Riley glanced at her. “How about this? What if we stop the first chance we get and park wherever you want?”
In this weather, the killer would think that was what they would do. Second-guessing herself sucked. “I say Mountain Mesa or bust.”
Riley dropped back his head and laughed. “I like your spirit, sugar.”
His compliment infused her spirit with hope.
* * * *
Dinner in Mountain Mesa had been wonderful. Who would have thought the small Italian restaurant with the tacky red-striped awning, fake grape leaves, and Chianti bottle candles for décor would have such fantastic food?
She and Riley practically had the entire restaurant to themselves. The owner had come over and chatted with them. He, too, had served in Iraq. Riley was great about asking the owner questions, but when it was his turn to share a story, his comments came out abbreviated and lacked detail. Riley wasn’t into bragging, and he seemed to go out of his way to avoid discussing his involvement in any enemy confrontations. She couldn’t imagine what the kind of killing he’d been instructed to do would do to a person. From the way he fiddled with the silverware then scrunched up the napkin, being reminded of the war wasn’t pleasant.
As they were finishing, two men dragged in. They stomped their boots on the mat as they scanned the area. One was African American, the other Caucasian. She stared at the second man’s face, trying to decide if this was the man who’d killed Culver.
Riley grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Sugar?”
She turned back to him. “I don’t know.”
The owner came out from the back and seated the two men. From the speed with which Riley waved for their check, he, too, must have thought these two could be tailing them.
Before Riley had brought her to the restaurant, he’d found them a place for the night. The first bed-and-breakfast they’d tried had been full, as had been the next two hotels. The clerks explained that with the storm, many travelers decided to spend the night instead of continuing on to their destination. Apparently, they got the last room, and it only had one queen-size bed, but it was a lot better than sleeping in the car.
As they exited, Riley held her hand, and she had to hustle to keep up with him. As they rushed toward his truck, she checked out each vehicle along the main drag but didn’t spot a blue sedan. Perhaps they’d parked in a different area, too.
Her nerves were taut by the time they entered the hotel. Riley placed their suitcases next to the bed and faced her. “Relax, sugar. You’re safe now.”
She studied the flimsy chain and didn’t like the security in this place. Riley had paid cash and signed them in as Mr. and Mrs. Samson. “I bet it would be easy for those men to extract information from the clerk. All they’d have to ask is if he’d seen an incredibly handsome, fit man with a dumpy woman with frizzy hair and glasses?”
Riley encompassed her in his arms. “Sugar, if the drug guy gives that description, then we are totally safe.”
Her mother was right. Putting herself down did no one any good, so she forced a smile. “Then can we blockade the door or something?”
He leaned back and tilted her chin up. “Would it make you feel safer?”
“Yes.”
He grinned. “Then the chair it is.”
Unfortunately, the top rail of the chair didn’t reach the handle, so all that piece of furniture did was act as an obstacle. “How about if we put our suitcases on top? That way if they barge in, the suitcases will drop to the floor and make a lot of noise.”
Riley laughed. “If I were the Iraqis, I wouldn’t want you as my enemy. Your booby traps would get them every time.”
He might be making fun of her, but she didn’t care. It made her feel safe, and that was all that mattered.
Riley finished with the noisemaker, and then set his weapon on the nightstand. “I think this might be more effective in stopping them.”
“If they don’t get the drop on you first.”
“Ouch. You must not think much of my prowess.” He dragged his thumb down her cheek, edged closer, and peered into her eyes. Her heart beat hard against her chest. Riley screamed virility and her pussy went wild.
“I do.”
He cocked a brow. “But clearly you doubt me.”
“Then show me I shouldn’t be afraid.” Did I really say that? His eyes had widened, catching her hidden meaning. Making love with Riley meant she’d accepted Gavin’s offer for them to share.
He lifted her glasses off her face, and as he placed them next to his gun on the nightstand, her heart thumped in her chest. Riley was a mysterious man who set off all sorts of sparks in her body. Could it be true that he found her intriguing, sexy, and desirable? From the way his blue eyes had darkened and how his thumb was running over her lips as if he wanted to eat her up, he did. No doubt her ability to judge what a man wanted needed work, but she didn’t believe she’d misread his blatant clues.
His mouth parted. “I want to make you feel safe.”
His gun was doing a good job, but she bet he had other methods she’d love to explore. Being this close to him had her blood zooming, carrying with it adrenaline and hormones. “Safe is good.”
He kissed the tip of her nose and then hovered his lips close to hers. His warm breath, tinged with red wine, mingled with hers. Was he expecting her to kiss him? Was he waiting for her to give him permission?
Nah. Men like Riley Landon didn’t need permission from anyone. He was the type to take what he needed. Grr. She loved a man like that.
He pressed on her shoulders and her butt hit the bed. Oh, my God. He really did want to make love with her. He leaned her onto her back then straddled her. From the way his thighs brushed her hips and how the bulge in his pants came close to her pussy, there were bolts of electricity sizzling up her body. His power and aggression altered her insides, lodging her breath in her throat.
“Before we begin, you need to know that I like control.”
She had to swallow hard in order to speak. “You also like order.” His clothes and obsession with neatness implied that.
“True, but unlike Gavin, I like control in every aspect of my life. Gavin pretends to be a Dom, but he’s not really one.”
Now the man was talking nonsense. “What does Gavin have to do with this?”
“I’m a Dom. Always have been, always will be.”
“So is Gavin.”
“No, little one. He has no clue how to treat a woman well.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Yes, he does.” She lifted her chin and cocked a brow to defend the man who made love better than anyone she’d ever known. “How do you know?” She held her breath, waiting for him to say he liked to share.
“Questioning me isn’t a good way to start out our relationship. But you’re inexperienced so I’ll answer you this time. Gavin and I like to share.”
Aha. He fell into her trap, and her pulse soared. “Sharing is good.” It was hard to keep her voice under control.
He smiled. “Have you ever been with two men at once?”
Only in my dreams. “No.”
“Does it turn you on?” He moved to the side, scooped her into his arms, and placed her in the center of the bed.
He then returned to his position of kneeling over her like he was a king and she his subject. Brooke couldn’t decide if she wanted to tell him the truth. Giving a man the upper hand might backfire, but she believed in equality. “Maybe.”
“Your answer implies you’re cautious. That’s good. What isn’t good is that your reaction must be based on some event. I’m guessing that at one time a man didn’t treat you with the respect you deserve. Am I right?”
Her lip trembled. How could he see into her soul like that? “Yes.”
“I plan on changing that, and making you erase him from your mind for good.”
“Gavin treated me well.” She didn’t want him to think all of her experiences had been bad.
Riley lowered his hips but sat on his heels i
nstead of putting his weight on her legs. “I’m glad to hear it. Is your pussy wet yet?”
Her mouth gaped open. “What kind of question is that?” She’d never known a man so bold. Okay, Gavin might have been, but Riley seemed more intense.
You like it.
“I want to know if talking about being my submissive excites you.”
She’d spent her life reading romance novels, especially the more explicit ones where the man took charge. It was time for honesty. “Yes.”
“Good.” He smiled then moved to the end of the bed and unlaced her clunky shoes.
Instead of dropping them on the floor, he jumped off the bed and placed them next to the desk. Next, he stripped off her socks, folded them and stuffed them in her shoes. She wasn’t sure she could handle his obsessive behavior. Once he learned she was anything but neat, he’d lose interest.
Riley sat down on the end of the bed and lifted her feet onto his lap. “They’re cold.”
He grabbed one foot and massaged the instep with his strong thumbs. She groaned and once more he smiled. His perfect teeth, strong brow line, and wide-set eyes made her swoon.
Don’t judge a man by his looks. You hate it when a man judges you by your looks. She couldn’t help herself. She loved the way his brow arched when he questioned her and how his lips curled at the end when he found something amusing.
She was in heaven. “Don’t ever stop.”
“I’m betting at some point you’ll be begging me to have my hands work the rest of your body.”
True. The man did have magic fingers. He pressed and rubbed, pulling gently on each toe. It wasn’t long before the warmth from his hands rippled up her leg.
She fanned herself. “It’s getting hot in here.”
He cocked a brow. “Is that your subtle way to ask me to get you naked?”
Why did he jump to such conclusions? It didn’t matter if what he said was true. “Maybe.”
“If you can’t tell me your innermost wishes, it means you don’t trust me.” He leaned over and pressed his lips to her ear. “I want to change your mind.”
His words melted her, sending spikes of anticipation straight to her heart. Both he and Gavin were gentleman—okay, Gavin more so than Riley, and each were heroes. She trusted Gavin and she now trusted Riley.
Admit it. He makes you yearn for his touch. You want him.
Before she totally gave herself to him, Brooke needed the answer to one more question. “Why me?”
His fingers stopped moving. “It should be obvious. You’re smart, talented, kind, beautiful, and sensual. I love your vulnerability and your willingness to take a chance.”
Her heart nearly stopped. Other than Gavin, no one had ever taken the time to find out who the geeky girl was behind the glasses. “Oh.”
Whose fault is that? Was I bad at picking men or did I keep them at bay?
She wanted to put blame on the men, but in truth, she sucked at opening up and letting a man into her heart for fear he’d leave her. Gavin had snuck in and so had Riley.
He slid up next to her. “Brooke, I want to show you that I can love every inch of your body.” His eyelids lowered. “I’ve never met anyone quite like you.”
Her mind fuzzed, but her pussy sure liked his wonderful words. It felt like she been transported to some other planet where the men were gods and she was a fairy princess. “Okay.”
He ran a hand over her breasts and her insides sizzled. “There are a few rules.”
“Gavin explained everything to me.”
“Did he now?”
“Yes.”
Riley stretched on his side, elbow on the bed, and propped his head up with his hand. “Like what?” He lifted a strand of hair and twirled it with his finger. As he ran his thumb across the ends, the tension in his face disappeared.
She inhaled. “I’m supposed to keep my gaze downward at all times. I can’t move. I can’t touch, which is a subset of the last rule, but Gavin didn’t seem to know that.”
Riley laughed. “This is wonderful. Go on.” He moved his hand to her breast.
There was more, only with the way he was rubbing her tit, he mind wouldn’t focus. “Oh, yeah. I have a safe word.”
“What would that be, sugar?”
“Computer.”
He lifted his gaze to her eyes. “I like it.”
She looked up at him then realized she was supposed to keep her gaze downward. “I’m glad.”
“But he should have suggested levels of acceptance.”
“What are those?”
“If you want either me or Gavin to stop what we’re doing, you’d say computer, but how about if what we’re doing makes you uncomfortable? Then what?”
She remembered this time to look down. “I don’t know.”
“It’s extremely important for you to tell us.” He blew out an audible breath as if frustrated. “It would have been easier if Gavin had used the conventional red for stop, yellow for slow, and green for go.”
Now she understood. “I get it. With just one word I can convey how much I like what you’re doing, which in turn enables you to increase or decrease that activity to keep me happy.”
He chuckled. “I love that you have such a quick mind. With the word computer, it’s a little harder.”
One-word requests seemed the best. “I’ll say uncomfortable and comfortable for yellow and green.” She glanced up and grinned.
“You are amazing, sugar.”
Who was this man? Riley came off as Mr. Tough Guy, not someone who would be gentle, but now she could tell his machismo was his protective shield. She of all people understood about that. Even though he was trained to kill, she knew without a doubt he’d never harm her. He exuded this aura of protectiveness that thrilled her.
He lowered his hand to her belly. “Let me tell you some of my rules that might differ from Gavin’s.”
Would he play with her pussy next? “Yes, Master.”
“Let me decide how much you can handle. I want to ease you into this relationship. It will help build trust. So if I ask you do to something, you’ll do it. No questions asked. I’ll try not to make you do anything I believe will make you uncomfortable, but you always have your safe words.”
With Gavin, it didn’t seem to matter what they did, she’d never experienced any unease. “Thank you, Master. That’s very kind of you. I’ll try to remember.”
He lifted her chin. “Look at me.” She glanced up. His jaw was tight. “You’ll do more than try. I don’t like hurting a woman in any way, but I will spank you if you disobey. Before we continue, I want you to know that if you do what I say, the reward will be something you’ve only read about.”
She swallowed. Overwhelmed didn’t come close to describing her emotions. Her father always called her the risk taker. Maybe he was right. “I want to try.”
His grin was her reward. “Then let’s begin.”
Chapter Twelve
Riley was blown away by her willingness to give him a shot at pleasing her. She was everything he wanted in a woman—soft, adorable, vulnerable, and willing. If he messed this up, he’d never forgive himself. Gavin had tied her up, but he believed his roommate had acted hastily. For a woman as seemingly inexperienced with lovemaking as Brooke, tying her up the first time was too much and too fast. She needed to be cherished first, shown what loving was all about. He wanted to explore her emotions, draw out her hidden lust, and show her how amazing they could be together.
Once more he straddled her and unbuttoned her jeans. With a quick tug, he lowered them over her hips. “Red lace panties? Were you hoping for some loving, my dear?” His pulse soared. Maybe he’d misjudged her. She was a little vixen.
She laughed. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
Her humor was something else that turned him on. He wanted a woman to challenge him, but in subtle ways. He slipped to her ankles and slid her pants off. These he folded and placed on the desk.
“It’s okay if you drop them on the f
loor.”
As soon as she told him what to do, she clamped her mouth shut. Too late. If he wanted to have the perfect relationship with her, he needed to discipline her. He strode back to the bed, rolled her over, and spanked her ass lightly three times. He swore the pain pierced his heart even though he knew the moment the slight ache turned into lust, she’d be begging for more.
“Ouch.”
He’d barely touched her. “Did that really hurt?” He rolled her back over.
“Permission to speak, Master?”
Damn. Now he’d pissed her off. That hadn’t been his goal. “Yes, my little sub.”
“I don’t think my punishment was warranted.”
It wasn’t a punishment, but he’d discuss the difference between punishment and discipline later. He didn’t want to come across as being unreasonable. “How so?”
“I made the suggestion only because I didn’t want you to have to do more work than necessary. In the heat of the moment, you might not want to take the time to fold my clothes, and you shouldn’t have to.” Her bottom lip protruded slightly. “I was merely offering a suggestion, not giving a command.”
He swallowed his smile. “Point taken.” He’d have to remember her strong will. “Then I apologize, but I did not punish you. I was disciplining you.” Punishing her went against his style, but pleasing her meant the world to him. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t respond, which suited him fine. “Are you ready to begin with your training?”
Her eyes turned brighter. “Yes.” God help him.
Riley was pleased she hadn’t said maybe. His cock was already hurting, bursting to get out of his jeans. He wanted to get naked, but he also wanted to show Brooke that she came first. “Sit up, sugar, so I can take off your top.”
Like a good submissive, she pushed up and dropped her gaze. He wanted to nibble on her bottom lip and kiss her silly, but unless she was naked, he couldn’t begin his loving ways. Dressed, she tested his control. Naked, and he’d have to slip into an altered state to keep from fucking her before she was ready.
Monroe, Melody Snow - Bodyguards of Pleasure [Pleasure, Montana 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 12