by Marie Harte
“So am I.” He kissed her. “I like to dominate women. There. I said it. I’m not proud of it, but I’m not embarrassed either. I like control.”
“No kidding.”
“And so do you.” He cupped her breast and pinched her nipple. “But you want to give that control to someone else. Someone who will take care of you, so that you can lose yourself and still be who you need to be. It’s not a sin, it’s not a perversion, and it’s not wrong. It’s how you’re wired. Like some guys dig different ethnicities in partners, or different sizes. I like dominating a woman. But not all the time.”
“Really? You can’t tell me you wouldn’t like telling a woman what to do twenty-four/seven. Heck, you seem to get off ordering me around,” she grumbled.
“That’s not the same, and you know it. You saw what life with a slave is like,” he said quietly.
“I did.” She nodded, suddenly dying to know what he sought. “What do you want, Dane?”
“From a woman?” When she nodded, he answered, “I’m not in a steady relationship because I get bored. And because I can’t seem to find what I want.”
The look he shot her seemed to say the opposite, and her heart pounded like crazy.
“I want a woman who’s strong enough to trust me in bed but still has her own identity and life out of it. She can’t whine or nag all the time. And she has to be strong enough to deal with my temperament…which I’m told isn’t that pleasant on a good day.”
She felt lighter than she had in years. “Yeah, well, I don’t know what I’m looking for. I’ve gone without for so long because I can read my partners. It’s no fun knowing how a guy feels all the time. I constantly feel like I have to keep myself locked up, so I don’t over empathize. It’s hard to find pleasure with so much work. I’m always dealing with other people’s problems, wants, and needs. And the guys who might be able to handle me, I have a hard time trusting.” After her father died, her mother had stopped being there for Kitty. And then Katherine had met Eric Dennis and mentally disappeared, swept up in his personality. Kitty’s powers had developed a few years later, and she’d started caring for everyone else. It was always about everyone else’s needs and never about hers.
“Look at me.” Dane lifted her chin. “First of all, you’re not that tall.”
“Not next to you.”
“And you’re not a freak. Well, if you are, then I’m one too. Like I said before, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of you. You should only care what I think of you.”
Kitty blinked up at him, seeing nothing but clear acceptance in his gaze. “Shouldn’t that be, it’s only important what I think of myself? What kind of pep talk is this?” Yet something in her eased. If Dane could accept that part of himself, why couldn’t she?
“Remember, I’m your master.” He pulled her into his arms again. “I bet it was tough, dealing with a mom who acted like a doormat—your word, remember? But you’re anything but weak, Kitty. For the record, true submission isn’t easy, especially for someone strong like you. I’m glad that you trust me enough to be here with me. Like this.” He put some space between them.
“Me too.” She swallowed hard, especially when his gaze traveled hungrily over her body. “But, ah, just remember. All this sexual nonsense aside, I’m still in charge of this op.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He dropped to his knees in front of her and kissed his way down her belly to her pussy. Where he feasted.
She moaned and clenched his shoulders tight.
“Whatever I want, right, little sub?” Dane purred.
“Yes, Sir.” Her emotions surged powerfully hard, and that kernel of affection blossomed into something more. “Whatever you want.”
* * * *
Hours later, Kitty sat and stared down at Dane as he slept, in shock and awe of what the man had done to her body.
They’d had sex three times. Twice nearly in a row, and that last time… She grew warm just thinking about it. He’d made her ride him while he held her breasts and watched her.
Staring down at him while he’d been inside her had been way too intimate for her peace of mind. Sure, they’d had sex. One might say you couldn’t get closer to a person than that. But Kitty lived and breathed emotion.
Though she couldn’t read Dane, she’d sensed an indefinable click between them while they’d watched each other and come.
He was the most generous lover she’d ever had. He insisted she come before him, or at least with him. After their night together, she would have thought she’d be too tired to want anything more.
But as she stared at him in sleep, his arm wrapped around her waist, his head tucked near her belly, a quiver of longing hit her hard. He kept insisting that she belonged to him. More of that Master/slave nonsense. Though from what Kitty had read and researched, he didn’t treat her like a slave, nor did he want one. She submitted, and he controlled. Submissive, but not a “doormat.”
She wanted an excuse to see him after the mission ended. How pathetic. Dane might be built, sexy, and smart. He might have a decent job and a shot at immortality if his art career took off the way Linda seemed to think it would. But he wasn’t her type. Or so she kept telling herself.
Sex during the mission or even after, as a part of their “deal,” she could accept. But she would start to hate herself if she allowed herself to devolve into the quivering woman just waiting inside her, the one who wanted nothing better than to crawl to him and beg to please. For all that he’d said that about her mother, she still worried that she’d turn into Katherine Nelson for real.
She nudged out from under him and, after settling him back down, entered the bathroom. After shutting and locking the door, she turned on the dim lighting and stared at her reflection.
Damn if she wasn’t the spitting image of her mother. And the knowledge hurt. She could all too clearly see her mother on her knees, her mouth bloody, her back scarred with whip marks, as she begged Kitty’s stepfather to hurt her again.
Kitty had never understood why her mother had stayed with the deviant asshole. He’d hurt Katherine Ann Nelson many times over, but her mother would just smile and order Kitty to remain silent about it. That the bruises would fade in time. And they did.
But Kitty spent her nights huddled under the covers, hearing the cries and moans as her stepfather beat her mother. At first she hadn’t understood that the pain had been tied to sex; she’d only known Eric Dennis hurt her mother. She could never understand how her mother could look at the man with stars in her eyes while recovering from whip marks and bruising. What made it even harder to understand was why Eric never treated Kitty with anything but distant kindness.
A lot of abusers turned their rage on the entire household. Yet Eric reserved his violence for her mother alone, and never where Kitty could see. None of it had made any sense to her, and she’d been too embarrassed over her mother’s behavior to ask anyone else about it.
She’d confronted Eric, and he’d calmly explained in detail about their escapades in the bedroom. At twelve, she’d understood some but not all of what he’d said. But she’d felt the wrongness in him. The rage and the loathing he reserved mostly for himself. He’d needed an outlet, and her mother had been happy to serve as one.
Kind of like me.
According to Dane, she wasn’t at all like her mother, and she wanted to believe him. They’d had kinky, engaging sex, and submission did not equal weakness. She did accept that she could no longer ignore the need to submit. Dane had given her powerful orgasms, and they both knew it. So she liked her sex a little rough, her partner to be a little domineering. Most women wanted to lose control.
She continued to rationalize her motives until she believed them. Then she turned off the light and left the bathroom. Sleep came to her easily once she went back to bed, but her dreams tormented her. Images of herself in a collar on a chain, the lead in Dane’s callused palm, loomed large.
* * * *
When Kitty woke the next morning, she
felt groggy. She turned to get out of bed when a large arm wrapped around her middle.
“Uh-uh.”
So, he thought to take charge in the light of day? She rolled over and glared at him, doing her best not to react to his smile. God, he looked incredible first thing in the morning. Her hair stood on end, and she’d probably drooled all over herself. He wore a shadow on his chin that only made him appear sexier. Meaner.
She restrained the quiver wanting to let loose.
“Morning, sunshine.” He smirked at her.
His arrogance relieved her, because it proved to her he had no idea of how susceptible she’d been to him last night. Dane had had sex. Period. A simple man, he didn’t overthink things. So why should she?
“Well, well,” she teased. “You are just more than a pretty face. Who knew you had stamina too?”
“Smart-ass.”
She snickered, feeling good all of a sudden. She surprised them both by moving over him and sliding down his body until she found the treat she’d been hoping for.
“What—shit.” He moaned her name and threaded his fingers in her hair. “You’re being a bad girl, kitten. I’ll have to punish you later. Oh, fuck.”
She took his cock to the back of her throat and hummed. Kitty took back her power and sucked him dry. She gave him no mercy as she bobbed over his shaft, rolled his balls, scraped his thighs, and tongued his slit filling with cum.
“Yeah. More. That’s it. Yes.” He pumped, lost in the desire she’d created.
When he spilled into her mouth, she swallowed him down, as was her due.
Kitty released him and sat up on her knees, liking the drugged pleasure in his eyes. He stared from her pussy to her breasts but didn’t speak until he reached her face.
“That was tricky.”
She laughed, feeling free once more. On equal footing. “But you liked it.” She licked her lips, and he groaned.
“Damn, woman. I think I lasted maybe a minute. You took me by surprise.”
“A minute man. Typical.” She scampered off the bed and laughed her way into the bathroom while he swore loudly from the bedroom.
After a hot shower, she got out before he could corner her in the stall.
“Come on, Kitty. Wait for me. I’ll scrub your back.”
“No way. I’m clean. I’m not going to let you muss me again.” She stared at his cock in amazement. “Are you getting hard again?”
Trust Dane to be proud of it. “Hell yeah. I want to fuck those tits. How about it?”
She snorted. “Dream on. We have things to do today, Mr. Sexy.”
He shut the door, grumbling. “That’s Master Sexy to you.”
“Not all the time.”
“You’re all but dying to serve me. You liked getting me off, because it made Master feel good.” The water drowned out the rest of what he said.
But Kitty heard enough. Her smile faded as she considered what he’d said. She’d made him come, but it had actually been his pleasure she’d been after, not a contest of wills to see if she could control him. Like with her past boyfriends, she’d wanted to please. Except none of them had known what to do with her. Not until Dane. He understood her. He treated her with the firmness she needed, and he didn’t succumb to her desires. Not unless he wanted to.
Dane joined her after she’d fully dressed in a pair of khaki pants, sandals, and a silk tank. She wanted ease of movement today, in case the shit hit the fan. Kitty wanted to grab TLD and bolt before Morley became more of a problem than she imagined he might be.
She finished drying her hair and tucked it back in a ponytail.
Dane dropped his towel and strutted naked toward his bag.
“Um, your ass is nice and all. But how about covering it up?”
“And deny you a perfect morning? Never.” Dane laughed at her while he dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt. He put on biker boots and ran a comb through his hair. He’d shaved, so he no longer looked like a street criminal. Now he just looked like a mountain of man with attitude brewing.
She wanted him all over again.
Kitty sighed. “Come on. Let’s see how this morning goes.” In a lower voice, she said, “And remember, hero, I’m in charge.”
“You made that abundantly clear when you blew me to heaven earlier, mein Führer.”
She flipped him the bird, and he roared with laughter as they left the guest house.
“Yeah, keep telling me to watch my language, you delicate flower.”
Why she liked him when he needled her, she didn’t know. But she felt comfortable with him this morning. After fucking like rabbits and sharing her personal demons, she would have thought she’d be more embarrassed with him. That he might taunt her with the truth. But he treated her the same. No pity party and no condescension. Just Dane Hanson at his most handsome…and obnoxious. God, she liked him even better today. Maybe I am a glutton for punishment.
They reached the dining room and joined Linda and Morley for breakfast. Morley’s gaze swept Kitty from head to toe, and she felt almost naked by the time she sat across the table from the couple.
She smiled at the maid who poured her coffee and served her a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast.
Dane did the same, then watched with wariness as the dining room cleared of staff. The doors closed behind them, leaving Linda, Morley, Dane, and Kitty alone.
Linda broke the awkward silence with a cheerful good morning. “You two look well rested.”
No mention of the security Dane had destroyed. Linda likely had no idea what had caused the interruption in service.
“Thank you. That’s a great suite,” Dane commented and took a heaping bite of breakfast.
“Worked up an appetite, eh?” Morley asked.
Dane chuckled but said nothing more.
Linda’s good humor faded as she stared at Kitty, and Kitty sensed animosity mixed with fear.
Time to take charge. Kitty cleared her throat. “So Linda, Dane and I were wondering if we could see The Little Death again today.”
“The statue inspired me. I was thinking of doing a tribute to it, and you,” Dane said to Linda. “But I need a little more research. Something about the woman’s pose struck me.”
Linda nodded at Dane, ignoring Kitty, which was just as well, because Kitty poured all her energy into Linda’s capitulation. Dane’s charm certainly helped.
Morley scowled at Linda. “Linda? I thought we’d agreed you were going to help me today with that information I needed.” He turned to Dane. “She can’t help you with the statue. I’m moving it to more secure location. We’ve gotten news a competitor is after it. Who knows what the guy might do to get it back?” he said, giving Kitty a thoughtful stare.
Dane frowned. “I don’t want to steal it. Just see it.” He focused on Linda. “Are you in some kind of danger? I can help.”
Linda beamed at him, and Kitty furthered that affection with energy.
“Thank you, Dane,” Linda said with a smile. “I knew I could count on you.”
Before Morley could comment, Kitty swayed and nearly toppled out of her chair. Dane caught her before she fell.
“Kitty?”
He sounded concerned, but she was sweltered by satisfaction, lust, and greed. That, and someone else’s need to kill.
DANE HELD ON TO his patience by a thread as he turned to the couple across from him. “We need help.”
Did he really have to ask? He held Kitty tight and looked down at her. She’d fallen unconscious, and fear nearly struck him mute. Hell. Talk about a bad time to lose his ability to think and plan. Dane never lost his composure, but he was close to losing it now.
Another glance at Linda and Morley stopped him. “Why did you do this?”
Linda had the grace to look ashamed. He nearly bought it before he remembered her abilities as an actress. The woman disliked Kitty for some reason. Probably because of the way her supposed lover watched the redhead, and there was the fact she somehow knew about their connecti
on to Owen. Dane wanted to smash Morley’s face in but restrained himself.
“Actually, Kitty did this to herself,” Morley corrected. “Working for Owen Stallbridge is the wrong way to play in Linda’s house.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Dane squeezed Kitty in his arms, hating the lifelessness of her form.
“Don’t lie to me. You accompanied Stallbridge’s bitch. Hell. You’re fucking her. You really think I don’t know you’re a part of this?” Morley turned to Linda and shook his head. “Come on, babe. You know he’s guilty, you just don’t want him to be.”
Linda scowled. “I don’t care. You can’t hurt his hands. He’s going to be worth a fortune to me.”
“But the woman?”
“Her, you can have.”
Morley’s grin made Dane nauseated. And then Dane realized it wasn’t his grin. Dane’s vision started to fade. “Son of a bitch…”
He felt himself slipping as he lost his hold on Kitty. And then he knew nothing more.
Chapter Eleven
Linda watched her hopes sink into unconsciousness and sighed. “It was too much to wish he wasn’t aware of her plan.”
“Honey, they’re together. I know how much you like his work, but he’s dangerous.”
“Still. Maybe I can wrangle some production out of him before we kill him. Might as well take advantage. You know artists are usually worth more dead than alive anyway.”
“Good point.”
Morley glanced at the girl again, and Linda did her best to pretend it didn’t bother her. Kitty Nelson was unfortunately just his type. Busty, assertive, striking, and a redhead.
“I can use her?”
“For the ring.” Not for sex. Not that telling Morley that would change anything. He fucked who and when he wanted. Something she loved about him. But it did bother her to have to dispose of so many tramps behind him. Not that he knew or would care if he did know. Morley didn’t spend more than a few nights with any of them, not when he had Linda. But just to be sure, Linda had been cleaning up his one-night stands for months.
“A female fight attracts more than straight male competitions. Though if we match an opponent with Hanson’s size and skill, we’ll have a real contest. Kitty’s attractive enough. We’ll have plenty of takers to watch her get her ass handed to her.”
