by Desiree Holt
“Can you hang for just a little bit longer?” he asked in a soft voice. “I promise we’ll get you out of this soon.”
She swallowed hard and nodded. “How…how is Charlie?”
A shadow of pain crossed Noah’s face. “He’ll be fine. Rick Hidalgo’s at the hospital with him. He’s still in surgery but the doctor sent a nurse out to report the progress.”
“Thank God.” A whoosh of breath left her lungs. “You’ll have people there keeping an eye on him, right?”
“Already in place.” Noah’s tone was edged with barely restrained anger. “Bastards.” And they all knew he didn’t mean their own people.
“You going to Fredericksburg?” Tomas asked.
Noah nodded. “I’m taking the satellite phone with me. Will you go to the ranch and tell the Harts in person what’s going on?”
“And John Martino,” Taylor added, her voice shaky. “Tell him I need answers more than ever and I’ll call him as soon as I can.”
“All right.” He shook hands with Noah. “Watch your back, amigo. And take care of our lady.”
“Count on it.” He settled Taylor in his Expedition as if she was a fragile piece of glass and pulled out of the driveway.
I won’t faint. I won’t pass out. I won’t throw up.
Taylor repeated the mantra over and over, concentrating on the road unwinding in front of them so she could block out the acute sense of what had happened.
“This trip will take a little over an hour,” Noah told her. “Can you hang on that long?”
She clenched her fists in her lap, bunching the material of her dress. “I can do whatever I have to.”
“Good girl.” And in a very uncharacteristic movement he reached over and put one of his hands over both of her. “I’m taking you where no one can find you until we get some answers.”
“Oh?” She turned her head to look at him. “Where’s that?”
“You’ll see.”
The usually taciturn man kept up running chatter as he drove, a move Taylor knew was meant to distract her. She was grateful for the noise but incapable of making conversation. She just wanted to rip off her clothes and stand under a shower for hours, although she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to wash away the feel of the blood.
She barely absorbed what little she could see of the countryside as they drove through the dark on country roads. They passed through a couple of small towns, then they were out in the country again, vast open acres dotted with groves of trees. At last Noah turned off the narrow highway onto a gravel road nearly hidden by all the trees. They bumped along until they came to a stop in front of a small adobe house.
Taylor peered out the windshield at it. “Where are we?”
“Someplace no one will find us. Come on.” He helped her out of the vehicle, then unlocked the front door of the house.
Taylor saw that the inside wasn’t much more than one large room. A tiny but efficient kitchen arrangement was tucked into one corner. A door at the far end led to what she supposed was the bathroom, a place she really needed to be.
“I’m sorry,” she told Noah, gritting her teeth to keep from passing out, “but I have to get out of these clothes. Please.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry you had to wait this long. Go on into the bathroom. It’s not very fancy but there are towels on a shelf in there and all the basic necessities.”
“I-I don’t have anything to change into,” she stammered.
Noah strode to a chest against one wall, opened a drawer and pulled out a faded San Antonio Spurs t-shirt. “This ought to at least cover you up.”
“T-Thank you.”
In the bathroom she yanked her dress off, ripping the expensive material and tossing it aside. She knew she’d never wear it again, anyway. Her bra and thong followed and her thigh-high hose which had collected runs in them. She dropped them all in a pile, which she would ask Noah to burn.
The shower felt like heaven, hot water washing away the traces of blood and dirt. Too bad it couldn’t also wash away the memory of that instant when Charlie fell forward onto her back. She felt wrapped in the miasma of death. It was clinging to her like a sticky cloak. Even more than the shooting on the road that day she was now acutely aware of the danger she was in. And everyone trying to protect her. As she leaned against the wall of the shower she wondered if it wouldn’t be better to just let these people—whoever they were—have what they wanted. She didn’t think she could live with it if anyone else was killed.
Finally, when she was sure the hot water was about to run out, she shut off the shower and dried herself with one of the big towels she’d found. Noah’s t-shirt came halfway down her thighs and slipped off one shoulder but at least it covered her. If she was looking for warmth this wasn’t it but at the moment she wasn’t sure she’d ever be warm again.
When she opened the door he was leaning against the short kitchen counter, talking on a satellite phone. He’d removed his jacket, tie and cummerbund and the studs from his dress shirt, leaving that hard muscles chest and soft pelt of hair open to her eyes. He’d also kicked off his shoes.
She wondered what his reaction would be if she simply threw herself at him and told him to fuck her. At the moment what she needed more than anything was an affirmation of life. Something to wipe away the memory of all that blood and the danger. Would he understand that?
Noah’s gaze traveled over her from top to bottom, assessing her, then picked up a glass from the counter filled with ice cubes and amber liquid and held it out to her. “Better, but you still look shaky. Drink some of this.” A tiny grin tickled one corner of his mouth. “And don’t gulp it, all right?”
She took the glass with both hands and dropped onto the couch. The first sip stung the back of her throat but the next one was a lot smoother. As the alcohol warmed her blood the tremors that still shook her began to subside. “Was that Tomas?”
“Yes. Charlie’s going to be fine. He’s got a long recovery but he’ll make it.”
A breath whooshed out of her. “Thank God.”
“Tomas has taken care of things at the ranch and doubled security everywhere. I told him not to call back unless it was urgent. You need to get some rest.” He still had that watchful look in his eyes, studying her. “At least you’ve got a little color back in your face. How do you feel?”
She gave a shaky little laugh. “Like a man bled all over my back and almost died.”
He grunted. “I am so damned sorry about this. I can’t believe how stupid we’ve been. We should have been looking at every angle and then looking again.” Every muscle in his body with taut with tension.
Taylor cleared her throat. “They just keep surprising us, that’s all.”
“Damn it, Taylor. I don’t get paid to be surprised and neither do my men.” He banged his fist on the counter, making her jump. “But it won’t happen again. I can tell you that. At least no one can find you here.”
“Where is here, anyway?” She looked around the cabin, taking in more details.
The furnishings were simple—a huge bed against one wall with an old-fashioned iron headboard, a long couch and the chair she was sitting in facing a fireplace, a small table and two chairs near the kitchen area.
“A cabin just east of Fredericksburg. No one knows about it except for Tomas. You’ll be safe here.”
She took another sip of the strong liquor. “Whose is it?”
Noah hesitated a long moment before saying, “Mine.”
Taylor’s eyebrows shot up. “Yours?”
“Uh-huh.” He straightened up from the counter and unfolded his arms, shoving his hands in his pockets. “It used to be Josiah’s. This is where he used to live.”
Taylor laughed again but there was no humor in it. “The place is great but—no offense—I can see why my grandparents dragged my mother out of here. They were snobs of the worst kind.” Her voice softened. “I know she would have been happy here with…my father. She never got over him.”
“Just as he never got over her.” Noah stood over her and took her face in his hands. “I’d like to shower and get out of this monkey suit. Will you be okay for a few minutes?”
“I’m not going to have a breakdown, if that’s what you want to know. Yes, I’ll be okay. I’ll finish my drink.”
Hs gaze narrowed. “Maybe that’s not such a good idea after all. I remember what happened the last time you drank.”
She was trembling again but this time not from shock. “So do I. And everything since then. Go shower, Noah. I won’t pass out. I promise.”
But she only kept herself together by sheer force of will as she listened to the shower running in the bathroom and the sounds of him moving around. No matter what she did, she couldn’t wipe away the feel of Charlie falling against her or the stickiness of his blood that covered her. Or the sight of him lying on the ground looking all but dead.
And most of all, the knowledge that if she hadn’t dropped her purse and bent down to retrieve it, she’d be the one with the bullet hole.
“Quit thinking about it.”
She’d closed her eyes but they flew open at the sound of Noah’s voice. “I’m not…”
“Yes, you are.” He was standing in front of her with only a towel slung around his waist, droplets of water still clinging to the matted hair on his chest, his long mane sleeked back from his face. “It’s a natural reaction. Maybe more of that whiskey would be good after all. Something to make you sleep.”
“I don’t want to sleep.” She set her glass down on the little table next to her and stood up. “I want you to make me forget. I want to know I’m still alive.”
She reached for his towel and he grabbed her wrists with a bruising grip.
“Not a good idea, Taylor. You’ve had a bad shock tonight.”
She stared up at him, wetting her lips with the tip of her tongue. “And what would be better medicine than to lose myself in some of that rough, wild sex you keep hinting at?”
He shook his head. “I will not take advantage of your emotional state. I may be a bastard in a lot of ways but that’s too low even for me.”
“You’re not taking advantage. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
His grip tightened even more. “No, you don’t.”
She might have given in a little if she hadn’t noticed the erection tenting his towel that he was trying to ignore. “You said you were going to take me somewhere tonight and do things with me. Well, here we are and I want whatever you can dish out.”
“You don’t know what you’re asking for.” His voice was low, guttural.
“Yes, I do. And that’s what I want.” She forced the words past tears she refused to let him see. “Please. Don’t make me beg, Noah. Help me lose myself tonight. I need it.”
He stared at her for so long she was sure he was going to refuse. Finally he nodded, stepped back and shoved his feet into his shoes, then grabbed his keys from the counter. “Don’t move.”
He was out the door and back in seconds, a small satchel in his hand.
Taylor looked from it to him and back again. “What’s that?”
“You want to play? I brought the toys.”
A tiny ribbon of dark thrill curled in her stomach and her heart rate picked up. She swallowed the last of her drink and set the glass down.
Noah inclined his head toward it. “Another one?”
“No. I want to be fully aware of everything.” She walked over to him and placed her hands on his chest. “Please, Noah. I need this tonight.”
“All right, then.” He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. Yanking back the quilt and stripping off the t-shirt he placed her carefully on the sheet.
“Stay right there,” he ordered.
He picked up the small duffel bag, zipped it open and took out what looked like a handful of leather and silk. Before Taylor realized what was happening he had fleece-lined leather cuffs on her wrists, her arms stretched over her head and the cuffs tied to one of the rungs in the headboard. With an economy of motion he did the same thing to her ankles spreading her legs wide and fastening them to the corner posts. Then he got up and walked toward the bathroom.
“Where are you going?” She licked her lips nervously.
“Be right there,” he called over his shoulder.
In the two minutes he was gone Taylor lay there, totally exposed, her mind working furiously as she tried to imagine what was coming next. Then he was back carrying a bowl, towels, a razor and shaving cream. Her eyes flew open.
“What…”
“I’m going to shave this sweet cunt of yours so I can really see what it looks like.” His eyes flashed heat at her. “I want to taste that flesh when it’s bare naked, little girl. But let’s decorate you a little first.”
“D-Decorate?”
“Uh-huh. I have some jewelry here that will look outstanding on you.”
But when he bent down and closed his lips over one of her nipples she stared at him, her eyes full of questions she knew he wasn’t about to answer. He flicked the tip of his tongue over the puffy bud, pressing it to the roof of his mouth, then grazing it lightly with his teeth. His big hand cupped her breasts, kneading it until she thought sure it was swollen twice its size. Lines of electric current shot straight to her depths, setting up a fluttering motion in her vaginal muscles. She shifted restlessly, trying to hold still for him.
When he finished with one breast he moved to the other, kneading, suckling, licking, grazing, until both nipples were swollen and wet from his mouth, throbbing in rhythm with her cunt.
When he lifted his head and looked at her, the fire in his eyes almost burned her skin, sending arrows of thrill through her. He reached for a small box on the nightstand, removed something from it and then he was pulling one nipple, elongating it and slipping a metallic circle over it. When he turned a tiny screw at its side that tightened it she jumped at the bite of pain but he gentled her with a soothing caress.
“Nipple clamps,” he explained. “By the end of the night you’ll think your nipples are the most sensitive part of your body.”
She looked down and saw the distended nipple poking through the loop, with tiny gold chains dangling from it. The sight of it made juices flood from her moist sheath onto her thighs. She saw Noah’s eyes fasten on it and her face flamed.
“Don’t be embarrassed. I want these to make you hot and wet.” He attached the second one with quick efficiency, then picked up the bit of silk she’d seen, a scarf that he folded three times.
She wet her lower lip with her tongue, the edge of nervousness biting into her. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to blindfold you, Taylor. The absence of sight enhances all the other senses and tonight I want you fully tuned in to the sense of touch.” He placed the scarf over her eyes and tied it at the back of her head, then kissed her forehead. “Remember. Stay perfectly still.”
She heard the scrape of a chair on the floor, then Noah’s voice from the foot of the bed.
“Take a deep breath and let it out.”
She did and as the air left her lungs she left a warm cloth covering her mound, wetting the curls, then the hiss of aerosol and the light touch of the shaving cream. Noah spread it everywhere with his fingertips—across her mound, down her labia, on the inside of her lips over the line of downy hair.
With thumb and forefinger he pulled back one lip. “Here we go.”
He talked to her as he worked, describing what he was doing in a quiet voice but all she could think about was his touch and how arousing it was. She tried to hold herself as still as possible but his touch was driving her crazy. Every time he tugged her flesh to give himself a better angle she felt the tip of his thumb or a knuckle brush against her clit and she had to bite down hard on her lower lip to hold herself steady. And with every pull of flesh, every graze of her clit, her nipples throbbed within their tight confines. She was sure she would come just lying there, flooding his hand.
; After a while she could envision the process in her mind—warm cloth, shaving cream, efficient strokes, warm cloth again. Noah paid meticulous attention to each area, not rushing. Taking great care not to hurt her in any way.
When at last he was finished and had washed her thoroughly, he bent down and placed his mouth over her clit, sucking it into his mouth. Taylor jerked at the touch, lifting her hips automatically and pushing herself against his voracious lips. In an instant she felt herself gushing onto his face.
“Delicious.” She heard him lick his lips loudly, then chuckle. “Definitely better this way.” The chair scraped back as he moved. “Let me get rid of these things.”
In a moment he was back, releasing her from the bed but before she could do anything, he had her retied facedown, arms stretched in front of her, legs tied at the bed corners again.
He stroked a hand down her spine, touching every indentation between the vertebrae. One lean finger slipped between the globes of her buttocks and teased at the entrance to her rectum, making her shiver.
Tonight. He’s going to do it tonight.
He took the pillows, lifted her at the waist and slid them under her. She was now effectively spread-eagled, wide open to whatever he wanted, completely at his mercy. Instead of being afraid, she felt a throbbing begin deep in her womb and her juices begin seeping from her now naked pussy. She had never felt so helpless. Or so turned on.
Noah circled the opening of her vagina with a fingertip. “You’re wet already. Good.”
Taylor was acutely aware of the cool sheet under her cheek, the touch of Noah’s fingers, the scent of the soap he’d used when he showered, the clamps pinching and distending her nipples as they pressed into the bed. His fingers moved slowly, teasingly, along the insides of her thighs, up to the crease where they met her ass, again along that cleft of her buttocks. So lightly she thought she might be imagining it his fingertips whispered long the sides of her breasts. But then he reached under her with both hands, found her aching nipples in their tiny circlets and gently pinched them. Her body twitched at the sensation and more cream dripped down her thighs.
