by Lexi Blake
She made it to the front door when he pulled her back by the elbow.
“I don’t watch television beyond the news and the occasional financial report and baseball. I like baseball. I don’t talk about that with the guys because I don’t have some group of guys. I have subs, and for the last six months I haven’t even had those. I don’t laugh a lot. And I haven’t had sex in more than twenty years that wasn’t fully detailed and covered by a contract between myself and the person or people I was having sex with. Yes, I said people, as in more than one. I’ve had sex with men and women, sometimes at the same time. I don’t know how to not be in control. I have to be in control.”
His voice was as calm and disciplined as an anchor reporting the nightly news. There was nothing about his face or manner that told Danielle he was feeling anything at all, but somehow she knew he was. She felt his hand tighten on her wrist as though he was afraid if he let go, she would flee. Her heart softened. He didn’t not care. He was afraid to. She might not be his dream woman, but he did need something from her. She brought her free hand up to cup his cheek. She thought she might be imagining it, but she felt him move into her hand, as though savoring the contact.
“All right, Sir.”
He shook his head. “The session is over. You said your safe word.”
Always in control. She let her hand slide from his face. She couldn’t help herself. She went up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. He was absolutely the most beautiful man she’d ever seen, and he’d been kind to her. She wished the night had ended differently. “All right. Good night, then.”
“Don’t go.” There was a hoarseness in his voice as he hauled her against his chest.
She tipped her head up to look at him. He was still remote, but now, pressed against him, she could feel the heat of his body, the fine shudder that went through him as his hands wrapped around her waist. He pulled the T-shirt back over her head, and his mouth was on hers. This was different than before. He plundered her mouth. His tongue moved against hers; his hands tightened on her waist. She was pulled close to his body, his cock nudging her belly insistently. He tipped her head back, his hold just short of painful. One hand tugged at her hair, and the other found its way to the cheeks of her ass. She was pushed and pulled into the position Julian wanted her in, but she didn’t fight, didn’t even think about it this time.
He needed this. He needed to be in control, and he needed her.
When he started to pull at the waist of her jeans, she wiggled her hips, helping him shove them to the ground. There was no thought to folding the clothes. He tossed each and every piece he pulled off her body to the ground. Dani groaned as he left her mouth and kissed his way down her neck.
“Spread your legs.” He growled a little as he issued the order.
She opened herself to him. His hand immediately trailed over her stomach and teased at her pussy.
“Are you getting wet, Danielle?”
“Yes. I’ve never been so wet in my life.”
And yet she wasn’t embarrassed by it. The hungry look in his eyes as he knelt down in front of her made her feel hot and wild. Unlike the awkward moments before, she wasn’t the only one desperate for this. She wasn’t alone. She spread her legs and squirmed when Julian’s big fingers slid across her clit. His hand came out and slapped her ass.
“No moving. This body is mine for the night. Mine.”
The possessive way he said “mine” caused a fresh coat of arousal to gush from her body. She heard Julian groan his approval but held herself still. His fingers played in her pussy while his tongue delved into her navel. He kissed a path down until his mouth was right over her pussy. She could feel the heat of his breath. She moaned as he shoved a single finger up inside her.
“Tight. You’re going to be so fucking tight.”
Yes, she was going to be tight because that cock of his was a monster, and damn if she wasn’t ready to ride it. Her hands became fists at her sides as Julian’s dark head leaned over, and she felt the first strong glide of his tongue against her clit. He worked her clit over and over, sliding across it with firm pressure, eating her pussy as if she was a delicious treat he couldn’t get enough of. He licked all the way down to where his finger curled up inside her, coaxing and pumping into her.
“All right, come for me, Danielle. Come all over my mouth.”
There was no denying his deep, commanding voice, and she couldn’t resist his mouth. He fucked her with his fingers, and his teeth bit down slightly on her clit, sending shock waves of pleasure shooting across her body. Dani screamed, her hands winding into Julian’s thick hair. The orgasm spread across her body, a wildfire she didn’t want to put out. It was so far beyond anything she’d ever felt. The pleasure coursed through her, hot at first, and then a languid laziness stole through her bones as sweet in its way as the orgasm itself. Her hands came out of her lover’s hair, and she thought about trying to get to the couch. Her heart was racing, her breath pounding out, her mind drugged with the experience. She giggled because she couldn’t get her legs to move. Julian stood, and she leaned into his chest, needing his strength to continue standing.
“That was amazing, Julian.”
“The other men, they didn’t make you come.” It wasn’t a question that came out of his mouth. It was a gloriously arrogant certainty.
She shook her head. The thought to lie about her experience didn’t occur to her. She wanted to give credit where credit was due. “Not even close.”
“Remember that.” He swept her up into his arms like she weighed next to nothing.
Dani let her hand drift around his neck. His thick, dark hair had come out of its queue and shifted around his shoulders as he began up the stairs.
“Where are we going?” She didn’t really care. He could take her up to the “dungeon,” and she wouldn’t mind. She would let him tie her up and spank her with the implement of his choice, and she wouldn’t complain. He’d taken her someplace she hadn’t even known existed.
She got a brief glimpse of a huge space filled with the oddest things. There was an X on the opposite wall and what looked like a doctor’s office in the corner. She was only able to glance around what Jack called his playroom before Julian walked through a door, and she found herself being tossed onto a huge bed. He walked to the nightstand and turned on the light. He opened the drawer and pulled out a condom.
“On your back, spread your legs.” He slid the condom over his cock, covering it.
She scrambled to obey. She twisted her body, but Julian was already on her. His hands wound around her ankles, pulling her across the bed. She slid over the comforter, the silky material soft against her back. She let her muscles go lax beneath his hands. He quickly settled himself between her legs, and she felt the head of his cock prod at her pussy’s entrance. He slid in and inched back. She groaned at the sensation. He wasn’t thrusting yet, but he felt so big inside her.
“Wrap your legs around my waist.” He pushed his dick in another inch before pulling out.
Dani complied, wrapping her legs around his middle, hooking her ankles together. She braced her arms on his shoulders as he worked his cock inside her. So full. She felt so full as he finally pressed himself in. He groaned and ground himself into her body. She tilted her hips up, the sensation bordering on pain, but filled with pleasure. He held himself still for a moment, leaning over to capture her lips with his own. Her pussy throbbed around his huge cock, softening, accommodating him. His tongue danced against hers, rubbing, dominating. His hips moved, thrusting shallowly, giving her time to adjust.
Dani let her hands run down the length of his strong back, reveling in the feel of the muscles under her fingers. She moved her greedy hands all the way down to his muscled ass.
Julian hissed as she sank her nails into his skin. “That’s right, little one. I don’t mind a bite of pain, either. Just know I might pay you back later.”
“Bring it on, Julian.” She said it with a smile. She could handle h
im. Now that she knew he needed her, she could handle whatever he threw at her. If he tied her to that cross in the playroom and whipped her, she would let the pain sink into her skin. She would take anything he gave her if it meant she got to that place where they melded together again. She felt so close to him, closer than she ever had to another human being.
His lips quirked up. “I will. I fucking will.”
He pulled his hips back and slammed home. His pelvis ground against her clit as his dick hit some crazy spot deep inside her. Her bold statement seemed to break something in him. He went wild on top of her. He pounded into her pussy. A low moan drifted from her throat as she met his velocity. She slammed her hips up, that magical place so close she could feel it rushing toward her. She clamped down on the huge cock invading her. He went deep, fusing them together, and she came in a rush of electric pleasure, the heat sparking through her, stronger than before. She opened her mouth and let the groan flow out of her. She fought to keep the orgasm coming, slamming her hips up, grinding against him.
Julian twisted his hips, sending her headlong into another screaming orgasm. This time he joined her. His gorgeous face contorted, and he stiffened above her, his whole body rigid as he held himself close. He pumped into her, his butt muscles tight under her hands. Finally he came down, slumping against her. She held him close and smiled at the connection she felt. His breath was warm on her body. His heart pounded against hers. She let her hands drift back up to his hair, loving the intimate connection between them.
“Don’t think I’m done.”
She smiled at his arrogant words. She wasn’t done with him either.
Chapter Six
Finn pushed through the door to Christa’s Café with a heavy heart. He hadn’t slept the night before, and he felt the lack in every weary muscle. He’d stared at the ceiling of his crappy motel room and wondered where the hell Dani was spending the night. A hundred scenarios had played through his brain, most of them ending in something terrible. It was all his fucking fault since he’d been the idiot who let her go. He should have seen that she was terrified. He probably had, but he’d been terrified, too. He’d been thinking about himself. He’d been thinking about the fact that he was going to lose her. He hadn’t thought about what Dani was going through at all.
He looked around the café. It was half-empty this early on a Sunday morning. He forced himself to walk up to the counter. He wasn’t leaving this town until he found her. He’d made the decision last night that he was hiring a private investigator the first chance he got.
He’d gotten a good look at the car she’d jumped into. There couldn’t possibly be too many Audi R8s in the state of Texas. It was a two-hundred-thousand-dollar car. Whoever owned it was probably from a big city. Given Willow Fork’s placement in Northeast Texas, he would bet the man was from Dallas. He had the first two letters of a license plate. He would figure it out in the end. He had a ton of resources. Though he was a corporate lawyer, he’d done a bit of time in the prosecutor’s office. He still had connections there, and those lawyers knew cops. When he knew who she’d run away with, he would track the asshole down and find his girl.
If Audi guy had taken advantage of her, then he would figure out a way to ruin him.
“What can I get you?” The woman behind the counter had dark hair and a professional smile. He’d seen that smile every single time he came home. Christa Wade had always been kind to him, so he always gave her his business.
“Coffee, please. I don’t need sugar or cream.” He couldn’t stand the thought of eating at this point. His stomach churned at the smell of food. He could barely stand the thought of coffee, but if he didn’t have a cup, he’d be a zombie by noon.
He needed to be able to focus if he was going to find Dani.
“That all?” She looked up from her notepad for the first time. A wide smile covered her face. “Hey, Finn. How are you doing? You okay?” Her voice took on a distinctly sympathetic tone. She reached out and covered his hand with hers.
This was why he’d really come in here. He knew he’d find a friendly ear to bend. “I’m fine, Christa, but I’m worried about Dani. I can’t quite believe she did something so impulsive. It’s not like her.”
Christa’s eyes lit up. “Well, I was thrilled. Let me tell you, when I saw her take off, there was a part of me that wanted to tackle Jimbo to make sure he didn’t catch her. Of course, turned out I didn’t need to. What a jerk. He was hitting on high school girls at the reception. Dani was right to get the hell out of there. Even if Jimbo wasn’t a cheating SOB, Dani should have run because his momma is one crazy bit…well, you know what I mean. She would have made Dani miserable.”
He sat back against the barstool. Yes, this was what he needed. He needed someone who understood. “I know. She was making a huge mistake, but I can’t see how running off with some stranger is going to help it.”
She should have told him. He would have carried her out, put her in his car, and been on the way to Dallas before anyone knew what was happening. He would have given her everything. He would have made sure she was safe and had a home.
Christa patted his hand. “I know it seems crazy, but it’s for the best. Don’t worry. She’s in excellent hands. Abby will make sure she’s fine.”
He stilled, his whole being suddenly focused on what Christa had said. “What do you mean? Abby Barnes knows where Dani is?”
Christa nodded. “Oh, yes. Don’t worry a bit. I talked to Abby early this morning. Dani spent the night at the ranch. Jack will handle everything. He kind of lives to handle stuff like this. Abby said she was upset, but she’d calmed down by dinnertime and was going to spend a couple of days out there. It’ll do her good. She can play with the kids, and Jack will scare the shit out of Jimbo and any of his relatives if they go after her.”
Finn only heard part of what Christa said. “She’s at Jack Barnes’s ranch? How did she get out there?”
Christa put two hands on the counter. She leaned in and looked around. It was obvious to Finn that gossip was on her mind. This was another reason to come to the café. Christa was the worst gossip in town. Information flowed through the café as freely as the coffee. “That guy whose car she jumped into was one of Jack’s oldest friends. He’s from Dallas, some real rich guy. Name’s Julian Lodge. He took her out to the ranch. He was on his way out there for a visit, it seems.”
He breathed a deep sigh of relief. Dani was out at the Barnes-Fleetwood ranch. At least he knew she was alive. “That’s good news. She left me a voice mail that told me nothing.”
The voice mail had asked him for forgiveness, and she’d promised to call him later. Apparently later hadn’t meant last night, but he felt enormously better knowing that she’d spent the night sitting up with her boss. They’d likely had a glass of wine and Abby would have talked to her about how to handle the next few days. She would have probably cried herself to sleep, but at least she was safe.
Christa waved a hand. “Don’t worry. She’s fine. Abby says she’s well on her way to recovery, if you know what I mean.”
He didn’t, and he didn’t like the saucy wink Christa gave him. Exactly what kind of recovery were they talking about? “Who’s this Julian person?”
Christa turned and poured him a cup of coffee. She slid the mug in front of him. “Abby said he’s intimidating. He has a ton of money and owns a club or something. I don’t know. There are certain things me and the BFF don’t get into. I love Abby and support her every decision, but she’s closemouthed when it comes to her sex life. Trust me when I say it’s frustrating. When you have two amazingly hot guys, you should share. Right? Wait. I didn’t mean it exactly like that. I’m happily married, but I would totally listen to crazy stories.”
“She’s met this Julian?” Finn couldn’t care less how much Abby Barnes shared with her best friend. He wanted to know about the guy who had spirited his girl away.
“She said she’s known him for a couple of years, but Jack has known him f
or more than two decades. He used to work for him or something.” Christa’s eyebrows rose. “Apparently he and Dani are getting along really well.”
His spine straightened. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Someone from a booth near the window waved his hand. Christa nodded toward her customer. “I’ll have to get back to you, Finn, but don’t worry about Dani. She’s in good hands. There’s no way Jack or Abby or Sam lets anything bad happen to her.” She winked his way. “Be back in a bit. Think about breakfast, okay?”
She walked off to take the other customer’s order, and Finn pulled out his cell. If this Julian person was a friend of Jack Barnes’s, then maybe one of his coworkers knew who he was. Finn worked for one of the most prestigious law firms in Dallas. They knew all the power players. He dialed the person most likely to know this Julian guy. As luck would have it, Finn knew the lawyer who handled the Barnes-Fleetwood account. He was more than Jack Barnes’s lawyer. He was Jack’s brother.
“Hello?” Lucas Cameron sounded like he was half awake. He was a couple of years younger than Finn, but they had bonded almost immediately. They had a lot in common. Lucas had spent some time in Willow Fork, and they were both bisexual. Lucas was a gorgeous man, but Finn had known from the minute he met Lucas that they were destined to be friends and nothing more.
