Going Wild: Wolves on the Prowl: The Complete Collection

by Michele Bardsley

  That surprised her. “You do?”

  “You’re nice. And… you know.”

  She waited for him to continue, but he kept blinking at her, and she realized he was done speaking. She smiled. “I’ll be fine. Promise.”

  He nodded, plopped his glasses back on, and turned toward his locker.

  Sighing, Roni left the back room and headed toward the front glass doors. She waved good-bye to her replacement, Ann, and then tucked her head down into the upturned collar of her threadbare coat.

  She walked briskly down the street. Most of the action was on the other side, where the pawnshop, adult bookstore, and auto repair business (AKA chop shop) were located. Five minutes later, she entered the rusted gates of The Golden Cloverleaf Apartments. Long ago, this part of town belonged to the wealthy. The place used to be one of those glorious mansions with landscaped gardens, marble statues, and in the back, an actual hedge maze. It had all gone to rot and ruin, but Roni liked to imagine it as it once was.

  Now the manse was sixteen rundown apartments, ten upstairs and six down.

  She lived on the bottom floor, in the back behind the grand staircase. At 3 a.m., it was quiet. She liked the night, the stillness of it. The darkness didn’t bother her. She’d faced a real monster, and survived. Very little scared her anymore.

  “Roni.” Mac Braden sat on the bottom stair, rising when he saw her enter the lobby. “How you doin’, doll?”

  “Fine.” She fished inside her purse and pulled out a Snickers. “For you.”

  He grinned as he shyly accepted the oversized candy bar. “You don’t gotta bring me treats, ya know.”

  Mac was in his forties, a recovering alcoholic. Giving up booze had left him with a major sweet tooth. Sugar was sugar, whether it was found in a pint of vodka or in a king-sized Snickers. He was a couple inches shorter than her, but lean and hard-muscled. His short blonde hair was speckled with silver. He had blue eyes with a little too much world-weariness in them, but it never overshadowed his kindness. He knew her schedule better than she did, and for some reason, he’d taken to watching for her to come home after shift. He didn’t look like he ever got any sunshine, either. In fact, she couldn’t recall ever seeing him outdoors in the daytime.

  Then again, she had a night-owl lifestyle herself. It wasn’t like she ventured outdoors all that often during daylight hours, either.

  “You don’t have to wait for me,” she insisted.

  “How else am I supposed to get my fix?” he teased.

  She smiled. It was nice that someone cared about her wellbeing, even if he only did it for the candy. “Good night, Mac.”

  “G’night.” He tipped an imaginary hat, and ambled toward the back double doors. He liked to eat his Snickers on the porch, staring out into the ruined gardens, but since she liked to go out there and daydream herself, she couldn’t fault him.

  Roni went inside her apartment, locked the door behind her, tossed off her shoes, shed her coat, and dropped her purse. Her foyer light had burned out a few nights ago and she kept forgetting to change the bulb.

  She shuffled into her bedroom already yanking her work shirt out from her black pants. All she wanted was a shower, a glass of wine, and some deep, dreamless sleep.

  The next thing she knew, she’d been shoved against the wall. The right side of her face pressed against the smooth surface.

  Her heart stuttered then started pounding fiercely.

  The intruder held her wrists behind her back with one strong hand. The other hand grasped her shoulder.

  Icy fear balled in her stomach. Oh, God. Had she just been thinking about how nothing scared her?

  Her throat knotted and her mouth went dry.

  “Y-you can have my purse,” she said. “Take anything in the house. It’s yours.”

  “Anything?” His breath ghosted over her cheek.

  She didn’t have much of value: a TV with a built-in DVD player, a jar full of change, and a silver jewelry box inherited from her great-grandmother.

  “Yes,” she said hoarsely. “Anything.”

  “I want you.”

  Tears fell. Graham had always taken what he wanted. She hadn’t been allowed to say no. Not ever. So, whatever this man did tonight had been done before. But it didn’t mean he wouldn’t hurt her, or make her feel all those terrible things she’d felt before. How much could the spirit take before it broke?

  “Just get it over with,” she whispered.

  The hand on her neck drifted up to wipe the tears from her cheek.

  “I’ve been watching you,” he said. “Waiting for you. Sweet Roni. I know those thoughts you tuck away. The dark dreams you’re afraid to reveal because of him. He was a bastard. He wanted your devotion. He wanted to possess you. You thought he would give you what you needed -- but he never gave, did he? He just took.”

  “Stop,” she said. “Just… stop.”

  He was scaring her in an entirely different way now. An intruder who wanted her money or her physical submission was one thing. A man who plucked out her fears and needs from her own mind was something else.

  He let go of her wrists then raised her arms above her head. He flattened her hands on the wall. He pushed fully against her, his arousal rubbing against her ass.

  She sucked in a breath.

  “Keep your hands on the wall,” he commanded. “Nod if you understand.”

  She nodded. Her heart tripled its beat as the man slowly raised her shirt.

  His lips traced the curve of her spine. When he reached the top band of her bra, he slid back down, his tongue flickering along her skin.

  “You’re a very good girl, Roni.” He pressed against her again, his fingers sliding over her hips. “You are so luscious. So beautiful. Do you believe that?”

  “No,” she admitted.

  “I’m proud of you for being honest,” he said, approval ripe in his tone. “But I’m disappointed in your answer.”

  Her stomach squeezed. She swallowed the “I’m sorry,” because she wouldn’t apologize. The situation had turned into something surreal. She wondered if perhaps she had fallen asleep, and this was a dream.

  “Will you accept a gift?”

  “Do I have a choice?” she asked bitterly. What would this gift be? His cock ramming into her? She squeezed her eyes shut against another barrage of tears.

  “You always have a choice, Roni.”

  She shouldn’t even feel curiosity. She should be trying to think of a way to get free. How could she make him leave without hurting her or taking what little possessions she had? Her treacherous body was reacting to his male strength, to the command in his tone, and to the gentleness of his hands. “I a-accept.”

  He wound something thin and soft around her neck. “Until tomorrow night,” he said. “Sweet dreams.”

  Then he was gone.

  For a long moment Roni sucked in steadying breaths, then with her legs quivering, she turned around and faced her empty, dark bedroom.

  * * *

  “THAT’S NICE,” SAID Ann as she scooted Roni’s few items over the scanner. She gave her a considering look. “That shade of blue matches your eyes. What’s the silver charm in the middle?”

  “A crescent moon sorta hugging a spiked sun,” said Roni. She fingered the band she hadn’t taken off. It was stupid to wear it. Stupid to flaunt it.

  I’ve been watching you.

  He still was, she was sure. Her neck prickled. Maybe he was watching her now.

  “Know who was in here earlier? Your boyfriend.”

  Roni’s gaze jerked to Ann’s smirking expression. “What?”

  “You know,” she said, “Mr. Chips ‘n Dip. Always buys one bag of regular ol’ chips and one container of sour cream and chives.”

  She knew immediately who Ann was talking about; the man bought the same thing every night. He was tall, always dressed in dark clothes, and had a shaved head. And eyes that reminded her of Arctic ice. “I don’t know him outside of this place.”

 
; “Maybe you should,” said Ann, “‘cause he’s always staring at you. He’s not bad looking, neither.”

  He never said much, and she’d never noticed any looks or felt any attraction vibes. She figured he worked or lived around the area, but hadn’t thought of him as dating material. Then again, she didn’t date.

  Her thoughts drifted back to the man who’d broken into her apartment.

  He hadn’t done anything to her. Hadn’t taken from her. And that choice he’d given her? It wasn’t that she couldn’t make her own decisions. Hell, she’d been doing that for the last year. Getting a say-so within a relationship was the true novelty.

  Not that she considered herself in a relationship.

  This was a game.

  After he’d left, she’d turned on all the lights and sat on the couch, staring at the TV until the sun rose. Only then had she fallen asleep. When she awoke, she went through the routine of her day, constantly touching the band of blue leather around her neck with its odd little charm.

  She thought about the men she knew, and couldn’t think of a single one bold enough to play with her. List A was short: Johnny, Mac, and Arctic Eyes. List B was filled with unknowns. Maybe he was a guy who worked across the street or lived in her apartment complex, or came into the store during her shift. Or he knew me before…

  Old memories surfaced. There’d been a club in the city, The D-Zone. As part of her twenty-ninth birthday celebration, she and her friends had visited, wandering down halls and watching people play their games. The rest of the girls wanted to feel like they were being brazen and naughty.

  But she had found the answer to her own inexplicable cravings. The first time she’d seen a submissive get a spanking from her master, she’d creamed her panties. She wanted someone to dominate her. She returned to the club, and started sub classes, and then… Graham.

  He dominated her, all right. For almost three years he’d dominated her, but Mystery Man had been correct. Graham required her absolute devotion, but he didn’t deserve it. He’d been so proud of her bruises and welts. The way he made her dress. The chain he put around her neck or waist. She never felt cherished, though. Or safe.

  Then he nearly beat her to death.

  She’d screamed her safe word over and over, like a mantra, but he’d lost control. She realized, later, he never had control. She hadn’t known that he’d been banned from several BDSM clubs; that while she was in the hospital recovering, he’d gone back to The D-zone, and during a play nearly suffocated a submissive. He’d gotten his ass thrown out. She left him, moved away, and pretended not to have those cravings anymore.

  Last night, she’d been re-awakened. Could this man be the one she’d been looking for? Did she know him? He must surely know her. And he knew her true nature.

  Who was he?

  Once again, she touched the leather band. Graham had never given her a blue collar. Never signaled to others his commitment to her. He hadn’t understood the concept of loyalty.

  “Roni?”

  She blinked at Ann, who was looking at her with raised eyebrows. “Huh?”

  “I said you owe twenty-two fifty-one,” Ann said, tapping the screen. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” she said, handing over her debit card. “I’m fine.”

  * * *

  HER HEART HAMMERED in her chest as she opened the door to her apartment. She flicked on the foyer light before remembering she hadn’t yet changed the bulb. In the darkness, she stood there, afraid to move forward, afraid to go back. And that was the hell of her life, summed up.

  Inhaling deeply, she walked into the kitchen and turned on the light. She unloaded the groceries and thought about Mystery Man. Would he return? Was he real? Or was he a figment of her sex-starved imagination?

  Imaginary almost lovers didn’t give presents.

  She wandered the living room, thinking about what to do. Go about her routine? Or prepare for him? She’d feel like a fool if she waited for him and he didn’t show. She wanted what she’d been denied. She thought about what he might do, and she got very, very wet.

  Roni entered her bedroom and went into the bathroom. She took a shower, and then dried off. She rubbed herself with scented lotion and spritzed with the matching bath spray. She brushed her long blonde hair until it shone. Then, wearing nothing but the blue collar, she went into the bedroom, and sat on the floor, in the first submissive posture she’d been taught.

  She folded her legs, her ass resting on her heels, her hands on her thighs, and her gaze on the floor.

  She wanted to please him.

  You’re sick, Roni. You need help.

  Advice echoed from concerned friends, the ones who’d dragged her to The D-Zone. They didn’t understand. They didn’t feel lacking. They didn’t need to be fulfilled.

  “Sweet Roni.”

  Her heart turned over in her chest.

  How had he gotten inside? She hadn’t heard a sound, and yet, he was here, circling her. She kept her gaze on the worn carpet. Her whole body trembled in expectation, or was that fear?

  What am I doing?

  Roni had left on the little lamp on the nightstand, but the room was filled with shadows. And so was she.

  “You understand what we’re doing, don’t you?”

  She nodded.

  “If you want to stop, say ‘jasmine.’”

  A safe word. Relief swept through her, and then, trepidation. How could she trust him, a stranger, when she hadn’t been able to trust Graham, a man who claimed to love her?

  “Are you scared, Roni?”

  “Yes.”

  “If you want, I’ll go.” He stroked her hair.

  She’d read a quote once about how you couldn’t cross a chasm with two great leaps. Either you jumped and made it across, or you tumbled into the darkness. She was willing to risk the fall.

  “Stay,” she said.

  He said nothing for a moment, just kept stroking her hair. The light touch felt good. Where else would he touch her? And how?

  “You’ve pleased me,” he said. “You deserve a reward.”

  Excitement quivered in her belly.

  “Close your eyes.”

  She did. Then she felt him squat next to her. One finger trailed her cheek. “Have you not remembered your manners?”

  The censure in his tone made her flinch. She swallowed the knot in her throat then she licked her lips. “Thank you, Master.”

  He drew back the curtain of her hair and kissed her throat. “Stand up.”

  She rose to her feet. The game had begun, and she had every intention of playing it to the end. He grasped her hand and pulled her forward. Then he turned her, and she realized her bed was now behind her. Anticipation sparked. Her pussy was already wet for him.

  “Roni’s choice,” he said. “What do you want for your reward? A kiss here --” He put a finger against her mouth. “-- or here?” The finger swept down her body to her clit.

  “I want…” She hesitated, and then thought: What the hell. “Both. I want both.”

  He chuckled. “Clever girl. Then both you shall have.”

  She wanted to look, but if she even slitted her eyes, he’d know, and he’d punish her. She very much wanted those kisses, and she would be obedient to get them. Maybe later she’d test her Master’s resolve.

  He knelt at her feet.

  “You have a luscious cunt.” He peeled back her labia and she knew he was studying the glistening pink of her pussy.

  He leaned forward and breathed her in, then tenderly kissed her lips.

  “M-master?”

  “You may enjoy this,” he said, anticipating her question, her needs.

  Roni quivered. How could he know me so well?

  His slid his tongue over her flesh, gently lapping the evidence of her desire. He took his time, went exquisitely slow. She knew he was learning what she liked, what excited her. He rapidly flicked his tongue over her clit, and then suckled it. Pleasure wound through her, made her skin tingle, made her nipple
s harden. It had been so long since a man touched her, and much longer, if ever, that one had cherished her.

  She moaned.

  His fingers dug into her hips as he focused fully on pleasuring her. When she succumbed to the incredible orgasm, her body went still, and he pressed his face to her cunt, allowing her pulsations to suck at his tongue.

  Her thighs trembled as he spent delicious seconds licking her come. Her knees felt as though they might crumple, but she kept control of her body. He might be disappointed if she gave in to such weakness.

  Then finally, he rose to his feet. “You did well, Roni.”

  He cupped her face, and kissed her. Fully. Deeply. She tasted her own essence on the sweep of his tongue. She wanted to touch him, to hold him, but she wanted so much more to please him. He could chase her shadows away.

  He pulled back. “How did he make you feel?”

  The question startled her. It also confirmed that he’d known her during her time at the D-Zone. Or maybe he’d been a friend of Graham’s? She hadn’t been allowed to have friends, but he often expected her to cater to his.

  She struggled to think of an appropriate response. Graham had been a mathematics professor, and liked to taunt her with complicated equations. Sometimes his games included figuring out those equations, and she nearly always failed to do so. Her punishments had been harsh.

  “Less than,” she said finally. “He made me feel less than.”

  “You deserve better, Roni. You must believe that.”

  “I do,” she said.

  He kissed her softly. “Go to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

  She nodded, but misery darted through her. She felt his thumb brush over her cheekbone. “What is it?”

  “I don’t want to disappoint you,” she said. She gulped and added, “Master.”

  “Then tell me what’s wrong.”

  She found herself hesitating again. She wanted to do what he told her, but she didn’t want him to leave. If she expressed her wishes, would he go? Or stay?

  Tears squeezed out from under her eyelids.