by EM Gayle
The ordeal she’d gone through had taken its toll. She was haunted and no amount of pampering her here was going to make a difference in that. Although some kind of a temporary or permanent separation, like she’d suggested, wasn’t the answer either.
However, something did need to change. She was definitely right about that.
He moved slowly from the bed, so as not to wake her. Her black hair fanned across his pillow and the almost white glow of her pale skin half tempted him to go back to bed so he could have her again. No matter how much time he spent with her, he always wanted more. The thought of her leaving him made his chest ache. From the first night he’d seen her at the private Glass Kat club in her adorable little catering uniform she’d gotten under his skin. Knowing what he knew about her now, the fact that she’d accepted his Valentine invitation had been nothing short of a miracle.
That night had been an incredible sexual experience for them both no doubt, but it was the tremor in her voice when she told him she needed to learn how to be a submissive that had cemented his desire to keep her.
Alex stepped out on the balcony and looked over the city he loved, but also sometimes hated when it left him feeling lonely and adrift. Over the weeks he learned not only what made his kitten purr, he also got inside some of what she hid in her head. He should have delved more. Not knowing until now about her past relationship had somewhat crippled him from getting to know what she really needed or what drove her to him in the first place. Her fragmented family, however, that he understood.
At first, their desires had been eerily close until over time his beautiful sub began to change. Their relationship drew her out and she began to flower much like the roses he sent her every week. It had been both a beautiful and scary development he loved watching. He’d known that attachments would form and eventually things would get to this point and he’d hoped he’d be ready when it happened.
He hadn’t been. Instead of manning up and admitting his developing feelings, he’d frozen in fear and refused to deal with what was between them until he’d worked through some of his personal hang-ups about becoming permanently attached to his kitten. Namely how her life would change if she became more involved in his fucked-up life.
He’d been a fool and she’d deserved more warning.
Most of his life had been faked. Wealthy, but detached parents who passed him from one nanny to the next hadn’t resulted in a strong ability to make attachments to other people. So he’d relied on his wealth to get what he wanted, including the string of submissives who’d come before Harper. All of whom he kept far from his heart and his family.
He’d worked very hard to keep his relationship with Harper away from the other part of his life. She was so much better than that—better than them.
When his father had been alive and well, he’d been a force in business to reckon with, teaching Alex to be as ruthless as him. It wasn’t what he would have exactly termed a loving relationship, but they respected each other and that had meant something to him. Enough so that his eventual demise to cancer had devastated him.
Before then though, he’d had plenty of time to see the real people who lived behind the façade. On the surface it had seemed that his family did the best they could, but nobody was ever particularly happy. Himself included. Sure they all had their little idiosyncrasies they took pleasure in, but real joy seemed to elude them.
After his father’s death, Alex’s unease with life got worse, especially when his mother remarried. Although some of his unease seemed to change when Harper had walked into his life and given him…
He didn’t know exactly.
Strange things had happened inside him and he wanted nothing more than to protect that from his real world. So he compartmentalized for as long as he could, keeping his kitten his sacred secret.
He’d believed it would work like that for a while longer. Until the night Harper went so deep the true depth of her feelings came sobbing out, scaring the hell out of him. She loved him with everything she had.
Unlike him, she’d gone all in. A gift so special he was afraid to accept it. Because at one time or another he believed his mother had gifted his father with the same treasure. And their life together had little meaning beyond the child they created and the wealth they’d amassed.
Although what his mother didn’t realize is that he had seen the truth every so often. Rarely actually. But the sad, dead look in her eyes when she thought no one saw had burned so deep into his psyche he was certain he’d never forget. Was that what he would do to Harper if he didn’t learn how to love her properly?
He hated to admit it, but right now love felt like a weakness. And in his life weakness made bad things happen. Like Harper getting kidnapped.
His father had shown no signs of weakness during his marriage and perhaps that came from a lack of love on his part. While his parents had remained married through all of the good and bad, it wasn’t until after his father’s death he realized how much of a toll their life together had taken on his mother.
The fact that her reuniting with an old lover had made her happier than he ever remembered seeing, was the only reason he tolerated Ronin and his father, despite their mob connections. A connection that he fought quietly against every single chance he got. Now Ronin might be dead and he’d have to explain what happened.
Depending on his mother’s ability to control her husband, this could pit them against each other more than ever before. Especially if he figured out Harper’s connection to Ronin. The old man was unstable these days. He was also on the verge of retirement with plans for Ronin to take complete control of their business. Although he used the term business lightly considering they barely registered above thugs in his mind. Killing for the mob. Maybe that took a lot of balls, but all he saw was the work it took not to have that life spill onto his more than it had to.
He grabbed the railing and squeezed, his muscles flexing until they began to burn. He’d fucked this one up pretty good. Not telling Harper that he’d needed some time to clear some of the bullshit from his life and get through some nasty business dealings that had been hanging over his head for a while had been a colossal mistake. She also needed to hear the truth about his whole life and then she could make a fair decision.
Fuck.
He’d simply have to sit her down and make her listen. He almost laughed out loud. His feisty submissive had fought him hard last night and he imagined when she woke she’d be just as determined as the night before. He needed a plan.
“Alex,” her hoarse whisper beckoned him back into the room.
He sat down on the bed and pulled her into his arms. She wore her exhaustion like a cloak. Some of that came from sex, but definitely not all of it. It troubled him she’d worn herself down this much. He’d have to insist on a full medical checkup. See if his doctor missed something from the explosion.
“I’m here, sweetheart. Let me get you some water.”
She nodded and slid bonelessly back to the mattress. He brushed the hair from her face and watched her slide back into the deep sleep she’d barely come out of. Reluctantly, he left his bedroom and headed in the direction of the kitchen. He reached for the light switch and swiped across something on the small hallway table. It landed on the floor with a thud and unseen items scattered across the floor. He turned on the light and saw he’d knocked over Harper’s purse.
He bent over and swept the loose items back into her bag and placed it back on the desk. He’d dislodged some paper that he shoved back into the side pocket.
Wait a minute. He recognized that envelope.
He pulled the item back out and opened the familiar airline ticket flap. Harper’s name was printed on the ticket as was her flight destination of Miami, Florida. What the hell? He opened it farther, searching for more details when he hit the jackpot. Her itinerary had been stapled inside the back of the ticket envelope. She had been scheduled to fly to Miami the day after she’d been kidnapped where a car was set to pick her up and take her
to the Tranquility Bay resort in the Florida Keys.
First, she’d taken off her collar and now this?
Dumbfounded, Alex continued to stare at the paper until his vision blurred and the frustration building inside him boiled over. He shoved the damning paperwork back into Harper’s purse. Not only had she planned to break up with him that night but she’d also cemented the deal with a scheduled island vacation for one.
It took every ounce of his willpower not to storm into the bedroom, wake up his misbehaving submissive and paddle her ass bright fucking red. He’d warned her weeks ago about this kind of shit. He’d definitely made a grave miscalculation by leaving her practically unattended when he went to Italy, but she’d damn sure made things worse by refusing to talk to him when something made her unhappy.
Alex winced at the thought. Harper unhappy made him sick to his stomach. Things between them were definitely still out of hand. He needed a plan and his mind was already working one out. First, he needed to make some calls and then he’d take care of Harper. Before she could walk out on him again they were going to spend some time hashing this out. Then if she still wanted to leave he’d have no choice but to let her go.
He stepped into his office and closed the door to ensure his work didn’t wake her. He grabbed the phone and dialed downstairs.
“Charlie,” he spoke before the man got in a word edgewise. “I need to go to the airport in thirty minutes.”
“Of course, sir. I’ll contact Gerard for car service right now. Anything else?”
Alex ran through the mental list he’d been making since he’d decided on a plan. “No. I’ve got everything else I need.”
He disconnected and punched in the next number. Twenty minutes later all the arrangements had been made and he had nothing left to do except grab his personal items and one perfect, albeit stubborn as hell woman.
Alex walked back into the master bedroom and shook his head at the sight in front of him. Harper had managed to roll the silk comforter around her like a moth making a cocoon. Well, fine. That felt apropos. It was time to show her how to become the butterfly she was born to be and it would not be without him.
With the barest of necessities packed, Alex scooped her from the bed and headed for the front door. Charlie would follow behind with the sparse luggage he’d thrown together for their impromptu trip. Everything else would be waiting when they arrived at their destination.
Harper barely stirred in his arms all the way to the lobby. It took little effort to ease her into the back seat and settle her on his lap. He loved the hell out of the way she felt in his arms. All soft curves and sweet smells.
Not long after, they pulled up to the jet his pilot had prepared waiting on the tarmac and he carried her aboard. She stirred in his arms as he grabbed his duffel bag.
“Alex, what the hell?” Harper struggled in the blanket and tried to break free. “What’s that noise? Where are we?”
“You and I are going on a little trip.” He dumped her into one of the plush cabin chairs and whipped out the leather cuffs he’d had the foresight to grab before they left. Before she could build up enough steam to fight him, he’d clipped each wrist to the built-in D rings in the side of each chair. His kink knew no bounds and even his private plane had been equipped for play if that’s what he was in the mood for.
“Wait—What—What are you talking about?” she asked, her voice still rough from sleep.
“A trip, kitten. I know you get the concept since you were planning to take one anyway. I’ve just changed the itinerary to suit me.”
“Changed the—? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” She yanked on the cuffs. “I’m naked and cuffed to an airplane seat. This is more than a bit, Alex.”
She glared at him, her eyes narrowing with each passing second. He wisely clamped his lips closed with the thoughts her ire created. She probably didn’t want to know that her angry and fighting his restraints had his dick getting hard.
“How did you know I was taking a trip? We’ve barely spoken for weeks.”
He shrugged, feeling not an ounce of remorse as he imagined her on a commercial flight, winging her way to Florida. “Plane ticket in your purse.”
Her mouth dropped open and her face went pale. “You went through my personal belongings?”
The fear in her voice surprised him and set his teeth on edge. “Jesus, Harper. Why would you think I need to go through your purse?” He stepped closer to her chair and leaned down to bring them eye-to-eye. “If there’s something I want to know, I’ll simply ask. I’m not exactly known for being passive about anything. However, in this case I accidentally knocked over your purse on the way to the kitchen and the ticket fell out along with a bunch of other junk.”
The fear in her eyes changed to what looked like stark terror. “Where’s my purse. Oh my God.” She started yanking against the cuff clips and even bumped her head into his nose.
“Dammit, kitten.” He stepped back, holding his face. “Calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” she cried. “Why are you doing this? Where’s my purse? I need it right now.”
“Excuse me,” the voice of the co-pilot broke through the panic whipping through the cabin. “We’ve been given the go for takeoff so you’ll want to take a seat now, Mr. Woodman.”
“No. no. No. I need to go home,” she cried.
To his employee’s credit, the man kept a straight face and only made eye contact with him. “Thank you, Stephen. We’ll be ready momentarily.”
He turned his attention back to Harper to find her staring at him with her mouth agape. “Don’t look so shocked my dear. Desperate times call for desperate measures and since it’s a matter of the rest of our lives, I’m feeling pretty desperate.”
“Normal men don’t treat women like this. I can’t believe you’re doing this,” she said, her voice lowering to a whisper.
The small hitch at the end gave him just enough pause for him to consider she might be right. Until he saw her pulse jump in her neck and noticed the scarlet flush of her neck and cheeks. All telltale signs of an excited kitten. His resolve solidified.
“Since when am I a normal man, kitten?” He stalked closer and watched her tongue dart out to lick her lips moments before her teeth sank into the soft flesh of her lower lip. “Yes, I made plans for a trip without consulting you.” He took another step in her direction. “And yes, I took advantage of the fact you were sleeping like the dead.” He leaned forward until their faces were a breath apart. “But if I truly believed for a minute that you didn’t want to be here with me on this plane, I’d let you go.”
Her breathing grew faster and the soft puff of her exhales caressed his face. He couldn’t deny that her automatic arousal fed his ego and made him want to throw caution to the wind. To fuck with doing the right thing according to anyone else. In his house he lived by his rules alone and this was his goddamned house.
“Alex,” she breathed, the edge of desperation bleeding through.
“You know I think I prefer Sir when your pussy is wet. And it’s soaking right now, isn’t it?”
Chapter 15
Harper
* * *
Oh hell. I’d gone from half asleep to desperate for his touch in too few seconds to count. A part of me really wanted to storm off the plane and out of Alex’s life if only to prove that I could do it, but the deeper, darker side of me secretly thrilled over my man’s He-Man behavior.
I’d waited so long for a reaction from him I didn’t know how to respond. As usual, the man had a knack for throwing me off balance at every turn. He might not be a sadist when it came to wielding a whip or a crop, but the man had getting deep into my head down to a fine art.
While I got lost in my thoughts, Alex had worked the blanket from around my legs. Cool air brushing across the moist lips of my sex brought me back to full attention.
“That’s right, baby. Eyes on me.” He coaxed my legs apart by insinuating his thigh between mine. “No
w answer the question. Are you wet?”
Oh God.
I fought for breath as the sound of blood rushing in my ears drowned out the sound of the airplane engines flaring to life. “Yes, Sir.” I knew better than to lie to him right now. The fastest way to punishment was down the road of half-truths. And some small part of my intelligent brain remained engaged enough to know better than to go there right now.
“Good girl. Now scoot your bottom to the edge of the seat and let your legs fall open nice and wide.”
I barely got them open before he shoved two thick fingers inside me and then wasted no time going straight for the tight bundle of nerves guaranteed to drive me crazy. Those two digits massaged my sensitive walls and left me no choice but to grip the seat arms and moan with each stroke. For a moment I tried to remember why’d I’d been mad at him and failed. He was melting my brain.
With lust raging through my mind, I rocked against his hand, seeking even more friction. Who was I kidding? Never in a million years could I deny him and sacrifice this pleasure. Why in the hell did I have to fall in love and complicate everything though? Our time together was supposed to be simple—pleasurable.
To my delight, he twisted his hand and stroked over my clit with his thumb.
“Oh, Alex,” I whimpered. Every muscle clenched and the coming explosion grew closer. “Please,” I begged. It wasn’t easy to form words with my body strung tight and my heart thundering in my ears.
“Going on a trip with me is not so bad after all, now is it?”
“No, it isn’t.” I hissed. “But please…”
“I never get tired of hearing you beg, kitten. It is truly the most delicious sound I’ve ever heard in my life. Good thing I plan on making you beg a lot this trip. A whole week of begging. Mmm.”
With that he withdrew his fingers and pushed them into my mouth instead. My heart seized at the shocking loss of his touch seconds before my body exploded, making my mind go numb. I squeezed my eyes closed and let the exquisite and a little painful sensations roll over me.