Brand (The Donovan Dynasty)

by Sierra Cartwright

  Even though his phone had gone silent for a few seconds only to begin its insistent demands again a moment later, he took the time to stroke his finger over her cheekbone. His touch was gentle, yet she knew how forceful it could be.

  After placing a kiss on the top of her head, he climbed from the bed.

  She turned onto her side and propped her head on her hand, watching him dress, her thoughts filled with lust. It seemed impossible that this man had dominated her just mere minutes ago.

  “You’re not making it easy to leave,” he warned.

  “Good.”

  He gave her exposed buttock a hard spank that made her wince.

  Cade was still fastening his shirt as he left the bedroom.

  Loopy must have heard his footsteps since she scampered down the stairs and skidded into the bedroom. She stopped long enough to ensure Cade wasn’t in the room before she raced down the hallway, yipping as she went. Sofia laughed. She hadn’t been around a lot of dogs, but she’d never known one with this kind of personality.

  Alone, she sat. Since it was uncomfortable without him, she plumped a pillow and placed it behind her. She collapsed against it before drawing the sheet to her chest. Every part of her body seemed alive, from the slight pressure in her toes where the clothespins had been affixed, to the throb in her breasts, to the tenderness of her pussy.

  Even though she’d talked to Lara, read numerous articles, looked at a lot of pictures and videos, none of it had given her a sense of what it would really be like for her.

  It was, more than anything, personal.

  How could she ever explain her internal reaction when a man instructed her to strip before walking down the stairs? She’d been so very much aware of his gaze on her, heating her body. Because they’d played in the loft, she wasn’t as self-conscious as she might have been, but it had still been a bit unnerving.

  Then…

  The sight of his naked chest had thrilled her. She hadn’t been with a man who was so finely muscled. She doubted he went to a gym, but he was so broad, muscular, with defined abs.

  Exhaling, she tipped back her head.

  She’d been unprepared when she had removed his jeans. She’d told herself that his tight boxer briefs had made him look bigger than he was, but when he’d taken them off, she’d been shocked to realize just how significant his cock was.

  Still, kneeling there, in front of him, something had come over her. Maybe she had been inspired by the pictures they’d looked at together or their conversation about him being a Dom, but taking him into her mouth had seemed to be her next obvious move, even though it was the first time in her life that she’d initiated a blow job.

  By the time he’d finally taken her, she’d been out of her mind. Being spread wide and bound had made her feel both sexy and vulnerable, making her very much aware of her role.

  Sex with him had been nothing like she had imagined. Because of the way he’d engaged her brain—something she had no doubt he’d done on purpose—everything else had been magnified.

  And when they were done, he’d held her, stroked her, talked to her. It was as if their lovemaking hadn’t ended after he’d climaxed.

  Sofia expelled a breath. What they’d shared so far hadn’t been close to enough.

  Not more than a minute later, she heard his footsteps and the scrabble of dog nails on the hardwood.

  “Heading out for a bit. Need to give the guys a hand with some fence,” he told her. “Make damn sure you’re here when I get back.”

  “Cade—”

  “It’s dangerous out there, and I don’t want to think about you getting stranded.”

  “I was going to wait for it to ease off.”

  “Would you like me to tie you to the fucking bed?”

  “Ah, isn’t there a rule about not leaving a sub unattended when she’s in bondage?”

  He folded his arms across his chest. He was the picture of implacability, and his words were no softer. “Not if it’s for her own good.”

  Arguing would net her nothing, she realized. And worse, she was delaying him. “I’ll be here.”

  “I meant it when I said I wasn’t done with you.”

  She shuddered.

  Quicker than she would have believed possible, he moved. He grabbed her hands and momentarily pinned them to the wall above her head. The sheet tumbled, leaving her naked and exposed. Her breaths came in ragged gulps.

  He devoured her with a kiss, pinching one of her nipples and pulling on it. No way could she resist this man.

  He left her then, trembling with need.

  Loopy raced after him. In the distance, she heard a door slam.

  She had no idea how long he’d be gone, and she knew she couldn’t spend the evening in his bed waiting for him.

  Loopy returned and Sofia considered what to do.

  Using his shower seemed really personal, and yet, how much more personal could they get?

  She went into his bathroom and took a shower.

  When she returned to the bedroom, wrapped in an oversized towel, Loopy was there, head resting on her outstretched paws. “You lost, too?”

  Thunder rumbled again and the dog scooted across the floor to wedge her head under the bed.

  Sofia petted the dog before getting dressed.

  She went downstairs, sent a couple of emails from her phone, called her mother to let her know she was spending the night as a guest of the Running Wind. Her mother was concerned about her being so far away but said she was glad that the house had so many bedrooms. She hadn’t burdened her mother with the information that she might be sharing Cade’s.

  After promising that she’d stop in to see the twins before going to Houston, she ended the call.

  Restless, not only because she was alone but also because of the storm, the uncertainty of when she’d leave and the submissive experiences she was still thinking about, she wandered around. The house was enormous and she realized her first impression had been accurate. It wasn’t really lived in. Because so little had changed over the years, it was more like a museum than a warm, welcoming home. She wondered how he did it, staying out here, all alone, with all it entailed. It was a lot for anyone.

  Even though she’d just slept with him, she really knew nothing about him. Cade Donovan was as much of a mystery to her as he’d always been.

  When she walked into the kitchen, Loopy followed her. The dog plonked herself down behind the bar stools, keeping an eye on Sofia.

  Sofia looked again and realized she really had no idea whether or not the dog actually had her eyes open.

  She resorted to her usual method of coping, this time, by baking cookies. Fortunately, she found chocolate chips. Even though it was oversized, she decided to use the entire bag.

  Not wanting to go all the way upstairs to reclaim her unfinished wine, she grabbed another glass and filled it with the merlot. After a long sip, she gathered the ingredients and began to make the dough.

  Over time, the storm eased. Thunderclaps were spaced farther apart. Flashes of lightning didn’t appear as bright. Rain still fell, but it let up to a drizzle for a while before returning again in force.

  Even after she’d baked three batches, he still wasn’t back, and night was drawing closer.

  Other than the vintage books in the parlor, there was nothing to read, no magazines, no paperbacks.

  She ate a couple of cookies, put the rest on a plate and covered them with plastic wrap then decided to go to the turret to read a book on her tablet.

  Once up there, she couldn’t help but look for Cade. She saw nothing. Again, she wondered how he managed the sense of isolation.

  She read for a while, looked at a few BDSM sites and played a game of solitaire before restlessly returning to the window. In the distance she saw the ATV’s lights.

  Her heart did a slow, thudding beat.

  She told herself that there would be no way he could see her from the distance. There was no reason for him to look that direction, and the
occasional rain would obscure the view.

  There were a dozen reasons she couldn’t, shouldn’t take off her clothes and expose herself in the window. Among them was the fact that she didn’t do things like that. Sofia McBride, staid, boring business owner, didn’t set out to seduce men.

  As he approached, she amended her thought.

  Hadn’t.

  Until now, she hadn’t behaved that way.

  With Cade, she was letting her emotions and instincts guide her more than she ever had. Not questioning what the hell had come over her since she’d driven onto the Running Wind, she toed off her boots even as she pulled the overhead chain to turn on the light.

  It might have been her imagination, but the ATV seemed to slow.

  Succumbing to the feeling of urgency, she finished undressing then she moved to the window.

  Gulping back trepidation and nerves, she spread her arms wide, as if she were fastened to restraints as he’d said earlier.

  The ATV stopped.

  Cade—please God let it be Cade—unzipped the side and exited the cart.

  He tipped back his hat and looked up.

  She told herself she couldn’t see his eye color from here, but she fancied that she did—dark, steely, intent.

  He gave her a thumbs up then returned to the cart.

  Now that she’d done that, she wasn’t sure of her next step.

  Stay there until he returned? Get dressed? Pretend it hadn’t happened?

  The back door slammed. With a few yips that seemed too high-pitched for a dog that size, Loopy took off with a shuddering skitter.

  She glanced at her pile of clothes and frowned with indecision. Since she rarely went naked, she felt odd. Even at home, after a shower or bath, she pulled on a robe, and she kept it on until she dressed.

  From what he’d said, though, he’d probably prefer she always be nude.

  She heard sounds from downstairs, the rumble of his baritone as he spoke to the dog. Then there was silence, followed sometime later by the echo of his footsteps on the stairs then in the hallway.

  As he drew closer, she settled for merely donning her shirt and leaving it unbuttoned.

  His stride on the metal stairs sounded purposeful, and nerves almost compelled her to cover herself or sit. Instead, she chose to remain standing.

  When he entered the turret, boots and jeans still damp, she was glad she had. He had eyes only for her and his intent was purposeful

  Cade sank his fingers into her shoulders and drew her up onto her toes. “You are so fucking sexy,” he told her before capturing her mouth in a kiss that left her ragged.

  It was as demanding as it was powerful, his tongue hot and plundering. He tasted of dominance and untamed desperation.

  Everything this man did with her—to her—was over the top, from his desire to have her naked to the way he so physically handled her.

  He moved one of his hands to her hair and held her fast so he could deepen the kiss. Her back was slightly bent. The combination of being helpless and protected seeped into every part of her body.

  She now had a sense of why no other relationship had worked out for her.

  Even though she loved family and being around people, no one had insisted on this kind of response from her.

  But this man—Cade Donovan—was anything but ordinary.

  With a ribbon of panic, she realized she could never go back to a regular relationship after this.

  He broke the kiss long enough to ask, “How’s your pussy?”

  She felt heated again, even though she knew she shouldn’t be shocked. “It’s a bit tender.”

  “Too bad.”

  She smiled.

  “I was going to come back and spend some time talking with you, find you something to sleep in, give you some time to recoup, but I’m telling you straight up, that isn’t going to happen.”

  Her tummy did a somersault.

  He released her and said, “Grab the plastic box.”

  While she’d been waiting for him, she’d put it back in the steamer trunk, mostly because looking at the butt plug had made her nervous. The handcuffs and blindfold interested her. The plug was intimidating.

  Knowing he wouldn’t tolerate her procrastinating, Sofia lifted the lid and pulled out the box.

  “We’ll give your pussy a bit of a break.”

  This time, her stomach felt as if it were in a freefall.

  He moved away to hook his foot around the leg of a chair and dragged it toward one of the windows. “Sit here.”

  With a nervous frown, she did so.

  “Put on the blindfold.”

  Her hands were shaking so badly that she dropped the piece of lightweight black fabric. “This feels a bit like asking a condemned man to put on his own noose.”

  “Get on with it.”

  She did as he’d said.

  “Take off the shirt.”

  Suddenly things felt edgier to her. She’d had no idea that a simple blindfold could change her experience so much.

  Wondering if he was looking at her, she shrugged out of the shirt.

  “Spread your legs wide.”

  With a little trepidation, she did.

  “Now part your labia so that you’re showing me everything.”

  She hesitated.

  “No secrets from me, Sofia.” His tone allowed no argument and it made her pulse a bit sluggish.

  “This feels obscene.” But she took hold of the tender flesh as he’d instructed.

  “It’s sexy,” he countered. “I told you in the loft that I’m a voyeur. I like to look at what’s mine.”

  His words ricocheted through her.

  She forgot how to breathe.

  She knew she wasn’t his, not really. But for the moment, this moment, she yearned for the fantasy.

  “I’m going down to the bedroom. I’ll be back in less than two minutes. I want you to stay exactly where you are.”

  When she didn’t respond, he asked, “Do you understand my instruction?”

  Did he have any idea what he was asking from her? This was one of the most difficult things she’d ever done. The position was uncomfortable mentally as well as physically.

  The man knew exactly what he was doing. “Yes,” she whispered.

  Wearing a blindfold, with him gone, all of her other senses seemed keener. She heard the occasional raindrop on the window, the rustle of a light wind through the bushes, even the hum of the air conditioner.

  She was tempted to lift the blindfold and to move her hands. She considered doing both, rationalizing that he’d never know. It was only his command that made her do his bidding. But the truth was, she wanted the experience, all of it, every nuance, no matter how far away it was from her comfort zone.

  Sofia tried to picture what he was doing, but the sounds were muted by the distance.

  When he returned, though, every step seemed magnified. And her pulse throbbed harder as he drew closer.

  “Perfect.”

  She exhaled.

  “Are you wet?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I’m too nervous.”

  “Then maybe you should play with yourself.”

  It wasn’t a suggestion, she knew. She rested her head on the back of the chair as she considered.

  “Now.” He spanked her pussy and she screamed, clenching her legs together against the sharp and sudden pain.

  She realized he hadn’t done it all that hard, but the shock of not even being able to see it coming had startled her.

  “Do you need another?”

  “No!” But before she could react, she felt his damp finger slide between her folds.

  Tension drained from her shoulders. When he pulled away, she continued what he’d been doing.

  “Much better.”

  Again stunning her, she felt his mouth on her pussy. Being sightless disoriented her, adding a thrilling, terrifying dimension.

  At some point, she stopped thinking, stopped the internal battle and inste
ad surrendered.

  “Slide your fingers in and out,” he encouraged.

  She held her labia apart and fucked herself with her fingers while he used his mouth to suck and to lick her clit.

  Never had she experienced something so totally overwhelming.

  She became lost inside her own mind, seeing nothing but laser beams of neon-colored lights.

  “Tell me when you’re close to coming.”

  Repeatedly he drove her to the edge only to yank her back.

  “Oh. This.”

  “Almost?”

  “Yes.”

  He moved away entirely, leaving her gasping for air. “Cade,” she protested, reaching for him.

  “A little orgasm denial will keep you on edge.”

  “I already am. Have been the whole time you were gone.”

  “That’s nice to hear.”

  Despite his words, she knew he wouldn’t change his mind.

  She schooled herself, drawing in half a dozen really deep breaths. “Anything you say.”

  “Oh, sweet Sofia. You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that.”

  She hoped that meant he’d give her an orgasm, but she heard a rustle indicating he’d moved away. She closed her legs.

  “I didn’t give you permission to do that.”

  Behaving submissively was more challenging than she would have ever believed. It was about much more than following his dictates, it was also about tamping down her own instincts, even those for preserving her modesty and vulnerability.

  Without further prompting, she spread her legs again.

  “Keep touching yourself. But no orgasm.”

  Her clit was so sensitive that the lightest of touches made her squirm.

  “I could get used to this.”

  She wondered what he was doing, why he’d gone down to the bedroom, how much more of this she had to endure.

  Too quickly, she found out.

  He clamped his hand around her wrists. “Now stand.” Cade pulled her up. “Shuffle step to the right.”

  After she’d done so, he guided her to turn.

  “I’m going to bend you over the side of the couch.”

  His touch was firm, helping her maintain some confidence that she wouldn’t topple over.

  “Put your hands on the arm.”

  She felt around until she was able to grip the leather.