by Sara Brookes
“That's perfectly all right.” Elena's green eyes sparkled. “Believe me, I understand.”
Allison felt Patrick walk up behind her and her eyes fluttered closed as his fingers skimmed over the back of her neck. His touch firmed a little and she felt his stance change in expectation.
“If you will excuse us, Elena.”
His voice pulled at something inside her and Allison was in his arms before she could think of anything else. A cheer came from their crowd of friends as their mouths met.
The kiss was sweltering hot and not the type they usually engaged in while out in public. At the moment, she didn't care. She let herself be bowed back a bit and could feel the already rigid length of his cock through the summer-weight slacks he'd chosen to wear tonight. In response, her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled as she opened her mouth to him. Another cry went up from the table next to them and she gave him a long, smoldering look when they finally broke apart.
“Hi.”
His voice held a touch of breathlessness and a small thrill zinged through her. “Hey there. How was your day?”
“Uneventful. I'm hoping to find some excitement later by wrapping a few things up.” His fingers brushed over her forehead and he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The touch sent a wave of heat through her that ignited the already swollen flesh between her legs. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to duck out on dinner and go to Sanctuary.
“Hey you two, we're hungry here and we can't eat with you two steaming up the place.”
“Which is exactly why they've seated us apart,” she stated under her breath in annoyance and Patrick squeezed her elbow. He pressed a light kiss to her cheek and greeted everyone else around the table as he made his way to the chair reserved for him.
Blowing out a somewhat unsteady breath, she lowered herself into the chair and waited for him to settle himself directly across the table. She immediately decided it was ten times worse to have him directly in her line of sight than next to her.
Sweet Christ, I'm going to kill whoever concocted this seating arrangement.
Nick sat to Patrick's immediate right, followed by Donovan and Elena. Cooper was at Allison's left elbow with Tony, Mark and Beckett rounding out the party. Ryan had to fly to New York in order to settle some legal matters, so he had to miss this little get-together.
In a few hours, they would all head over to the theater for Cooper's movie festival this month. She hadn't checked the schedule, but thought they were all in store for a night of comedy. A mix of slapstick, satire and screwball if she wasn't mistaken.
They'd all decided this would become the new routine once a month. Dinner and a movie for the entire group. In a short amount of time, these people had become her life. It seemed so natural and she couldn't imagine it any other way.
She felt a light touch on the back of her hand and turned to Elena. “I've haven't had a chance to ask how things are. Though, gauging from that kiss, I'm fairly certain I don't need to ask.”
If there was something else that surprised her from her chance meeting with Patrick, it was the friendship she'd struck with Elena. Kindred spirits, Elena had called it.
Whatever it was, Allison never realized how much she missed the female companionship with only men for friends. She still loved her video games, movies and comic books, but there were times when she thoroughly enjoyed meeting with Elena to have a few drinks. “We're fine. What about you?”
“Busy, but not as busy as you've obviously been.”
Allison laughed and thought of the petite woman she'd met last week, among other things."Patrick took me to meet his mother.”
One of those perfectly arched ruddy eyebrows arched in surprise. “And how did that go?”
“She's tenacious. Finally kicked Nick out simply because she couldn't take him being there anymore. Made us bring him back when we left.”
“How is he?”
Patrick and Nick had their heads bent toward each other and in deep conversation. Discussing business no doubt as the summer tourist season had begun with a bang over Memorial Day weekend. Most people wouldn't notice, but she saw the shadows beneath Nick's eyes. Even the dusting of hair that indicated he hadn't shaved for a few days. “Coping. The divorce papers arrived a few days ago.”
“So they're going through with it,” Elena stated in a hushed tone.
“Evidently. Patrick said every time Nick and Vivian tried to talk, it just erupted into a shouting match. They finally decided they were better off separated and he's buried himself in work to compensate. To be honest, I'm surprised he agreed to come tonight. I was certain he'd find some excuse to duck out of it.”
Elena sipped her wine. “He may be hurting inside, but he wants to be there for his brother. He'll push away his discomfort, stand up when his younger brother needs him. Everyone deals with stress differently. Knowing those two, Nick will bounce back just fine when he's ready.”
Allison thought she detected a note of longing in Elena's voice as they spoke about Nick, but she couldn't be sure. It was too soon to push Elena to seek out something more with him, but would keep it in the back of her mind for a later time. “Patrick still feels as if he had more to do with their separation. I know they've worked it all out and he truly didn't, but still...”
“It's all part of them being family. Something I suspect you'll be part of soon enough.” There was a mischievous twinkle in Elena's eyes and Allison gave her new friend an odd look.
There was movement on the other side of the table and she watched as Patrick stood and circled the table. His hand was a comfort on her shoulder as he leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Elena's cheek. “I think we're going to skip the movie overload tonight.”
He'd barely been here a half hour and hadn't even touched his food. As Allison started to protest, Patrick took her hand and pressed his lips to her fingers. She had no idea what he planned, but her objection died in her throat when the look on his face darkened. “We can make it up to Cooper another time.”
They thanked everyone for their time and didn't bother to offer any sort of excuse.
Twenty minutes later, Patrick pushed her against the wall of his building and pulled her into the kiss he'd started at the restaurant. His teeth and tongue worked together and a groan of pleasure vibrated her throat.
When the kiss finally broke, they were both breathless. “I have something I've been meaning to talk to you about.”
“Is talking really what you want right now?” she asked as her hips pushed against his. The hard stab of his erection against her leg told her of other things he had in mind. In response, his sharp intake of breath fluttered her hair. His eyes closed for the barest of seconds and when he opened them again, unmistakable lust darkened his eyes. It made her want to pull him in for another kiss. But she could also see the resolve on his face. “Go ahead.”
“I've been putting this off, but something just feels right about it. I've watched the changes in you since we met and I want to do this now.”
Confused, she shook her head. “Patrick, what are you talking about?”
“Remember the day I strapped you to the cross and told you about forced orgasms?” He pushed in closer and her breath caught as she remembered.
“How could I forget?”
“Did you know you have that same power? And before you dispute that—think about it. What about the first time I collared you? Once you started, you could have easily stopped. Even though I told you what to do, you have the power and always have. It was up to you to decide what you wanted.”
“And what I wanted was for you to find pleasure as well,” she offered as an explanation, still uncertain of his intention. Everything had been fine recently, both with their relationship and sexually. She didn't understand where this had come from.
“Exactly. The key point is that you wanted to make sure I enjoyed myself as well. As displayed several times, I'm perfectly fine just making sure you're taken care of. Seeing that excite
s me. Yet, when the situation allowed, you ensured I was satisfied as well.”
She thought about the times she'd been the only one to reach orgasm when they were together. The situation had never been reversed. “I never thought of it that way before.”
He tugged on her hand and opened a door to the right of where they normally entered the warehouse. “Come with me.”
“Wait, where are you going? Isn't it your night on the schedule for Sanctuary?” In fact, she knew it was.
“Yes, it is. But tonight is different, it's not meant for the warehouse.”
She pulled back on her hand. Not because she wouldn't follow him, but wanted to know what he had up his sleeve. While his secretive nature was normal, this was different. “Patrick, what the hell are you talking about?”
“Just come with me.” His tone was authoritative, but she could tell that it wasn't a demand. He needed her to do this for him without question. She climbed the stairs behind him and wondered with each step what he had in mind.
Patrick's loft above the warehouse held few similarities to the room he kept downstairs. The colors were rich and dark and wood panels covered the walls. There were no paintings or pictures on those walls either. It was the mark of a man who had been a bachelor for quite some time.
Despite the masculine appearance, there were homey touches that made the space his such as pictures of his brother and mother. They sat on the bookcases to her left. There was even a snapshot of Donovan and Ryan with their arms linked with Patrick and Elena.
She turned in an unhurried circle and slowly examined everything, to take it all in. It was an intimate glimpse of the man she'd dated for several months. One she'd never seen before.
Once she'd turned a full three hundred and sixty degrees she stopped to face him again and he grinned at her. “What?”
“Nothing. I just enjoy watching you.”
“I figured that was something we determined a while ago.” She winked and his laughter filled her with warm energy. “You know, I would think for someone so adept at knowing what women want you'd do a little more to spice up the decor of where you live.”
“I haven't had to because you're the first.”
“Pardon?” she asked, stunned by his admission.
He waved a hand in the air as if to dismiss what he'd just said. “Well, with the exception of Elena and my mother for family gatherings, of course. I don't routinely invite women up here. That's why I have the room downstairs—to keep this space mine. You're the first woman I've been with who I've invited up here.”
Emotion overwhelmed her and heat stung her eyes. For whatever reason, he'd decided to share this with her and she would cherish it. “Patrick, I don't know what to say.”
He crossed to her, pressed warm lips to her forehead before wrapping his arms around her. “Don't say anything. Just listen to what I have to say. After everything, I need to do this. I've been putting it off for far too long. Did you know whenever we're not together all I can think about is you? It's another control and you haven't done a thing except be yourself. You're just you and that's enough. Remember that day at the comic book store—when I came up to you and told you I was going to have you?”
She blushed at the memory, thankful he couldn't see her face. “Yes. Of course. How could I forget something like that?”
“All you were doing is flipping through your books. But you did it with such passion—honest to God passion—and I wanted a piece of that with you. You're so quiet and reserved, I had this uncontrollable desire to be the one who broke you of that. Now, I have these emotions and feelings for you I can't even begin to explain and honestly, I don't want to. I broke a few of my own rules when it came to you and I found myself willing to do it when I'd never done it before. Even now, I've brought you here to my home. Sex has always been relegated inside Sanctuary's walls instead of here.”
The reasons made sense to her. “It's a way you've distanced yourself. Kept a space of your own no one could impose upon. I understand that but, why...oh,” she said suddenly as she realized what he meant. This is what had kept him so tightly wound for the past month. “Patrick, I don't know what to say.”
He smiled as he pulled away and tugged on her hand so she followed him. “You make me want to break rules. Set new ones. Find new limits I didn't even know existed. Even find things I've purposefully avoided because I was afraid to become my father.” His hand was gentle on her neck as he claimed her mouth for a thorough kiss.
It was a kiss filled with passion and intensity and caused sparks to light behind her eyes like fireworks. He'd purposefully brought her here and broken one of his hard limits for her. This was Patrick as exposed as she'd ever seen him—even more so than anything they'd ever done in that room downstairs.
Once they broke away, he pressed his forehead against hers. “I'm not afraid anymore. That's because of you, Allison.”
He pulled her down to sit on the bed and cradled her in his lap so she straddled his thighs. She balanced there and noticed the excitement in his eyes.
“I want you to wear something for me.” Patrick pulled out a small circle of leather, one that was significantly thinner than the posture collar he'd locked around her throat before. This one resembled a small choker and was only about a half inch in height. The pale gray color was also a startling contrast to the deep black of the one she'd worn previously. The silver buckle at the back was polished to a high shine and was the only metal on the collar.
“Wear it tonight, for me. Just the collar and nothing else.” She opened her mouth, but he pressed a finger to her lips to silence her. “But more than that, I want you to wear it tomorrow too, while you're at work. When you come to visit the coffeehouse or sit with our friends at dinner next month. I want to see it circling your neck every time I see you.”
She let out a shaky breath and clasped her hand around his wrist so she could move his hand away. “Is it because you'll see it and think about the times I've been on my knees for you and had you in my mouth? Maybe even think about the possibility of simply standing there watching me orgasm over and over and know you're responsible for it? Or is it because I've been meaning to tell you that I want you to learn shibari?”
“Oh God, all of it,” he said quietly as he shuddered in response to her last comment about the rope tying technique she'd been researching on the internet. She certainly didn't want to flip gears, take over as Top, but away from the bedroom they'd always talked about things they held an interest in.
He brushed his mouth against hers and as she gave herself over to the kiss, she realized it was yet another layer of control. She held the advantage. All she had to do was say she wasn't comfortable with the idea of walking around day after day with his claim around her neck.
She had news for him. “I won't do it for those reasons.”
His eyes went flat with worry. “What?”
“Those reasons are the icing, Patrick. They are simply a benefit to being with you. I won't wear it solely because of those reasons, but because I love you.” She offered her neck and sighed as his fingers brushed against her skin and secured the strip of leather in place.
Once he was done, she pushed off his legs and stood. Moments later, stripped bare, she stood before him, proud and unashamed of her nudity. Instead, she took comfort in it. There was power in the ability she'd gained to stand here in front of him in such a manner, exposed and bare.
He'd given her that.
The only item she wore, the collar, was light around her neck and felt as if it had always been there. It had found its place—its home—and she savored the feel. It would be simple to do as he asked and wear it for him always. And it wasn't just because he wanted her to, she wanted it as well.
She crawled onto the bed and lay across the comforter. As he pushed up and away, a sly smile spread across her mouth. His magnificent body was revealed as he stripped his own clothes and stood confident and proud.
A finger hooked in the air, she gestured for
him to come closer and he gave a low groan as he finally moved onto the bed. His kisses were soft yet still insistent and the importance was undeniably clear as to what he wanted and needed from her. This was unexplored territory for them both and they would make the journey together.
It wasn't long before he nudged her knees open and his weight pressed over her with a heaviness that reassured her.
His eyes closed and that powerful body of his shuddered in response as he slid inside her. Filled with him, her legs lifted to circle his hips. She wanted to take as much of him as possible. They soared as their bodies became the driving force that demanded their release instead of words.
Tonight they were equals as Allison staked her own claim.
The End
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About the Author:
Sara is an e-book author that has always been fascinated by the strange, the unusual, the twisted and the lost. She enjoys writing about reality with a razor sharp edge and loves where that sometimes takes her during the journey.
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Visit www.atlanticbridge.net for information on additional titles by this and other authors.
Table of Contents
Blurb
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
About the Author:
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