“Good night, sweet girl.”
“Night, Heather. Will we see you again soon?” Michael’s words sounded normal, but his eyes as they found hers showed the concern. The fear that she would change like Katy had changed. Like Bonnie had changed. The fear that she would be like every other Pritchett woman when the power rose up.
It was good that he was afraid.
“Sure thing. Dinner next Sunday?” Heather brushed the dirt off her jeans, and he nodded once. His arms still protectively wrapped around her mom.
“That sounds great. Take care.” He turned back to whispering to her mom, and she took her leave of them. Heading back out the stone path, shutting the gate gently this time before leaning back against it and looking up at the moon.
Would she be vicious like Katy when she claimed her magic? Power hungry like Bonnie? Unstable and fragile like her mother?
Heather thumped her head back against the wood of the gate. Her mom was right to be worried. Michael was right to be afraid.
Hell, Heather was terrified.
Chapter Two
It was probably the fear, or facing what the rite could do to her, or more likely just the complete desperation for normalcy that had her knocking on Rick’s door at two o’clock in the morning. The first knocks hadn’t roused him and she thought she might leave, but she tried once more. The third time her knuckles rapped on the wood, she heard the sound of the deadbolt turning.
“Who is - …Heather?” Rick was all messy dark hair, his voice deep with sleep. A shadow of facial hair covered his cheeks, and his mouth tilted up at the edge as his eyes focused on her.
“Hi,” she said, self-conscious about waking him up like a crazy person.
“Hi.” He let the door fall open and leaned against the door frame. He was shirtless, and his tanned skin caught the light from the street. Hello, six pack. This was exactly what she needed. “What brings you here in the middle of the night?”
“I thought you might want company.” Heather was suddenly aware that her outfit wasn’t exactly what she would normally show up at Rick’s door in. A big coat over a plain top, jeans and boots. Her hair was probably a mess, and she’d been crying off and on for the last several hours. Rick’s laugh sent a buzz over her skin anyway.
“Your company? You know I’m always open to that.” His dark eyes were trailing down her, and she wished it was spring so she could have at least been in a dress. “But I thought you couldn’t see me anymore.” Rick’s voice was lower, and her decision solidified in her brain.
“I need a distraction. Are you going to invite me in?” She matched his cocky tone and was rewarded with another low chuckle as he backed away from the door and waved an arm towards the dark interior.
“You seem to be feeling a little bossy to be standing at my door, Heather.” He shut it behind her and a thrill ran down her spine.
“Maybe you should punish me then.” She dropped her messenger bag on the table by his door and started to pull off her coat and scarf. Rick just crossed his arms to watch.
“Is that what you want, pretty girl? You came here to be punished?” He was waking up fast. Nothing like a willing woman delivering herself to your doorstep to smooth over a late night wake-up call.
“I came here to be distracted. Think you could help me out?” Heather just dropped the coat and scarf on the floor and was about to kick off her boots when Rick leaned forward to grab her shoulders lightly.
“You already said that. Tell me what you’re distracting yourself from. Is it another guy?” Rick’s eyebrow ticked up and she fought the urge to roll her eyes at the irony of his jealousy. He really didn’t want to be in Mr. Yet-To-Be-Named’s shoes.
“Kind of. I have something to do in a couple of days, and I’m not going to be the same after. I just want a dose of normalcy before then.” Heather reached for his flannel pajama pants, tugging at the waist before he grabbed her hands to stop her.
“You came to me for normalcy?” He laughed, “What on earth do you have planned with this other guy?”
“Do you want to talk, or do you want to go to your room?” Heather pulled her hands back from his and tore her top off over her head. His eyes dropped to her bra and the groan that slipped out of him was answer enough.
“You want to play, pretty girl?” Rick’s thumbs traced the waist of her jeans until they found the button and he popped it open, lowering the zipper.
“Yes, sir.” Just fucking distract me already. Heather matched his hands and in moments she’d kicked her boots off, and he’d yanked her jeans down. She tugged at his pajamas until they slid off his hips and pooled on the floor. Then his mouth was on hers and it was good. His lips were warm, the scrape of his stubble against her face was a welcome texture. Real, and male, and safe. She’d known calling him ‘sir’ would kick the night off. Rick was perfectly uncomplicated. He’d never wanted something serious, hadn’t freaked out when she’d told him she was done, and wasn’t holding it over her head for showing up again two months later. His hands were behind her thighs as he lifted her, her legs wrapping around his waist. Heather pushed her hands into his hair, holding on to the kiss, pouring herself into every distraction his firm body against hers could provide.
“Remember your safe word, Heather?” Rick pressed her against the wall of his bedroom, his hands finally free to run down her sides and back up to unhook her bra and toss it somewhere.
“Are you still using yellow and red?” Her voice was breathy as his lips traced across her collarbone, his hands cupping and molding her breasts against his palms.
“Yes. Good girl for remembering.” Rick’s hands came up to hold her face, his mouth a mischievous grin. “Are you sure you want to be here?” Why was he such a good guy? She didn’t deserve him. She didn’t deserve his concern. But she was going to take advantage of his willingness anyway. His cock was hard against the core of her, the thin fabric of her panties the last infuriating barrier between them.
“Yes, Rick, sir, I’m sure.” To make her point she rolled her hips against him and their mutual moans finally sealed the deal. He slid her down his front and kissed her again, pressing her back hard against the wall until she felt every inch of him.
“Get on the bed. Face down. And take off the underwear unless you want me cutting them off you.” Rick was smiling as he said it, but his voice was pure Dominant. He really was her favorite. The calm eye of the epic storm her life was all the time. Heather slid the underwear down as he walked to his closet, giving her an incredible view of his firm ass, the muscles of his back shifting under his skin as he opened the door. She took a deep breath as she climbed on the bed and laid down on her stomach. His bed smelled so good. Lingering cologne, his laundry detergent, and the smell of him. Dark, and masculine, and rich.
“So you’ve been a bad girl, Heather?” His voice did strange things to her stomach. That edge in his voice promising exactly what she’d come for.
“You could say that.” She glanced over at him, seeing the narrow paddle in his strong hands. That was going to sting.
“Want to confess?” Rick raised an eyebrow at her, his voice still deep and serious, but his mouth was always on the edge of a smile. He never made her nervous, never pushed her too far. He was perfect. And perfectly off-limits if she wanted him to live to see thirty-five.
So why are you here, Heather? Her brain piped up.
Because she was selfish. Fucking selfish. Just like Theresa had said. And this would be the last time, the last time, she promised herself. “Just trust me. I’m not a good girl. Sir.”
“Alright, Heather. I’m not one to turn down a hot sub in my bed, even if it is after two AM.” He chuckled, and she put her face down into his sheets. “Want to pick a number?”
“Not really, I just want to feel it tomorrow.” Her voice was muffled against the bed, but his laugh wasn’t.
“God, Heather, you’re in a dark mood. Let me see what I can do to improve it.” Rick’s voice got closer and she felt the bed
dip under his weight. His hand brushed up her neck, pushing her hair out of the way as he turned her face towards his. He kissed her again, nipping her lip before his tongue found hers. A moan slipped out of her and she pushed herself up onto her elbows, his fingers tightening to hold her to him. He leaned over her further and she went to turn over, but he pulled back. A hard swat to her ass with his hand made her yelp. “Did I say to break position?”
“No, sir.” Heather bit her lip to keep from smiling. It was hard to stay in the mindset when he kept switching between normal conversation and Dom-Rick mode.
“Then maybe you should get back into it.” He watched her as she shifted back onto her stomach, burying her face in the sheets again, her arms by her head. “Spread your legs, pretty girl. I want to watch that pussy get wet.”
Heat thrummed through her at his words, and she moved her knees farther apart. The crack of the paddle across her ass caught her by surprise and she yelped into the bed.
“Wider, Heather. You know better.” Ah, he was done trying to get her to really talk to him. He was ready to play. Thank God. Heather spread her legs farther apart and she felt soft nylon straps go around her ankle. She knew from when they’d been together they were tethered under the bed, and a moment later both her legs were bound far apart. He left her wrists alone; it wasn’t as if she could go anywhere now. “Safe word if you need to, pretty girl.”
She nodded, unable to speak now that he was all dominant. Her voice always left her when he was like this, fully in control. It was so much easier to just let go and nod. The second crack of the paddle had her squirming, her legs testing the bonds at her ankles, and the third came down before the sting had settled. Heat was rising in her skin between the sharp stings of the paddle, and Rick picked up a rhythm that made it hard to guess when and where the next strike would land. Heather’s fists were clenched in the sheets, her face pressed into the bed as her body jerked with each sharp swat. She’d lost count when he paused and stepped closer to the bed, and she became aware of the whimpering moans she’d been making for the last few minutes. His hand was cool as he traced over the welts on her ass, and his fingers slid between her legs and found their mark. She groaned and lifted her hips off the bed. Yes, please. He teased her, his touch light as he parted her lips and traced the wetness there. Heather whimpered, fighting the urge to just beg for him. When she begged he traditionally dragged it out longer.
“Heather, do you want more?” His finger dipped inside her and she gasped, moaning as he gently stroked her inside, too gently to do anything more than make her hyper-aware of how wet her pussy was. She nodded, shifting her hips to try and get his touch to increase. His mouth was closer to her ear when he spoke again, “You want me to spank you, or keep touching you here?” Rick slid his wet fingers down to her clit and brushed her softly. Her hips bucked against his touch but he knew what he was doing, he applied the barest hint of pressure, leaving her panting and whimpering. If she chose him touching her, he could tease her like this for hours. He had incredible self-control. If she chose the spanking, it was much more likely he’d give in faster. And she deserved to feel it tomorrow. She deserved to feel it all week. His hand prints over the welts from the paddle. Whatever he’d give her.
“Would you spank me, sir?” Her voice was so different when she was like this, soft and pleading. He loved it.
“You should be bad more often, pretty girl. You can come by for penance any time. Move down, ass up. I want you across my lap.” Rick watched her move, and waited a little longer than necessary before he got onto the bed next to her. He shifted his legs under her and then pulled her body down across his thighs. The hard press of his cock against her stomach made her wriggle. She wanted him to fuck her. She wanted him to spank her. Honestly, she wanted whatever he was willing to give. His hand came down hard across her ass, his other hand in her hair to keep her face down over his lap. She shifted again as the spanking woke up the welts from the paddle, but he just tightened his grip on her hair. “Be still.”
“Yes, sir,” she mumbled into the sheets, but it was probably lost in the next cry that burst from her lips as his hand came down again. Each sharp snap of his palm connecting with her skin had her body singing. Sensations collided inside her; the pending promise of his body against hers, the tension of the bindings at her ankles keeping her prone over his lap — all of it combining to wind her tight. He was strong, and the louder she cried out, the louder she moaned, the harder he brought his hand down until there were tears in her eyes and she was shaking her head back and forth. As usual she couldn’t find her words, she never begged during a punishment, only when he was teasing her, but she didn’t want to safe word. It didn’t hurt enough. She deserved a lot more, but Rick wouldn’t do any more and she knew it.
“Fuck!” She screamed as he suddenly slid two fingers inside her, her brain trying to shift gears from pain to pleasure so quickly that there was some kind of car crash in her nervous system and she came. The orgasm left her shivering and breathless across his lap, her fists clenched tightly into the sheets.
“Did I say you could come, Heather?” Rick’s voice was deceptively casual, his fingers still buried inside her. Heather bit her lip and whimpered without thinking about it. She shook her head as much as she could with his fingers wound tightly in her hair. “Say it.”
“You did not give me permission to come, sir.” Her voice came at his call, and he pumped his fingers slowly inside her, her body still trembling in the aftermath.
“No. I didn’t.” He removed his touch from her and moved her off his lap. She pushed herself up on her elbows to watch him walk back to the closet. He turned around and her eyes were temporarily more focused on his cock than what was in his hand, but then she saw it. The curved metal object resembled a hook, and Rick’s eyes were watching her reaction closely. “Remember we were working on expanding your horizons before you decided you wanted some time to yourself?”
She nodded. They had been working on making her more comfortable with anal. Rick enjoyed it, they had done it a few times, but he had wanted her to be at ease with it, and the only way to do that according to Rick was practice. He sat the hook down next to her on the bed.
“Up on your knees.” He lengthened the straps at her ankles and swatted her ass sharply. “Center of the bed, pretty girl.” Heather moved until the straps were taut again. “I bought this specifically for you, figured I’d never get to use it though.”
Rick pulled open the bottom drawer of his bedside table, bringing out a hair tie. That was not what she had expected him to take out. He handed it to her. “Put your hair in a ponytail, nice and tight. Good girl.” He reached back into the drawer and grabbed a metal circle and a length of rope.
Fuck.
He pushed her back on all fours and threaded her hair through the metal circle, looping it back on itself until it was firmly locked. He attached the rope to it and trailed it down her spine, the end of the rope falling between her legs suggestively. Heather whimpered, she knew exactly what Rick had planned.
“Still good?” He was smiling when he reached back into his drawer of tricks and pulled out lube. She swallowed and made herself nod. “Brave girl tonight, aren’t you? This won’t really hurt unless you drop your head, or if you come without permission and I give the rope a good tug.” His fingers slid over her ass, slippery with lube, before he pressed a finger past her tight ring of muscles. Heather groaned, trying to remember how to relax, push back, not fight it. A second finger pushing in a moment later had her whining. He brushed his other hand across her back, shushing her as he moved his fingers rhythmically. Then his fingers were gone and the cold metal was there, pressing inside her, filling her as she groaned.
“Sir…” She whimpered when he tugged the rope and she was forced to lift her head, and then she felt the tug on the metal as he tied the rope off. She must have made quite the display. On all fours, her hair pulled back, head up, the shining metal curving up over the top of her ass to
meet the rope. Rick definitely enjoyed the view as he stepped back to admire his handiwork.
“You’re doing beautifully. How does it feel?” His voice was hungry, and she wished she could turn to see his face, but every movement of her body caused the metal to shift inside her.
“Different.” Heather squirmed and gasped as the urge to turn her head pulled the metal deeper.
“I really want to fuck you like this. Think you can handle it?” Rick’s tone was a rough growl, and she couldn’t deny him. Not with everything he was unknowingly doing for her just by letting her be in his bed tonight.
“Yes, sir.” She whimpered and she heard the crinkle of foil as he opened a condom and put it on before moving behind her on the bed. His hands traced her sides, massaging her hips. He plucked the rope and she groaned, his low chuckle was deliciously devious.
“Gorgeous. Remember to ask permission to come, pretty girl.” He lined his cock up with her core and thrust inside her. She cried out from the pleasure of being filled so completely as his body pressed the hook deeper. The welts on her ass had her skin incredibly sensitive and every movement of his cock moved the hook until her body was a confused mass of nerve signals that had her moaning loudly. His grunts behind her were pushing her further. She half-screamed when a particularly hard thrust caused her to try to bend her head down. His fingers slid over her hip and between her thighs to find her clit, and she pushed back hard as his touch circled tight and fast. “Do you need to come, Heather?”
Unable to nod, she made herself speak, her voice quiet at first until it rose into begging pleas, “Yes, please, yes, sir. Please, may I please come?”
A sharp thrust almost threw her over the edge. She was so full, too full, and the thrust of his cock was too much with his intense focus on her clit. “Yes, pretty girl, yes you can come.”
His hand found her hip and he pulled her sharply back against him; a few strong, deep thrusts and pleasure spiraled down her spine to explode into heat between her thighs as the tension inside her snapped. The relief on the other side of her orgasm had her body trembling as he stilled behind her, his cock kicking with his release. Soft curses fell from his lips as his fingers dug sharply into her hip.
The Darker Side of Love (A Dark Erotica Boxed Set) Page 17
