by Abby Gordon
“Tony,” she breathed, reaching out to touch his cheek. “How do you make me feel this way? After…” She forced herself to push through it. “After what happened, I didn’t think I’d ever want a man to touch me. To kiss me. Especially when Andy’s behavior made me feel so dirty and low.”
“You are never that,” he insisted, holding her hand to his face.
“You make me believe that,” she told him. “You make me want. You make me burn. And just now,” she gave a little laugh, “I’d swear I flew.” She shook her head and smiled. “And the second time, I touched the stars. Or they came down to me.”
“I like that idea,” Tony told her, tenderness and heat in his eyes. “You make me want to do that for you.” He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her palm. “But after what was said to you when you were sixteen, I shouldn’t have said what I did. I didn’t mean to make you think that all I wanted was…”
Pippa waited, holding her breath, but he didn’t finish.
“Wanted what?” she finally prompted.
“That all I wanted was for you to have my child. That’s not why my cock got hard in there,” he jerked his head toward the kitchen. “Or at the club. It got hard because it wanted to be inside your hot little pussy. To stroke in as deep as it could, to bury itself inside you and explode. To claim you as mine. So no other man could have you.” His other hand covered a breast, hefted its weight then pinched the nipple. “I don’t want anyone else to know you. Any other man touching you, knowing your sweet body.”
He curved his body and his head went low. She held her breath as his mouth closed over her other breast, nipping, licking, then sucking. Pippa moaned. Her fingers went to his head, threaded through his hair. Her body arched off the couch to give him more access.
Tony wanted her. He’d wanted her before and even after she’d told him. He wanted to protect her. Even from himself. Think, Pippa. You don’t know him, whispered her head. He won’t hurt me, replied her body. He won’t hurt us, corrected her heart. I need him, said her body. I trust him, added her heart. Her head wavered.
Tony suckled at her breast and she whimpered.
“Master,” Pippa pleaded.
At her whisper, Tony closed his eyes briefly. She was his. Completely and totally. But oh, so fragile. He hadn’t realized how much. And he hadn’t realized how much he wanted her. It took every ounce of control not to turn her on the couch and mount her right then. To make sure she was his and no one else’s. And he’d no idea where the need to utterly possess her had come from. Any more than the idea of getting her pregnant to make sure she never left him. He thought she liked the idea, or at least hadn’t been frightened by it. He wasn’t going to scare her.
“Master,” she whimpered, tugging at his head. “Please.”
Giving her nipples a last nip and lick, he raised his head. She was so enticing.
“Tempting little angel,” he chided softly. “Soon enough, Venus.”
“But…”
“Don’t argue with me,” he warned. “Or you will get a spanking.”
“A spanking?” Her blue eyes widened. “But you said…”
“I said I wouldn’t hurt you or injure you. I told you I might spank you if you were sassy.” Pippa nodded. “Well, submissives can also be spanked if they argue with their masters,” he told her, tweaking her nipple. He loved the way her eyelids half closed, the little moan that escaped her lips. “Remember, it was in your dreams. I spanked you and it aroused you. didn’t it?”
“I…”
“Sh, it’s all right. And as for the other,” he continued, his palm sliding down to her belly. “I’m not going to pressure you about having my child. So, I’ll assume you’re not on the pill or any birth control?” She shook her head. “I’ll buy out the market of every condom it has, and we’ll hope it’s enough.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and coaxed a smile from her. “So,” he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Is there anything in particular you were planning to get when you went or would want?”
“You,” she whispered, linking her hands around his neck. “And, Tony?”
“Master,” he corrected sternly, catching the quirk of her mouth. “That’s a spanking, Venus,” he whispered in her ear. “When it’s just us two, you call me ‘Master,’ understood?”
“Yes, Master,” Pippa breathed. “Master?”
“Yes, Venus?”
When she didn’t speak, he lifted his head to see her expression. The inner struggle she waged was obvious, but he couldn’t imagine which thing she dealing with. She had quite a few issues on her plate.
“You don’t need to get any condoms,” she whispered.
“No?” he questioned, wondering just what she was thinking. “Pippa, I’ve never come close to getting a woman pregnant. I’ve never gone without a condom. Don’t tease me about something like this.”
“I’m not teasing,” came her soft voice, insistent.
His cock reared up, ready to go.
“Pippa, look at me.” Before he could touch her, she lifted her chin. “You have to be sure about this. We’re still getting to know each other. You’re still not sure about what I want from you, or what you want from me.”
“It’s like you said earlier,” she said, her voice steady. “We clicked. We fit. There’s something,” she frowned searching for the word, “something very right about being with you.”
Smiling at her, feeling like a weight lifted off his chest, Tony nodded and leaned forward to kiss her.
“Baby, you better sure,” he whispered. “Because when I get back, there’s only going to be one thing on my mind.”
Blushing, Pippa nodded, smiling at him. “I’m sure,” she told him. “I’ll unfold the bed if you want.”
“That eager?” he teased, tucking the robe back around her shoulders. “I’ll run to the corner store and back.”
“Just don’t slip on the ice,” she cautioned.
“Promise.”
His hand slipped under the robe, unerringly found her pussy and slid his fingers along the damp slit. Her eyes widened and her thighs shifted apart for him.
“This is mine,” he told her. “Only mine.”
“Yes, Master,” Pippa moaned as he slipped fingers inside her pussy. “Please?”
“Mm, not until I get back,” he decided, pulling his hand from her and smiling at her whimper. “Oh, and, Venus? No touching yourself. I’ll know if you have.”
From her shocked expression, he could tell that hadn’t occurred to her. Grinning, knowing she’d fight the temptation, he pushed to his feet and pulled his coat from the back of the couch.
“Be a good girl, Venus, while I’m gone. And Master will have something special for you.”
She reached out and brushed his pants, fingertips trailing his cock beneath the material.
“I want this,” she told him. “This is mine. Only mine.”
He caught her wrist and pressed her hand along the hard length.
“It’s going to fill your pussy,” he promised.
Then, before he could lose all reason, he stepped away and out of the apartment.
Pulling on his coat, Tony practically sprinted down the stairs. Only when he was outside, the freezing wind snatching his breath away, did he slow down. Pulling on his gloves, he turned up the coat collar and headed back down the street. His, his, his. He didn’t care what he had to do to keep her. He’d do it, and gladly. His mind raged at what she’d been through, how she’d been treated. By her parents, by her family. Pippa hadn’t mentioned any other adults on her side, so he could only imagine they’d all stood against her.
So she’d left home at barely sixteen. It boggled his mind. Sixteen, on her own, probably with little money, not finishing school, and tossed out to survive. Sean hadn’t gone to college, barely finished high school to accomplish his dream to become a singer, but he’d had least had the support of his parents. And a multimillion-dollar trust fund to fall back on. How on earth had Pippa survived? And
stayed as sweet and open as she was?
Something to talk about, he decided, shoving his hands into the pockets. She would have questions about his past and he would be honest about it. About everything. It would be hard as hell, but he owed her that.
Reaching the corner store, he pushed the door open. The owner glanced over from the soccer game on the screen.
“You forget something, and the little woman sent you back for it?” he guessed.
“Something like that,” Tony replied with a grin and nod. Little woman was so right.
“She must have heard the latest weather,” the owner deduced, gesturing at the scroll at the bottom. “Gale force winds, rain mostly, but the snow could reach us. Probably get some sleet and hail.”
Tony walked over to the counter and waited a minute to read the entire message.
“What are the chances of losing power?” he wondered aloud.
“Eh, pretty good with these winds. And quick as they try to be, it can take a day or two to get power back on.”
“Lovely,” Tony muttered, heading off down the aisles, snagging a small basket.
“Well, it can make things romantic,” the middle-aged man called out. “My missus is making soup and has bread baking. A little candlelight and we’ll keep quite warm.”
Tony smiled at the man’s chuckle. Then turned back. “Do you have candles? I don’t care what kind.”
“Far corner. And they’re not for birthday cakes.”
“Perfect. Thanks.”
He got the steaks, deciding they’d have those first. The last loaf of sourdough bread and the four rolls were bagged, then he selected some cheese, a bottle of merlot—not his preferred label, but it would do—some greens for a salad, and by then he’d worked his way to the candles. He smiled at the tapers. They were perfect. Four yellows and four whites joined the food in the basket.
Heading back to the counter, he retraced his steps and grabbed a carton of eggs then went to the front.
“Hope you got everything this time,” the man commented, tapping into his cash register.
“If I didn’t, I’ll just have to distract her,” Tony answered, eyeing the displays. “Chocolate’s always a good thing to have on hand, isn’t it?”
“Always,” came the agreement. “Even if a woman doesn’t like chocolate, and there are a few, I think they always appreciate the thought.”
“I don’t know a damn thing about chocolate,” confessed Tony.
The owner picked up three different colored squares of the same brand. “This is the best I’ve got in the store—extra dark, mint, and a raspberry filling.”
“I’ll take ’em,” Tony decided.
The owner chuckled as he bagged everything, carefully putting the eggs and candles in. “Good luck, son.”
“Thanks,” he replied. “And to you.”
Chapter Six
The door closed behind him quietly, but Pippa could hear him running down the stairs. Fear of being rejected filled her. She didn’t have his level of sophistication, had no idea how to play the games he did. Had she been too easy? Tumbled into his arms too quickly? She must have for him to run off so suddenly. Blinking back tears, she pushed herself off the couch and went to lock the door. And saw his luggage—carry-on and garment bag. He’d have to come back for those, wouldn’t he?
The wind howled, clattering the shutters and the window panes. Startled, she glanced over and, although it was just noon, saw how dark it was outside. As if it were nearly dusk.
“You ninny,” she scolded herself. “He knew what the weather was like. That’s why he went so fast. Nitwit.”
Repeating that to herself, she bent, shut down her laptop, and put it and other things away. She typically was a messy person. It was Jessica’s flat so she’d tried to be neat, but she had so concentrated on her job search, that she hadn’t made time for house cleaning. Now she bustled about, putting things away, finding the dust cloth, and giving things a quick swipe, then pulling out the vacuum cleaner and finished when she wiped down the bathroom.
While she rushed about, her mind went through what was going to happen when he came back. They were going to have sex. Probably wild, oh-my-gawd sex that might wake the neighbors, if they were home and asleep. Tony had given her two mind-blowing orgasms. In the kitchen. Holy crap. A man like Tony Henderson wanted her. And not for just one night. Not if he was talking babies.
In the bathroom, she caught hold of the vanity. Babies.
Images of her mother and stepfather swarmed her mind, tumbling over each other to terrify her. Now that you aren’t a virgin no one else will want you. You’re damaged goods and good for only a quick fuck. Of course, that’s if any man will want you if you’re honest with him. And certainly, no man will want a slut like you to mother his children. The constant words, nearly all that she’d heard during those horrible three days before she had left home, blended until they echoed non-stop.
With a small cry, she covered her ears and whimpered. Gulping in air, she lifted her head and saw her reflection. Lips swollen from his kisses, hair tousled from his hands. Slowly she smiled, beating back the voices of the past.
Tony knew the truth. He’d held her, been angry at how she’d been hurt and treated, then finger-fucked her. Her hand brushed her groin that tingled at the memory and ached for more of what Tony had done. For the first time in five years, she let herself dream. Believe in more.
Jessica had been a constant, taking Pippa under her wing since she started at the Lincoln, even though Jess had been only a couple years older. Pippa had learned about taking care of herself, gotten through the two-year slog to pass her sommelier exam, something she would never have done without Jessica. Jess hadn’t been able to crack through the hard shell of her resistance to dating, about intimacy. That had taken someone like Tony.
Now, she put the cloth away and put out fresh towels. He’d traveled overnight and might want a shower. Gathering up the ones she’d used, Pippa went to the tiny washing machine tucked into a corner of the kitchen. The wind rattled the glass again as she measured the detergent. Crossing her fingers that the load would get done, and maybe through the dryer, before power went out, she started the machine.
Finished, she glanced about. Tony wasn’t back yet, and she wasn’t sure if she should get dressed. Wishing she’d brought something besides tees and cords, she pulled on her favorite anyway and felt ready to deal with anything that happened. Her eyes fell on his cases again. Taking a deep breath, she hefted the garment bag to the couch, unzipped it, and hung up his suits and shirts in the wardrobe. Unsure what to do with the other case, she moved it to the bathroom door, figuring it had his toiletries.
Footsteps echoed from the stairwell and she flew to the door, opening it as he reached the top.
“You made it back. The wind’s been getting worse.”
“It’s freezing out there,” he agreed, as she stepped back for him to enter.
Putting the bags down, he reached for her as she put the chain in place.
“Come warm me up, sweetheart.”
Hauled against his long, lean body, Pippa felt small and delicate. When his hand tangled in her hair and his mouth came down on hers, she felt deliciously needed. Even through their clothes, she felt the ridge of his erection.
It didn’t scare her now. It thrilled her. This man wanted her. Had wanted her two weeks ago and had held back to protect her. He had put her first. No one had ever done that. Her hands caught the back of his head and her hips pressed back as he held her to the door.
“God, I want you,” he growled, before his mouth came back down.
Pippa moaned, her hands trying to find the buttons on his coat. “Need you,” she told him. “Need you now.”
Tony’s blue eyes held hers, and the heat in them seemed to go directly to her pussy. Holding her gaze, his hands moved down his coat, working the buttons. Parting it, they went to his belt and zipper, then went to her pants.
“Be sure, baby. Because once I take
you, there’s no going back.”
Pippa hooked her thumbs in the waist band of her cords and panties and shoved them down her legs. Stepping out of them, she smiled.
“Take me,” she breathed.
Smiling back, he shoved his pants and boxers over his hips. His hand went to her pussy, parting the folds. His fingers teased, circled her opening, flicked over her clit. With a moan, she grabbed at his coat.
“Master, my pussy is empty.”
With a groan of need, Tony’s hands caught her waist and lifted her. Her hands held tight to his shoulders as her legs spread, wrapping around his hips as he moved closer.
“Use one of your hands to put me inside your pussy,” he whispered, mouth nibbling her ear.
She wrapped her fingers around his cock and looked down. Jutting out from dark curly hair, his erection was reddish purple, the mushroom head already dripping.
“Is leaking good?” she whispered.
“It means I’m very close to release,” he told her, smiling. “It means I might not be as gentle this first time as I wanted to be. I don’t want to hurt you but I’m worried I might.”
Giving him a shy smile, she stroked his cock, rubbing her thumb over the slit. His groan made her body tingle.
“Pippa, if you don’t put me inside you…”
“Yes, Master,” she breathed, guiding him to her waiting pussy.
Feeling the pressure at her opening, she swallowed and lifted her head to meet his concerned, heated gaze.
“Please, Master. Fill me.”
“Take a deep breath, let it out and relax.”
Nodding, she obeyed. As she exhaled, he drove fully into her in one stroke. His mouth covered her small cry. She was full, stretched, and felt every inch of him through her entire body. Her muscles spasmed around the intrusion and her torso bucked between the door and his body.
