“Play with yourself for me, sweetheart.” It was a soft command, but one she was all too eager to obey. He lifted her thighs higher, holding her steady as he increased his thrusts, pistoning faster and faster. She grabbed her breasts, plumping and massaging them, teasing her nipples with the pads of her fingers and then her nails. She moaned as he grasped her thighs tighter.
She sacrificed playing with one nipple to spread her folds and rub her clit. It was still sore, still so sensitive that it only took a few strokes.
“Almost there,” she said between pants.
He grunted and kept moving. She pinched one nipple, then the other. Arching her back, she closed her fingers tightly around her nipple and pulled, rubbing faster and harder on her clit. The bite of pain jolted through her, rolling into the pleasure and lacing it like a drug. She screamed as her body catapulted over the edge. She came hard, her sheath clenching his shaft, demanding he come with her. He thrust deep, making her cry out, and then tilted his head back and groaned, his body straining as he emptied himself inside her.
His shoulders slumped, and she slipped her fingers away from her clit and nipple, her body thrumming. He loosened his hold on her thighs. He stepped back, leaving her feeling chilly and bereft without his body inside hers.
“Well, that was…messy,” he said, grinning like crazy.
She sat up, and he helped her stand. “Allow me,” she said, grabbing some napkins off the counter.
“By all means,” he said, lifting his hands behind his head.
She rubbed the soft napkins around the head of his shaft, then down to the base and back up. She repeated this process with clean napkins until he was panting. His eyes clouded with lust.
“Thanks,” he whispered.
“My pleasure.” She knelt before him, and he gasped. This was the ultimate submissive position, she knew. She tugged his pants up his legs and over his hips, rising on her knees but remaining in the position. When she slid his cock into the front of his jeans and zipped and buttoned them, the pride on his face warmed her. She sat back, her ass resting on the backs of her heels. Then she placed her hands palms up on her thighs and tilted her head to the side so she could see his face out of the corner of her eye.
His face was now hard, his jaw etched from stone, his eyes glittering. Her kneeling had pushed him right into full Dom mode. Her breath came in soft pants, her heart still thundering from her last orgasm. She stayed as motionless as possible, her muscles relaxing into the position the way she did in Pilates in a particularly difficult pose. She let her mind settle as she waited.
“Come here,” he said gruffly after another few minutes. She pushed gracefully to her feet, her eyes still downcast. “You are like the most precious gift,” he said as he reached out to touch her. His fingers sent an electric shock through her, and she started. He ran his fingers through her hair. “Turn around.”
She presented her back to him.
“Spread your legs.”
She did, her muscles shivering.
“Hands on the floor.”
She took a deep breath and sank into a forward fold, her palms taking the weight of her upper body as they landed on the hardwood floor.
“Mmm,” he purred appreciatively. He cupped her sex with his hand. She moaned at the heat. His hand was quickly replaced with a soft napkin, and she groaned as he swiped it along her folds, the friction making her quake. He rubbed her gently with the material, cleaning her. Then he started on her thighs, up and down and up again until she was out of her mind with desire.
He teased her entrance with two fingers, slipping them in just enough to make her moan before pulling them back out again. He did this several times, and she watched as his fingers disappeared deep inside her folds. She cried out as he pushed down on the front wall of her sheath.
He rubbed her there back and forth, driving her crazy. She bucked against his hand. “If you come, I will take that spatula off the counter and spank your bare ass with it,” he warned.
She closed her eyes and panted, biting down on her lip and forcing herself to obey him. He played with her G-spot, rubbing her over and over but refusing to let her come. He pulled his hand back, then slipped a third finger in, the pressure returning right where she needed it most. She pulsed with longing. He reached his other hand around her hip, and she watched as he spread her folds to expose the swollen nub of her clit. With wet fingers, he rubbed her lightly, his other fingers pushing deep and pressing insistently on that spot inside her.
She groaned, begging him to put her out of her misery. Her body wept for release.
“No,” he said, answering her silent pleas. He pulled his fingers back from her clit and her sheath. She screamed her frustration. He patted her on the ass. “Good girl. Stand up.” She obeyed, teetering on unsteady legs. She felt like any sudden movement might set off the rockets. She turned to face him. His grin was pure evil. “Go shower.”
She nodded, slowly walking to the other side of the room.
“And Elizabeth?”
She turned. “Yes, Sir?”
“If you make yourself come, I will spend the rest of the day torturing you.”
She shuddered at the promise in his voice. She might come just listening to his orders. Her body didn’t feel like hers to command any longer. It only wanted to obey him. She almost wanted to come right there, ride her hand to bliss and make him watch, knowing how delicious the torture would be. But she couldn’t. She had a plan for the rest of the day, and it didn’t include being tied up in his playroom, unfortunately.
So instead, she lowered her eyes. “Yes, Sir.”
“Good girl.” His voice practically purred, the low vibration of it skittering down her spine, even though she was across the room.
She was careful to keep her movements slow and controlled as she stepped up the stairs. She was still walking that razor’s edge of desire, and any friction between her legs was liable to send her right over.
She took the longest, coldest shower she could stand, her head buzzing. She almost came, twice. But she managed, somehow, to hold off the orgasm by sheer force of will. When she stepped out from under the frigid water, her breathing and heart rate were back into their normal range, and she quickly dried and dressed, avoiding her erogenous zones as much as possible. When she went back into the kitchen, she was equal parts pleased and horrified to see Chase sitting at the table with his feet up, reading.
He glanced at her, his dark gaze roving over her from top to bottom. “Good girl,” he said, that infuriating grin still on his face.
She smiled and went to him. She draped her arms around him from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder. “I have to go see my family today.”
He stiffened, setting the reader down on the table. “When?”
“Now.”
“You really think this is a good idea?”
“I have to.” She didn’t tell him why. Didn’t tell him that she didn’t care if she never saw them again or that she was only going to try to get her father to see reason. To get him to back off and let Chase live his life.
“Okay. Then I’m coming with you.” His voice was implacable.
She was going to have to play dirty. “And I love that you want to come to support me when I see them. I get it. You want to protect me and all that. But you can’t.”
“Like hell. I said I’m going with you, and I am.”
She squeezed him tighter and kissed his neck gently. “No,” she whispered. “Please. You have to let me do this on my own. I have to face them. Alone. Or I’ll never be able to look myself in the eye again. This is my battle, and if you care about my well-being at all, you will let me fight it.” She held her breath, waiting.
It was so wrong to play on the feelings she felt growing between them. But if Chase discovered who her father was, she didn’t know what he would do. They’d had a breakthrough last night, and she didn’t want to jeopardize it, no matter what.
He held her arm, gripping it tightly
. “Damn it, Elizabeth. Don’t do this.” He only used her full name when she was being naughty. Or when he was really, really pissed.
Oh, well. She’d gone toe-to-toe with his anger and survived. Barely. She was not going to back down. If her plan had any minuscule hope of success, it was only if she went alone. The minute her father realized her connection to Chase, he’d try even harder to destroy the man who was starting to mean more to her than she wanted to admit.
She waited patiently for Chase’s decision, letting the silence draw out between them.
Finally, he sighed. “You’re not going to budge on this one, are you?”
“Not a chance,” she said.
“I don’t like it.”
“I know.”
He turned his head, spearing her with that hard gaze of his. “You call me the second you feel like you need me. I’ll be there.”
“I know you will, baby.” She kissed him, trying to show him how much his support meant to her.
She forced herself not to smile when he ushered her into the car. He was going to drop her off at her place before going to the bank to plead his case. If her father had any say in the matter, he wouldn’t get anywhere, regardless of what deal he was willing to sign with the bank.
“You are a world-class brat. I’ve completely spoiled you. You know that, right?” he said as he drove toward her house.
She grinned. “I know. And you wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said sweetly, leaning across the console to rest her head on his shoulder.
“Yeah, probably not.” He rubbed his cheek against the top of her head. “Remember to hold on to that orgasm for me, sweetheart. All day. You don’t get to come until I tell you to tonight.” His hand left the gearshift and traveled up the inside of her dress. She squirmed and swatted at his hand, sliding back into her seat.
“Stop that,” she said, giggling. But the words weren’t forceful. She didn’t really want him to stop, and they both knew it.
His hand moved expertly north as he drove, his gaze never leaving the road. Her thighs parted, granting him entrance.
“Son of a bitch,” he said between clenched teeth when his seeking fingers came into contact with bare flesh.
She hadn’t bothered to put panties on after her shower. It was so incredibly sexy to know she was walking around without underwear. All for him. She inhaled sharply as his fingers played with her.
“God, woman. This is all I’m going to be able to think about when I’m in that meeting. Do you know that?”
She would have laughed, but he chose that moment to tap her mound hard, and she cried out instead.
“You better think about me touching you here.” He rubbed her. “About how much I want nothing more than to pull this car over, lift your skirt, and bury my face between your thighs until you scream my name.”
She moaned.
“Say it. Say my name.” He swiped his fingers up and down her folds.
“Chase,” she whispered, panting.
He pressed his thumb into her clit, and she screamed. “Good girl.” He massaged his way down her inner thigh and settled her skirt over her legs again.
She shifted in the seat, unable to keep still, her body seeking release, her folds aching.
“It’s going to be hours until I let you come.” His dark voice wrapped itself around her, and she tipped her head back, her eyes rolling, her body flooding with a rush of chemicals.
He slowed the car to a stop in her driveway, and she sat up, hissing as her thighs brushed together. He cupped a breast and thumbed her taut nipple. “Mmm, that would taste so good right now.” He drew out every word, making her shiver with that hypnotic voice of his. Half the fun of submitting to him was the way he messed with her head, telling her all the dirty and glorious things he was going to do to her body before he did them. It heightened the pleasure and, sometimes, the edge of fear they played with as well.
He leaned across her body, crowding her against the seat, his heat sizzling along her skin. The passenger door popped open. “Well, off you go,” he said, his voice downright cheery.
She glared at him but didn’t comment. But as she stepped out of the car and glanced around, making sure no one was looking, she couldn’t help acting on a naughty impulse. She boldly slipped her hand up her dress, pulling the fabric out of the way so he could watch as she held herself and thrust her hips gently against her hand.
She moaned, and he clenched his jaw tight. She had to stop, right now. In another second, she wouldn’t be able to. She moved her hand back, settling her dress in place, and closed the door in his face without a word. She sauntered away, swaying her hips enticingly. Her phone buzzed to life between her breasts. She reached in and took it out.
I’m going to make you pay dearly for that.
She panted at his threat, turned back toward the car, and smiled at him through the windshield. Naughty, he mouthed. She lifted her hand in a half wave as he pulled out of the driveway. She let herself into the house with the keypad lock he had insisted on installing last week. She’d allowed him to have his way, since it was really a cool little device.
She took a few minutes to relax, drank some iced tea, and grabbed her phone. Dusty’s number was already saved in her contacts. She dialed, knowing she had to hurry to catch him before he was due to meet Chase at the bank.
“Hello?” he said.
“Hey, Dusty. It’s, uh, Liz. I need your help.”
“Uh, yeah, babe. I’ve only got a sec, but what’s up?”
“Well, you know that lovely senator who’s been trying to run you and Chase into the ground?”
“Hmmm… Yup, rings a bell.”
“Well, the SOB’s my father.”
Silence.
Liz took a deep breath, waiting.
“What?” Dusty’s voice blasted through her ear, and she pulled her phone away to save her hearing.
“Yeah.”
“Does Chase know?”
“No. And it needs to stay that way. At least for now. You have to swear you won’t say a word.”
“Oh, honey, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“He cannot know. Period. Do you hear me?”
He chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. I think I might be able to talk some sense into him, but it’s a long shot. I’m not banking on it. But I have a plan. First, what do you owe on the loan?”
“Liz…I—”
“Are you going to make me keep repeating myself, Dusty?” she demanded in her hardest voice. Things would go a lot easier if he would shut up and do what he was told. For Chase, she would do whatever she had to so she could fix this situation. And that included lying to him, though she knew he’d hate her for it later.
“Fifty grand.”
That was more than she’d thought. She started thinking. If she put her house up for collateral, the bank might take it, but the minute her dad found her name was anywhere connected to this mess, he’d shut the deal down.
“Okay. Listen up,” she said, not letting the enormity of the loan derail her. She launched into an explanation of how they were going to use her father’s own methods against him. She’d learned a hell of a lot standing on the sidelines of his career. She’d made friends in high places, and she knew just who to call for favors. She would use every piece of leverage she’d garnered over the years.
As her plan unfolded, Dusty started to laugh. “Damn, woman, you’re nuts. You really think this will work?”
“It has to. At the very least it will buy you guys some time. If those rezoning laws go into effect, it won’t matter if you figure out a way to pay off the loan; you won’t be able to reopen the club anyway. My father is not screwing around. He’s going to do everything he can to run you out of business and out of town. I know him, better than I wish I did sometimes. He’s ruthless. And he’s never going to stop until you are gone or someone beats him at his own game.”
“Well, you can thank him for one thing.”
/> “Yeah, what’s that?”
“The mile-wide mean streak you’re threatening to unleash.”
“It’s not a threat. One way or another, his crusade is coming to a screeching halt. And soon.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll do whatever you need me to do. Just say the word. But I gotta run. Chase is expecting me.”
“I know. You breathe a word of this to him, and I’ll cut your balls off with a rusty knife.”
“Oh, you’re evil,” he said, fear coloring his words.
She hung up and got in the car, on her way to face the man who’d made her life miserable her entire childhood. She would try to sway him with logic, manipulate him any way she could think of. But she didn’t hold out much hope it would work.
Now or never, Clark. It was time to go to bat for the man who had shown her what it was like to truly be alive. The man she might someday be able to love.
Chapter Eighteen
Liz’s hand crept up to her earlobe, and she hastily yanked it away. The past couple of weeks, she’d barely engaged in the nervous habit, and she wasn’t going to let her father make her start again. She refused to give him that much power over her any longer.
As she drove to her parents’ house, she held tightly to her phone instead, knowing Chase was only a text or call away. She wanted to confront her dad on her own. Like she’d told Chase, this was her battle to fight, and she had to face the senator down all by herself. But as she neared the house, her anxiety spiked, and she knew if she needed him, Chase would be right there. The promise of his support calmed her, warmed her, and gave her strength.
So when she pulled into her parents’ driveway, anger had replaced her fear. How dare her father think he could impose his warped sense of right and wrong on an entire town? How dare he come after Chase? Liz wrapped herself in her wrath and pounded up the walkway and to the steps. She banged the brass knocker instead of ringing the bell. After a minute, she heard the muffled sounds of her parents’ voices on the other side of the door.
Just when she was sure they weren’t going to answer, the door swung open. “I need to talk to you about—”
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