Penance (Long Slow Tease, #2)

by Mayburn, Ann

  He froze and stared at her. This was the first time she’d ever confronted him this directly about it. She’d always been a daddy’s girl, but that didn’t mean she didn’t love her mother – even if she was an evil bitch – and she could empathize with her mother about how it felt to be betrayed. The thought of Wyatt cheating on her made her soul wither.

  “It was a long time ago, Michelle. I’ve done everything I can think of to earn her forgiveness, but she just won’t let go of her anger.”

  “Then why don’t you divorce her? Save you both the sorrow of being married.”

  His gaze hardened and he resembled the Senator who made grown men cry during questioning more than her dad. “Because I love her and I regret with all my heart that I made her doubt my love, that I gave into my own stupid egotistical needs and hurt her. I will stay with her until she forces me to leave.”

  “But your relationship is so messed up!”

  “Honey, that’s between your mother and I.”

  “No, it’s not. Do you think we don’t see how much it hurts both of you to be together? Maybe a trial separation would help.”

  “Absolutely not. I’ve never given up on your mother and I won’t do it now. You may not understand it, but I love her. Someday she’ll learn to let go of her anger just like you learned how to let go of your guilt, thank God.”

  “What?”

  “I know I’ve told you this a thousand times, but I’m going to say it once more. What happened to Owen wasn’t your fault. He would want you to be happy, and he would want you to get married and have a mess of children. The sight of you slowly fading away killed me. That was why your grandfather and I persuaded your mother to let you go into the military like you wanted. I knew that you needed to do something that would take your mind off yourself, something that would give you a purpose, but that time has passed.” He grasped her hand and searched her face. “Let Wyatt love you, Michelle. I know you won’t be surprised that I had his background researched.”

  “Why break a running habit?” she said in a dazed voice.

  The emotional punches that her father was throwing at her had her head spinning. She could barely formulate a thought, let alone face the truth of his words. It wasn’t often that her personal history was re-written, but now that she knew about her father’s dedication to her mother, she found herself looking at her memories from when she was younger with the eyes of an adult.

  The thought that she held onto her guilt like her mother held onto her anger scared the shit out of her.

  “He’s a good man, Michelle, but I don’t have to tell you that. Your mother may not like him because he isn’t some spoiled trust fund brat, but I’m happy that you found each other.” He took a deep breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Your mother has been having some issues that you’re not aware of. I’ve kept them from you because I didn’t want you to have to deal with anymore drama, but you need to know that she really does love you. I know she doesn’t talk about her upbringing much, but please believe me when I say it’s remarkable how well adjusted she is considering her past. She’s just…she doesn’t know how to deal with her own issues and I’m afraid she’s turned to outside sources for comfort.”

  Before she could reply and ask her dad what the hell he meant, her oldest brother, Kevin, burst into the room. His normally pale face was flushed beneath his thinning blond hair and he looked more pissed off than she’d ever seen him, except for that time that she’d stolen his car keys and crashed his Camaro when she was fourteen.

  “Michelle, Wyatt needs you right now.”

  She surged up from the couch, horrible scenarios racing through her mind at the speed of light. “Is he okay?”

  Kevin braced his arm across the door, blocking her. “Mom cornered him. I swear to God we don’t know how she managed to do that. We promised dad we would keep her away.”

  “What did she do?” Michelle bit out with anger bursting through her and mixing with her building panic.

  “I overheard the end of it. She was trying to pay Wyatt to leave you, Michelle. Twenty-five thousand dollars to break up with you. I swear she’s lost her fucking mind. We knew she was getting bad, but not like this.”

  She had only taken a couple of steps in the direction Kevin indicated before he and her father caught her. “What? Why would she do that? I’ll kill her. Where’s Wyatt?”

  Her father released her and met Kevin’s gaze. “Where’s your mother?”

  “She ran off to her rooms after I busted up her little chat. Wyatt must have nerves of fucking steel because all he said was that he was sorry she felt that way, but that he loves Michelle and he’s never going to leave her.”

  Michelle walked up to her brother and fisted his jacket. “Where is Wyatt?”

  “Follow me. Your sisters-in-law went all mama bear on Mom and chased her off. Right now they’re probably guarding him where I left them in the solarium.”

  She removed her heels and ran down the hall towards the other side of the house, her heart feeling like it would explode from sheer worry. When she rounded the corner and made her way through the hanging plastic and the door she quickly spotted Wyatt sitting on a padded wicker chair, sipping what looked like coffee. Her sisters-in-law practically bristled with fury and when they looked up at Michelle their eyes grew wide.

  “Wyatt,” she gasped out, frozen in fear that her mother had irreparably harmed their relationship.

  Wyatt stood so abruptly he tipped over the chair behind him. “Sweetheart, it’s okay. Gonna take more than a bitter old woman to chase me off.”

  To her shame, tears flowed down her cheeks and she tried to speak, but she couldn’t form any words. Wyatt strode across the room to her and picked her up in his arms like she was the one needing comfort, not him. Instantly she felt better even as embarrassment filled her at knowing her sisters-in-law were watching them.

  “Ladies,” Wyatt said in his sexy rumble, “would you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?”

  Chapter 4

  Wyatt’s gut churned with both fury and embarrassment as Michelle cried in his arms. He didn’t pay any attention to Michelle’s sisters-in-law but he did notice they had straightened the chair and left when he once again took a seat in the oversized, padded chair. The woman in his arms was heartbroken and he wished her brother had not heard what that old bitch said. If Wyatt had his way he would have hashed it out with Mrs. Sapphire in private. Instead he’d been subjected to everyone’s pity and anger at Michelle’s mother, and it had hurt his woman deeply.

  Now he sat helpless as his Domina trembled in his arms and sobbed. Wyatt couldn’t imagine how he would feel if his parents betrayed him like Michelle’s mom had. Going behind her daughter’s back and trying to pay a man off to leave her, that was just low. But his anger had no place in the here and now. Despite all the bullshit he’d been through, including his fucking PTSD panic attack, none of it mattered if Michelle was hurting.

  “Easy, baby, I’ve got you and I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered against her forehead as he arranged her on his lap.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered back. “I had no idea, I swear to you, Wyatt, I…why would she do that? What the hell is wrong with her?”

  He stopped her protests with his lips, keeping his touch extra gentle as he explored her soft mouth. This wasn’t a carnal kiss, but rather his way of trying to soothe her. She responded, reluctantly at first, then with more aggression until she fisted her hand fisted in his hair. While he might have wished to keep the kiss gentle, she obviously wanted something different from him. Without thinking, he responded to her demands, his pleasure in giving her what she desired increasing his own arousal tenfold. When she bit his lip hard enough to almost break the skin he jerked back, then laughed.

  Her eyes had deepened to a rich sapphire that reminded him of the ocean far away from land. Confusion filled her beautiful gaze along with a healthy dose of lust. Her temper flared and her pupils tightened. “You find somet
hing funny?”

  Nodding, he grinned at her and watched her become more irritated by the second. “Before you decide to deck me, hold still for a second.”

  He moved his hand towards her hair slowly, careful not to disturb the gorgeous monarch butterfly fanning its wings as it sat on her blonde curls like a living jewel. Despite his careful approach the butterfly took flight and circled his head before flying off to a darker part of the solarium. When he looked back at Michelle he noted the smile hovering around her kiss-swollen lips and relaxed.

  “So is this the inspiration for your butterfly room?”

  Blushing slightly, she nodded. “I got this room for my sixteenth birthday.”

  “Wow. I got a piece of crap truck.”

  “I would have loved a piece of crap truck. Unfortunately, I’d crashed my brother’s beloved Camaro and as part of my punishment wouldn’t get a car until I was eighteen.” She gave him a grumpy look. “I think my dad did it just so he could keep me around the house. Like I could get away with anything with my asshole brothers ratting me out.”

  “Isn’t that why God made brothers? Ask my sister about it. She’ll tell you what a terrible pain in the ass I was in high school. If any guy showed more interest in her than I deemed appropriate me and my buddies would have a ‘talk’ with him. The only guy who didn’t let my threats of an ass whupping run him off is now my brother-in-law.” He smiled at the memory of the skinny blond sophomore kid standing his ground in front of three football playing seniors. “When a man’s set his mind on a woman nothing and no one is going to scare him off. Not even someone’s mother.”

  “Wyatt, I’m so sorry.”

  He couldn’t resist smoothing her hair back from her face. “You know, I’m kind of insulted.”

  Instantly her eyes welled with tears. “I know, and you should be. What she said was horrible.”

  “Yeah. I thought I was worth at least a million if someone was going to try to bribe me. Twenty-five thousand dollars is offensive. That isn’t going to get you shit nowadays.”

  “Idiot,” she sighed at him but he could hear the laughter in her voice.

  “But I’m your idiot. Now, enough of the sad stuff. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough sorrow to last me five lifetimes.”

  “True.” She wiggled a bit in his lap but made no move to stand on her own. “You owe me a dance.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Are you ready to rejoin the party?”

  “No, I have a better idea.”

  She scooted off his lap and he noticed for the first time she wasn’t wearing shoes. He almost asked her what happened to them, then he remembered how out of breath she’d been. His heart constricted as he realized she’d taken them off so she could run to him in order to defend him. The fact that she would have his back, no matter what, was just another one of the billion reasons he loved his Domina.

  Michelle went over to what he’d thought was a security pad near the door. She dithered with it for a few minutes before turning down the overhead lights so the room was only illuminated by the small spotlights focused on the plants. A butterfly flew past one light and it threw distorted and trembling shadows against the wall. When she turned back to face him his breath caught in his throat at the intense look on her face. She moved to the center of the room and motioned him forward.

  He crossed the small distance and slid his arms around her, loving the feel of her heat beneath her dress, the delicate scent of her perfume, and the silken skin of her lips as she pressed them to his jaw. A minute later the song Wicked Games by Chris Isaak started to play from speakers hidden around the room. Michelle began to move in his arms and he followed her motions. Together they danced while the music washed over them. He studied her face as the song talked about being obsessed with a woman that was nothing but trouble.

  “Trying to tell me something with this song, Domina?”

  She nodded, her lower lip trembling. “You deserve better than me, Wyatt.”

  In an effort to keep her mood light, he shook his head. “Isn’t that my line?”

  The corner of her mouth twitched and he spun her around before dipping her and stealing a kiss. As he raised her back up she gave him a wide eyed look. “Wow, you do know how to dance.”

  “My sister was in dance all her life and I got drafted to be her practice partner at home.”

  She slid her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. “You’re such a good brother.”

  “I can’t complain. It certainly made it easy to get laid.”

  She stamped on his foot with her bare one. “Pig.”

  “Oink.”

  With a giggle she stepped back as the song ended. His heart nearly burst out of his chest as she smiled at him. “You know, you’re quite a brat.”

  “That sounds too girly. How about calling me a pain in the ass instead?” He tilted his head in the direction of the music controls. “Mind if I play another song?”

  “No, feel free.”

  It took him a minute to figure out the sound system and scroll through the music, but as soon as he saw Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode he knew it was perfect.

  When the first strands of the synthetic pop song came through the speakers she gave him a surprised look. “My, Wyatt, I never would have pegged you as a Depeche Mode fan.”

  “A girl I dated while I was in boot camp loved them. She was a hot piece of ass. That fucked up tattoo on my back that’s lines are all blown out to shit? That was the rose on the cover of the album.”

  To his shock, her predatory side surfaced in the blink of an eye. Every line of her body, every lovely curve of her slender form tensed even as she somehow grew softer, more feminine yet still managed to project strength. The sight of her like this made his cock instantly rock hard and ready to go. He’d never thought it would be like this, that the thought of her exerting her will over him like this would turn him on, but it fucking flat out did it for him. He couldn’t wait to bury some part of his body in her hot cunt. He didn’t care if it was his tongue, his fingers, or his cock. Just touching her would be better than full-on sex with other women.

  He was completely addicted to her.

  “The tattoo on your back. You got it because a girl you were fucking liked the album?”

  Unsure if he should answer her honestly, he hesitated. She took one stride forward and invaded his personal space, her all-encompassing energy pressing against him. A hard shudder went through him and he had to momentarily lock his knees to keep himself from falling to the ground before her and rubbing his face against her stomach, seeking her comfort even as he soothed her.

  “Uh, yeah. To be honest you can’t even tell what it is anymore. It’s warped and faded as hell.”

  Looking him directly in the eye, blowing him away with the complete rage he saw reflected in hers, she said in a soft voice, “You will get it removed or get a cover up tattoo. I don’t care what you get, but you will not have her mark on you anymore. This is a hard limit of mine.”

  “Are you telling me this as my Domina or my woman?”

  “Both. I mean it, Wyatt. The thought of her mark on you every time I look at your spectacular body makes me more jealous than you could possibly comprehend. My jealousy has been a problem in the past and I’m trying very hard not to get that way with you. But knowing you did that for her because she meant something to you…I can’t take that.”

  If Michelle was telling him this as his Dominatrix he’d have been able to resist her need to control him. Instead, this was a blend of his woman and his Domina, giving him glimpses of the carefully guarded emotions he had a feeling she didn’t show anyone. She trusted him, and his sense of purpose in this world strengthened as a renewed determination moved through him. What he felt for her was so far beyond love that he couldn’t even find a word for it. She was everything to him; the world began and ended with her.

  So it was easy to lean forward and rub his nose along her jaw without touching her with any other part of his body
as he whispered, “I’ll get a cover up done as soon as possible, but I need to think about it first. I want you to know every time you look at my back as you torment me that I belong to you and only you.”

  A hard shudder went through her and the stinging edge to her energy against his skin faded, leaving behind a soft, sure touch that had him dying to close the distance between them. To his surprise she smiled as the song changed and Don’t Dream it’s Over by Crowded House came on.

  “I love this song. Dance with me.”

  They swayed together and she rested her face against his chest. “I don’t know why she does things like this, Wyatt.”

  “Think it has anything to do with the fact that your mother doesn’t know how to forgive your father?”

  “What?”

  He caressed her back as they danced together, forcing her to following his slow moves. “We had some choice words before your brother arrived. I’m afraid I kinda put your mom in her place. I’m sorry if that hurts you.”

  “Not at all.” She stiffened then stiffened more when he reached down and grabbed her ass, hard. “Easy there, Marine.”

  “Is that an order, Lieutenant?”

  Her pupils dilated and she slowly licked her lower lip in an unconscious, sensual gesture. “Would you like to role play with me tonight? I must confess, there are many, many things that I want to do to you. If we were back home I’d even make you dress up for me in your uniform. I think I’d spend the first half hour just feeling your ass, squeezing and gripping it because I can finally touch you, because you are mine.”

  His dick just about punched through his pants to get at her undoubtedly wet little pussy. “I’m yours to command, Domina. Your pleasure is my pleasure.”

  “You are almost unfairly handsome and charming. Women don’t stand a chance around you.”

  They jumped apart at the sound of a door opening. To Wyatt’s surprise, Senator Sapphire came in with Mrs. Sapphire. She looked like hell and had obviously cried all of her makeup off. Michelle seemed startled, but then she moved closer to Wyatt and laced her hand with his then stood slightly in front of him, sending everyone an obvious message.