Siren in Bloom

by Lexi Blake

  “Was he violent?” He wasn’t sure he could handle it if she’d been brutalized. Guilt was gnawing at him. He’d left her.

  She shook her head. “He hit me, but it was only once, and it was right before he died. I walked out after that. He threatened to kill you if I left with you. I told him I would come home and be a good girl, but I didn’t. I talked to Trev after you left, and he wouldn’t let me go home.”

  At least Trev had some sense. Leo had left her alone. He’d known Bryce was bad for her, but he’d left her alone. The same day he’d driven away from her had been the day Bryce’s crimes had come to light. She, her sister-in-law, and Bo O’Malley had been taken hostage by a man Bryce owed drugs to. She’d barely survived, and she’d been forced to watch as Bryce was killed. “You were in that house with a gun to your head while I was driving back to Dallas like a toddler who’d had a fit.”

  She sighed, seemingly more relaxed after she’d told him the worst of it. At least he hoped that had been the worst. “I made it through. I had nightmares. Sometimes I still do, but I didn’t believe for one second that I was going to die.”

  “Really?”

  “No. The drug cartel guy assured me that he was taking me with him because I would make an excellent addition to a brothel.”

  “What?” He fairly screamed the word, the picture assaulting his mind.

  She put a hand over his. “Stop. It’s over, and I’m fine. I survived. I knew I would.”

  He’d dealt with so many people with PTSD. How was she so calm? It seemed like he had been more traumatized than she’d been. “Why? How did you know you would survive? Did you honestly have that much faith in the universe?”

  “No, I had faith in you.”

  He stilled and then forced himself to move. He gently pushed her off and brought her chin up so she looked him in the eyes. She’d been crying, crystal tears streaming down her face. “I walked away.”

  “And when you found out I was gone? Would you have looked for me? I thought so then. I knew it deep in my heart.” Her eyes turned down. “I was sure of it at the time. I probably wouldn’t be now.”

  He needed to make one thing plain to her. “I would have moved heaven and earth to find you.”

  She nodded, but he could see she didn’t really believe. “Because you’re a good man. Leo, I have something I want to say to you. I want to thank you. I know I screwed everything up, but you can’t imagine what you’ve meant to me. You saved Trev. He would be dead if you hadn’t taken him in hand. I believe that deep in my soul. My brother would be in the ground. When my mother died, she believed he was changing because of the things you said to her. My mother died a peaceful death because of you. And me. I can’t tell you what you’ve meant to me. You were the dream I had for so many years and then, when you tried to get me to go away with you, then you were this beautiful reality. I know I ruined it, but I think about that moment every day. I think that if I could change one thing in my life, it would be to take your hand and walk away.”

  “Shelley,” he began, his heart aching.

  She put a single finger to his lips, silencing him. “Don’t. I want to have my say, just once, and then never again. I love you. I love the man you are. I love the funny, stalwart, infinitely compassionate man who lives deep inside you, and I am begging for that man to come back to life. I know I should be the bigger person and walk away and let you find someone else to make you happy, but damn it, I’m the one, Leo. I’m the one for you and I’m the one for Wolf, and that’s the way it is. I will screw up. I’ll do it a lot, and you know what, I’ll happily let you beat my ass when I do. But I won’t let you walk away, and I won’t let you go into your shell. I screwed up. Mea culpa, but I’m done with hiding in a corner and loving you from afar. You can tell me no, but I’ll say this over and over again. I love you. I love you. You can send me off, but I’m keeping your brother, and you’re going to have to watch us, and every time I feel your eyes on me, I’ll say I love you. So you better get ready.”

  He had the choice. He could embrace the future and try or he could fight it. Why would he fight it? Yes, he was afraid he couldn’t share her long term. Yes, he was terrified it would all end the way it had with Janine. He was worried that he would screw up somehow, someway, and leave her alone.

  He stared at her. “I don’t know if I want kids.”

  She stared right back. “You don’t like them?”

  “I should rephrase that. I’m scared of having kids. I don’t know how good I’ll be at raising them.” He hadn’t had a dad. He’d only known how wonderful and loving and alone his mother had been. Life was so fragile. He would never leave his children, but anything could happen.

  “You’ll be amazing.”

  “Shelley, are you listening to me?”

  “I think I’m done listening to you. When you can say something to me that doesn’t have its roots in some fear, then I’ll listen. You’re the big, bad Dom, but your sub is laying out some rules of her own. I love you. I want to have your kids. I can’t promise you that everything will work out. I can pretty much promise you that it won’t. What I can promise is that I’ll love you through all of it. I’ll love you for the rest of my life and through whatever comes after. That’s the only sure thing here. It’s either enough for you or it isn’t.”

  Forever. He wasn’t sure if he believed in it, but she did. She believed with all her heart, and she was offering it to him.

  “I don’t know if I can share you long term. What are we going to do about Wolf?” He was a possessive man. He knew it, and yet somehow it had felt right to share her with Wolf the night before, as though she was more woman than either could handle. She was a woman with a huge heart who deserved as much love as she could take.

  “What was that?” Shelley asked, turning toward the door. She stared for a moment and then shook her head. “I thought I heard something. I’m paranoid now.”

  She had every right to be. “We’re safe here.” His cock was aching. God, he wanted her.

  She straddled him, her curvy body positioned over his. His cock jumped. If he’d stripped her down, he would have been able to play with her pussy. “You asked what to do about Wolf.”

  He flushed. It was an excuse, and he hated that he kept making them. “He’s huge, baby. Seriously. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I think it’s the amount of beets he ate as a small child. We need a bigger bed.”

  Chocolate brown eyes rolled. “Bigger bed, check. I’m glad you said that. And about the sharing long term thing…I know you’re worried, but don’t be because you can do it. I have faith.”

  Bossy, bratty thing. He put his hands on that ass he firmly intended to get his dick in very soon. Not now. Wolf should be around to hear her squeals and watch her squirm the first time her pretty asshole got invaded by one of her Masters’ cocks. “You’ve been laying down a lot of rules, pet. I think it’s about time to get this relationship on the right footing. You have a choice. You get out of those clothes now or I can rip them off you.”

  Her lips curved up in that oh-so-sultry smile that made his heart skip like some fucking fifteen-year-old kid with his first crush. “What is it with you Meyer men? Yesterday Wolf cut me out of my undies.”

  Yeah, his brother was good with a knife. “If I know my brother, you’re no longer allowed to wear undies. Get up, pet. Take those clothes off and understand that if you’ve disobeyed Wolf, I’ll take it out on your sweet ass. You want two Masters? You better get ready because we won’t let you play us off each other.”

  She pouted sweetly. “Why does everyone believe the worst of me?” She shrugged out of her shirt and bra. Her nipples were already puckered, begging for him to bite and lick them. She pushed at the waist of her jeans. “And I’m a deeply obedient girl.”

  Leo snorted. “And I believe in unicorns.”

  Her voice got husky as she dragged the denim down to her thighs. “I’m obedient when it comes to this.”

  Fuck. There it was. Her pussy
all perfectly shaved and ripe. “Stop right there. Turn.”

  Her eyes flared. Finally she was the slightest bit nervous. She’d called the shots up until now. Every goddamn one of them. It was way past time for him to take his place as her Master. “Okay.”

  “Hush. From now on, the only words I want to hear from those lips are ‘yes, Leo,’ and all the pleas that you can think of to make me stop torturing you.” He pushed gently at her spine, leaning her forward. “Grab your ankles.”

  “Why don’t you let me get out of these jeans?”

  He smacked her ass in a short, sharp arc. She squealed, but her hands were on her ankles, her breath already ragged. “Those jeans are right where I want them. They’re holding your legs together as well as any rope. Now grab on to your ankles. I want to inspect my pussy.”

  “God, Leo.” She groaned the words.

  He slapped her ass again. “You aren’t listening to me.”

  “Yes, Leo,” she corrected herself quickly. She held fast to her ankles, finally getting into the position he wanted her in.

  Her ass was in the air, her cheeks already turning a lovely pink. And her pussy pouted out from between her legs, a pink, juicy flower. He could smell her arousal. Pearly dew coated the petals of her pussy. He ran a finger through her labia, coating his skin with her arousal. “Do you feel vulnerable like this, baby?”

  “Yes, Leo.” The words were shaky, with not a drop of her previous confidence. He loved her faith in herself and in him. He loved the fact that she’d been strong enough to stand up to him. In some ways, she was even stronger than him. But he wanted her off-kilter here. He wanted her soft and submissive here. She would get her way in their normal life, but here he was the Master.

  “Good, because we have a few things to work out. You’ll be punished tonight. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Leo. You and Master Wolf are going to punish me because I ran.”

  “Because you almost took something precious from us,” he explained, running his hand over her ass, loving the way she trembled. “Do you understand what you almost took?”

  “Trust,” she said. “I broke trust.”

  A good answer, but not the one he wanted. “No, Shelley. It was you. Trust doesn’t mean shit to me if you’re dead. Trust is meaningless to Wolf if you’re not here for him to hold. You’re the important thing. And it is utterly unacceptable for you to put yourself in the line of fire.”

  He slapped at her ass. Five quick, easy smacks. He had to save up the rough stuff for later, when his brother was here to help. “This is a warm-up. Tonight, you’re going to feel my crop on your ass.”

  And tonight, he would lay aside the past and finally look toward the future.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Shelley felt her whole body trembling. She ached in more ways than one. Her legs were starting to hurt, but the hollow feeling in her pussy was worse. She was ready to take Leo’s crop if it meant he would do something, but the sadistic bastard stood there, his hands caressing her gently.

  His gentleness was starting to get to her.

  “You look so lovely like this. I can see your pretty pussy. Do you know how wet you are? All that cream is coating your flesh. It’s like you’re begging for me to taste it. Do you want that, baby? Do you want my tongue in your pussy? Do you want me to shove my face right between these legs and eat your pussy until I’ve had my fill?”

  That was the easiest question he’d asked all day. “Yes, Sir.”

  His hands, so close before, moved up, stopping on her lower back. She nearly moaned with frustration. Leo chuckled. “Or I could sit back and watch you. I can see your pouting pussy and I can see something else.”

  He pulled apart the cheeks of her ass.

  “I can see your asshole.”

  She closed her eyes, forcing herself not to move. God, she wanted to move away from him.

  “It’s so tight, baby. No one’s ever fucked this asshole, have they?”

  “No, Sir.” God, they were really going to do it. They were going to fuck her ass. She was scared and aroused all at the same time.

  “Excellent.” He pulled her cheeks even further apart, and she would have sworn she could feel his eyes on her. “Did Wolf brutalize your asshole, baby? Did he stretch it and make it burn? Did he fuck you with his fingers first? Tell me how my brother plugged this ass.”

  His words were seduction in and of themselves. Holding the position was making her shake, but he’d given her a task. She would focus on it. She would think about the task ahead of her and ignore the way her limbs ached. “He was rough at first.”

  “He was rather angry at the time.” Leo stepped away. “Keep talking. I’ll be right back.”

  He was going somewhere? Damn him. She heard the drawer to his desk open and close. He placed something on the top, and then she could have sworn she heard him unzip and the sound of something crinkling. Talking. She had to keep talking. “He made me undress. He inspected my body.”

  “Was he pleased with your body?”

  She could still remember the way Wolf had stared at her. He’d reached out and tweaked her nipples in turn. He’d plucked at them until they had been hard berries, begging for his affection. She’d been forced to turn and look at her naked body in the mirror. “He made me watch as he played with my breasts. He made me spread my legs and watch as he dipped his fingers in.”

  There was a low growl from behind her. Leo was back. “In where? Don’t you leave anything out.”

  “My pussy, Leo. He sank his fingers in my pussy.” Wolf had played with her, those big, long fingers fucking in and out of her pussy. “He used one, and then two on me.”

  She felt something cool and wet dribble on the crack of her ass. She stiffened, praying he wasn’t doing what she thought he was doing.

  She heard a deep chuckle. “No ginger, baby. Just lube. I want to play. Wolf got to play with this asshole. Now I want the same chance. Tell me more.”

  Her jaw clenched. She knew what she’d heard. She’d heard him lower his zipper, and she’d heard the very distinct unwrapping of a condom. What was he waiting for? He was making her crazy. And he was also a brick wall. He wasn’t going to give her what she wanted until she’d obeyed him. “He played with my pussy for a long time. He made me watch in the mirror. He made me watch as his fingers got coated in my arousal. He made me watch as he licked his fingers clean. He told me how good I tasted.”

  Talking about the way Wolf had tortured her made her hot all over again.

  “I know how good you taste.”

  Pressure. Erotic pressure made her spine tingle as Leo started to work her asshole. He rimmed it, working the lube in and all around.

  “Did Wolf get you off, baby?” Leo asked. “Did he make you come?”

  She sniffled a little. “No. He wouldn’t let me come.”

  Wolf had played for what felt like forever, those big fingers teasing her until he had her shaking and begging. He’d made sure to stay away from her clit. He’d skimmed and taunted that bit of flesh, but he wouldn’t press down in any meaningful way.

  “He was angry, baby.” Leo growled, the sound sparking across her skin. “He was mad that you had disobeyed. Little brats don’t get orgasms. Little brats get crops and whips across their ass. Little brats get to please their Masters and take nothing for themselves.”

  Tears nearly blurred her vision. He was going to punish her. Damn it. If she survived the day, she would be surprised.

  Leo’s finger penetrated her ass, making her squirm. She was so open, so vulnerable in the position he’d put her in. She felt stretched and shaky, totally bent to his will.

  This was what he wanted. It finally kicked in. He wanted her to let go, to be totally focused on the moment and not thinking about anything except pleasing him. He wouldn’t demand it in their daily life, but he was giving her a place to go when the world became too much. She relaxed and let go of her frustration. She breathed in and found an odd place of peace.

 
Leo’s finger sank into her ass. “What just happened, baby?”

  She felt herself smile, a lazy, relaxed expression. Even her legs felt softer now. “I gave in.”

  Leo’s finger rimmed her ass while his free hand ran down her spine. “You won’t regret it. Shelley, this is a good place. Find your subspace. It’s safe to do it with me. Wolf, too. Neither one of us will ever hurt you. We’d rather cut off our dicks than cause you a real moment of pain. Pain can enhance pleasure, and that’s all we’re trying to do.”

  But she wasn’t so afraid of the pain. She knew neither Leo nor Wolf would really hurt her physically. Her heart was another matter. But Leo was here. Leo wouldn’t be standing here with her if he wasn’t serious. He might play around with her when Wolf was there to take care of her, but this felt different. This felt like commitment.

  “Are you going to stay with me?” Shelley asked, knowing the answer. Leo Meyer might be a tough nut to crack, but he was loyal and stalwart. She’d said she loved him. If he was going to walk away, he would have done it. As his fingers were currently deep inside her rectum, she had a feeling he was planning on staying.

  “Say you love me.” He didn’t sound like a Dom. He sounded like a man. A man she’d burned before.

  “I love you.” They were the easiest three words she’d ever said. She’d loved Leo for years.

  “I love you, too, baby. And it will work out with Wolf. It will. He’s my brother. If I don’t share with him, my mother will show up on our doorstep, and I would like to avoid that. She’s a bit crazy. But she’s very sweet. She just thinks aliens impregnated her and that everything is made better with beets. I hate beets.”