by Dace Everan
Lania furrowed her brow in thought and glanced across the small space in his duffle. “Really, like real cop cuffs?” she uttered. Wow, this was getting real. His job was real, his job was dangerous. Why did that thought make her tummy ache? Cal chuckled, and it filled her with warmth.
“Yes, real ones.”
Lania studied him a moment. “You’ll allow me to cuff you just to shower with me?”
Cal nodded. If this is what it took to have a shower with her, he would take it. He hated the thought of those cuffs digging into his wrists. But it was so worth having the time with her.
“And what happens if I touch you?”
Cal raised a brow. “You kinda have to, sweetheart.”
Lania’s tummy fluttered again. Why was he always calling her sweetheart? Damn, it felt nice. “Not just cleaning you…”
Cal watched as she bit her lower lip nervously and his heart lurched. He pressed her hand to his lips. “Lania, if you want to touch me, I am fine with that.”
Lania pursed her lips and shook her head. “This is hard for me, Cal.”
“Then you take your time,” he replied calmly. If it took an hour, then shit, he would risk the cold water. If it took a year for her to be comfortable, then he would take the year. If it took the rest of their lives, he would stand by her and endure every moment of every emotion with her.
Lania inhaled a calming breath. “Let me see the cuffs,” she ordered, watching as Cal smiled, swiftly rolled from the bed, and scooped up his duffle. He dug through and presented the cuffs. Lania held her hand out for them, and when the cold metal touched her palm, she shivered. Her brow furrowed and her gaze met Cal’s. “We shouldn’t have to do this,” she mumbled, turning her attention back to the cuffs.
“I agree, but if this is how we have to do it, this is how we do it,” he assured, his eyes soft and full of support.
Lania bit her lower lip and nodded. “Really hard,” she mumbled. It was for her. The thought of standing naked next to him turned her on, but it was the stupid thoughts that followed that filtered through her head, of being shoved down and pushed into the hard, cold floor.
Cal knelt next to the bed and took her trembling hand in his. Her breathing had accelerated and her face had paled, and she looked to be in a faraway place. “Right here, sweetheart. Look at me,” he coaxed gently, waiting for her head to turn to look at him.
Lania slowly looked at him and the images slowly ceased. She released a steady breath and slumped. “Maybe this is too fast?”
Cal shook his head. “This is normal, sweetheart, to have the thoughts, to feel the fear. We need to try, though. You will never get past this first step if we don’t try.”
Lania gave a slight nod. He was right, of course. She had to push herself. She needed to face her fears.
Cal caressed her cheek. “Strong woman,” he praised.
* * * *
Lania glanced up at him, arms up and hands cupping the back of his head. She wouldn’t be able to explore too long. It would be only minutes before his arms would start tingling. She’d left the cuffs loose enough that they wouldn’t cut off any circulation and if he really wanted to he could get out. Her tummy fluttered at the thought. “Okay, comfy?” she asked.
Cal grinned. “You know, Lania, of all the positions you have put me in, this is the first time you have asked me that.”
Lania tried to smile, but instead she gave a nervous nod and led him to the shower. “It’s the first time I’ve ever cuffed a man to have a shower with him,” she murmured. This was entirely different from what they did in the club or at his home. This wasn’t Mistress playing with her sub. This was her, Lania, having a shower with Cal.
Cal stopped before he stepped into the shower, looking at her. She still wore his shirt. “You are not allowed to wear that in here,” he teased.
Lania did smile then. “I’m not, give me a second!”
Cal nodded and didn’t budge, waiting for her to remove the garment.
Lania released an exasperated breath. “Fine,” she mumbled, starting on the buttons.
Cal turned and watched. Her hands trembled and she wouldn’t make eye contact with him. “You have beautiful breasts.” He hummed as she slid one sleeve off.
“Yes, I know,” she murmured.
Cal grinned. Okay, at least she was aware and loved herself there. His gaze trailed lower. “Did you like when I kissed your pussy?” Her hands stilled and her breathing stopped. He had known it was too much, but he wanted to see how she reacted.
“Yes,” she finally answered, letting the shirt fall into the pile of clothes on the floor.
“Good, so did I. You taste delectable.” And she did. He remembered the first time he’d gone down on a woman. It had turned his stomach and the smell hadn’t helped. He remembered his friends joking about liking fish. Yeah, he got that after the first time. But Lania, she was an aromatic, intoxicating scent. It had engulfed him and when she had told him to take his tongue off her pussy, it had torn him in half not to have her flavour directly on his tongue assaulting his taste buds.
Lania met his gaze then. He was going for shock value. She was sure of it. “Yes, well you taste rather nice yourself.”
Cal cleared his throat, as that was a lame attempt at complimenting him.
Lania stopped and turned back to him, looking up at him. “Very nice, I…I remember salty and”—a disgusted look covered her face—“pungent.” She scrunched her nose. “It stung and I didn’t like it when they did it in my face,” she mumbled.
Cal stared at her. This was going to get hard to adjust to, her sharing these tidbits of info. But now the lame compliment made him feel like a God. He tasted nice, and to her it was scrumptious.
Lania felt the water temperature and made room for him to get in. Cal groaned as the hot water pelted his back, as her fingers massaged his scalp. He opened his eyes when her touch seized. He watched as she looked over his three-in-one shampoo body wash and face cleaner. She looked at him. “This will not do well on my hair,” she shared, plopping a rather healthy dollop onto his loofa. She started on his shoulders, working her way around him, her fingers following old scars. When she touched the bruise on his hip he winced.
“That one’s a little tender yet,” he shared, watching as she lowered to a crouch, his gaze automatic to peek at her open pussy. Fuck! He released a sharp breath. Pale, puffy pussy lips open and displaying a bright pink slit. He tensed and flexed his arms.
Lania caught the small details of his reaction. She assumed it was her legs spread and his open sight to her pussy. She was sure he wouldn’t be able to see her pussy, but obviously she was mistaken. She ignored it and traced the outside of the large bruise. “What caused this?” she asked.
Cal shrugged. “Can’t remember. Could have been being slammed into a car, or hip checked by Darnel at the office. I did tackle a delinquent the other day, and landed hard on the cement.”
Lania looked at him. “Really?” Oddly, these marks resembled a rather thick paddle.
Cal shrugged. “Don’t keep track of all the boo-boos.”
Lania nodded, circling him and starting up the back of his legs. She smiled at the sight of his tight, muscled ass. She’d always loved touching his ass. Said ass tensed when she took both cheeks in hand and squeezed. She gave a slow swipe, washing him, her tongue following. The deep groan that escaped him warmed her. She dropped the loofah, and one hand cupped his balls while the other grasped his thick erection. She hummed as she lowered herself, her mouth engulfing his balls.
Cal spread his legs, accommodating her, and she went full throttle on him. Her deep humming sent vibrations through him. However she had managed to maneuver between his legs was beyond him, but when her hot mouth engulfed his dick he was gone. He arched to her and let the thrills sweep through him.
She worked him hard and fast, her mouth sucking as she reached his tip. Her throat opened to him, and his tip bumped the back of her throat as she engulfed him. “Please, L
ania,” he pleaded. He knew she could take it, knew she would swallow as his dick intruded her throat.
Lania moaned as his dick buried deeper. She peeked up at him, and shit if it didn’t make her hotter, his eyes watching her as his dick was shoved down her throat. His eyes were the cloudy blue she loved. She swallowed then and felt his dick pulse in her mouth. She hummed, her hand gently massaging his balls. His arms moved and she smiled around the thick cock in his mouth.
“Fuck!”
Her eyes closed slowly as she felt his cum jet down her throat. Her head bobbed back and forth and she made sure to keep eye contact as he released his spunk, filling her mouth.
Cal breathed raggedly as Lania’s tongue licked the length of his softening dick. “Fuck, Lania…” He clenched his fists and stared down at her. “You’re fucking amazing.” The smile she returned was sultry, and shit if his dick didn’t jerk back to life.
Lania raised a brow. Cal had always been a one-time releaser. This was new. She grasped his dick in her hand and stroked him right back to life.
“Fuck, Lania,” he groaned, his head falling back as she stroked him, her tongue flicking his tip. “Yeah, more of that,” he mumbled.
Lania tightened her grip, pumping him and giving his tip a hard suck.
“Ahh, fuck!”
Lania giggled as warmth dribbled into her mouth. She sucked it up and slurped at his dick.
Chapter Fourteen
Cal fell back against the cold shower wall and tried to calm his pounding heart, to catch his breath. Lania licked at his nipples and a shiver tore through him. He felt her hands massaging his biceps, making their way to his wrists. When he felt the cuffs loosen, his eyes shot open.
“Your arms are probably going numb,” she murmured.
He gave a nod and swallowed the lump at the back of his throat. She trusted him to be loose with her. He was slow at lowering his arms, the tingling so worth what he had just received. When he had feeling back in them, he wrapped them around Lania and hugged her close. “Thank you,” he whispered against her ear.
Lania smiled and leaned into him. This felt nice, his big arms around her, his naked skin against hers. How could she be afraid of him, afraid to have this with him? He wouldn’t hurt her. She peeked up at him. “Can we lay in bed naked?” She wanted to try it, to feel this under the sheets, his heat warming her flesh, his heart pounding next to hers.
“You’re gonna turn me into a bed potato,” he teased, a grin on his face.
Lania returned the smile and hugged her arms around his waist. It was only minutes before he turned the water off and draped a towel around her, pecking her on the temple. “Come on, you’re shivering,” he whispered.
He led her to the bed and pulled the towel from around her, smacking her bottom. “Cover up. I just gotta go clean up our mess.”
Lania shook her head. “No, clean it later,” she murmured, eyes full of pleading. She had the strength to ask him to lay with her now. But to follow through was something entirely different.
Cal considered her a moment then nodded his head, tossing the damp towel. He crawled in and hugged her close. Lania shifted, her knee nearly meeting with his balls as she tried to find a comfortable spot.
Cal cringed and then relaxed as she harrumphed and shifted again. A low growl escaped her as she moved another time, and he chuckled. “Relax, Lania. Close your eyes and pretend we’re at the club.” He waited for her to comply, and when she did he eased his arm beneath her head and let her go from there. Within seconds she was snuggled to his side, her leg draped over his stomach, her arm draped across his chest, her hand cupping his shoulder and her face buried in his neck.
He smiled and let his hand rest on her hip. “There, better?”
“Yes. This is hard!” She lifted her head and looked at him. “Really, is this is what real relationships are like? This.” She paused in thought. “This clumsy.” She tucked stray hair behind her ear. “Awkward.” She shifted closer. “Trying to find a comfy spot on one another, wondering if you’re squishing the other or not,” she uttered in bewilderment.
Cal burst out in laughter. “Makes our other relationship look so much more tantalizing, doesn’t it? Yes, as far as I know, awkward, clumsy, bumpy, and full of unexpected scenarios that a person has to work their way around.”
Lania raised a brow. She’d never thought of it that way. Scenarios to work around? So they could take her experience as a scenario and work around it?
Cal saw her brain ticking. She had that concentrated look. “Speak, Lania. Let me know what you’re thinking.”
She bit her lip and settled her head back on his shoulder her finger drawing invisible lines along his collarbone. “So we can work around what happened to me?”
Cal furrowed his brow. “No. We can work around scenarios, like I want steak, you want chicken. Fine, we grill chicken. What happened to you needs to be dealt with and worked with. Not worked around.”
Lania slumped and pinched him. “What if I want to work around them?”
Cal shook his head. “That’s the easy route. You never take the easy route. I’m not saying let’s talk about every little detail, but there will be times like in the shower where you can’t…wait. How can I say this?”
Lania snorted. “Freak out and get scared and have to cuff you to be naked with you?”
Cal grinned, giving her a squeeze. “I think we passed a bridge here today. You’re naked with me and you’re not threatening to cuff, bind, or beat me.”
Lania looked up at the underside of his chin. He was right. She felt at ease. “But you came. You won’t need any more attention.”
Cal laughed. “Don’t fool yourself, Lania. You know I can easily get a woody with you lying here naked.”
She frowned and looked at his neck. He could, couldn’t he? She was indeed fooling herself, and even with this information she still felt at ease with him. “So how do we go from here?” she asked.
Cal scrunched his nose. “First I need to know what Lania wants.”
Lania was back up and looking at him. “I thought that was clear?”
Cal grinned. “Sweetheart, I can take your actions in many ways. You want to control me, dominate me. You dream of having that done to you but won’t allow anyone to do that. You want to have a man make love to you, but you need to clarify that one to me yet. You have passion so overwhelming even I feel undeserving of it at times.” He cupped her face in his large hand. “You want passionately like a woman, but—” He touched her temple. “We need to work up here first.” He reached down and laid a hand between her breasts. “And here,” he whispered.
Lania looked at his large hand on her chest, his dark skin next to her pale skin. His callused palms tickled and he was right. She wanted him to make love to her, to bind her up and make her fantasies come true. She met his gaze and gave a nod.
He smiled, leaning close, his lips just touching hers. “Then we go there.”
* * * *
The week was spent in each other’s company. Every morning Lania would show up for a morning run, followed by a warm shower with light touching. Lania loved it. The way his hands would brush over her hips, across her tummy, and around the curve of her ass. He touched parts of her that made her feel like a wanted woman, like an innocent. That was followed by a slow dressing of each other, lying in bed or on the couch, or sitting in the overstuffed chair together and nibbling on fruit and reading the morning paper. Afternoons were spent hiking, or exploring local interest areas.
It was in the second week when Lania had her business meeting. “I can come?” Cal asked as he popped a cube of pineapple into her mouth, her lips catching on his finger. He grinned as she gave him a suck and released him.
“It’s going to be boring. We talk stocks and brands and tastes and potency. You know, boring business stuff.”
Cal pecked her on the tip of her nose. “If you despise these meetings so much, why bother? Don’t you have people to do this?”
La
nia nodded. “Jarden accompanied me on them the first year. He knows what it’s all about.”
Cal nodded. “Let him do it.”
Lania giggled. “He hates working with those uppity ups. Mind you, he likes Ben. Frank is another story.”
Cal raised a brow. “Ben and Frank?” he questioned.
Lania grinned, pecking him on the cheek. “Yeah, Ben’s a hottie and Frank is, well, Frank. And I get to sit around with them and sip on wine.”
Cal frowned. “You get drunk with two men and that doesn’t bother you?” He thought for sure she wouldn’t put herself in that position.
Lania nodded. “Their wives are always with us. They stopped trying to set me up after the first year, and I took a crop to the man they had sent to take a crop to me.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Ben and Frank are my business partners. Have been forever. Ben since before I inherited the business.” She quirked her lips to the side and looked at him. “Ben was the one to bring Frank in. He assured me he would be great to have as part of the team. I went with it and here we are. Business partners and thriving.”
Cal stared at her. His only thought was on the guy who had been sent to her with a crop. “Are these people a part of the community?”
Lania nodded without thought. “Oh you will have to come with me. You and Ben would get along great! Frank’s a bit of a douche, but that’s just my opinion.” She shrugged her shoulders with that last comment.
Cal studied her. She really didn’t like Frank. Normally Lania was more open about the “why” of disliking a person. But in her words regarding Frank, he heard nothing but dislike. “What did Frank do?” he asked out right.
Lania looked at him, startled. “Nothing, I just don’t like him is all.” She poked at a strawberry, holding it in front of his mouth. “Eat, your tummy is grumbling and it’s making mine grumble in sympathy,” she ordered.
