by Lori King
“I finished my shopping early.” She glanced in the direction of where the woman—now long gone—had headed. “Who was that?”
“My sister, London. We ran into each other by chance.” He slung an arm around her shoulders and steered her in the direction of the Chinese restaurant. “She said to apologize for running off. She was late for an appointment.”
“Oh, I would have liked to meet her.” She glanced up as they kept moving. Sean was head and shoulders taller than her. His denim shirt and chinos looked somehow too mundane for the confident, hard-bodied man she knew him to be.
“It was a shame. London’s busy with a work project and has little free time. We’ll get something organized in a month or two.”
Two months? That seemed a while. But who knew what London’s project entailed and she couldn’t impose herself on his family. Besides, she hadn’t offered to take him around to meet her parents or sister, so wasn’t she being a little sensitive? Likely, after her encounters this afternoon with Cole and Isaac, she was reading meanings into everyone’s behavior. What she needed was some good food with her man. Maybe then she could properly unwind.
* * *
Christ, that was a close call. He schooled his features to remain relaxed and kept walking toward the restaurant. Running into London had been a shock, since this mall was nowhere near where she lived.
And then he had spotted Mercy looking on.
Thinking on his feet, he had dragged his sister into a hug, told her he was working on a case and she had to leave now or blow his cover.
Thank fuck London heard the seriousness in his tone and didn’t argue, which she would normally, at him giving her an order.
Then Aidan had caught Mercy’s look of confusion and cursed the circumstances of how they had met. So many fucking secrets.
Mercy nudged his shoulder with a smile. “I love checking out new restaurants.”
“You said you liked Chinese food. A friend told me Peking Village was a great place.” That friend being Tony when they met up late Tuesday night. Unfortunately, that tip had proved the most informative part of their conversation as neither man had any real leads on the case, but plenty of frustration.
“As long as they have lemon chicken, I’ll be happy.” She looked up at him as they neared the restaurant’s entrance. “It’s my go-to Chinese meal,” she said in a serious tone.
He swallowed a laugh. “Then I hope for Peking Village’s sake their lemon chicken kicks ass.”
“Me too.” She gazed into the restaurant, as if looking for proof of their lemon chicken.
Aidan’s smiled above her head. Damn, she was cute. And not just because of the way she looked in her light blue sweater and matching skirt that showed off her legs and fired up his blood. There was a kind of adorable goofiness about her sometimes where he didn’t know whether to laugh or wrap her up in a hug.
Soon they were seated, meals ordered—after ensuring they did indeed serve crispy lemon chicken—and he held a beer as she sipped her white wine.
“How was your day?” He drank a mouthful of his drink, enjoying the bracing coldness.
Her mouth turned down. “Okay.”
“Doesn’t sound that great.” Reaching out he laid his hand over hers.
“It’s the boys, Cole and Isaac.”
Aidan tensed. He’d been searching for Isaac this afternoon, but had to stop or be late for practice. “What happened?”
“Cole was leaving as Isaac was about to enter the classroom.” Mercy tilted her head to the side. “Apparently, they don’t get along. Did you know that?”
“No.” He hadn’t seen them together much. Maybe a couple of times in the corridors. “Did they have words?”
“No, more of a stare-down. But Cole was already in a strange mood. Distant, frustrated. And I’m sure Isaac’s been missing school and not sick.” She shook her head. “He came to apologize for not turning up last Saturday. But I know something’s wrong. His mom’s worried too. Says he’s been acting differently. He told me all will be better next week, but when I pushed him for answers, he blew me off with another lie.”
Aidan clenched his hand into a fist. Isaac didn’t know how lucky he was to have Mercy concerned about him. But if the kid was lying to Mercy, he was in trouble. Isaac confided in few people, Mercy being one. Hell, after three weeks, Aidan had barely scratched the surface of Isaac’s hard shell. There had been moments when the student would share—his worry about his mom’s health, his love of electronics and gadgets—but nothing, not a fucking thing about his friends or who lurked in the shadows of his life and could be involved in any drug network.
The truth was, Aidan liked the kid. Isaac had worked hard to redeem himself after his earlier mistakes with the law, and that was something to be admired. He was smart, determined—qualities that would help him in life...if he kept his focus.
In a way, Aidan enjoyed his ‘cover’ as a teacher and the interaction with the students, seeing them improve and learn. Jesus, those moments beat chasing the scum of society any day.
As for Cole? He was a great kid. “It’s our last home game tomorrow. Maybe Cole’s feeling some pressure. I’ll check in with him in the morning.” He threaded his fingers with Mercy’s and gave her hand a squeeze. A small comfort since he had no answers to banish the worry creasing her brow. “If Isaac isn’t at the Youth Center on Saturday, I’ll track him down.” He lowered his voice. “But Mercy, you need to prepare yourself. The kid could be mixed up in something you won’t like.”
He and Tony had already driven by Isaac’s apartment block in Tony’s truck Tuesday night—the same day Isaac had been absent from school. Groups of kids had congregated near the 7-Eleven, but he hadn’t spotted Isaac with them.
Mercy caught her lip between her teeth and nodded, before her gaze dropped to the white tablecloth before her.
Aidan wanted to grab Isaac and shake some fucking sense into him. Instead, he did his best to distract Mercy with conversation, which worked, to a point. The waiter made a flourish of presenting her dish of lemon chicken. That made her smile, and finally, she seemed to leave the gray cloud behind her, at least in part, as she enjoyed her meal.
There were other ways he could keep her mind occupied. Aidan ate his kung pao chicken and formulated his plan of action. In the time they had slept together, he had introduced Mercy to his desire to take control during sex. So far, the little teacher had thrived under his dominance. Tonight provided a chance to ramp that lesson up a notch.
By the time they had finished their meal and he was walking her to her car, he was ready to act.
She climbed into her Toyota Prius, dumped her bags on the seat beside her, and smiled up at him. “I’ll see you tomorrow before class?”
“Take off your underwear,” he ordered in a low voice.
He allowed himself a moment of satisfaction as her mouth dropped open.
“Excuse me?”
Stepping between the door and the car, he bent down and slid his hand under her skirt and over her thigh. Her muscles tensed under his touch, but he noted the softness of her skin.
“Take off your panties.” As she blinked at him, he hardened his tone. “Now.”
Her pupils dilated.
Oh, yes. She liked being dominated. By the right man.
Mercy glanced around, then reached up and turned off the interior light of the car. His body provided a shield as she lifted herself up from the seat and after some wiggling and an uncertain glance in his direction, she bunched a pair of cotton and lace panties in her hand.
He removed them from her grasp. Lifting a finger, he traced over her lower lip. “If you touch yourself, I’ll know, and you’ll be punished.” Her eyes grew wide a second before he kissed her hard on the mouth, wanting her to touch her lips and remember his possession of her as she drove home. “I’ll follow you to your apartment.”
Aidan didn’t wait for her reply, but stepped away, pushed her panties into the pocket of his pants, and closed her
car door. Without looking back, he headed to his SUV parked a few rows behind her Prius.
The drive to Queen Anne took fifteen minutes. After grabbing his gym bag and a couple of extra items from another case in his trunk, he locked his SUV and walked up to her apartment building. As he stood outside her apartment door, he wondered how many times the sweet teacher had adjusted her position in her driver’s seat.
Quite a few, judging by her greeting as she answered his knock. Mercy’s fingers wound through his hair as she pulled his head down and kissed him with unabashed hunger.
Since it suited him, he allowed himself the pleasure of tasting her mouth before he dropped his gym bag, grasped her wrists and drew them behind her back. “As much as I like your enthusiasm, gorgeous, we’re doing things my way tonight.” He dragged her back with him as he stepped backward and kicked her door closed.
She tugged against his grip. He firmed his hold, letting her sink into her captivity. But he needed to make sure she was okay.
“Scared?” He kissed the top of her head.
“No.” She bit her lip, out of embarrassment more than fear, judging by the new flush of pink in her face. “More, um, excited.”
Brave little thing.
“That’s just as it should be. There’s no place for real fear in how I play.” He transferred her wrists into one of his hands and pulled out an item from his back pocket. “What about now?”
Her gaze fell on a pair of handcuffs in his hand. That soft mouth of hers formed an O, and he had to stop himself from sampling the warmth of her kiss.
“You can say no to the cuffs and I’ll put them away. Or you can let me push your boundaries. Either way, I’m still taking control tonight.”
Her gaze flicked back to his. She drew in a shuddering breath. “I’m up for new adventures.”
Pride, pleasure, maybe even a hint of awe raced through him. “That’s my girl.” He pushed her up against him. “Give me your mouth.”
She complied and he claimed possession, sliding his tongue between her lips, forcing her to open to him. Later he planned to feel the heat of her mouth on his cock, have that tongue of hers slide up the underside and over the head. Aidan hardened with desire, and Mercy rubbed herself against him, drawing a shudder from him. Fuck, he needed to move now, or he wouldn’t see out the plans he had refined in his head while driving here.
He broke their kiss and spoke in a low, commanding tone. “If you get scared, or something feels wrong, say the word ‘red’ and everything stops. Understood?”
“Yes.” She nodded as those big blue eyes of hers grew serious.
“Good.” He released her wrists. “Go to your bedroom. Strip and be waiting for me. I’ll lock up.”
She nodded and fled to her room.
He locked her door, picked up his gym bag, and walked to her master bedroom.
When he entered, she was standing beside the bed, removing her bra. The lamps on her bedside tables shone a dusky light over her body. Heavy breasts, curved hips, and a round ass. Mercy was like one of those women in the paintings from centuries ago. A man wanted to wrap his arms around her, plunder her mouth, slide himself deep inside her and sample all that beauty for himself.
He was that man.
“Turn around. Place your hands behind your back.”
He’d said those words a thousand times, but never had his dick grown hard like it was now.
She blinked at his low, steely command, but obeyed.
Within moments, he had her secured, but took his time sliding his hands over her forearms, letting her feel the weight of the cuffs, twist her wrists, and test the secureness of her imprisonment.
He held her shoulders and dipped his head so his breath fanned her neck. “You’re mine, Mercy.” Smiling at her shiver, he kissed her shoulder, then higher back up her neck, then a bite. With a soft moan, she tilted her head, opening herself up to his touch. He continued to nip and kiss her neck and shoulder as he slid his hands down her arms and to her waist.
Lowering one hand to her hip, he raised the other to cup her breast. “Your skin’s so soft, Mercy. It’s one of the signature things of who you are, of what attracts me to you.” He flicked a thumb over the top of her nipple. Her tiny indrawn gasp was like a hot kiss to his cock. Burying his head in her hair, he breathed deep of the fresh fruit scent.
“L-lush.” She croaked out.
He raised his head. “What?”
“The...um...”—she licked her lips—“shower smoothies. They help soften my skin.”
Aidan felt his lips twitch. He’d seen the products in her shower. Hell, he was a cop; he noticed everything. But the fact she felt compelled to share that detail with him now was pure Mercy goofiness.
“Then I’ll have to do a thorough investigation to find the softest place on your body. Is it here?” He kissed high on her neck. “Or here?” Then nipped the shell of her ear. “Maybe somewhere else?” He moved the hand from her hip to her belly, then went lower, growling as his fingers slid over the wetness of her pussy.
“I’d encourage you to, ooooh...”—she broke off as he skimmed his finger over her clit—“concentrate in that area.”
“I’m sure you would,” he slid a finger along one side of her pussy. “After all, I could spend hours here.” The tip of his finger tapped the hood of her clit ever so softly. “And still not find the right spot.”
“Oh, God,” she whimpered and tugged on the cuffs.
His chuckle was met with a glare over her shoulder. “Dammit, don’t tease.”
Ah, she had so much to learn.
He stepped back and spanked her ass.
“Owww!” Her mouth hung open. “What was that for?”
“You’ve handed over control to me, Mercy. However long I take before you come is up to me. You give me attitude, I’ll punish you.”
“But that’s unfair.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back against him. Lowering his head, he spoke close to her ear. “No, gorgeous. That’s giving yourself over to my domination.” He ran two fingers along the slick wetness of her pussy, right over her clit and tightened his arm at her shudder. “Allowing yourself to be free of choice and open to all the sensations that brings.” Easing his arm from her waist, he straightened away from her. “Do you need to say ‘red’?”
He held his breath and waited.
“No.” She looked over her shoulder, her gaze clear, voice resolute. “I want to try this some more.”
A mixture of pleasure and relief swept through him. He nodded. “Lie on the bed, on your side, facing away from me.”
She followed his command easily enough, even with her hands cuffed behind her.
Aidan placed the key to his cuffs on her bedside table, undressed and pulled a condom over his fully-erect cock. He allowed himself a moment to drink in the sight of her lying on the navy sheet, her curvy body pale in contrast and her blonde hair loose.
He climbed up behind her, bent his elbow and rested his hand on her head, gently running his fingers through her hair. “You look gorgeous in my cuffs, Mercy.” Skimming a hand over her hip, he continued down, wrapping his hand under her knee and lifting her leg back and over his.
Now she was how he wanted; he glanced at her face, saw her blink as realization hit her as to just how vulnerable she was. Too much in her own head.
With the flat of his palm, he stroked the inside of her upper thigh, easing the pressure to whisper-soft as he neared the crease. Over and again, he caressed, his fingers dipping toward her pussy, bringing a trail of moisture as they brushed her outer lip. His cock throbbed as the musky scent of her arousal filled his nostrils, adding another layer of anticipation that had been building all night.
He watched her face, saw her eyes close and felt her wiggle on the bed, trying to open herself further. Much better.
“There’s so many aspects of dominance and submission.” He ran two fingers through her pussy, smiling as her body jolted against him. “The exchan
ge of trust.” He pressed his thumb on her clit, sliding the pad in torturously slow moves and ignoring her pleas for him to go faster. “The thrill of not knowing what comes next.” He pinched her clit between his forefinger and thumb.
“Ohmygod.” Eyes wide, mouth open, she made tiny noises in her throat as he gently rubbed her clit. Her body quaked as she orgasmed. But he was a merciless bastard, caressing and pinching the small nub of nerves, dragging out her climax until she was gasping for breath.
Beautiful.
He tugged on her hair, forcing her head back and claimed her lips. She opened her mouth, twining her tongue with his. He slanted his head to increase the pressure, wanting the bond of intimacy to last until the very moment he broke away.
Ending their kiss, he looked at her face, seeing her mascara starting to smudge and the light stain on her lips where her lipstick had worn away.
A thrill of satisfaction roared inside him. It was pure male and primitive, and about as real as any guy could get.
“But then you realize things are only just getting started.” He thrust two fingers inside her cunt, pumping fast, curling over her g-spot.
She gasped, her body shaking as her still-recent orgasm fired into the next. Her desperate cries were satisfying music to his ears. He twisted his hand in her hair, holding her head still and letting her feel the slight burn of pain mingling with the tremors of her release.
“Sean, please,” she wailed, riding his fingers. He blocked out that name and concentrated on her face.
“Please what, baby?” He slowed his thrusts. “You want me to stop?”
Like hell she did, from the way she’d gripped his fingers.
She blinked. “No.”
Always honest.
“How does it feel, being cuffed? Helpless? Played with?”
“It feels...”—she sucked in a breath—“fucking hot.”
“Perfect answer.” He kissed her, this one gentle, long and wet. Leaving her mouth, he trailed kisses on her shoulder and down her arm before he lifted his head and searched her face.
He eased her thigh forward with her knee bent, so they were close to spooning and nudged his cock at her entrance, smiling to himself as her eyes widened. “And then there’s the promise that when you’ve pushed past one boundary, there’s another ready for you to explore and conquer.” With one thrust, he buried himself inside her warmth.
