by Maren Smith
It didn’t help that they hit nearly every red light in town. A few of them she swore he slowed down deliberately so they would get stuck. As a result, every nerve she had seemed to be on alert by the time he parked the truck in his driveway.
“Don’t move,” he barked when she started to move her hands out from under her.
Before she could snap back, he was out of the truck and jogging around to the passenger side. When he opened the door, he pinned her with those unreadable eyes.
“Did you learn your lesson about playing with Daddy’s toys?”
Heat flared in her cheeks and she had no doubt the neighbors could see the red glow of her face from across the street. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Good girl.”
In a single night, she’d already come to crave those words of praise as much as she craved his touch.
Reaching across her, he unbuckled her seatbelt and scooped her up over his shoulder to carry her inside.
“Ethan! Someone will see!”
“You embarrassed to be seen with me, brat?”
“No.” To the contrary, she’d assumed he wouldn’t want anyone seeing her. If there was one thing Ethan Clarke hated more than anything, it was gossip. Especially when he was at the center of it. “But the neighbors will talk.”
“It’s late. Even if they’re up they won’t be able to see you.”
The moment the front door slammed shut, she was dropped to her feet, back pressed firmly against the unforgiving wood, both of her wrists captured in one large hand and pinned above her head. Using his knee, he shoved her legs apart, opening her to him. His free hand captured her pussy, thick fingers working her frantically toward her release.
“Come for me, brat. Come all over Daddy’s hand.”
The gruff order sent her flying. Pleasure exploded within her, as if on command. It shot through her, destroying her from the inside out. And still his fingers never stopped, wringing every last spasm from her body until she went limp against the door.
“Holy shit,” she whispered, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back against the wood. “That was fucking incredible.”
“That was just a sneak peek, baby girl. We’re just getting started.”
He really was going to kill her. Oh, well. There were worse ways to go than being pleasured to death by the man of her dreams.
With that declaration, he lifted her up and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her up the stairs.
His bedroom was simple but masculine, so much like him it might have been amusing if she wasn’t so drained from the punishment and pleasure he’d inflicted on her already. She bounced when he dropped her rather unceremoniously onto the thick mattress.
“Let’s see.” Stepping back, he pulled her folded-up survey from his pocket. “We’ve almost checked off everything in your ‘yes’ column. Spanking, public play, orgasm denial.” His grin was quick and wicked. “Doubting any of your choices yet, brat?”
Matching him grin for grin, she propped herself up on her elbows. “Not a bit.”
“Good. Ready to check something else off your list?”
“Like what?”
Instead of answering, he turned and disappeared into a large walk-in closet. Curious, she rolled onto all fours and crawled to the end of the bed, craning her neck to see what he was up to.
A moment later, he emerged with what looked like a handful of silk scarves. He stopped in the doorway, one dark brown eyebrow rising when he spotted her kneeling on the bed. “How do you feel about leashes?”
“What?”
“Never mind. That can wait. Dress off, then I want you on your back, arms and legs spread.”
Putting the odd “leash” question out of her mind for now, she arranged herself as directed, surprised to discover her core tightening again as he tied a scarf around her wrist and attached it to a bedpost. How the hell could she still want more after he’d so thoroughly wrecked her just minutes before?
“I like you like this.”
“Trussed up like a turkey?”
He tied off the last scarf and gave her thigh a sharp smack. Instinctively, she jerked away, but her foot barely moved. A smirk lifted the corner of his lips. “Helpless.”
A flush spread over her entire body. “Are you going to hurt me, Daddy?”
“That depends.” His head cocked to the side as he let his eyes roam her naked form. “Are you my good girl, or are you a brat?”
Memories of his hand and paddle lighting her ass on fire sent a flash of heat straight to her core. “Brat. Definitely a brat.”
Hunger darkened his eyes. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He whipped off his t-shirt, revealing a body hardened by hours at the gym. A UFO landing outside couldn’t have stolen her attention as he stripped.
Ethan in all his glory was better than anything her imagination had managed to conjure.
“Like what you see, brat?”
She had to lick her lips to speak. “You’re okay.”
Her response won her a laugh before he climbed onto the bed and straddled her stomach. “What’s your safeword, Izzy?”
“Red.”
“Good girl. You can use yellow too if you just want to pause instead of stop entirely.” Rough fingers feathered over her nipples. “You have nipple play marked as ‘yes’ on your questionnaire.”
“Um, yeah. I-I like it when—ow! Ethan!” Her nipple throbbed from where he’d pinched it, hard, and she glared at him. “That hurt!”
“Poor little brat. Is that not what you had in mind? Was Daddy too rough?”
“Yes.”
“Too bad. I like the way your nipples turn all rosy when I pinch them. And they don’t seem to mind the attention.” As if to prove his point, he trapped the opposite peak between his fingers and clamped down.
“Ow! Stop it!”
“No.” This time when he pinched, he gave each nipple a quick twist. If he hadn’t been sitting on her, she probably would have come straight up off the mattress.
“Please, Daddy, it hurts!”
“There’s that sound I love so much. Beg me to stop, brat, and I might listen.”
Another pinch and twist had her hissing at the sharp pain. She gritted her teeth through it, until he finally took mercy on her and released her. “Daddy, p-please,” she managed through panting breaths.
“Since you begged so prettily. But I have a set of clamps I can’t wait to try on you.” Shifting down her body, he lowered his head and captured one of the tortured peaks in his mouth. With a sigh, she relaxed under him, letting his tongue soothe the ache his fingers had created.
Before she realized his intentions, he’d moved between her thighs and dipped his head down to her lap at her pussy. Still sensitive from his earlier torture, the touch of his tongue to her clit ripped more pleas from her throat.
“Oh, God! No, no, I can’t!”
Lifting his head, he cocked an eyebrow at her. “I told you there were two scenarios here. I could deny you release all night, or make you come until you begged me to stop. Which option do you think I chose?”
“I’m begging. I’m begging! Please stop!”
“No.”
And he didn’t stop. No matter how much she fought or begged or cursed, he used his tongue and teeth and fingers to drive her up and over that sharp edge of oblivion again. And when she was quivering, spent, gasping for air, he still didn’t stop. Pleasure and pain mixed until there was no separating one from the other in her mind.
By the time he finally lifted his head again, she could barely move. Every breath ended on a whimper as he pressed slow, lazy kisses back up her stomach to her breasts and finally her lips. She could taste herself on him as their tongues danced together, and damn if it wasn’t the most erotic experience of her life.
“Are you ready to be Daddy’s good girl? Or do you need more… convincing?”
“I’ll b-be good, Daddy.”
“Hmmm. I’m not sure.” Leveraging himself ov
er her, he shifted, pushing his cock into her sore, tender pussy. “One more, baby. Give Daddy one more, so I know you’re ready to be my good girl.”
Even if she’d tried to deny him, her body seemed to have a mind of its own. She was helpless, just the way he wanted her. Helpless to keep that last wave of pleasure from crashing over her as he emptied himself in her.
Chapter Four
Sunlight pierced his eyelids, forcing Ethan to pry one eye open and check the time on the clock. Ten o’clock. When was the last time he’d slept so late, or so well?
Beside him, Izzy stirred, pressing her face into his chest with a low whine. God, he loved those little noises she made. It was like a symphony of pain and pleasure; one he was looking forward to conducting as often as possible for the foreseeable future.
He wasn’t quite sure at what point last night he’d decided she was his, but it seemed like his mind was made up. And his cock certainly wasn’t putting up a fight over it.
Speaking of, said cock was making its needs known and he was entertaining the idea of flipping her onto her back and waking her up with a few more orgasms when a pounding on the door jerked him from his daydreams. Izzy jolted up, her hair a dark, frizzy halo around her makeup-smudged face, her eyes still glazed with sleep.
“Wha’s that?”
“Someone’s at the door. Stay here.”
Without waiting for her agreement, he rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. The pounding on his front door didn’t stop until he jerked it open.
Guilt swamped him at the sight of his oldest friend’s stricken expression. Shit. He’d been so caught up in Izzy, he hadn’t bothered to have her text her family.
“Ethan. Thank God. You have to help me. Izzy didn’t come home last night, and Mari hasn’t heard from her since before ten and she isn’t answering her phone.” Pushing past him, Jake raked his fingers through his hair. “Do one of those… those… things. Where you have everyone looking for her.”
“Jake, the first thing I need you to do is calm down.”
“Calm down? My little sister is missing, and you want me to calm down?”
“Ethan? Who was at the… Oh.” Halfway down the stairs, dressed in nothing but his t-shirt from the night before, Izzy froze when she spotted their visitor. “Uh, hi, Jakey.”
He saw the right hook coming, but he didn’t bother to duck. Jake’s fist connected squarely with his jaw, hard enough for his head to snap back at the impact.
The sound of footsteps running down the stairs was accompanied by Izzy’s surprised shriek. “Jake! Stop!”
Rubbing his jaw, Ethan jabbed a finger at her. “Back upstairs, Isabella. Now.”
“So my overprotective brother-in-law can murder you? Absolutely not!”
“Stubborn brat.” He reached for her, but she danced out of his reach. “This isn’t your fight.”
“I’m being stubborn? I’m not the one who just got punched in the face, you arrogant asshole.”
Everything in him wanted to drag her back upstairs and whip her ass, then fuck her until she begged him for mercy. The woman brought out the sadist in him unlike any submissive he’d had before her. He settled for glaring at her. “Upstairs, Isabella. Now.”
Muttering under her breath and completely ignoring his order, she shoved past them and marched into the kitchen.
“What the fuck is going on?” Jake demanded, flexing his fingers like he was contemplating another punch.
“Don’t. I figure I deserved the first one, but I’ll take you down if you try it again.”
“It might be worth it.” Tilting his head to the side, Jake narrowed his eyes. “How long have you been screwing my sister?”
“Cut the caveman act, Jake. I’m not a little girl anymore.” With an exaggerated eye roll, Izzy brushed past Jake and shoved a pack of frozen peas in Ethan’s direction. “Here. Put that on your cheek.”
Taking the peas from her Ethan pointed to the stairs again. “Go. This is between me and Jake.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said with a forced bark of laughter. “I must have really been out of it because I could have sworn I was the one screaming your name last night, not Jake.”
“Jesus, Izzy.” The pained look on Jake’s face almost made up for the throb in Ethan’s jaw.
Almost.
Fire flashing in her eyes, Izzy spun around and jabbed a finger into her brother-in-law’s chest. “Don’t ‘Jesus Izzy’ me. I’m a grown ass woman, Jake. Perfectly capable of choosing my own bed partners. I’m sorry I didn’t let you guys know I wouldn’t be home, but that is all I’m going to apologize for. And don’t you dare ask Ethan to apologize, either. Everything we did last night was completely consensual, so you have no reason to be pissed at him. Now,” tossing her hair over her shoulder, she glared at each of them in turn. “I’m going back upstairs so you two can talk. Don’t make me come back down here and kick both your asses.”
She flounced—it was the only word that described her exit—back up the stairs, leaving him alone with a thoroughly bewildered Jake.
“I need a drink.”
Ethan let out a strained laugh. “It’s not even eleven in the morning, Jake.”
“Yeah, well. What the fuck, Clarke?”
Maybe a drink wasn’t such a bad idea after all. “She showed up at the Rolands’ play party last night. Apparently, Lucy invited her. For me.”
“What?” Confusion filled Jake’s eyes. “How the hell does Lucy even know her?”
“Ah.” Shit. It hadn’t even occurred to him Mari and Izzy might have gone behind Jake’s back. “You might want to ask Mari about that.”
“Mari? What does Mari have to do with anything?”
“Apparently, she brought Izzy to one of the socials a few months back. That’s really all I know.”
Jake’s eyes darkened. “I’ll definitely be having a conversation with her. She won’t sit for a week if I find out she lied to me.”
He felt a pang of sympathy for poor Mari, but he knew he’d do the same thing in Jake’s shoes. An awkward silence stretched between them as they both stood there, looking everywhere but at each other.
“So, ah, you guys…” Jake gestured aimlessly. “Last night?”
“Yeah.” Sighing, Ethan forced himself to meet Jake’s eyes. “Look, man. I can’t promise I won’t break her heart. Just like she can’t promise she won’t break mine. But I’ll treat her right. You know I’m a good man, and a good Dom.”
“Yeah, I know. But I can’t promise I won’t break your nose if you hurt her.”
“Fair enough.”
“All right.” Jake nodded as though he’d come to a decision. “I’m going to go have a discussion about honesty with a very naughty little girl. See ya round.”
The door closed behind Jake and Ethan gave himself a moment for a few deep breaths before he headed back up the stairs. Izzy was in his room, arms crossed, watching the doorway with a glare that could freeze the Atlantic.
“Are you done fighting for my honor?” she snapped as soon as he stepped into the room.
“I think we’ve come to an understanding. As for you, little girl, give me one good reason I shouldn’t bend you over the bed and blister your ass good and proper.”
“What?” Her mouth fell open in shock. “I didn’t do anything!”
“You didn’t disobey me when I told you to stay upstairs? And again, multiple times when I told you to come back up here?”
“But it was just Jake!”
“Did you know that before you came downstairs?”
“Well, no, but…”
Gripping her chin, he forced her to look up at him. “I am not in the habit of issuing orders just to hear myself talk, Isabella. If I tell you to do something, I have a damn good reason for it. The next time you so blatantly ignore my instructions, you’ll be wearing welts from my belt for the rest of the day. Understood?”
The little imp had the nerve to grin. “Does that mean we’re going steady, Sheriff?
”
Moving his hand to her hair, he grabbed a fistful and yanked her head back. Her eyes went dark with need, but the grin never left her face. “It means you’re mine, brat. And it means you’ll learn to listen, or you may never sit comfortably again.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Clarke.”
“Brat,” he growled before covering her lips with his own. He broke the kiss but didn’t release his hold on her hair. “One day, soon, I’m going to teach you how to use that smart mouth of yours. Right now, I’ll settle for hearing you beg.”
And beg, she did.
By the time Ethan took her to get her car and followed her home, Izzy’s entire body felt like rubber and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for a few more hours. Which she’d been given strict orders to do by the man himself.
But her plans were thwarted when she walked into the kitchen and found Jake sitting at the “Family Discussion Table” as she’d not-so-affectionately dubbed it during her teen years.
“Sit, Isabella.”
Considering Ethan had followed through on his promise and taken his belt to her for refusing to get dressed when he’d told her to, sitting wasn’t exactly her first choice at that moment. “I’m fine.”
Of all the reactions she’d expected, it wasn’t for Jake to smirk and lean back in his chair. “Have a seat, Isabella. I insist.”
Of course, she’d have to be surrounded by sadists. Lowering herself onto the hard, wooden chair, she tried not to wince but failed miserably.
“Care to explain to me why you thought going to a play party to meet a Dom you knew nothing about, in town over an hour away, without telling anyone where you were going was a good idea?”
Her shoulders hunched instinctively. “It sounds bad when you say it like that, Jakey.”
“How should I say it, Isabella?”
“I went to a play party hosted by someone I know, who has been vetted by you and Mari, and I ended up hooking up with the guy I’ve been crushing on for practically my whole life.”
Sighing heavily, Jake scrubbed a hand over his face. “That’s not the point, Izzy. You didn’t know it was going to be Ethan when you went, did you?”
