by Bowles, Jan
“Should I go back to my room?”
“No. I may need you again.” He was harsh with her, he knew, but at the moment the money still dominated his thoughts. In reality, she should be in jail, not enjoying herself.
When she turned away from him, her shoulders heaved and he knew she must be upset. He stroked his hand along the delicious curve of her body, accentuated by the softness of the mattress, until he reached her hair, where he gathered a handful. It was so soft as it billowed around his fingers. He would never get tired of touching it. “Look, I’m still angry about the money. If you have a good reason, then say it now. Because this way is madness.”
Her blonde corkscrew curls moved as she shook her head. “You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Try me.”
“I can’t believe it myself. So you wouldn’t either.”
He wrapped an arm around her, and pulled her tight against his body. Her soft skin melted into his, as if it was always meant to be. “Maddie, I had such faith in you. I’ve admired your rise in the company. You had such excellent credentials and high principles. That time in your office, I genuinely wanted to take you out. It wasn’t about promotion or anything of the kind. I wanted to know you as a woman.”
She turned to look at him, her face highlighted by the soft glow from the bedside lamp. Her gaze locked with his, the pale green irises wide with a thousand questions that he knew she would never ask. “And how do you feel now, Keaton?”
“I’m not sure.” He let out a long slow breath, as he stared at her mouth. “I guess you wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t felt something then.”
“Then I’m genuinely sorry I’ve disappointed you. I’ll pay you back the money as soon as I can, and then we can go our separate ways.”
“Good. Until then, we can both gain something from this experience, because you do not disappoint me in bed.”
* * * *
The next morning, Maddie stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She still looked the same. Had she really expected herself to look any different? Perhaps she had half expected her forehead to be stamped with the word “whore.” She didn’t feel like one, but surely that’s what she was. What else would you call a thief who had given her body away in order to stay out of jail?
Her hands clenched on the sink, and she turned from the mirror, disgusted with herself. Her cheeks burned hot as she thought of last night until she splashed her face with cold water.
Keaton had made love to her—she corrected herself—Keaton had fucked her three times. Each time he’d dominated her, and she’d loved every minute of it. It had been a new experience for her, climaxing every time. When she’d had sex with her previous lovers, she’d only managed to reach orgasm on rare occasions. So why was it so easy with Keaton? Perhaps it was because what they were doing together was dangerous and forbidden. Yes, sex was far more exciting when it was illicit. He had so much control over his body he seemed to be able to give her as much time as she needed. Indeed, the more powerful her orgasms, the slower he became until she was lost in peaks of ecstasy.
To begin with it had all seemed alien to her, but when they’d started talking, she’d gained a better understanding of his needs. Now she genuinely regretted the time in her office, when she’d declined his invitation to dinner. She sighed at what might have been, and then realized that Simone would have still ruined it for her anyway.
Her hands gripped the towel as she dabbed her face dry. Simone would get her just desserts. A grimace formed on her mouth. Revenge was a dish best served cold. By the time she was finished here, she would be just about ready to seek justice for herself.
She smoothed her hands down her pale green dress, pulling it into shape, about her womanly curves. Her hair had billowed out into an impossible cloud of blonde curls. Too bad. For the first time in her life, she had quit worrying about her hair. There were more important things to worry about, like breakfast with Keaton Rivers. Just how was she going to face a man who had given her intense pleasure, but who still remained a total stranger to her?
As Maddie made her way down the wide sweeping staircase, she heard him on the telephone. His deep velvety voice, assertive and controlled, said, “Tell the board that I have contained the incident. The money is being traced and will be re-instated in due course.” He listened and then spoke again. “As far as I’m concerned, the incident is closed.” He chuckled, and then said, “Tell them they have my word—oh, all right, Harry Taylor always was a stickler—no, in that case I’d put the money back myself. Like I said, it’s contained. Case closed. No, she won’t be coming back. Just pack up her possessions and send them here. Very well, Bob.”
Slipping past his open office door, she heard the phone click dead as she edged into the dining room. All this trouble because of her. If she didn’t come up with the money, would Keaton use his own money to fill the shortfall? And if he did, what would he do with her?
Just as she sat down at the table, he appeared in the doorway dressed in faded jeans and a light gray T-shirt. His eyes narrowed on her, assessing her appearance. “I shall be out all day. If you need to use the telephone to find out about your house sale, then please go ahead. All phone calls are monitored, so I’ll know exactly what you say.” He studied her. “Remember, until you pay back the money, you belong to me. Only then will you be free to go.”
His words sent a shiver down her spine, and she pushed her cereal bowl away. Her appetite had still not returned.
“I hope you’ll eat something today.”
“Maybe later.”
“Very well, but don’t keep it up. There’s only so much sympathy one can bestow on a thief.”
Her heart sank. Having spent the whole night together, she had hoped he’d be friendlier toward her. How wrong could she be? She guessed he despised her.
“Surely, you don’t want to control every aspect of my life?”
He walked toward her, then leaned down and whispered in her ear, “At this moment in time you should be languishing in jail, so any freedoms you still think you have are now null and void.” He placed a finger under her chin, lifting it, forcing her to look at him. Her stomach coiled tightly, not in fear, but in desire, as her eyes met with his. God help her. She wanted him to dominate her. She wanted the sheer intensity she could see in his gaze focused entirely on her. It simply took her breath away.
“Tonight we’ll start to understand what made you turn to a life of crime.” With that, he walked away.
Through the dining room window, she watched him slide into a brand new black Mustang. Within seconds, he was gone, leaving just a cloud of dust and stones in his wake. Deep down, she couldn’t help but look forward to their night together and wonder what pleasures it would bring.
* * * *
As he sped away from the ranch, Keaton reflected that Maddie James brought out the very worst in him—the part he’d always kept hidden for years. Just one look in her eyes and he was lost. He had thought that after one night, he would tire of her, making it easy to keep emotions and feelings in check. Only, Maddie was like a drug. One fix just wasn’t enough. Now he wanted more.
Needed more.
Last night had brought it home to him like nothing else could. He’d been living a lie his entire adult life. He needed to allow the person he always knew existed inside him to the surface. Otherwise, he would never be whole.
In his previous relationships, he’d always been looking for that certain excitement that only dominance could bring. He’d let all the relationships slide, floundering for him in unsatisfactory sex. He’d never wanted to pursue any of them.
Now Maddie was different.
Totally.
He knew she’d gained from the experience, too. He’d seen it in her eyes as she’d stared back: An acceptance, an acquiescence, a handing over of control.
Well, he didn’t want to start becoming attached to her. There couldn’t possibly be a future for them. Maddie was a thief. She’d stolen from him. He might need h
er submissive characteristics, but he needed trust, too. No, tonight he’d try a different tack. See if that didn’t get her out from under his skin.
Chapter Six
This time Maddie deliberately went to his room ten minutes late. She didn’t like this feeling of need running through her, and she wanted to give the impression that she still had some control.
“Come in,” he answered, after she’d knocked three times on his bedroom door.
After pushing the door open, she noticed that, like yesterday, the room was dimly lit with just the one bedside lamp. Only this time, Keaton was nowhere to be seen. She guessed he must be in his bathroom.
He spoke again. “Lock the door and remove the key.”
Knowing the key was a symbol of his hold over her, she did as he demanded. Last night, he had kept it around his neck until the very last minute when he’d finally removed it and handed it to her. You can go now.
After taking the key from the lock, she moved further into the room until his voice halted her progress. “Stop.”
Instantly, she complied with his instructions. Almost at once she became aware of him coming up behind her. Her heart beat frantically in her chest. Just what was going to happen to her? He unnerved and excited her at the same time.
His hand brushed into her hair, as he moved it to one side. She shivered as his lips touched the bare flesh of her neck. The heat from his body radiated through the flimsy silk gown she wore, and she welcomed it, arching back against his torso as he feathered kisses down to her shoulder. “You’re late.”
“I didn’t think you’d notice.” As she spoke, her voice wavered nervously.
“I notice everything. The key. Give it to me now.”
She raised her hand and he took the key from her.
“Did you arrive late on purpose?”
“No.”
“Hmm. I think you did. Apart from the stealing, we’ll have to address the lying, too.”
Her senses heightened as he stood behind her. She gasped as he tied a silk scarf securely around her eyes. “Is that necessary, Keaton?”
“Yes, Maddie, now you’ll be doubly aware of everything I say and do.”
Without sight, she would only have her sense of touch, smell, and hearing to guide her. Instantly, her breathing heightened as he began peeling the robe from her. Her body stiffened as the cool air from the bedroom feathered across her bare flesh.
“Your shyness amuses me. I already know your body intimately. Surely, you remember we fucked nearly the whole night long?”
His words were said to shock her, she knew, so she kept her mouth firmly shut. She wouldn’t be drawn into a conversation.
He touched her breast, and squeezed her nipple hard. She was just about to cry out in pain when his mouth covered the tortured peak. His tongue lashed and soothed over the sensitive flesh. The combination of pain and then intense pleasure made her moan out loud.
“Now, when I ask a question, answer me directly and truthfully. Otherwise, I may have to discipline you. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes, Keaton.”
“So did you enjoy last night?”
“Yes,” she answered honestly. This feeling of losing control only heightened her arousal more. In all her life, she had thought tender, loving words were the only way she could achieve sexual satisfaction. It appeared she was wrong.
“Good girl.” He clasped her chin and kissed her lips. “Now we’re finally getting somewhere. Hold your hands out in front of you.”
Maddie held her arms out, and immediately they were bound with something soft, like cord or silk. Completely at his mercy, she let out a moan of opposition.
“When you’ve answered all my questions, I’ll let you go. So how do you feel now?”
“Scared, frightened.”
“Anything else?”
She swallowed hard. He must know. Surely he could see her increased breathing. If he looked into her eyes, he would know. Was that why he’d put a blindfold on her? Or maybe he didn’t want her to see his own sexual arousal?
Her nipple was squeezed even tighter. This time he didn’t let go, and she moaned in pain. “That hurts.”
“I asked if you felt anything else.”
“Arousal,” she answered quickly. “Intense arousal.” He let her nipple free, and then sucked it hard, soothing the inflamed flesh with his tongue. She couldn’t help but moan her appreciation.
“I want the truth, Maddie. Just the truth.” He pulled her toward him before roughly pushing her onto the bed. The feeling of being controlled heightened when her hands were secured above her head, onto what she assumed was the brass headboard. She pulled at the restraints.
“There’s no need to tie me up, Keaton. You’re in charge. I won’t try to escape.”
He roughly grabbed her ankles before pulling her legs apart and tying them to the bedstead.
“It will focus your mind. Besides, I told you my tastes in sex are, shall we say, unconventional. I noticed you didn’t object when I was about to call the cops.”
“No, I didn’t object, did I?” she whispered, wondering what was about to happen to her. At the moment, she longed for him to touch her everywhere. The fact that she couldn’t touch him would only heighten whatever he did.
Kneeling between her legs, she felt him lean over her. His hands cupped her face, and he kissed her lips sensuously. An object fell against her breasts, and she knew it was the key that hung around his neck.
“You do have a great body,” he murmured, as his hands trailed a path across her collarbone and down to her breasts. He squeezed both her nipples then kissed her breasts one by one, lashing his tongue over the now prominent peaks. For the life of her, she couldn’t stop her body arching toward him.
Her lips parted as his hands moved lower across her stomach, smoothing a path down, down.
Oh, God. She swallowed as his fingers slipped past her now dripping pussy, just skimming her clit, then smoothing over her thighs. She knew he would be watching every movement, every nuance of her body, as she responded helplessly to his touch.
“Now, I’ve a few questions to ask. If you lie, you get one spank. If you come, you’ll get five spanks. Bearing in mind you’ve already acquired ten spanks for being ten minutes late. You don’t really want to add anymore.”
“I didn’t know the rules, Keaton. I don’t want a spanking.” Anyway, how could she come when she was tied to the bed?
She heard the amusement in his voice. “Very well, we’ll forgo the late arrival this time, as I didn’t warn you in advance, but as we’re assuming the roles, you can start by calling me Master.”
“Yes.” She choked out the word as his hands began travelling back up her thighs.
“Yes, what?”
“Yes—” His fingers grazed across her clit, and he squeezed it momentarily until she gasped, “Master.”
Her stomach rose and fell as she panted breathlessly. Trapped where she lay, she tugged against the restraints. She was powerless to resist. It excited and frightened her at the same time.
He dipped his fingers inside her, and she squirmed from the delicious intensity of it. “It’s good to know you’re sexually aroused by this. Now why did you turn up ten minutes late?”
“To prove a point.”
“To prove a point, what?” He clasped her clit hard, squeezing it until she gasped.
“To prove a point, Master.”
“Which is?” he soothed the swollen nub, caressing it tenderly with his tongue.
The combination of alternating pleasure and pain made it hard for her to think straight. “I wanted to show that I didn’t need you.” A moan tore from her lips as he pressed his teeth against her sensitized clit, and she added quickly, “Master.”
“But you really wanted to be here with me?” She could almost sense his smile against her pussy.
“Yes, Master.”
“Why?”
Now here was a question. The answer of which eluded her. Whateve
r she said would feed his ego. As she sought an answer, her clit was squeezed exactly at the same time as her nipple. “Master, I don’t know why. I’ve never known such pleasure before.”
He began to soothe her clit with his tongue, lashing it closer and closer to ecstasy. Then she remembered she shouldn’t come. She didn’t want a spanking, too. “Master, I’m not allowed to come. Please stop.”
She pulled at the restraints securing her to the headboard to try and edge away from his all-powerful tongue, but it was no use. He lapped her whole slit and sucked on her clitoris, drawing it against his teeth. When he inserted two fingers into her wet pussy, she arched up from the bed.
“No, Master. Please, stop. I’m begging you. I won’t be able to…”
He curled his fingers upwards, heightening her pleasure, caressing her G-spot. Her whole body pulled against the restraints on her arms and ankles, intensifying the feelings running through her.
“Master, I don’t want a spanking. Please…”
He continued unabated until she could hold back no longer. The dam she had placed on her emotions burst open, and the most intense orgasm flooded through her, making her pussy convulse and vibrate against his mouth.
Her cries of ecstasy pierced the still air of the bedroom. Gasping for breath, she cursed the blindfold. If she could just see, she could at least focus on something else. A cobweb, a picture, anything to take her mind off Keaton.
“You remember the penalty for coming is five spanks?”
“Yes, Master. Sorry, Master.”
“Good, you learn well. Now, do you know where the money is?”
“No, Master.”
He squeezed her clit hard. This time, because of her recent orgasm, it was even more painful.
“Master, I’m telling the truth.”
He didn’t relinquish his hold on her, and she added quickly, “I was deceived, Master.”
