Bound (Dark Horse #1)

by J. S. Scott

  “More, Ash…I need more.” I needed the intensity…needed to know that it was Ash claiming my body, even if it would only temporarily erase my nightmare and replace my memories.

  “Such a greedy girl…” Each thrust was more intense than the one before, as he carefully tightened one hand around my throat and the other dipped between my legs, teasing my clit, his fingers just a little rough. And fuck, but fighting against that flicker of panic only turned me on all the more.

  I let myself get lost in the overwhelming sensations, as my skin prickled with the gathering energy of my orgasm, overwhelming my body, my mind, forcing out all thoughts as I lived in the moment, feeding off the need for more. But then I was coming, calling out Ash’s name, though he didn’t slow his onslaught as I rode through the waves of my pleasure.

  He pulled free of my body and pushed me down onto my knees before him, fisting my hair as he thrust his cock into my mouth and fucked it, as I eagerly sucked him, tasting myself on his skin, his forcefulness only making my cunt ache all the more for him, even though I’d just come. His pace quickened, forcing his cock down my throat as I urged him on with my greedy moans until he was finally coming with a primal grunt, murmuring my name as he shot his load in hot spurts down my throat, my head held just where he wanted me, forcing me to swallow everything he had to offer.

  His fist tightened in my hair, as I tried to breathe around his cock, my clit still throbbing with need, and my panties soaked. “You’re mine, Wren. And you will be marrying me. Am I making myself clear?”

  All I could do was nod and hope that by claiming me as his, he’d release me from the nightmares that had already claimed me for a lifetime.

  “Good girl.” He pulled his cock from my mouth and brushed a gentle thumb down my cheek, before kissing me sweetly and then scooping me up into his arms and sitting us down on the sofa, my arms wrapped around his neck. “Tell me you’re okay, love.”

  “I’ll always be okay with you, Ash. I know you’d never do anything to hurt me.” Unlike my stepbrother, who spent years manipulating me, abusing me, raping me.

  I pushed thoughts of Steven aside, hating that he could still haunt me from beyond the grave. And if anyone could save me from my past, it was Ash. I’d known that all along, which was why our breakup had left me broken.

  But that wasn’t all…Ash had also been the only thing keeping Steven away. And once Ash was gone…

  “Wren…what’s going on in that head of yours? Let me be here for you.” He looked so worried, and it killed me not to be able to set his mind at ease. But even if I told him the truth, I knew it wouldn’t offer him any peace. In fact, it’d be the exact opposite—and Ash would have a million questions that I honestly didn’t have answers to.

  And so I picked the obvious. “I guess this means we’re getting married, huh?”

  “It’ll be a good thing, love.”

  CHAPTER 15

  Ash

  Something was up with Wren—but every time I thought I was going to get to the bottom of it, she found a way to avoid answering my questions. Not that I could push her when she looked so haunted.

  And fuck…but it had me wondering yet again if this had been happening all along and I was just too stupid to see it. “I want you to tell me about this guy you dated—the one who was an asshole to you.”

  “Well, his name was Ash, and though he was damn sexy, he was a total pain in the ass.” At least she’d turned to humor—and when I tickled her, she laughed. And I swear, I hadn’t heard a sweeter sound. “I’m kidding—I’m kidding. You were the only good one. So…if you’re looking for an asshole in my life, take your pick.”

  Maybe I needed to let this go and focus instead on our future together, rather than her past. If I could make her happy…if I could give her a fresh start, then maybe she could leave behind the things that seemed to haunt her.

  “Come on…we should go out. Head into the city for a bit.” I brushed the hair from her face and kissed her, letting my lips linger on hers as I felt them turn into a smile, the darkness weighing down my heart, easing just a little.

  As I drove us into the city, Wren said very little, leaving me to worry about her once again. Reaching over and cupping the back of her neck, I pulled her to me and kissed the top of her head. “Nearly there.”

  “Where are we going?” She nestled against my side as I pulled off the highway and maneuvered us through the city.

  “It’s a surprise.” One I hoped would work out for the best.

  “I don’t like surprises, Ash. You know that.” But then her face lit up as we pulled into the parking lot. “The animal shelter?”

  “Yeah…my mom volunteers and fosters dogs from here. And it got me thinking…since you don’t feel comfortable talking to me, maybe…you could talk to a dog.” I must be fucking losing it. “I swear, it sounded better in my head.”

  She smiled, even as her eyes welled up with tears. “It sounds perfect—and I can’t believe you’d think of something so sweet.”

  “No tears, little bird.” I kissed her sweetly, cupping her face in my hands. “Come on…let’s go see if there are any pups in there that’ll be a good fit.”

  There were so many different dogs, so many different personalities, so many poor lives that were desperately waiting for a second chance. It was hard not to want to take them all home, but in the end, there was a sweet lab-pitbull mix that’d had a rough start to life—and yet she was still willing to trust people, despite the wrongs she’d endured, her scars all too visible. Sammie was four years old, and she and Wren formed an immediate bond.

  It didn’t take long to fill out the paperwork, and after a quick trip to the pet store to get some supplies, we headed to the park by the waterfront and watched the sun set as the ferries and freighters crisscrossed the bay. And with the setting sun sparkling on the water, the moment was perfect. “I know you’re not crazy about marrying me, but I still want you to have this.”

  I pulled out the engagement ring I’d picked out for her before heading down to San Francisco and slipped it onto her finger, the large cushion cut diamond reflecting the light of the setting sun, as she shifted her fingers, her gaze on the ring. “It’s beautiful, Ash. But…you really shouldn’t have, given the circumstances.”

  And then I did the only thing that was left to do. I got down on one knee, and looked up into her gorgeous grey eyes as I took her hand in mine, doing my best to ignore Sammie as she tried to lick my face. “Wren…I love you, with all my heart. Will you marry me?”

  “I will—even if I’m worried that you’ll live to regret it.”

  It wasn’t an emphatic yes, but it was a hell of a lot more than I’d hoped for.

  I stood and kissed her, pulling her into a hug and loving that she held me back, her face nestled in the crook of my neck. “I know this isn’t easy on you, but I appreciate you setting aside our past and giving this a chance.”

  “I can’t make you any promises, and there are no guarantees this will work out. I just hope you know that.” She still looked so worried. But then Sammie leaned into her legs, demanding to be pet, and the change in her was immediate, a smile lighting up her face. “But…Sammie thinks it’s a good idea, and the very least I can do at this point is give this a try and figure out if there’s a way to make the most of our situation.”

  “Then I think I owe Sammie one big-ass bone.” I slung my arm over her shoulder, and pulled her to me, kissing her temple as we walked through the park, my heart filling with the hope that we might be able to get through all this and make it work—for real, and not just some half-assed arrangement because I’d cut a deal with her father. “I know things have been fucked up between us, but…I mean it. I love you.”

  She let out a ragged breath as I tightened my hold around her, even as her eyes shimmered with tears, though I hated that she still looked so lost. “And I never stopped loving y
ou, Ash. Despite everything.”

  “You make me a happy man, little bird.” And she did, especially now that we seemed to be finding our way into a relationship that didn’t involve her wanting to stick a knife in my heart. Now all I had to do is figure out a way to make her happy.

  Back at my place, it was quickly decided that Sammie was in dire need of a bath—one she’d so far been incredibly well behaved for, despite looking a bit uneasy at the new experience. With Sammie in the tub, Wren and I knelt by each other’s side as we lathered up the pup.

  “Just hold her a sec so I can rinse her off.” As I grabbed the spray nozzle to rinse Sammie off, Wren held onto her. But the moment I turned on the water, Sammie startled and bolted through Wren’s arms, too slick to hold onto, knocking the sprayer from my grip and sending it spraying wildly as Wren fell back laughing, and Sammie ran her over.

  I killed the water as Wren calmed Sammie down, her laughter infectious. “Poor pup. And your bathroom…I’m so sorry, Ash. There’s water everywhere—and you’re soaked.”

  “It’s nothing a few towels won’t take care of.” I pet Sammie and helped to get her calmed down, before lifting her back into the tub, her wet sudsy body drenching me thoroughly. But this time, when I turned the water on, I kept it just to a trickle, which she didn’t seem to mind.

  “There’s my good girl.” Wren showered her with love and reassurance, and before long Sammie was rinsed and towel dried, and the floor had been mopped.

  “Come on…” I grabbed her hand and led her to my bedroom, the shower and bath off the master far more luxurious—and dry—than the guest bath. “We’re both drenched, and it’s been a long day, so I think a nice long, hot shower is just what we need.”

  She looked up at me and gave me a mischievous smile, the change in her from just a day ago incredible. “Is this just another way to get me naked?”

  “You know me so well, little bird.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Wren

  “This is one hell of a gorgeous home, Ash.” It looked like it could be in the pages of a magazine, balancing very current and modern touches with classic pieces—and the master bath rivaled that of any luxury spa.

  But before I could say anything else, Ash’s mouth was on mine in a sweet and passionate kiss, as his hands slipped under my dress, warm against my cold, wet skin, breaking our kiss for just a moment so he could pull it up and over my head, as I fumbled with his jeans. His t-shirt was the next to go, along with anything else that remained, abandoned haphazardly on the bathroom floor, before he maneuvered us into the large walk-in shower and turned on the water.

  Multiple jets pounded the hot water into me, as Ash trailed kisses down my throat and shoulder, cupping my breasts before biting my nipples and sucking one after the other into his mouth, each tug making my clit ache, heavy with need. But instead of giving me more, he backed off, covering my skin in gentle nips and kisses that made me crazy and desperate. “I need you to fuck me, Ash.”

  “We’re going to try something a little different…” His hands were no more than a whisper over my body, his fingers caressing my curves and the underside of my breasts, brushing my nipples with barely a touch, making my body ache and hunger for him.

  Desperate for more, I reached out and stroked his cock as I kissed him, our tongues clashing as he groaned into my mouth, the water cascading over us. But then he was breaking away from our kiss and spinning me around, raising my hands up above my head as he pinned me to the wall, his hard cock pressed against my ass and his mouth by my ear as he spoke. “Don’t move, Wren.”

  With my arms above my head, my skin was pulled taut over my body, so that each touch, each kiss, each nip, was amplified as he continued his slow torture, my body screaming to be taken, to be fucked, to have him claim every part of me, so there was nothing but the two of us. “Ash…please…”

  “Hush, love.” He grabbed some body wash and with his hands now slick, they glided over my body, only making matters worse as my body ached to have him. But when his fingers slipped down between my thighs, I couldn’t help but rock my hips into him, desperate for more, though he did little but tease me, his hands moving down my legs, leaving me wanton.

  “I can’t take it. Please…just fuck me…make me come.” Each touch, each kiss, each nip, had my body tensing in anticipation with the hope he’d show me some mercy, but he knew all too well what he was doing, and right now, what he wanted was to tease and torment me.

  He pulled me to him, kissing me as we were enveloped in steam and hot water, his hands slipping over my curves and down to my ass as he rinsed me off. With his cock trapped between us, I reached down between us to stroke him, deepening our kiss as he groaned into my mouth. But then he grabbed my hand, and turned me around, slapping my ass with a smile as he turned off the water. “Come on, love.”

  He had to be kidding me. “Ash…you can’t just leave me like this.”

  His lips curled into a smile as he wrapped a large soft towel around my body and tilted my head back for a lingering kiss that only stoked my need for him. “But just think how amazing it’ll be when you do finally get to come.”

  “Or we could finish what we’ve already started—and you could make me come again a little later.” Teasing him, I reached down to stroke him, desperate to get him to change his mind. But he gripped my wrist and carefully twisted it behind my back, even as he pulled me to him, trapping me against his broad chest. “You’re such a bastard, Ash. This is cruel.”

  “Cruel would be making you wait until our wedding night—and teasing you up until then. So don’t tempt me, Wren.” He leaned in and bit my bottom lip, my clit throbbing, already so heavy and aching with need. “Besides, I’m starving, and we don’t want to leave Sammie alone for too long when she’s still adjusting to her new home.”

  I wanted to groan.

  “Fine.” Though I swore, I’d be taking matters into my own hand—quite literally—if he dragged out this little game of his for too long.

  Sammie had been waiting for us just outside the bathroom door, her tiny tail wagging excitedly the moment she saw us. And just like that, as I slipped my fingers over her short silvery fur, some of the pain that strangled my heart melted away, so that I found myself breathing just a little easier. Sammie and I both carried scars from our past, two kindred souls that were finding a way to trust again as we started a new life together. And it made me realize that of all the people I could trust, I now knew I could trust Ash not to hurt me again, even if I didn’t think I’d ever find the words to tell him what had happened to me.

  I tossed on a pair of sweats, a tank top, and then stole one of Ash’s flannel shirts, loving that it smelled like him. There was a bit of a chill in the air, and having lived in San Francisco for the last few years, Seattle’s weather was a bit colder than I was used to.

  “I like you in my clothes, little bird.” Ash wrapped his arm around my waist from behind me and kissed my cheek. “Let me order us some dinner. Pizza okay?”

  “Perfect.” It turned out I was starving, but luckily, it didn’t take long for them to show up with our food. We sat down together on the sofa, our plates on our laps, as I took another bite, savoring the flavors. “This is so good. Hands down some of the best pizza I’ve had in a long time.”

  Ash offered Sammie a chunk of his crust, which she took gingerly from his fingers. “Are you going to be okay living in Seattle?”

  I had left for so many reasons, and being back in Seattle had me on edge. It was dredging up all sorts of memories that were better off left buried. “I don’t have much going on in San Francisco, but Seattle…” A shiver crawled up my spine as a weary sigh escaped my lips before I could hold it back. “You know what? Don’t worry…I can make it work. And this is an amazing house.”

  “Wren…” But in the end, he let it go—and maybe that was what changed my mind. The fact that he was trying so
hard not to push me for more information, and he was doing all he could to make me happy.

  The words stuck in my throat as I tried to muster the strength to finally tell someone the secret I’d kept through a thousand hells. “It…it was Steven.”

  I struggled to say more, but couldn’t. And yet Ash didn’t need a whole lot more to figure out what I meant, despite the fact that I didn’t have the courage to tell him what happened.

  “Your stepbrother?” He spoke the words through clenched teeth—not that he needed an answer when my eyes shimmered with tears. He set aside our plates and pulled me into his arms, holding me to him, though his body was so tense, I didn’t think he could even breathe. “Wren…what? When? I don’t even know what to say.”

  My words stuck in my throat like I was choking on a thorny briar, my tears rolling down my cheeks and my heart bleeding from the wounds I’d carried for well over a decade. But I couldn’t look at him…couldn’t face the pity I feared I’d see in his eyes. What if he now looked at me and couldn’t see past what had happened to me? He didn’t even know any of the details.

  “Can we just forget about it? Please?”

  CHAPTER 17

  Ash

  My rage was like napalm in my veins, and it took all I had not to smash my fist through the wall. Repeatedly.

  Her fucking stepbrother.

  Sick fucking bastard.

  She hadn’t said what he’d done to her, but it didn’t matter. Because Steven never should have touched her—period. And whatever he’d done, it sure as fuck had left its mark on her soul.

  And I’d been too fucking stupid to see it.

  “I know you don’t want to talk about it, Wren. But… Fuck. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I don’t even know what to say.” All I could do was hold her tightly in my arms, desperate to erase her pain, though I knew it was impossible. Something like that didn’t just go away. Not ever.