"When I overheard your assistant confirming your reservations here the other day, I decided to check the place out for myself." Carter's ice-blue eyes were open and friendly.
God, he was fucking evil. I knew he had to be here to rub my nose in the shit he was dangling over my head, particularly his threat to buy The Glass House and fire Lydia. I felt Ford's hand squeeze my thigh. I looked over to see him eying me with a worried frown. I didn't realize how stiffly I'd started holding myself since Carter showed up, and of course Ford noticed something was wrong with me.
"Is this the rest of your family?" Carter asked. I turned back to see him looking around the table curiously.
"Yes," Dad said proudly. He proceeded to introduce Mom, Lydia, and then finally Ford to him. I caught a slight narrowing of Carter's eyes when Dad told him that Ford was my boyfriend. My worst fear came true. Carter knew who Ford was now, and I feared that a big target was currently painted on my boyfriend's forehead. I had to fight a horrified shudder.
Ford was unperturbed by his polite exchange with Carter, even though I'm sure he didn't miss Carter's dismissive attitude toward him. Ford was very good at reading people. Andy's reaction was a different story all together. He was watching Carter with undisguised animosity, his eyes hard and suspicious.
"It was a pleasure meeting all of you," Carter said with another glance around the table. "I'll let you get back to your meal." He looked at Dad. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ted. We can go over the contract if you'd like, before we finalize everything."
"What?!" Andy barked out suddenly. I stared wide-eyed at Dad. This was news to me too.
Dad looked sheepishly between Carter and Andy. "Son," he began in a strained tone. "You have to understand-"
"I understand just fucking fine," Andy cut him off with a snarl. "Apparently, my opinion doesn't count for shit in this family."
"Andy," Mom said placatingly. "Calm down, baby."
"No," he snapped at Mom then glared at Dad. "You told me that we'd look into other options first, not take a deal from this...this fucking snake." He shook his head in disgust.
Carter's eyes narrowed at my brother, anger simmering in them. Fear fluttered in my heart for my brother, but all I could do was watch as this nightmare unfolded. I felt Ford grab my hand under the table, and I gripped him tightly.
"Andrew," Dad bit back angrily.
"When were you going to fucking tell me, when it was already signed?"
Dad let out a heavy sigh as he deflated in his chair. "I was going to tell you tomorrow. I didn't want to ruin our family time today."
"Well congratulations, you fucking ruined it anyway." He glared harshly at Dad, who stared back with his lips pressed together in a tight line. Tension rose between them for several heartbeats, until Andy finally threw his cloth napkin down on his partially eaten plate of food. "Fuck this bullshit." He pushed his chair back and stood, reaching toward Lydia, who had watched the entire exchange with wide eyes. She stood and took his hand, crowding close to her husband with a deeply concerned expression. Andy leveled a hard and intense stare at our father. "If you take this deal, I quit."
Mom and I gasped in utter shock at Andy's words. Dad's eyes widened as he gaped as his son. Andy turned and stalked out of the restaurant without another word, pulling a shocked and silent Lydia along behind him. What the fuck just happened? My family was being ripped apart, and we hadn't even taken Carter's deal yet. Shit, was this his plan all along?
I looked over at Carter to see him staring right at me. A vile contemptuous grin twisted his lips, his ice-blue eyes boring into me, threat and menace clearly obvious in his hard stare. The message was clear. I'd better fix this or he'd enjoy ruining my entire family. Either way, I was certain that I was going to lose in this no-win situation. The silent communication between us lasted only seconds, and no one seemed to notice, since they were still staring in shock in the direction that Andy had left.
"I apologize, Ted," Carter told my father in an earnest tone, his face a perfect semblance of sincerity. It was sickening. "I didn't mean to let that slip. I had no idea you hadn't told him yet."
Dad waved a hand at Carter. "That's fine, Elliott. It's my fault. I should have told him, but he's been pretty upset about this whole situation."
"Why don't we give it a week for him to adjust?" Carter suggested kindly. "How about we give it until after the holiday weekend? I want this to work out for all of us, and I don't want any hard feelings going into this."
"I'd appreciate that, Elliott," Dad said in resignation. "Again, I apologize for my son's outburst."
"No need," Carter smile wanly. "My father and I didn't always see eye to eye either. If you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way."
"Alright." Dad nodded absently as Carter walked away, the rest of us still too shell-shocked to speak. Several long moments passed in silence, until the waitress came back to our table. Ford asked her for our check since Dad was still sitting there with a lost forlorn expression as Mom whispered softly to him.
It took Ford pulling out his credit card when the waitress returned with the bill to pull my Dad out of his shocked haze.
"Ford, no," Dad said with a frown. "You're our guest."
"Don't worry about it," Ford reassured him with a concerned expression. "Let me take care of this for you, sir."
"But-" Dad began.
"Ted," Mom cut in gently. "Let Ford help you."
He nodded and didn't argue again. Ford paid, and we all got up and left in a daze after saying absent good-byes. Ford walked me out to my Mini Cooper. I stopped next to my car and stood there staring unseeing at it for a long moment. I felt lost and despondent, helpless to stop this nightmare that Carter had sucked me into. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't tell anyone the truth without costing my family what little we had left, or painting targets on all of them, Ford included.
Ford came up beside me and took my keys out of my lax fingers. He turned me to face him and kissed my temple softly. "Don't worry, honey. I know what you need," he spoke in a calming tone.
"W...what?" I asked in a wavering voice. I could feel tears starting to sting my eyes.
"I'll take care of you." He brushed a tear from my cheek and pulled me into the warm safety of his arms. "You need a release, and I can give you that with my rope." His lips brushed my ear as he whispered lovingly to me.
"Please," I sobbed out softly and latched onto him desperately, my fingers clasping his shirt. I was so grateful that he was here, that he was mine. He always knew what I needed and gave it to me unconditionally.
"Shh, honey. I've got you." He ushered me to the passenger side and settled me into the seat, belting me in and closing the door. We drove in silence all the way to Ford's apartment, my hand clasped tightly in his. It gave me the strength that I needed to hold it together until I could give myself over to Ford and the comforting embrace of his rope.
Chapter 9
Ford
I pulled Jen's car to a stop in front of my garage at the back of my building, then looked over at her. She sat there, despondently staring straight ahead, with a lost and mournful expression on her face, and her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She was trying so hard to hold herself together, but I could tell that she was on the verge of falling apart from the way the tension seemed to bleed from her body and fill up the small space inside her car.
"Jenny," I murmured as I reached over and took her left hand.
She turned to look at me and pressed her lips together into a line so hard that the skin around her lips turned white. Her eyes began welling up with tears.
"Ford," she whimpered out sorrowfully. A soft sob bubbled up out of her with a shudder.
Damn, I needed to get her inside. I let go of her hand and practically leaped out of the tiny car, then hurried around to the passenger door. I flung it open and pulled Jen up out of the car into my arms. Her arms shot up to wrap around my neck, and I cradled her against my chest as more sobs wracked her body. I turned and shoved the door close
d with a foot and hurried to my door. I somehow managed to get my keys out and unlock it while juggling Jen's tiny body in my arms.
Normally, this would be when I sent Jen up to strip and kneel in my room to wait for me, but I got the sense that I couldn't leave her alone right now. I was afraid she'd lose it completely if I didn't keep her mind focused on something else. So I silently carried her upstairs to my apartment.
I was just as shocked by Andy's threat to quit his family's business as Jen and her family were. Though, I think I was the only one who actually agreed with her brother's assessment of that Elliot Bennett asshole. He might have Ted and Jen snowed, but I figured the guy out in a few seconds the other day outside Purcell Auto. Apparently, Andy could see the guy for the arrogant prick that he was too. The guy was good though. He appeared sympathetic and sincere, but I highly doubted that was the case. I'd seen his pretentious arrogance when he'd dismissed me like I was nothing both times I'd met him. However, none of what happened at brunch was any of my business. I certainly wasn't going to get mixed up in anything to do with the deal that Jen's father was working on or the angst between Ted and Andy. I didn't want to overstep my boundaries and have them angry with me. All I could do was take care of Jen, and give her what she so desperately needed from me. I'd gladly give Jen anything she needed. Anything.
I stopped when I reached my bedroom and set Jen down on her feet. I cradled her head in my hands and studied her tear-stained face. She stared back at me with pleading eyes as she clutched at my shirt.
"Ford, I need-" she began.
"No," I cut her off sharply as the Dom in me came out. "No more talking, no more thinking."
She snapped her mouth shut and nodded as relief fell over her features.
"I know what you need," I rumbled out roughly as I gripped her hair in my left fist and pulled her head back. Her body instantly relaxed in my arms. "Let go and leave everything to me. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," she whimpered breathily.
I leaned in until my lips brushed against hers. "Good girl," I growled out then took her mouth with mine. I thrust my tongue between her lips roughly, taking what I wanted and claiming what was mine. I kissed her hard and thoroughly, clashing my tongue with hers, and nipping and sucking on her luscious lips. Her body molded into me like it belonged there as sweet soft whimpers spilled from her mouth into mine. I didn't pull away until I was certain that I had kissed every last damn thought out of her head.
Her face was slack, her lips swollen and parted as she panted for air. Her eyes were soft and unfocused, and the storm that was in them a moment ago was now replaced with passion and pleasure.
"Strip and kneel on the rug," I demanded as I held her shoulders firmly since she was still swaying a little on her feet from my intense possessive kiss.
"Yes, sir." She slipped off her sandals then backed away as she grabbed the hem of her dress and turned her back to me.
The gauzy fabric fluttered around her thighs as she pulled it up slowly. She inched the dress up her body until she finally uncovered the tiny black thong that disappeared into the crease of her buttocks. A low growl bubbled out of my lips at the sight. Holy hell, I loved the gentle curves of her hips and the soft swell of her ass. It made me want to bend her over the bed and fuck her ass like I promised the other day, and to hell with the rope, but right now this wasn't about me. This was about Jen and what she needed, and her needs always came first.
She turned back to face me as she pulled the dress up over her head. I could see her lacy black strapless bra now, and the swell of her breasts as they threatened to spill out of the cups. It was so goddamn sexy. Fuck, her body was so ripe and lush. How the hell did I get so lucky? My cock was so hard that it ached.
She reached back and unclasped her bra, and I watched in stupefaction as she pulled it from her body and tossed it aside. Her nipples were hard little points that beckoned me to fuck her senseless. I bit my lip as I fought for control. She needed to be in her rope first.
Jen hooked her fingers under the band of her panties and pushed them down her legs. She carefully stepped out of them and tossed them away before dropping to her knees. She stared up at me, longing and need in her gorgeous sapphire eyes. She looked at me like I was everything she needed, and God help me, I wanted to be that for her. I wanted to be her best friend, her lover, and the father of her future children. I loved her, and I wanted to be all those things for her. It was too much as I held her bright trusting gaze, and it threatened to unman me. My eyes stung.
"Eyes down," I commanded to give me a chance to rein in my emotions. She didn't need me losing it right now. I walked away to get her rope and get a hold of myself.
I pulled several lengths of rope from the closet along with the steel suspension ring. A week or so ago, I discarded all the rope I had that ever touched anyone other then Jen, and replaced them all. Now, all I owned was Jen's sapphire blue hemp rope.
I went back to Jen and dropped all but one of the ropes on the floor next to her. She stared at it longingly. I smiled as I reached up to bind the suspension ring securely to one of the eye bolts on the ceiling. I left it dangling above us as I dropped to my knees behind Jenny. I pulled my shirt off then pressed my chest against her back. I put my arms around her and hugged her tightly, loving the way she sagged against me.
"I've got you now, honey," I murmured comfortingly in her ear then kissed her neck softly. "Let it all go." She needed my dominance and control right now, but she also needed gentle handling.
I leaned away and picked up a coil of rope. Jen took in a shuddering breath and let it out in a massive rush as she gave everything over to me. The calm controlled serenity of dominance fell over me in a comforting wave.
"Arms at your sides." I wrapped a chest harness around her chest and upper arms this time, still placing the rope above and below her breasts twice before taking it over her shoulders to her back. "Arms behind your back." She complied, and I bound her forearms one on top of the other with intricate knots attached to the back of the harness. "On your side now, Jen." I lowered her down gently onto her left side on the soft gray rug. I looked at her face to see a peaceful calm was taking over her beautiful eyes.
"What's your color?" I asked firmly.
"Green, sir," she answered in a breathy voice.
"Good girl," I growled out in pleasure. "Bend your right knee."
I grabbed some more rope and wrapped it around her calf and thigh four times from ankle to knee, then knotted it off so they were bound firmly together. I left her other leg free so it wouldn't be in my way later when I fucked her. Now I was ready to use the suspension ring. I picked up the last two lengths of blue rope and stood to string each through the steel ring.
I took both ends of one and looped it through the ropes of her chest harness where they came around her right upper arm and bound them off. Then I pulled tension on the line and raised Jen's upper body up until she was just touching the floor with her left shoulder. Next, I grabbed the remaining line and knotted it to the ropes binding her right leg at the knee and pulled it taut too. I raised her up until her left hip came off the floor several inches, and her left lower leg was barely touching the rug. All the while, Jen remained motionless and limp, her breathing even and unhurried.
I went to Jen and knelt by her face. "What's your color?" Her eyes met mine. She looked at me with a soft smile, her eyes glassy and far away. She was rope drunk already. Good, she needed it.
"So green, Ford," she murmured out breathily. "So good."
"It's about to get even better, honey," I promised in a deep rumble.
I stood and circled her slowly admiring my work. She looked gorgeous bound for my pleasure with her legs spread wide and her glistening wet pussy on full display for me. She mewled and whimpered wantonly under my gaze, the ropes creaking as she shifted in her restraints. Holy hell, she was so perfect, so damn sexy, and my erection strained uncomfortably in my pants just from looking at her. She was mine to do with what I please
d, and right now, I wanted to make her come screaming on my fingers. I swiftly removed the rest of my clothing and stood nude in front of her. Her eyes were riveted to my cock as I absently stroked myself and admired her for a moment more.
I knelt and ran my left hand up her right thigh, gliding my palm over the ropes that wound around her leg. I paused when my fingers reached that sweet spot at the top of her thigh, mere inches from her pussy. I could smell her arousal, see it slickening her lush folds. I growled under my breath with need as I slid my fingertips through her wetness.
She groaned at the contact and a shiver shot through her body. Her sex was so goddamn wet, and I lost my will to be gentle. With no warning, I thrust two fingers deep into her soaked pussy. She cried out at the sudden penetration. I pressed the pad of my thumb against her clit firmly, circling it over the little nub as I watched the muscles in her legs twitch under her creamy soft skin.
"Do you like that, honey?" I asked in a low seductive tone.
"Y...yes, sir," she whimpered.
"More?"
"Please, oh please, sir," she pleaded. I growled under my breath, her begging pleasing me.
I began thrusting my fingers in and out of her roughly, my thumb pressing harder into her clit. She moaned and whimpered as I pushed her toward her orgasm, her body coiling tighter and tighter for its eventual explosive release. When she was finally riding the edge by a hair's breath, I reached down with my free hand and dipped my thumb in her arousal, then slid it back to rest over the tight little hole of her ass. Then at the exact same moment, I pressed down hard on her clit and pushed my other thumb past the snug ring of muscles and into her. The dual penetration and the firm pressure on her clit shoved her right over the damn edge. She screamed as her pussy and ass squeezed my fingers, quivering and tightening rhythmically as her orgasm pulsed through her body.
An Act of Release: Order & Chaos Book 2 Page 19