by Lili Valente
Of course, in her present state of mind, she might decide it was a good idea to run out into the snow in nothing but her nightshirt and bare feet.
Just in case he added—
“We’re about ten miles from the nearest cabin. I wouldn’t try to run if I were you.”
“You’re not going to just leave me like this, are you?” she blinked wide, pained eyes, gesturing down at herself as if her state of arousal should be abundantly obvious.
And it was. Damn, it was.
Her skin was flushed all over and her tits were so swollen, he could only imagine how swollen and wet her pussy must be, and how fucking good she would taste as he plunged his tongue inside her.
It wasn’t easy to resist crossing the room, kneeling in front of her, and taking her nipples in his mouth. He could almost feel how perfectly they would stiffen beneath his tongue, hear how she’d moan as he coaxed her into a state of even more powerful lust. They probably wouldn’t even make it to the bed. He’d end up taking her there on the floor, her long legs wrapped around his face as he devoured her, making her come screaming his name before he spread her wide and shoved inside her, burying his cock to the hilt in her heat, fucking her until—
Thankfully, Erin spoke before the weakness in his mind could become weakness of the body.
“Blake, please,” she begged. “I need you. I swear to God, I’m going to go crazy if you don’t touch me.”
“I warned you to stop,” he said, his tone remarkably calm considering where his thoughts had been heading a moment before. “And I warned you there would be consequences for disobeying.”
“This isn’t a consequence; it’s cruel and unusual punishment,” she said, but even with the angry, frustrated look on her face, he could tell being disciplined excited her.
“I’ll take care of you in the morning. Sleep well.” He crossed the room, toting the suitcase with him to the door, where he paused to look back at Erin one more time. “And don’t think about using that detachable nozzle in the shower or your hand or anything else, beautiful. I’ll know if you don’t wait for me to make you come, and I won’t be happy.”
“Maybe I don’t care if you’re happy,” she mumbled beneath her breath, but he heard every word, like she’d wanted him to.
In a matter of seconds, he’d dropped the suitcase and was by her side, pushing her back onto the carpet. He stretched out on top of her, spreading her legs with a rough nudge of his knee, grinding his erection against her through their clothes. Her lips met his with a cry and her hands shook as she looped them around his neck. He kissed her, softly, insistently, thoroughly, until she was bucking against his cock, and her breath came in desperate pants.
Only then did he pull away to look deep into her eyes.
“If you really don’t care if I’m happy, or pleased with you, then we should stop this right now,” he said, his voice low and firm. “A submissive takes pleasure from being obedient, it’s the definition of the word. So if obeying me doesn’t give you pleasure, if it isn’t a gratifying thing in its own right, then I don’t see how this can work between us.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, the vulnerable note in her voice causing some of the tension to seep from his body, making him even more aware of all the places they touched. “This is just so confusing. Things didn’t use to be this way between us. I keep thinking about when we were in high school and…” Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she pulled in a shaky breath. “It feels like I’m caught between two different versions of myself and I don’t know which one to be. If that makes any sense?”
“It does,” he said, smoothing her hair from her forehead. “But I can’t be anyone but the man I am now. Maintaining control is part of who I am, the way I prove to myself that I’m not like the foster fathers I was stuck with when I was a kid. If we’re going to give each other pleasure, I need you to trust and respect me. To want to obey me because that’s what’s going to get you off the hardest.”
“I do,” she said, pain flashing in her eyes. “I just want you so much. It will be so hard to wait.”
Warmth spread through his chest. “I know. Believe me, beautiful, it’s not going to be easy for me, either. I’ve been dying to get my mouth between your legs since the moment I saw you tonight.” He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of her nose. “But I promise you, if you trust me, I’ll make it worth your while.”
She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as her arms slipped away from his neck. “First thing tomorrow morning?”
“I’ll have your pussy for breakfast. I swear.” He kissed her one last time, relishing the way her moan of anticipation buzzed against his lips before he pulled back and came to his feet.
Blake strode to the door, grabbed the suitcase, and started downstairs without turning to look over his shoulder. If he had and he’d been forced to see Erin sprawled nude on the carpet, that come-hither look in her eyes, he wasn’t sure he would have had the strength to leave.
Some Dom he was.
But then, he hadn’t been prepared to exert the kind of control it took to top a girl like Erin. He’d never dreamed she’d summon not only the intense, undeniable chemistry they’d shared as teenagers but also stimulate the very adult desires he’d acquired since then.
He’d finally met his match, the kind of woman he could see himself playing with for years, the strong yet submissive partner he hadn’t dreamed he’d find.
Too bad she was also the woman who had broken his heart and a person who couldn’t be trusted.
He had never guessed she was planning to leave Carson City the morning after they swore to spend their lives together and sealed the promise with a pair of matching tattoos. There hadn’t been the slightest sign. Hell, they’d made love right after he’d finished the work on her shoulder, sneaking into the camper behind their friend Kevin’s house to do it in a bed instead of his car for a change. Even at eighteen, Blake had known he’d never forget that night, how beautiful Erin had looked as she rode him, and how excited he’d felt knowing he was soon going to be in control of his own life.
He’d had a job lined up as a bouncer at a local bar and was working part-time with the best tattoo artist in town. In a few months, he’d expected to have the portfolio and the money he needed to make the move to Reno, and from there, eventually on to Vegas. Erin was going to get her GED and go with him. They’d had it all planned out.
But then she’d run away, without leaving so much as a note to tell him why. Blake hadn’t even realized she was gone until he’d shown up at Casa de la Hell looking for her and Phil had tried to kick his ass.
“Where is she?” Phil came at him with fists raised. “Where’s Erin? And where’s my goddamned truck, you son of a bitch.”
Blake was so shocked—and so busy putting two and two together to make one gone girl—that he didn’t lift his arms in time. Phil’s first punch connected with his jaw and Blake fell to the ground, his ears ringing. But he was back on his feet in seconds, charging Phil with a roar born of the fear and rage pumping through his bloodstream.
Erin was gone.
She’d taken Phil’s truck and run, the way she’d threatened to do a hundred times before. But this time she’d really done it. She’d run away and left him behind, right when they were about to have everything they’d been dreaming about for years.
Blake took Phil to the ground and pounded on the bastard’s face until his former foster father begged him to let him go, but it didn’t bring Erin back. And it didn’t make Blake feel better.
Nothing made him feel better, not for a very, very long time.
The sound of the water turning on upstairs jolted Blake back to the present, making him wonder how long he’d been standing at the bottom of the stairs with a death grip on the handle of the suitcase and bad memories souring the taste of Erin’s kiss.
“Too long,” he mumbled aloud.
Any time spent dwelling on those old memories was too much time. He’d already learned th
e lessons he needed from those days. He’d learned not to trust Erin, no matter how much he’d loved her.
No matter how much he was beginning to think he still loved her, he’d be a fool to forget she was the kind of woman who would make you think you were the center of her universe one minute.
And the next minute, she’d be gone.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Erin
“I’ll take care of you in the morning.” Erin mimicked Blake’s bossy voice as she scrubbed her skin with the loofah until it stung, struggling to ignore the heavy, swollen feeling in her breasts and that way her pussy ached with a need that was physically painful.
Damnit! She’d never felt so dissatisfied, not even after what Blake had ordered her to do in the car.
Every nerve ending in her body screamed for relief from the unfulfilled desire coursing through her veins and her breath came in angry little pants. Dom or not, Blake had no right to do this to her, especially not twice in one night. She hadn’t been that defiant, and she had blown him like it was her sole mission on earth.
Blown him…
God help her, but even the memory of it was enough to make her pussy wetter. Blake’s was the first cock she’d ever seen and it was still her favorite. The thing was just fucking beautiful—long and thick, with a bulbous head that filled her mouth like a perfectly shaped plum. And it wasn’t just pretty, but made for a woman’s pleasure. The thick ridge between the head and shaft rubbed all the right places, stretching her, filling her, until there was nothing but Blake. Nothing but pleasure—raw, hot, and wild.
Erin growled through gritted teeth, throwing the loofah to the shower floor in frustration.
Take care of her in the morning, her ass. She’d take care of herself. Right now. There was no way she’d be able to sleep if she didn’t ease the tension making her teeth itch and her skin crawl with frustration.
Erin pulled the shower nozzle from its place on the wall, a thrill of excitement shooting through her as she used it to wash the last of the soap from her body. It wasn’t just the fact that she was getting ready to come that thrilled her; it was the knowledge that she was defying Blake, disobeying a direct order.
Maybe he was right, and she was a naughty sub who needed to be punished, but that wasn’t going to stop her. She needed to take the edge off before she lost what was left of her mind.
Sticking her head out of the shower curtain for a moment, Erin listened carefully. Thankfully, she could still hear the water running downstairs. Blake wasn’t finished with his shower, which meant he wouldn’t be coming to check on her for at least a few minutes.
“A few minutes is all it will take.” Erin sighed in relief as she lay down in the tub, propping one foot on the side, baring the needy place between her legs. Moving one hand to her breast, she plucked at her already erect nipple, building the fire smoldering within her to near the breaking point. Then, with shaking hands, she moved the shower nozzle between her legs.
Erin gasped as the water streamed over her clit. God, she was so close…so fucking close. Just a few more seconds, just a little more pressure and then…
Then…
“Please, please,” she moaned softly, her breath rasping in and out as she pinched her nipples and squirmed beneath the warm spray coursing between her legs. But her pleasure never crested and the tension building inside stayed just south of the breaking point.
Fuck! What was wrong with her? She’d never had a problem bringing herself over. Usually in less than sixty seconds.
When you lived under the thumb of a domineering man who refused to have sex with you, but had forbidden you to pleasure yourself, you learned to get the job done as quickly as possible. If she hadn’t been adept at getting herself off, she probably would have lost her mind during the past two years.
So why was her body failing her now?
And don’t think about using that detachable nozzle in the shower or your hand or anything else. I’ll know if you don’t wait for me and I won’t be happy.
Blake’s words echoed through her head. A moment later, Erin’s eyes slid closed with a curse. Her arm went limp, the showerhead sliding down to pelt water against her thigh.
No matter what the rational part of her thought about the games she and Blake were playing, it seemed her body had decided Blake’s happiness was essential. It wasn’t going to let her come because it didn’t want to displease the man downstairs.
Apparently, her good little submissive act hadn’t been as much of an act as she’d thought. And now she was going to have to wait until morning for relief. Her twisted libido wouldn’t allow her to do anything else.
The realization was enough to bring tears to her eyes.
This wasn’t the first time she’d wished she’d never started exploring this side of herself, never admitted she craved the act of submission. The highs were admittedly very high, but the lows of the past two years should have taught her the danger in walking this path.
She needed to be in control right now. She had to concentrate on getting her life back on track, not on servicing another man. Even if this was only for a weekend, it wasn’t smart.
Hell, if her head had already decided obeying Blake was necessary in order to claim her own pleasure, this was downright dangerous.
Tears of fear and frustration flowed down her cheeks as she finished her shower and dried off. She pulled on the panties and nightshirt Blake had brought for her, but even the soft fabric felt abrasive against her sensitized skin. She brushed her hair with swift, rough strokes, and, after a little searching, found the toothbrush and toothpaste.
She’d just finished rinsing her mouth when footsteps sounded on the stairs, making her hurry to complete her nighttime routine and escape to the relative safety of her bedroom.
If she had to see Blake again or smell the addictive scent of the man she loved, she’d—
“No. No, no, no.” Erin chanted the mantra under her breath as she dashed to the bed, snapped off the bedside lamp, and curled into a ball beneath the covers.
She wasn’t falling in love with Blake again. It was impossible. They’d only been back together for a night and no amount of hot sex could make up for quality time spent learning to care for each other again.
Unless, of course, she had never stopped loving him in the first place.
Erin moaned softly into the luxurious pillowcase, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks, though the reason for them wasn’t completely clear.
Was she crying for herself, or for Blake? For what they’d lost, or for what they’d never have again, no matter how hot the chemistry was between them?
She didn’t know.
There were many things in life that confused her, but love had always been the biggest and most confusing thing of all.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Erin
When Erin woke up the next morning, the room was aglow with soft yellow light and a slightly rumpled Blake was lying beside her, propped up on one elbow, watching her sleep. Even before she’d had a chance to shake off the sleep cobwebs, the tender expression on his face brought her fears from the night before rushing back with a vengeance.
The surge of anxiety was strong enough to make her scoot a few inches away, despite the fact that the heat rolling from Blake’s body made her long to curl into his chest and go right back to sleep.
Great, now she was craving snuggling in addition to sex. If that wasn’t a sign that she was treading dangerous waters, she didn’t know what was.
“Good morning,” Blake said, his deep voice vibrating across her skin, making her nipples tighten. “Did you sleep well?”
“Pretty well,” she said. “Considering I was dying of frustration when I went to sleep.”
“I’m glad you kept your promise,” he said. “I’d hate to have to neglect your pussy any longer.” A smile pulled at the corners of his full lips, making her want to smile along with him. Blake could be scary-looking when he wanted to be, but when he smiled he was simply�
�beautiful.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, smile fading.
“That you’re beautiful,” she said, unable to lie when he was looking at her like she was all he needed in the whole world to be happy.
“Not half as beautiful as you are.” His eyes darkened as he reached out, twisting a strand of her hair around his finger. “I’d forgotten it was curly when you don’t use that thing on it.”
“It’s called a flattening iron. You bought me one for Christmas sophomore year, remember?”
Erin knew she should keep her thoughts in the present and her interactions with Blake purely physical, but she couldn’t seem to resist a trip down memory lane. It had been so long since anyone had looked at her the way he was looking at her now, with need and affection mixing in his features.
Foolish or not, she craved the warmth in his expression almost as much as she craved his body.
“I forgot what it was called,” he said with a crooked grin. “You’re the only girlfriend I ever lived with, and you know we didn’t spend much time getting ready at home.”
“Yeah, six people sharing one bathroom was fun.” Erin shuddered as she remembered Phil’s Pepto-Bismol-colored toilet and the tub with the cracks up the side. She’d shared the festering lav with Blake, Phil, his wife, and an endlessly shifting group of younger foster kids.
Erin had tried not to remember their names or faces. It was easier that way. If she didn’t get attached, she didn’t have to freak out when they went to school with bruises hidden beneath their clothes or without breakfast in their bellies because Phil had gone on a bender and they didn’t have money left over to buy cereal or milk.
“It was easier to get ready at school.” She closed her eyes and rubbed at the tops, wishing she could wipe away the visions of the sad little faces conjured by her thoughts.
“Yeah,” Blake agreed. “Or in Kevin’s camper.”
Erin’s eyes slit open as she sneaked a peek at Blake’s face. She wondered if he remembered that Kevin’s camper was where they’d spent their last night together. But Blake’s features were calm, impassive. He didn’t seem to make the connection. Of course, he hadn’t known it was their last night. She hadn’t wanted to ruin it for him by telling him their plan was never going to work, not while she was still underage.
