“Hi,” she said when he drew away. She wasn’t sure she was going to be able to breathe for a while.
“Smells great.” He sniffed the air as she let him in and she thought she heard his stomach rumble. “It’s been a long day and I haven’t eaten much.”
So much for pre-dinner diversions.
He swung a duffel bag off his shoulder and put it on the floor by the couch. “Mind if I leave this here?”
“Sure.” She smiled and headed toward the kitchen. As he followed her, she looked over her shoulder. “How was work?”
“Not real great.” He shook his head. “Got called out of bed almost as soon as I got home.”
“Wow, you’ve been up awhile.” She paused and faced him. “What happened?”
He shrugged. “Security issues.” It was clear that was about all she was going to get out of him about work.
“You must be exhausted,” she said.
Another growl of his stomach. “Right now I’m more hungry than anything.”
She gestured to the kitchen table that was already set for two including wine glasses, the bottle of wine, and a slender taper candle. “Have a seat. Dinner is ready.”
“I’ll help you get everything to the table,” he said.
He carried out the pan of lasagna while she took the bowl of salad and the basket of garlic bread—which she had thanks to Drake.
As she lit the candle, she could tell it wasn’t easy for the hungry man at her table to hold himself back while waiting for her to join him.
He insisted on helping her sit, took his own chair, and then he served up lasagna on both of their plates while she took care of the salad.
John wasn’t real chatty to begin with and he was even less so when he was as hungry as he appeared to be as he ate. There was nothing like having a man who appreciated a good home cooked meal.
“This is great,” he said after a few large bites. “I think it’s probably the best lasagna I’ve had.”
“Thank you.” She smiled and dug into her own dinner.
When he stopped to take a drink of merlot, he said, “How was your day?”
“Not too eventful.” She thought about her day and running into Drake. She certainly wasn’t going to mention him. “Took care of some odds and ends that I needed to catch up with and went to the grocery store and made dinner. That was the extent of today’s excitement.”
“I could use a day like that.” John wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Doesn’t seem to be in the cards. If one particularly big problem was solved it would make my life a whole lot easier.”
He paused as he seemed to be working something over in his mind. “Did you walk to the store?”
“Yes.” She set her fork down. “I always do. Why?
With a grim look he rested his forearms on the table. “It’s too dangerous to be walking anywhere on your own. That means anywhere.”
She frowned. “It was only to the store and it was broad daylight.”
He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. If someone is looking for a person with your description, he’s going to spot you day or night. All he needs is to figure out where you live.”
Chills rolled up and down her arms. “You’re talking about the serial killer and the fact that I fit the profile for his victims.”
He continued to study her. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”
“I can’t just live in fear all of the time.” She clenched the stem of her wine glass. “I can’t hide away waiting for something to happen.”
“If it will keep you alive, then you should do exactly that.” His tone was firm, decisive. “Stay in hiding until the bastard is caught.”
“Who knows how long that will be?” she said. “How long would you expect me to be in hiding?”
“As long as it takes,” he said.
Like hell, she thought. She wasn’t about to spend her days shaking in a corner.
Instead of voicing that aloud, she changed the subject and gave him a seductive look. “Last night you said something about cuffs.”
His gaze turned dark, filled with all of the danger, fear, excitement, and the unknown she could ever want. Yes, something about him scared her on some level. She wasn’t sure what, just that there was an air of danger around him.
“I’ll help you clean up the dishes,” he said in a low tone. “And then I’ll show you exactly what I’ve got.”
While they finished putting away leftovers and washing dishes, the excitement within her grew. Every time their hands touched or his body brushed hers, new thrills tingled throughout her.
After she dried her hands on a towel, she turned from the stove to find John inches away. He took her by the shoulders, drew her close, and kissed her.
She sighed, feeling something intangible deep inside of her. The man knew how to tie up a woman but her woman’s intuition told her there was more to the man than what he appeared to be at face value.
He tasted so good, a masculine taste with a hint of the merlot they’d had with dinner. He moved so that her back was up to the countertop and he pressed his erection against her belly.
“Do you know what I’m going to do with you?” he murmured in her ear.
“Tie me up?” she said hopefully.
He gave a soft laugh. “If it were only that easy for you.”
Intrigued, she looked up at him to see a smoldering look on his features. A look so hot and sexy that it made her knees weak.
A shiver raced across her skin. “What do you want me to do?”
He held her by her shoulders and then stepped back. “Take off your clothes.”
“In here?” She looked around the kitchen and back at him.
“Don’t make me wait.” There was a warning edge to his tone that caused the butterflies in her belly to return. Still a small niggling of fear from doing something as daring as letting a virtual stranger tie her up. Again.
His expression was dark as he watched her take her clothes off. She removed her blouse and then her bra and something flashed in his eyes when her breasts were bared. He flexed his hands and looked like he wanted to touch her but he didn’t move.
She smiled inwardly and kept her gaze focused on him as she pushed down her skirt and let it drop to the floor, leaving her only in panties. She hooked her thumbs in the waistband then wiggled out of them and pushed them aside with her foot when she dropped them to the floor.
When she was naked, she straightened and let her breasts jut out. She had a full figure, including large breasts, and men loved them. She had no problem using them to her advantage. His throat worked as he swallowed, but that was the only sign that he was affected. It was good enough for her.
“Come here.” The words came out with such power that she felt the urge to hurry. She forced herself to walk slowly to him to make him wait just a little longer.
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pair of what looked like real police-issue handcuffs. Her eyes widened and he took her by one wrist and turned her around so that both wrists were behind her back. They made a metallic sound, almost like a zipper, as they were closed to fit her wrists. The metal was cool against her skin.
His warm breath tickled her nape as he pushed her long hair over her shoulders and kissed the back of her neck. “You’re beautiful, Roni. I love your body, love what it does to me to see you naked for me, and you not knowing what I’m going to do to you next.”
She enjoyed the erotic feel of his jeans against her bare ass as he pressed himself against her. He moved so that he was standing in front of her again.
The next thing he pulled out of his back pocket looked like two huge zip-ties connected together. He bent on one knee and put one ankle through one loop and her other ankle through the opposite loop so that her ankles were cuffed together.
He rose up and grasped her by one arm and escorted her into the living room, like a police officer taking a suspect away from a crime. She couldn’t take very big steps with her ankles tied s
o she shuffled her way there. He brought her up short in front of the bag he had brought with him.
“Stand right there.” His voice was deep and filled with something almost menacing that made a queer sensation slide through her belly and she shivered. He hadn’t hurt her last night and he could have. So what reason did she have to be afraid?
He opened the bag and she saw exactly what she should be afraid of.
Chapter 6
Battery cables.
With big clamps on the ends.
“What are you planning on doing with those?” Her voice shook a little.
“They make great nipple clamps.” He said it casually. “I like to use things you can find around the house.
“Uh-Uh.” She cleared her throat. “I draw the line at battery cables.”
He grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head back. “There’s not a whole hell of a lot that you can do about it, is there,” he stated.
“Please don’t.” Genuine fear raced through her as he reached into the bag.
Relief made her knees weak when he brought out a ball gag instead of the cables. But then she realized she wasn’t going to be able to say anything at all if she didn’t want him to do something.
He put the ball to her lips but she kept them shut. He cupped the back of her head and forced the ball gag into her mouth. She gave a muffled sound and tried to shake her head but he made her be still as he fastened he gag so that it was secured firmly.
She couldn’t stop looking at the battery cables with the big copper clamps. He wouldn’t… Would he?
Again he reached into the bag. This time he pulled out a roll of duct tape and he tore a small piece off and put it over one of her eyes. She shook her head, not wanting him to take her sight, but he forced her to be still and put tape over the other eye.
She was naked, couldn’t walk or use her arms, and she was in the dark. She couldn’t talk, couldn’t see. At least she could hear. The ticking of the grandfather clock was almost welcome.
Her heart raced as he rustled around in his bag then returned to her. A pause and then he was pressing something into one of her ears. An earplug. He filled her ear with another one and the ticking of the clock was silenced.
She tried to slow her breathing and prayed that John wasn’t sadistic enough to put those battery cable clamps on her nipples. What did she really know about him?
She felt him press his body against hers and realized he was naked now. He grasped her hips and rubbed his cock on her belly, mimicking what she wanted him to do—minus battery clamps.
Fear of the pain she would feel made her tremble. She liked playing a lot and she didn’t mind a little pain. Key word: little.
What was he doing? How far would he take this?
He nuzzled her neck and she thought she heard him murmuring words but she couldn’t hear. He ran his hands along her body, stroking her, making her want him despite her fear.
When he stepped away she nearly cowered from the thought of what he might do to her. Then she felt his erection brush her belly at the same time he pinched one of her nipples. She held her breath and then something clamped down on her nipple.
She screamed behind her gag, her eyes watering beneath the pieces of duct tape on her eyes. The pain was intense enough to make her shake. And then he grasped her other nipple and then another clamp was put on it.
Pain radiated through her breasts and to her body. A part of her had thought the pain would be worse, that the teeth of the clamps would dig into her tender breasts. This hurt like hell but it wasn’t what she had expected.
She felt his body heat and he pulled one of the plugs out of her ears. “I love how you look. Love how much trust you put in me no matter how misguided that trust might be. Because you really don’t know, do you, Roni?” She shook her head and he gave a soft laugh. “You should be afraid.”
He put the ear plug back in and she wondered how she had gotten herself into this. It all started with an auction, something totally innocent and fun. Well, she had expected kink to be involved but she just hadn’t thought it through well at all.
She stood in front of the couch as she waited for what he was going to do next. Her jaws hurt from the ball gag and her eyelids felt sticky from the duct tape. The pain of the clamps had receded a bit, but not enough to make her feel comfortable.
Where did he go? She’d been standing there for a few minutes without him touching her. He was making her wait. Making her wonder what he was going to do next. He’d been away from her for a while. What was he doing? She couldn’t see or hear him to know if he was even there. Had he left her?
Something hard slapped her ass and she cried behind her gag. The pain made her eyes water even more than they already had. He was paddling her with something hard. It felt like he was taking a two-by-four against her ass.
She whimpered, knowing it wasn’t going to do any good but hoping that he would show her some mercy.
Then she realized that she wasn’t feeling as much pain anymore on her nipples and the swats weren’t a lot more than spankings from a paddle. She still cried out with each one but they had become more whimpers than anything else.
When he stopped swatting her, he took her face in his hands and kissed the corner of her mouth by her gag. He removed the earplugs. “That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”
She paused or a moment, thinking about it. Her fear had been the most intense part of the whole thing. Wondering what he was going to do next, keeping her constantly on edge.
“I want you on your knees.” He held her by her upper arms, helping her since she couldn’t do it by herself with the ankle cuffs on and making sure she didn’t fall.
He unfastened the ball gag and pulled it out of her mouth. She was about to give a sigh of relief when he replaced the gag with his cock.
She made a cry of surprise that was muffled by his erection. He cupped the back of her head with his hand and forced her to go up and down his cock. She started to suck, loving the feel of him, the taste of him, knowing that she could drive him crazy with her tongue, lips, and mouth.
The metal cuffs on her wrists were starting to chafe as she bobbed her head up and down and she felt as if they were being rubbed raw.
He clenched his hand in her hair. “I’m going to come in your mouth. And you’re going to love it.” He tightened his grip in hair, pulling it on her scalp. “Isn’t that right?”
Another muffled sound came from her. Yes she would love to do whatever he wanted of her.
Somewhere her fear had left and she felt only excitement. Or that her fear had led to this magnitude of excitement. She found herself wanting more of whatever he could give her.
Minus the battery clamps.
He fucked her mouth a few more times and then came with a rumbling groan. His come spurted into her mouth and she swallowed it while she continued to suck.
When he stopped her, he pulled his cock out of her mouth. She licked her lips and wondered what he was going to do next.
After he did something with her ankle cuffs and removed them, he helped her to her feet. She started to say something but he shoved the ball back into her mouth and secured it. She still couldn’t see and she couldn’t talk, and she had no idea what he was going to do to her next.
He guided her so that she was sitting on the couch, her cuffed hands between her back and the cushions. He shifted and then he pressed her knees apart with his palms. She waited, wondering what he had in mind, when she felt his head between her thighs and he licked her pussy.
Surprise and pleasure combined as he flicked his tongue over her clit. She squirmed beneath his mouth, loving the feeling of being locked away while he went down on her.
She felt her climax coming on, racing toward her, a feeling so amazing that she didn’t know if she would be able to handle the exquisite ride.
Her orgasm ripped through her and she moaned and whimpered behind her gag. He kept licking and sucking her until her body stopped bucking and she press
ed her legs together around his head, telling him that she couldn’t take anymore.
When he raised his head she sagged against the couch. He pulled the tape from her eyes. She thought that the duct tape would stick to her lashes or hurt her skin, but it didn’t at all. She looked up at him with exhaustion. She hadn’t seen him naked before and his body was even more amazing when he was in the flesh. He grasped her nipple and she looked down to see that he had put clothespins on her nipples.
“You’re a tease,” she said as he removed the other clothespin. “You had me believing you were really going to put those battery cable clamps on my breasts.”
The corner of his mouth quirked. “Who says I won’t? There’s always the next time.”
“You’re assuming there is a next time.” It was her turn to tease as he adjusted how she was sitting on the couch and he removed her wrist cuffs with a key.
He brought her wrists in front of her and massaged them then raised her hands and kissed the backs of them. “How about you agree or I put these cuffs back on you and we can start all over again?”
She laughed. “Okay, okay you win. There will be a next time. Just no clamps, okay?”
He gave her a devious look. “We’ll see.”
Chapter 7
“KC is sponsoring a party at Sir Thomas’s dungeon tonight,” John told Roni over the phone as soon as she said “hello”. It was two weeks to the day that they had met. He added, “I’d like you to go with me.”
Disappointment rolled through her. “I’ve got a cold.” It actually came out as, “I’b got a code.” She dabbed at her nose with a tissue. “Stayed home from work.”
“That’s too bad, honey,” he said. She was amazed he had understood her congested mumblings. “Need some chicken soup?”
Despite the ache in her head and her stuffed-up sinuses she smiled. “Would love some.”
“I’ll be over this afternoon,” he said before he disconnected the call.
It had been a great couple of weeks. They had spent time together or had met up with each other every day since he had bought her at the auction. She had never expected to find a man who turned her on like he did, or got to her in the same way he had.
Bought Page 4
