by J. M. Walker
Few words were said, his hands and the rope the only things that communicated his next move. He tugged on the rope, tightening its hold around me.
I moaned, my skin buzzing, an offering of my undoing and submission. Inhaling a breath, I waited.
“Breathe it out, angel,” he whispered in my ear.
A shiver traveled up my body and I exhaled deep and slow. Every fiber of my being, my bones and muscles, were screaming and alive. I tensed, allowing myself to ease into this new form of discomfort even as it took my breath away.
My eyes still closed, I felt pleasurable heat drip onto my rear, my back, my shoulders. I could feel the warmth dripping down the sides of my breasts before hardening. It increased the arousal that grew between my thighs and I found myself craving more.
“You are so beautiful,” Parker whispered. “Embrace the feel of the wax, angel.”
My heart raced when the liquid heat, the pleasurable high slicked over my opening to my clit. The wax burned, kissing my skin with tiny prickles of delight.
Parker grabbed my hair, forcing my head back, and brushed his fingers down my face. “Eyes on me, pet.”
My eyes slowly fluttered open, taking in my love. In my subspace haze, I saw that we were alone before my gaze finally settled on Parker. The lighting from the candles shimmered around him, giving him an unearthly glow.
“Bring me into your safe place.” He kissed me once and released me.
I allowed my eyes to shut and my body to feel as he walked around me.
His fingers pushed into the opening of my body while he poured the wax onto my tailbone. “Fly for me.”
Throwing my head back, I gave him my all as he brought forth the remnants of our mutual ecstasy. With his hand against my most intimate area, the other reached around to cup my neck. My body convulsed as he sank into me, a release shattering through me hard and fast.
Parker made love to me slow and deep, bringing me over the edge again and again. “Breathe it out, angel.”
But I didn’t want to. I wanted to remember this pain and pleasure, mixing as one. Calling it forth whenever I needed the reminder. Of that safe place. Of us being together as one in the most intimate and vulnerable way possible. I wanted to remember my submission, needed to remember my undoing. That ultimate freedom.
Past
T HAD been weeks since I saw Parker. Even longer since I held him and smelled his scent. It felt like a lifetime since I had a taste of him.
Although I knew that I was now the owner of Reed Enterprises, I never felt like it was mine. It didn’t belong to me. Not in the way a company like that should. Even if I slapped my name on it, it was and would always be Parker’s. Working from the ground up, he built a name for himself faster than anyone that I knew. At such a young age, he had more power, held more control than I ever could have imagined in my twenty-five years of existence. He lived and breathed the life of owning and controlling, dominating everything around him.
I never once wanted to run Reed Enterprises. I just figured it would run itself until Parker was able to come back, revealing himself to everyone that he was, in fact, very much alive. Not knowing what Parker’s true plans were in the beginning, I didn’t argue with his lawyer over me taking over the company. Not until the day I had to actually lead a meeting.
“You have to let them see that everything is fine,” his lawyer had told me the night before. “They need to know that they are still working for someone. You don’t want Parker’s hard work to go to shit, do you?”
Of course the guilt was laid on thick and I had no choice but to follow through with our plans.
So there I was, standing in front of Reed Enterprises, looking up at the building that I hadn’t stepped foot in in weeks. Probably even months. I had lost track of time and couldn’t tell one day from the next most mornings. Troy and Patrick were both happy that I would finally be getting out of the house when I’d rather mope and stew over everything that had happened.
With Jones parked a block away, the tremor of anxiety eased in my belly. Somewhat. I didn’t know a thing about leading a meeting with a room filled with men. Men who worked for Parker. Men who had watched Parker grow. They would no doubt wonder who the hell this woman was, trying to take over their boss’s company.
Taking a breath, I pushed open the glass door and headed into the cool lobby. Security sat to my left with reception straight ahead of me. I could feel eyes on me as I slowly walked to the elevators. Parker had made it so some people knew what I looked like, sending them out a mass email to make them aware that there would be a new person in charge. As the tabloids got wind of his death, my picture ended up making an appearance everywhere whether we liked it or not. He had tried his best to keep my identity on a down-lo but was not successful as he would have liked.
I was never an authoritative person. Hence the reason why I fell into Devin’s clutches so fast. I always had problems standing up for myself or channeling my strength. Parker told me that I was strong, that I could do anything. That I didn’t need his help. Maybe not. But I sure as hell wanted it.
Stepping into the elevator, memories of Parker and I fighting came into my mind. Us yelling at each other which then quickly turned into mind-blowing, knee-buckling sex. Even fighting with him turned into sex and it proved that I couldn’t control myself around him. Maybe that was why it was so easy to submit to him. To give him my all.
When the elevator doors dinged open, I was greeted by an older woman, smiling brightly at me.
“Hi,” she said, sticking out her hand.
“Hello.” I returned the handshake.
She stepped back, giving me room to leave the elevator and clapped her hands together. “Keely Price, it’s so nice to finally meet you.”
I frowned. “I’m sorry. You are…?”
“Oh.” She laughed. “Forgive me. I’m Donna Suthers. The current receptionist while Liz is on leave.”
“She’s on leave?” I asked, my brows furrowing. I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that I wouldn’t see her. It had been so long. I missed her terribly.
“Yes,” Donna nodded. “I’m not sure what for. None of my business. But if you would please come with me, everyone is waiting for you.”
My heart started racing, pounding against the walls of my rib cage. This was it. I felt like I was headed towards my doom. Never a public speaker, I was scared shitless. Get me to talk about hacking and computers? I was your woman. But I knew nothing about running a company.
“Don’t worry, you will do fine,” Donna said gently once we reached Parker’s office.
I bit back a scoff. She clearly didn’t know how Parker ran things. He was a perfectionist. Although he didn’t expect me to blow the meeting out of the water, I knew deep down he wanted me to make him proud.
I took several deep cleansing breaths before pushing open the doors, revealing five men sitting around the large oak table. Swallowing hard, I closed the door gently behind me and with my head down, I quickly stepped up to the front of the table.
Deep voices sounded around me, authoritative and sure, dominating and in control.
Clearing my throat several times, I sat in the chair and waited for them to quiet down. When their voices only became louder, I cleared my throat again. No one looked at me or even glanced my way. Again with the throat clearing. And still no sign of movement. The men ranged in sizes and age. But they all held one thing in common. By the venom dripping from their voices, I could tell right away that they didn’t want a woman leading their meeting. How the hell Parker dealt with these assholes was beyond me.
Okay, Keely. I can do this. For Parker. He was the only reason that I was even here in the first place. Standing up, I dropped the thick file onto the table. It landed with a loud thud, shutting up the conversation around me.
Five pairs of eyes slowly glanced my way.
“Do you wish that Mr. Reed was here before you instead of me?” I asked, gripping the edge of the table.
No one answered. They all just looked between each other, contemplating my question.
“None of you are going to answer?” I pretended to look at my watch, not really caring what time it was, and waited.
“I wish he were here,” someone answered.
My eyes shot up. “Who else? Who would rather Parker be here, leading this meeting?”
Slowly, several hands followed.
I nodded. “Good. Then we will get along just fine.” I smiled sweetly at them. “Now, I know that you don’t want a woman standing before you, leading this meeting, let alone the company. But Parker left it to me.” I raised a hand, interrupting the no doubt volley of questions that would soon be flying my way. “That is not your story to know. Just know that I am here. I am now your boss. And I will do everything in my power to run things like Parker did. Now that he’s gone,” I inhaled a shaky breath for added affect when really it hurt to talk about him like he was actually dead. “You will come to me if you have a problem. You will come to me regarding any business decisions. So on and so forth. Do you understand me?” When no one answered, I repeated my question in a firmer tone. “I do not like being ignored.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Price, but seeing you there standing like you own this company—”
“What’s your name?” I asked the older gentleman that had given me the cold shoulder since I walked into this room.
“Bob Ackerman,” he replied, crossing his arms under his chest and leaning back in his chair.
“Get out,” I said, flipping through the files on the table in front of me.
“Excuse me?”
“Did I stutter?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Get. Out.”
He shot to his feet. “I have been with this company since the day Parker—”
“That is Mr. Reed to you. Now get out before I call security.” Knowing Parker would never question my judgement and reasons for firing the guy, I embraced the decision.
As if they could read my mind, two security guards entered the room and escorted Mr. Ackerman out of the room. With his yelling and cursing trailing behind him, he yelled threats that he wouldn’t be able to keep so long as Jones was my own personal bodyguard.
Once the door closed, silence permeated through the room and I felt satisfied that this meeting would finally go off without a hitch. But I still had to ask… “Anyone else have any sexist comments that they want to get out of their system?”
When no one replied, I went about the meeting. Discussing business deals, new employees, the fundraiser Parker had organized and so on. I channelled strength that I thought I never had when I realized that as long as I thought of Parker, he was my strength. He would get me through these weeks and months until he could finally come back and be with me. Until we could just…be.
WOKE sometime later on the floor in a small room. The sensual music from before still washed over me, easing a part of me that had lost control so many years before. Deep snoring sounded from beside me, trembling through my body like it was a part of me.
My skin felt dewy, sticky with the remnants of our mutual desire and the wax from the candles. But I felt light, whole. One with myself in a way that I never imagined was possible since meeting Devin Tate as a teenager.
Turning onto my side, I brushed my hands over Parker’s strong, tattooed shoulders. Rubbing my fingers over his nape, I kissed him softly on his full mouth. “Thank you. For everything. Without you, I would have lost myself months ago.”
His eyes fluttered open, the deep green orbs landing on me, taking my breath away. They held me captive but I didn’t stop talking, needing for him to hear exactly what I had always wanted to say. “I never thought I could love again until I met you. I thought I was ruined. Destroyed. Broken. Until you came along and forced yourself into my life.”
He smirked, tightening his hold around my waist.
“Anytime that you want to fly, I am yours. I need it. That connection.” I shrugged. “I never felt so…”
“What?” he whispered.
“Free.”
He nodded and kissed my wrist. “That was the point. I wanted you to fly like the angel that you are. My angel.”
My eyes welled and I swallowed past the hard lump that had taken up residence in my throat. “Can we do that again?”
“Of course.”
I lay back down, snuggling into his side. “Colin would be impressed.”
Parker kissed my shoulder. “He taught me everything. He was only there to guide me and then once we had you suspended, he left. Now that I know what to do, I don’t need him. He wanted to make sure of that.”
“What is that art called?”
“Kinbaku or Shibari. It’s a Japanese form of art. Shibari is more of a Japanese form of bondage but Kinbaku…”
I looked at him when his voice trailed off.
“It’s about getting inside of you. To touch your soul.”
My heart jumped and I had opened my mouth to respond when a light knock came on the door.
Parker sat up and pulled on his black drawstring pants. He kissed me on the forehead and waited for me to wrap the blanket around myself before he answered the door.
“How’s it going?” Colin asked, looking between us.
I stifled a yawn and smiled.
He chuckled. “That good?”
Parker laughed. “What’s up?”
“I was just checking to make sure that everything went well.”
“Everything went wonderfully,” I said, my cheeks heating.
Colin nodded once. “And I should let you also know that Greyson is here.”
“Already?” Parker frowned.
“Yeah but only him. The club is coming over tomorrow. Grey wanted to chat privately and not under the influence of his brothers.”
“Alright.” Parker huffed. “Give us a few and we’ll be up there.”
“Take your time.” Colin looked back at me. “The official meeting is tomorrow. I don’t care what Greyson says; he can wait. And don’t forget your training tonight,” he reminded Parker.
“I won’t.” Parker closed the door and turned back to me.
Rising to my feet, I let the blanket fall around me. “What training?”
“You’ll see.” No more words were said as he grabbed my hand, kissed the back of it and pulled me into the adjoining bathroom. We showered, cleaning off the wax from my body with promises from Parker that once this shit with Devin was over, he would help me fly again and again.
As we made our way upstairs, my stomach clenched with anxiety at the deep rough voices from Colin and Greyson. Greyson Mercer, the youngest member of Hell’s Harlem, was the president and one of the nicest men I had ever had the pleasure of meeting.
I smiled to myself at how jealous Troy would be if he found out that Greyson was here and he wasn’t. God, I missed my best friend.
“You can call Troy tomorrow,” Parker said, placing a soft peck on my mouth.
I nodded, curling up on the couch beside him and waited for whatever reason Greyson had for showing up early to be revealed.
“Tell us why you’re here,” Parker demanded, gripping my hand tight in his.
Greyson chuckled, brushing a hand through his short blond hair. “Always straight to the point.”
“You weren’t supposed to show up until tomorrow. What gives?” Colin handed me a bottle of water and sat on the other side of Parker.
“I trust my club. I love them like brothers and would lay my life on the line for them. And I know that they would do the same for me. Although in this case, one of them has betrayed me.”
My back stiffened. “Who?”
“I don’t know that yet,” he mumbled.
“How do you know that’s true?” Parker asked, squeezing my hand in reassurance.
“Devin happened to call me and tell me this.” Greyson held up a hand. “I know what you’re thinking. Why am I believing what that fucker is saying? I get that. I didn’t believe it until bodies started showing
up on my front doorstep.”
“Bodies?” Colin demanded, sitting forward.
Greyson’s face hardened. “People of power. A cop. A lawyer. A doctor. Names are not important but it’s making me and my club look like we are responsible for this. And we are not. I have too much shit to worry about. Why would I murder random powerful people for fun?” A wicked smirk spread on his face. “Now, if they had it coming, that would be a different story.”
“When did they start showing up?” Colin asked, taking out his cell phone.
“A week ago.” Greyson scrubbed his hands down his face several times before rising to his feet. “Some shit is going down and I refuse to let my club fall for it.” His gaze met mine. “Do you remember a Sherry Canon?”
I shook my head.
“She’s Devin’s cousin. Apparently she’s Ex’s Old Lady.”
“Seriously?” Parker asked.
The VP to Hell’s Harlem, Ex, went through women like a tornado. Shock tore through me over Devin having family. “I had no idea that he had any family. He always went on about how alone he was.”
Greyson scoffed. “Yeah. Okay. God, for you to have been his wife and not know anything…damn, he’s good.”
I looked away when Parker stiffened beside me. The whole Devin and I being married a lifetime ago thing still didn’t sit well with him. Since I kept it from Parker in the beginning, it was a touchy subject. It probably always would be.
“Tell us what you know,” Parker demanded, releasing me.
My chest ached at the loss of his touch, a cold draft washing over my skin. I knew it wasn’t his fault but the idea of me being with another man, even though it was long ago, made the possessive animal inside of him rear its ugly head.
“I know that the guys aren’t trusting Ex. A shit storm is brewing and I’m going to get the brunt of it.” Greyson leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head. “We could get Keely to talk to Sherry.”