by Erika Wilde
Damn. He shifted in his seat. If she ever learned of the conversation that had transpired between himself and her father they’d both be dead meat.
With a calm expression in place, he looked her way. “I said, the last thing I’d want is for you to get picked up on a DUI.”
Her gaze narrowed suspiciously, but she didn’t call him on his comment. “I’m not drunk,” she insisted, and rested her head against the back of her seat. “And I can take care of myself. Take me home.”
That’s what he’d originally planned, but wondered if he could trust her to be alone in her current rebellious mood. Would she crawl into bed and sleep off the alcohol she’d consumed after he left her apartment, or would she summon an Uber and head back to the nightclub? The dilemma ate at his conscience.
You’re the only one I trust to keep an eye on her.
He groaned at the reminder of Richard’s unconditional faith in him and knew what his decision would be. Preparing himself to deal with another argument with Melodie, he headed toward home. His home.
CHAPTER TEN
Melodie kept her gaze trained out the passenger window and ignored her grumpy, temperamental chauffeur. She still couldn’t believe that he’d gone to such extremes as to handcuff her, or that he thought he needed to save her from herself. Of course, Cole was under the wrong assumption that she needed protecting. And for some reason, he’d assigned himself the job of being her savior.
She released a soft sigh. Tonight wasn’t turning out at all as she’d imagined. Then again, where Cole was involved, nothing went the way she expected.
The evening had started out well enough. While she’d been initially uneasy about going to Paxton’s alone, Matt and his two friends had invited her to join them at their table, which had helped to calm her nerves. They’d been polite and fun and she’d enjoyed dancing and conversing with them, but there had been no sparks or real chemistry. How could there be when she’d compared each one to Cole and found them lacking in some way?
She couldn’t say she was completely surprised to find out that Cole had followed her to Paxton’s. She’d even been pleased by his appearance, since his presence had allowed her to feel a bit more secure and at ease. It was his boorish, take-charge attitude that had rubbed her raw and instigated a flare of rebellion.
Despite still being mad at him, a small smile touched her lips as she recalled their naughty escapade out on the dance floor. For those few precious moments he’d been hers, with nothing between them but desire and pleasure. That tryst had been one of the most erotic, thrilling experiences of her life, and she’d basked in her body’s instantaneous and effortless response to Cole—until he’d abruptly decided that it was time he took her home.
Hurt and confusion had prompted her to defy him by any means available, which accounted for her reluctance to leave the club with him. It was beyond her comprehension how Cole could make her body burn for him one minute, then withdraw in the next, shutting her out physically and emotionally. Even now her nerves still thrummed for something more, and there he sat across from her, impenetrable as stone.
She wondered what it would take to truly crack that resolute demeanor of his, to completely unleash the intensely sexual man she’d seen glimpses of in the past week. The thought fascinated and excited her and caused a flush of intrigue to sweep across her skin. But then reality intruded and reminded her how carefully Cole guarded his responses to her.
The vehicle came to a stop and Cole cut the engine. Melodie frowned as her surroundings came into focus and she realized they were parked in his driveway.
“What are we doing here?” she demanded.
“You’re staying at my place for the night.” He turned to face her, his chiseled features illuminated by the streetlamp outside. “I want to be sure you don’t do anything careless while you’re still intoxicated.”
Frustration welled up in her. “I’m not drunk,” she insisted for the umpteenth time, then sighed, knowing he still didn’t believe her. She was wasting her breath trying to convince him. “My shoulders and arms are killing me in this awkward position. Uncuff me, Cole.” He hesitated long enough to ignite her temper all over again. “Oh, for God’s sakes! I don’t need to be restrained.”
He lifted a dark brow, silently mocking her. “You know, I remember a time when you were sweet and accommodating and I never would have had to cuff you. Now you’ve turned into a hellion and I have no idea what you’re going to do next.”
Being passive had gotten her nowhere, and she liked her newfound femininity and the confidence that came with it. Even if Cole didn’t. “What are you going to do, cuff me to your bed for the night to make sure I don’t go anywhere?” The words slipped out of their own accord, and what was meant to be a sarcastic comment took on a very sexual connotation.
His eyes smoldered with heat. “Don’t tempt me,” he said, his tone low and rough.
A delicious pressure tightened in her belly as images of being at his mercy flitted through her mind. As if that would ever happen! Knowing Cole and that honorable streak of his, he’d shackle her to his bed and leave her there, alone, until morning.
“Take the cuffs off, please?” she said, giving him sweet and accommodating to get what she wanted.
Stretching across the console, he unlocked the metal bracelets, freeing her. “Behave yourself.”
She rubbed her chafed wrists. “Thank you,” she said curtly. Opening her door, she stepped out of the vehicle and headed for the street, not his house.
He scrambled from the car, his curses echoing in the night. “Where do you think you’re going?” he called after her.
She didn’t bother looking back. “Home, where you should have taken me.”
Before she could retrieve her cell phone from her purse to call a car service, Cole was standing in front of her, his face reflecting impatience and something much more dangerous. She opened her mouth, intending to tell him to go away, but the words never had a fair chance to form as he bent low, jammed his broad shoulder into her midsection, and hefted her up and over his back like a sack of grain.
Her breath escaped in a sharp whoosh as she flipped upside down, arms flailing and her bottom sticking up in the air. Blood rushed to her head, making her dizzy, and it took her a few seconds to regain her bearings enough to express her indignation.
Gripping handfuls of his shirt, she braced her fists on his backside and tried twisting her body around to look at him, but only managed to cause a crick in her neck. “What do you think you’re doing?”
His arm locked tight around the back of her knees to hold her in place as his stride quickened, jarring her with each step he took. “I’m taking you inside.”
She could feel the muscles along his shoulders and back shifting, rippling, bunching as he moved, and the warm, masculine scent of him filled every breath she took, intoxicating her. “You can’t keep manhandling me this way!”
“I wouldn’t have to if you’d do as I say,” he said rationally.
Releasing a low, peeved growl, she squirmed and wriggled and kicked her legs, railing at him to put her down. Ignoring her demands, he slipped his arm lower around her calves and clamped his other hand on her bare upper thigh to keep her still. His callused fingers abraded her sensitive skin and she gasped as a bright flare of desire electrified her.
Seething at his audacity and the absurdity of the situation, she blurted out, “I ought to bite you!” And the first place she’d sink her teeth into was his perfect ass, she decided.
“I’ll bite back,” he drawled, his thumb stroking up her thigh, which quivered at his intimate caress. “And I’ve got access to a whole lot of tender flesh, so you’d better think twice before doing something so rash.”
Keys rattled as he unlocked his front door. Walking inside, he flipped on a light and started up the stairs to the second floor, mindless of the discomfort he was causing her.
She smacked him on the butt with her hand and grimaced as her palm stung. Was there
anything soft about his man? “Dammit, Cole, put me down!” she snapped, growing tired of his dominance. “I’m not your responsibility or obligation.”
He snorted at that. “The way you were acting at Paxton’s tonight, someone has to look after you.”
“And you decided you’re the best person to play guardian angel?” she asked incredulously.
“I’ve never claimed to be an angel,” he told her, his deep voice vibrating with a subtle warning. “So don’t push me because you won’t like the consequences.”
Her mouth fell open as a slow, steady steam of fury gathered inside of her. “Is that a threat?”
“It’s a promise.” At the top of the stairs he turned to the right and headed down a short hallway with her still slung over his shoulder. “I’m not in the mood to deal with any more of your reckless antics.”
“And I’m not in the mood to deal with your barbaric attitude,” she shot right back. “This fucking sucks, Cole!”
He tsk-tsked her as he entered a dark room. “Now you’re getting a potty mouth, too.”
She laughed, but there was no real humor in the sound. “What are you going to do? Wash my mouth out with soap?”
He snapped on a bedside lamp, illuminating the area, and she blinked as her eyes quickly adjusted to the light. From her upside-down position she took in dark, masculine furnishings and a huge four-poster bed. Finally, he set her back on her feet, and her purse fell to the floor. When she stumbled backward to gain her footing on the three-inch heels, he grabbed her arm before she ended up on her ass alongside the purse.
Once she’d regained her equilibrium, he let her go. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he leveled her with an arrogant look, his dark, fiery eyes equally bold and direct. “I’m thinking I ought to take you over my knee and give you the spanking you deserve for your scandalous behavior tonight.”
A sinful thrill shot through her veins, settling in her belly like liquid heat. “Oh yeah?” she taunted, baiting him in a way that wasn’t smart, but she no longer cared. “I dare you to even try!”
Before she could draw her next breath he snagged her wrist, tugged her to him, and she found herself draped over his lap, face down, with his strong thighs supporting her. One hand pressed firmly against her upper back to keep her in place, and the other slid over her bottom, squeezing a soft, rounded cheek as if testing the resiliency of her flesh, and her heartbeat tripled.
She swallowed hard. Oh, Lord, she’d pushed him too far, and he was going to give her exactly what she’d asked for.
He was going to spank her.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Knowing she deserved the punishment Cole was about to mete out for taunting him, Melodie’s entire body tensed in anxious anticipation as she waited for the first smack to her bottom. Long, suspended moments passed, but instead of the stinging swat she’d prepared herself for, his splayed hand gently kneaded her buttocks and his thumb traced the crease in between. In their scuffle, her dress had ridden up, and his palm continued its downward exploration to her bare thighs.
Cole’s breathing grew heavy, as if he were lost in a deep trance, his fierce erection pressing against her hip. She bit her bottom lip and shivered, afraid to say anything that might break the sensual spell cast over him, afraid he’d come to his senses and stop the exquisite pleasure of his touch.
The warm, blunt tips of his fingers feathered the inside of her trembling thighs, and her legs widened of their own accord, welcoming his caress. Bolder still, he slipped beneath the hem of her dress where he came into contact with the barrier of her panties. Following the panel of silk to her feminine mound, he encountered the warm, wet evidence of her arousal. Groaning deep in his throat at what he’d discovered, he rubbed the damp, slick fabric against her swollen, aching flesh and plied her clitoris with slow, circular strokes.
It seemed her climax at the club had only whetted her appetite for more, because that easily, that quickly, another orgasm beckoned. Instinctively she arched her hips against his hand, her fingers biting into the taut muscles in his thighs where she braced herself. She trembled at the sensations washing over her, moaned at the heated pressure building inside her, needing more, needing Cole.
She twisted around to glance up at him. His features were etched with a searing hunger, his eyes feverish and hot with lust. He wanted her, too, and that knowledge thrilled her.
“Cole…please.”
He blinked as if someone had slapped him, looking startled, the seductive moment shattered. “No,” he grated in an agonized tone, then more firmly added, “No,” as if he had to convince himself to stop touching her.
He gave her a gentle push off his lap and she slid to her knees in front of him. “Cole?” she questioned, needing some kind of explanation for his withdrawal.
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. His chest rose and fell as he took a deep, shaky breath and let it out. “This can’t happen.”
It was the same old argument, and tonight she wasn’t going to let him dismiss their attraction without a fight. She pulled his hand away, forcing him to look at her. He did so with a familiar scowl that made her smile.
“It can happen, if you let it.” Swallowing hard to calm her own nerves and racing heart, she eased his knees apart and moved in between so that his thighs bracketed her waist. “I’ve never wanted another man the way I want you, Cole.”
Taking advantage of their provocative position, she reached for the waistband of his slacks and unfastened the top button. She gripped the tab of his zipper, but before she could ease it down and over the enormous erection straining the front of his pants, he caught her wrists, holding her at bay.
“Mel…”
“Don’t tell me no, Cole,” she said before he could express his own denial. “Not tonight.”
Leaning into him, she placed an open-mouthed kiss on the taut material stretching across his stiff cock. She rubbed her cheek against his heat, breathed in the musky, male scent of his arousal. “I want this and I want you.”
“You’re not thinking straight,” he said hoarsely.
She lifted her head, shaking her tousled hair out of her face. “My mind is perfectly clear.”
He laughed abruptly. “Not likely. You were drinking like a fish at the nightclub!”
Shrugging, she placed her hands on his chest, aching to touch his naked flesh. “I was thirsty.”
The disbelief in his eyes was plain to see. “I won’t take advantage of you when you’ve been drinking.”
She sighed and brushed the tips of her fingers along his clenched jaw. “You’re so noble, Cole, so damn honorable. While I admire those traits in a man, it’s the last thing I want from you right now.” She paused a moment, then added, “I was drinking ginger ale with lemon.”
He frowned, and she knew he was about to debate the issue with her. So she proved her claim the only way she knew how. Curling a hand around the back of his neck, she pulled his mouth down to hers. Lips meshed, parted, and her tongue slid deep inside in a long, hot kiss as she let him taste and sample the lemon essence still lingering on her tongue.
She was the first to pull back, which she took as a positive sign. “See?” she said breathlessly as she dragged her hands down to his chest. His rapid heartbeat thumped wildly beneath her palm and she experienced a jolt of satisfaction knowing the kiss had excited him as much as it had her. “Not a drop of alcohol.”
He stared at her, his stunned expression gradually ebbing to contrition. “I apologize for accusing you of being drunk,” he said reluctantly, huskily.
Ah, hearing Cole admit that he was sorry was very sweet, indeed. “An honest mistake I can forgive,” she replied with a slow, beguiling smile. “But just for future reference, don’t make assumptions about me until you check out the facts.”
He lifted a dark brow, a rare glimmer of amusement making an appearance in his eyes. “Are you attacking my credibility as a PI?”
“Just making sure you no lo
nger automatically jump to conclusions as far as I’m concerned.” Still on her knees before him, she held his gaze as her hands skimmed lower, over his taut belly, and was gratified when he didn’t try to stop her slow caress this time. “And here’s another fact for you, Cole Sommers. There’s no way you can take advantage of me when I’m a willing participant.”
He opened his mouth to reply, and she pressed her fingers over his lips, shaking her head. “No more excuses,” she said quickly, unwilling to give him the opportunity to reject her. Yanking his shirt out of the waistband of his pants, she worked it up and over his head, relieved when he lifted his arms to help her instead of putting up a struggle.
His resistance toward her seemed to be fading, and she seized the opportunity to secure his acquiescence. “I know you want this as much as I do. Maybe more,” she added seductively, and trailed the tip of her finger along the erection that was ample proof of his desire. Heat radiated off him, singeing her fingers. “Am I right?”
His gaze darkened like midnight, and his mouth twisted with a smile that reflected wry humor and unmistakable arousal. “How can I deny the obvious?” he rasped. “The evidence you’ve discovered speaks for itself.”
Taking his comment for the permission she sought, and reveling in the power that was momentarily hers, she proceeded to carefully drag the zipper of his pants all the way down, anxious to free him to her avid gaze, her eager touch. Much to her surprise he didn’t stop her when she pushed his boxer briefs lower and took the hard, throbbing length of his cock in her hand.
He sucked in a deep breath and his hips bucked as she stroked experimentally. Awed by the impressive size of him, spellbound by the hot, velvety texture of his rigid flesh, she slid her thumb over the drop of fluid seeping from the tip. His eyes squeezed shut, his jaw locked, and she watched in fascination as the muscles in his abdomen flexed and rippled.
Sharp awareness and acute need flared in her belly like a ball of fire and spread through her bloodstream, eliciting a slick, erotic warmth between her thighs. She looked up at his face, flushed with aroused color, his gaze heavy-lidded with unbridled lust and a primal need she wanted to satisfy.
