by KB Alan
She was crying for real now, not just leaking tears but full-on sobs, and she couldn’t seem to do anything but shake her head at him.
“Ah, fuck, Nat, you’re killing me. Can I hold you?”
She managed to change direction with her head and nod, and within a second he was on the bed, his arms wrapped securely around her.
“I love you, Natalie, and if you’ll give me another chance, I will earn your trust.”
“I do trust you, I do.”
He shook his head. “You don’t, but it’s okay. We’ll get there, I promise.”
Heat burned away her tears, finally, and she sat back, glaring at him. “You can’t tell me I don’t trust you.”
The bastard had the nerve to smirk. “Can’t I?”
“Do I have to prove it? Let you whip me? Let you…” She trailed off at the sad look in his eyes that replaced that moment of amusement. She stared at him. “Oh.”
“Oh?”
“I get it.”
“Tell me.”
“I trust you, Noah.” She brought her hands up to his face. “I trust you enough to say you can’t whip me, I’m not ready for that, and probably never will be. I trust you enough to say I won’t be your full-time slave, even though sometimes I love the idea of it, I know the reality isn’t for me. And I don’t think it’s for you, and we can talk about it, but it still won’t happen. I trust you enough to tell you I won’t share you. You can tease me about threesomes or voyeurism out in public, but it won’t happen for real. I think we can work up to them at the club—the public orgasms, not the threesomes—but that’s about it.”
He was smiling at her now, and her heart felt like it was going to burst, all the hope stretching it so tight. “I love you, Noah Tucker. I trust you, and I love you, and I want to be with you, and I want to choose when to lock the necklace, and when to wear it loose.”
He scowled at that. “I’m throwing the damn thing away.”
“No!” she gasped. “Please don’t. Punish me, but don’t do that. It’s so beautiful, and I love it. While I was driving here, I kept thinking I understood now, what you meant. How if I’d been driving to Atlanta for any other reason, but still upset, it would have given me a lot of comfort to wear it. To have you with me.”
“I’d prefer to actually be with you, if you’re that upset.”
“I know. Me, too. But it’s not always possible.” She looked up at him. “Would you like something to wear? From me?”
The pleased surprise on his face warmed her up.
“I’ve never thought about it. I suppose carrying a pair of your underwear in my pocket when I need a bit of you with me is maybe not as elegant as something you could come up with.”
She bit his shoulder through his t-shirt. “I’ll get you a bracelet. I guess I’ll forgo the locking mechanism, but I’ll make sure it’s something you won’t mind wearing in public.”
He wiped the fresh tears from her eyes. She imagined she looked a mess. Red, puffy eyes, her hair matted, her rattiest comfort pajamas that had fresh ice cream drips on the top. But none of that seemed to matter to him as he looked at her with love.
“We’re going to have to negotiate our punishments.”
She frowned. “Our?”
“You are not spanking me.”
Her frown deepened, and he traced her lips with his finger.
“What?” he asked. “You don’t think I deserve to be punished as much as you do?”
She kind of did think that but suspected he wouldn’t appreciate that answer. “Maybe…it can be a wash?”
Now it was his turn to narrow his eyes. “Will you forgive yourself if I do?”
Hm. She wasn’t entirely sure. “Maybe we should think about this part tomorrow, when we’ve had some sleep.”
“Excellent idea.”
He suddenly seemed as tired as she felt. She smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “Let’s go to bed.”
He nodded but wrapped his arms around her so tight, neither of them could move. She didn’t mind, just held on.
Finally, he stood and pulled her up with him. He lifted her top up over her head and knelt in front of her to bring down her pants. She threaded her fingers through his hair while he undressed her, then waited patiently while he disrobed.
When they climbed between the sheets, he wrapped his arms around her and she was asleep before she could worry about whether or not she’d be able to fall asleep.
She woke to his fingers at her pussy and her nipple, soft, teasing touches.
Light danced around the edges of the curtains and she felt a hundred times better than the previous morning.
“Are you awake?” His voice was low and soft.
“Yes.” Her whisper was full of need.
Still, he asked, “Do you want this?”
“Yes.” Not so much a whisper now, but a demand.
His smile turned wolfish. “Excellent.” He kissed her, and she remembered that she wasn’t wearing his collar, or cuffs, so she pushed him until he rolled over, still holding the kiss. Landing on his chest, her legs to the side, she reached for his cock, feeling it grow in her hand as she squeezed.
He retaliated by sliding two fingers inside her. The fact that she was wet and ready made it easy.
She gasped and he took advantage, rolling them again. They tumbled and turned, kissed and fondled, fucked and made love, until they were spent and nearly fell asleep again.
“Check-out is in ten minutes,” she said, vaguely alarmed but unable to summon any real effort.
“I’ll call the front desk and add another day. You text your mom and Annalise.”
“You text Annalise,” she grumbled.
“Fine.”
“Good. I love you.”
He flashed her the devastating grin that never failed to melt her insides. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
One year later
Natalie sat at the bar, one foot propped on the rail, the other swinging freely. She was wearing a prim business outfit, one that her coworkers would be shocked to see her in. But her blouse was unbuttoned to between her breasts and a hint of the starkly red lace bra showed to those close enough to notice.
Her finger played with the necklace at her throat. Or collar, rather, as Noah had engaged the tiny lock before she’d left the hotel room several minutes ago.
They’d come to Atlanta to see her mom and grandparents. It was their second visit, as she and Noah had flown down a couple of months after he’d given her the necklace. Tomorrow was her grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary, and she and Noah had come to take them, and her mom, out to dinner.
The celebration was nothing like the anniversary party that Annalise’s family had thrown for her Crawford grandparents a couple of years before, but that was fine. The Handels loved each other, and that was what mattered. And they’d welcomed Noah with reserved, but open, arms.
She sipped the appletini when it arrived, only to discover that she did not, in fact, like appletinis. Well, it had looked good on the menu and she’d figured it was more sophisticated than the wine or apple cider she normally ordered at a bar.
She felt him behind her, then. Her Noah. It was hard to remember what not having him in her life was like.
“Is this seat taken?” he asked, coming around to the stool next to her.
Looking him up and down, she gave a nonchalant shrug though it took every bit of her meager acting skills. “I don’t believe so.”
She’d expected him to wear the suit he’d brought for tomorrow’s dinner, to line up with her upper-management look. Instead he was wearing black leather pants and a burnt-orange shirt that fit him very, very well. He’d put on the brown leather bracelet with the infinity knot that she’d bought him to wear when he wanted a reminder that he belonged to her.
Picking up her full glass, she took a tiny sip just so that she could eye him over the rim as he asked the bartender for a beer. He’d ordered her not to wear panties, and now she was w
ishing she’d negotiated that a bit better, because she was definitely going to get her skirt wet.
“Buy you a drink?” he asked, his voice a little rougher than usual.
Sparks of electricity shot through her. They hadn’t done this before, and she’d had no idea he could role play this well. He was always surprising her.
She tried for haughty as she pointedly looked at her hand holding the full drink, and the engagement ring on her finger.
He shrugged. “Doesn’t look like you’re enjoying the drink, and that’s not a wedding ring.”
She had to bite her tongue not to laugh. They’d started talking about their long-term future not long after being together. She’d moved in pretty quickly, because it had become ridiculous switching things between his house and her dinky apartment. Just over three months ago, he’d taken her to Cedric’s cabin in New Hampshire for her birthday. He’d spent the day ordering her into sexual bliss, then taken her out to dinner. He’d brought her back to the cabin and asked her, beside the pond, under a blanket of stars, to be his wife. They hadn’t set a date yet, that was on their agenda for next week.
Without waiting for a response, he ordered her a bottle of cider. She didn’t comment, but pushed the martini glass out of her way and ignored his almost smirk.
“You in town for long?” she asked when the bartender left.
“Sod convention.”
She laughed, but turned it into a not-so-delicate cough.
“Ah. I’m here for the funeral service professionals convention. It’s at the hotel next door, but I wanted a break from my colleagues for a little bit.”
The corner of his mouth turned up. “I didn’t realize you folks had a convention.”
“Oh, sure. It’s important to stay current on the latest technologies.”
“I bet. Is your fiancé in the business, as well?”
“Well, he’s more on the dirt and flowers side of things.”
He had to cover his mouth at that, but he rallied. “Sounds boring.”
“Oh, no, he keeps things quite…lively. I promise.”
“Well, if that’s the case, maybe he’d be interested in,” he looked her up and down very obviously, “sharing.”
She felt her eyes widen and her mouth open at that. “Oh. I’m not sure he’s…prepared for that.” She was thinking of his promise to buy toys and fill her up as if she were with two men, like Jesse and Grant at Apex. They’d gone to dinner with the guys and Stephanie a couple of times, and had enjoyed their company very much, but she’d forgotten about her tease to Noah about a threesome. Until now.
“Oh, I think he sounds like the kind of guy who’s very prepared.”
“Hm, you’re not wrong.” She moved her hand a few inches so that she could trace her finger over his bracelet.
He put his hand on the small of her back, letting his palm warm her through the silk of her blouse, his fingers pressing into hard little points at her waist. He’d come off the stool, crowding in closer to her, so her whole side was enveloped in his heat. She took her hand off his wrist and moved it below the bar, touched his leather-clad thigh.
His muscles flexed under her hand and she drew it toward his cock.
“Be very sure about what you want.” His warning, growled into her ear with his lips just touching the sensitive skin, had her shivering.
“Maybe you won’t like him,” she warned, hearing the breathiness in her voice.
“You’ll be what I’m focused on.” His fingers pressed even harder into her side.
She gulped down some cider, her throat suddenly dry.
He placed his free hand over hers on his thigh and dragged it to his cock. “Do you like it rough, blondie?”
She swallowed hard, enjoying the feel of the leather over his hardening bulge.
“I’m a good girl.” She tried for a touch of outrage.
“I’ll just bet you are.” He pressed her hand harder. “Would you still be a good girl if I put you on the back of my bike and drove you around until you were making my seat wet?”
“I—um, I don’t think we’d make it out of the parking lot.”
He tried to smother his laugh, but failed. “So you’re a naughty girl, too.”
“I guess so.”
“You need someone to take you in hand.”
“I don’t know, I think I might be a handful.”
He smiled, Noah’s smile. “Without question.”
He drained his beer and eyed her full appletini and nearly full cider, but ignored them and slapped some cash on the bar for a tip. He leaned in close to her ear again. “I’ve heard enough sass out of you. You’re going to close your mouth and come up to my room with me, or I’m going to go next door and tell your mortuary colleagues that you’re running around in this tight-ass skirt with no underwear, leaving wet spots on the furniture.”
She was glad his face was at her side so he couldn’t see as she struggled to get her laughter under control. Finally, she managed to speak. “Oh, please, don’t get me into trouble. I need this job.”
“Then you’ll do as I say. Not another word.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“That was two words. I’m going to have to punish you now.”
“Oh, no, Sir. Please, I’m so sorry.”
“I don’t know if I can count that high.”
There was no containing the laughter that burst out of her. Several heads turned their way and Noah buried his face in her neck, but she felt his chest shaking against her.
Finally she cleared her throat and very pointedly said nothing. He grabbed her hand and helped her off the stool, then dragged her to the elevators.
When they got to the room, he closed the door and shoved her up against the wall, her wrists gripped in his hand, held above her head, his mouth taking full possession of hers.
She kicked off her shoes and wrapped one foot around his leg, but she couldn’t manage much because the damn pencil skirt was too tight. Whether he was aware of that or not, she didn’t know, but he yanked her skirt up her thighs and growled when he found her slick and wet. She wrapped her leg more firmly around him.
But not firmly enough, because he was suddenly gone, leaving her to lock her knees to avoid sliding to the floor. Her arms fell to her side but she didn’t move farther as she watched him rip his belt off. Then he moved. He spun her around, pressing her hard into the door again. He wrapped the belt around her wrists several times before buckling it securely. Spinning her again, he ripped—actually ripped—her blouse free.
Natalie stared at him in wide-eyed shock and excitement. He shoved his knee under her skirt and felt her wetness as he unhooked her bra and dragged it down. Fuck, he’d already tied her hands. Trying not to laugh, he grabbed her blouse and rolled it into a gag, held it up to her lips.
Her eyes lit with mischief and she turned her head away, dramatically. He shoved his knee harder against her core and she gasped. He slid the silk between her lips and knotted it behind her head. It was already ruined, so cutting it free wouldn’t be a problem. Speaking of cutting.
He propelled her backwards until she hit the bed and fell back onto it. He’d left his bag of supplies at the foot, ready for their return to the room. He grabbed the safety scissors and used them to cut her bra straps free. Damn, he was going to owe her a shopping trip after this. Totally worth it.
He yanked the red fabric free of her breasts and tossed it aside. He’d meant to use it as the gag, but being adaptable was important.
She kept him on his toes, his Natalie. Just by being her. He wanted to always be able to surprise and delight her. He hauled her farther up on the bed and turned her over onto her stomach. She turned her head so she could see him and he pushed the hair out of her way.
“Someone earned some spanks,” he reminded her.
She spoke and he was pretty sure she asked, “How many?” but he chose not to answer because he was positive he couldn’t do so without laughing. Instead, he slapped her ass, not bothering to
take off her skirt. Her sass turned into a moan as he peppered her with spanks.
When she was wiggling in anticipation and pressing up into his hand, he stopped. He kept his hand pressed into her back so she wouldn’t move and felt around in his bag.
“Since you only invited two of us, I’m going to have to fill one of your holes before your fiancé gets here.” He held the silicone butt plug up so she could see it. Her body convulsed into laughter at the sight of the red silicone rose. He brought it to his mouth and bit one of the outer petals and tears began to leak out of her eyes.
“Don’t worry, it will only hurt a little,” he warned as he slathered the plug with lube.
She tilted her hips, pushing into the plug, letting it slide fully into her in one easy push. He rubbed her flank in praise. “On your back now.”
He helped her roll over, then pulled the next item out of the bag. The dildo was fairly realistic looking, it even had balls, but had taken him a fair bit of internet searching to find the right color.
“Your fiancé is kind of…orange,” he said, holding the brightly colored silicone up.
Her eyes squeezed tight and she tried to close her lips around the silk as much as possible to hold in the laughter, but it was impossible. He tickled her ribs and she shrieked, but got ahold of herself. He cut the blouse free and slid it from beneath her head.
“Get any action with your teeth out of the way now, because once he’s good and wet, you’ll have my cock, and there better not be any biting.”
She licked her lips and kept her face on his, rather than the ridiculous toy. He slid it between her lips, and she licked and sucked as if it were him. Soon, it would be him. He gripped her hair, directing her head. Her eyes went glassy.
“You can talk now,” he told her, though he’d filled her mouth. “But try not to get security called on us.”
When he slid the phallus out, she locked her eyes on his. “Sir.” It was a whisper, but it said so much.
He kissed her, softly, gently. “My girl.”
“Yours. All yours.”
He sat up and took off his clothes, enjoying the way she eyed him hungrily. He dripped lube onto the dildo and eased it into her, her hips bucking up to receive it. Him. He worked it in and out, watching her folds stretch to envelope the toy.