by Maggie Ryan
“A hole?”
Jennie nodded. “Drake lost his wife and daughter in an awful fire.” She smiled warmly and tipped her mug toward Adira. “It was actually your grandfather who saved Drake’s and Maddox’s lives.”
“What? He did? How?” This was all news to Adira. She had no idea that her grandfather had prior connections with the Steeles.
“Drake told me that your grandfather had heard of the plans to set the house where they were staying on fire as they slept. The minute he did, he called Drake, warning him of the threat. According to Drake, he’d barely hung up the phone when an explosion went off in the house. Drake and his wife Melissa both shot out of bed. Drake told Melissa to go get Samantha, the baby, and he would go get Maddox. But by the time he got to Maddox, the entire house was engulfed in flames. Drake had no choice but to break through the bedroom window and escape with his son. Melissa and the baby never made it.”
“That’s awful!” Tears welled up in Adira’s eyes.
Jennie nodded. “Yes, but it could have been Drake and Maddox as well, had Drake not had those couple of extra moments Hadi gave him to make that rescue. Maddox wasn’t quite a teen at the time and their lives had just been destroyed.” She took a long swig of her coffee as if trying to swallow away the awful tale. “The tragedy set this family on the path they continue on to this day. It wasn’t long after that time that Drake rescued me.”
Adira leaned in, fascinated with all the backstory of the Steeles… as heartbreaking as it was. It seemed to make them more human and not simply the tough men who went out and played super hero for a living. “He rescued you too?”
“He did.” Jennie released a heavy sigh. “It seems like a lifetime ago. I was really young and really dumb. I wanted so badly to believe the good in people and that there was a way to change the world. Peace, love, and all that came with it… although for me, everything that came with that was evil and darkness.”
Adira remained silent, scared that if she said a word, Jennie would change her mind and not tell her the story.
“I fell in love with a very powerful man who I truly believed could and would make a difference. Others believed the same thing. It started as a hippie commune and ended in a terrifying cult.” Jennie looked at Adira and gave a weak smile. “The things we gals will do for love. I was willing to give my life. So was everyone else. If it wasn’t for my father paying to have Drake sneak in and kidnap me from the depths of hell, I wouldn’t be sitting here today.”
“Drake kidnapped you?”
“Oh yes! I didn’t want to go and there was a lot of kicking, screaming, biting, and hellcat behavior. I had been brainwashed to believe that I was meant to die. It was the way.” A visible shiver shook Jennie’s shoulders. “If it wasn’t for Drake and his stubborn ass forcing me to live on this ranch, well…”
“But you stayed.”
Jennie smiled. “Yes, I stayed. Not that it was easy. That poor man.” She laughed lightly at her own memories that she didn’t share, but Adira could see that they made her very happy. “I definitely stayed.”
“Are you and Drake—”
“Oh no! Well… not like you think. Drake and I have a connection and a bond that will forever be strong. I love him. He loves me. Our relationship is very evolved and well… interesting.” She winked. “Well, enough about me. I have been gabbing your ear off.” She leaned in and examined Adira’s eyes. “Are you stoned? Maddox will be looking for you soon, and I sure as heck don’t want to see his reaction if he thinks I poisoned his pure little well.”
Adira laughed. “I wouldn’t exactly say I am clear headed. But I’m fine. Better than fine, actually. I have had such a wonderful time with you. I needed this. I really, really did.” She looked around the garden and leaned back in her chair, taking in more of the sounds of the trickling water and the fragrance of the flowers. “I could stay at this beautiful ranch forever.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Maddox’s deep voice said from behind her.
Chapter 19
“What have you two ladies been up to?” Maddox asked, his eyes going between the two women.
“Oh, we’ve had a glorious time,” Adira said, her arms opening wide as if encompassing the universe. “We watched the plants in the garden grow and saw the pretty fish swim. Then we danced. Do you like to dance, Maddox?”
“I’ve been known to dance,” Maddox said, leaning back against a pillar, his arms crossed casually over his chest.
“That’s wonderful! Then you can come dance with the bees…”
Not quite sure he’d heard her correctly, but hearing Jennie giggle, he gave the older woman a harder look. When she attempted to keep from blinking, keeping her eyes on his, her innocent act set off warning bells in his head. Shaking his head, he pushed off from the pillar and held his hand out to Adira.
“Oh, are we going to dance?” she asked, leaning into him, her arms wrapping around his waist once he’d pulled her to her feet.
“Someone’s going to be dancing all right,” Maddox stated, grinning when Adira squealed with delight. “First though, you said you wanted to talk to Kurt at the stable.”
“Did you know that Arabians dance? It is really remarkable. It takes years of training and yet even though they are huge, they perform these intricate steps so flawlessly… it’s quite breathtaking.”
It took Maddox a moment to puzzle out what she was describing but then connected her thoughts. “Are you talking about Arabian horses?”
Pulling away, Adira gave him a pat in the center of his chest. “Of course.” After a moment, she giggled. “Wait, did you think I meant Arabian bees?” Another bout of laughter followed before she cocked her head as if something had just occurred to her. “But then, why shouldn’t they? Do you think all bees dance, Jennie?”
Maddox watched as Adira did a few turns about the porch, bobbing and weaving in a slow twirl as she made what could only be an attempt to mimic a bee’s buzzing noise. Turning once again towards Jennie, he shook his head. “By the way, your head is on backwards.” He chuckled when Jennie actually lifted her hands to her face and ran her fingertips over her cheeks. “Not that head… that one,” he clarified, nodding towards the garden troll whose eyes were indeed looking down at his own rather chubby ass cheeks.
“Oops,” Jennie said, reaching to rectify the situation.
“That’s one word for it,” Maddox said, snagging Adira’s hand. “Come on, I think some girl needs a nap.”
“No… I need to dance,” Adira countered. “It’s so beautiful, so freeing. Dance with me, Maddox.”
Having absolutely no idea why, Maddox dropped one hand to her waist, the other holding her hand against his chest up near his shoulder and led her across the porch. As he turned, spinning her in a circle, he saw Jennie, her smile wide, her eyes sparkling, her gray head nodding. Despite the fact that he had absolutely no doubt that this woman had shared a bit of her not so secret stash with Adira, he knew she also shared so much more… with his father, with him, with his brothers, and now with Adira. Jennie gave all of her heart, and for that he could forgive Adira’s little buzz. When he realized she was buzzing again, providing the music for their impromptu dance, he chuckled, nodded at Jennie and waltzed Adira straight down the porch steps and across the yard, disappearing into the path through the trees that would take them to the stable.
By the time they reached the stables, they’d stopped dancing but he continued to lead her, his hand cupping the nape of her neck. “Hmmm, I like that,” she said, reaching up to clasp his wrist. “It makes me feel like…”
“You’re mine?” Maddox offered, watching the contented smile spread from her lips to light her eyes as she nodded. “That’s because you are,” he emphasized, bending to give her a quick kiss. Stepping inside the double doors, he allowed Adira to pull away, watching as she practically threw herself at the first man she saw.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, wrapping her arms around him. “I was just awful. Please f
orgive me.”
Maddox chuckled as the man gave him a bewildered look while patting Adira’s back. “Um, sure thing, ma’am.”
“Adira, meet Kevin Malloy,” Maddox said.
“Kevin? I thought you said his name was Kurt?” She pushed back, her head tilted to the right, staring up at the man she’d just hugged.
“It is,” another voice said, causing Adira to change the direction of her stare. “Hello, Miss Nazar. How are you feeling today?”
Adira moved quickly to Kurt, giving him a hug. “I feel wonderful but wanted to apologize for the way I behaved. I’m normally not so… so rude. Oh, can I come in or—”
“You’re fine,” Kurt assured her, also patting her back. “You can’t ride, as you aren’t wearing the proper footwear, but you are more than welcome to visit.”
After thanking him, Adira went to the first stall. Maddox watched as she gave a soft sound and the stallion whinnied in response. Moving towards a barrel, he picked up some apples and went to join her. “Here,” he said, offering her one of the fruits.
Maddox could see her love of the horses in her expression as she spent time with each of the three stallions they’d purchased. She fed each one an apple, stroking their faces, pressing her cheeks to their velvet skin, murmuring softly, pausing as if they answered and for some reason, Maddox had no doubt they did. Her joy was magnified when they reached Zephyr’s stall. Reaching up, she placed her palms on the horse’s cheeks, looking into his huge eyes, and bent to kiss the white patch that lay almost completely hidden by his forelock of black hair.
“I’m sorry,” he heard her whisper. “I was irresponsible, and thank you for keeping me safe.”
Maddox could feel the bond between this small woman and huge horse as Zephyr lifted his head, nodding and giving a nicker before his lips opened to nuzzle not Adira’s hand, but her shoulder. She laughed, and when he released her, she fed him an apple and then another.
“Ah, playing favorites?” Maddox teased.
“Perhaps, but he deserves it.” Adira stepped back to him with a smile. “They are all magnificent and are all going to be very happy here.” Turning to address Kurt, she continued, “I would love to work with you and promise I will remember how to dress properly and to behave.”
“I’d enjoy that, Miss Nazar. Would you like to come back and ride this afternoon?”
“Adira, please, and… um, may we start tomorrow?”
Kurt shot Maddox a look and grinned. “Sure, tomorrow works just fine.”
After she’d thanked him, Maddox slipped his hand to her neck and led Adira back outside. “Ready for that nap?”
“Actually, I’m a little hungry,” Adira said.
Chuckling, he nodded his head. “Yes, I saw you eyeing those apples as if forcing yourself to feed them to the horses instead of eating them yourself. What’s the matter? Jennie didn’t let you eat any of those nice fat blackberries?” Her head whipped up, her eyes wide.
“What?”
“Oh, babe, it’s going to be so much fun reminding you that you can’t tell a lie to save your life. As for being hungry, yes, grass can do that to you. It’s not that long before lunch, but I’m sure Jennie must have something in the refrigerator we can nibble on.”
Adira giggled, her eyes still locked on his. “Hmmm, I can wait for lunch if maybe I could raid your secret stash.”
Tightening his grip slightly on her neck to hold her in place, he bent to give her lips the lightest of kisses. “I do remember how very much you enjoyed that lollipop.” He traced the seam of her lips with the tip of his tongue, the memory of her taking long, slow sweeps of her tongue across the purple surface of the Tootsie-Pop causing his cock to jerk. Pulling away, he loved the look in her eyes and her slightly unsteady walk as they returned to the house. He was at the base of the stairs before she spoke.
“I thought we were going to… um, the workout room.”
“I promise you are definitely going to be getting a workout.” He continued up the stairs and then down the hall to his bedroom. Opening the door, he grinned down at her. “About that snack… you’ll be having that as well.”
She looked up and down the hall as if ensuring they were alone before leaning towards him. “Do you have secret candy stashes all over the house?” she asked, her voice no more than a whisper.
His laugh rang down the hall as he led her inside, shutting the door behind them. “No, you’ll find this treat is always with me.” Turning her towards him, he used one arm to wrap around her waist, pulling her close as he took her hand and guided it to his fly. Watching her eyes widen with understanding was fulfilling, but seeing her lip stroked by her tongue again had him stiffening into steel. It was definitely time to see how much experience his little vixen had in the oral department. Stepping back, he gave his first order. “Strip.”
Once she was naked, he allowed his eyes to roam up and down her body. Though she still had bruises of various hues painting her skin, as well as some lacerations still not quite healed, he had never seen a more exquisite woman. When her head swiveled to follow him as he moved to circle her, he said, “No, eyes front and down.” Her instant obedience spoke a great deal of her willingness to learn… to submit. He’d known he was a dominant for as long as he could remember and had been involved in playing with a number of different submissives. But Adira was the first woman who had come to him a virgin in more ways than one. There was no question that she was a passionate woman, but he was going to learn her boundaries—after encouraging her to explore everything—pushing her to allow herself to go just a bit further than she thought she could.
Moving behind her, he said, “Kneel and place your hands behind your back.” She sank down onto her knees and once she’d moved her hands behind her, he squatted and guided her hands so that each cupped the opposite elbow. He drew her hair over her shoulders to flow down her back, the ends dropping past her crossed arms to sweep against the curves of her buttocks. Leaning forward, he whispered, “Beautiful,” into her ear before kissing the side of her neck. Once he stood before her again, he dropped his eyes to her breasts. They sat high, beautifully rounded and tipped with nipples the color of toffee, pebbled into tight points. The diamond in her belly button shimmered, drawing his eyes down and past it to see the black curls of her pubic hair. Grinning, he said, “Spread your legs apart.” Squatting yet again, he slid a single fingertip from the hollow of her throat, down the valley of her breasts, circling her navel before dipping down to swirl within the patch of curly hair. “Tell me, are you already wet for me, Adira?”
“Yes.”
A single, sharp tug on her pubic hair had her give a cry and then the proper answer. “I mean, yes, Sir. I’m… I’m wet for you.”
“Good girl,” he praised. “Look at me.” Her eyes lifted to his, already glazed with her growing desire as he allowed his finger to continue its exploration. Sliding along the plump lips of her labia, slipping between them, spreading them open, he found she was not wet… she was soaked. “How are you at sucking cock?”
The flood of color that bloomed first in her chest and then flooded up her neck to stain her cheeks gave him her answer before she even opened her mouth, but he waited for her response. Would she attempt to exaggerate her experience as she had before? He didn’t rush her, didn’t take his eyes from hers and didn’t stop stroking along her pussy.
“I-I don’t know, Sir. I’ve never tried… but I’d like to learn.”
“Thank you for your honesty.” His finger began to move a little faster, stroke a little harder, encouraging her clit to swell, to pulse, to jump with each pass of his fingertip. She began to tremble, her nipples puckering ever tighter, her breath coming in little pants as he pushed her towards climax. “You’ll find that honesty earns you not only respect, but pleasure. I want you to come for me, Adira.” Her hands moved to grasp his arms but he shook his head, his finger instantly stilling. A soft mewl and a little thrust of her hips had him smiling. “No, put your hands back wh
ere they belong and remain still.” Once she’d obeyed, he began again, adding another finger to slide over her clit and then inside her, both curling up to rub against the softly padded area of her g-spot. The mew became a gasp, her body jerking, her arm moving for only a moment before she remembered his instruction and stilled.
Not caring if he did so to help steady her or because he simply wished to remind her that she was his, his free hand moved to slide beneath the dark curtain of her hair to hold her neck. She arched into his touch, the slight movement causing her hips to tilt the slightest bit. Warmth surrounded his fingers, her body’s lubricant coating them, dripping onto his hand as her channel began to tighten in her preparation of exploding.
“That’s right. Let go. Come for me. Come now.” Another two strokes and she obeyed, her body stiffening and then convulsing, her arms breaking position as her hips bucked and her knees buckled, the sound of his name on her lips filling the room. He continued to stroke her, to coax every convulsion from her, pressing his lips to hers, exploring her mouth with his tongue, swallowing her mewls of pleasure. When she finally sagged against him, he slid his fingers from her and released her mouth. “Position,” he reminded gently, pleased when she returned to kneeling, her hands once more behind her. Holding up his fingers, glistening with her essence, he placed them on her lips. “Open.”
Her cheeks flushed, her eyes looked doubtful but her lips opened, accepting his fingers and tasting herself for the second time. “Lick.” The feel of her tongue swiping along his fingers had his cock twitching, reminding him of his intentions when she stated she needed a snack. Still, it was incredibly erotic to feel her tongue laving his fingers. “Suck.” As her cheeks began to hollow in and out, he unbuttoned his fly, easing his rigid cock from its confinement, stroking up and down its length. “Absolutely beautiful,” he said. “Release.” When she did, he pulled his fingers free, bent forward, kissed her softly and said, “I can’t wait until it is my turn to taste.” Her sharp inhale and soft moan told him she was most likely a bit eager for that as well. However, he had another lesson to teach. Rising from his squat, he continued to stroke his cock, his hand once again cupping her neck as she turned her head up to him.
