by Marie Tuhart
“That’s a start. I know why you went to New York with your father.” Gran’s lips pursed as if she tasted something sour. “And while you haven’t told me why you came home, I can guess.”
“Gran, it just didn’t work out.” She almost winced at the sweetness of her own voice. Truth be told, Randall was as bad as her gran said, but he was still her father.
“That’s all water under the bridge. I just want you to know that Ry and Jed won’t take your defection in stride this time. They’ll come after you.”
Katie shifted in her chair. What did Gran know? “Umm, Gran.”
“Katie, I know all about those boys and their parents. No business of mine. But those two are now men and not the boys you remember.” Gran fanned her face with her fingers. “Don’t make the mistake and think you can wind them around your baby finger like you used to.”
“No kidding.” She burst out laughing at the grin on Gran’s face.
“Aren’t you concerned that I’m with both of them?” Katie’s voice shook a little, but she had to ask.
“No.” Gran patted her gray hair, before she took her plate and cup to the sink. “Those two love each other.” Gran faced Katie. “They’re very discreet, but I’m aware of their relationship. They’ll treat my Katie right or answer to me.”
Katie jumped to her feet and enveloped her grandmother in a hug. Gran understood. “Others might make nasty comments.”
“Posh. Old bitties if they do. You do what is right for you and your heart. That’s all I ask.” Gran patted her on the back. “Now, there is one other thing we need to discuss.”
“And that is?” She took a step back and eyed her grandmother warily.
“Sheila Reynolds came into the tea shop yesterday.”
Katie nodded. Gran had run the tea shop in town since Katie was sixteen. Katie had even worked there after school.
“She mentioned you were trying to find some office space.”
That was it? Relief poured through her veins. “Yes, Gran. I need to set my accounting business up. I have clients I need to take care of, and I’m sure there are people here in town who could use a good accountant and tax person.”
“I think it’s wonderful.” Gran clapped her hand together. “But you don’t need to look for office space. You can use the office here in the house.”
Katie blinked. “But Gran, that was Grandpa’s office. You haven’t touched it since he passed.”
“I cleaned it out last year. Papers gathering dust and such. It was time to do it.”
“But...”
“Hush, child.” Gran waved her hands. “I want you to use it. There’s no sense in you spending good money when there’s a perfectly good office here.”
Her grandmother’s face blurred as Katie’s eyes filled with tears. Her grandfather had been a retired math teacher, which is where Katie got her love for numbers. “Oh, Gran.” Katie threw her arms around her grandmother.
“He’d like having you in his office, doing a job you love.” Gran patted her arms.
“Thank you, Gran.”
“Nothing to thank me for. Now, off with you.” Gran sniffled and pushed Katie to arm’s length. “I’ve got to get to the tea shop, and I bet you’re eager to go into the office.”
“Yes.” Katie kissed her grandmother’s cheek and made her way across the house to her grandfather’s office. She threw open the French doors and let out a sigh.
It still smelled like tobacco and the cheap cologne grandpa used. The large oak desk needed a good polish, but that was the easy part. She was going to need a good chair, file cabinet, and Internet access.
She’d warned her clients she’d be out of touch, and if it was an emergency, they could call her cell phone. But she’d been only checking it a few times a day, mainly because her father and ex were calling, leaving her messages, and texting. She deleted them all without answering, because she’d given them her answer when she left New York.
Which reminded her she needed to check her messages. She turned it on and deleted six voice mails without even listening to them. The seventh one from Dr. Pam caused a smile creasing her lips. She finished with the voice mail, deleted it, and then went to her missed calls list. She redialed in just a minute.
****
Jed slammed his truck door and started up the walkway to Katie’s house. Just as he reached the front door, it opened, and Miss Mazie stood there.
“Hello, Jed dear,” Miss Mazie said when she saw him.
“Morning, Miss Mazie. Is Katie about?” He flashed Katie’s grandmother a smile.
“Yes. And I’m glad you’re here. You can help Katie get the office organized.” She held open the door. “Go right in. Down the hallway on your right.”
“Thanks.” Jed dropped a kiss on Miss Mazie’s cheek as he made his way into the house and to the office. Jed halted right outside the office door. He wanted to see how Katie was doing after hitting the hidden trigger last night.
“Hello, darling, how are you?” Katie’s voice carried outside the room.
Darling? Who the hell was she talking to? Old fears reared their ugly head, going back to a time when women had cheated on him after Katie. Then as he and Ry were finding their feet in their relationship, there had been that city gal who tried to play him and Ry off each other. Had Katie left someone behind in New York? She wasn’t the type to lie. But it had been eight years. His chin came up, and he wasn’t proud of himself as he listened to her side of the conversation.
“Yes, I’m happy to be home.” Katie paused and laughed. “Even if it did mean leaving you in New York. You should come visit.”
Chapter Five
Jed’s fingers curled into fists as he stood outside the door. She was inviting another man to visit her? That was so not going to happen. He stepped into the doorway, but Katie was facing away from him, leaning against the desk.
She gave a husky laugh. “Sure, bring your special kit. I’m sure we could find some use for it.”
His temper shot up his spine. No fucking way was some man going to... Jed strode over to Katie. He snatched the phone out of her hand and brought it up to his mouth. Katie was his. She held his heart.
“I don’t give a fuck who this is, but Katie is taken, now and forever.” Jed hit the end button and glared at Katie.
“What the hell are you doing?” She reached for her phone, but he held it out of her reach.
“No other men, Katie. That isn’t negotiable.”
“I’d assumed that. Now give me my phone.”
“Are you going to call him back?”
“Yes.”
His temper hit the roof. “Then you can’t have it.” Jed pocketed the phone as it began to ring.
“Damn it, that could be a client. I need my phone.” She held her hand out for it.
Her telling him it could be a client was the only reason he fished the cell out of his pocket. Glancing at the display, he saw the name Pam. Good, it wasn’t the man. He handed the phone over to her.
“Hi,” Katie said. “Yeah. Sorry about that.” She glared at him. “I have a Neanderthal standing in what is to be my new office.”
Jed cupped the nape of her neck, giving it a light squeeze in warning.
“Yes. That’s the one who hung up on you.” Katie glanced up and stuck her tongue out at him. Jed couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing and lost his grip on her.
“Okay, call you later.” She snapped the phone shut and glared at him. “This isn’t funny, Jed.”
She stood with hands on hips, legs spread, and all he could think about was peeling those jeans down those long legs, taking her panties with them. He’d lick her pussy until she came at least twice, and then he’d fuck her across that big oak desk.
“You know a guy named Pam?” he asked, finally controlling his laugher.
“No, I know a woman named Pam. And don’t get off the subject.” She marched over to him. “If you ever do something like that again, I’ll twist your balls into shriveled grap
es.” She punctuated each word with a finger poked to his chest.
“Kitty Kat, you couldn’t if you wanted to.” He started to reach for her and found himself flat on his back against the hardwood floor with his arms pinned behind his back by his body weight. When his brain caught up with his body, he had to admit he was impressed. Very few women could take him by surprise and pin him down.
Katie straddled his legs and placed her palm right over his balls. “Want to rethink that statement?” she asked.
“What the heck...” Katie’s grandmother stood in the doorway her eyes wide. “Oh, sorry. Katie honey, I’ll see you tonight.”
Katie groaned. “Gran,” she yelled.
“No, it’s okay. Have fun.” The front door slammed, and Katie let out another groan.
“So now that you have me in this position, what do you plan on doing with me?” Jed relaxed his muscles, but his cock stiffened in anticipation.
“Maybe you should learn not to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations or jump to conclusions.” She kept the pressure on him so he couldn’t buck her off, not that he wanted to try. He liked her straddling his cock.
“Sorry.” He tried to make it come out sincerely but knew he failed when her eyes darkened. His heart squeezed with love and passion.
“Sorry, my ass. I should tie you up and whip you for what you just did.”
His dick leaped beneath his jeans, pressing hard against the fabric. Oh hell, he couldn’t let her do that, he was the dominant, but damn if the idea didn’t excite him. He’d never let a woman whip him before, but the thought of Katie doing it made his blood boil. He opened his mouth, and his phone rang.
“I really need to get that,” he said, shifting his hips.
“Let’s just make sure it’s not a woman.” She slipped his phone out of his waist holder. She looked at it and smiled before hitting the talk button. “Hi, Ry.” She listened. “Jed’s a little, shall we say, flat on his back and about to have his balls turned into grapes.”
“Fuck.” Jed tried to buck, but Katie leaned over him, pressing a hand to his chest. His hands were trapped beneath his back right above his ass. In this position he couldn’t get leverage, and she was still sitting on his legs.
“Bye.” Katie hit the end button and tossed his phone onto the desk. “Ry said to have fun.”
“Bastard.” Ry would say that. “Come on, Katie. I really am sorry I jumped to conclusions.”
“You just want me to let you up.” She rocked her hips against his bulging cock.
“Yes, no...fuck.” Her fingers slipped between their bodies, and she squeezed his cock. Excitement shot up his spine.
“It’s bigger than I remember.” She stroked him through the denim.
“And getting bigger by the second,” he muttered, gritting his teeth against her touch.
“Poor Jed,” Katie whispered, leaning over him once again, her body shifting and her lips inches from his. “All hard and wanting.”
“Two can play this game.” She’d adjusted her position just enough for him to rock his body, allowing him to free one arm. He grabbed Katie around the waist, and he flipped her onto her back. Now he was on top. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head with one hand, his hips straddling hers. “Now who has the upper hand?”
Katie’s eyes grew wide as Jed began undoing her blouse. “Jed,” she started.
“You started it, Kitty Kat, and I’m going to finish it.” He pulled her shirt apart. “Thank God for front clasp bras.” He flipped the clasp and her breasts spilled out.
“We’re in my grandmother’s house,” she reminded him.
“Yes, and she left for work.” Leaning down, he licked the right nipple then the left before taking the right one in his mouth and biting it.
“Ouch.” She squirmed beneath him.
He gave her a grin before biting her left nipple, and this time she only tried to buck him off. But he wasn’t going anywhere. “Such pretty pink nipples. I can’t wait until I can clamp them again.” Jed nuzzled between her breasts. “Just think how that will feel, Kitty Kat. Your nipples in clamps, a chain hanging between them, and my fingers on that chain, pulling it. Making your nipples stretch, making you hot, and making you squirm for more.”
Her head went from side to side. “I don’t like pain.”
“It won’t be pain; it will be pleasure.” He licked the underside of her breasts. “And when I pull the clamps off, I’ll thrust into your wet pussy so you won’t even notice the slight pain of the blood rushing back to them. And you’ll come from the pleasure of it all.”
Katie’s breathing sped up, and Jed fought back a grin. She was turned on, just as he was. Good. Because he was going to turn up the heat more.
“I bet your pussy is wet now.” His fingers walked their way down her stomach to the top of her jeans. He paused for a second, then unzipped the denim before flipping open the snap.
“Jed, please,” she whispered.
He slipped his palm down over her abdomen and beneath her panties. Her heat radiated from her pussy as he pressed one finger into her.
She cried out, tried to raise her hips, but his weight prevented her from doing that.
“Yes, soaking wet.” He stroked his finger in and out of her pussy, watching her eyes widen and hearing her breathing increase.
He could make her come. He could thrust three fingers into her and fuck her that way, but then what would be the fun in that? Withdrawing his finger, he slid it into his mouth, tasting her honey cream. Then he released her arms and climbed off her legs.
After getting to his feet, Jed reached down and helped her up. She scrambled to button her blouse and jeans.
“Miss Mazie said you might need help setting your office up.” His voice was gruff from his own arousal. He could jack off later, or go down to the dungeon and use one of the masturbators. But Katie...she would have to wait since they’d ordered her not to come without their permission.
“She did?” Confusion showed on her face.
Jed placed his fingers under her chin and tilted it up. “Yes. So what do you need?”
“A long, hard fuck.” Katie closed her eyes. “Damn it, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
Jed snagged her around the waist. “We’ll have to wait on that long, hard fuck. But I promise you will have it.”
She blew out a breath. “Frustration is thy name.” Her gaze drifted to his groin, and his cock pulsed.
Jed slapped her ass, and she jumped. “Concentrate, Katie.”
“Yes, boss.” She snapped him a salute.
“You got that right. I’m the boss.” He grinned at her. “What do you need for the office?”
“Chair, file cabinet, and Internet.”
“Let’s drive over to Monroe. They’ve got a good office supply store, and you can get what you need.”
“I’ll go put on my shoes and get my purse.” Katie danced out of the room.
His cell phone rang, and Jed snatched it off of the desk. “Ry.”
“So why did Katie want to damage your balls?”
“I overheard her on the phone and jumped to the conclusion she was talking to a man.”
“And was she?” Ry’s voice hardened. Past events made them both leery.
“No, and she made it clear she didn’t appreciate my, shall we say, jumping to the wrong conclusion.”
Ry laughed. “I take it your balls are still intact.”
“Yeah.” Jed rubbed the back of his neck. “We’re heading to Monroe to pick her up some office furniture and supplies.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re there to keep an eye on her.”
“Ry, Katie isn’t like other women.”
“I know.” Ry blew out a breath.
“She’s coming back now. Talk to you later.” Jed barely got his phone put away before she came strutting into the room.
“All ready.”
“Then let’s go.” He took her arm and escorted her out to his truck.
&nbs
p; ****
Four hours later, Ry pulled up to Miss Mazie’s house, got out of the SUV, and strolled up to Jed, who was shaking his head. His truck was full to the brim with office furniture and supplies.
“Is this all Katie’s?”
“Yep.” Jed rubbed his neck.
“Hey, Ry,” Katie said as she came out of the house.
“Hi, Katie.” Ry snagged her by the waist and gave her a quick kiss before releasing her. God, he loved the feel of her soft lips against his.
“You didn’t have to come over. I could help Jed get this stuff in the house.”
“This is man’s work,” Jed said, puffing his chest out.
Katie laughed, and Ry couldn’t help but grin. She was in good spirits today. His gut unclenched a bit. The trigger they’d hit last night didn’t seem to be affecting her. That was good. Now he could wonder about all the office supplies. “We don’t want you to hurt yourself.” Ry leaned over and whispered in her ear, “That’s our job.”
A blush crept over Katie’s cheeks, and Ry glanced at Jed, who had a shit eating grin on his face.
“Okay, let’s get this show on the road,” Ry said. “I only have an hour for lunch.”
An hour later, everything was unloaded and the furniture in place except for the office chair. “I’ll let Jed put the chair together,” Ry said.
“Thanks.” Jed gave him the finger.
Ry snagged Katie around the waist. “Dinner tonight at the house, and then we’re going to discuss why you’re setting up this office.”
“Yeah, you mentioned something about clients this morning,” Jed said.
“You don’t know?” Katie glanced between Jed and him. She wiggled her eyebrows. “Well, it’s to start taking reservations for your dungeon, of course. There’s a big call for play rooms like yours.”
“What?” Jed roared, and Ry laughed. Katie could always make him laugh, and it had been a long time since he’d felt this good around a woman.
“I’m only teasing.” Katie held her hand out to Jed, who took it. “I’m not about to advertise our activities.”
Ry’s radio went off. “Okay, I’m off. See you both later.” One quick kiss on Katie’s lips and a pointed look at Jed.