by Riley Murphy
“I’m not a brat.”
He didn’t fight her when she wiggled to be free of his arms. Letting her go, he sat back in the chair with a sigh. “Debatable.”
She glared and seemed ready to bolt.
“Look, I didn’t share this with you to make you angry. I told you because I don’t want you to think I don’t care about you.” When she stopped fidgeting and snapped her head up, he whispered, “I care. I care very, very much.”
Even though he could have left it at that, he didn’t. Maybe it was the instant flush of pleasure that colored her cheeks or the soft light in her eyes that drew him. Whatever it was it compelled him say, “I knew the moment I saw you sitting in the rain you’d be mine. The look on your face.” He shook his head. “A free spirit if ever there was one.”
Lacy’s heart melted. He meant what he said. She thought about what he’d asked her to recite with the paddle, Thank me for caring enough to correct you, and before she could stop them the words tumbled out. “Thank you.”
It wasn’t the appropriate response. It made little sense, but it was as if he understood what she meant when he grinned. “You’re welcome. Now tell me why you liked me biting your ass.”
That hit her like a frosty wind on her first step out of a desert. “You want to talk about that now?”
He nodded and her stomach dipped.
Great. She nearly completed a full shrug when she caught herself and quickly threw out the answer she’d dreamed up earlier when she’d been told she’d have to explain. Easy-peasy. “You bit my ass. I liked it. You stroked me. I came.” Yep, easy-peasy.
David stared at her. Ugh, what else could she say? Maybe she could rephrase it the way she used to do with her essays at college. Say the same thing six different ways and she was sure to ace it. But then, David was a man of few words when the subject mattered to him so she highly doubted regurgitating known facts was going to win her any brownie points with him.
She could practically read the most prevalent thought etched on his stoic face. Isn’t hedging more difficult? It was. All right, all right I’ll give a straight answer. Perfect now she was arguing with herself? “When you bit my ass the pain got my attention and I don’t know. I just…really liked that.”
She thought she’d have to say a whole lot more or come right out and admit that the action had forced her to focus in on feeling, but she didn’t when he curled down and kissed her. Not hard and not soft either. He tasted like the spiced mint tea they’d had with their lunch, and when he cupped her chin to press in closer, she sighed. His warmth, strength and scent captivating and enthralling. It gathered her up and held her steady until the familiar inner peace blanketed her to shut everything else out. The flavor of him. The feel and power turned her insides to jelly. Softening her until all she could do was tremble.
He must have felt it because he gently broke the embrace. Looking down she noticed she clutched his lapels, bunching them in her closed fists. “Sorry.” She splayed her palms over the material and patted. When she was done she waited for him to say something.
Unfortunately he didn’t, and the crackling energy between them sizzled and built until she realized she’d have to cut through it herself. Otherwise it would overwhelm her and she’d likely say something to wreck all this. The good things that came her way usually disappeared, so before this did, she forced a grin and sought to lighten the moment. Recalling his earlier comment she said, “The look on my face that day? Did you see the look on the rest of the guests faces? Colin’s? I thought she was going to have a cow when she saw me. Sure my bridesmaid’s dress was drenched and my hair was soaked, but since we’d already finished with the pictures and had dinner I didn’t see what the big deal was. I love rain.”
“It showed, and so did your hardened nipples when you came back into the chateau.”
His look smoldered. Steamed. Heated her up. That ache was back between her legs and so was the desire to finish where she’d left off with him in library. The thought caused her nipples to spike as hard, or maybe harder than they did that day, as they poked against her Dali t-shirt now. He was right about one thing. She needed to be patient. Maybe if she was, all this would last.
“And as to your second comment. I’m not a free spirit. You are.” She playfully sized him up. “I see you as being unconventional and a nonconformist even by the traditional ‘lifestyle’ standards. You’ve proven it. I’ve broken rules and basically lied to you and I haven’t been spanked once.”
Oh. My. Fucking. God! Did that come out of her mouth? Were his eyes darkening again? Yes. The eye twitch back? Right again. She needed to keep quiet. To stop talking. To—ugh! “Actually, I’m the complete opposite as I mostly try to conform and there’s nothing unconventional about that. It’s kind of boring, but at least it’s safe.” Not like the winding avenue this dialogue had turned down. When he eased her off his lap and helped her to stand, she blurted, “I will try my hardest not to break the rules again. I swear.”
He didn’t take his eyes off her as he stood. Was he getting bigger? More handsome? Why was she breathless and ready to beg him to stay when he turned to go?
“I’d appreciate that.” He stopped and then swung around. “Oh and don’t ever lie to me again.”
That hit her like a slap. There was no literal threat attached to that statement, but the humongous gorilla-in-the-room-or-else-implied threat? Hell yeah, that scared the ever loving heck out of her.
She was still mulling that over when he got to patio doors, turning to ask, “You’re not afraid of bright light, sharp tools and things that will stain your skin are you?”
She gulped because now she had something else to be scared of. “N-no.” And she’d promised she wasn’t going to lie. Double ugh.
“Coming?” He held out his hand and she rushed forward to take it. Once he had hold of her she heard him murmur, “You got guts.”
A few minutes later when they arrived at another one of those beautifully arched doors on the second floor, she was sure she didn’t. Yup, she was completely gutless when she was tempted to turn and run as he let them into the room.
Was it his dungeon?
Chapter Ten
David waited for Lacy to open her eyes. “Do you like it?”
She scanned the art studio he’d set up for her before she vigorously nodded.
“I thought in the mornings you’ll work in the library and in the afternoons you can come here and create.”
“It’s gorgeous, but how did you know about my art?”
“How did you know I liked to play the piano?” he countered.
“I…” He hiked a brow at her and she frowned. “I never said you played the piano, but it does make sense since you have one that could rival Liberace’s. Only thing missing is a gaudy candelabra.”
“Ah.” He walked over to her. “But you knew about my playing before you saw my piano.”
She tried to back up and couldn’t. There was nowhere for her to go. Just as he’d planned.
“And how would you know that?”
“The same way I learned about your artwork.”
Her eyes widened and she poked an index finger into his chest. “You saw my portfolio.”
“I did.”
“When?”
He picked up the lone silky curl that rode her right breast when she breathed, and rubbed it between his fingers as he said another silent prayer for patience. “When you were in the bath yesterday.”
“You snooped?”
Now he could use a drink. She was the one caught red-handed, so to speak, and she was ready to make a production over this? She should have let it go. But seeing as how she hadn’t… “You don’t have to sound so offended. It wasn’t as if I went through all your closets and drawers. It was on the coffee table.”
She gasped. “You saw…”
“What?” he whispered.
“Them.”
“If by ‘them’ you mean the frogs, I did.”
“And you�
�re not mad?”
“Only with one of them.”
She nodded and leaned back against the workstation counter. “Ethan and Colin’s picture. It was very blatant with the raised paddle.”
“No, that didn’t bother me. It was the one you did of us.”
When he turned from her and walked over to the cozy seating area he’d had his guys put together in the corner, he was pleased she followed.
“You didn’t like that one? I thought it was cute.”
“Cute?” he repeated as he sat on the arm of the couch. “That’s a good word for it.”
“You see? Again, I don’t understand you. Out of the three of them the cute picture makes you mad?”
He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Straightening his shoulders, he took his time tilting his head from right to left and back again. These types of longwinded conversations had a tendency to stress him out. Especially when there was a quicker way for him to get what he wanted from her.
“I was insulted.”
“Aw…” She fell into the couch opposite him, crossed her legs and smiled. “But I gave you the most adorable face.”
She was fucking with him again. When was she going to learn? “Precisely.”
“So what?” The leg she’d slung over her knee moved impatiently up and down. “You didn’t like being drawn as a reptile?”
He wasn’t going to answer that and if she pressed him to, there could be a problem. It was bad enough that she’d already insinuated that he wasn’t Dom-like, after he’d worked hard to push aside his needs to accommodate hers, so she was going to have to give some here.
“Come on.” She uncrossed her legs and sat forward. “You were all drawn as frogs. If it makes you feel any better the underlying motif I was going for was that, deep down, you know under all that green skin, you’re really princes.”
Guts of steel. That’s what she had to sit there and feed him a load of bullshit like that. Sometimes “letting Lacy talk so he could learn more about her” panned out and sometimes it didn’t, like now. Time to cut to the chase.
“I liked the frog. What I didn’t like was the setup. It was too…vanilla.”
“Couldn’t be helped. That’s the way I saw it.”
“I want you to see it differently.”
“That’s not up to me, unfortunately. It’s the creative process. Inspiration comes when and how it wants.”
“Good to know.”
“I’m glad you understand.” She stood and turned, eyeing the workstation. “Are those oil or acrylic paints?”
He stood as well. “Both.” When she didn’t turn, but remained with her back to him, he whispered, “Lacy?”
“Yeah?”
She spun around and he held her gaze. “You’re going to paint a new picture of us. A better one. So blatantly non-vanilla that it would make even hardcore lifestylers envious.”
“But I already told you I have to be inspired before the creative process...” Her words trailed off and she nervously licked her lips.
“I’m sure I can think of something to do that will help to inspire you. Tonight maybe? This afternoon I have to go pick someone up.”
“The same someone you’ve been dropping off and picking up all over the state? They must be very important for you to be doing this yourself and not sending Andrew.”
David knew she was jealous. He saw it in the way she moved. Too casual. “She is very important.”
Her mouth dropped open before she snapped it shut. Then she shook her hair behind her shoulders and tipped up her chin. “Your mother?”
“No.”
“Sister?”
He didn’t answer.
“I’ll take that as a yes. See you tonight.”
When she turned her back on him, she may as well have slapped his face. Jealous or not, he couldn’t let this slide. Not after she’d straight up told him he wasn’t very Dom-like. Once again, she’d mistaken his patience for something else.
In two quick strides he reached her.
“David! What are you—? Don’t.” She gasped as she tried to escape him.
“Stop,” he whispered against her cheek. Pressing his body into her and forcing her over the counter. The brushes and paint vials scattered. Some fell on the floor, but he ignored them as he waited for her to cease struggling and focus in on him.
“You’re crushing me.”
He did have his front against her back and he was using some of his weight to pin her, but crushing? Hardly. “How could a weak and un-Dom-like guy such as myself, crush anything?”
She went completely still before she spoke, “I never said you were un-Dom-like. I said not very Dom-like.”
He smiled into her hair and then let out a breath against it. “So you think I’m weak?” He wrapped one arm around her and slid his hand down the front of her pants, under the scrap of lace there and went right to her center. Finding her sweet spot, he didn’t bother to softly tease. No, he went full on aggressive. Rubbing and stroking the delicate flesh until she sighed and shuddered. Easing back against him. Giving him better access to her. “I think you do.”
“N-no.”
He nipped and bit a path down the line of her neck, using his free hand to cup her breast. Squeezing on her there with one hand as his other continued to explore the warmth between her legs. Sliding through it, he murmured, “You’re awfully wet.”
“Mmm…yes.” She groaned when he eased a finger inside her. Bucking impatiently against his hand with a throaty moan. He knew what she wanted but he was going to make her ask for it.
“Do you want more?”
“Oh...David.”
He held her steady and thrust a second finger in to join the first. All the way up and curling them over her G-spot. One stroke—she shivered—a second stroke—she shuddered—a third stroke—and her knees gave out as she sighed. She was putty in his hands, literally and he couldn’t have been more pleased as he gently eased out of her. Helping to right her. Shifting with her until she was clutching the countertop for support. But when she looked as if she were going to speak, he sank a hand in her hair and pulled back until their eyes met.
“Don’t say a word, angel. Not one.”
Her gaze flickered with uncertainty and he used that to make his point. “Remember. I will take away only those things I think truly matter to you. So be warned. And as to the other topic? If I have a weakness, it’s you. Why that is? I don’t know. What I do know is that I like my woman to be challenging, not combative. I want you to think about that while I’m gone.”
He waited for her to nod before he let go.
“Good. I’ll be back in a couple of hours and then we’re going to have date night tonight. Wear cocktail attire. We’ll be eating dinner out.” He got to the door and stopped. “Oh and after we get back from that you’ll go to your room, but before you get ready for bed there’s something I want to do with you. We’ll call it your first lesson in David’s form of inspiration. I’ll be leaving a package for you in your bedroom. When we get home you can open it. When you do, you’ll follow the instructions to a T. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Perfect. Be ready at 6 for our date. I think after tonight you’ll never confuse who you’re dealing with ever again.”
***
Lacy couldn’t figure out why she was nervous. It was as if they’d arrived at a turning point in their relationship or something. David had wielded his power over her with a deft hand and very little effort. For the rest of the afternoon all she could focus on was thoughts of him. By the time she was ready for the evening and he’d explained they were heading to a party of sorts, she could barely concentrate. She was too caught up in what was going to come later. But then when they got in the limo, her focus returned. On his hand resting on her knee. He didn’t do anything more than that, thank God, because just that small touch from him was melting her. The fact that he was “date night” David was messing her up big-time. She didn’t know what to expect
from him. So when they exited the car and he kept his hand on her in one form or another, she gave up trying to figure it out.
First the warmth of his hand wrapped around hers as he lead her up the huge concrete steps to The Arts center, then it was the heat of his palm pressing into the small of her back as they walked together into the ballroom. Where it seemed everyone attending wanted to make a beeline to talk with him. He wasn’t having it, though, as he wrapped an arm around her waist and possessively pulled her close. Sending out an unspoken message to the crowd not to bother him as they made their way to the table. It was weird and thrilling that such a popular guy chose to isolate himself with her, but that was David. In fact, before they were even seated, he greeted the few couples at their table, introduced her and then repositioned her chair closer to his. The sheer proximity made it difficult for either of them to speak to the others around them.
“David, isn’t this rude?”
“Relax. I want you all to myself.”
Ten minutes later, just when she was beginning to enjoy his undivided attention, he took hold of her hand and kissed it. “I have to go do something—”
“You’re leaving me?”
“For ten minutes tops. Then I’ll be back.”
She scowled up at him. “But the awards are about to start. Where are you going?”
“Don’t worry about that.”
She twisted in her chair and tried not to sound upset, but she was a little. “I am worried.”
He leaned down and pushed her purse closer to her. “Don’t be.” He winked and kissed her cheek. “Take out your phone. I may want to text you.”