven that continued to hug him.
“I’ll be right back.”
She dropped onto the mattress as he moved from the bed, tied off the condom and disposed of it in the bathroom. He turned on the sink and stared at his reflection in the mirror.
It was time to take the next step. Nothing he’d done had occurred according to plan. Every single time he started to take his relationship with Lacey to the next level, shit got in the way. Then, with her surly behavior this morning, he’d known it was time to have an important discussion with the woman he wanted so much he couldn’t keep his head on straight.
No more dramatics. No more games. No more uncertainty.
Repeating the mantra and telling himself this had to be done, he resigned himself to what he was about to do and walked back into the bedroom.
Chapter Fourteen
Lacey had never felt so wonderful, sated or used in her life.
And she loved it.
A part of her was stunned at how good it felt to give Michael control, to allow him to take charge of her completely. She had never allowed anyone—including her parents—that much power over her. With him, it felt right. As if a missing puzzle piece had suddenly been found, everything connected and the mysteries of the world were revealed. There was no right or wrong. No hesitation or doubt.
So when he strode from the bathroom and started pulling on his pants, she sat up and frowned. Things had been going so well—perfectly, in fact—so why was he acting as though he was ready to leave?
“Michael?”
He zipped his pants, walked over to the bed and sat beside her. Her heart started pounding painfully inside her chest. There was a look in his eyes that she couldn’t place, one she’d not seen from him before. She couldn’t tell if that was a good or bad thing.
He reached out and cupped her chin in his palm. “I’m going to be totally honest with you. I want you. More than any woman I have ever known.” He brushed his thumb along her lower lip, smiling thinly. “But I’m impatient and selfish. Instead of giving us time and taking this slowly, I want to take you home, tie you to my bed and keep you there. You get under my skin in a way I can’t describe, and I know I won’t be happy until I know this is exactly what you want.”
“I don’t understand.” After what they’d just shared, she couldn’t comprehend why he had any questions about her feelings.
“I want more than a casual relationship with you. I want it all.” He sighed and dropped his hand. “I want to share my life with you. I’ve never told anyone that before. I’ve heard of men who’ve met a woman, knew she was the one and that was that. I thought it was bullshit.” He looked at her, blue eyes conflicted. “Now I know it’s not.”
“I thought I made myself clear,” she said slowly, cautiously. “After the first night we spent together, and then the restaurant and the party, not to mention today…” She ached to touch him but didn’t. He wanted something but she wasn’t sure what it was. “You have to know I feel the same way.”
“I know how you feel about sex. As for the rest, it’s open for debate.”
“Are you serious?” She couldn’t believe she was hearing this from Michael. “
You’re going to lecture me about sex?”
“Believe it or not, this has nothing to do with sex.”
“Care to explain?”
“I just did. I don’t know if you feel the same way for me that I do for you.”
“I told you I do.”
“Actions speak louder than words.”
Oh this kept getting better and better. “Excuse me?”
“No, not this time, darlin’.”
She started to slide from the bed and he spoke quietly, his voice an ominous warning. “Keep your ass right where it is. I’m not finished.”
“Then start making sense. Everything you’ve said so far is Greek to me.”
“I’m going to ask you to do something, something that will require your absolute trust. It will make or break things between us.” She arched a brow and he said, “I’ve alluded to it before. You’ve just refused to listen. Your responses tell me you’re a submissive but there has to be more to make a relationship work—a solid commitment. If we’re going to do this, it has to be completely. Halfway doesn’t work. Halfway only means we’ll both end up hurt.”
Halfway? The morning had been nothing more than halfway to him?
Anger made her voice tremble. “I’m not a mind reader. If you want something more than what I’ve given you, you’re going to have to tell me what it is.”
“I told you. I want it all.” He stood and started pacing. “I want to take you to the club. I want to show you exactly what I’ll expect of you. I want to know that you’ll trust me no matter what I do.”
“So this is about the club?” She knew she sounded resentful, like a bitchy woman who’d been scorned, but it was impossible to hold back. “You’re unsure about being with me because of your public taste for kink?”
He stopped, and his furious stare was enough to shut her up. “I’m worried about your public taste for kink. Not mine. The people you were so angry with this morning are my friends. They are the people I associate with on my own time. I’ve known most of them for years, and I’m not willing to sever our ties because I’m with a woman who can’t handle what my life is like because of insecurity.”
The words hurt, slamming into her like a direct bull’s-eye shot.
“That’s not fair.”
She questioned herself even as she said it. He hadn’t done anything remotely questionable since they’d entered into a sexual relationship. Yes he’d been called away by work or friends but he’d never lied to her or blown her off. She’d been angry when he’d left her behind because he could cheat on her, not because he had.
If that wasn’t insecurity, what was?
Michael’s harsh grin made her wish she could take her words back. “Isn’t it?”
“You left me for another woman.”
“No, I left you to help out friends who needed me.”
“Oh excuse me.” She flashed him a livid stare, feeling the threads of her temper stretch and snap. “Friends who were going to help the woman you left me for.”
“And you didn’t trust me,” he yelled, his beautiful blue eyes narrowed, his face a mask of anger. The sound was so loud, so unexpected, that she jumped. He pressed his lips together and grimaced, taking deep breaths as he balled his hands into fists.
“You didn’t trust me,” he repeated, lowering his voice, “despite knowing the circumstances. I’ve told you that trust is the most important thing in any relationship but you didn’t give me that. You automatically assumed I’d gone with Brian and Trevor because of Aly, not because they’re close friends who needed my help.” She opened her mouth to speak but he held up a hand. “Don’t interrupt. Let me finish.”
She bit her tongue and he continued. “I tried to tell you about my night but you didn’t want to hear it. You’d already made up your mind about what happened. I came here to talk this morning. I swear I didn’t intend to so much as touch you until we had a chance to discuss what I had to say. But I couldn’t help myself. When I saw you the last thing I wanted to do was talk. That’s the problem. You test my control. I forget what’s important. If I keep allowing that to happen, we will both regret it. It’s my responsibility to make sure we are on the same page. I have to know I can do whatever I need to do and you’ll trust me regardless. This goes beyond kink. It’s as essential to a relationship as breathing. Either you have total faith in the person you’re with, or you don’t. It’s that simple.”
He rubbed his hand against his neck and sighed. “The one thing I’ve asked for is the one thing you haven’t given me. I won’t settle for anything less. You shouldn’t settle for anything less.”
“So if I ever had to unexpectedly to help out a former flame, you’d be fine with that?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“You wouldn’t even question it? As possessive as you are?”
“I’m not you, Lacey.” The way he said it told her it was as painful for him to say aloud as it was for her to hear. “And I’m not Scott. If you told me you needed to help a friend I wouldn’t care if the person were a man or a woman. I trust you to be faithful. You’ve never given me a reason not to.”
She wanted to be angry. She wanted to yell and scream and tell him that he was wrong.
But she couldn’t.
Just thinking of him with another woman had her so jealous she immediately jumped to conclusions. Michael was right, he was not Scott. From the start he’d been open and honest. All he wanted was her trust. He’d told her he was a monogamous man. He’d been nothing but truthful when it came to Aly. While she felt justified in her reaction, his arrival at her doorstep, beaten and bruised, told her she’d been way off the mark.
“This is about more than Aly, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” He met her gaze without blinking.
“You want me to prove something to you.”
“I do.”
She took a deep breath for courage and went for broke. “Tell me.”
It was apparent he’d already decided how she could prove she trusted him. Perhaps that had been his intention all along. God help her, she should have spoken to him instead of losing her composure when he’d showed up. Honestly, she was no better when it came to control. Everything about him excited her, called to her and lured her in. Unfortunately it also turned her into a bitch she hardly recognized.
“I want you to prepare yourself for me tonight. Take a long bath, pamper that beautiful body of yours and put on lingerie you’re fully comfortable being seen in. The only things you should wear aside from that are the necklace I gave you and a sexy pair of heels. When I come to get you, we’ll see if this is what you truly want. There won’t be any questions or answers. You’ll do what I say, when I say it.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“Is this a test?” She stared across the bedroom, feeling the distance was far greater than the few feet that separated them.
“You can call it that.” He shrugged. “I like to think of it as a possible beginning for both of us. After tonight, there will be no question if you do or don’t trust me, or if you’re ready to enter into a committed relationship.”
She wanted to ask more questions but he didn’t allow her to. Instead he walked out her bedroom door, presenting her with his departing back. She listened in silence as his footsteps traveled down her hallway and creaked across her living room.
Then she heard her front door open and close.
Don’t turn back. You did what you had to do. The ball’s in her court now.
Michael made it to the car he’d borrowed, opened the door and climbed inside. Once his back hit the cushioned seat, he allowed himself to relax for the first time since he’d walked out of Lacey’s door. He’d known it wouldn’t be an easy conversation. He just hadn’t anticipated how angry he’d become, or how close he’d come to losing his temper.
He grabbed his cell from the passenger seat before he cranked the engine and turned the vehicle around. It was sheer torture not to take a g
limpse in the rearview and see if Lacey was watching him. One part of him wanted to see if she’d make the effort. Another part of him worried she’d already decided to wipe her hands clean.
Shaking off his doubts, he called Fantasia’s back line. If Vaughn wasn’t overseeing the daily clean-up by now, he’d be in his office. The phone rang twice before he heard his friend’s voice.
“Who am I speaking to and what do you want?”
“I need a favor.”
“First Brady, then Brian and Trevor, and now you. This seems to be a recurring theme.”
“Do you remember the morning I got up at three a.m. to haul Shiloh out of a ditch? If I recall correctly, you said you owed me. I’m collecting.”
“That was over a year ago. Isn’t there a statute of limitation for favors?”
“Sure,” he replied. “Since we’re cleaning the slate I can finally tell Shiloh who wanted to pick her up that night. And when I say pick her up, I don’t mean give her a lift.”
“What’s the favor?”
“I want the exhibitionist’s room tonight.”
“Really?” Vaughn chuckled. “That’s not your usual cuppa.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion. I asked for the room.”
“I’ll reserve it for you.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
He’d started to hang up when Vaughn stopped him. “Was Shiloh at Trevor’s when you left?”
“Yes, she said she was staying until Aly was set. Why do you ask?”
“Someone called here looking for her. When I tried her cell she didn’t answer.”
“Did you call the house?”
“No.” Vaughn sounded annoyed. “I figured they had enough problems without me adding to them.”
“I left a few hours ago. If she’s not there, she probably went home. She didn’t get any sleep last night.”
