“Hey, man.”
Curtis turned his head. Dillon Saunders was standing there, his mint-green eyes fixed on Tessa too.
“Hey,” Curtis responded. “All good in the back?”
“Yep. Crash rooms all occupied, and from the sound of things through the doors, everyone’s having a good time.”
Curtis rolled his eyes. The crash rooms at Curves were notorious, and they were incredibly popular. Known fondly as the ‘fuck rooms’, they were open for anyone to use, for anything they may want to use them for.
Curtis had never been back there with anyone, though he’d received his fair share of invitations. The thought of bending some bar patron over a sofa while Tessa was out here working had been unfathomable. She was all that he’d wanted for so long, and he’d spent over a year secretly yearning for her. It had meant lots of cold showers, and fantasizing about Tessa while jerking off, but he’d wanted it that way. Being with any other woman would have been a betrayal of his feelings for Tessa, and even if that made no sense to anyone else, it had made sense to Curtis.
“So,” Dillon said in his husky voice. “Your girl doing better?”
“Yeah.” Curtis watched her some more. “Much.”
Dillon nodded. Like Curtis, he was a man of very few words, and for this reason, the two of them had always gotten along well as co-bouncers.
“And how’s yours?” Curtis said. “How’s Maria?”
“Great, man. Loves being a nanny, but she’s talking about heading back to Clarity to work at Open Skies in maybe six months.”
“Yeah? How will that work for you?”
Dillon shrugged his massive shoulders. “We’re looking for a place in between Open Skies Ranch and Denver, and we’ll both commute.”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“Sure is. Maria’s found a cute little house, and we’ll go look at it this weekend. If it looks good and we can swing the rent, we’ll move right away.”
“Nice.”
“I know, right?” Dillon shot Tessa another look. “You guys living together yet?”
“Not officially.” Curtis grinned. “But pretty much, yeah.”
“Her place?”
“My place.”
“Because yours is nicer?” Dillon said innocently, yanking Curtis’ chain. He’d been to Curtis’ apartment for poker, and he knew it wasn’t a palace.
Curtis gave him a mock-glare. “Nope.”
“Because hers is being fumigated?”
“Nope again.”
“Because you have that monster-sized bed?”
“No comment.”
“Ha!” Dillon exclaimed. “I thought so!”
“Shut it, Saunders,” Curtis growled, and Dillon smirked at his friend and colleague’s return to form. “Go ask the ladies if all’s OK at the tables.”
Dillon saluted like the smart-ass that he was at heart. “Yes, sir.”
Curtis watched Dillon approach Tessa, Gabi and Kenleigh, and check in. They all shook their heads, and Curtis relaxed. Nothing going on that was worrying them, nothing making them nervous or on-edge.
Tessa caught his eye now. She tapped her watch and smiled. His heart stopped dead in his chest, and he smiled back. He was so damn ready to finish work, so damn ready to get her back to his place. When he did, they were going to make love for the first time.
She was nervous about it, he knew. Despite the fact that, over the past few weeks, they’d done literally everything imaginable except full-on sex, Tessa still struggled to relax in her own body, to let go and forget herself, to give herself permission to just lose control. She trusted him, he was sure, but she didn’t trust herself.
Well. Good thing he had a plan. He just hoped that she’d go along with it.
**
Curtis watched Tessa putter around the kitchen. She’d washed that same damn tea mug about six times, washed the spoon about ten. She was almost vibrating with nerves and worry, and he went over to her, desperate to calm her down. He wanted her to enjoy this, wanted it more than he wanted to enjoy it.
He hauled her in to his arms, buried his lips in her golden curls. “You good, baby?”
She stood very still. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t know why I’m so nervous about this. I mean, it’s not like I don’t know your body, or you don’t know mine. I know you love me, and God knows, I love you. But I just – I just can’t seem to totally relax.”
“Can’t totally relax?” he asked softly. “Or can’t totally let go?”
She was quiet now, really thinking. Finally, she sighed.
“Yeah. I think you’re right. Even after everything, I’m still… struggling to let go all the way. I’m still trying to keep some control over things, on some level.” Suddenly anxious, she peered up at him. “It’s not you, Curtis, it’s not a reflection on you at all, I swear. This is all in my head.”
“I know.” He sucked in a deep breath, took the plunge.“I’ve been thinking about this, and I think I know how I can really teach you that losing control isn’t the end of the world. But for it to work, you have to fully trust and believe that you’re safe with me.”
“I do trust and believe it, Curtis. With all my heart I do.” She traced his lips. “What’s your idea?”
“You voluntarily hand over control to me, Tessa.” Slowly, he reached in to the back pocket of his jeans, pulled out the restraints. “All control.”
She gasped at the sudden bolt of excitement that shot through her. “Oh. Oh, God.”
“OK, that’s a good start,” he said cautiously, grateful that she hadn’t run screaming out the door. “So… you’re open to it?”
“I – I –” Tessa swallowed hard. “I’m not sure. I mean, I don’t know.”
“You need to understand, Tessa, this isn’t about domination, not at all. It’s about you seeing that giving up control won’t kill you.”
“I know. It’s just…” Her voice trailed off.
“Talk to me,” he said. “Tell me what you’re afraid of.”
Tessa reached out, touched the restraints. They were surprisingly cool and soft against her skin, and she suddenly really wanted to feel that slippery silk on her wrists. Another surge of arousal washed across her chest, moved down to her stomach, slid lower. She rubbed her thighs together as her pussy fluttered.
“I’m not afraid,” she said suddenly. “I want to try.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes.”
“Then come on, sweetness.” He held out his large hand to her. “Let’s go to bed.”
She let him lead her to the bedroom, her breath coming out in soft, shallow pants. Never in her life had Tessa considered letting a man tie her up, she’d never even fantasized about it. Before Curtis, having a man restrain her would have been her textbook definition of hell on earth… but with him, it sounded like a shortcut to heaven.
He gently shoved her backwards on to the bed, and she fell. He sat down next to her, grasped her hand, extended her arm up and over her head. He stroked the pulse in her wrist, his thumb making small circles.
“You sure?” he said, searching her eyes for fear. “This is OK with you?”
“Yes.” She almost moaned the word, already unbelievably turned on. “Yes.”
Curtis tied the first restraint around her wrist, then attached the other end to the wooden slats of the headboard. He slid his fingers between the silk and her skin, checking that it wasn’t too tight.
“Good?” he said.
“Good.”
He tied her second wrist, checked it too, and she confirmed that she wasn’t hurting at all. Then he had her give a few small tugs, to show her that she could still move. With that, Tessa relaxed almost totally, actually enjoying the silky coolness against her heated flesh.
“Now,” Curtis said. “I know this ain’t ha
rdcore bondage, baby, but you still need a safe word.”
She blinked up at him. “I do?”
“Yeah. You need to know that you can stop this any time you want. No debate on this point, so you pick a word.”
“Um. OK.” She thought for a few seconds. “How about ‘curves’?”
“Love it.” He shook his head, ran his hand over her hip. “Fucking love it.”
She giggled. “You don’t say.”
“Sassy,” he muttered. “I’ll enjoy making you beg to come.”
“You think I’m gonna beg?” she taunted him with a grin. “Really?”
“Oh, hell, yeah,” Curtis said, his voice a guttural growl. “You’re going to scream for me to make you come on my cock.”
“Oh,” she gasped, her body involuntarily shuddering. “Curtis…”
His mouth crushed down on hers, stealing her words and her breath. Tessa sank in to the mattress under his weight, at his mercy and already loving it. When he yanked off her jeans and underwear, she felt faint; when his hands moved to the top button of her shirt and he flicked it open, she thought she might pass out.
Slowly, carefully, watching her face the whole time, Curtis undid her shirt, tugged off her bra. And there she was: totally naked and bound, totally vulnerable and out of control. Overwhelmed by the riot of sensations in and on her body, Tessa squeezed her eyes shut, and he paused.
Her chest was rising and falling incredibly rapidly, and her breathing was uneven and ragged. He wasn’t sure if she was starting to shut down on him, and he wasn’t sure if she’d forget her safe word in a moment of panic. Curtis cradled her face, whispered for her to look at him. She did, and all he saw was blazing, searing heat in those green-gold eyes.
“You doing OK, baby?” he grated out. “You want to stop?”
“No.”
“No, you’re not OK? Or no, you don’t want to stop?”
She smiled at him. “I haven’t used my safe word, babe. So I’m OK, and please don’t stop.”
“Begging already, huh?” he said, teasing her in his relief that she was alright.
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Not hardly.”
“Uh-huh. Well, let’s just see how cocky you are in five minutes, yeah?”
“What will have happened in five minutes?” she asked.
Curtis didn’t bother to respond to that; instead, he just showed her. He slid down her body, slid between her legs, slid his tongue up and down her pussy lips. She pressed herself against him, and he slid both hands under her sweetly-rounded ass, lifting her to his hungry mouth.
Tessa gave a scream, her hands balling in to fists. She twisted against the restraints, her thighs spread wide by his broad shoulders. Her body tensed up and tightened, straining for release and completion. He denied it to her, though… and it drove her insane.
He teased her mercilessly, coaxing her to the edge, then retreating; whipping her in to a near-orgasm, then backing off. Over and over, Curtis pulled and sucked on her slick little pearl, rolling it between his lips, even nipping it lightly with his teeth. She bucked up off the bed, seeking more of the pleasure-pain, rocking her hips, trying to keep his mouth on where she ached the most, but without her hands, she had no way to control him at all. She was sobbing by now, needing to come more than she needed her next breath.
“Please!” Tessa cried as he licked her clit hard, then moved down to gently kiss her upper thighs. “Oh, God, please! Curtis… please… please…”
“Please what?” he said, his voice gravel.
“Please let me come!” She pulled against the restraints, barely coherent. “Please… I need to come. I’m going to die…”
Right away, he moved up her body. She stared up at his handsome face, loving him so damn much, she thought she’d suffocate under the weight of it. He framed her jaw with his strong fingers, turned her face up to his.
His kiss was pure, shining sweetness, and Tessa whimpered. So good. She was writhing under him again, and he calmed her.
“Shhhh, Tessa,” he said. “You’re going to bruise your wrists if you don’t stop that.”
“Then make me stop,” she panted, almost delirious. “Make me come.”
“Oh, baby,” he said. “There’s nothing I want to do more.”
In mere seconds – seconds that felt like hours to Tessa – he’d rolled on a condom, and positioned himself between her legs again. Tessa held her breath as he took his delicious cock in his hand, and guided it to her entrance. She felt his hardness against her soft folds, and she closed her eyes, dying for the moment that Curtis was finally inside her.
He gritted his teeth, fighting to go slow. Yeah, Tessa could give up all control in this bed tonight, but no way he was going to. He was a big man, and he was worried about hurting her if he took her as hard as he wanted to. He wasn’t about to do anything to hurt this woman, not ever.
Go slow… even if it means that your head blows off, man.
He pushed forward, felt her sleek, slick flesh part for him. They both cried out, and moved towards each other, their bodies slippery with desire. Curtis slid in another inch, one more. When she looked up at him and begged in a broken whisper for him to take her now, he groaned in surrender, thrust home.
Tessa jolted under him as he plunged deep. He stretched her, filled her, took her – and he did it completely. She gasped for air, and all she knew in the whole universe was how good his cock felt in her body. He soothed an ache deep inside her, but he also intensified it, made it throb more keenly. She needed more, she needed all of him.
He planted his hands on the bed next to her head, straightened his arms. He raised himself above her, his chest massive and muscled, and he started to move. His powerful hips rocked back and forth, his rhythm smooth and steady. Perfect. She arched her back, wrapped her legs around him, dug her heels in to the small of his back.
“Closer,” she begged, beyond shame. “Harder. Deeper. More.”
He stopped thrusting now, so suddenly that she blinked up at him in confusion. His face was blazing with intensity, with sheer lust and want – but he wasn’t moving a muscle. She froze, terrified. Was he going to stop?
“This is what it feels like when a man loves you, sweetness,” he growled. “It’s hot and it’s hard and it goes deep. No pretending it ain’t happening, no running from it, and there’s sure as hell no controlling it. It just is, baby, and you’ve got to let go. Just let it happen. Let me love you.” His hand ran over her face roughly. “Trust me to love you.”
His words smashed her in half. Just destroyed her, utterly. Tessa didn’t know where to look, or what to say, or even what to feel. Those blue eyes stripped away every single defense she’d ever constructed, those rough, tender hands wrenched away every iota of control she’d worked so hard to gain. Curtis wrecked her – and she’d never felt stronger, or more beautiful, or more alive.
“Curtis…” Her voice and eyes were steady, bright, and he rejoiced to see it. “Yes.”
He fell on to her now, his body stretched the entire length of hers. He lowered his forehead to hers, rained kisses all over her gorgeous face. When she started to beg again, he obliged her with faster, harder, deeper thrusts, needing to both see and feel her come.
Tessa was close… so close that she could taste her climax. She lifted her hips, angling so that his cock rubbed her throbbing clit with every push in and pull out. That pressure was all she needed, and she gave a wild cry as she started to go over.
“Let go, Tessa. Just fall, baby.” His fingers tightened in her tangled hair; his eyes burned in to her. “Trust me to catch you. Trust yourself to fly.”
With an untamed cry that came from Tessa’s wildest, hungriest place, she flew. She unraveled around him, unleashed her darkest and most-unnamed needs on him. She gave him her entire soul in this second, and he knew it. She was his, all his, and possession blasted t
hrough him, hot and fierce.
Fucking mine.
Her pussy clenched him in pulsing waves, and that was good – but the look on her face as she surrendered completely to him – really and truly – for the first time was even better. It was that look of absolute abandon that set off his own orgasm, and he groaned her name as he detonated, his voice husky and molten.
Tessa wished that she could hold him close as he shuddered and called her name, then collapsed on to her, chest heaving. But what she had was pretty damn good too: she had the most incredible man in the world buried deep inside her, and he’d just lost his mind. Because of her.
“Oh, fuck,” Curtis groaned, struggling to push himself up. Crushing the woman wasn’t the best idea, especially right now. “Tessa, you OK?”
“Yes,” she whispered, still panting. “I’m good.”
He reached up and loosened the restraints, and as soon as she was free, she wrapped herself around him, holding him as tightly as he was holding her. Curtis was still in her sweet, amazing body, and damned if he’d be rushing to pull out. He kissed her, a lingering, loving kiss that made her toes curl. He stroked her tousled hair, stroked her lips with his tongue. She responded, totally giving herself to him. Again.
At last, reluctantly, cursing his body’s natural functions, he slipped out of her. Together, they sighed, sighs of both completion and regret. Curtis rolled off the condom, tied the end, dropped it on the floor. Not the classiest thing to do, and not something that he’d normally do, but no way he was leaving this bed quite yet. He was worried that Tessa may be feeling vulnerable or shaken, and he wasn’t about to leave her alone. Not even for the thirty seconds it’d take to dart to the bathroom and back again.
He pulled her in to his arms, dropped a soft kiss on her forehead.
“You were incredible, baby,” he said. “So open and trusting. So fucking hot.”
“I was incredible?” she said, incredulous. “Good Christ, Curtis… you damn near killed me, and I didn’t even mind.”
Secret Curves (Dangerous Curves Book 5) Page 16