Jayden’s tone didn’t hide his clear reservation when he openly challenged the man’s intentions, and a displeased scowl drew Okamoto’s brows together. “This morning, you showed me what a slut she is, Jayden-san. Would you not have such a yorokobi . . . such a delight . . . in service?”
While it was a reasonable enough question, the words raised Jayden’s hackles something fierce. After two weeks of keeping Okamoto’s personal interest off Catherine, he’d let the wall down too far. In blocking out everything but his jewel during their morning scene, Jayden had revealed her true magnificence to the leering observer.
A tense silence crept over the room, and Catherine stiffened by his side. “Master?” She was still drowsy.
Okamoto was crazy if he thought Jayden was going to press Catherine any further that day. The girl was still half out of it and needing aftercare, not another kinky session. A massage would be good for her, though. If he took care choosing his words, she’d be able to enjoy the experience, and he wouldn’t have to lose his shit in a jealous rage. That was always a good thing.
Fixing a non-threatening smile on his face, Jayden looked over to his old teacher. “We’d be honored to partake of the nuru tonight, Bakushi. May I make a few requests? My slut is not used to such strenuous activities as she partook of today, and I’d like to use the time for an aftercare session. You understand this is a personal thing between a Master and his pet, of course.”
Jayden held his breath while he waited for Okamoto to respond.
Entering the natural stone room felt different this time. A true excitement for the sensual ordeal about to unfold coursed through Jayden, even as he absorbed the warmth radiating from Catherine’s bare back—they’d disrobed outside. He led her around the perimeter toward the open shower in the far corner.
She sighed and melted against him under the rush of hot water that doused their bodies. He turned her in his arms and pulled her close, breathing deep when the steam heightened the scent of her . . . her lotion, her sweat, and that sweet underlying odor that was simply Catherine.
Jayden’s pulse slowed, and his muscles relaxed under the onslaught of rich pheromones. Dipping his head, he caught her lips with his own. While the flowing water rinsed them, the two kissed without care for the passing minutes. He danced his fingers across her back then down to cup her lush derriere. Her responding moan when he rubbed at the residual rope indentations in her silky flesh went straight to his gut, then eased lower—one heartbeat at a time.
The growing need to lift Catherine and pin her against the shower wall with his cock was hard to resist, so he didn’t. She was limp and heavy in his arms. Her whimper when he filled her was audible ecstasy. Jayden allowed himself a single, deep thrust then pulled out and set her back on the ground.
“Come, pet. You’re going to love this.” He guided her to the large mattress in the center of the space.
The bed was more of a low-lying mat, so they had to bend down before crawling onto it. Two of Okamoto’s girls knelt at opposite corners, waiting to begin. Every other time he’d come here as a polite observer, the girls had been nude. Tonight, at his request, they wore bathing suits.
Jayden laid Catherine down on the vinyl surface and then spun himself around after affirming she was comfortable. They were resting hip-to-hip, head-to-feet. At his nod the girls rose, wooden bowls of the odorless and tasteless nori gel in hand, and approached.
Cool and viscous, the gel drizzled over his damp skin, which was still warm from the shower. Catherine’s fingers found his, threading them together while the full-body contact massage began. With every pass of the girls’ busy hands over his limbs, his body grew slick and slippery. Meanwhile, his jewel’s sighs of enjoyment hardened his cock. When he was sure enough time had elapsed to satisfy Okamoto’s requirement for his girls being in service, Jayden sat up and stilled their strong hands. “I can take it from here, ladies. Thank you.”
Their tone became frantic, the hushed words they were whispering too rushed for Jayden to follow with his rusty Japanese.
“Ochitsuku.” He was going for ‘Calm down,’ and then took a stab at adding “Anata ga iku.” ‘You may go.’ Their high-pitched chirps quieted, and while uncertainty still showed in their expressions, Jayden nodded at the doorway, saying again “Anata go iku.”
“You are . . . sure, Sir?” Though the young woman’s English was broken, he appreciated her effort and granted her a large smile.
“Yes, hai.” He looked at Catherine before adding a dismissive, “Very sure. Now go.”
“Hai, Sir.” Nodding and bowing, the two girls set their bowls on the edge of the table then retreated, leaving Jayden to worship his jewel in the way she deserved.
He straddled her thighs and picked up one of the bowls to splash the entirety of its contents over Catherine’s torso and breasts, then tossed it to the side. The vessel clattered on the stone floor moments before Jayden leaned forward to cover her body with his own. Slick and aroused, he moved along her form, dragging his chest against hers. Her hard nipples dug into him, and he repaid the favor by pressing his erection against her slippery cunt. Jayden pushed up on his arms and began a worm-like motion, gyrating in a slow wave that had him arching back then coming forward. Catherine’s moans grew louder while her legs dropped open, and on his next pass, he drove his cock into her then stopped so they could gasp and catch their breath.
Her green eyes shot open, her gaze landing on him in a silent plea for more.
Jayden nodded once, caressed her lips with his, and then began to move. Rolling his hips with deliberate restraint, he took them away from everything that surrounded them, ensuring that once again there was nothing but Jayden and Catherine.
No, Jayden and Erin.
The force of the unexpected orgasm crashing into him knocked the air from his lungs, and he collapsed on top of her, murmuring her name over and over. “Erin. Erin. Erin . . .”
It was time to go home, if not for her, then for him. For the first time in his life, Jayden wanted to just curl up with his girl and not worry about anything even remotely kinky.
CHAPTER 22
“Hiya, Mr. Masterson. Welcome back. Did you have a good trip?” Natalie looked up from the bowl of cereal she was eating while standing in front of the open refrigerator. She’d gotten back to the Villa a couple of days before they had.
“We did, thank you. What about you? How was your time at the Ranch?”
“It was good.” She turned away, shutting the fridge and moving to the counter.
Something in her body language was raising Jayden’s flags.
“Coffee? I put some on, knowing you guys were home.”
He wondered what she was holding back from him. “Yes, please.”
“Should I fix Erin one, too?” Natalie offered while reaching for the mugs. Her shirt pulled tight across her belly and Jayden noted she’d grown larger in the two weeks since he’d last seen her.
“Not right now. Thanks, though. I’m letting her rest this morning, considering we got in so late last night.”
Natalie nodded and went back to fixing his coffee. When she brought it to him, she lingered next to the island, her belly a few inches from his hand. The sudden urge to touch overcame him, and he reached out, stopping when he realized what he was doing.
“May I?” His palm hovered over her while the whispered words slipped out.
“Oh, sure, I guess.”
Jayden lowered his hand slowly, unsure what to expect. Spanning the swollen curve, he was taken aback by how firm her stomach was. Is that normal? He thought baby things were supposed to be all soft and sweet. “It’s so rigid,” he mused with a chuckle. “That’s kind of weird.” At that moment, her flesh shifted . . . softened and undulated, and he jerked his hand back with a shocked, “Shit, what was that?”
His exclamation sent Natalie into a laughing fit.
“What happened?” he asked again.
She giggled. “That was the baby. He must like the so
und of your voice, because that’s the most I’ve felt him move since he started a couple of days ago.”
Jayden was in awe. “He?”
Looking sheepish, Natalie shrugged. “I don’t know for sure. Just a feeling. Dr. Ellison said we’ll do a scan this month and I might be able to find out then.”
“Oh, I see.” He returned his hand to her belly, but the stony rigidity was back. “So you think he can hear us?”
Tipping her head to the side, she gave him a quizzical look. “You don’t know much about babies, do you?”
It was his turn to look sheepish. “Not really, no. I have to be honest, Natalie. As much as I love my family, I’ve never seen myself as being ‘family man’ material.” He made air quotes around the term to stress his point. “Not with the business and my lifestyle choices.”
“Fair enough. But then you met Erin.” For the first time in months, he saw a sparkle in the girl’s lonely brown eyes.
“Yes. Then I met Erin.”
Natalie placed a tentative hand on top of his, where it still rested on her small bump. “And now?”
“Now I’m rethinking that. I want to give her everything, including a family of our own if she wants it. And I think she does.”
“You think? Have the two of you not talked about it?”
He took his hand back to lift his coffee mug to his lips. “Not recently.” With a thick swallow, he lowered his voice and continued. “There was a brief mention of it when Holly, Dr. Ellison, informed us Erin probably wouldn’t be able to carry a baby full term—if she could get pregnant in the first place.”
“I—I don’t know what to say. Erin has told me about Spencer and what he did, but I didn’t know she might not be able to be a mom because of it. That’s awful.”
He scoffed. “That bastard did a number on her, that’s for sure. Please don’t think I blame her for any of it or love her any less for the scars she bears because of him. What I hate is that I can see the desire in her eyes when we visit Ronnie, Steph, and their twins. I can feel the longing radiating off of her when she fills me in on what you two have done, your classes, and doctor’s visits and such. Yet she hasn’t voiced the desire out loud. Because of that, I don’t know if she’s simply written off the possibility altogether, or if she wants to try, but because of my earlier stance, she’s held back from telling me.” The words tumbled out of him, gaining momentum and becoming more of a ramble than coherent thoughts the longer he went on.
“No offense, Mr. Masterson. I know I don’t know much about how you live, but I think I’ve learned here in recent months that communication is key. Why keep beating yourself up over this? Just talk to her. My guess is that if you’re battling this much inner turmoil over the issue, then Erin probably is, too.”
“Thank you, Natty. You may be right, and I might be overthinking this. I need to quit psyching myself up to talk to her about it and just do it.” He gave a firm nod, and she laughed. “Can I ask you a question?” Jayden became serious.
“Go on.”
“You’re clearly a smart girl. What are you going to do with your life? Do you have any plans for raising your baby?” He could see the figurative wall come down between them. Her eyes dulled, and her shoulders slumped.
“I’m still trying to figure that one out, Mr. Masterson. I thought about asking Nina if I could move in with her, but she has a newborn of her own. And while it was great to see her, I didn’t feel like her husband really cared for me.” She rinsed her cereal bowl and made to leave without another word, but Jayden stopped her.
“If we can do anything, Natalie—”
“Thank you. I know. You keep offering.”
“It’s not an empty offer. Anything we can do. You name it.”
Her soft curls bounced when she started to shake her head, but then she stopped and looked directly at him. “What’s your middle name?”
The question perplexed him. “Matthew. Why?”
“No reason, just curious. I’m going to go lie down for a bit. Talk to her, Mr. Masterson.” She gave a smile, a weak attempt at one anyway, and wandered off.
Jayden had a hell of a lot to think about.
*~*~*
“Do you want kids?”
Erin almost dropped the wooden spoon she was using to push their eggs around the hot pan when she spun around to see Jayden leaning casually against the doorframe. Did she? Maybe, as a young girl with grand visions of what her future would entail, she had. However, since Dr. Ellison had confirmed the damage to Erin’s insides, she hadn’t allowed herself to think about that possible future. It was too painful.
Composing herself, she placed the spoon on the little bell pepper-shaped plate meant for such things, and turned back to him. “Where’s that coming from?”
While Erin watched, Jayden’s face reddened, and he looked away.
“I’ve been doing some thinking since seeing everyone at Landon’s wedding. Also, with Natalie around, it’s kind of hard not to think about it. You’re always so good with Ronnie and Steph’s twins. A natural. It makes you glow in a way I can’t.”
Swoon. Desire bloomed within her, a bright flash of heat that settled to a low simmer while his words sank in. Was he saying he might want kids? But she couldn’t give him that.
Holly said “Possibility,” not a definite “No,” she reminded herself. “What are you saying, A rúnsearc?”
When his deep brown eyes met hers again, they were filled with determination. “Honestly, I’ve been thinking about the possibility much longer than that. Since Natalie took up living here with us, it’s been a constant in my mind. I want to be the one to put that kind of serene look on your face, Erin. More than that, though. I want to know what it is to experience that kind of happiness and contentment—with you.”
Was he kidding her with this? He was asking for something beyond her physical capability. Sure, Erin, and you didn’t think you’d live to survive Spencer, either. Look at you now.
“Breathe, sweet girl. I’ve got you.”
She’d started gasping for air and hadn’t realized it. Now Jayden’s arms were wrapped around her, applying just enough pressure to make her feel safe but not trapped.
“I’m not saying we have to do this. I know we have obstacles to deal with, lots of them, if we decide to try, and I imagine there will be several visits with Holly along the way. I guess what I’m trying to say is—well, I just wanted you to know . . . If you want kids, then I do, too. We can figure the rest out.”
CHAPTER 23
Friday evening found the submissive seated at the table with her Master, enjoying a light dinner of shrimp cocktails and Caesar salad. The meal would be enough to nourish their bodies without weighing them down or making them groggy later in the playroom, where their weekend playtime was slated to begin in thirty minutes.
Having trouble sitting still, Catherine’s eyes continued to dart over to the clock. She’d been restless the past week, more so than usual since their return from Japan over a month ago. Perhaps the stress of wedding planning was getting to her? Knowing Jayden wanted to try something new that weekend might have had something to do with it, too. Hell, there was a good chance it was a combination of both.
At the close of their playtime the weekend before, he’d mentioned something new was in the works for them. She’d tried to get hints out of him all week, but to no avail. Catherine knew she’d gotten a little pushy and pouty since they’d taken their relationship to this new romantic level. What was he going to do, punish her? She looked forward to it!
Her incessant nagging had gotten to him last night, though, and he’d snapped at her. Remembering how Jayden had reverted to his no-nonsense Dom voice to put Catherine in her place helped to stifle her fidgeting.
“Catherine, you will stop this childish behavior right now. I expect patience. Do not forget that while we have designated playtimes, I am your Master at all times. If you bug me about this again before six o’clock tomorrow evening, I will cancel my plans, and you
will spend the weekend on my whipping bench. Are we clear?”
She’d managed to squeak out, “Aye, Master,” before he’d left the room and gone to his office, closing the door behind him. Considering he’d disappeared into his office every night that week and closed that damn door, he must’ve had a difficult week, too. Whatever the reason, they both seemed on edge, and Catherine was hopeful the weekend would be therapeutic for them both.
“Catherine.” His voice was loud, and she jumped, pulling her eyes from the clock. A mere twelve minutes had passed.
“Aye?”
He looked amused. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for a couple minutes, sweet girl.”
“Oh? Guess I’m a little distracted. I’m sorry.”
“That’s obvious. Come here, please.” Jayden shifted so that his lap faced Erin and then opened his arms to her.
She moved into them, sitting atop his thighs. Jayden pulled her in close, and she laid her head on his shoulder, smiling when his warm lips brushed over her forehead with light kisses.
“Relax, Erin. I need you to focus on the right mindset so that neither of us will get hurt tonight. Can you do that for me, A rúnsearc?” he asked while rubbing her back.
His familiar scent was all around her, and it did wonders for Erin’s erratic feelings. Her body and mind calmed in reaction to his spicy smell, soft touches, and the soothing cadence of his words.
“M’hm,” she mumbled into his shoulder while nodding her head.
“That’s my good girl. Alrighty, Ms. Ants-in-your-Pants,” he teased while tickling her side with a light touch and drawing a giggle out of her, “it’s ten of six. Close enough, I think. Why don’t you go take a shower? I’ll lay out what you need on your bed and meet you in the playroom when you’re ready.”
Jayden stood then helped Erin settle on her feet. Gathering their dinner dishes, he headed for the kitchen. He stopped at the doorway and turned back to her. “Don’t keep me waiting too long, sweet girl.” With a wink, her fiancé was gone.
Surreal (Divine Trilogy #3) Page 15
