Obession by Design

by Ravenna Tate

  He gently stood her up and cupped her face. “I’m in awe.”

  “Is that what you wanted? Did I do well?”

  “You exceeded my expectations.” He kissed her, and she melted into his warm embrace, never wanting to leave his arms. When he released her mouth, he watched her face carefully. “Tell me what went through your head during that.”

  She wasn’t sure she could, but understood on some level how important it was to him. Liane relayed the memories that had flashed through her mind. All of them, including the ones about Connor and how he’d turned to black smoke and disappeared.

  Emmett gazed into her eyes for long moments, and then he pulled her close. She swore she felt his body tremble slightly. “I would take that pain into myself for you if I could.” His soft, tender words touched her soul, and she realized at that moment that there was no way she would not fall head over heels in love with this man.

  He gently bent her over the edge of the bed and pushed pillows under her hips until her ass was in the air. “I’m not going to restrain you for this. Your safeword applies.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered. How would she ever be able to fully explain to him what that paddling had done for her? The words she’d spoken hadn’t adequately captured the emotion pouring through her.

  Emmett picked up the bottle of lube that he’d placed next to her on the bed, and she watched him pour some onto his fingers. He inserted one into her asshole, gently stretching the walls. It felt so damn good she was ready to come. She’d had no idea it would feel like this. When he slipped his other hand underneath her to play with her clit, she moaned loudly.

  “I’m glad you like it.” His voice washed over her, dark and seductive. He kissed her tender ass cheeks gently, and it actually hurt for him to do that, but she didn’t stop him because the gesture was so loving. She could only imagine what they looked like, and asked him.

  “They’re red, puffy, and bruises are already coming up. I’m so fucking turned on looking at them that I can hardly stand it.”

  Shivers ran down her spine at his words. This was raw and dirty, but she loved it. To realize she’d been able to give him this kind of pleasure by allowing him to do something that had also purged her of years of horrible memories overwhelmed her. She couldn’t wait to see what else he had in mind for her.

  He pulled his finger out and this time pushed two inside, using more lube first, and she was ready to lose her mind. He flicked her clit, and she was so close! When he finally pulled his fingers out, he sprinted into the bathroom and came back with a wet washcloth. “We’ll need this afterward.”

  “Emmett, I’m not afraid of this. I just wanted you to know that.”

  He kissed her again. “That means the world to me, baby. Are you ready for my dick in there?”

  “Yes. Fuck me in the ass, Emmett. Take me completely.”

  He groaned loudly and donned a condom, then filled her with more lube. Liane kept breathing as he slid his cock into her ass, so slowly and gently it brought fresh tears to her eyes. This time, they were from an outpouring of emotion for this charismatic, seductive, powerful man. He was nothing like she’d expected him to be.

  When he was all the way in, he caressed her ass cheeks again, and then he surprised the hell out of her by reaching over and picking up something she hadn’t noticed before. It was a vibrating toy, and he wedged it against her clit. Chuckling, he kissed her back. “Get ready for the ride of your life, baby.”

  Emmett turned the toy on, and Liane cried out loudly as the most intense orgasm she’d ever had washed over her. He fucked her in the ass, slowly at first, but then increasing his thrusting as the contractions went on and on, radiating out to her entire body. She buried her face in the comforter and grabbed fistfuls of it, lost in the moment. She couldn’t think or breathe. All she could do was let it happen.

  Nothing in the world would ever feel this fucking amazing again. And no man on the planet was like Emmett. He couldn’t be. The fucking and the climax went on for long, luscious moments. She lost track of time and all reason. There was no point in bothering to worry about either. She was a vessel for pleasure, and he had filled her in every possible way.

  When the vibrator turned off, she could still feel its pulsations. Emmett had come inside her and she only knew that from his loud cries. He withdrew, wincing audibly, and she heard him take off the condom. But she couldn’t move. The washcloth was no longer warm but it was wet, and she simply lay there and let him clean her.

  He pulled the toy out from under her and kissed her back. “Are you okay?”

  “Can’t speak. Can’t think.”

  He chuckled and gently turned her over, then gathered her in his arms. She didn’t have the strength to put her arms around him, but he didn’t seem to mind. He kissed her tenderly, gazing at her with awe and an emotion she couldn’t quite interpret. She didn’t want to try. All she wanted to do was stay here forever.

  “That was the most fucking incredible experience I’ve ever had.”

  She tried to smile, but there wasn’t strength to do that much. “Me, too,” she whispered.

  He pulled her close and held her. Liane drifted off to sleep, knowing her life had just changed forever. She could never go back now, and she didn’t want to. She wanted to stay right here with Emmett for as long as he’d allow her to.

  Chapter Eleven

  Emmett woke and was shocked to realize he’d slept nearly seven hours. He never did that. Liane was on her back, one arm thrown over her chest and the other resting on him. The light he’d left on in the room yesterday afternoon bathed her skin in a soft glow. He’d never seen any woman look as beautiful as she did right now. Memories assaulted him, and while he wasn’t surprised to realize his dick was hard again, it ached with a sweet pain that reminded him of what he’d done to her.

  She not only had a kinky side to her, but she was an impact play junkie. That thrilled him, but he knew he’d have to let those bruises on her ass heal before he did anything like that to her again. He didn’t want to permanently scar her. He only wanted to help her explore the sides of her personality she’d never known existed. It was so damn exciting watching a woman get that aroused over a paddling or sex in a way she’d never experienced it before. It fed his need for adventure and tackling new horizons.

  He and Liane could have this kind of excitement and discovery every day of their lives if they wanted it. He only hoped she’d wake without any regrets, because after this day, there was no way he could ever give her up. She was his, and Emmett Radcliffe always got what he wanted.

  Emmett glanced at the clock again. He could wake her up, but she wasn’t used to his breakneck lifestyle and likely needed sleep right now. He had done a lot to her. He could get up and work, but all he really wanted to do was nestle back against her lush body and stay there. It wouldn’t be dawn for five more hours. He was hungry but not so hungry that he needed to eat a large meal.

  Giving her a quick kiss, which didn’t even make her stir, he went down to the kitchen and made himself some toast. Kim and Jeremy had left him notes, letting him know they’d saved his and Liane’s dinner in the fridge and that they were going shopping in the morning. They’d been a godsend to find. They never intruded on his time with a woman, and kept this apartment running like a well-oiled machine.

  He left them a note thanking them for both the dinner and the upcoming shopping, then added a few things he needed them to find for his and Liane’s pleasure next time. They wouldn’t hesitate to buy the items, and that was another thing he liked about them. He could trust them to be discreet as well as efficient.

  Liane was still sleeping in the same position when he made his way back upstairs, so he curled up next to her and drifted back to his dreams. Emmett had never been this content to lie side by side with a woman, and he’d never had such an erotic, satisfying experience. This girl would be his undoing, and he welcomed it. It was time for him to let someone else into his life for longer than a few
weeks or months. He’d waited a long time to find a woman like Liane, and he wasn’t going to give her up.

  ****

  Liane woke to the smell of eggs and coffee, and her stomach rumbled. Her mouth tasted like cotton, and her entire body ached. How long had she been asleep? Emmett wasn’t in the room, but she could smell his cologne and his shampoo. The room also still smelled like sex, and she grinned as the memories assaulted her.

  Then she remembered it was a workday and had a moment of panic. Their laptop cases were still on the chair where he’d placed them yesterday afternoon. That meant he wasn’t working yet either. Well, he was the boss. She supposed if he could blow off the morning, so could she, but it still felt foreign to do such a thing.

  She wasn’t sure what to wear and then recalled them bringing over some of her things, but where were they? She heard Emmett’s voice across the hall, so she wrapped a sheet around her body and peeked out of the room. She followed his voice to a room down the hall, but didn’t go inside when she realized that Jeremy and Kim were also in the room.

  Emmett spotted her and smiled. “There she is. Good morning. Come on in. We were just arranging your things in here.”

  She stepped across the threshold, her face burning with embarrassment. She couldn’t look at his staff, but he seemed totally oblivious to her plight. “You can use this room when you need a space to be alone and to keep your things in. Is it all right? I thought you’d like it because it has an eastern view, so you can watch the fake sunrise.”

  Liane’s heart melted at his words, as much as at the look on his face. He was like a kid who hoped his mother liked the present he’d made her in school. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

  “We’ll leave you now to finish preparing breakfast,” said Kim.

  “Thank you.” She and Jeremy gave her a quick smile, and then as soon as they left the room, Emmett pulled her into a bear hug.

  “Don’t be shy around them. They’ve seen half-dressed people before.”

  “How long have they worked for you?”

  “All my adult life. You can trust them implicitly.”

  He kissed her, and she nearly forgot how hungry she was as images from last evening danced through her head. “I can see I didn’t paddle or fuck you hard enough last night.”

  She laughed. “Excuse me?”

  “You’re still walking.”

  “So are you.”

  “Barely, and I’m starving. Please put on some clothes or I won’t be able to concentrate on anything including food and coffee.”

  “Then get out of here and let me get dressed because right now all I can think about is being naked with you again.”

  Emmett groaned and released her, but as he passed her to head for the doorway he gave her ass a hard smack. She yelped and turned to face him, and his grin nearly made her come. “See you downstairs, gorgeous. Don’t keep me waiting.”

  She picked up a pair of shorts and a tank top, but before she could put them on, Emmett had returned. He pulled off her sheet and looked at her ass, whistling. “I just realized I didn’t assess the damage from last night. Ah … wow. Sorry. Have you looked at it this morning?”

  Liane shook her head, and then followed him into the bathroom. This room had its own, and someone had already filled it with not only the bath products she’d brought over from her place, but all kinds of expensive bath and body products she’d never buy for herself.

  Her attention wandered from all those bottles and jars to the mirror as she stood in front of it and turned sideways so she could view her own ass. What little she could see had bruises and was still quite red. “Nice job, Emmett.”

  “I really am sorry.”

  She laughed and put her arms around him. “No, you’re not. This is exactly what you wanted to do, remember? I’m proud to wear it. You’ve marked me.”

  The look on his face took her breath away. He was bowled over by her comment. “Really?”

  “Really. Now get out of here so I can put on some clothes. I’m about to faint from hunger.”

  He kissed her again, and then he left the room. Downstairs, she enjoyed a huge and delicious breakfast with him, and then they sat in his office with their laptops, working side by side. It was difficult to sit for long periods of time, but Liane had never been this sated or happy. She didn’t want to leave this place.

  She’d embraced so many new experiences last night, and then had that weird but intense breakthrough or epiphany, or whatever it was that had happened. Her mind felt uncluttered this morning, as if a heavy fog had lifted and she could finally see clearly for the first time in years. She wanted to feel this way every day now, and realized she could. Emmett had done this for her.

  Liane didn’t know what would happen tomorrow, or next week, or next month. But she knew that this morning, right here and now, he was the man she wanted to be with.

  ****

  Liane felt like she was living in a dream during the next two weeks. She spent so much time at Emmett’s place that she might as well be living there. She knew he wanted her to move in. He dropped hints three or four times a day, which she ignored. The feeling that she wanted to be with him all the time was still as strong as ever, but when she imagined actually living there … eating breakfast with him every morning and walking to work together, she suddenly wasn’t sure.

  Was she truly ready for something like this? Each time she took a break when they worked from his apartment and glanced around at her surroundings, she was overcome with conflicting emotions. It was so opulent, but that wasn’t the only thing that had her second guessing her own emotions at every turn.

  Everything in the apartment represented what Emmett needed in his life. He was an adrenaline junkie who could never be content with a stable, peaceful home life. Scattered throughout his living space were items he’d literally risked his life retrieving. She had a tough time imagining him as a father, staying home to change diapers, or take their kids to the park.

  The things they did in bed, in the shower, on his desk, and in almost every room of his place now were edgy and even a bit dangerous. There was a reason Emmett had given her a safeword and constantly reminded her to use it. That’s what he needed. He craved it, and now she did, too.

  But what did that mean? Was this part of her that had always been there and she’d simply never known it? Had it taken Emmett’s knowledge and expertise to reach inside and unearth it, or was this simply the result of being in a new relationship?

  Hell … the only true relationship she’d ever had was with Keith, and they’d both been so green. But something had happened to her that first night she’d let Emmett tie her up. Something strange but cathartic had occurred when he’d paddled her to the point of tears. She couldn’t deny that. She was a changed woman from that experience.

  Despite all that, could she take such a huge leap and share her day to day life with this man? As much as she’d learned about him in two weeks, she knew she’d only scratched the surface. She didn’t need a spreadsheet or a website to tell her that. The man almost never talked about himself, even when she asked him a direct question. Liane didn’t like that. It made her wonder if he was hiding something. She felt off center over it.

  Her work on the database kept her busier than she had imagined it would. There were constant tweaks to it, and to the masking program she was also writing, in addition to the weekly meetings with the other Weathermen to compare lists of names and other findings.

  Each man had agreed that they needed to hire separate teams to begin to track down these users. They had teams working on it at their individual companies, but those people also had other duties. That was to change and soon. They had so much information now that they were comparing users on message boards throughout the enterprises, but they had no one solely dedicated to tracking down IP addresses or probing deeper to track down specific machines.

  Liane knew several people from school who still lived in CentralEast and other cities who would kill for a j
ob like that, so at the second weekly meeting she attended, she gave the list of names to the men. They each promised to put them on the short list of candidates they would interview for their new teams.

  What she had with Emmett at work and home was the kind of life she’d always pictured for herself. Instead of being forced to give her body to someone whose help she needed, she was in control of her own destiny. She was able to use her skills and her unique talents on a project that might well save the human race from an eternity of existence underground. It was daunting to think about, but also very exciting.

  She couldn’t ask for a better man than Emmett. He was perfect. And that might very well be what had her on edge whenever he dropped hints about breaking her lease and moving all her things into his place. He was too perfect. She couldn’t find one damn fault.

  Except that he wouldn’t talk about his family or his past.

  Other than that tiny little thing, everything he did was incredible. He looked great, he smelled great, and his clothes were impeccable. He cooked, and even when he didn’t, Kim kept them well fed with delicious food. If Liane needed anything, all she had to was ask.

  The sex was out of this world amazing. She hadn’t known it was possible to have that much fun in bed. She’d certainly never entertained the thought of having sex in so many different places or in so many creative ways, and nearly always accompanied by play that left her breathless and begging for more.

  He never went too far or hurt her unless they’d agreed beforehand that he could, but he still always gave her an out. Always. She never felt pressured to try anything new, and he made her feel like the sexiest woman on the planet, even if all they did was cuddle and watch a video stream on TV or listen to music.

  She should be deliriously happy. Her life was comfortable, peaceful, and filled with more sex than she could handle on most days.

  So why was she afraid to give her entire life to this man? What was missing? Was there something wrong with her that she couldn’t simply accept that he wanted her, and only her, and be happy about that?