Relentless River: Men of Mercy, Book 10

by Lindsay Cross

  “Are you sure you want this?” Bo’s voice was more growl than words.

  “Please!”

  He didn’t go slow. He slammed in, stretching her so full she screamed.

  “Bo!”

  She’d never been filled so completely. So much she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything but hold his shoulders and pray for more. Bo didn’t ease up an inch; he pounded into her. Demanding and taking everything she had to give and more.

  “Damn, you feel good.” He pulled out all the way, lifting her like she weighed nothing, and then slammed back in to the hilt. “This is how I imagined you.” He kept going, thrusting long and hard. “So, hot. So, tight.”

  “I’m close.” She could barely get the words out. Her world had narrowed to the joining of their two bodies.

  Bo thrust faster, shoving her against the wall each time. She barely registered the cold tiles anymore. All she felt was Bo.

  Her core tightened. She was so close. So, close.

  “Come for me, baby. Now.”

  He slammed into her. Her sex contracted and then exploded. “Bo! Yes!”

  She was falling, down…down… She throbbed all over, her body a mass of sensations she’d never experienced. She was barely aware when Bo stiffened a second later, shouting her name. “Cheri!”

  He pulled out, squirting his cum on her belly and then he fell against her, holding himself back just enough with his arms. His harsh breathing filled her ears.

  She’d never had an orgasm better than the one when he’d spanked her. Until tonight. Right here. Right now, “That was amazing.”

  Bo chuckled. “Yes. It was. And we’re not through, baby. Not even close.”

  19

  Bo washed and dried her, savoring every inch of her skin. When they were both clean, he carried her to the bedroom and set her on her feet next to his king-sized bed.

  He couldn’t remember ever coming so hard. Or so fast. But he’d known if he hadn’t relieved the aching pressure in his cock, he’d never be able to truly show her how much he wanted her.

  Now he could take his time.

  And Cheri would learn exactly what he wanted.

  His knuckles skimmed her high soft cheekbone. Cheri tilted her head slightly into his touch and pleasure rippled through him. “Are you okay? Was I too rough?”

  “I’ve never been more perfect in my life,” came her reply.

  “What we did in the shower just now—we both needed it.”

  “Absolutely,” she said.

  “This time, it won’t be like that. I’m not going to go fast. Or gentle. And I’m not going to take you again until you beg. Can you handle that?” He cupped her cheek, staring into the depths of her eyes.

  “Yes.” Her voice came out almost at a whisper. Her pulse jumped in her throat, confirming the excitement his words had evoked.

  “You said you’ve read books – what have you read?”

  She shrugged, her gaze starting from his. “You know, the girl always has to say ‘yes, sir’ or ‘yes, master.’ Then the guy spanks her and they have wild, passionate sex until they both pass out.”

  Bo had to fight to suppress a burst of laughter. “Sounds…interesting.”

  And like she’d gotten ahold of some amateur who wrote about fantasy and not real life.

  “I might not have read that many books about it.”

  “How many is that many?”

  Cheri took her bottom lip between her teeth, something he noticed she always did when she was worried or distracted. This time, he suspected it was both.

  “One.”

  Bo felt his eyes widen, but he kept his mouth shut. From the way she talked, he thought her a little bit more experienced. Either she had totally fooled him, or he’d only heard what he wanted to. Probably the latter.

  Well, tonight he would fill in the gaps in her education. “The only thing I want to hear out of your mouth is my name. I want to know I’m the only person in the world on your mind.”

  She nodded but did not release her lip.

  Bo continued, “I do expect to be obeyed in bed. I expect you to trust me to give you pleasure. To know what you want and what you need.”

  He dropped his hand to cup her shoulder and then trailed down her arm, amazed at how her skin felt like warm satin.

  “And when you don’t obey me, I will punish you. And I promise you, you won’t like it.” He let his fingers entwine with hers and lifted her hands so he could kiss her palm. Even there she smelled sweet.

  “Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” came her breathless reply.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” she said again.

  He’d asked more than twice, and she still wanted him. Wanted his rules, his dominance. He couldn’t wait a minute longer. He’d watched her for months, amazed at how out of control she lived her life. Speeding. Partying. Flirting.

  Riser had come too close for Bo’s comfort.

  But he would drive any thoughts of any other man from her mind. Permanently.

  “Get on the bed. On your back.” He might have spoken a little harsher than he’d intended, but he couldn’t deny he liked her instant compliance. Cheri stretched out on the bed, surrounded by his sheets. Laid out like a sacrifice just for him.

  She watched him with wariness. Good, he wanted her on her toes. She was so different from the women he usually went for, so much better. Thinking back, he couldn’t even recall any of their faces, or names, they were just a shadowed section of his past, completely demolished by Cheri’s boldness. Her boldness should have turned him off completely but had the exact opposite effect. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her, why she acted the way she did, about her past, her future…

  Her hair streaked across his mattress in wild tangles much like the woman herself, begging his fingers to thread through the strands. He knew it would be silky soft and thick. Untamed.

  “Aren’t you going to get out the handcuffs?”

  Cheri’s words pulled him from his thoughts, a rush of amusement curling his lips. “My, my, you must’ve read some book.”

  Cheri’s cheeks stained bright red, and her gaze darted from his. What was that? Red cheeks equaled embarrassment, as did the whole gaze avoidance. Did she not realize he was reading her every thought in her open and honest reactions? God, he loved that about her. He loved how she always responded without hesitation, without apology. She knew what she wanted, and she went after it. In a way, her wildness was as black and white as his life.

  The thought struck him out of nowhere. He had never seen her drink, and yeah, she partied, but not often. And always with her cousin – not other men. She worked hard, took care of her family and her friends.

  Yet every time he saw her, she played the part of the spunky, carefree bartender who had no patience for the stiff lawman.

  Played the part…

  “You didn’t read about handcuffs in any book, did you?”

  Any other woman would have lied to cover up her embarrassment, not Cheri. “No.”

  “Have you ever been handcuffed?” He had absolutely no trouble seeing her handcuffed when she was younger, probably for disturbing the peace. But he had an extremely hard time picturing her handcuffed for sex.

  She shrugged, meeting his gaze with a bold dare in her own. “Maybe a couple times as a teenager. Local cops liked to bust up parties.”

  “And when did you start fantasizing about bondage?”

  Her pupils dilated so big her green eyes turned nearly completely black. “When I saw you.”

  Bo rocked back on his heels. Her honest response floored him. He’d been so intent on trying to teach her a lesson, when all along he’d left her wanting and needing. Every cell in his body urged him to cover her with his own, to take her. Bo kept his feet planted on the floor. “That’s nice.” And so fucking hot it made his dick swell to the point of pain. “So, you’ve dreamed about me cuffing you?”

  She nodded, but he wanted more. “Whe
re?”

  “In the jail cell, in your office.”

  Minx.

  “That’s something you and I can definitely discuss later. But I don’t intend to tie you up or cuff you tonight.”

  Her expression fell, plain as day. But she didn’t say anything.

  Bo continued, “I don’t need restraints to make you do what I want.” He allowed a few seconds for his words to sink in and then said, “Plus, you should never allow someone you just started seeing to tie you up until you can fully trust them.”

  And she still hadn’t told him about Dupree, which meant she was holding something back. Holding a part of herself from him. That would change. He would make sure of it.

  “Oh.”

  “Grab the headboard. Do not let go.” He emphasized the last words.

  She wrapped her hands around the railing above her head, her chest rising and falling in quick, short pants. Bo placed one knee on the bed, and then the other, crawling between her legs. He’d been dreaming about tasting her, wondering about her flavor.

  “If you let go, your punishment will be no orgasm. You will pleasure me with your mouth and that’s it. Do you understand?”

  Her hips arched. “Yes.”

  Bo placed a palm on her belly and shoved her back down onto the mattress. “And I want you to be still; I can’t enjoy my dessert if it’s squirming around all over the place.”

  He lifted his hand, waited to make sure she would obey, and slowly lowered his mouth to just above her sex. She was smooth, except for a trimmed patch of red hair above her lips. Fuck.

  He took one long lick from her bottom to top. Cheri squealed and bucked. Bo pushed her back to the mattress. “Be still. This is your last warning.”

  She was breathing harsh and loud. She managed a quick, “I don’t know if I can.”

  “You can, I know you can. Do it for me, because you know it will make me happy.” Bo waited on her nod and then lowered his head again. He lapped at her, just like before. She shuddered but that was all. “Good girl.”

  He parted her folds, staring at her small, tight bud. Fucking perfect. His tongue darted out and he flicked her with light quick strokes he knew would keep her on edge, and withhold the pressure it would take to bring her to an orgasm. However, from the way her breathing quickened, she was reacting exactly like he wanted.

  She tasted better than he imagined. Spicy and sweet, the perfect combination. He couldn’t get enough; he needed more. He lashed her clit harder, flattening his tongue out with broad strokes.

  “Bo!”

  He glanced up to make sure she was still gripping the headboard like he’d told her. She was, a white knuckled grip. A fine sheen of sweat had broken out on her body, and her breaths were coming out in half sobs. If he were a sadist he would’ve kept at it and pushed her right over the edge, knowing she wouldn’t be able to keep still much longer.

  To witness her orgasm, he might just do it.. He longed to push her boundaries and give her pleasure.

  Bo continued to lick more gently, pulling her back from the edge she was fast approaching. He didn’t want tonight to be about punishment. “You’re doing beautifully.”

  “I’m fixing to lose my mind.”

  “I know.” Bo shoved a finger inside her tight sheath. His eyes rolled back in his head when she clenched him like a vise.

  “I can’t hold on. I need to come.” There was a definite tremor in her voice. He held his finger perfectly still, giving her time to regain control.

  “I told you, you can’t come until you beg me. “

  “Please! Please let me come.”

  He should’ve known she wouldn’t have any trouble begging. “Beautiful, but I’m not ready for you to come yet.”

  She pushed her head back into the mattress and groaned. Bo pulled his finger out and pushed it back inside, steady and slow in a pattern he knew would drive her absolutely nuts.

  It wasn’t long before her hips began to rock, not so much she pulled fully off the bed like before, but in a small jerky pattern, which was evidence of her approaching orgasm.

  He had no intention of wasting it on his fingers either. Bo pulled out and grinned when she let out a very descriptive curse word.

  “Didn’t I tell you no cursing?”

  She glared at him in answer and pressed her lips into a hard, flat line. A line Bo kissed until she was moaning into his mouth.

  He settled between her legs, nudging her entrance with his cock. When he felt her folds give way just enough so that his tip was inside, he paused. “Remember, I want to hear you beg.”

  Bo eased inside, feeling every single inch of her wet flesh give way. He wanted to remember how she felt. How tight she squeezed him. When he was fully inside, he took her lips again in a slow, long kiss. Shudders wracked her body, but she kept her legs flat on the bed and her hands wrapped around the bars.

  Her eyes were squeezed shut, her brows furrowed in concentration. “Who are you thinking about right now?”

  “You,” she said on a harsh breath.

  “Who is inside you right now?”

  “You,” she said, her voice rising.

  “And who are you going to ask for permission to come?”

  Her entire body trembled beneath him. “Please Bo, please let me come.”

  Oh, he would, but he wanted to see every single minute of her reaction.

  “Open your eyes baby.”

  When she did, her openly pleading look nearly undid him right there. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, his own body shuddering from the effort it took to restrain himself. “Wrap your legs around me.”

  She did and the angle allowed him to go a little bit deeper. His balls drew up so tight he thought he would come right then. His control was slipping. He needed to finish it. He needed to finish it now.

  Bo pulled out slammed home, thrusting into her hard and fast. Fuck going slow.

  “Yes! Yes!”

  “Ask.” He could barely get the words out.

  “Please!”

  “Perfect. Let go now.”

  Bo drove in to the hilt.

  Cheri screamed.

  A soon as she contracted around him, he let his own orgasm overtake him. “Cheri!”

  He pulled out just in time, releasing himself onto her belly and then collapsing at her side. When he could breathe again, he reached up and uncurled her fingers from the headboard, kissing her knuckles before he placed her hands at her sides.

  Then he grabbed a washcloth from the bathroom, cleaned her off and then pulled her into his arms, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. She curled into him as natural as breathing and Bo closed his eyes, savoring how perfect she felt against him.

  For a long time, he remained silent, unwilling to break the spell around them. He couldn’t imagine a time in his life he’d ever been happier or more content. Cheri fit him. She belonged to him. And after the mind-altering sex, he knew she’d changed him.

  Maybe he should talk to her, make sure he hadn’t been too rough. Something he’d never concerned himself with before now.

  He’d never cared enough to worry. Hell, he’d never laid in bed and held a woman in his arms thinking about how he couldn’t let her go.

  “Cheri, are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

  She held silent so long he started to worry.

  Bo leaned back, wanting to read her expressive eyes, only to find them closed and Cheri asleep with a slight smile on her lips.

  He let his head drop back to the mattress, grinning like a damn idiot.

  *

  Bo sat on the edge of the bed, the morning sun’s rays slicing through his open blinds, spilling onto the woman sleeping in his bed. Contentment curled through him, seeing her lying on his pillow, kept warm by his blankets. Calm, sweet and beautiful.

  He didn’t want to wake her up; he didn’t want to go to work either, but he made himself get up and get dressed. He knew she probably had to open the bar tonight. After work, after he made it through the moun
tain of paperwork he was sure Oralee had saved just for him, Bo intended to pick up right where they left off. With him inside of her.

  The thought sent blood rushing straight to his cock, and he shifted, his uniform uncomfortably tight. There was no way he should be ready to go again so soon, not even close, but he was fast learning the rules did not apply to Cheri Boudreaux.

  And maybe, just maybe, he was okay with that.

  He wasn’t okay with her keeping secrets from him, which was something he intended to talk to her about later tonight. She would tell him everything she knew about Dupree, because she knew something, and Bo had the feeling it had to do with Lamont and Frankie.

  “Time to wake up, baby.” Bo brushed a strand of hair back from her cheek, savoring the softness of her satiny skin.

  Her eyelids fluttered open, still dazed with the remnants of sleep. “What time is it?”

  “Nine a.m. I have to go to the office.” He would’ve gone in at seven, but Cheri needed the sleep after her long night at the hospital.

  Cheri yawned and stretched lazily, like a cat awoken from an afternoon nap, and sat up. The sheet covering her dropped to her waist, baring her breasts and sending another rush of blood to his aching groin.

  “Let’s call in sick.” She shifted over onto her hip, pressing her naked body against his.

  The raw edge of lust rushed through him, and Bo took her mouth in a hard, long kiss. He wanted more than anything to forget his responsibility to his job and stay in bed with her all day. “I’d like nothing more, but I can’t.”

  Her fingers dipped inside the collar of his shirt. “I’m a lot more fun than work.”

  She pressed a kiss to his jaw, and then licked his earlobe, sending shivers racing across his shoulders. Bo closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Cheri trying to convince him to stay in bed, and she did a damn good job of it too.

  But she wasn’t the one making the decisions here. Bo threaded his fingers through her thick hair and gently tugged her back. “You can use your mouth to show me just how much you want me to stay in bed tonight, after I pick you up from work. I’ve laid out one of my shirts and your jeans in the bathroom. Get dressed, and I’ll take you home.”