A Captured Spirit

by Dakota Black

  She placed her finger over his lips. “Don’t. Not now. Let’s just enjoy the morning. Okay?”

  He nodded as he grabbed a saddlebag. “I have some lemonade and a blanket. I want to hear more about this jerk.”

  She patted Luther then walked closer to the small stream, the water flowing over a series of rocks. “I don’t think Michael ever intended to become a jerk. He was enthralled, so dominant that he had to have me and no matter what else I had in my life, he was supposed to be the center of attention. He was lost in his own fears of losing me. I didn’t understand how unraveled he’d become.”

  Growling, he eased the blanket down onto the ground and stood by her side. “Domination isn’t about smothering anyone. It’s about allowing the submissive to grow, to find what is most important in their lives and to guide them along the way. I would never want to take away your identity. I would never try and compete with your career or your friends. They are what makes you the incredible woman you are. I learned that the hard way.”

  She tilted her head, looking into his eyes. “You have so many demons inside of you. I wish you could trust me enough to let go.”

  He grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb across her palm. “You have allowed me to be the man I always wanted to be more than you know. Just realize that I am flawed. Terribly flawed.” When his words died off, he tried to pull away.

  She refused to let him. Wrapping her other hand around his wrist, she turned to face him. “I care about you so much. I know you might think my strong feelings are all about this spiritual tether we have, but there’s so much more. I want to know every inch of your mind, your body and your soul. Don’t be afraid. We’ve all done things that we aren’t proud of. We’ve all shared or experienced horrors. I know them well.”

  Leaning down, he pressed his lips against her forehead. “You are very special.” When he swatted her on the ass, he pulled away, his eyes twinkling. “What happened with Michael?”

  Dropping to her knees, she studied the stream, allowing the mesmerizing sound of the rippling water to soothe the nasty thoughts, the vivid images. “He became more and more demanding, his punishments harsher until there was nothing I could do that was right or obedient enough. He was angry all the time, checking up on me at work, even when I was sleeping. Call after call until I was losing my mind. Then he demanded I move in. I actually did. I was so stupid. I thought that when he knew I was coming home that it would help, but I was wrong, so very wrong.” Shivering, she closed her eyes, allowing the light breeze to waft across her nose. She could smell the scent of wild flowers and for a few seconds was relaxed, free of the remaining angst from the life before.

  Zach eased down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “He became more of a monster.”

  “Yeah, he did, right before my eyes but I allowed it to happen. I became the slave, waiting for his approval for everything from my clothes to the people I could talk to on the phone or online. I lost everything that was dear to me and I just had no idea what I’d become. I had no one to pull me out because I’d boxed myself in. Not a single person knew how involved I was in the D/s world.”

  “Then you found yourself again.” He made the statement, his voice soothing.

  “I did. Took me almost eighteen months of daily beatings and being berated constantly. When he started drinking, I’d had enough. I packed my bags and left one night. I have no idea how I found the courage, but I knew the man would kill me one day during one of his rages.”

  Taking her hand, he clenched and remained quiet.

  Sighing, she tried to shove away the nasty memory. “I was free, although I had no idea how to fend for myself, but I managed a day at a time.”

  “What did he do?”

  “Michael was a mess after that. I never knew how much he depended on me, or at least on his ability to control me until I was gone. I blocked him from everything. I changed my phone number. I found a place to stay on the other side of town. I even found a new job.”

  Squeezing her hand, he shuddered. “Did you ever learn what happened to him?”

  She hesitated before answering and suddenly her eyes were filled with tears. “He killed himself.” The words hung in the air. “He couldn’t live without me. I was shocked, mortified that I’d been responsible for—”

  “You weren’t responsible for his death.” Zach turned to face her, taking her other hand. “You cared for him and he took advantage of your love. That’s not normal in any book or any regard. You have to know that.” Taking the tip of his index finger, he wiped the tears as they began to fall.

  The moment he slipped his tear laden finger into his mouth, she dropped her head, allowing herself to cry. “No one knows this. I never told a soul. The worst part is that he left everything to me. Everything. His money. His house and all his belongings. I didn’t want anything. I gave it all to charity, even the money from the sale of the house. I just didn’t want a thing to remind me of the horrible time.”

  “Baby. It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong. You loved him, and you obeyed his sick needs. I’m not like that. I promise you.”

  “But you enjoy the darkness, the sadistic kink.”

  He nodded several times. “Yes, I do, but not like that. A woman I cared for introduced me to the lifestyle. She was older, a beautiful creature who enjoyed teaching. And what I learned created a desire unlike anything I’d ever known.”

  “What happened to her?”

  Zach chuckled. “Nothing dramatic. She left me. She grew bored with a young man who’d become far too devoted. I was devastated, lost in a vacuum for far too long, avoiding the needs that had been introduced. No relationship after that could compare. When I moved here, the cravings began, forcing me to accept who I was. What I am. I can no longer hide behind the vanilla laced curtain. There will be no white picket fences, no perfect relationship. I have no idea how to be that kind of man.”

  The words were difficult to hear, but she had no doubt what kind of man he was. “Do you want this lifestyle, shared with someone like me? Discipline, submission?” The question was almost inaudible.

  “Not with just any woman. With you and the answer is yes. You awakened the real man inside. You allow me to share my darkest needs, my almost angry desires without fear. You trust me.” He rubbed his hand across her face, a smile curling in the corner of his mouth.

  “I do trust you and I’m falling in love with you.” The words slipped from her mouth and she was horrified that he’d pull away.

  Instead, he exhaled and closed his eyes. “I’m already in love with you, lady. You are my life and I don’t know how to deal with this.”

  She cupped his cheek, rubbing her thumb back and forth. “Day at a time. That’s all we can do.”

  Nodding, he opened his eyes, allowing his gaze to linger. “You trust me.”

  “More than anyone I’ve ever known.”

  Breaking the connection, he dropped his head into his hands. “Then I need to tell you details about my past and if after you hear what I have to say you need to leave, to never see me again, I’ll understand.”

  “There’s nothing you can tell me that will push me away. Nothing.” Her whisper was almost inaudible, but she meant the promise.

  Zach inhaled and looked up toward the sky. “Ten years ago, my life was different. My mother tried to protect me from a monster, a man who’d done everything in his willpower to destroy us. When the monster found us, hunting us down like dogs, I did the only thing I could do.”

  She held her breath as he tilted his head until he could see her eyes and she his expression. “What did you do?”

  Swallowing hard, his entire body began to shake. “I murdered my father in cold blood.”

  Chapter 9

  Cassandra held her breath, allowing the words to sink in. “Zach. Oh my God. What happened?”

  Zach exhaled, the sound scattered and he rose to his feet, walking toward the stream. “I told you my past was ugly. The fucker was going to kill m
y mother, one of the last connections to a time in our lives that was a lie, a fucking lie.” He paced back and forth, shaking his head. “I didn’t understand what a monster he truly was until he came back. I remember the afternoon, the way he swaggered in as if we were nothing but property.”

  She allowed him to rail and her thoughts were all over the place. What in God’s name had happened? Folding her arms around her knees, she thought of so many things to say, words to guide him through this but what could be said? How in the hell could she help?

  “Yeah. He wanted her gone. Honestly, I know he wanted me gone as well. Reminders of a life that had been destroyed.”

  “I’m confused. What led to this?”

  “My mother realized that my father was involved in criminal activity. He’d become ruthless, both in business and in his personal life. When everything turned physical, she was determined to get us out of harm’s way. So, we left. Ran.”

  Tears sprung to her eyes as she thought about several of her paintings, visions of what Zach must have experienced. “She was strong and brave.”

  “You have no idea how much. She refused to take his crap.” He stopped moving, his face pensive. “After searching for a few months, he just appeared out of the blue. His plan was to take her with him, drag her back to Texas. She wanted no part of his life. She’d worked so hard to create a little home for us. We had nothing, barely any money to eat but the woman was so strong, fighting to maintain some level of normalcy. We never talked about my father, not once. The moment we landed in Colorado, she said we were beginning again.”

  Easing to her feet, she took slow and deliberate steps toward him. There were no perfect words, no way she could soothe his pain. Every move gentle, loving and a reminder that he was no longer alone, she brushed her fingers down his arm then placed her head on his back. “You protected her just as you’re trying to protect me.”

  Zach tilted his head toward the sky and growled before turning to face her, taking her face into his hands. “I can’t protect you given I don’t have any clue who the enemy could be. The people who worked with my father were either arrested and sent to prison or left the area, disappearing into the shadows. I’ve had no one try to contact me since. At least until a few months ago. I shouldn’t have ignored the initial contacts, but what could I have done? I honestly thought I could be losing my mind.”

  “What was your father’s name?”

  Blinking, he exhaled before answering. “His name was Thomas Blackfoot. I took my mother’s name the day we moved, erasing every aspect of my previous life.”

  The name floated into the back of her mind and a sickening knowing settled in. “You may not believe this, but I think his spirit is trying to guide you.”

  “Not a fucking chance. He’s wallowing in Hell, exactly the place he should be.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. He’s the one who found me, a dark force lingering, capturing the essence of the danger you’re facing. The face in the painting isn’t you.” She was certain she was right. Everything had begun to make sense. The wretched feelings, the evil aura inflicted upon her house, her mind. “He’s trying to tell you something, perhaps provide details of this person hell bent on destroying your life.”

  Sucking in his breath, he leaned down, pressing kisses along her forehead, the bridge of her nose. “Oh, Cassandra, what am I supposed to do? Chase a demon, a figment of our combined imaginations?”

  “You fight however you can. Find the person responsible for terrorizing you. Shred the last tether from the past so you can live again.” She heard his ragged breathing, could sense his internal turmoil, a moment of raw damnation. Gripping his arms, she rose onto her tiptoes, capturing his mouth.

  His body shaking, he remained tense, exaggerated breaths pushing past his lips. His hold became more forceful, his fingers digging into her skin as he inched even closer, forcing his tongue inside her mouth.

  Moaning, she closed her eyes, her heart racing. She wanted nothing more than to be with him, share in the joy of what they’d found. For this moment in time, just a small break from the treachery they were both facing, there was nothing else in life that mattered more than being together.

  Zach wrapped his arm around her, yanking her against his chest as the kiss became a roar of passion. He grunted as he crushed her mouth, his tongue moving back and forth across hers. He rubbed his hands up and down her back, gathering her ass into his hands, lifting her off the ground and swinging her around in a full circle.

  Sliding her arms around his neck, she clung to him, her fingers tugging at his hair, clawing at his skin. The kiss became frantic, their bodies undulating, grinding against each other. They were desperate for each other.

  He pulled at her shirt, yanking the material free of her jeans and kneading the small of her back. Breaking the kiss, he groaned. “I want you. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow or next week, but I can’t let you go. I can’t live my life without you.”

  Cassandra inhaled, holding the deep breath as his fingers began unbuttoning her shirt, peeling the thin material over her shoulders. The warmth of his hands caressing her skin created tingles cascading down her arms and legs, a flutter racing in her heart. She wanted this man, this complicated and dominating man more than she could understand. Palming his chest, she allowed her fingers to caress, knead his tense muscles through his shirt as she crawled them down. When she reached his belt, she fingered the wide leather, her mouth dry with anticipation.

  His eyes never leaving hers, he eased one strap of her bra down her arm then the other. The moment her breasts were free of the tight confines, he issued a guttural sound before leaning over, engulfing her nipple.

  “Oh!” The roughness of his tongue swiping back and forth made her pussy clench. She tossed back her head as electric jolts coursed through her body.

  Zach cupped her other breast, his hand crushing then caressing, his fingers finding her hardened bud. Pinching her nipple, he twisted and pulled until a single yelp escaped her mouth.

  Panting, her knees began to wobble, and she clawed at his arms, a smile turning into several whimpers.

  His hand wrapped around her long hair, tugging as he continued nipping and licking first one nipple then the other. A dark laugh pushed past his lips as he held her, his other hand moving to the button and zipper on her jeans.

  Unable to speak or think clearly, she struggled to unbuckle and unzip, finally freeing his throbbing cock. The moment she held his shaft in her hands, she allowed a slow and anguished breath to escape.

  He took a single step back, yanking his shirt up and over his shoulders, pitching the unwanted material.

  Cassandra stared at the gun as he placed the gleaming steel piece several feet away. Had everything come to this? She blinked as she removed herself from the concept of danger, yet she was trembling.

  “Relax. No one can hurt you. Not now. Not ever.” His look remained carnal, a vision of his savage desires, as he removed his boots and socks then tugged his jeans over his carved hips.

  The man was so sexy, muscular and chiseled that he took her breath away. She was so alive, on fire and she knew in her heart and soul that she would forever submit to this man, her lover and her Master. There was no man or spirit who could break their intense connection.

  When he was naked, he rubbed his hands down the length of his chest then wrapped his hand around the base of his cock. The look on his face was ravenous, hell bent on taking what he wanted. He dropped to his knees and yanked her forward, kissing and licking her stomach, swirling his tongue around her belly button.

  Shivering, she swallowed hard as he began to lower her jeans, pressing a path of wet kisses along her hipbones then the delicate skin just above her pussy. She was aware he’d removed her boots then her jeans, leaving her naked and aching to have his body cover hers, his dick deep inside her cunt.

  Zach slid his hand between her legs, cupping her groin, his thumb swirling around her clit in slow and lazy motions.r />
  Her body began to sway forward and backward as he wiggled his hand, creating friction driving into her pussy. “Oh!” She was forced to grip his shoulders and the moment his tongue darted across her pussy lips, she almost toppled over. “Zach!”

  Grunting, the sound savage, he continued rubbing her crotch as his tongue thrust in and out, lapping her cream.

  She dropped her head, no longer able to focus. When he stretched her wide open, placing his entire face into her cunt, his tongue thrusting deep inside, she began to hyperventilate. “Oh… God!”

  He feasted on her pussy, sucking on her tender tissue as he slipped his hands around to her ass, pulling her ass cheeks apart. His fingers wiggled just inside the crack, teasing. Taunting.

  Blinking several times, she stared out at the beautiful day, the trickling water and simply fell into a moment of pure bliss, whimpering as he continued to lick. The friction from his two-day beard created another series of pulsing tingles and she began to pant in short bursts as her body slumped.

  Squeezing her ass cheeks, he rubbed his entire face into the slick of her pussy and wiggled a single finger into her asshole then a second, pumping.

  She realized she was half laughing, half crying as his movements grew in intensity, his mouth sucking on her juices, two fingers becoming three inside her ass. She was wide open, so exposed and brimming with desire. And so close to coming. Sucking in her breath, she whimpered and dug her fingers into his skin. “I can’t…”

  A single growl floated between them, a command that needed no words.

  Clamping down on her pussy muscles, she tried to hold back the racing climax, to obey his simple request. But every part of her was on edge, every cell in her body wired as the current rushed into her muscles, creating echoes in her ears. Stars floated in front of her eyes as he drove his fingers into her ass, his tongue into her cunt.