Bryn saw her bikini pieces lying outside near the staircase down to the beach. Not wanting to be a slob, she walked outside to pick them up. She grinned as she neared the staircase, remembering the savage look he had given her when he sprinted up the stairs to catch her. Being overpowered by that man is such a turn-on, Bryn thought as she made her way back to the house.
The lower level of the house was covered by a long deck on the first floor, completely shaded from the sun in the late summer afternoon. Bryn hadn’t noticed before that the only place to sit on the lower cement patio was a single swinging hammock chair, hanging from the deck above. It was nice and cool out here, even with the air temperature being over ninety degrees today and slightly humid. Bryn didn’t know if Charlie was a light sleeper or not, deciding against going back inside and chancing waking him. Walking over to the swinging chair, Bryn studied it to see how she could get in it. She turned around and backed up to the seat, but it was too high for her to lean back and hop in.
“It’s set for my height, kitten. Careful you don’t fall,” Charlie chuckled, walking outside. She hadn’t heard him coming down the stairs, or even slide the door open.
Bryn flushed, realizing that he had watched her obvious lack of grace with the swing. “I was only trying to stay outside to keep from waking you.”
Sensing her embarrassment, Charlie walked over to her, capturing her hands in his. “It’s strong enough for both of us to sit in,” he said, bringing her back over to the swing. Gracefully, he slid onto the seat, pulling her in between his legs. He scooted back as far as he could in the seat, still tightly holding onto her waist. Bryn squeaked as Charlie lifted her body like it weighed nothing, pulling her so that she straddled his legs. The swing started swaying back and forth, making Bryn feel dizzy. She leaned into his bare chest, her head resting on his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she inhaled his heavenly scent, light and minty. Her left hand splayed across his chest, lightly skimming through his dusting of dark chest hair. Bryn could feel Charlie’s thigh muscles contract and release under her as he pumped his legs back and forth to keep the swing moving. He was brushing his fingertips up and down her back, tracing the line of her spine.
Bryn yawned as she lay in his arms, listening to the waves quietly lap on the shoreline. A few birds trilled a chorus, as Bryn and Charlie enjoyed the serenity of a leisurely Sunday. Charlie shifted underneath her, making her knees almost slip off the seat, dumping her on the cement patio.
Bryn giggled as she righted herself on his lap again, “Fuck, I thought you were going to drop me on my ass, Charlie.”
Bryn could feel Charlie’s hands freeze on her back, then quickly his right hand jerked up and off her back, landing a firm swat on her rear-end. Feigning arrogance, she straightened her back, before looking at his handsome face, marred with a deep grimace. She tried to playfully copy his facial expression, with one eyebrow cocked high over the other. They continued to stare at each other until Bryn finally caved, relaxing her shoulders, sinking back into his body. “I’m sorry,” she said into his shoulder, “I know you don’t like it when I swear, Charlie.”
“Thank you, kitten. Apology accepted.”
Bryn smiled at his words, even though she felt like an errant child. There was no denying the pleasure she felt when he praised her, though. She sat in the swing with him for a long time, pondering her body’s responses to his repeated physical punishment. There was no time like the present to ask him to explain why he was doing it, and maybe he could even explain why she reveled in it.
Bryn pulled back as she spoke, “Charlie, can I ask you something?”
“I was wondering how long you were going to let your thoughts tumble around in your brain, before you decided it would be easier to ask for help, Bryn.” Charlie flicked her nose with his finger.
Bryn pulled her brows down as she tried to put her thoughts into a question. The words were hard for her to articulate, leaving her half opening and closing her mouth a few times, uttering a syllable, before finally giving up. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter.”
Charlie pulled her body back into his, reaching under her shirt to put both of his hands on her bare flesh. “It does matter, kitten. You want to know why I use a childish punishment like spanking with you, and sometimes it turns you on in a way you can’t explain, right?”
Now that her face was hidden from his soul-searching eyes, Bryn breathed easier. “Yes, that’s pretty much it.”
Charlie took a deep breath, tightening his grip on her body, as he rested his chin on top of her head. “I had a girlfriend in college that was into being controlled in such a way. She was what you would call a submissive.”
“Does that make you a dominant?” Bryn asked, suddenly very glad she had read an article her sister had googled about BDSM relationships. She had wondered at the time why her sister had been looking up such things, not having the first clue what it was all about. Bryn made a mental note to find time to have some girl time with her sister. Sara had talked very little about her personal relationships at college, and Bryn was always a wench to her, making her wonder if something was troubling her kid sister.
“Not really. I was a means to an end for her. We were both young, and she had read a lot of romance novels, gathering her information from there. She had told me on many occasions that she wanted me to ‘take control’ of sexual situations, and then she wanted me to basically control her whole life. I did it for a short period of time, researching everything as I went. But, she needed someone really hard-core into slavery and all that. I could barely stomach administering punishment with a ruler, and it was really hard to make all of someone else’s conscious decisions for them. My heart really wasn’t into it, and she left me our junior year. I haven’t seen or heard from her since.”
Bryn didn’t make any attempt to speak again for a very long time. Her brain was trying to process the information, always coming back to the word “punishment.”
Bryn tried pulling back from his arms to look him in the eyes, but Charlie just held onto her tighter. She arched her back to show her discomfort with how he was holding her, and he moved his hands down on her lower back. Stretching out like a kitten, she twisted the kinks from her spine. Leaning back into his body, she nuzzled into his neck, breathing deeply as she found a more comfortable position.
“So are you punishing me when you spank me, or are you rewarding me?”
“That depends upon the situation, kitten. There are different reasons for punishment, but with you, a lot of times it has to do with giving up control. In my non-professional opinion, I would say that you have some semblance of an anxiety disorder, where your mind keeps repeating the same thought over and over, causing your thoughts to spiral out of control. I’m taking that control away from you, making it easier for you to focus on the problem at hand. It won’t always work for you, but unless you would want to seek a professional’s help, it will be an easy way to re-direct your thoughts, overcoming your anxiety.”
Bryn flinched at his words. Many times her mother had called her a worry-wart, teasing her to the point of tears. Now Charlie was recommending that she needed to see a shrink. Well, to hell with that! Bryn thought to herself. I don’t need to lie on a couch, paying a stranger to learn the depths of my depravity. A good cry and a long hot soak in the tub was usually enough to keep the demons at bay, but it hadn’t always been that easy. Bryn had been emotionally destroyed after her rape. It was almost a year before she could venture off the farm by herself, rarely ever going out once it was dark. She never did finish her last year of college, too paralyzed by fear to go back on campus.
Charlie pulled her from her thoughts as his fingers made contact with her nipple through the ribbed cotton fabric of her tank top, flexing the tip back and forth. Bryn sat up in his lap, her lips forming a silent O as he pulled the turgid peak further out, causing her back to arch. He didn’t move to her other breast like he usually did; he held her aching nipple away from her body, waiting for something.
Looking down at his face, Bryn was met with a million dollar, perfect model smile. His expression was palpable, making her smile back at him. “What, Charlie?”
“I think I have found another really good way to get you to stop snowballing your thoughts,” he leaned down to her other neglected nipple with his lips this time, warming her flesh through her tank top, and then gently nibbling on the peak.
Bryn held on to the back of his head, running her hands through his dark, thick locks. Moaning in delight, Bryn answered his challenge, “No complaints here, hottie.”
Charlie clamped down tightly on her sensitive nipple, causing her to gasp from the pain. “Oww, that was a little too hard, Charlie.”
“That was nothin’, Bryn. The next time you let your brain go into overdrive, I will put clothespins on your bare nipples,” his eyes widening and then narrowing on her as he finished his thought, “when that loses its bite, I will move on to binder clips.”
Bryn quickly jumped off his lap, stumbling to get away. “No, no, no. I will thank you to leave my poor nips out of this, Charlie,” Bryn laughed as he lunged for her, missing her by mere centimeters as she took off across the grass between the house and the slope to the beach. She glanced over her shoulder to see where Charlie was, deciding which direction she should sprint to. He was close on her heels, but obviously was letting her stay two steps ahead. There was no way Bryn could outrun Charlie’s muscular stride, meaning he was holding back.
His dark chuckle made Bryn’s heart hammer wildly in her chest as she felt like a hunted animal. Massive hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her back into a solid mass of flesh and muscle. Her bare feet didn’t give her much traction, and she slipped in the grass, trying to keep from falling forwards. Charlie couldn’t stop his momentum either, his body holding hers as they rolled into the grass, his strong arms locked around her as he took the brunt of the fall.
They ended up with Bryn draped over Charlie’s body, mere inches from the edge of the slope to the beach down below. Bryn rolled over, laughing hysterically, tears slipping down her cheeks. Charlie took advantage, rolling both of them into the damp grass, pinning her down by her wrists, keeping his knees locked around her hips.
“Gotcha,” he panted, trying to catch his breath. Bryn couldn’t stop her laughter, enjoying the playful moment with Charlie. Releasing the hold on her hands, he slid off her body, stretching out on his side next to her in the grass on his side. Bryn propped herself up on her elbows, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest as he regained his composure. His gaze was fixed out on the water, probably on one of the many pleasure boats out enjoying the water.
The man was an enigma to her, the perfect combination of sexy and playful, masculine and caring, hard and forgiving. Most of his time was spent serving others, saving lives, helping the injured, sick, and the elderly. He was considerate with her feelings, her needs, and didn’t think twice about spending time with someone as emotionally broken as she was. Bryn’s feelings for him were growing quickly, making her fall hard. She couldn’t deny the pull between the two of them any longer, needing to make damn sure he knew that she wanted to explore a relationship with him. A smile graced her lips as she used her hands to push against his taunt stomach muscles, until he gave in and lay back against the soft ground. Straddling his hips, she placed her hands on either side of his head, coming within centimeters of touching their lips together.
“Let’s get something straight, Charlie,” arching her eyebrow at his sexy grin, she continued, “sexually, I gladly will give you control. The swearing thing I agree is a less than stellar way for a lady to talk. And yes, I want you to help me with my panic attacks and riding tandem on a bike. More than that, I would really like to get to know you better, maybe even be exclusive to each other. Anything else though, and I reserve the right to put binder clips on your sensitive body parts. Deal?”
Charlie reached in between them, putting his hands on her hips, slipping his thumbs under her tank top, brushing the bare flesh on her midriff. His lips curled into a satisfied smile, “I wouldn’t want it any other way, kitten.”
Chapter Twelve
It was almost eight o’clock by the time Bryn had finally dressed and started drying her freshly showered hair. They had almost had sex in the grass, deciding against it when catcalls came from passing boats down below. The two had come inside to clean up, and spent a lot of time exploring every inch of each other’s bodies in the large glass shower in the guest bathroom downstairs. After two more amazing orgasms a piece, and no more hot water, Charlie relented and went to his room on the main floor to get dressed.
Bryn’s cheeks were starting to hurt from the perma-grin she had plastered across her face. Feeling completely and utterly smitten, she quietly sang a song that had been repeating in her brain for the last half hour. You pull me in close, buckle my knees, I shake and I shiver just to feel you breathe. The words to the Matt Nathanson/Sugarland song had a very profound meaning as she danced around the bathroom, singing even louder; and I feel your fingers, pound like thunder, I am so much more.
A light tap on the door stopped her crooning, embarrassment stealing across her cheeks. Bryn quickly threw the rest of her toiletries back into her tote bag, gathering the rest of her clothes off the floor. She flung the door open, silently thanking the heavens for the sight that greeted her. Charlie had finished dressing, wearing a Full Throttle Bar t-shirt, a pair of distressed Diesel jeans, and chopper boots. The epitome of biker badass is standing in front of me, looking like he could eat me alive, Bryn grinned to herself. Trying to remember why she wanted to go out at all, she continued to feast on his painstaking ruggedness as he stood there.
Finally, breaking the sexual tension radiating between the two of them, Charlie cleared his throat, “I didn’t know you could sing.”
Bryn forced herself to stop eyeing him like a piece of meat, settling her gaze on his freshly shaven face. “I didn’t know you could melt panties,” she teased as she stepped into his body, wrapping her arms around his waist. He only snorted an inaudible response to her jab, squeezing her tighter. The cologne on his chest was fresh, the scent intoxicating her. “You smell so good,” she purred into his shirt as he gently swayed with her from side to side.
Charlie let go of her, stepping away from their embrace. Bryn instantly felt chilled without his warm arms around her. It was easy to decide on her outfit for the night, she only had the one option left, her skinny jeans and frilly one-strap tank top with the sequined stripe across the middle. Charlie had already told her that he intended to take her riding at some point, so she had brought with her knee-high black boots. They were certainly not the best for riding, but her chopper boots were too hot to wear in this kind of humidity.
Charlie spun a set of keys around on his index finger, as he spoke next, “I want to show you something. Come outside with me.”
Bryn pulled her eyebrows together as he stepped out the patio door into the early evening. It was light out until almost nine o’clock in June, the sun going down on the other side of the cabin. The glow of evening dock lights flipping on were spreading across the lake as Bryn reached Charlie’s side on the edge of his lawn.
“It’s beautiful, Charlie,” she said as they surveyed the evening view across the water.
“It is,” Charlie said as he looked down at the set of keys in his hand. Bryn knew that those were the keys to his Land Rover, since it was too big to fit in the hidden key guard on his Harley. Rearing up behind him, he swung his arm far out from his body, letting go of the keys into the evening air. They fell in slow motion, finally hitting the water below with a “plop.”
Bryn could only gawk at him as she stood there, unsure of what had just happened. “I really hope you have another set, Charlie. Those key fobs are really expensive.”
“Yup, I do. It’s right here.” He pulled another key out of his pocket, repeating the motion, chucking it into the lake.
Bryn was so stunned, a stifled giggled came out
of her throat. “What are you doing, Charlie?” She couldn’t even come up with a plausible explanation for his behavior, but she had to believe that he had his reasons for throwing his keys into the lake.
“I’m taking away some of your options for tonight, Bryn. The only way that you will get into town now, is if you ride with me. Don’t even bother calling Corey. He’s aware of my plan, and has no intentions of coming to your rescue.”
Bryn slapped her hand to her forehead, leaving her hand there as she shook her head from side to side, “I don’t know whether to be scared right now, or happy knowing that I am dating a complete control freak.”
“You are exclusively dating a control freak, Bryn,” he said with his lips turned up in a wicked smirk. “I can be very possessive and would prefer to not maim another man if he touches my girl.”
Charlie’s grin quickly faded as he moved to stand in front of her, grasping the hand that was rubbing her forehead, pulling it to his side. Reaching out with his other hand, he laced their fingers together. He leaned their foreheads together as he spoke, “I love that you are your own person. You don’t need someone to control you like that, Bryn. I just can’t stand seeing you hurting from something that happened a long time ago. I would do anything to erase those painful memories from your mind, but since I can’t, I’ll try to replace them with good ones.”
The words washed over her, causing her chest to tighten, her heart soaring with overwhelming emotions. She had only known Charlie as more than her doctor for two days, but there was no way she could deny the strong connection between them.
Tears threatened to fall as he continued to stand there, rubbing his fingers over her knuckles. Bryn opened her mouth to probably say something that she would regret later, when Charlie cleared his throat, breaking through the silence. “Okay, let’s get your ass into town. I’m starving.”
Let Me Fly Page 8
