Love Against Odds Volume One (Love Agaist Odds Book 10)

by Harbin, Mandy

  She watched him, a smile playing at the corners of her succulent lips. “Surprise,” she murmured. She could’ve cast a spell with that one word because all he heard was his own personal siren.

  “Fuck me,” he whispered incredulously.

  “That’s the plan.”

  At that, he groaned. Beer forgotten, he yanked his shirt off his overheated body and immediately unzipped his pants. If he didn’t get them off soon, his cock would cause the seams to burst. He stood, stripping out of them, and sighed at the instant relief he felt at his newfound freedom. Now that his skin could breathe, he forced himself to absorb his little vixen’s action and find a little control, lest he explode as soon as he touched himself.

  He sat back down, gently taking his dick in hand, gritting his teeth against the overwhelming sensation.

  “I see you’ve been a very busy, very naughty little girl.”

  “You seemed like you needed a little pick-me-up.”

  “Oh, I’m up. I’m so up I could pound nails with my cock.” He took a deep breath as he eased back into a more comfortable position. “Lift your hips, baby. Let me see what you’ve done.”

  She raised her pussy and he squeezed his dick when his balls started to tingle. He wouldn’t embarrass himself shooting off just yet. But damn it to hell, she was fucking beautiful! He shut his eyes and tried to catch his breath. When he opened them, he focused on her breasts and saw that the nipple clamps she wore were tethered to her wrists. “Lift your arms,” he ordered huskily.

  She did, whimpering when the action tugged at her sensitive buds.

  “That feel good, baby?” He leaned closer, wishing he could step right through the screen and into her bedroom.

  She nodded, biting her lip.

  “Say it, Cassie. Tell me how it feels.”

  “It burns. It’s shooting sparks straight to my pussy.” She moved her arms, pulling at her nipples again. This time she gasped then moaned as she whirled her wrists around.

  “That’s it, baby. Tease yourself for me.” Ian groaned as he stroked his cock and watched the sexy scene unfold before him, too engrossed to think clearly.

  “I’d rather you tease me,” she said breathlessly.

  God, he’d give anything to be touching her himself right now. “Mmm, I know, Cassie. If I were there, it’d be my teeth biting you instead of those clamps.”

  She sucked in air as she tugged on them again. Ian liked that she seemed to enjoy the thought of his teeth worrying her nipples. Then she smile seductively. “You can still tease me from there.”

  Of course he could. He’d been teasing her for days without actually touching her. He just wished he could control her orgasm himself. He knew it was his dominant part barreling to the front of his psyche demanding that control. Knowing she did what he told her when he told her was a fucking turn-on like no other, but being able to bring her to the precipice over and over again without letting her go over would be the icing on the Cassie cake.

  She licked her lips. “You got that link up?”

  Huh? She wanted to put the brakes on now? “Yeah, baby. It can wait until after we’ve played. I want to give you my undivided attention.” He was already scheming how to get her off because he knew it’d be hard without the use of her hands, but damn, it was sexy as hell seeing her all tied up for him.

  “But it’s my other surprise for you. Pull it up.”

  Not knowing what to think, he brought up the small screen. “Okay, so what am I— Sweet mother of God!” he gasped. “Is this what I think it is?”

  Holy shit! No way was this a remote control to something attached to her body. But now that he thought about it, the options for various settings could be just that. He clicked the first one and heard a low hum over the airwaves followed by her moan. His head shot to her just as her hips lifted helplessly off the bed.

  “Cassie,” he breathed, understanding finally setting in. The link was a control to the vibrator attached to her. For a moment he forgot the fact he’d get his wish fulfilled of controlling her climax, and his heart squeezed in his chest when he realized she went through all this trouble to please him. It couldn’t have been easy, and she had to have had help. His possessiveness roared at the thought of another person seeing her like this, so he had to quickly suppress that reaction. It was probably one of her girlfriends, and she did it with him in mind.

  He had to get his wits about him. She did this for him, but he wanted to make sure she enjoyed every minute of it. Just as he fully intended to. Her pleasure was bonded to his, and he wanted to make this good for both of them. As his resolve settled in, another emotion drove forward.

  Dominance.

  Ian felt it overcome his senses. He didn’t care. Cassie knew his kinks and had already been exposed to that aspect of his sex life. He wouldn’t resist the temptation to embrace it now.

  “Who helped you, Cassie?” His voice was so guttural he barely recognized it as his own.

  “Sasha.”

  “Hmmm.” He was relieved that his suspicion was accurate. “Where is she?”

  “Um, in the living room, I think.”

  Perfect. “Roll on your side,” he ordered.

  She struggled within her bindings to do as he requested, but there was enough slack to accommodate her maneuverings. If he’d tied her up, she wouldn’t be able to budge, but this worked for what he needed. When she finished, she was panting from her efforts. And maybe from anticipation, he’d like to think.

  Cassie didn’t say anything. The thought that she was waiting for his command made pride swell inside him. His woman was giving him this control. Why wouldn’t he be proud and honored by her gift?

  Drawing out her anticipation, he picked up his BlackBerry and searched his contacts. He glanced at Cassie’s face and saw her brow furrow in confusion, but she still didn’t say anything. He selected the person he wanted to call and put the phone up to his ear, his eyes still on Cassie.

  “Hello?”

  “Sasha?” Cassie’s eyes grew when she realized he’d called her accomplice. Ian kept his expression neutral. “Can you come into Cassie’s bedroom?”

  “You finished already?” There was a hint of amusement in her voice, thinking he was done with Cassie. Oh, he wasn’t done with her. Not now, not ever. He felt shocked at that realization and mentally shook it off.

  “Not yet. I need your help. That is if you don’t mind a little hands-on action.” He’d give her the option.

  Sasha hesitated. “Er, okay. Be right in.”

  Ian disconnected the call and watched Cassie. She opened her mouth but snapped it shut when he gave her a reprimanding look. This type of relationship required trust, so she’d have to trust him to see to their pleasure. He preferred no one else look at her like this, but since Cassie was comfortable with Sasha seeing her exposed, he could use Sasha for what he needed.

  He heard Cassie’s bedroom door open and saw her head crane around to look at Sasha. She didn’t come into view.

  “Keep your eyes on me, baby.”

  Cassie reluctantly looked at him, and he figured Sasha was trying to communicate with Cassie without his knowledge. The fact Sasha was probably trying to make sure Cassie was all right with this made him respect her friend a little more.

  Sasha walked to the side of the bed, displaying a sense of sexual prowess that seemed a little forced to be fully true. “My, my, my, I do declare that is one big cock, Mr. Cope.”

  He stroked it, not taking his eyes off his possession. What Sasha thought of him didn’t matter. He was only focused on the goddess on the bed. “Cassie has been a bad little girl. I need you to see to her punishment.”

  Cassie’s eyes flickered to Sasha and back to the screen. “Baby, I told you to keep your eyes on me. You’re already gonna be spanked for letting another person see you like this. You don’t want extra lashes for disobedience.”

  Sasha laughed. “You want me to spank her for surprising you?” At that, he looked at Sasha, and she was shaking
her head. “You’re a coldhearted bastard.” She stuck her tongue out, licking her lips, and cocked her head to the side. “Or one kinky son of a bitch.”

  He winked at her and turned his attention back to Cassie. No way in hell was he seriously punishing her for doing this for him. He just wanted to push her a little, see if she’d let him call the shots. It wasn’t as if he was there and could unleash his dominance himself. God, he’d give anything to be the person marking her ass. He’d just have to live vicariously though Sasha right now. “Use your hand, Sasha. Don’t stop until I tell you to.”

  She threw Cassie a look of you asked for this and landed the first blow. Cassie yelped and twisted her body but didn’t take her eyes off Ian.

  “Stay still, baby.” Sasha swatted Cassie again, and she complied. “Good girl,” he murmured.

  Seeming to accept what she was actually doing, Sasha released a barrage of smacks, alternating cheeks. Ian groaned, fisting his cock while he watched Cassie whimpering with panting breaths. Her face was flushed, eyes glazed with arousal.

  And Sasha kept them coming, driving up his and Cassie’s desire. He couldn’t take much more of this.

  “Enough,” he ordered. “You can leave.”

  Without preamble, Sasha walked away, and he heard the door shut.

  “You know how fucking hot that was watching a woman spank what’s mine?”

  She groaned, her legs parting, the evidence of her arousal coating her thighs.

  “Roll over and show me your ass.”

  Cassie moved around, and when her buttocks came into view, he growled at how beautiful it looked. The rosy blooms of Sasha’s handprint inflamed Cassie’s backside. Jesus, he wanted to feel the heat coming off it.

  “Lie on your back and spread your legs for me, baby.”

  As she struggled to get supine, he opened the browser that contained the controls to her dildo. Once she was in position, Ian selected the lowest setting, watching her hips wiggle as she took what he dished out. He played with her, leaving it on the lowest setting for a while, listening to her murmurs of approval because it felt good, of protest since he wouldn’t up the intensity. He rubbed his cock harder, faster as he watched her writhe on the bed. Then he upped the setting and she squealed.

  “Oh God, Ian.”

  “You like that, baby?”

  He knew he did. He didn’t give her a chance to answer. He increased it again, watching her get closer to her orgasm. A few seconds later, she shouted, “I’m gonna come!”

  He turned off the device and she gasped in confusion, looking around the room and then settling her gaze on him. She pouted as her head fell back to the pillow.

  “You’ll come when I’m ready for you to, Cassie.”

  He continued his torment of her. And his torment of himself, because by denying her climax he was denying his. He brought her to the edge and yanked her back several times over the next hour. He’d worked his cock with the same torturous action, enduring the pain of his near orgasms for the pleasure he would finally achieve when they went over together.

  When she was a blubbering, sensitive mess, ready to go off as soon as he tried changing his ministrations, she was the most beautiful thing he’d even seen. His own body was overheated, heart racing, sweat pouring down his face, chest. He’d have thought he was beyond any cognitive processes, but seeing her spread before him, he couldn’t help but think he wanted to be with her. Not only possess her in reality but cherish her, love her.

  He groaned at the bombardment of emotions swarming him and hit the highest setting on Cassie’s vibrator as he pumped his cock with relentless abandon. He barely registered her crying out his name over the roar of the blood rushing in his head. He shouted his own release and shivered at how painful the pleasure actually was. His orgasm went on forever, and when it finally ebbed, he shut off the vibrator and slumped over, spent.

  He was losing himself to her, and he had no idea what to do about that.

  8

  Cassie stepped out of the supply closet Monday afternoon with her phone in hand, trying to suppress her heavy panting.

  “Looking for new pens?” Sasha asked from behind Cassie, and she whirled.

  “Um, er, I, ah.”

  Her phone buzzed and she looked guiltily at it.

  “Oh my God! You were having phone sex in the supply room?” Sasha whispered. “I swear you two are like rabbits.”

  She was right. But after Cassie’s surprise Friday night, something had changed in this thing between Ian and her. He hadn’t wanted to disconnect after their mind-blowing sex. Sasha had freed Cassie before escaping, but then she and Ian had stayed up half the night talking. They’d spent the weekend chatting online, talking on the phone and even having a movie night last night. They’d both watched the same movie on HBO, ate popcorn and talked the evening away before submerging themselves in heated passion well into the night. They’d had lots of sex over the weekend, but it was different, more emotional.

  “For goodness’ sake, you haven’t even kissed the man!” Sasha all but laughed. “I can’t get into a relationship with a guy without knowing if he’s a good kisser.”

  Cassie shrugged as she uselessly adjusted her shirt and headed back to her desk. “This is different.”

  “You, girl, are falling for him like a ton of bricks.”

  “So?” Cassie mumbled.

  Sasha sighed and tugged at Cassie’s arm so she’d look up. “Just be careful. There are company rules about this kind of stuff. And I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  “There are rules about letting a man watch me masturbate?” Cassie asked with false innocence.

  Sasha smirked. “Technicality, my dear. Anyway, just play it cool.”

  “Yes, Mother.” Cassie rolled her eyes. “Just so you know, Ian and I finished up our work on the project this morning, acceptance testing successfully completed and documentation finalized. We signed off on everything, and now he’s on his way to a meeting with his boss to close out the assignment. So there. We didn’t let our personal lives interfere with our work.”

  Sasha gave her a placating look. “I never said you’d botch your job for a little dick action.” After they both chuckled, Sasha sobered. “What happens now that your project is over?”

  Cassie hadn’t wanted to think about that. Logically, she knew they’d go their separate ways. This was just a little digital romance, and now that their project was finished, it didn’t make sense to continue it. Ian lived out west, and Cassie knew it wouldn’t be healthy to carry on seeing him like this. It’d just keep her from getting out there and having real dates with men who could actually touch her.

  So why did her heart ache each time she thought about calling it quits? She didn’t really have to ask herself that question. She knew the truth. She was falling in love with him, and the more time she spent with him, the faster she was falling. What was she going to do about him?

  “I don’t know,” she finally answered. Because deep down, that was the only answer that made any sense.

  Ian sat at the conference room table with Mac and the bigwigs that’d flown in this morning. He sat, facing what felt like his executioners. He knew he wasn’t losing his job, but Cassie was going to, and he was so attached to her now that he felt as if this were happening to him. And he felt like shit for his hand being forced in her downfall.

  After his personal meeting with Mac yesterday afternoon, Ian had given Cassie a lame excuse about having plans with his brother last night and had spent the evening getting drunk.

  His hangover didn’t help his self-reproaching woes this morning.

  He was an asshole. There was no bigger asshole than him. Regardless of how he felt about engaging in a digital relationship with Cassie in the beginning—it was something new to try with a woman he’d had a thing for—it turned out to be so much more. In this relationship he expected her to trust him to see to her sexual needs. But those were the only needs he sought to protect. And in that, he was a hypocrite. S
he’d given him all her trust. She hadn’t rationed it out, only giving it to him in one aspect of her life. She trusted him fully. And what had he done? He hadn’t trusted her enough to open up about what he had to do. It didn’t matter that Mac told him to keep quiet about her office closing. He should have been honest with her.

  “We’re pleased you were able to stop by before your trip to the other offices,” Mac said to the executives at the table.

  They all chitchatted as everyone settled down and prepared for the meeting ahead.

  “Mr. Winthrop, Mr. Cartwright, Mrs. Downing, I hope you’ve had an opportunity to view the consolidation plan Ian Cope has prepared via directive from me regarding the initiative to consolidate the southern office I’ve been overseeing,” Mac stated as he glanced at Ian in recognition. He was a little surprised by that. He didn’t want any part of this mess, but it was unlike Mac to share any glory, no matter how bloody the battle.

  “We have, and we agree with the assessment. Closing that office will save millions and increase our cash flow, which is needed for the new direction of our software products. Did you build the generic prototype we want to market to the security industry?” Mr. Winthrop asked.

  “Yes sir.” Mac pulled up the application on the overhead projector and showed how seamlessly it could be modified to fit individual client needs. He droned on and on while Ian shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

  He had to do something. He owed it to Cassie to try to save her job, but these jokers were only interested in the bottom line, and it really did make sense to close that location. It didn’t matter, though. He would try something. When the conversation drifted back to the office closure and off new product development, Ian found his window.

  “With the level of expertise in the southern office on this particular application, it might make sense to consider keeping a few members onboard,” Ian said thoughtfully. Or he hoped like hell he sounded that way, because he really felt desperate.