by Fiona Archer
Harper rose up on her toes as he curled his fingers, rubbing against her inner walls. “I, ahhh,” she broke off as he dragged his fingertips over her sweet spot.
“You what?” The big, evil Aussie taunted her when he could feel and see how his touch ignited her.
“I like that idea,” she moaned.
“So honest. It makes up in some way for your fib earlier.” He withdrew his fingers, moved both hands to cup her bottom, and squeezed the flesh. “But not entirely.”
Her belly dropped. “What...?”
He turned her sideways, pulling the belt taut, and spanked her left butt cheek then her right. She yelped, but he kept going, giving two hard swats to each cheek. The shock of surface pain turned deeper, more heated, sending pleasurable tingles between her legs. Slowly, he turned her back to face him. “There. You’ll remember that burn when you tell me you’re not nervous when you are.” He rubbed the hot skin for added emphasis as his voice dropped low, commanding. “When we’re playing or trying out new things, I need you to be honest with me, Harper. Always.”
She wanted to tell him to shove his honesty up his Vegemite-loving ass, but he was right. The natural instinct to bluff with false boldness was fine at other times. But when she was helpless and things could go wrong… She’d let him down. “I’m sorry, Seth.”
His lips brushed her cheek. “Forgiven, sweetness. This is all new; I understand that, but part of my taking care of you while we play is knowing how you’re feeling every moment.” The back of his fingers caressed her cheek. The sensation of his touch and the warmth of his breath was a heady mix while blindfolded.
His patient tone reminded her he wasn’t angry. This was new. And she wasn’t going to tread outside of the boundaries until she learned her way. Seth would be there, guiding her. She rubbed her cheek against his fingers like a kitten seeking comfort. “I promise I’ll keep any future bluffing to card games.”
His chuckle was a low rumble. “Since you’re hopeless at hiding your reactions that could prove interesting.” He moved his hands from her bottom and face to her waist and spread his fingers wide, pushing the pads into her flesh, giving her a sense of his touch. His possession. “When I touch you, your face and body don’t hide a thing. But sometimes I wonder what’s in your head that makes you hold back that bit you keep in reserve.”
She felt her brows rub against the silk mask as she frowned. “What do you mean?”
He traced the fingers of one hand over her belly to the top of her pussy before dipping lower, gliding them through the wetness surrounding her clit. “You’ve shared about your sister, some about your parents. I know you’re warm, loving, loyal.” She heard the squeak of the chair and then Seth’s voice came from lower in front of her. Sitting. “But after the last two days, I’m wondering what there is to you I don’t know. Your fears. Your hopes. I want to hear them.”
The pad of his thumb skimmed over her clit. Arousal coursed through her. She tugged on her bonds, the futile action pitching her need higher. “Maybe we could, you know, talk about that some other time.” She thrust her pussy against his fingers, silently demanding more.
His laughter taunted her. “But this is so much fun.” The sound of something being dragged over carpet came from her right. “We’ll discuss what you share briefly now and save talking in more depth later. For now, I want the basics.” His hand still on her waist firmed. “Lift your leg. I’ve got you.”
She did his bidding and felt the cushioned top of the stool under her foot. Air flowed over her pussy. Oh, Lordy. She was so…open to him.
“There now.” His big hand with fingers splayed wide rubbed the inside of her raised thigh. “Can’t wait to taste that pussy. But first, I want a secret.”
“A secret?”
“It’s a new game we’re going to play. You tell me a secret, and I let you come.”
Sure, she could do that. “When I was ten I stole my sister’s Barbie and cut off her hair.” She smiled. Too easy.
“Oh, no, Harper. That’s not how this works.” The steely thread in his voice resonated deep into her bones. “I can leave you on the edge for hours if I want. Take this seriously or you pay the price.” He pressed one finger into her with a slow, sensuous slide and then went still.
Her breath hitched. No mistaking that threat. She searched her mind for something that would satisfy Seth. Something meaningful. “I worry sometimes that I’m not as focused on the café as I should be.”
“What are you focused on instead?” He moved his finger, curling ever so softly and stroking her warmth. Hunger churned, growing stronger with each movement deep inside her.
“I, uh,” Focus. He won’t let you come without an answer. “My life outside of work, trying to be everything, have balance, and all that stuff lifestyle gurus advise.”
Seth snorted. “That’s bullshit, Harper. The balance those yoga-pant-wearing, green-juice-drinking wannabees refer to is ever-changing depending on what’s happening at the time. You work as hard as any business owner I know. You take one day off a week, sometimes maybe two, but you work late when you’re at the café.” His other hand ran over her bottom and then up her back to palm her breast. “How many times have I called you at eight in the evening and you’ve been cleaning out the back?” Gently, he massaged her bosom as she felt the still-tender nipples harden.
She moaned, the sound soft and needy. But however much she wanted to lose herself in the sensations, Seth demanded answers.
“I know, and you’re right.” Of course he made sense. But still… “I don’t want to get so focused that I lose out on what matters.” Family. Kids. Like her father had done. “I want to know other things in life count.”
After one last squeeze, he let go of her breast. “Then remember that choices are about more than priorities. They’re about what’s right for you and others at the time. What you can and can’t control. What is and isn’t your fight.”
Again, more wisdom. Hadn’t Jinx said something similar months ago? But she hadn’t been ready to listen. “True.”
A dim buzzing sound was her only warning before Seth removed his finger and slid the vibe into her pussy. She gasped at the intrusion. He twisted, thrust, and rubbed the metal vibe, tormenting the already sensitive nerve endings. Kept on a slow burn for so long, her body ignited under this new sensuous assault. Her inner muscles clenched the hard, pulsing vibe as need rioted through her body.
“Now for your reward.” His thumb dragged a wet, hard path over her clit.
She exploded with her release. Legs shaking, she locked her knees to keep herself upright as her core convulsed into a chain of spasms.
“Ahhh,” she moaned and let her head fall back as the sound of her breathing and the fluttering aftershocks of her orgasm filled her sight-deprived senses.
The vibrations in her pussy stopped, leaving her inner walls tingling. “Beautiful, coffee girl.” Warm hands ran over her body, calming her, reminding her of his nearness. “So we’ve covered your business. This time, I want a fear that’s more personal.”
“I don’t—“ He pinched her clit. Hard. So, so hard. A brilliant kind of pleasure zinged from her clit outwards, robbing her of breath, and destroying her guard. “I distrust men,” she rushed out.
She froze. Oh, no. No, no, no. That wasn’t supposed to come out.
Seth’s hands stilled on her body. Only for a second, but she felt that hesitation.
Shit.
But he gave her leg a squeeze, encouraging her. “Explain that to me.”
She blew out a breath and sorted her words. “In the past, I’ve been,” Used. Cheated on. “hurt and judged for not fitting someone else’s idea of perfection. That’s made me wary.”
“A guy hurt you?” His voice sounded like a growl. So protective.
And that felt…wonderful.
“My ex-fiancé. He was unfaithful. Said it was my fault.” She rolled her head forward as Seth cupped her bottom and massaged with confident, firm squeezes an
d rubs. The closeness of his body comforted her, made her feel safe. “Aiden said if I wanted him, I had to change.”
“How?” There was that growl again, as if the suggestion was preposterous.
“Loose thirty pounds. Ditch my friends at the café. If I did that, his family and friends wouldn’t stare, or think,” The pain of Aiden’s rejection stabbed her chest. It shouldn’t but it did. “Or think less of me.”
“Fuckwit.” Harper didn’t need her sight to imagine the way Seth’s jaw had hardened.
“Sounds like your ex was insecure or after a power grab, probably both.” Seth widened his hands on her bottom and pulled her lower body forward, planting a kiss on her belly. “You paired up with an arsehole. He hurt you. It happens.” He kissed her again, farther down on her pelvis. Just a couple of inches lower and he’d— She bit her lip. Concentrate on his words. “But, Harper, there are plenty of guys out there chasing a happy-ever-after, too. He wants to find her. The one. The woman he’d get into a bare-knuckled fight over with his best friend. He’d steal for her, kill and raise an army to defend her. And he’d do it all for the promise of what’s in her smile and her voice.”
Her belly dropped just as his warm breath floated over her pussy. “For a woman like you.”
Her heart leapt against her ribs. Holy cow.
He didn’t give her time to speak, but sucked her clit into his mouth. Her head fell back as she bucked against him, but his hold was too strong as he locked one arm around her. He drew the sensitive nub between his teeth and, with the faintest pressure, flicked the pulsing nerves with his tongue.
“Oh God.” A power-storm of pleasure flowed from her clit deep to her pussy. Like watching a gathering squall as the clouds tumbled and grew darker, she felt the shudders growing in depth until lightning bolts of fulfillment struck her core. But her empty pussy ached for his hardness. She needed to feel him inside her, taking her while she was looking right into his eyes.
“Please, Seth. Let me see you.”
Seth’s body rubbed against hers as he rose. She heard the chair’s castors, clothing moving, the zipper of his jeans and then a packet ripping. “I thought I could hold out, go at least one more round, but I’m going to bury myself inside you, Harper.”
He ripped the eye mask over her head. She blinked against the soft glow from the lamp on the nightstand. Seth’s expression was intent, his gaze hot with need. He reached around her and undid the scarf. “Wrap yourself around me.” The muscles in his arms bulged as he lifted her against the flat door of the closet. She splayed her hands over his back, feeling the muscles move under her touch as she folded her legs around him.
He filled her in one swift motion. She cried out, sinking her nails into his shoulders as he stretched her impossibly sensitive flesh. And it was wonderful. That burning feeling of being taken grew deeper with every hard thrust.
She wanted more, trying desperately to tilt her pelvis so he could sink deeper inside. The cool laminated wood of the wardrobe met the heated flesh of her back. She felt sweat trickle down her neck as the sound of Seth’s groans turned louder, rougher.
“Christ, woman, you do it for me.” The muscles of his neck strained from holding her while driving inside her. His steel-hard cock grazed her swollen tissues, building the fierce urgency taking over her.
Then he went still. “Look at me.”
Her gaze flew to his.
She studied the clear blue depths, seeing the frankness and the determination. And something more. But, she wasn’t sure. At least, she wasn’t confident enough to give it a name.
“I’m saying this now so there’s no confusion. I’m pretty sure I’ve found my woman, coffee girl.”
“W-what?” She couldn’t breathe. Her mind whirled under the avalanche of his declaration. “Did you pick this moment on purpose?”
“I know, perfect timing, but no, while I appreciate having you in a vulnerable position”—he thrust in a few inches, wringing out a deep moan from Harper—“that wasn’t my plan. But at least I’ve got your attention.”
A sense of rightness overcame her. This was Seth, the man who’d arranged for his brothers to install cameras to ensure her safety.
Protecting the woman he’d fight for. Raise an army for.
She was that woman.
“Just so we’re clear, I’m thinking I might have found my guy, too.”
His face turned blurry as wetness pooled in her eyes.
“No tears. Never tears when it feels so right,” he growled.
Really! “You’re so damn bossy.”
He gave her one of those one sided-grins that added to his bad-boy charm. “Get used to it.”
But what did their declarations mean? “Seth, where are we at?” She couldn’t take mixed messages.
“We’ve manned up, stated we have serious feelings for each other.” He kissed her, dragging it out until her hands were fisted in his damp hair. “And we’ll take this one day at a time.”
“That works for me.” It was real and honest.
His eyes flashed with satisfaction. “But now, sweetness, I’ve got something to finish.” His lips crushed hers in a hard, demanding kiss, ravaging her mouth until her lips were swollen and her cheeks tender from that delicious stubble that covered his jaw.
He lifted her a fraction and withdrew his cock a few inches. She went still at the hot intensity of his gaze. “Mine.”
Then he eased his hold and let gravity take over as he impaled her once more.
She cried out against his throat as he buried himself deep inside her. It was brutal and breathtaking, and she clawed at his back for more.
A wild rhythmic dance began. Seth ground himself against her with deep, diving thrusts. Harper, her sweat-slickened back pressed against the wardrobe, accepted all he had to give, as her heels kicked against his lower back in time with each possessive slam.
Seth’s body stiffened, the cords in his neck standing out under his skin. He was so close. She clamped her inner muscles down around him, wanting to push him over. His eyes flashed. The devil knew her intent. Would he wreak his revenge?
He pulled himself out to the very tip. His harsh laugh meshed with her keening cry seconds before he plunged back into her, dragging the head of his cock over her g-spot.
A blinding white flash of pleasure ripped through every nerve. She screamed as her body quaked under a torrent of pure sensation that spiraled outwards, leaving a blazing trail in its path. Her mind hazed. A low, deep roar filled her ears before Seth’s body shuddered with his release. She held on to steel-hard shoulders, loving the way his muscles bunched under her hands. So strong.
As he leaned against her, the closet acted as a brace. She loved his weight, the musky scent of his flesh, the sweat on his skin. It felt intimate, close. And with their declarations a moment ago…that bond held even more significance.
Joy filled her like an overflowing stream. Could he feel it too?
She wrapped her arms around him, drawing him even closer. Now wasn’t the time to ask. Maybe later. Or not.
The long column of his neck beckoned her. She leaned in and licked a trail from his collarbone to near his ear. Salty.
“Let me get us on the bed, and then you can lick me wherever you want.” He backed up toward the bed.
“I can walk, honey.”
“No, sweetness, I’ve got you.”
She smiled with a feeling of rightness so palpable its warmth spread through her like hot chocolate. “Indeed you have, handsome.”
His answering smile, the one that matched the shine in his eyes, was all she needed.
Hours later, after they’d showered, had dinner, and watched a movie, they lay in her bed on cool cotton sheets. From her place cuddled against Seth’s side, she saw Mal, curled into a ball, had settled in the middle of the big Aussie’s chest. Seth and her furball had bonded man-to-man. For a guy who confessed he’d never looked after a cat before, he was falling into the role with ease.
Her guy an
d her cat connecting. A rush of contentment settled over her like a soft, down blanket. She snuggled deeper against Seth, smiling against his side as his arm tightened around her.
With a start she remembered something from her sister’s birthday dinner. God, with everything that had happened since then, she’d forgotten to follow up. “Hey, you remember you said that if my dad asked me questions about us to keep my answers brief?”
Seth’s body stiffened beside hers. “I do.”
As she laid her head on his chest his heartbeat felt steady under her ear. Maybe his body language was just surprise at her question. After all, it had come out of the blue. “At Sienna’s birthday dinner, he asked me if you had involved any other law enforcement in your investigations besides Heath.”
Seth’s fingers traced over her arm. “And what did you say?”
“I said I didn’t know.” Somehow saying the next words seemed damning. “He asked me if anyone had approached me. I told him I’d spoken to Heath. Dad pretty much ordered me to let him know if anyone asked me any more questions.”
He was silent for a long moment before giving her a reassuring squeeze. “Harper, you answered him truthfully. Whether you let him know who is asking you what questions is up to you.”
“Was there a specific reason you wanted me to watch what I say around him? You didn’t mention it in regards to anyone else.”
“No, it was more about keeping matters as private as possible when it involves you and me. I’d prefer that where your dad’s concerned.” In one easy movement, he rose up on his elbow and leaned over her. His keen gaze studied her face shown in the faint glow of the lamp on the nightstand. “That okay?”
“That’s more than okay, Seth.”
When it regarded her dad, she and Seth were on the same page.