by Suzy Shearer
“I think I do, it’s hard, but I…” I cocked my head. I had no idea how to relate, but I tried. “I accept that as a cop you would have to make choices that meant someone may die. I understand you weren’t a normal police officer as I would know them, but that you worked for the side of law.”
“Always, Anabelle. Always.”
I studied him. He was no different from the man I’d met weeks back. He hadn’t grown horns, and he wasn’t wearing a gun.
“You have to know, Ana, every death was thoroughly investigated. If it had been found I’d overstepped the mark, then believe me, I’d be in jail, no question about it.”
I nodded. I had my hand in his and it fitted perfectly. His thumb had been endlessly rubbing, caressing the back of my hand. I watched it making little circles, moving back and forth. I turned my hand so I could thread my fingers through his.
“I feel awful for not listening properly, for letting you leave.”
“Don’t. Heavens. I don’t think I would have taken it as well as you are. You have to know, Ana. That part of my life is well and truly over. I’d actually handed in my resignation before my last assignment.”
“You did?”
“Yep. It gets to you. I could have retired to a desk job, intelligence work, but I wanted to get away from it all. I’m fifty-two years old. Too old to dodge bullets anymore.”
“Seems like you didn’t dodge,” I said with a little funny lilt.
“No, I didn’t and it almost got me killed.”
“You’ve moved out here. Will you ever go back? I mean, you must have family still in England.”
“No family. I was an only child. My parents had me late in life and they’ve both passed on. Not only that, I can never go back. As far as everyone is concerned, I died. There’s even a grave with my name on it.”
“I’m guessing it doesn’t say John Ethan.”
“No. There is absolutely nothing that links me to the man I was.”
“Kind of like the witness protection thing?”
“Yes, exactly like that. I’ve got a life-time pension as well as compensation for my injuries. On top of that, I have a very reasonable bank balance, inheritance. Enough to keep me happy and pleasantly set for the remainder of my life.”
I sat digesting all I’d learned. I was honest enough to know I wouldn’t be comfortable with the information overnight, but even now it was becoming more palatable. I was extremely glad he’d told me. I could imagine learning this after we’d been going out for a long period. I knew I’d think he’d betrayed me by not being honest.
“Thank you, thank you for telling me. I’m guessing it wasn’t easy.”
He shook his head and gave me a wry smile. “I’ve been having this internal debate ever since I realized you were more than solely a holiday romance. I had intended to tell you all on that last Friday night. It was a hard decision to make because I knew there was more than a fifty percent chance you’d show me the door. But I also knew if we did make a go of things and you found out years down the track, you’d be pissed big time.”
“Oh yeah! Pissed wouldn’t be the word for it. I’m sure I’d be furious and badly hurt.”
We sat in a comfortable silence.
“Will you miss it? Not the killing, but the excitement, the adrenaline rush.”
Shaking his head vehemently, John said, “No. Definitely not. I’ve had enough of that type of excitement for ten lifetimes. I want to fish, read all those books I’ve put off reading. I want to start a vegetable garden, cook. I want to relax.”
He gave me a look that almost melted my panties. I took a tiny gasp after realizing I’d held my breath.
“I do too. Not the fishing bit, don’t like killing things.”
“I don’t either, despite my previous life. As for the fish, I intend to release most of them as soon as I catch them. It’s simply the Zen you get when you throw a line out and wait.”
“Oh, I guess I can relate to that.”
“More importantly, I want to fall even more deeply in love with you because already I do love you.”
My whole world stood still. I wasn’t breathing properly as I gaped at him and he smiled a little “I’m not sure how she took that” smile.
“I… I know, I love you too.”
There was silence again as we stared at each other.
Hours, or maybe it was minutes later, with a sexy grin, he asked, “So where’s that dessert you promised me?”
I laughed and got to my feet. After grabbing the two Brûlées from the fridge, I covered their tops with caster sugar and hit them with the flame of my trusty kitchen blowtorch. I took one out to John and then grabbed mine. We sat on the settee, eating.
“Mm, this is delicious, worth the wait.”
“Thanks.”
We finished eating and I dropped the dirty dishes in the dishwashing machine and then sat back down.
“Want a tea?”
He stared into my eyes, saying, “Not at the moment. What I would like is you.”
Shit, I think I might self-combust. I swallowed.
He leaned in and brushed my lips with his. Oh bliss, I groaned in my mind. His tongue forced its way past my teeth and we did this little tongue wrestling thing. His arm pulled me closer, and I kind of shuffled along the seat. His other hand found its way to my throat. He caressed my skin and slowly moved his hand downward. He undid a button, then another and another until my shirt was pushed aside. His hand found my breast and began massaging it through the lacy fabric of my bra. My nipple zoomed outward, growing harder by the millisecond, knowing at last it had found one of its favorite places—in John’s hand.
Apparently not satisfied with feeling me up through the fabric, he lifted the bottom of my brassiere and my breast fell into his waiting hand. Now my nipple had all it desired. His fingers were squeezing, pulling, tweaking at it, and I loved it. My pussy reacted as if there were a hotline between it and what was happening to my mouth and my nipple.
His mouth was doing all sorts of things. He’d suck on my bottom lip, drawing it out, and then he’d press his lips tight against mine. His tongue would lick my lips when he pulled his mouth back, and then it would dive between my teeth. I was lost. John finally broke off the kiss to regard me intently.
“I want to make love to you. I want to see you naked before me, I’ve missed you so much. I want you to strip now as I tell you and then stand in front of me.”
Oh bloody hell, how quickly can I take my clothes off?
He told me to take off my shirt. I stood and nervously shucked off my open shirt. He’d seen me naked before, but this was different. I knew this time we’d finally consummate our desires.
As each piece of clothing was removed, he’d ask me to take off another. One by one, as directed, they hit the floor. With each piece, my arousal soared higher. I reached behind and undid my bra, letting it fall down to the ground. Jeans were next. When he ordered me, I unzipped and wriggled out of them. Now all that was left was my lacy panties.
“Panties.”
Big breath, and they hit the floor.
“Come here.”
I stepped closer and John put his arms on either side of me, cupping my ass. He pulled me nearer to his face, my naked pussy next to his mouth. He planted a kiss on it.
“This is new. I like it, keep it like this for me.”
I could only nod. All the pain of that laser treatment was worth the look on his face.
“Remember I told you I’m very bossy in the bedroom?”
I nodded and he squeezed the cheeks of my bottom hard.
“And I asked you if I could smack this delicious ass?”
Another nod.
“You told me I could.”
“Yes,” I whispered, my breath ragged.
“You also told me no man had ever smacked you, but you wanted to try. Now is the time. I intend to put you over my knee and hit this lovely bottom until its glowing bright red and then I’m going to fuck you.”
> “Oh.”
I may have been whimpering at that point as my voice kind of croaked when I uttered that one “oh”. Before I knew what was happening, I was across his knees. He planted a kiss on one cheek then the other.
“Anabelle.”
I didn’t speak.
“Anabelle!”
I turned my head so I could see his face.
“Ana, if you want me to stop at any time, I promise I will, just shout. Okay? We’ll discuss safewords and Doms later.”
I nodded again, seemed all I was capable of at the moment, but, my gosh, I was damn excited. I’d always wondered what it would be like to be dominated and have a man smack me, and now I was about to find out.
He raised his hand then brought it down hard on one cheek. I let out a gasp of shock. It had hurt. I wasn’t expecting that. I thought at the most he’d give me a gentle little love pat. But another hard slap quickly followed. Stinging, it landed on the other cheek. He rubbed my ass, his whole hand caressing where he’d struck. When I tried to put my hands over my cheeks to protect them, he pushed them away.
Then two more hits in quick succession, one for each cheek. The sound of his hand striking my flesh echoed in the room. They stung, they hurt, and they burned. They brought tears to my eyes.
But…
Something happened inside me, something totally unexpected. I began getting more and more aroused. Another two smacks, and I started moaning softly. I lifted my butt slightly as the next two hits landed. The sting, the pain, the burning.
Oh, I wanted more. I thought I might have an orgasm.
John dropped a hand to pull at one breast. He pulled the nipple hard as he landed another smack. I groaned so loud it resounded around the room. I couldn’t believe how much I wanted more, more pain. That sting on my cheeks burned, but the ache was exquisite. It excited me more than I’d ever been in my life.
The hand had stopped on my butt, and now it began rubbing, finding my ass crack. His fingers began running up and down from my tight rosette then down until his fingers found my wet slit. And boy I was positive I was very wet. I was sure his hand would be dripping.
“Mm, she likes this.”
Another hit, another tweak of my nipple, another rub of my slit. I wanted him to go further. He gave me three more stinging slaps in quick succession and made me stand.
“Legs apart.”
I did as I was told. His voice had changed. No way was I going to refuse an order. John stood and quickly divested himself of his clothing. I could only admire that sculpted body. In the evening light, it shone and glistened. His penis was standing at attention as I licked my lips. I knew what that tasted like and it was delicious. He took a condom from his pocket and rolled it over that beautiful member.
He got comfortable and beckoned me forward.
Holding his penis at its base, he said, “Straddle me, I want you to impale yourself on my cock.”
God, yes!
I needed no further order. It was all I’d wanted to do for weeks.
Slowly, I lowered myself over it, and it was uncomfortable at first. It had been a long while since I’d had sex, and John was large. Then as my body adjusted to the fullness, I let the wonderful sensation of it sliding inside me take over. I closed my eyes in delight. His pubic bone lined up with my clit and I knew could rub against it and come, but John seemed to have a different idea. He lifted me up and pulled me down, making me the one thrusting.
That glorious dick slid up and down inside me as I rode. My breasts were bouncing up and down as his fingers pinched hard on my tender butt cheeks. He moved his head and took one nipple in his mouth. The nipple locked in his mouth stretched as my boobs kind of ricocheted. I wouldn’t have thought I could get any more excited until he bit down.
Shit! Fuck!
That first tremor of my climax began as I clamped down on his length, driving his cock as deep inside me as possible. My body shuddered from my orgasm. Never in my life had I come so fast. John changed to nuzzling my neck and my ear lobe, my nipple still tingling from his bite. He began thrusting slowly and then sped up until he pushed me down hard. He jerked slightly and grunted as his own climax arrived. Amazingly, I joined him. Another orgasm rocking through my pussy, grabbing his dick and holding it tight.
After I fell across his chest, he held me tight as we both tried to get our breathing under control. I felt his penis slip from me as my muscles relaxed and his cock softened. He sighed and kissed my neck. I turned my head to give him control of my mouth once again.
I let my mind go free. I could spend my entire life being held in his arms and kissed. He could make love to me day and night. Damn. I loved him so much already.
We finally came up for air. John sat me to one side and stood.
“Bathroom?”
“Down the hallway then the second door on the left.”
I lay lazily, content to simply drift away. My ass still stung, reminding me of our lovemaking. John returned and held out a hand. Man, I doubted I would ever die of feasting my eyes on his body. I let him pull me up, and he led the way to my bedroom. He must have done a quick recce because he knew the way, and when we arrived, he lifted the bedclothes, settled me in, and then lay beside me, his arms holding me.
“I was worried you’d fall asleep out there, and it’s a bit cool.”
I snuggled against his chest.
“I think I would have.”
His hands made nice little circles on my body.
“Thank you for that delightful lovemaking. Did you like your first taste of being spanked?”
Feeling a little embarrassed, I dug my head deeper into his chest and murmured, “Yes.”
“Tell me, can we keep doing it?”
I wasn’t used to this openness about sex but I still nodded enthusiastically.
Man, I want that every single time from now on.
“Do you think you’d enjoy being tied up? I’d always wanted my woman to be unable to stop what I did to her.”
My woman.
Mmm. It had a nice ring to it. I glanced up and he smiled.
“I think I’d like that.”
He stared into my soul. “You are my woman, aren’t you, Anabelle? You’re mine.”
“I hope so.”
“You are.”
I’d never liked hearing a man refer to his partner as “his woman” until tonight. When John called me that, I felt all loved and protected. We lay quietly. My heart went pitter-patter at an extremely fast rate. Somehow, I got the impression that he didn’t often claim a woman. I wondered if he’d ever married or been in a relationship.
“Anabelle?”
“Mm?”
“I didn’t say that lightly. I honestly mean it. I want you to be my woman. I’ve never asked a woman that before.”
“Never?”
“No. I’ve never felt the way I do about you. I’m not sure what’s going to happen between us, but I wanted you to know that to me you’re special. I do love you.”
That little dance I thought my heart had been doing now turned into a wonderful ballet. It leaped, pirouetted, and ended with a piqué arabesque. I thought my chest would burst as I stared into his face and read the truth in his eyes.
“You really mean that, don’t you?” I ask him for reassurance.
My heart couldn’t cope with him losing him a second time. He nodded and kissed my forehead.
“I’m very glad because I’ve missed you terribly and was so upset when I thought I’d never see you again. My heart broke into thousands of pieces.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Anabelle. I’m here for as long as you want me. I promise I’ll do everything I can to put your heart back together and never let it break again.”
“Good.”
I nestled down and wrapped myself in the cozy glow of being loved. Next thing I knew, John was shaking me awake.
“Ana, it’s after nine. We both fell asleep. I’m sorry.”
“Oh damn. Don’t be sorry. I’m no
t, but I have to get to work. I’ve got a client coming in at ten for a fitting.”
I got out of bed a little self-consciously and raced into the bathroom. I had a quick shower and dashed into my walk-in. After dressing as quickly as I could, I came out and saw that John had dressed in his clothes from last night. He’d also brought my things in from where they’d been thrown.
“Can I drive you to work?”
“But that would mean you’d have to pick me up tonight.”
Grinning, he said, “Naturally, that’s the general idea. I’m not losing you again.”
His smile made me weak at the knees and I kissed him. Somehow, we made it down to his car without tearing each other’s clothes off. I had to admire his taste. He had a silver Lexus GS-F. He drove me to the salon, turning to me when we pulled up in front.
“Can I take you to dinner tonight?”
“Yes, please.”
“What time will I pick you up from here?”
“Six?”
“Okay.”
He got out of the car and opened my door for me. He kissed me again then stroked my cheek.
“My beautiful woman. See you tonight.”
“John.”
I quickly raced into the boutique before I grabbed him for another kiss.
Chapter Thirteen
John
My heart sang as I drove home. I’d found her, she loved me, and I had no intention of ever letting her go. If last night was anything to go by, we were perfect together. As soon as I heard her first moan when I hit those round globes, I knew she enjoyed it. We could experiment over the coming weeks to find things we both relished, and I hoped it would last a little longer than last night.
I’d always had a little sadism streak as far as sex went, and like most men, reveled in a healthy sex life as a Dom, but I always thought something was missing. Now I knew what it was—there had never been this deep emotional connection before. I’d meant it when I told Anabelle she was my woman, that I loved her. I’d never thought about a woman that way before. I’d had a few subs, but to me, and to them, it was purely sex. Now there was love and it made sex that much better.
I showered and dressed in an old pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt when I got home and went online to find somewhere for us to eat tonight. I had no idea where anything was. I’d discovered Wahroonga was only ten minutes away from the boutique and found a place there that sounded nice and had good reviews. I made a booking for six-fifteen. Right—that was dinner organized.
