“Goddamn it, Donna, quit trying to murder me, already!”
Eliza snorted, but nervous tension still coiled through her body, tightening her movements and leaving her feeling like she was walking a tightrope. And tense or not, her balance sucked.
The microwave beeped, the shrill sound piercing the air. She startled, and the forks and knives she held clattered to the floor, making it worse. The noise frightened Agnes who hissed and ran off to another part of the house.
“Well, that’s one way of keeping the beastie from trying to kill me, but I’m guessing that wasn’t your intent. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Eliza bent to pick up the silverware.
When she straightened, Angus was there to take them from her hand. He brushed a tender kiss across her forehead. “Relax. This isn’t the inquisition. Unless, of course, you’re wanting to roleplay.” He paused, raising a dark brow. “I get to be the inquisitor, though.”
A strangled laugh escaped her, and she couldn’t help but smile.
“That’s better.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips then tossed the flatware into the sink and got clean ones from the drawer. He handed them to her and said, “Go sit. I’ll get the food.”
He grabbed a couple pot holders and a serving spoon then lifted the dish from the microwave and set it on the table before pulling a couple of bottles of water from the fridge and taking the chair across from her.
Once he’d ladled out the chicken stew into their bowls, he grinned at her. “Eat, you’ll need to keep your strength up. Besides, Tansy’s the best cook I know.”
Eliza ate a spoonful and groaned in appreciation as rich savory warmth filled her mouth.
“Good?”
“If you don’t marry her, I’m going to,” she blurted.
He burst out laughing then sat back in his chair, smiling warmly at her. Finally, he shook his head. “I’m not sure if I should be turned on at the thought of you and Tansy together or worried that I just introduced you to my competition.”
The knot of unease that had formed behind her sternum began to loosen slightly.
“Though, I fear you’d be left disappointed if you made the wrong choice. Tansy’s not the least bit kinky.”
“Did you two date?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to this, but she hadn’t been able to stop herself from asking, either.
He shook his head. “We’re just friends—have been since we were wee. She was Ewan’s best friend. Though, if you ask me, the two of them were stupid in love with each other, but they never acted on it. And then, he got sick.”
His voice broke a little at the end, and she reached across the table and put her hand over his. “I’m so sorry.”
He turned his hand then lifted hers and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss into the center of her palm before releasing her.
Eliza’s heart melted at the sweet gesture, and she watched him through lowered lashes as they continued eating.
“Not to change the subject, but if you keep looking at me with that dreamy little smile on your face, I’m going to get distracted, and we’re never going to have the talk we need to have.”
Her cheeks flamed. “I don’t have a dreamy little smile.”
“Oh, but you do, lass. I don’t see it quite as often as I see your blush, but it’s there.”
She glared at him. “The blushing is your fault.”
He just took another bite of stew and smiled placidly. “I’m fine with taking credit for that.”
“Of course, you are,” she muttered. She finished the last few bites of her meal then crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair. “Okay, bring it. What do we need to talk about?”
“Your likes. Your limits.” He frowned. “I should have asked before I ever kissed you this morning, but I got carried away. I’m sorry about that.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. You didn’t hear me complaining, did you?”
“No, but I promised to give you what you need, and I can’t do that if I don’t know what it is.”
She nodded. The familiar fear and shame slithered through her again. Even if he was interested in the same things she was, who wanted a partner who’d had those moments splashed all over the internet? She grabbed the bottle of water and took several swallows, stalling for time.
He pushed aside his empty bowl and leaned forward on his elbows. “Let’s start with your limits.”
She took a slow steadying breath. Her first impulse was to tell him nothing was off limits—that she wanted him however she could get him. But she wouldn’t do that to either of them. Not when she was likely to freak if he asked for something she couldn’t give. Forcing her eyes to his, she said, “No watersports, or scat.”
He nodded.
“No blood or breath play.”
“Gags?”
She hesitated but finally shook her head. “I get too panicky if I feel like I can’t breathe.”
“You don’t need to explain if you don’t want to. No is a complete sentence.”
“I...I just don’t want you to be disappointed.”
His lips curved upward, and she couldn’t stop the shiver that worked through her at his expression. His smile somehow managed to be both sweet and feral, and her body responded with the heavy pulse of arousal beating between her thighs.
“Trust me, lass. That’s not something you need worry about.” After a moment, he added, “Anything else on your list?”
She nodded. “Nothing exhibitionist. No photos or videos.”
If this limit made him think of Libby, he hid it perfectly. He simply nodded his acceptance.
“No other people...just us.”
“I have no desire to share you with anyone.”
A small smile curved her lips but faded just as quickly. “And, unless you really want me to, I’d prefer not to call you ‘Master’. And I don’t like to be called names like slut or whore or hole.” She looked away. It was impossible to maintain eye contact after all that.
“That’s fine,” he murmured. “Bad experience with your ex?”
She nodded.
“How do you feel about ‘Sir’?”
“I can live with that.”
“Eyes on mine,” he snapped. And the thrumming in her pussy grew more insistent.
She lifted her gaze to his. “I can live with that, Sir.”
He stood and gathered their dishes. When she moved to help him, he gestured for her to stay where she was.
“Now,” he said as he rinsed the dishes and loaded them in the dishwasher, “I know you like being restrained. In fact, I think you’re getting wet just thinking about being tied up. About me holding you down and fucking you.”
She couldn’t have stopped the whimper that escaped her if she’d tried.
“Take off your pants.”
Her breath caught, and she rose on shaky legs and quickly toed off her shoes and socks then unfastened her jeans and shoved them down and off.
He didn’t bother turning around to see if she’d done it, just trusted that she had.
“Sit down and spread your legs. Let’s see how wet your knickers are.”
She lowered herself back into her chair on even shakier legs, spreading her thighs as wide as she could and hooking her ankles around the chair legs.
“Lose the jumper, too.”
She pulled her sweater and cami over her head and dropped them on the floor next to her jeans, while he busied himself putting away the remainder of the food.
When he finally turned and looked at her, she knew what he saw. Her breasts were full and heavy—achy, her nipples poking against the thin material of her bra, and the crotch of her underwear was absolutely sodden.
He stepped between her spread legs and reached down and cupped her pussy. While she was trying not to thrust into his hand, he leaned over and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth, through the fabric, then scraping his teeth across the nub, he released it. As he straightened, his lips ski
mmed her ear. “Such a good lass.”
All she could manage was a shuddering breath in response.
Angus took a step back and stared at her, his cock a hard ridge behind his zipper. “Pain?”
She blinked a few times. “I’m sorry, Sir, what?”
“Do you like it? Do you like pain play?”
She nodded. Dear god, did she like it. And right now, she absolutely needed it.
“Hand? Paddle? Flogger?”
She nodded and added, “Cane, crop.”
“Wheel?”
“Yes, please,” she said, hardly caring that her voice was stupidly breathy.
“Hot wax?”
She inhaled sharply. “I don’t know. I’ve never tried.”
He nodded, his face an emotionless mask, but the spark of excitement in his eyes was impossible to miss, and it fed her own.
“What do you like about the pain?”
His questions were like worrying a loose thread in a sweater. If he tugged too hard, the whole thing would come unraveled. She’d come unraveled.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Angus stared at Eliza as he waited for her answer. As he watched, she clearly tried to control her breathing, her cheeks pink and her chest flushed. He wasn’t sure how much was arousal and how much was her normal reticence to sharing anything personal about herself.
While he waited, he ran through her list of limits. He suspected her objections to photos and videos solved the mystery of Libby Perkins. Somewhere on the internet, there were probably pictures she’d posed for when she was younger and now deeply regretted.
But he wasn’t interested in her past, he was interested in her present. And presently, she looked like she was trying desperately not to squirm. And he was trying desperately not to bury his face in her sweet cunt again. At least, not until she’d answered him and he figured out how he wanted to proceed.
She looked up at him, her big hazel eyes a swirl of green and copper and gold, shimmering like changing leaves. He was more than willing to lose himself in the autumn of her eyes. If he were honest with himself, he was more than willing to lose himself in any bit of her she’d give him.
Reaching out, he cupped her face. He couldn’t help himself—couldn’t keep his hands off her. He smoothed his thumb over her lips, and she immediately drew it into the heated warmth of her mouth. She sucked it and swirled her tongue around it, making him wish she had his cock instead. But in the midst of that thought, he realized that she still hadn’t answered his question.
Reluctantly, he pulled free from her mouth, and she reached for his waistband.
“Uh-uh.” He tapped at her lips.
She frowned. “You’ve been working entirely too hard to keep me out of your pants. I’m not sure you realize how this is supposed to work.”
“Is that right?”
She bit her lower lip then grinned slightly, letting it slide from between her teeth. “When a woman is desperate to suck your cock, it’s polite to let her.”
His lips twitched, and he fought the smile that threatened, keeping his expression stern. He’d smiled and laughed more since he’d met Eliza than he could remember doing for the rest of his adult life combined. She had some kind of magic about her.
“Women who want to suck cock would do well to answer the questions put to them, then.”
She scowled at him then looked away. “You’ll have to remind me what it was. I’m distracted.” Glancing back to him, she added, “By your cock.”
He stroked his aching length through his jeans, her eyes hungrily following his motion. “What do you like about the pain?”
She seemed a little startled. Maybe she had been preoccupied enough to blank on what he’d asked. She was quiet for what felt like an agonizingly long time, but she finally spoke, directing her answer at his abdomen. “I like the pain because...it pushes me out of myself—out of my head—in a way that I can’t ever manage with anything else.” Her eyes darted to his briefly before skittering away just as quickly. “I know this is going to sound stupid, but when I can get into the right headspace, it’s almost like flying—or maybe floating is a better descriptor.” She shook her head with a laugh. “I don’t even know, anymore. It’s been too long.”
“It doesn’t sound stupid at all.”
He studied her face, longing to give her exactly what she wanted. What she needed. If she hadn’t had sex in five years, it was unlikely she’d allowed her herself a release through pain, either. He assumed it was far too intimate an experience for someone who’d closed herself off like she had. He was struck again by her trust in him and utterly humbled by it.
“I answered your question,” she murmured.
“You did.”
As he watched her, she scooted forward and slid to her knees at his feet and lifted her hands, letting them hover at his waistband. “I heard a rumor that good girls get rewarded.”
“You answered the question, but I’m not sure I’d classify you as a good girl, right now.” He nodded toward where she was kneeling. “Even now, you’re being a bit of a brat, aren’t you? Taking what you want instead of taking what was offered?”
She glanced up at him, but instead of answering, she unbuttoned his jeans and lowered his zip. His cock jerked at the touch of her hand, and a small smile curved her lips. “Had you offered something? I must have missed it.”
Bending slightly, he caught her hair at her nape and fisted it tightly, tugging her head back so she was looking at him. Her arms dropped limply to her sides, and her lids drooped. “I’m offering you the chance to get exactly what you need.”
Her lips parted, and she drew a shuddering breath. Her pupils expanded sharply.
“What’s your safeword?” When she didn’t answer after a few moments, he added, “We’ll do the stoplight, then.”
A shadow passed in front of her eyes, and she shook her head as well as she could with her hair clutched in his fist. “I can’t use that.”
He loosened his grip slightly. “Bad memories?”
“Something like that.” There was no fear in her expression, this time, just determination. She glanced down, but just as suddenly, her gaze sought his again, amusement dancing around the twitching corners of her mouth “Darcy,” she said suddenly.
“Pardon?”
The light returned to her eyes. “Darcy is my safeword.”
“Darcy? As in, Mr. You Must Allow Me to Tell You How Ardently I Admire and Love You Darcy?”
A small laugh burst from her. “That’s the one.”
“You should know, Ms. Burrows, that I had you pegged as an Austen type from the moment we met.”
“Did you?”
He nodded. “Perhaps, I’ll have you read Northanger Abbey to me while I’m caning your arse.”
Her laughter faded, but her arousal didn’t. She pressed her thighs together, fidgeting. “Not Pride and Prejudice?”
Keeping his hand in her hair, he guided her to her feet and used his free hand to settle at her waist and tug her body against his. “If you keep reading the word that stops everything, how can I remind you what it feels like to fly?”
The aroused catch of her breath made his cock jerk against her. He lifted the hand at her waist and brought it down with a resounding smack on her arse cheek. A shriek escaped her, and he roughly rubbed the warming spot.
“Now, my sweet little brat, go to my room—the last door on the left. Strip off, and wait for me there. I need to gather a few things.”
“Yes, Sir,” she breathed.
He watched her a moment more, his attention falling to her pebbled nipples poking relentlessly against the fabric of her bra. Finally, he released her, and she turned to walk on trembling legs toward his room. He did need to grab a few things like condoms, restraints, a couple toys, but the most important of the things he needed to gather were his wits.
When he had what he needed, he entered his room and found Eliza waiting for him, her nude body bathed in the soft glow of the lamp next to h
is reading chair.
She was on her knees, bottom resting on her heels and hands clasped behind her back. Her nipples were tight little berries begging for his mouth. Her head was bowed, but he sensed her gaze on him. Peering at him through the curtain of hair that had fallen around her face.
He stepped around her, briefly, to set his supplies on the floor next to his chair then moved back in front of her. She’d sunken her teeth into her lower lip as she lifted her head to stare up at him. Reaching forward, he pulled her lip free with his thumb, caressing the swollen bit of flesh.
She stared up at him, her eyes pleading.
“You still want your reward?”
“Please, Sir.”
He’d been planning to wait. To focus on her. To give her what she needed to get out of her head. But looking at her, he realized that he needed her to suck his cock as badly as she seemed to want to do it. He shoved his jeans down his hips, baring himself to her, and she obediently opened her mouth.
Gripping his shaft at the base, he angled it toward her and slicked her lips with his dripping pre-come. She groaned and flicked her tongue across the head, and it was all he could do to keep from shoving forward, deep into her waiting warmth.
She shifted, and he was aware of her arms moving.
“Hands stay where they are.”
Huffing her annoyance, she returned to her original position, as he pushed the head across her tongue. She closed her mouth around him and leaned forward, enveloping more of him in her wet heat. Her eyelids fell shut as she slid up and down the length of him. She looked so fucking peaceful kneeling there, drawing on him, coaxing him deeper.
Her tongue swirled the length of him, and his hips jerked forward, bumping the back of her throat. She hummed happily.
“You like that?” His voice came out rougher than he’d anticipated.
Her eyes opened lazily, and she nodded, still tonguing his prick.
He pulled back, popping free from her lips, which immediately turned downward.
Rewritten (The Bound Series Book 7) Page 15
