Richard had. He knew a woman with those eyes, eyes that could sear his soul and melt the hardest of hearts. With one look from her, she could ensnare a person, and they would be hers forever. He’d looked into eyes like that his whole life, and still they haunted his dreams. If he closed his eyes right now, he could see them looking at him, begging him, wanting him to come home.
“Did you ever hear Mr. Marino say her name?”
“Camellia, her name was Camellia, like the beautiful flower.”
Everything in Richard stilled as his mind whirled. It couldn’t be. It was too easy. What were the odds that he was wrong? Not likely, and even though he prayed he was, he knew in his gut he wasn’t. He knew who they were looking for, and now, he wanted to know why. The only problem was that was something the client never said. However Richard was sure as hell going to find out.
Standing, Richard muttered, “Yes, it is a beautiful name.”
Gino stood and stopped him. “Mr. Masterson, be careful when unraveling the past. Sometimes ghosts thought long buried come back to haunt. As for this Mr. Linkman, if he is seeking my familia, please let me know. I take care of my own.”
Nodding, Richard thanked him for the wonderful meal and left. Smiling, he grinned as he pulled his coat tighter around him, not minding the bitter cold anymore, because now, he knew just who to talk to.
* * * *
Jake never took his eyes off her as she walked further into the room. Stepping back, he let her look at everything that he and Richard had accumulated over the years. With his arms crossed against his chest, he watched her marvel at everything before her. Her eyes twinkled as she scanned pictures and objects that adorned the walls. This room was his masterpiece, his safe haven when life became too much for him, or when he wanted to play. Nevertheless, mainly this room was built for pleasure. Since his return, he had stayed away from Cami, unsure of how she would react to his perversions. At times, she seemed submissive, and at other times, she was not. She was a conundrum, and trying to figure out the real woman beneath the mask was painstakingly exhausting.
However, just a few minutes ago upstairs, she gave him the window he had been looking for. While he stared into her eyes, she never broke contact, and when he hardened his stance, she submitted demurely. It was then, at that moment, he knew what to do. His dollface had no formal training, and was basically a virgin when it came to sex, but Jake knew it was going to be his pleasure showing her the many delectable delights that his life had to offer.
“Strip,” he ordered, catching her off guard. Turning around and looking a bit stunned, she parted her mouth as if to protest but said nothing, and her eyes grew wary.
“Don’t make me repeat myself, love. I said strip. Now.”
He was throwing her off her guard, he knew it, and so did she. If she would just start talking, he would take another approach, but every time he tried, she rebuffed him, either changing the subject or trying to use sex to deflect. Now, Jake had no problem with that, but if she tried it, he wanted it to be on his terms, not hers. Therefore, he kept and maintained control of the situation.
Long dainty fingers reached the hem of her shirt and pulled it off, tossing it on the floor. His eyes never broke contact as he closely watched her discard every layer of clothing, all the while her head held high, an uncertain look of fear mixed with lust lingering on her face. The soft, dim light of the room cast a glow of pure seduction that danced off her naked skin. She was challenging, determined to obey his orders in an attempt to keep some semblance of control. Holding her hands at her side, she stood completely exposed.
Jake had to hand it to her. She sure did fill out beautifully. The last time he saw her like this, they were each sixteen and swimming down by the lake.
“Come on, Cami, its hot!” he shouted, trying to get her to take off her summer dress and go for a dip with him. His mom had taken his brothers into town for a dental appointment, leaving him alone with his best friend. He hardly had time alone with her, with his brothers hogging all of her attention, so he wanted to have fun. He wanted to do something, just the two of them, and swimming was the perfect thing.
The summers in Louisiana were excruciating, and if he wasn’t sitting in the shade, he was taking a dip in one of the many watering holes in the area. Natural swimmers, he, his brothers, and Cami would always skedaddle off, seeking a respite from the sweltering sun. It was already bad enough that the water was warm, but it was wet, and it did help take the sting out of the sun.
“But I hardly have anything on,” she replied, standing on the bank. God, she could be so annoying and prudish sometimes. Thank goodness he never had a sister. Dealing with Cami was enough. She was a sweetheart and he adored her, but she was really trying his patience. She never acted this way with his other brothers, only him. With him, she was obstinate and a pain in the ass. However, he grinned, because he wouldn’t have her any other way.
Sighing, he swam over to her. “Dollface, it’s hot as hell today. I am in my underwear. Take off that dress and get in the water before you melt,” he ordered, knowing damn well she would fight him every step of the way.
“Jake,” she whispered and then blushed. “I just have panties on underneath. I’m not wearing my bathing suit.”
“So?”
“What do you mean “so”? I can’t swim half-naked! Momma would faint if she ever found out,” she reprimanded him with her saucy attitude. Yep, dollface was begging for it.
Swimming closer, he replied, “They ain’t gonna find out. If it will make you feel better, I will take off my underwear.”
“No!”
“Come on, Cami. We’ve seen each other a hundred of times. Get your butt in the water.”
“But those times were different. We were babies.”
“And I can still act like one, too,” Jake huffed and then pouted. “Please, Cami. I don’t get to spend any time alone with ya. My brothers are always around, and we always do what they want. Just this once, can’t we do what I want?”
“I’ll just sit here and dip my feet in,” she said, finding a spot. Huffing, he rolled his eyes. When she wasn’t looking, Jake grabbed her ankles and pulled her into the water. Her shrieks and cries had birds taking flight. All the while, he laughed.
Wrapping his arms around her, he held her as he swam out into the middle of the pond. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and for the first time since he’d known her, Jake felt something unfurl within him.
Sputtering and trying to wipe her face with her hand, she laughed as he pulled her further into the waters. “See, dollface, I told you the water was better.”
“Now my dress is wet. What am I gonna tell Momma?”
“Tell her you fell in,” he replied, slowing turning with her in his arms. When she smiled, his breath hitched, and for the first time, he felt shy around her.
However, looking at her now, he felt anything but shy. Right now, all he could think was Dayum, baby’s got back! Ignoring his libido, he pushed off the wall.
Jake ran eyes up her legs and paused once he got to the sweetest part of her body, that smooth, shaved, delectable-looking part, the center of her being. She shifted uncomfortably as she felt the heat of his stare on her bare skin. He lulled his gaze up to her breasts that stood soft yet firm at attention. Slowly, he walked near her, circling her as if she were prey, scrutinizing every inch of her, making sure she was ready for what was about to happen.
Being an ass man, he allowed himself the early pleasure of swiftly slapping her firm cheeks. She jerked and her breath caught, but she remained, not veering from his touch. He eased his hand and cupped her now-rosy roundness, sending a small shiver up her spine and a bolt of electricity through his cock, stiffening it immediately. She instinctively jumped away as his index finger neared her asshole. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her back in place.
“Don’t move,” he growled.
She froze.
“Do you understand?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Yes what, Cami?”
“Yes, I understand Jake.”
“Good.” He grinned, rubbing his hand gently around her pinking ass. “Stay here. Do not move. I will see if you do, and you will not like the consequences. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Jake,” she whispered.
Quickly walking over to the darkened corner of the room, he divested himself of his clothing and shed his jeans, only to replace them with another pair. Faded and stonewashed to the point of almost falling apart, they fit him like a glove. Walking barefoot and shirtless back over to her, he smiled.
She stood perfectly rigid in all efforts to remain in control. He returned to his previous intrusion as his finger circle dangerously close once more on her ass. “You have a beautiful ass, dollface. Has anyone ever touched you here before?”
“Yes.”
“Did you like it?”
“Yes, kind of. It hurt a bit.”
That caused him to pause. He knew the twins had been with her. Had they been too rough with her? “What happened, love? Did you not like the twins?”
“I loved the twins. They were gentle, and so was Duke.”
“Cami, I want to ask you a question. Will you be honest and tell me the truth?”
“Yes Jake,” she whispered.
“Who is Ethan’s father?”
Silence descended the room. Cami looked down nervously at her hands. Her fingers twisted together, her knuckles white with tension.
“My ex-husband,” she muttered, her voice barely audible.
“Bullshit. You said last night he never touched you, and we all know that Nelson took your virginity. You never gave birth to Ethan. Your mother did. You said so yourself. Is your father Ethan’s dad?”
Shaking her head, she whispered, “No.”
Grabbing her arm, he jerked her around to face him. Shaking her, he shouted, “Then who is Ethan’s father!”
“Jacques Boudreaux!” she cried out.
“You’re lying!” Jake growled then immediately let her go. Yelling at her was getting him nowhere. She was hiding something from him, and he didn’t like it. Before the situation quickly got out of hand, he needed to get control of himself. She had never lied to him before, and he didn’t like it. Taking a step back, he took a long, calming breath. His mind whirled with what she said last night as he tried to put the pieces together. She married a man who never touched her, yet he was Ethan’s father. That was not possible, and he knew Cami was smart enough to realize that. However, the look upon her face told him she was evading him. She knew more than she let on. Thinking back to the night she disappeared, Jake tried to recall everything he knew. The cops showing up at their front door, his mother in tears, Richard in jail, their father agreeing furiously with the police chief, and then…
Oh fuck!
Closing his eyes, he took several more breaths, trying desperately to get his heart to calm the fuck down. How could he have been so stupid? All the signs were there, and yet he overlooked them, because he was too happy to see what was before him. Opening his eyes, he blinked and said, “Get dressed, baby. I shouldn’t have brought you in here. I’m sorry.”
“Why?” she asked as tears fell down her cheeks. “Don’t you want me?”
Rushing to her side, he wrapped her in his embrace, “Oh god, baby, yes I want you. I have always wanted you. I love you so much, but not right now. Right now we need to call the boys back so they can help.”
“Do you need their help making love to me?”
Chuckling, Jake replied, “No, dollface, that I don’t need any help with.”
“Then prove it. Show me, Jake. Show me what it would be like to be with you.”
Sighing, Jake stammered, “Cami… I–I don’t think it’s a good idea. I mean, what I do and you, I’m just not sure.”
“Are you afraid you’ll scare me?” she asked. “Jake, I am old enough to know what you are. Did you think I wouldn’t notice how you watch me? You watch my every reaction as if I am under some microscope. Yes, you are loving whenever I need a hug, and you are playful, but there is something darker in you. I’m not scared of you. If anything, I’m intrigued. You’ve changed, and so have I. So, give me a chance before you do anything else. Whatever you need, I would like to try to give it to you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Show me what you need. Make me yours.”
* * * *
Cami knew she had him when he growled, and his mouth swooped down hard on hers. He gave her no time to prepare as he took what she so innocently offered. He pillaged and plunged, sucking the very air from her chest, and just when she thought she would pass out from his ministrations, he stopped. Picking her up, he walked over to the large four-poster bed against the far wall, and laid her down gently. Leaning over her, he kissed her chastely once more before stepping back.
She wished she knew what he was thinking. His face was unreadable, a stone mask she itched to shatter. She had known Jake her entire life. A carefree, fun-loving friend, he always made her laugh and talked her into doing things when she didn’t want to. He wasn’t manipulative, just insistent as if he knew better than she did, so when he gently raised her arms above her head, binding them to the posts, she didn’t bat an eyelash.
Accustomed to being bound, she was grateful when the soft feel of silk rubbed against her wrist. Tied to the bedpost in a position of his choosing to be taken and used however, her wishes seemed only fitting where he was concerned. At first, she wasn’t so sure, remembering the thin twine that rubbed her wrist raw, leaving welts, and sometimes making her wrist bleed. She knew if Jake looked closely, he would see the small scars that still marred her. Yet, with Jake, she knew she was safe.
Therefore, she didn’t resist when he laid her out on her stomach, and chose to bind her hands. He laced the silk rope between her fingers in a complicated pattern, both hands immobile, and then a thicker length of silk around her wrists and forearms to secure her to the bed.
Moaning, she cried, “Ah.”
“No talking, love,” he said, running his hand down her spine, and she purred, tilting her hips up in invitation. “Spread your legs, dollface,” he murmured, and she complied, stretching her legs wide for him. Next, her ankles were bound apart, leaving her exposed and helpless. It didn’t matter. She knew how she wanted him to take her, how she wanted him to fill her, how she wanted his hand in her hair tugging her head back, making her back arch sharply. He was so wonderfully wicked. She thought of things she was eager to try, already wet in anticipation, and if it became too much, she could always stop him. At least she trusted him, knowing if she needed, he would stop.
He straddled her waist, his weight on her making her hunger for what was to come. He rubbed her back, his hands spanning her sensitive skin. She sighed, her eyes closing. He ran his hands all the way up into her hair, twisting it into a loose tail at the nape of her neck. She smiled a little, trusting, quiet. His sensual touch eased whatever fear she had as his capable hands roamed over her body. She could definitely get used to this.
Yes, Jake, she thought, almost lazily. Take me. Make me yours.
His hand cupped her throat. She tipped her head back, offering him her neck, thinking he wanted to kiss her, but she was wrong. He squeezed once, lightly, before moving up to her jaw, his thumb tracing her lower lip. She opened her mouth for him as he slid his thumb inside for her to suck. A strangely primitive pleasure, yet not as satisfying as a cock, but she was sure that was to come. When his grip tightened, she whimpered.
“I said quiet!” he shouted. His hand came crashing down on her behind. Cami cried out in pain, but it was only met with another stinging slap on her other cheek. His hands were huge. They covered the entire cheek of her ass, and she could feel the skin begin to prickle underneath. Her sensitive, naked form offered no protection, and Cami gritted her teeth as the second slap met her ass.
Cami wanted to like it. She didn’t know if she could. This was different f
rom when the twins spanked her. This was harsher…and it fucking hurt! This wasn’t a pleasurable spanking. This was a punishment spanking, filled with a fury for what, she didn’t know, but he was mad. His rage was evident in the power of his swing as his hand came sweeping down once more and smacked her ass with such ferocity that her body jumped off the bed. She cried out, and a small tear formed in the corner of her eye.
“Jake!” she sobbed, unable to take another swat.
His breathing was ragged as his hand rested on her burning cheeks.
“Jakey,” she said his name again, trying to get his attention. Cami’s ass was now on fire, and she could feel the heat of it radiate onto to her thighs. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sit down comfortably for the rest of the day, and grimaced at the thought of even trying. “Jake, what happened? Talk to me, please.”
She prayed he would untie her and let her up so she could hug him. Something was obviously wrong. She wanted to tell him that she was okay and soothe whatever was bothering him. She wanted to kiss his cheek, to stroke the side of his face.
But no, that didn’t happen. Cami gasped when his hand slid up between her thighs.
“Jake?”
“I said no talking. The time for talking has passed,” he said, so quietly it was almost a whisper.
Cami couldn’t figure out whether he was referring to her current position or their earlier discussion. Either way, she kept her mouth shut.
His hand moved higher and tantalized the outer side of her thighs. It was as if every nerve cell in her body traveled like lightning, causing every move he made to send endless tremors of pleasure to the area between her thighs. She could feel herself getting wet already, whether that was from the spanking or the tormenting of her skin, she didn’t know.
His fingers drew delicate circles across her skin to the inner part of her thighs. Cami squirmed underneath him, trying to press her thighs together to stop him.
“Jake.” Cami was breathless. She didn’t know whether she wanted him to stop, or continue. Her head was playing indecisive mind games with her as she closed her eyes to try to block out the pleasure, to no avail.
The Chains That Bind [The Men of Treasure Cove 10] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 11
