“Beautiful.” His hands gripped her hips as he swirled his tongue in the small of her back.
Caroline’s eyes fluttered shut as she swayed in place. What was he doing to her? How was it possible that a kiss on her back made her insides tilt? His strong hands turned her.
He groaned at the sight of her. “We need to get you more lingerie.” He smiled up at her. Making her painfully aware that his mouth was level with her breasts. And she knew exactly how good that mouth felt on her. “When we’re at home in the castle, you should only ever wear lingerie and nothing else.”
Before she could answer, he leaned forward and sucked a nipple into his mouth, right through the lace of her bra. She gasped. Her hands flew to his head. Her fingers tangled in his hair.
“Delicious.” The word was a rumble against her skin that sent tingles to her core.
Caroline clutched him, like an anchor in a storm, as Josh kissed and bit and sucked. Her mind soared. Nothing existed except the sensation of Josh’s touch. Gasps and moans punctuated the air. Her head fell back as her knees weakened. Josh’s hand caressed its way up her back, and she felt the clasp of her bra give way. A second later, the bra was gone. His breath was hot against her skin.
“You are perfect.” He sucked her into his mouth so hard that it made her scream. Her knees gave way. Josh caught her and placed her on the bed. Her hips rested on the edge, her legs dangling over the end. All thought was lost in the fog of desire that had overtaken her mind. Before she could catch her breath, Josh had stripped her of her underwear. He pushed her knees apart. Caroline struggled to think through what he was doing. Her brain wasn’t fast enough. His mouth was on her before she figured it out. And then all thought was gone. All she was aware of was his tongue tasting her. Teasing her. Touching her.
Caroline felt pressure tingle and build within her stomach. Her breath came in desperate pants. She clawed at the bedspread beneath her. Unconsciously, she pushed closer to his wicked, wicked lips.
“Josh,” she moaned.
He didn’t answer. Instead he growled against her, sending vibrations throughout her body.
“Josh!”
Her head spun. Or maybe it was the room.
“Baby,” he rumbled. “So good.”
Her toes curled. Her thighs tensed. Her head arched back. And she was flying. A word fought its way from her throat. A long, aching moan of a word. “Josh.”
As she slowly came back to herself, she felt Josh crawl over her body. He moved her boneless body further up the bed. Her limbs were too heavy to help. She was at his mercy.
Josh nibbled his way up her throat until his mouth met hers. His kiss was deep and sensual. Caroline curled her arms around his neck and hooked a leg over his thigh. Bare flesh met bare flesh. At some point Josh had taken off his jeans. Caroline’s heart pounded so loudly at the thought of a naked Josh. Part of her wanted to push him back and look her fill. But she couldn’t. She was lost in the weight of his body against hers. The sensation of firm muscles rippling over her softer form. She clasped her hands tightly around his upper arms. His biceps tensed. The power in his muscles made her body shudder.
“I’ll go slow, baby,” he whispered against her lips. “Tell me if you need to stop.”
It wasn’t until she felt him press against her that she realised what he meant. She held her breath as Josh slowly, steadily filled her.
“You are perfect. You feel so good.”
Caroline arched up into him. At last, he settled his frame flush against her. His fingers stroked her face. Caroline’s gaze met his. The blue had been swallowed by black. Her internal muscles clenched at the sight, making him groan. It was wonderful. Nothing had ever felt so right to her. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she’d fallen in love with him. Only the certainty that anything romantic would ruin the moment made her stop. Josh didn’t want romance.
But he did want her.
“Are you okay?” He placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth.
“Amazing. I never knew…” She let out a shuddering sigh. “It’s amazing.”
He smiled against her mouth. “It’s about to get better.”
She wasn’t sure it could get better. And then his hips started to move. Every nerve in her body came alive in the same instant. Her world narrowed to only Josh. There was nothing else in the cocoon they had made. His musky scent filled her senses. His strength surrounded her. Everything within her began to climb. She was losing her sense of self. Josh and Caroline didn’t exist anymore. They weren’t two. They were one.
“Faster.” Caroline ordered.
“Bossy.” He chuckled tightly. “I should have known you would be bossy here too.”
Caroline slammed her hips up into him. He groaned, and it was her turn to smile. Josh moved faster. Deeper. Caroline lost her place entirely. She clawed at him. Her senses were overloaded. There was too much to feel, to hear, to touch. It was a tsunami of sensation, swallowing her whole.
“Josh. Josh.” His name was a chant. A desperate, pleading chant.
She felt him tense above her as lights flickered in front of her eyes. Her muscles clenched. She sucked in a breath. Her heart stuttered. Every muscle spasmed. A long, desperate moan. Everything within her crashed to a halt. Time stopped. A beat. Two. And then she gasped for air. Her fingers tingled. Her heart started to thud again, loudly. Her muscles became jelly. Josh fell to her side. His fingers threaded through her hair as he nuzzled her throat.
“Are you okay?”
Caroline let out a sigh. “Better than okay.”
“Good.” He kissed her gently, making her tremble.
He pushed back from her and searched her eyes. Seeking confirmation that she was okay with things. A slow smile lit his face. He rolled onto his back and pulled her into his side, tucking her tight against him. Caroline listened to his rushing heartbeat as it slowed to normal. She traced lazy circles on his abdomen. For the first time since she’d agreed to marry Josh, she questioned the wisdom of her decision. She was in love with the man. But he didn’t want that. No. He wanted a solid commitment without romantic love. He wanted the kind of love that good friends shared. Her heart stuttered within her. What if Josh never felt anything more for her than he did right now? Would she be able to live with that? Knowing that the man she was madly, desperately in love with only felt affection for her?
She tried to tell herself to be practical. To stop wanting more than she already had. Goodness knows, what Josh offered her was far more than she ever expected she’d have. But still. A tiny, niggling part of her wondered if she would live a lifetime heartbroken that the man she married didn’t love her the way she loved him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Andrew McInnes was as nervous as a boy on his first date. He’d spent the past few days in Glasgow being fitted for the all-important suit. He’d visited a sex shop. It wasn’t what he’d expected. He’d thought he’d have to skulk through an unmarked door and buy things in brown paper bags. Instead, the vast front window was full of kinky lingerie and there were women serving behind the counter.
He’d been embarrassed at first, especially as he had no idea what to buy—except handcuffs, that is. Eventually, one of the women had taken pity on him and offered to help. He’d explained that he was trying to seduce his wife of thirty-five years. Then he’d explained his theory on what women wanted. She seemed impressed with the amount of research he’d done on the topic. Twenty minutes later, he’d left the shop armed with a beginner’s kit for kinky sex. He hadn’t known such a thing existed, but it did. It was all boxed up in a pink candy-striped package.
Bewildered, Andrew had spent the rest of his time in Glasgow getting a haircut and buying chocolate. If all else failed, he’d ply Helen with the biggest damn box of gourmet chocolates that money could buy.
He didn’t even want to think what he would do if the chocolate didn’t do the trick.
Now it was Friday and he was back in Invertary. The town was full of
reporters, and Josh was holed up in Caroline’s house until the wedding. Which meant Helen was in the castle. Alone.
As Andrew stood outside the castle door, he reminded himself of what women wanted. Domineering guy in a suit? He looked down at himself. Check. Over-the-top romantic gestures? He eyed the pamphlet tucked into his pocket. Check. Kinky sex? He flexed his grasp on the bag full of purchases from the sex shop. Check. He took a deep breath. This was as good as it got.
Then he rang the doorbell.
Nerves assaulted him. His palms were wet. His mouth was dry. Damn it all to hell. This was too much for a sixty-seven-year-old heart to handle. He was going to have a stroke right here on the doorstep. Helen would open the door, look out over his prone dead body and wonder why she’d ever married him. Breathe. Damn it. Breathe.
He was on the verge of running when the door swung open.
Helen was wearing the yellow flowered sundress that was so pretty on her. Her feet were bare and her makeup had worn off some during the day. She was stunning. Her mouth opened and shut a couple of times as her wide eyes travelled the length of him. A flush hit her cheeks, and Andrew couldn’t help but puff out his chest with pride. He might be old, but he still had it going on.
“Andrew? What do you—”
He didn’t let her finish. In two long strides, he grabbed her round the waist, clutched the back of her head and pressed his mouth to hers. Operation Win Helen Back had officially started. And damn, but it felt good to have his wife in his arms again.
She smelled of peppermint and lilacs. A smell that was unique to her and made his heart shudder. Whether she liked it or not, she belonged to him. She’d always belonged to him. He might have been lax in showing it, but Helen was the only woman he had ever loved. The only one he would ever love. And he was never letting her go.
Helen didn’t kiss him back. She didn’t do much of anything. He knew she was stunned, but he kept on kissing her until she caught up with him. At last, he felt her lips move and her arms slowly wrap around his waist. He wanted to stop and fist-pump the air. But he didn’t. Instead, he backed her into the wall and kissed her like she’d never been kissed before. A small moan escaped her lips, and he swallowed it down greedily. He pulled her tight against him, noticing again how perfectly she fit. Briefly he wondered if he should lift her up so that her legs would wrap around his waist. He would take her in the hall, up against the wall. Just like the heroes in all those books liked to do. Sadly, he didn’t think his back could take it, and the last thing he wanted was for the both of them to land on the floor and him to writhe in agony.
No. He needed a bed for what he had planned. He mentally cursed that the beds were all upstairs. He was worried that by the time he got her there, he would have lost his advantage. That left the kitchen. He reluctantly pulled away from her kiss. He stroked his hand over her new short hair. It didn’t bother him much anymore. In fact, it was even kind of sexy. He was pleased to see that Helen’s breathing was fast and shallow.
“What are you doing?” It’d been a long time since he’d heard that breathless whisper. He’d missed it.
He leaned over and snatched the bag from where he’d dropped it outside the front door. Kicking the door shut behind him, he grabbed Helen’s hand and strode towards the kitchen, dragging her along with him.
“Andrew, are you listening to me? You can’t just come in here and kiss me like this.”
“The hell I can. You’re my wife.”
She tugged against his grip. He didn’t release her. “We’re getting a divorce.”
“We’ll see about that.” He kicked the kitchen door open and tugged her inside.
Now, where would be a good spot to get all kinky? He eyed the table. Didn’t he see a scene like that once? What was the movie? Oh yeah. The Postman Always Rings Twice. He wasn’t sure he’d liked that film. But the scene he remembered gave him ideas.
He dragged her towards the table.
“Andrew. You’re acting like a madman. Stop this at once.”
“No.”
In a dramatic display of his masculinity, he swept the dishes off the table. He grinned at the sound of them smashing on the floor.
“Andrew. You’re scaring me.”
“Don’t be daft.” He dropped the bag beside the table. Picked Helen up and sat her on the edge. Just the right height. He stepped between her legs, cupped her head with his hands and settled his mouth on hers. This time she wasn’t numb. She responded straight away. So much for her complaining. He growled with satisfaction.
Her hands slid into his suit jacket and around to his back. She clung to his shirt. Her nails digging into his back. Andrew wanted to grin. The suit worked a charm.
Slowly, he eased her back until she was lying on the table.
“What are you going?” She was breathless.
“I’m doing what I should have done a year ago when you said you needed space.”
He kept a hand on her stomach as he reached into the bag. He brought out a set of black fluffy handcuffs. They looked a bit cheesy to him, but what the heck. Helen eyed the handcuffs with worry.
“Are those handcuffs?” She struggled to get up. “Stop it right now.”
He snapped the cuff around her wrist, then shackled the other end to the leg of the table.
“Free me right now, Andrew McInnes. Have you lost your mind?”
He ignored her. Instead he brought out the other set of cuffs and secured her other arm. Once he’d finished, he took a step back to survey his work. He couldn’t help the sense of satisfaction that welled within him. The books were right. Everything was going to plan.
Helen thinned her red and swollen lips. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“We’re going to have kinky sex.” He rummaged around in his bag until he found the black silk blindfold.
“We’re what?” Helen was screeching now.
He walked around the table until he was at her head. “No more shouting. It’s ruining the mood.”
Her mouth fell open. “I’m ruining the mood? What mood would that be, Andrew? The mood where my soon-to-be ex-husband snaps, takes me hostage and ties me to the table? Is that even a mood?”
He was regretting his decision not to buy one of the gags he’d seen in the shop. “I’m trying to be romantic, woman.”
Her eyebrows shot up her head. “By tying me up and threatening kinky sex? I don’t want kinky sex. I don’t even know what kinky sex is. I want you to leave.”
“Damn it,” Andrew mumbled, “I thought all women read the same books.” He patted his wife’s head to reassure her. “Don’t worry. I studied up on this. I’ll show you what to do.”
Helen dropped her head to the table with a loud thump. She didn’t seem to be in the mood for sex. Andrew decided to plod on anyway. He had a plan. It was a good plan. He was wearing the suit to prove it.
“Right, lift your head. I need to get this blindfold on.”
Helen glared at him, but lifted her head. “I’m doing this because I don’t have a choice. But as soon as I’m free, I’m calling a psychiatrist for you.”
“Whatever.” Andrew tied the blindfold tight over her eyes. “Can you see anything?”
“No. I’m wearing a blindfold.”
Andrew studied her for a moment before he decided he’d better check. “How many fingers am I holding up?”
She ignored him and ground her teeth together. Fine. He’d just assume she couldn’t see. He stomped back to the bag. Where were his note cards? They weren’t in the bag. He patted his pockets and found them in the inside of his jacket. He read the first one. Cuffs? Check. Blindfold? Check.
He cleared his throat. “You need to pick a safe word.”
“What on earth is a safe word?”
He smothered a sigh. This was proving to be more work than he thought it’d be. “It’s a word you use when you want things to stop.”
“How about I use the word ‘stop’?” She sounded sarcastic.
“T
hat’s not how it works. You need a word that you wouldn’t normally use during sex.”
“Fine. How about ‘dumbass’?”
“I don’t think you’re getting into the spirit of this.”
“Really? You think?”
“Fine. Dumbass it is.” There was no dealing with her when she was in this mood. “If you use your safe word, everything stops.”
“Good.” She took a deep breath. “Dumbass,” she shouted.
Andrew wasn’t sure what to do next. This was not going the way it did in the books. He consulted his note cards. There wasn’t anything on there about her saying her safe word before things started. Should he just stop?
“Why aren’t you releasing me, dumbass?”
He wasn’t sure what to say. This didn’t happen in any of the books he’d read. “I’ve decided that you don’t need a safe word.”
“That’s a surprise.” She didn’t sound surprised.
Andrew threw the card with the advice on safe words over his shoulder. What was next? Oh yeah. Delayed orgasm.
“Okay.” He eyed his wife. She didn’t look turned on. She looked tense and resigned. He got the distinct impression she was enduring this. “I’m going to play with you for a while. You are mine to enjoy and you will not have an orgasm. If you do, you will be punished.” He paused and read his card. He was supposed to deepen his voice and sound more commanding. He did just that. “Do you hear me, Helen? You will not have an orgasm unless I give you permission.”
He held his breath while he waited to see what she would do. Her shoulders started to shake. Her lips tightened. Oh no. She was crying. He sprang forward to release her when her lips tipped into a grin and she burst out laughing.
Andrew glared at her. “You will not laugh at your master.”
The laughing got louder. Tears started to roll down her cheeks. What the hell was he supposed to do about this?
“This is insubordination. You will be punished.”
Goody Two Shoes (Invertary Book 2) Page 27