“Close your eyes and don’t open them.” The quiet command stole her freewill. Somewhere deep inside her brain, a switch flipped, alerting every cell in her body. And every bit of awareness pointed at Ryan. She did as instructed and the world went dark.
“Don’t move.” The low volume did nothing to distract from authority ringing with strength and the knowledge that his every command would be followed to the letter.
It might not have been the first time in her life she’d been told what to do, but it was the first time she held her breath, eager for the next direction.
His hands released hers, the grass rustled, and that magnetic awareness shifted to her front.
“Something’s nagging me and I’m afraid there’s only one way to answer it.”
A caress so light, she couldn’t be sure it was real, brushed across her nipple and traced up her chest to her neck. It continued up, slid over the tip of her chin, and stopped on her mouth. “I remember the way you trembled beneath my kiss the other day. I tell myself again and again you couldn’t have been that sweet but my body refuses to listen.”
The fingertip left in a light tap. Without sight, she felt naked before him. She missed his touch, craved it. Then he brushed his mouth over hers in a careful tiptoe of a kiss. Helpless, she opened, incapable of denying him. Between his teeth, he tugged her bottom lip, sucked, and released it with a soft pop.
She raised her arms to find his shoulders or something, anything to hold onto in the darkness.
“No. Put them by your sides. Do not move.” She was lost.
And he descended on her in a hard, wild kiss. His mouth became her only anchor to reality. Stealing her breath, sucking any last fragment of certainty she might have had, his lips and tongue ravaged hers. Who would have known that such soft body parts could be so lethal?
He pulled away leaving her gasping. Reeling, her eyes popped open. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to follow him. After a few steps he stopped and stared at the trail ahead. The muscles in his back heaved with each labored breath. Then without facing her he tugged her to follow him at a slower, gentler pace.
* * * *
She found Ryan in the kitchen getting food out of the refrigerator. There weren’t many men who could make a plain black T-shirt drool-worthy but he made her fight the urge to wipe her mouth as he juggled dinner ingredients in one arm and stretched the other out to grab a plate from an upper cabinet.
“Hey there, gorgeous. I’ll have dinner ready in about forty-five minutes. How are you feeling?”
“The nap and shower did wonders. Other than a little soreness in my side I feel great. Any word on progress from Parker?” In one of the grocery bags she’d found an assortment of cute button-up tank tops. Cotton and stretchy, they’d be easy to manage with the wound on her side. She had her underthings from Crave and found knit yoga pants in another bag. She felt more like herself than she had in two days.
“Unfortunately, not yet. They found a couple of shell casings from a rifle on the roof of the hospital. According to Parker, leaving it behind was a pretty stupid move, but without an actual weapon to match it to, it’s worthless for the moment. I can guarantee you that he’s digging hard. Parker is relentless every day on the job, but he’s been even more so on this case.”
At a loss over what to do next, she sat at the counter and watched him cut vegetables. “So Parker’s the best? You trust him to have your back?”
“Always. In college we met at a fraternity party and became close quickly. We went through the darkest and the best of times together. We saw each other through some serious shit in those wild and crazy years. We were stupid kids then, but he’s the only person I know who I’d trust my life with now. I trust him with yours.” A dark undertone tainted the picture he’d painted of their friendship. Not quite understanding it, she chose to focus on the lighter side.
“Wild and crazy, huh? I bet you two drew the ladies like bees to honey.” She watched a lopsided grin jump onto his face as he probably remembered some wild exploit.
“Yeah, we went through the girls like candy on Halloween and there wasn’t anything we wouldn’t try. Nothing was too kinky or taboo.”
“Really? And?” Curiosity ate her alive.
“And eventually we got a clue and grew up. Finally we learned the most important lesson.” Despite her lighthearted teasing, he’d grown serious.
“What lesson would that be?”
“Nameless faces, no matter how sexy or willing, will never give you the same pleasure that finding a single perfect one will.” The look smoldering in his eyes could start a forest fire. She felt its warmth spread deep into her center, melting her. The ease with which he spoke of his desires was both blunt and refreshing. A total one-eighty from her prior experiences, it left her off balance.
“Come on and let’s eat outside. It’s a beautiful evening.” Speechless she watched him gather the prepped food and head out back to the grill.
She followed him and sat in the chair he indicated with the thrust of an elbow. “Have a seat.” He appeared to have dinner under control as he sat platters of meat and vegetables beside the grill. Her stomach rumbled. Loudly.
“Hungry?”
“I think it’s the smell of the grill and the sight of all those vegetables. I’ve been living out of microwaves and fast food for too long. No one’s grilled for me since before my brother left to go overseas.”
“Do you enjoy all that crap food?” The look he gave her told her all she needed to know about his opinion on the subject.
“No. After work, I’m tired. All I want is to shower and put my feet up with a good book. If I don’t make the time to pack a lunch, I have to eat at the cafeteria. There’s only so much hospital food a person can take.”
“You spend your life taking care of everyone else but you don’t take care of yourself. You need someone to do it for you.” Where did an author get the same tone she used on patients who ignored their health problems, hoping they’d just dry up and go away? “When was the last time someone took care of your needs?” Low in volume and tone, his voice made her think he meant needs other than dietary. He handed her a plate loaded with grilled chicken and vegetables. Exactly what she needed and she couldn’t shake the feeling he knew it.
She couldn’t make herself tell him that no one had in a very long time, if ever. Though he didn’t force the issue, those dark chocolate eyes told her he got the picture.
The sun set behind the mountains in a flamboyant display of violet, orange, and pink while they ate in a peaceful silence.
After dessert they reclined in lounge chairs on the back deck sipping wine and watching the stars appear. He’d shown her more pictures of evidence Parker had collected and discussed the case and its beginnings. Even with the patch of gauze pulling at her ribs serving as a reminder, it was hard to believe.
“Well, if you ever get tired of writing erotica, you could turn this into a suspense novel. All you’d have to do is change a few names and it would make a great thriller. Better yet, combine the two and turn it into an erotic thriller for the big screen. It would be a huge hit.”
“It would also be a challenge to find a suitable actress for the author’s love interest if we wanted it to be a truly erotic tale. He has complex tastes and wouldn’t be interested in just any pretty face. She’d have to be someone truly special to attract him so.” The way he looked at her when he talked about his fictional leading lady made it very clear that in his eyes the leading lady could be sitting directly in front of him.
Instead of merely looking in her direction as they talked, she imagined he looked deep inside her, reading her most intimate fantasies. Desire warmed her body as it grew increasingly impatient, leaving her damp, hollowed, and hungry.
“So how exactly did you go from teaching English to writing?” She made a weak attempt at changing the subject.
“Honestly? The first one was an attempt to explain my desires to my fiancée then. I tried again and again to
explain my needs to Lisa and I never pushed anything on her. She feared bondage and I was sure that I could find a way to explain what it meant to me if I put it into story form. The short story took on so much more importance to me as the characters developed. I poured my heart into that book for her.”
“Did she like it? Did it work?” As a reader who lived for happily ever afters, she couldn’t imagine anyone not loving the books. They were some of the best she’d ever read.
“She never got past reading the second page. She said I was sick and obsessed with dark needs. She demanded I get psychiatric help.” He turned his attention from her and looked away into the distance as he spoke. “We parted ways and instead of getting help, I found myself writing more books.” His hands clenched into tight fists and the muscles in his forearms tensed, highlighting a thick vein running up its length.
“I don’t understand. If she cared, why couldn’t she try it at least one time? There’s nothing wrong with a little experimentation.”
“She didn’t trust me. I tend to be a very dominant lover and she wouldn’t accept that or the bondage. In the end, I guess we weren’t compatible.” He continued to watch the distant mountains as he talked about his ex. Then he turned his head to look her directly in the eye.
“Have you ever tried it? Have you ever known someone you could trust enough to allow them the honor of binding you? Have ever known someone you could trust enough to uncover and fulfill your every desire? Have you ever trusted enough to relinquish every ounce of control you have?” A dark cast clouded his features, making her wonder exactly how ugly the breakup had been. Lisa must have done a number on his heart.
She aimed for a nonchalant reply, but only a faint whisper escaped. “No, I don’t think I have.”
“Would you trust me with your body?”
Her insides trembled with arousal at his words. She never truly considered trying bondage in real life. Yes, she read about it and had even fantasized a little, but for real? With Ryan? Could she trust him? By the look in his eyes she had a feeling the question should be more of a “would” she trust him, not a hypothetical “could.” The intent was written plain as day in his eyes.
At once the quiet scholar disappeared and in his place a man driven by and consumed by those “dark needs” appeared. Heated desire warred with the shadows flickering across his face in the candlelight. He wanted her and he wanted her bound and at his mercy. Now.
It thrilled and scared her. Was she brave enough to let go? Would the experience be everything she dreamed about?
“I’ve never really considered trying it for real. Yes, I’ve read about it, but never thought I would try it. I have such a vanilla life.”
“Do you have a lover?” All she had to do was lie and say yes, she had someone waiting for her and this erotic torment would be over. She could hide from these intense feelings and desires. Dark whispers bid her to let go and reach for what she wanted. Would she ever have an opportunity like this again? Why couldn’t she be the bad girl and act on her desires one time? It was perfectly acceptable for men to be bad boys without shame. Why couldn’t she? Just once? Before she could even finish her thoughts her answer slipped out.
“No, there’s no one.”
“Can you tell me that you will be forever satisfied with vanilla? Or, do you sometimes wish for something more? Tell me honestly, do you think you might like being tied up if the right man pleasured you? Or have you ever dreamed of having two sets of hands on your body at the same time, tempting and pleasing, two cocks inside you, making you cry out for mercy? Have you ever dreamed of having a lover who knew your every need and desire before you gave them voice?” His carnal words and the scandalous images they painted played out before her eyes.
“I don’t know. I’ve never considered it.” She wasn’t able to do much more than whisper.
“When you read the story about Mike and Sophia, what did it make you feel? Did it turn you on when Mike tied her to the bed and pleasured her until she was nearly blind from ecstasy? Did it make you wet and hungry for a man’s touch?”
He sat on the edge of her lounge chair and their thighs touched. A finger found its way to her wrist and softly stroked it.
“Yes,” she confessed to him in the barest of whispers. Was he aware of the spell he cast over her? Why couldn’t she tell him that she’d been so turned on by his written words that she’d read those same pages multiple times.
“Yes, it turned you on a little or yes, those words made you so hot that you craved your own release with a mad desperation?” With the last of the day’s sun absent, the candles and torches provided their only light. The glow flickered golden over the masculine need so evident in his face. His eyes darkened with erotic intent and his lips called to her.
“It turned me on a lot.” If he only knew how much.
“How about we try a little experiment? We can stop anytime and you don’t need a safe word. Let’s play a little and see what happens. Tell me to stop and I will, no questions asked.” He held her wrist and raised it to lie above her head on the back of the lounge chair. Careful of her wound, he gently raised the other arm to meet its partner. He held both securely in one hand. A single finger trailed a line of heat starting at her raised wrists and scorched its way down her forearm, elbow, and shoulder.
Captivated by his eyes, she could do nothing but wait breathlessly as he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on her open lips. He sipped and licked into her mouth, filling her with his taste. A hint of the wine from dinner mixed with his distinctive, heady flavor made her head swim. She’d only sampled it twice before, but knew she would never forget the taste and feel of his mouth on hers. He continued to dine on her mouth as his hand caressed her shoulder and slipped one lazy finger beneath the black spaghetti strap of her tank top.
Aching with a fiery arousal, she knew his intimate exploration was only the beginning. Her breasts grew heavy as his kiss delved deeper and demanded more. Her blood simmered as her sex tightened and grew damp with its own demands. Her mind briefly questioned her sanity but her body poised, ready to jump wherever he led.
He hovered close and breathed words into her. “Will you trust me? Will you give yourself to me for just a few minutes of fantasy?”
Spellbound, she could do no more than nod in assent.
He whispered his next command. “Let go and enjoy. I promise you won’t regret it.”
“Okay.” She was more than likely crazy, but she also knew if she didn’t follow her heart’s desire right at this very moment, she would forever regret her lack of courage.
He pressed a sharp, heated kiss to her mouth and stood. “Don’t move your hands.” The softly spoken command was absolute. Her panties grew drenched with arousal. He unfastened his leather belt and wrapped it around her hands and then around the top slat of the chair. He had her at his mercy.
“Damn, Lacey, you make a pretty picture. Where do I start, love?” One sly finger traced the hem of her top from one hip to the other, gliding over her skin. “It’s still a little warm, don’t you think?” He pulled his shirt over his head and removed his glasses. His shoulders were wide and his belly tight. A faint sprinkling of dark hair dusted his chest and the tanned skin above his jeans. The quiet professor vanished, replaced by a dark seducer.
His fingers returned to her belly and dipped under the waist of her pants. Each sweep of that finger was deceptively lazy, but the set of his jaw and dark glitter in his eyes warned of dark intent. His chest rippled in the shadows and the hunger in his dark eyes flickered even brighter without the glasses.
Leaning down, taking his time, he placed a few velvety kisses just above her belly button, making her breath catch. He dipped his tongue into the little dimple for a taste and raised his fingers to undo the buttons of her top. Every inch of skin bared was punctuated with a lingering kiss. The heat of his breath against her flesh caused a spark of heat to flare low in her belly.
She thought she was going to come undone as he unfastene
d the last button of her little top and spread it open. His hungry gaze fixed on her breasts heaving within the confines of her little red lace bra. His fingers caressed the upper edge of the lace and dipped below to graze her pleading nipple. Desperate to touch him and to thread her fingers through his hair, she ached to put him right where she wanted him. She’d never expected complete helplessness to be a turn-on.
“Ryan, I don’t think I can take much more, please.” She was almost incoherent as he leaned down and took a peaked nipple into the warmth of his mouth, suckling her through the lace.
“Please what, Lacey? Do you want me to stop? How about a drink of wine, love?” Was he crazy? He wanted a drink right now? She watched as he poured a glass and brought it to her mouth. She could do no more than sip as she struggled to breathe through the onslaught of sensations swamping her. “You look hot, flushed, babe, here. Let me cool you down.” He poured a few drops of the wine over the ripe peaks of her straining nipples. The coolness of the wine hitting her heated flesh contrasted with the rasping of the rougher lace sent shivers racing through her. Sensation arced through her every synapse.
He removed her pants and stopped, looking down at the pair of boy short panties that just barely covered her. They were red lace and no more than a couple of inches wide. He ran a hand over his mouth and focused on her pussy.
Involuntarily, she closed her legs when he looked down at her barely hidden sex with a hunger darker than she’d ever dreamed possible. He rubbed one finger over the top of her heated mound in a slow caress.
“Uh-uh, Lacey, open your legs, sweetness. Keep them open.” He leaned down and nipped her clothed breast in reprimand. In a firm grip, he took her ankles and placed them on opposite corners of the lounger chair. “There’s my good girl.” He leaned farther down and licked one hot caress over her lace-covered sex, blazing a trail of sweet torture through her weeping pussy.
Lacey Temptations [Crave 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 6