by Tina Donahue
To her surprise, he untied her ankles. She wondered if he was going to take her standing up.
He freed the ropes from the ceiling hooks. However, once she’d lowered her arms, he knotted the lines around her wrists and held them like a leash. She didn’t understand. “We’re not staying in here?”
He gave her a smile, then led her into the utility area. Two fluffy towels waited on the dryer. He rubbed her down, paying particular attention to her breasts and cunt, then dried himself. With his hair sticking in all directions, he brought her into the living room and stopped near the fireplace. “Sit.”
She sank to the sheepskin rug like a well-trained pet. That might have disturbed her, if she’d had more energy and was less horny.
Daniel pulled the cocktail table to within several feet of her. “On your knees and elbows, hands in front of you, ass high.”
He was going to take her anally. Of that, Alexandra had little doubt. Torn between excitement and a load of uncertainty, she did as he’d commanded. Daniel tied her wrists to the leg of the furniture. Its solid weight prevented her from movement or escape.
He put another couple of logs on the fire, then went into the kitchen and banged cabinets as Junior had the night he’d been here. Alexandra had no idea what Daniel was searching for.
He returned with a stack of plates and set up the candles she’d bought…fat, tall, skinny, scented, decorative. Once they were on the dishes, he put them on the mantle, tables and floor, wherever there was a hard surface. Only the birthday ones remained on the chair. Daniel smiled at them and lit the rest.
The room glowed from the bobbling flames of the candles and fire. Decidedly romantic. Vaguely decadent.
He went past her and grabbed something off the sofa she hadn’t noticed before. The condoms. With the packets strung around his neck, similar to a lei, he approached and stopped at her side, his cock so damn rigid it barely moved.
She started sweating again. Without being told, Alexandra arched her back and lifted her ass as she’d done in the loft. He’d warned her to be in that position the next time he wanted it. Not to make him tell her again or keep him waiting.
Appreciation gleamed in his eyes, along with a need so deep it shocked her. Alexandra sensed she was peering into his soul.
The moment didn’t last. Whether he’d pushed it aside or she’d imagined it, straight-out lust took over. He tore off one of the packets and unrolled the condom over his imposing length.
Once Daniel had settled between her legs, he ran his fingers over her cunt, transferring its moisture to her anus.
Alexandra shivered.
He asked, “You ever do this before?”
“Sure.”
His stroking stopped. Why she’d lied escaped Alexandra. Nor could she imagine how he could possibly know the truth.
Daniel leaned over her and searched her face. “So, you have done this. Just not with me. Right?”
If her cheeks got any hotter, they’d melt. She mumbled, “So I’m a virgin at this. What’s the big deal?”
“It’s a very big deal,” he murmured, then eased back and drove his cock into her cunt.
Surprised, Alexandra arched her back, which allowed him to burrow even deeper. She swallowed hard, then blurted, “Just because I haven’t done that before, you’re not going to keep from—”
“Quiet.” He gripped her hips and pumped slowly, as though he feared coming too fast.
With each thrust, Daniel dug his fingers more deeply into her. Alexandra knew he was suffering and figured he’d go ballistic if she tightened her muscles around him to hurry things along. The friction between their bodies was already past intense, straight into mind-blowing.
He kept his sluggish pace, gulping air, making noises that would have put a porn star to shame. Aroused. Unseemly. Wonderful.
On a low growl, he gripped her butt even tighter and pumped faster, harder. Not quickly by any means, but enough that Alexandra knew he couldn’t take it any longer. He’d been hard since she’d come home. He’d seen to her pleasure first. And now, he exploded with sound and movement at his climax. Groaning, thrusting, his body smacking into hers. Enjoying himself.
He drew out his delight far longer than she would have believed likely or prudent. Still gasping, he leaned down to her. The edge of a packet scraped her skin. Alexandra stiffened.
Daniel jerked back. “What?”
“The condoms. The packets are scratching me.”
“Sorry.” He flung them aside and wrapped his arms around her, his beard-roughened cheek on her shoulder.
She smiled.
“Give me a minute,” he breathed.
As far as Alexandra was concerned, he didn’t ever have to move. She wanted him right where he was. Inside her. Cuddled close. No words or actions could compete with these precious moments.
He kissed her shoulder, then brushed her hair away and nuzzled her neck.
Alexandra cooed. A sound she’d never made. No other man had drawn it from her.
Daniel yawned. “Tired?”
Yeah, though in a good way. “No. You?”
“Nope.”
He was. She heard it in his voice, yet he stayed inside her, stroking her belly and boobs until the impossible, or unexpected, happened. His cock started to thicken again. Faster than it should have.
“Squeeze me,” he ordered.
She did.
“Harder.”
Alexandra gritted her teeth and tightened her inner muscles as much as she could.
Daniel pulled out of her. Before she could ask why, he probed her anus with the tip of his cock, then entered.
Ahhh. She bit her lip at the intense pressure, but kept quiet and still. Alexandra wanted him in every part of her, filling, bringing her excitement and joy, all that she’d missed prior to knowing him.
He didn’t rush, surely because this was her first time. Carefully…tenderly…he eased his crown past her tight ring. She fisted her fingers, then relaxed them, not wanting Daniel to stop because he thought she was hurting. Alexandra wasn’t. Already the intense pressure had begun to recede, her body growing accustomed to his.
With concern and skill, he eased his shaft inside until his groin touched her ass. He swallowed loudly. “Doing okay?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Seriously.”
“Yeah, no need to ask or…”
Her words trailed off at his steady pumps, his cock widening her passage, molding Alexandra’s body to fit his needs. She relaxed as much as she could to make it easier.
He rubbed her clit.
She jerked slightly at the delicious sensation his touch produced.
“Don’t move,” he ordered, his words choked.
She tried not to but couldn’t manage what he wanted, not with him back to taunting her poor little nub. No guy had ever played with her as much. Alexandra loved it, but hell, she wasn’t Superwoman. Her last climax had nearly killed—
Aw, shit. Awesome, desired sensations dashed down her thighs and curled in her belly. Her clit was more than alive. The freaking thing was as insatiable as he was. He kept thrusting into her as his fingers rubbed, stroked, demanded, driving both of them to the newest crest.
It sneaked up unawares, the same as the last. Alexandra wailed as though the world had stopped. His yell eclipsed hers. Unashamed, they voiced their joy at their bodies again providing immeasurable pleasure.
Chapter Ten
Alexandra woke in bed, facing the dresser, not certain how she got here.
Vague images of Daniel carrying her up the stairway flitted through her mind. She dismissed them immediately. The spiral staircase was too narrow for such a romantic gesture. She was definitely too heavy to carry even for a man his size.
Rolling over, she bumped into tangled sheets and the comforter, not him. Worse, his side of the bed was coolish beneath her touch. Alexandra’s stomach sank at her first thought. That he’d called Nat or one of the other guys for a ride out of here without telling her
.
Uh-uh. She couldn’t force herself to believe that he’d be so callous or dismissive of her feelings after what they’d shared last night. He had to be in the cabin.
Alexandra listened for sounds of running water from the toilet or shower. The sweeping wind answered. No surprise. The fireplace caught her attention, flames crackling, logs popping, the blaze nowhere near to burning out. He must have stoked it before he left. To go where? If not the bathroom, then the steam room, prepping it for more fun?
She hoped.
Propped on one elbow, Alexandra was about to push off the mattress when the clock caught her eye. Oh shit. In an hour she’d have to be at work, no doubt with a dozen of her grandfather’s voicemails waiting for her, which she couldn’t ignore. Pissing Lucius off wasn’t in Daniel’s best interest. Lucius owed him nothing, not even the courtesy one human being affords another. Alexandra knew her grandfather would be happy to keep that status quo going.
Her shoulders bunched. She had to find something in the reports to save even a few bucks, pacify Lucius so he’d hone in on another part of his empire. Maybe Nat had pinpointed something. Maybe he hadn’t. Who the fuck knew? Alexandra cursed Lucius for being so damn greedy and mean. There wasn’t any reason for it. He hadn’t grown up poor. He’d never been hungry or wanted for anything. He could afford to be kind, not to mention, decent.
She growled, “Damn freaking bullheaded—”
“You’re in a good mood.”
Alexandra stopped digging her fingers into the sheets, surprised to see Daniel crossing the room. She hadn’t heard him climb the stairs. His hair was bed mussed, cheeks bristly, his cock at rest, but still awesome. The pizza tray he held had what she guessed was their breakfast—two tall glasses of OJ and another of his peanut butter sandwiches. Beer Nuts rolled across the dish.
However, he also held something behind his back.
She dipped to the right, trying to see around him, but couldn’t. “What is that?”
“Orange juice and—”
“No. What you’re holding behind your back.”
“Oh. For you.” He brought another dish around. In the center of its sandwich was one of the birthday candles, the tiny flame flickering merrily.
She burst out laughing. Seconds later, tears rolled down Alexandra’s cheeks, her shoulders bobbing with her quiet sobs.
Alarm flitted across Daniel’s face. He stepped back. “What?”
His teasing her about the candles touched Alexandra’s soul, so starved for affection even something this small really mattered. Lucius would have bitched endlessly about the money she’d wasted, her inability to make up her mind. With this one precious gesture, Daniel had made her feel special, worthy of attention. More importantly, this would always be a personal joke between them.
However long they lasted.
More tears rolled down her cheeks.
“What?” he pleaded, putting the tray and her dish on the edge of the bed. “God, it’s not your birthday, is it?”
She barked a laugh.
He waved his hands helplessly, then whispered, “PMS?”
Aw, crap. Alexandra bent at the waist, her forehead touching the mattress, laughter and tears shaking her body.
“Hey, talk to me,” he begged.
She put up her hand, asking for a moment. He didn’t say another word, nor did he flee like everyone else had in her life. That brought a new wave of emotion that Alexandra fought. After a long moment, she cleared her throat and murmured, “I’m fine. Really.”
To prove it, she straightened and pushed back her hair.
Daniel regarded her as he might an alien life form, or a woman who looked really shitty.
She knuckled tears from her eyes. “You just caught me by surprise. Do I get to make a wish?”
He regarded the candle. “It is your birthday?”
“No. That’s in May.” So far in the future, Alexandra was afraid to consider where they’d both be emotionally by then. “But why waste the candle or wish, right?”
Daniel seemed uncertain how to answer. He lifted one shoulder. She stared at the sandwich, cherishing every sloppy bit, wishing she could freeze his sweet offering as a memento of these few days they’d shared.
Pulling in a deep breath, she made her request.
Please let us be together at least until the end of the project.
He’d committed a year to this locale. Alexandra was ready to give Daniel far longer than that, if he wanted the same. Silly, she knew, to fall for another person so fast.
Explain that to her heart.
She blew out her held breath. The flame disappeared followed by a thin wisp of smoke. With great care, she put the candle to the side and offered the first bite to Daniel. “Eat.”
He joined her on the bed, his knee touching her thigh. “Take it all.” He eased Alexandra’s hair from her shoulder. She smiled. He didn’t. “You’re due at the office.”
Yeah, that. She nibbled on the sandwich, her hunger a distant memory.
Daniel finished half his juice and wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand. “Do you mind giving me a ride back to the barracks?”
Her belly twisted. She wanted to ask why he’d decided to leave but didn’t have the courage or a good reason to pry. He couldn’t stay here forever. They weren’t married. Technically, they weren’t even dating. What they had was more like training sessions with him as the Dom and her as his intern submissive. Time to put on her big-girl pants and keep this from bothering her so much. “Not at all.”
“Thanks.”
“Sure.”
Neither of them spoke after that, lost in their own thoughts. He ate his sandwich. She pretended to enjoy hers, managing to finish only a few bites.
“Is it that bad?” he asked.
Her life? Until now, it had sucked big-time. After he was gone, it wouldn’t be a trip to Disneyland. Figuring he meant the sandwich, she murmured, “Oh no.” Without thinking, Alexandra cradled his face, drawing her thumbnail over his stubble. “I never eat much in the morning.”
“I’ll have to remember that.”
He would? Her thumb stalled on his cheek.
Daniel turned his face and kissed her hand, then brushed crumbs off his chest. “When will you get off today? You were late yesterday.”
She wouldn’t be tonight. Her heart pumped so hard from happiness, the room spun. “No later than six.” She’d leave early no matter what, because he wanted her here. Right? Suddenly, Alexandra wasn’t sure. She brought back her hand. “Why do you ask?”
“Why do you think?”
She grinned enough to make her cheeks hurt. “My training isn’t through.”
“Oh baby,” he whispered. “It’s barely begun.”
With no effort at all, Daniel had committed himself to another evening with Alexandra. Hold it. Make that several nights given his “it’s barely begun” comment.
Smart move, idiot.
He slumped against the passenger door of her SUV. She looked over. He winked. She relaxed. He didn’t.
To say his behavior with her wasn’t normal was the understatement of the millennium. This morning, he’d planned to feed Alexandra, possibly fuck her until they were both breathless, then call their little adventure finished. He’d had too great a time, and that frightened him worse than a kick to his balls. Definitely time to cut out. Could be that was why he’d put the birthday candle on her sandwich. A parting joke. Keep everyone chuckling.
The sound of her laughter had stopped him faster than a bullet to his heart. Never had Daniel heard anything as joyous or as satisfying. For the first time in his life, he’d understood what it felt like to be a man. To have the power to move someone so much, while she did wicked things to him.
However, her tears…
Shit. Whenever a woman cried, Daniel wanted to bolt. Somehow, he felt responsible for all that unhappiness, even if he wasn’t, and needed to fix things without knowing what the problem might be.
Like
an unsophisticated teen, he’d gaped at Alexandra’s narrow shoulders shivering from her sobs. As manly as he’d felt with her laughter, because he’d caused it, her tears had diminished him.
After that, he couldn’t very well tell her he wasn’t coming back, then bum a ride. He wasn’t a heartless bastard like her fucking grandfather. Besides, deep, deep, deep down, Daniel had wanted to return. Blame it on her having the nicest digs in the village. Pretty damn good food. The constant sex. Domination. Punishment.
Daniel didn’t want to blame it on Alexandra. That she was the true lure. He couldn’t be that loony. Getting deeply involved with a woman like her was a recipe for disaster. Her usual lifestyle was light years from anything he’d ever known or would experience. Disliking her grandfather’s arrogance was another problem.
Alexandra obviously had her problems with the old guy, but he was family. She’d always side with him. Getting into that dynamic would be worse than trying to orchestrate peace in the Middle East. Uh-uh. Not for him.
“You can leave me here.” He grabbed his door handle.
“Whoa, wait,” she said, gripping his forearm. “Give me a chance to stop.” She pulled into the parking lot of the pizza parlor and turned to him. “This place isn’t open yet. If you’re still hungry, you can drop me off at work and take the—”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Then why did you want me to stop here?” Alexandra peered through the windshield as though she expected to see more than a dark and snowy landscape populated by a series of closed businesses. “You’re not going to walk to the barracks, are you? It’s cold outside.”
Well below freezing the last time he’d checked. He lied, “I thought the grocery store might be open. I’d like a cup of coffee.”
She looked in the direction of the store and shook her head. “Nope. It’s closed like it always is at this hour. Seriously, drop me off and take the SUV back to my place for your coffee. I don’t mind.”
He did. If his screwed-up feelings got any worse, Daniel wanted a means of escape. Namely, his own vehicle. “It’s probably best if you take me to the barracks. The guys should have a pot going by now.”
