Hanging down Stefan’s back, Cass bounced and swayed with every step he took but knew he wouldn’t drop her. She was, however, worried about him exerting himself. “Master Stefan, please put me—”
He lit up her ass cheek again. His voice was low and threatening. “I said to be quiet, Cassie. Keep it up, and I’ll gag you.”
Okay, so he was really pissed off, but so was she. Unfortunately, here at the club, she had to be respectful to any and all Doms or face a public punishment.
Entering what she assumed was Playroom #15—it was hard to tell, at first, since she was upside down, facing Stefan’s muscular back and ass—he slammed the door shut. Her upper body was flipped back over his shoulder so quickly her head spun, and she was dropped unceremoniously onto a bed with clean, burgundy sheets. She bounced on the mattress, then settled, as Stefan pivoted and stalked back and forth. He pointed but didn’t look at her as he moved. “Not a word out of you until I get my anger under control, Cassie. Again, most of it isn’t directed at you, but since you’re the only one here at the moment, you’re the only one who I can potentially take it out on, so just sit there and be quiet for a few minutes.”
Okaaayyy. Cass had never seen him this mad before, and her own anger ebbed a bit and morphed into a combination of worry and bewilderment. Had she ruined things between them by going off on him yesterday and then scening with Master Cain tonight? Not that things had been all that great between them to begin with. She was totally in love with the man, and, to him, she was nothing more than a friend and submissive who enjoyed his ropes. But if that was the case, why was he so pissed off? Thinking back to what’d happened on the center stage, she recalled Master Cain saying something about it all being some sort of “a ploy to get Stefan to man up.” What the hell had he been talking about? And what about that knowing smirk she’d seen on Master Ian’s face? The Dom had definitely been up to something.
Stopping short, Stefan ran his hands down his face and huffed. Then he shocked her when he dropped to his knees at the foot of the bed, grabbed her ankles, and pulled her until she was sitting on the edge. Taking her hands in his, he stared at her with a look she’d never seen in his eyes before. If she had to give it a name, it would be anguish. “Little pixie, I screwed up. I really screwed up, and I’m so, so sorry.”
Now she was really confused. “What are you talking about, Sir?”
He kissed her fingers. “I should never have let you go. When you asked me to uncollar you, I should’ve fought harder to find out why you didn’t want to renew our contract. With everything that’s happened over the past few weeks, I’ve had my ups and downs, but you’ve been there every step of the way for me. Whether I wanted you to be there or not. Like a fool, I’ve denied my feelings for you.” He took a deep breath, blew it out, and stared her right in the eye. “Somewhere along the line, little pixie, I’ve done something I swore I’d never do—because I suck at relationships—but I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Cassie gasped but didn’t interrupt Stefan as he continued talking. Her heart was ready to beat out of her chest, and she wished he would repeat what he’d just said, so she could make sure she hadn’t misheard him.
“Like I said, I’ve never been good at relationships—had a few bad ones in my twenties—so, since then, I’ve always had short term contracts with subs. I knew, with an expiration date, I didn’t have to worry about my heart getting involved. But none of those subs lasted as long as you have, and now I know why. You’re special, Cassie, and I don’t want to let you go. Tell me why you didn’t want to renew our contract, because I don’t think you told me the whole truth that night.”
Her body shook. She never thought she’d be saying those three little words to him, but before she did, she had to be certain. “Can you go back a few seconds, first, and repeat what I think you said? What I hope you said.”
The corners of his mouth ticked upward, and he tilted his head. “The part about me sucking at relationships or the part where I said I’ve fallen in love with you?”
Cassie nodded. “Definitely the second part.”
Rising on his knees, he cupped her jaw and brushed his lips against hers in the sweetest of all kisses. “I love you, little pixie, and if I have my way, I’ll be the only Dom you ever play with again. Now, tell me what I want to know.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, but they were happy ones this time. Reaching up, she stroked his clean-shaven cheek. She couldn’t speak louder than a whisper as she was still afraid this was all a dream. “I didn’t exactly lie to you, but you’re right. I only told you part of the reason why I didn’t want to re-sign the contract. I just couldn’t stay in a strictly D/s relationship with you because I’d fallen in love with you too.”
Relief flashed in his eyes, and she realized he’d been worried about her response. “Thank God.”
His mouth crashed down on hers. After a moment of shock, she parted her lips and let their tongues tango. Her arms went around his neck, and she opened her legs further, encouraging him to close the distance between them.
God, she’d missed his taste.
His scent.
His warmth.
His strength.
Him.
Leaving her mouth, he kissed his way along her jawline to her ear. “I love you, Cassie.” He pulled back and his gaze roamed her face. His eyes pleaded with her as much as his words did. “Please say you forgive me for not seeing what was right in front of me all these months. For being an ass yesterday. For not giving a crap what happened to me because I was foolish to think there was nothing else in my life but the Coast Guard. Please tell me it’s not too late to show you how much you mean to me.”
“It’s not, Sir. And there’s nothing to forgive, as long as you’re here with me now. Just tell me you’ll come back to rehab and do everything you can to be around for a very long time. I don’t want to lose you.”
His thumbs brushed over her cheeks, wiping away the tears she didn’t realize had started to fall. All she could do was hope she wasn’t dreaming.
“I don’t want to lose you either, Cassie. You’re mine. It just took me getting a swift kick in the ass, or in the chest, as the case may be, to realize that. You’ll never play with another Dom again, as long as I’m alive, and I plan on being around to love you for a very long time. I’ll go back to rehab, I’ll eat nutritiously, and I’ll take my meds. I’ll do everything you tell me to do when it comes to getting better and staying healthy. In return, you submit to me. You’ll wear my collar and any contract we sign won’t have an expiration date. Okay?”
She nodded as best she could with her head still in his hands. “That’s more than okay, Sir.”
* * *
Letting go of her jaw, Stefan turned his attention to her corset. “Now that we’ve settled all that, I’m going to strip you naked and make love to you. Tonight, it’s just you and me. No audience. No ropes. No restraints. No toys. I’ll give you pleasure, and you’ll give me your orgasms.”
A worried look flashed across her face, and he stopped unlacing the corset. “What’s wrong? Are you afraid I won’t be able to get you off without restraints?”
When her eyes rounded, he knew he’d been right on the mark. “Trust me, little pixie. I’ll take care of you. I’ll make you come and scream my name. You don’t need to be tied down—you just need my love.”
He saw the moment his words and their meaning penetrated her mind.
Her eyes were filled with desire.
With hope.
With submission.
With undying love.
Stefan returned to her corset and the rest of her outfit, and it wasn’t long before she was completely naked. Standing, he quickly shed his own clothing. Before doing anything else, he stepped over to a cabinet and retrieved a handful of condoms. Once he started making love to her, he didn’t want there to be any excuse to leave her, even for a second. After tossing the foil packages onto a small table beside the bed, he knelt in front of her aga
in. “Lie back, pixie.”
Once she complied, he put his hands behind her thighs and pushed them up until her knees were almost against her chest. He took a moment to enjoy the view. Cassie had such a pretty, hairless pussy. One that made his mouth water. Juices were already making her slit glisten, and he bent down for a taste.
Cassie gasped loudly as he ran his tongue up through her folds. Her back bowed, when he sucked on her clit, drawing a moan of pleasure from her. Her scent and taste were intoxicating, as he nipped, licked, and sucked on her intimate flesh. He loved how she squirmed and ran her fingers through his hair, which had been growing out since his heart attack. Cassie rarely got her hands on him during play. She’d always been restrained in some way or another. Once she’d come more than once, he’d used her mouth, pussy, or ass to find his own release. But tonight, he wanted her touching him—all over—learning every inch of his body as much as he’d learned hers during their many scenes together.
When he flicked her clit rapidly with his tongue, Cassie dug her nails into his shoulders, and the erotic pain spurred him on. Reaching up with one hand, he tweaked her nipple. With a squeak, her hips bucked, and there was a rush of fluid which he lapped up. Stefan knew Cassie had never come without restraints before, and he wanted to change that. She was such a sensual creature, and with the right Dom—the right man, she should be able to fly.
As he continued to tease her breast and suck her clit, he slid one, then two fingers inside her, finding her walls already quivering with anticipation. He fucked her slowly as her moans and writhing increased. When she began to beg for release, it was music to his ears. “No protocol, my pixie. Come whenever you need to.”
She lifted her hips in invitation. “I need . . . oh my God, Sir! I need . . .” She panted, then gasped. “More! Almost . . . there! Pleeeeeeease!”
Using his tongue, he lashed at her clit while increasing the thrusting of his fingers inside her. He rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, then pinched it hard at the same time he bit down on her clit.
Cassie exploded into space. She screamed as the climax gripped her, infusing her with such intense pleasure she squirted all over his fingers. But Stefan wasn’t satisfied with just one orgasm from her. He pulled on her nipple, torturing the little peak, while rubbing her inside where he knew her G-spot was. Lifting his head slightly, he blew on her abused clit, and Cassie screeched that time as her body shook uncontrollably.
Stefan drew out the orgasm as long as he could until Cassie sagged against the mattress, completely spent and sated. Her skin was covered in perspiration, and he licked the saltiness from her abdomen.
Climbing up onto the bed, he dragged her further into the middle, then grabbed a condom from the stash. As he rolled it on his aching cock, he smiled when he saw her watching him through half-lidded eyes. When she licked her lips, he groaned. “As much as I would love to see your lips around my cock, pixie, I’d prefer to be inside your sweet pussy this time.
After settling between her widespread thighs, he held himself at her entrance. Before he took her, he had to say it again. “I love you, Cassie. You’re mine.”
“Yours, Sir,” she responded on a sigh. “Only yours. Always.”
He pushed inside her, relishing her wet heat sheathing him. His eyes slammed shut as he tried to stave off his impending orgasm. When he was balls deep, Cassie lifted her legs and wrapped them around his hips. He felt her heels on his ass, spurring him on. Withdrawing, he plunged back in. Then again. And again. He fucked her with abandon, feeling a connection he’d never had with another sub, or any woman for that matter. She was his, and he was branding her . . . ruining her for any other man.
A tingling sensation began in his spine. Sweat poured from his body, slicking wherever their skin touched the other’s. Cassie’s begging and keening began again, and her walls shuddered around him. Reaching between them, he found her clit and pushed down on it. That sent her over the edge, dragging him with her into a seemingly bottomless pit of pleasure and euphoria.
Struggling for air, Stefan gave her some of his weight without crushing her or restricting her own search for oxygen. He touched his soaked forehead to hers. “I love you, my pixie. I’ll always love you.”
Epilogue
“Stefan!” Elin squealed when she spotted him from across the hotel lobby in Key West, Florida. His sister ran into his arms and hugged him tightly as her fiancée joined them.
“Hey, sis.” He gave her a squeeze, then let go. Turning to Tara, he embraced her as well. “Hey sister-in-law-to-be. How’re you doing?”
“I’m excited, thrilled, and ready to party, all rolled into one.”
Stefan chuckled as he released her. “Sounds like you’re all set to go.” Pivoting, he reached behind him. “C’mere, little pixie.” Cassie put her hand in his and stepped forward. “Elin, Tara, this is Cassie.”
She beamed and gave Elin a hug and then Tara. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I feel like we already met after Skyping the past three months.”
Stefan had introduced them over the internet and made sure Cassie was at the townhouse with him at least once a week when he checked in with his sister and Tara. He’d wanted them all to get to know each other because he planned on proposing to Cassie in a few weeks. His sister had tried to talk him into doing the deed this weekend, but he hadn’t wanted to steal Elin and Tara’s thunder. This was their weekend, and Stefan and Cassie’s would come another time.
It wasn’t as if they weren’t already headed in that direction. Two weeks after Stefan had groveled and won Cassie’s heart and forgiveness, he’d officially collared her in a large ceremony on the center stage at The Covenant. Afterward, he’d decorated her in the angel Shibari design he’d wanted to do with her the night she’d said her safeword and failed to renew their contract.
The following weekend, their friends had helped her move into his townhouse. It was so nice for Stefan to go home after a full day at the Trident Security compound, where he was already fully engrossed in his new career, to find Cassie waiting for him. If it was a school night for her, he’d cook dinner or bring home takeout—healthy takeout—and on the other nights, they’d prepare their evening meal together. Afterward, they either cuddled while watching TV, gone to a movie, taken walks around the neighborhood, and done all other kinds of things couples did. Oh, and, of course, they played and made love often. They’d fall asleep in each other’s arms, then wake up the same way. The routine had become so comfortable, Stefan often wondered why he’d been fighting a deeper relationship with her for as long as he had.
“It’s great to finally meet you too, and we’re so glad you could come for the wedding,” Elin responded. After a few weeks of back and forth, trying to decide where and when they wanted to get married, the engaged couple choose that weekend in the Florida Keys. Tomorrow, about forty family and friends would gather for the nuptials and the after party. The women wanted an unostentatious affair, so they were exchanging vows on the beach. Then everyone would join them for a buffet dinner and drinks at the Mango Tree Inn near Duvall Street in Old Town Key West, which was within walking distance of the hotel.
“Thanks for inviting me. It’s been ages since I’ve been to Key West. I’ve been watching The Weather Channel all week, and it’s supposed to be gorgeous this weekend. Perfect timing.”
“Where are Mom and Dad?” Stefan asked, glancing around the lobby.
“They walked across the street to get us a table for lunch after you texted you were leaving the airport,” Tara responded. “It’s just the six of us for now. Everyone else is on their own until tonight when we’re all meeting up at Sunset Pier for dinner and drinks.”
“Great.” Stefan flagged over a man at the concierge desk, wearing khaki shorts and a polo shirt with the hotel’s name and logo on it. “Can you hold our luggage for a bit? Then we’ll check in after lunch.”
“Absolutely, sir. Let me get you a claim ticket.”
Five minutes later,
they joined Stefan’s folks in the restaurant, where there was another round of greetings and hugs. His mother was thrilled to see Cassie again, and it made Stefan happy to know his parents really liked her.
Being the gentleman he’d been raised to be, Stefan pulled out a chair for his little pixie, then took the seat next to her.
“How was the flight?” his father asked him after a waitress took their drink orders.
“Fantastic.”
Cassie’s mouth dropped open as she stared at his amused grin. “What are you talking about? That turbulence was so bad at one point, I had a death grip on you. I wanted to climb into your lap and get under your seat belt.”
“Like I said, it was fantastic.”
Everyone else laughed as she slapped his upper arm indignantly. Her cheeks were bright red, her embarrassment showing for a few moments, before she giggled. “Jerk.”
God, he loved her. She was the best thing that’d ever happened to him, and he was never taking her for granted ever again. Reaching over, he tweaked her nose. “Pixie.”
Her smile and the adoration in her eyes warmed his heart—the one that had given him a second chance at life and love.
The server brought their drinks, and Stefan waited until everyone had theirs. Picking up his glass, he said, “I’d like to propose a toast. To family, love, and new beginnings. Cheers.”
Knot a Chance: Doms of The Covenant Book 3 Page 17