“Adara told me he’s an experienced diver. Why would he dump his equipment without rinsing it first? This guy is a neat freak, spotless house. His wetsuit was clean and dry, along with the floor underneath it.”
“We won’t know until we catch the bastard pulling the strings,” Nate replied.
“What are you going to tell Adara?” Marc pulled a photo from the file in front of him. “This is her friend Graham. I copied the photo from DMV records.”
“Nothing until I know something for sure. She’s got enough to worry about. I’ll not fill her head with speculations. Thanks for letting us borrow Nika, by the way. They’ve taken quite a shine to one another.” The memory of Adara sitting on the sofa with Nika’s muzzle resting on her lap reminded him of her desire to have a dog again. Only humans Nika adored received that devoted look.
“No problem.” Marc pushed his chair back before adding, “You want some company for the next few days?”
“No. We’ll be fine.”
“Okay. Call if you change your mind. And watch your back. Those pricks will come at you sideways.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“See you at the club tonight?” Nate did a double take as Adara walked in Julien’s office and handed over a thick file. “Hi, Adara, you look great. Did you cut your hair?” His warm smile preceded her blush.
“She always looks great, Nate. Focus. Back to the problem at hand.” Julien took the file from Adara, effectively dismissing her. “Adara, close the door on your way out, hon.” Only one of his brothers could induce an eye tic with one sentence. The fabricated smile morphed into a glare at his older brother after the snick of the closing door. “She’s mine, buddy. Hands off.”
“Hey, we all know that. You’ve eyed her like a Christmas present since the day she started working here. Glad you finally took the initiative. About time, too. I bet she’s the perfect submissive.”
“Yeah, yeah. Listen, seriously. I’m going to bring her by the club tonight. One thing I haven’t shared much…since her parents died and her uncle became her guardian, he and his son have, ah, trained her.”
“And you want to bring her to the club already? Are you nuts?”
“No, I’m hoping to clear up misconceptions before they arise. I want her to see the difference between a sociopath and our lifestyle. She has confidence in me, but it’s best she sees it to understand. And she’s a lot stronger than you’d suspect. Besides, she experienced normal up to the time of her parent’s death.”
“Good Lord, she must’ve been what—sixteen?” Nate’s frown transformed into a look of disgust and revulsion. He shook his head as he paced around Julien’s desk.
“Yeah, the uncle’s a heavy sadist. The older cousin is also a pervert and coward.” Julien fleshed out details of Adara’s family.
“So, all this over her inheritance. How sad.”
“Most of it, but the cousin wants her body, too.” Julien paused to blot out his imagination’s darker side. “We were supposed to see Charles in a bit, but I just got a message he’s tied up in court. We’ll see him over the weekend.”
“Good. Not to be intrusive, but have you seen scars on her?”
“Yeah. More than the POWs we’ve rescued.”
“Jesus. I’ll fill Marc and Conner in on her family. They should be aware of this shit. We’ve got your back. See you tonight at Ambrosia. Be careful, and remember you won’t see them coming head on.” Nate’s parting words of wisdom echoed in the room.
“Yeah, thanks. I’ll stay on my toes.” If the slimy bastards were just after her money, they would have been a lot easier to deal with, yet he’d seen the look in their eyes. They wanted revenge, they wanted Adara. Twisted seeds of doubt grew in the back of his mind. Adara depended on him just as Sarah had, before her husband emptied his gun in her belly.
It was time to make the call—same time of day, same day of the week. Every week like clockwork. With a wooden soul and heavy heart, Julien dialed the facility.
It had become his penance for being too slow, too indecisive. Minutes ticked by while images of Sarah, bloody and still, flashed through his thoughts. He couldn’t erase them or outrun them.
When her caretaker came on the line, the report chilled his blood. The attending nurse reported the victim had developed MRSA, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus, in her lungs, not uncommon in patients on long-term life support. The nurse urged him to visit her soon instead of waiting for his usual day and time. Her major organs were shutting down—which made life expectancy short. Sarah had done nothing to deserve her fate. Hers had been a gentle soul, nurturing, compassionate. Naive.
Both hands scrubbed down his face as the memory of finding her stabbed his brain. He hadn’t realized he’d picked the phone up until the sound of it crashing against the wall startled him. The pieces on the floor echoed the fragmented pieces of his soul.
Nate appeared around the corner of the doorway. “Hey, Julien. What’s up? Never seen ma bell fly from your hand.”
“Nothing, Nate. I’ll catch you later tonight. I just need a minute.” Julien covered his face with his hands as he let out a ragged sigh. The enormity of the situation crashed down around him. The woman might die, never have the children she wanted, finish school, or simply enjoy a sunset.
His fault.
“All right then. I’ll be in my office if you need me. Stay cool.”
The pain in Julien’s soul reflected in Nate’s gaze, was shared by the brothers’ bond. He hung his head as Nate left. Thank God, Adara wasn’t at her desk witnessing his loss of control.
* * * *
“I thought you’d want me to wear this—like around the house.” Adara fidgeted with the hem of the short skirt which fell just below her crotch. At least she thought she’d concealed her nether regions, not having the nerve to look in the full-length mirror.
Heat suffused her face when she glanced at the kitchen island and remembered her introduction to orgasm 101. Heat built between her thighs.
“Adara. This is what you’ll wear tonight. You look beautiful.”
At least he’s letting me wear nylons, even if the elastic bands are below my skirt hem. She’d never heard of thigh-highs. She tugged on the hem again.
“Stop fidgeting with the hem. Would you rather take it off and go without?” A warm smile eased the sting of his words.
“No.” Her voice squeaked. She clasped her hands together to keep them still.
“Adara, strip. Now. But remember, you always have a choice.” Despite the firmness of his voice, his expression softened, if only a little. “You need a distraction, and I have just the solution.”
Oh!
His wolfish grin made heat spark low in her groin. The glimmer in his eye morphed the flicker into an inferno.
Glancing at the countertop one more time, she did as requested, excitement building within. When the skirt pooled at her feet and her shirt and bra lay beside it, her trembling fingers slid the thong over slim hips to lie at her feet. Her legs wobbled as she stepped out of the scrap of lace and reached for the elastic of her thigh-highs.
“Stop. You can leave them on.”
His voice sounded gravelly, pouring over her body and filling her mind with visions of their bodies tangled together, straining to find release.
“What are you going to do?” She wanted him. Now. Invisible threads seemed to wind between them, pulling her closer.
“Never mind that, tell me what’s off-limits.”
His gaze slid like a physical caress over the length of her body before resting on her face, the smoldering lust arousing her deepest desires. She’d never seen him show recognition of her scars.
Volcanic heat spread from her core to every nerve fiber. Her mind focused on him, only him, and what he could do.
“Sex, sexual intercourse.” How can I say that when I want him inside me?
“Good. Now we have more to work with.”
Oh God, that doesn’t sound good. Does it?
S
tepping in front of her, he pulled her into his embrace, hands lightly fisting in her hair and tipping her head back.
The scent of his cologne encouraged a deeper breath. Her eyes closed briefly as the spicy trail sifted through her mind and filled her with all things Julien.
She felt captured yet cherished. He set her soul free even as he held her tight. Her body would belong to him for as long as he desired. Her soul, he would always own.
The soft cotton of his shirt rubbed against her sensitized nipples. Her hips suddenly had a will of their own as they moved back and forth against the bulge of his jeans, adding to her growing heat. She had become a wanton.
Shivers followed the course of his hand as he caressed the column of her spine to smooth across her buttocks.
When he lifted her and pulled her tighter into his frame, she wrapped her legs around his waist and clutched his shoulders. A slight tilt of her hips brought her heated center into closer contact with the growing bulge she wanted to explore.
His pupils dilated.
An animal hunger never felt before erupted with her thoughts spinning out of control. Without conscious design, she let her fingers trace an invisible seam between corded muscles, down his lean back, his arms, and back up to cup his neck.
When he leaned back to bend and take a nipple in his mouth, her legs tightened, her hips twisted, looking for friction, release. His fingers on her bottom both held her tight and kneaded her muscles. His tongue circled, then roughly flicked the nipple, the tingling peak sending mini-shock waves to her sheath. She arched into his caress, wanting, needing all of him. Each rasp of his tongue sent flames leaping to the juncture at her thighs. Her head dropped back with a groan.
At that point, she could deny him nothing. With unerring precision, he slid his fingers between her legs, stroked the seam of her lower lips, then delved between. One finger thrust deep inside. She knew he’d be covered in the juices her shameless body produced.
“Oh, Julien. Please.”
“Please what, Adara.”
“I want you. Now.”
“Soon, sweetheart. Soon. Do you feel how wet you are for me?”
“Oh God, yes. I ache.” And she did. The ache morphed into near-pain as desire consumed her. There was no denying the overwhelming pleasure that contact with his body wrought. Only his touch could send her to heaven. Just the sight of his burning gaze drove out all thoughts of things she’d experienced a lifetime ago, before desire took root. He’d transported her to a time when she dreamed of just such a man, with a loving touch.
Julien’s hands dug into the flesh of her hips, grinding his shaft against her center. He’d feel her heat through his jeans as her core pulsed in time with her heartbeat. He claimed her mouth, his tongue exploring, learning, then devouring until she felt consumed. There’d never be another to command her heart, body, and soul.
“I have one more thing for you to wear tonight. Then you can dress.”
“What? You wanna talk about clothes…now?” Her voice steeped with the frustration of unmet needs.
Gently, he unwrapped her legs from his waist and set her to stand. With gentle pressure, he urged her legs farther apart. Confusion gave way to ecstasy when he again reached into her heat and palmed her mound. Her hips bucked as his thumb found her engorged nub and circled. Cream seeped from her body as he rubbed her slick folds. When he inserted a finger, she cried out. All the while, his gaze held her caged. She couldn’t look away from the confinement of his scrutiny and blazing lust.
“Easy, sweetheart. Here, turn around and bend over the counter.” With a mild touch, he placed his hand in the middle of her back and guided her around and down. The smooth, stone counter shocked her nipples. Shivers from desire, erotic stimulation, and anticipation of the unknown, overwhelmed. Blood rushing in her ears drowned out all sound.
He reached around and one hand pressed against her mound, his finger dipping inside, curling, rubbing, flaming her need. Her body came alive under his skillful touch. He commanded every inch, every groan, and every shudder. Her breath came in trembling pants.
The sound of a bottle cap snapping open puzzled her until she felt cool, thick liquid between the globes of her ass. Every muscle in her body clenched as his finger smoothed the gel around her anus. She tried to rear up, only to have his hand guide her back down.
“Easy, Adara. I’m not going to hurt you. Tell me, has anyone ever put anything here?” His finger circled again before rubbing back and forth across the opening, making it shrink. “Stay still for me, hon. I don’t want to have to restrain you. You’re not ready for that.”
It was a question he’d asked before, so she could answer spontaneously. “Ah, no. Never.” The finger circling her clit moved faster, with more pressure. She pushed her hips against his hand, searching for relief. Her palms slapped the countertop, unable to hold still. She needed to hold him, needed release.
“Good. That’s good. Take it easy, now. How does this feel? Remember, be honest with me.”
“Um, different. But good.” It felt intrusive, wrong, but she’d never felt anything so wonderful. “Like I shouldn’t enjoy it.”
“But you do.”
She could hear the smile in his voice.
“Yes, I do.” She was glad he couldn’t see her face.
When he inserted his finger just past the tight ring of muscle, she cried out and jerked forward. A heartbeat later, the forbidden feeling felt as heavenly as it did foreign. All her senses overwhelmed, she couldn’t move, trapped as much by his body as his command to stay still. Very slowly, he withdrew his finger and inserted it again while his other finger slid into her tight sheath, curling and sliding.
With his gentle thrusts, the intrusion in her ass and sheath made her cry out as she rocked her hips back and forth, both body and mind confused. She’d never imagined such sensations overwhelming every aspect of her being. She could no longer define exactly what she wanted in her mindless need.
“Please, Julien. Please.”
“Not yet, sweetheart.”
The finger in her ass withdrew, making her moan. More cool liquid.
The feel of something cold, metallic between her cheeks made her panic.
“Deep breaths for me, sweetheart. You’ll feel a little pressure here, just for a moment, and then it’ll feel better. Let it wash over you. Deep breaths, relax into it.”
Thought deserted her as she rode the finger circling her clit ever faster. The alternating pressure and flitting across the nub drove her wild. A low groan escaped as tension built in her lower belly, the same sensation she’d felt that morning before she came. The cold metal inserting past her tight ring of muscle was smaller than his finger, heightening her pleasure as he made small pumping motions. She wanted more and pushed back against him. It was paradise at his command…until it wasn’t.
“Stop! Please, it’s too big. I can’t take any more.” All of a sudden her ass felt on fire. Those virgin muscles stung like never before, like he was ripping her in half. In the same instant, he pulled out slightly and made shallow in and out motions, his other hand pressed harder on her clit, circling faster. Each short stroke in her ass felt like it would tear her apart as he inserted the foreign object a little further with each forward thrust.
“Relax, sweetheart. Breathe, push back against me.”
His murmured command swam through the haze of her tempestuous thoughts, circling but never landing to be deciphered. She heard his voice yet couldn’t find meaning in the words. Again, the overwhelming feeling…
Julien inserted another finger into her sheath, curled them, and thrusted in and out. She realized her hips bucked backward with each stroke to impale herself on the metal object. Her entire world centered on the connection between them and the sensations he brought forth.
“Oh God. Please. More, Julien, more.”
With one final thrust, he pushed the ever-widening metal inside her until she felt a pop as it shot past the restriction to seat itself. The inten
se pleasure-pain was too much.
“Now, Adara. You may come.”
A gentle slap on her ass jolted the plug forward and drove electric sensations through her body as she screamed.
He commanded her body as if he owned it. Every muscle tightened as his name scorched past her throat. His palm pressed in over her ass, moving the object against those untried nerves in her rectum. Her legs shot out straight in spasm, rocking her entire body. She could feel her juices on her thighs as he continued to gently massage her clit during the aftershocks until it became too sensitive. Her fists clenched and unclenched on the countertop. For the second time, Adara felt like she was flying, drifting on a cloud of bliss without a care in the world. When the spasms subsided, her entire body dissolved into jelly.
At that moment, she couldn’t have stood if her life depended on it. Dragging in a great lungful of air, she closed her eyes and tried to compose her thoughts. The soft stirrings of peace created from Julien caressing her back continued the lingering euphoria fogging her mind.
“Oh my God. I can’t believe you did that.”
He stilled. “Like it that much, did you?”
“Oh, yes, Julien. Very much. Thank you.”
“I was referring to…never mind. We’ll work up to that later.”
When reality settled back in place, she straightened up and turned in the circle of his arms, then noted Julien’s pulse pounding at the base of his neck. The bulge in his jeans informed her he needed relief yet held himself in check.
“Thank you for having faith in me.” He washed his hands and watched as she dressed. “Now. We’re ready to go to the club.”
“Julien, what did you put inside me?”
“A small plug. You’ll wear it tonight.”
A what? “Yes, Julien.” She didn’t care how red her face got, the feeling of delicious fullness made it worth it. She wondered what other surprises he had in store.
Carnal Beginnings: A dark romantic suspense (Carnal Series Book 1) Page 16
