Bared and Tamed

by Kallista Dane

  Her eyes flew open. He was staring down at her with a fierce intensity.

  “I belong to you.”

  He thrust deep and she cried out.

  “Again. Say it like you mean it.” Her wrists were still trapped. He pulled both hands up over her head, grinding himself against her. “You can’t get away. You can’t shut me out. Let me in, Rylie. My cock is inside you. Now open your soul and let me in.”

  “I can’t. I’m afraid!” The cry came from deep within.

  “Trust me, Rylie.” His voice was smooth velvet, caressing her, even as his powerful arms held her immobile and his body pinned her to the floor. “Let go of the fear. For once in your life, let go and let yourself feel.”

  He moved as he spoke, filling her up inside. Then, as though he knew her better than she knew herself, he did something that crumbled the walls she’d built around her to dust. He bent his head and kissed her. Gently at first, exploring her lips with aching tenderness. When he felt her body begin to melt underneath him, he followed with his tongue, fucking her mouth slow and deep, filling her with the taste and the feel and the potent essence of him everywhere at once. She had no defense. Her body responded on the most primitive level to being taken so completely. Rylie came instantly.

  He came then too, as though he’d been keeping himself tightly under control all this time, waiting to assure her pleasure. His climax had her coming again—spasming tightly around his cock when she felt it pulsing inside her. She latched onto his tongue as it plunged in and out of her mouth, sucking it hard, reveling in the experience of being thoroughly ravished by a virile male.

  Later, he took her by the hand and led her to his bed. They were lying side by side, his arm lightly thrown over her, when Rylie stirred. His arm tightened when she tried to slip away.

  “I thought you were asleep.”

  “I was drifting,” he muttered. “Where are you going?”

  “Home.” She said it flatly.

  “Don’t. Stay here tonight.”

  She rolled over and stared at him. “You want me to stay?”

  “That’s what I said, isn’t it?” he murmured sleepily.

  “I can’t.”

  He slid over her, his body strong and warm. “Yes, you can. It’s Friday night. You have nowhere you need to be. You don’t even have a dog at home that needs to be let out. Now lie down.”

  When she struggled to pull away, he held her tighter. “Lie down. That’s an order. Do I have to spank you?”

  At his words, a now-familiar shiver of arousal traveled down between her legs. She fought to keep it out of her voice. “How do you know I don’t have a dog?”

  “You’d have mentioned it by now,” he replied, snuggling back against her and closing his eyes. “You never said anything about getting home to take care of a dog on all the other evenings you’ve been here. Now go to sleep.”

  Reluctantly, she allowed herself to be cuddled tight against his chest. Inside, she was quaking. This whole thing had already gone way too far. She never made it a practice to spend the night with anyone, much less a man who held her entire future in his hands. He’d made it clear at the beginning that this part of the arrangement was only temporary—six months spending every weekday evening at his house. She’d allowed things to go way too far. Now here she was locked in his arms, arms that felt much too comfortable and warm.

  Rylie was torn between anger and desire. She’d been put in a position where she had no choice but to submit to the spankings, but he’d been perfectly clear about the rest. He hadn’t done anything afterwards that she herself didn’t ask… no, forget ask. She’d begged him to touch her, to fuck her, to let her stroke and fondle him. She lay awake, stiff and uncomfortable, listening to his slow breathing, feeling the unaccustomed warmth of a powerful male body, until she finally succumbed to exhaustion.

  She woke to the unmistakable sensation of a hard penis pressing against the crack of her ass. It was barely light outside and Rylie thought they couldn’t have slept for more than a couple of hours. She didn’t move, but Sullivan must have realized she was awake from the way her body stiffened.

  “Good morning,” he whispered in her ear, nuzzling her neck at the same time that he rubbed up against her sensuously.

  “Good morning,” she answered, suddenly shy.

  “I’m taking you out to breakfast this morning, Rylie,” he announced. “What would you like—pancakes or eggs or grits—or this?” His hand moved, cupping her breast to tweak her nipple, then down to linger between her legs. She gasped when he penetrated her with one finger, then two.

  “You’re all hot and wet again.” His voice was low, rough. “You know what I want for breakfast?” He rolled her over, sliding inside with one smooth move that had her crying out. She fisted his hair in her hands and arched her back, welcoming him.

  “Your body wants me, Rylie. Your body doesn’t pretend to be cold and angry and indifferent. I’m not letting you back away this time. You’re staying with me all day today. You’re going to look me in the eyes and admit how much you wanted this. How much you love everything I do to you, how much you need me to spank you good and hard sometimes.” All the while he was moving in and out.

  Her body responded instantly to his words, the unbidden shudder of arousal welling up from deep inside. She’d slept next to him all night, breathed in his masculine pheromones. Now her primal self was awakened, tossing aside all of R. L. Duncan’s uptight fears and inhibitions.

  “Yes,” she moaned. “Yes, I do.” She wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him deeper. “Damn you,” she muttered.

  “You’ll get five swats for that—later,” he growled, gripping her ass as he drove inside.

  “Yes… please,” she murmured back.

  Sullivan captured her mouth. Rough, hungry—there was nothing sweet or gentle about this kiss. It was all raw desire, pent-up need. Rylie thought she was incapable of feeling anything more. But the sheer ferocity of Sullivan’s response to her whispered plea shocked her. It was as though he too had been holding a part of himself back all this time, needing to hear her say those words, admit she wanted his mastery. He crushed her in his arms as he exploded inside her.

  Hours later, they sat in the spring sunshine at an outdoor café. Rylie had on one of his white dress shirts rolled up at the sleeves and a pair of his jeans, belted tightly at the waist. Her bright red toenails peeked out from below the hem. In the open-toed high heels she’d worn to work yesterday, she was tall enough that she didn’t even need to roll up the cuffs. Her hair falling loose around her shoulders in a dark cloud of waves, no makeup on except for a swipe of lipstick from her purse, she felt sexy and desirable. And thoroughly satisfied.

  She smiled at Sullivan. Despite having only a couple of hours of sleep, he looked rested and relaxed. He had on a casual shirt the color of a tropical ocean and she loved the way it brought out the blue in his eyes. On a whim, she reached out and stole a strawberry from the top of his waffle.

  He grabbed her hand and licked the whipped cream from her fingers, one by one. “You really are aching for another spanking, aren’t you?” he said with an evil grin.

  “You wanted me to let my inner self come out and play,” she replied. “But I’m afraid I might be kind of a naughty girl deep inside.”

  “Fortunately I’m very good at handling naughty girls.” His eyes smoldered.

  Those words, that look on his face, sent a shiver of pure lust straight to her belly. She’d never had a man want her with such hunger, demanding the same voracious response from her body and seeing to it that she gave it. Rylie tried to shut off the rational, safe, and frankly boring voice inside her head that was preaching words of warning. Yes, Neill Sullivan was dark and dangerous, demanding, domineering—and he was the most exciting man she’d ever met.

  Chapter Six

  At Neill’s insistence, they stopped at her apartment later and she packed a small bag. Before long, Rylie was leaving a few things at his place and
spending every weekend with him. Although it hadn’t been a concern for years, she worried now about getting carried away again and having unprotected sex. Feeling like a naughty teenager, she skipped a business meeting one afternoon to slip away from the office for a visit to her doctor to arrange for birth control. When she confessed the truth to Sullivan in his office late that afternoon, he stood up and locked the door. Then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with such intensity, she was left aching with desire—a desire he fulfilled right then and there.

  On weekday evenings, they still tried to get some work done, but with Rylie stripping naked every time she walked in the door, there were plenty of times Sullivan never made a dent in his paperwork.

  At the office, they maintained a businesslike façade. Rylie was treated as a trusted advisor and it didn’t take long before she felt comfortable enough to begin speaking her mind.

  When Sullivan questioned one of the clauses she added to his standard contract for a long-time client, Rylie defended her decision. The discussion became heated and before long, she was shouting.

  “You hired me to protect your interests. I can’t do that if you insist on challenging my judgment every time I suggest a change in the ‘good ole boy’ style of doing business that your daddy followed.”

  Sullivan’s eyes narrowed. “I suggest you refrain from bringing my late father’s business practices into this discussion.”

  “So I’m not allowed to question your judgment and now your dear departed daddy is off limits too?”

  “Be careful, Rylie.” His voice was deceptively soft.

  The quieter he got, the angrier she became. The man was infuriating. He refused to jump in and fight it out, the way she was used to doing.

  “What’s wrong, Sullivan? Have I stomped on hallowed ground? Well, I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but your father’s standard contract was a piece of crap. There are a dozen ways any halfway decent lawyer could find to get his or her client out of a deal with you anywhere along the way, leaving your firm stuck with all the expenses you’ve generated and no way to collect. You’re damn lucky you haven’t been screwed big time by anyone.”

  “The people I choose to do business with are decent and trustworthy.”

  “And you’re a fucking idiot! Do you really think everyone around you is ‘trustworthy’? The world is a hard place, Sullivan. There are vultures out there just waiting to see you stumble and fall, so they can pick your carcass clean. That’s why you need me to protect you.”

  “This discussion is over for now, Ms. Duncan.” His voice was cold. “Please see yourself out.”

  She headed back to her office, sick inside. She’d only been trying to do her job, to safeguard the interests of the firm. But she’d totally lost it when he wouldn’t listen to reason. And the harder she tried to convince him, the more stubborn and entrenched he’d become in his position.

  The future of Sullivan and Sons was important to her. Why couldn’t he see that? She felt like a member of the team here. She was accepted, made to feel welcome, by the other staff members. To her surprise, she’d even become friends with Ashlaigh. The young woman was creative and intelligent and she understood now why Neill had given her such an important position.

  Too bad he wasn’t showing that good judgment when it came to the changes she recommended. She hadn’t lost her temper in weeks, thanks in part to the very real fear that he’d subject her to a long, hard spanking if she did. But the man was being downright pigheaded over this issue.

  Rylie was still furious when she got into her car half an hour later and headed to Sullivan’s house. When she got to the door, he was waiting for her.

  “I will never embarrass you by punishing you at work. But you have a good hard spanking coming for your unacceptable behavior in my office today.”

  He stood in the front hall with his arms folded, waiting for her to undress.

  She glared at him. “Spanking my ass won’t change the fact that I’m right.”

  “Yes, you were right.”

  She stared at him, her mouth falling open.

  “I reviewed the changes you suggested. Your overall advice was sound, even though I strongly disagree with some of the clauses you want to include. Now take off your clothes, go into the office, and bend over my desk. You’re getting your ass whipped good.”

  “What?”

  “Losing your temper, yelling and cussing and making rude remarks about my dead father—that’s your plan to convince me? Is that what you do in court?”

  “Of course not,” she snapped. “But in court, I deal with people who use their brains.”

  “You’re just making this harder on yourself,” he promised. “Now get moving.”

  Rylie thought briefly about stomping back out the door and tearing away, leaving skid marks on his driveway. But some part of her recognized that he didn’t deserve the anger she’d heaped on him. Deep inside, she’d been disappointed and hurt that he hadn’t praised her for a good job when she made her suggestions, hadn’t thanked her for saving his company from possible ruin with her smart and sensible legal advice. She wanted his approval so badly that when she didn’t immediately get it she reacted foolishly, striking out at him rather than calmly stating her case.

  Rylie knew he was right, at least about one thing. It was that damned hot temper of hers that continually got her into trouble. Much as she hated to admit it, she deserved the spanking she was about to get. She always prided herself on being a competent businesswoman. But with Sullivan, she’d allowed her emotions to get the best of her, acting like a spoiled brat in his office, not like a reasonable business associate. She’d never felt this need for the approval of any other male boss, never melted when a man smiled at her. But no other man put his whole heart into it when he smiled the way that Sullivan did.

  It must be the sex, she decided. Fucking him had turned her into a mushy, sentimental female. Ruefully she came to the conclusion that maybe a good spanking would smack some common sense back into her. Unwilling to meet his eyes, she quickly stripped and headed down the hall.

  When they got to the office, she bent over his desk, offering her bare bottom without a word of protest. His hand came down with a fierce swat, bringing a bright red flush to her vulnerable cheeks. Rylie bit her lip, clenching her fingers around the edge of the desk to force her body to remain in place.

  He whacked her again, setting her ass on fire. She tensed, but it only seemed to make the agony worse when his hand connected with her rigid bottom on the next stroke. It was hard to believe that his open palm could create such wicked pain. She swore this spanking was as severe as the ones he delivered with that cursed hairbrush.

  He kept on, spanking her long and hard, blistering her behind. Thankfully, this time there was no playful sexual teasing along the way, nothing that would distract her from the painful reminder of her foolish behavior. She squeezed her eyes shut, hot tears of shame and regret welling up. The spanking seemed to go on forever, but somehow she managed to bear it without a whimper.

  Finally he stopped, pulling her stiff body into his arms. His voice was mild. “Tell me what that was all about, Rylie. It’s not like you—at least not like the woman I’ve been dealing with for weeks now.”

  She could take his harsh discipline. But the soft, caring words, the comfort of his arms wrapped around her, got to her. Rylie broke down, sobbing. “Stop it! Why do you spank me and then have to be so… so nice to me? I need to focus on my work and you keep bringing feelings into our arrangement.”

  She tried to pull away but he held her tighter. “Tell me what bothers you about those feelings, Rylie.”

  The words spilled out, mingled with hot tears. “I work so hard, doing my best for you. I just… I want you to be proud of me. I’m only trying to protect you and your company—and you wouldn’t listen.” She collapsed against him, crying harder than ever.

  He stroked her hair, soothing. “I know you work hard, Rylie. I admire you
tremendously. I would never have offered you this job if I didn’t think you were the very best at what you do. But getting mad and cussing at me isn’t going to convince me of anything. You’ve got to learn to get a handle on that hair-trigger temper of yours.”

  “You… you’re right.” His voice was matter-of-fact, repeating the same thing that she’d been telling herself only a few moments earlier. She felt ashamed, embarrassed at her earlier behavior. “I’m sorry.”

  He patted her burning bottom gently. “Go wash your face and pull yourself together. Then we’ll sit on the deck for a little while; have a glass of sweet tea. Later you can explain your thoughts to me, tell me exactly why you are proposing some of these changes.”

  Once she had calmed down, Sullivan listened intently to her, asking questions along the way, offering suggestions of his own. His instincts were good and despite the fact that he’d inherited a company, Rylie could see why he’d become a success in his own right.

  It was nearly dark by the time they finished their discussion. Sullivan stopped abruptly. “Enough about business. Let’s go skinny dipping.”

  He stood and stripped off his clothes as well. Taking her by the hand, he led her outside into the pool. “I know it makes you uncomfortable when I talk about feelings. So how about if I just show you how I feel about you?”

  He guided her to the deep end of the pool and laid her on her back to float on the water. She sighed and relaxed as the cool water soothed her still-stinging bottom. Taking her hands, he curled them over her head to grasp two of the rugged fieldstones edging the pool. Then he slid his body down, fastening his mouth over her clit.

  Rylie gasped. She tried to grab his head, but he stopped her and moved away.

  “Keep your hands where I put them.” His voice had that stern note that sent shivers through her. “I didn’t give you permission to move.”

  She lay back again, clutching the warm stones as her body floated in the pool. He spread her legs apart and she hissed as the cool water touched the lips of her pussy. But his tongue was hot, lapping against her, his mouth licking and sucking until her clit throbbed with need. When he slid between her legs, the heat of his cock against the chill of the water sent delicious shivers through her. Rylie wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him in deep. She closed her eyes and let go, floating on a sea of sweet sensation.