Taking Charge

by Ruth Cardello

  I’m sorry, Lucy. I know you need more time before you see us as a team, but time is something we may not have without this step.

  He kissed her temple. “I won’t say anything to anyone.”

  She searched his face. “You promise?”

  His gut twisted. “Yes.” Then he kissed her with all the feeling raging within him. She kissed him back just as passionately, as if the fire they lit could somehow burn away whatever wall was still between them.

  They tore at each other: both angry and scared and just hungry enough for each other that it was an animalistic mating. They were two people trying to prove something to themselves while also giving in to a lust that could not be denied.

  When they collapsed into each other’s arms, sweaty and spent, David felt better.

  And worse.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Two weeks later, in the office of her home, Lucy ended an invigorating phone call with Technically Anonymous Pleasure and closed her laptop. She was feeling good about the sales her website was generating as well as how responsive the founders of the company were to her suggestions. Word of mouth was spreading fast. All they had to do now was keep the momentum going.

  A highly rated radio program had contacted TAP and asked to interview Lucy. They hadn’t asked for her by name, but they’d wanted to speak to the woman who was writing the popular blog attached to the company. Lucy came up with an alternative. Her blog was growing in popularity, mostly because of the contributions from other users, so Lucy suggested the company hire a well-known sex therapist to take calls during the radio program. She said it would engage customers more. She sent the woman a generous basket of product and was pleased when she endorsed several on air. The show had been a huge success and titillating enough to be mentioned on every news station.

  A few days after that, a national news show had sensationalized the story into a global threat against marriage, warning that if this type of technology were allowed to continue unchecked, everyone would soon have their own sexbot.

  Completely ridiculous, but the most searched-for item on the company site the next day had been . . . sexbots. Lucy had joked that if they created one, she would not be the one to test-drive it.

  I don’t really want to try out any of these toys anymore.

  She hadn’t shared that last part with them. They’d been too busy watching the news about their company unfold to notice that she hadn’t posted a new review of an item to her blog since she’d returned home.

  David had said he liked sex toys. When they’d been in Fort Mavis, he’d even said he couldn’t wait to come back and try some of them out. Somehow, and Lucy was at a loss for how, that had changed. Her business had become something neither of them talked about.

  Lucy wanted to ask him why, but things were going so well between them that she didn’t. She felt guilty about how she’d spoken to him the night she’d received the nasty text. He had been generous, kind, and open about his feelings for her. And how do I repay that? By threatening to throw him out the first night he sleeps over.

  I’m a real piece of work.

  She stood up and walked over to the box that contained all the toys she hadn’t yet tried. How am I going to review the rest of these if I don’t try them out?

  She laughed sadly into her hand. Talk about job stress I’ll never discuss with my friends. How is work? Oh, too many projects piling up.

  Turning away from the box, Lucy walked to her window and scanned the area for David. He was in the round pen with the mare he was determined to reform. Tony had written the horse off. Wyatt had even warned his family to stay away from her, but David wasn’t giving up that easily.

  David couldn’t turn his back on any creature in need, be it human or four-legged.

  Is that why he’s here with me? What happens when I do finally pay him back? When he thinks I don’t need him anymore?

  Don’t leave me, David. Please don’t leave me.

  Two weeks with David in her bed, at her side, giving her reasons to smile each day, had changed some of Lucy’s thinking. In the beginning, she’d been grateful to have one more day with him. She’d savored the meals they shared, the nights of passion, and the dates he took her on. All while fighting back small panic attacks because he’d end a phone call abruptly when she entered a room or went into town without telling her where he was going. But the more time they spent together, the less she gave in to those feelings. David wasn’t hiding anything, except perhaps the name of the next restaurant he wanted to surprise her with. He was the good man he portrayed himself to be. A better person than I am.

  David finished up with the horse, and Lucy turned away from the window.

  I’m the only problem in our relationship.

  Me and my fears.

  I need to stop letting them control me.

  Lucy walked back to the box and picked up the largest toy inside. It was the velvet base with the exchangeable mechanical dildo on top. She placed it on her desk, laid out the variety of attachable pieces in front of it, and sat down. She rested her chin on one hand and looked at it sternly.

  You don’t scare me, you know.

  You’re just a bunch of wires and silicone molds.

  She glanced at the directions, then attached one of the dildos to the top. It had a tickler on its end that reminded Lucy of a mop of hair.

  Not even sexy. More like something from outer space.

  She absently ran her finger over the complicated arrangements of buttons on the front. And seriously, how much does something like you need to do?

  As she brushed too hard against one of the buttons, the dildo started to spin. “Shit.” She tried to turn it off, but the button she’d pressed had sent the base into a vibration mode so powerful, the thing was hopping on her desk. She made a grab for it, pressed another button, and the dildo flew forward, slapping her across the face. She swore and lost her grip, and it hopped itself off her desk and crashed to the floor.

  She scrambled onto her knees, trying to grab the damn thing. It eluded her first attempt, but she finally caught it. Despite how it wiggled for its freedom, she righted it and located the “Off” button. Swearing, she sat back on her heels and wiped a hand across her now sweaty brow. It was only then that she noticed David standing at the door.

  There are moments in life that test a man. The sight of Lucy chasing a hopping machine with a dick waving from the top of it like a flag was probably the funniest thing David had ever seen. The expression on her face warned him not to laugh. He told himself she was probably embarrassed, and he shouldn’t have opened the door without knocking.

  Then, because he was only human, he grinned and asked, “Tough day at work?”

  She looked torn between laughing and crying. “Only a masochist would make something like this.”

  David closed the door behind him and came to squat in front of her. A thought occurred to him that wiped the smile off his face. “Don’t ever try anything you don’t want to. No matter what anyone says.”

  Lucy pushed the machine to one side. “They don’t make me try them. I thought it would be a good idea to know as much as I can about what I’m selling, and some are still in development, so my feedback helps.”

  Feeling better, David bit back a smile. “What did you learn about this one?” She was still dressed, so he figured it couldn’t have been that much.

  She glared down at the velvet-covered base. “They should label the buttons better.” She touched one of her cheeks. “And don’t put your face too close to it.” He coughed back a laugh, and her eyes narrowed. “It’s not funny. I was trying to turn it off, and it slapped me.”

  There was no holding back the laughter then. David laughed until his eyes teared up.

  Lucy took a moment but then joined in. She was soon laughing as hard as he was. Gasping to catch her breath, she said, “It literally slapped me across the face. Thank God I picked the small dildo.”

  David roared and then stood, offering Lucy a hand
to help her up. “What a way to lose an eye. Try explaining that to our kids.”

  Lucy gave him a funny look for a second, then fell naturally against his chest and continued to laugh. “Why the hell would they give it spring action? And what do those other buttons do?”

  The questions piqued David’s interest. “Someone had to design that thing based on what people like. It’s in the production phase, right?”

  “It’s already for sale on the company website.”

  “Is it selling?”

  “Not well, but I haven’t said anything about it yet, and that seems to drive sales.” Lucy glared down at the machine again. “This might sound stupid, but I have a weird bond with this toy. It was the first one I saw when I opened the box, and it intimidated me. I’ve been avoiding it ever since. I’m half convinced it knows I’m afraid of it, and that’s why it tried to kill me. It won today, and it knows it.”

  David held back another laugh only because she was speaking seriously again, not because what she was saying was any less funny. She really did hate that machine. He wanted to do something for her. He’d spent the last two weeks trying to find out who had called her and what trouble, if anything, Ted had brewing. So far his attempts to help her hadn’t achieved much. This problem, however, was one that seemed easy enough to resolve. “Does it come with directions?”

  She looked from him to the toy and back. “Yes, but they’re impossible to make sense of.”

  David put his hands on her hips and shifted against her. “I’m sure we could figure it out together.”

  She frowned. “You’d want to try it?”

  “Get on it? No,” he clarified. “Figure out if it does anything you’d enjoy—sure. I told you I have no problem with toys.”

  She leaned back so she could see his face better, and at that, he moved her across his quickly hardening cock. “You don’t have to pretend to like something you don’t.”

  David hugged her tighter and tried to concentrate on the topic and not how good her breasts felt against his chest. “What makes you think I’m not being honest?”

  He hated the question as soon as he heard himself voice it. He’d already lied to her about where he’d gone that day he looked up the properties Ted had purchased and compared them to the area being tested for deep oil pockets. He’d lied about whom he’d been talking to when she caught him asking Tony’s brother, Dean, if he knew the sheriff in Mavis. He’d always considered himself an honest man. Lies were for those who weren’t brave enough to stand up for what they believed in. Though he still thought it was necessary, the only way he could protect Lucy, it was beginning to get harder and harder to look her in the eye and not confess.

  Lucy studied his face for a long moment. He looked away, hoping she couldn’t see the guilt in his eyes. She touched his face gently. “You said you liked them, but I think you said that to make me feel better about what I’m doing. Otherwise, you would have asked to try one of them—”

  David groaned. Although he’d had sex with Lucy almost every night since they’d come back from Fort Mavis, he hadn’t pushed to use the toys. As crazy as it sounded, even to himself, he’d wanted her to get comfortable with where they already were before moving forward again. She’d felt rushed, and he’d tried to spend the last two weeks with her building a stronger foundation for their relationship.

  This toy was different, though. It represented more than possible pleasure for her. She saw it as something that could beat her. He wanted to take the power away from the machine and give it back to her. He kissed her lips and rested his forehead on hers. “I didn’t want you to feel any more pressured than you already did, so I figured I’d wait until you brought them into our bedroom. However, if you want to hog-tie and tame this one, I’m game.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Up in Lucy’s bedroom, David and Lucy sat on the floor with the machine, all of its pieces, and the directions spread out on a towel. They were reading over the instructions like a couple about to build a cabinet together.

  “It recommends using lube. Do you have any?”

  Lucy blushed and went to open a drawer on the table beside her bed. She returned and put it on the towel beside the machine. “Check.”

  David picked up the remote control. “It seems safer to use this than try to control anything from the main panel once you’re on it.”

  Lucy noted the look of concentration on David’s face and laughed softly. “You’re so serious.”

  He gave her a lopsided grin. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  She leaned over the machine and planted a kiss on his lips. “That’s sweet.”

  David kissed her back, then, like a kid figuring out a new toy at Christmas, he said, “It’s not as complicated as it looks. Watch. These buttons are all for the top part. This one is for rotation. That one, vibration. This one moves it up and down. That’s the face slapper. I’d avoid that while you’re on it.” He pointed to the second row of buttons. “This one gives the base that hop you discovered earlier. I bet the big button next to it turns it off in an emergency. They should make it red so people would know.” He handed the remote to Lucy. “See if I’m right.”

  Lucy was reminded of the time she tried to learn how to fly a drone. There were a lot of possible combinations, but as she went through the various modes, she kept testing the big button, and David was right—it shut everything off. That part was reassuring.

  What she couldn’t yet see, though, was what anyone found sexy about it. She had no desire to sit on it and start it up, either alone or while David was watching. She put the remote down and sighed. It’ll be the shortest review ever: “Scary as hell if you’re alone; a complete flop if you’re not.”

  Lucy looked across at David, ready to admit defeat. “Do you find anything sexy about this?”

  His gaze warmed. “Yes. You.”

  She felt a familiar heat spread through her. Two weeks of David should have taken the edge off how much she wanted him, but it hadn’t. All it took was one look, one glimpse at the hunger in his eyes, and her body began to hum for his. They didn’t have to touch for her to get wet. Her body knew his so well now that she could lick her own lips and taste his.

  Lucy pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it on the floor behind her. She unclasped her bra and did the same. While he watched, she suckled on one of her fingers until his lips parted, then brought it to his mouth. He took her hand in his and wrapped his lips around her finger. His tongue circled it.

  He went up onto his knees and removed his own shirt, then kicked off his shoes and socks. Lucy slid off the rest of her clothing and then helped him out of his.

  They rolled onto the floor together beside the towel. His mouth was hungry for hers, then for the rest of her. She couldn’t get enough of him. Her hands ran over every inch of him, loving how he moaned from the pleasure of her touch.

  Whatever else was wrong with her life, this was right. Being with David was something she’d never regret. He kissed his way down her neck, spent his time adoring and teasing each of her breasts, then moved lower.

  He kissed her stomach while running his hands up and down her, wanting more and more of her. She knew exactly how he felt.

  She parted her legs eagerly for him and cried out his name when he dove in and did what he’d learned she liked the most. This wasn’t a man experimenting with what he hoped his woman liked, this was a man who knew exactly how to send his partner out of control. He used his tongue, his teeth, those incredible fingers of his, until she was just about to climax.

  Then the bastard stopped.

  He lifted his head and smiled. She wanted to kick him, but she didn’t. She dug her hands into his hair and pleaded silently for him to finish.

  He sat up and reached for the machine. While she considered all the ways she could kill him, he lubed it up, then growled, “Get on it, Lucy. We don’t have to turn it on, but I want to see you on it.”

  Lucy shook her head to clear some of the sexual
daze she was in. Part of her wanted to refuse, but she was also already so revved up that the thought of plunging something inside her was tempting. Knowing she would do it while he watched was suddenly such a turn-on that she almost came from the thought alone.

  She moved to stand above the machine, and at first thought she would squat down and take it inside her, but it was low enough so that wasn’t comfortable. She went down on her knees and hovered above it for a moment.

  David dug his hand into her hair and kissed her deeply. His tongue plundered, and Lucy forgot all about everything but him. Easing herself down onto the mechanical shaft was like taking him inside her. It felt good.

  David kissed his way to her neck again and whispered, “Should I turn it on?” He ran one hand down the front of her and caressed her clit while he waited for her answer.

  “Oh yes,” she breathed.

  He started with the vibration of just the dildo. Combined with his intimate touch, it was so good, she threw her head back and cried out for him to keep going.

  The shaft inside her began to turn and caress her in a way that sent her spiraling back toward an orgasm. David continued to kiss her body while moving his fingers back and forth over her clit.

  Lucy was nearly out of her mind. David stood, then gruffly ordered, “Take me in your mouth. I want to come when you do.”

  She grasped his excited cock and brought him deeply into her mouth. The shaft inside her started to move up and down. Lucy did the same with her mouth on David. Having David in her mouth while feeling as if he were always plunging upward into her sex was excruciatingly exciting. Lucy came before David did, but she kept loving him with her tongue. The machine beneath her was relentless. It didn’t care that she’d already come. It kept twirling and thrusting up into her, just as David’s cock thrust deeper into her mouth.

  “I’m going to come,” he said, giving her time to withdraw if she wanted.

  She took him deeper, took the shaft inside her deeper, and came for a second time while he exploded in her mouth. He stepped back and reached for the remote, hitting the big button. Then he offered his hand to Lucy and helped her to her feet.