by Anne Rainey
“Did you know that when we were cleaning today I caught Dean watching you a few times?”
That wasn’t what she’d wanted to hear. “No. I didn’t even notice.”
“It wasn’t in a weird, creepy way, but I could tel he was curious about you.” He stroked her arm, leaving goose bumps everywhere he touched.
“A man sees this body, and he wants to know it, baby. Men want to view it up close, with nothing in the way to hamper the glorious sight.”
Her gaze never veered from his in the mirror as she asked, “Is that the way you felt when you asked me out, Wade?”
He moved closer, until his body pressed tight against hers. She could feel his hard cock prodding her buttocks, and her panties grew damp.
“The first time I saw you I wanted to strip you bare. You bewitched me, Gracie.”
“Is that why you asked me to live with you?” Gracie hadn’t meant to ask, but since it was out, she was glad. She needed to know the reason behind his offer.
“I asked you to live with me because I enjoy being with you. You’re an intel igent, kind, beautiful, hardworking woman. And it’s the first time I’ve ever asked a woman to move in.”
Her gaze widened. “Real y?”
“I told you before that what I feel for you is different. It’s more, deeper, and I want us to have the time to explore it. To see where it might lead.”
“There’s never been a man in my life who treated me the way you do. I’m so far out of my comfort zone, and it’s scary, Wade.”
Wade turned her toward him, his gaze searching hers. “Relationships are hard for you, I know. But don’t you think I’m worth the effort? That we’re worth the effort?”
She could see the hurt her words had evoked, and it tore at her. Wade was so strong and able, as if bul ets real y could bounce off him. It baffled her that she could cause him even an ounce of pain.
Reaching up, Gracie cupped his cheeks in her palms and spoke from the heart. “When you smile, I lose my ability to think straight. Al you have to do is look at me, and my heart speeds up. You’re such an enigma, Wade. You have a col ection of books that would have any librarian worth her salt creaming in her panties, and yet you handle a rifle so wel it makes me wonder how you learned such a skil . You’re a soldier, my very own hero, and the only man capable of making me want to scream with frustration one minute and melt with pleasure in the next.”
He gripped her shoulders and growled, “Then that’s a yes? You’l move in with me?”
Gracie couldn’t help it, she grinned. He was so tenacious. “That’s a ‘let’s wait and see what happens’ after we catch the freak stalking me.”
“Fine. But in the meantime, I want you.”
In a flash, her body went up in flames at the sudden possessiveness in his voice. Geez, she loved hearing that tone from him. So aggressive.
So male. It was hot.
“Wade,” she said, too breathless to say more.
“Off with the blouse and bra, my Fiery Angel. He brushed the back of his hand down her breast and murmured, “I want to see the soft pink of your succulent nipples. And those pretty piercings, I miss them.”
Gracie surprised herself when she began to do as Wade commanded. She was powerless against the pleasure that she knew awaited her.
With his sharp brown gaze holding her captive, she slowly, temptingly stripped to the waist.
Wade’s right hand moved, and then the left, until he cupped and massaged both of her breasts. He flicked his thumbs over the pierced buds, then pul ed both aching swel s upward for a long, lazy lick.
His tongue swept back and forth over one tight peak, while his fingers played with the other. As he pul ed back, Gracie watched through half-opened eyes as his tongue moved downward to her bel y. He growled something unintel igible an instant before his tongue darted out and toyed with the smal indentation. Gracie pushed against him, on fire already.
Oh, God, she was suddenly aching with need. Her entire body yearned. “That feels so good, Wade.”
“I’l give you more,” he growled. “Much more. But first I want you on your knees.”
Her body trembled at the idea of purposely disobeying him. Would he smack her bottom as he had previously? Only one way to find out.
“I think I’d rather stand, thanks anyway,” she replied, intentional y sounding haughty to wind him up.
He arched a brow at her. “You’re forgetting, Gracie.”
“Forgetting what?”
“That in the bedroom I’m in control.”
His words sent a sensual shiver down her spine. Her clit throbbed, as if eager to do as Wade commanded. She waited, anxious to see what he would do, more excited than she’d ever been. He smiled and moved away from her, then glanced around the room. His gaze stopped on something, she couldn’t tel what. Wade bent and picked the item up, then strode across the room. Her breathing increased with each step he took. As he came to stand mere feet away, she saw a multicolored silk tie. Wade hadn’t worn a tie, not in al the time she’d known him. That didn’t stop her imagination from going into overdrive, though. “What do you plan to do with that?”
He slid the material between his fingers and smiled. “You can’t guess?”
Her pussy dampened. A blindfold perhaps? The idea sent a rush of anticipation through her. Unwil ing to give voice to her speculations, Gracie shook her head. What if she were wrong? She already felt so far out of his league.
Wade surprised her when he moved behind her and clasped one wrist in a large, cal oused fist. Not a blindfold, she thought. He wrapped the silk around her arm, then grabbed the other and did the same. “Is your wrist sore, baby?”
His voice so close to her ear obliterated her ability to speak clearly. “N-no, not real y.”
Gracie tested her bonds. It was loose; she could easily get out. She had a feeling Wade did that on purpose. She was securely tied, but stil able to escape if she wanted. The thoughtfulness behind Wade’s action gave her the bravery to surrender to him once more.
Wade’s hands smoothed their way down her sides until they were cupping her hips in a tight, possessive hold. “Mmm, I like you this way. You are mine now, to do with as I please. If you’re a very good girl, I’l let you come. If you’re naughty, I won’t.”
Shocked, Gracie turned her head, her gaze searching his for a hint of teasing. There wasn’t any. He appeared deadly serious. “You would withhold pleasure from me?”
“Until you learn, yes.” At her frown, he went on. “There’s pleasure in the buildup, sweetheart. Your pleasure is mine, always. But at times I think you forget who I am.”
She couldn’t accept that. “I know exactly who you are. You’re the man I’ve let handcuff me to his bed. You’re the man I let spank me. You’re the only man I want.”
His already intense gaze turned darker. “And I’l be the man to possess you, ful y. Binding your hands, it’s just the beginning. By the time I’m through, there wil be no part of you I haven’t touched, tasted . . . fucked. In here you’re mine. I wil make you scream with pleasure, but I want your total surrender, Gracie.”
“I have surrendered. Everything we’ve done, Wade, it’s been beyond description. You’ve taken me to heaven and back.”
“But there’s stil a part of you that holds back. Admit it.”
How had he known? Was he so attuned to her that he could see inside her soul? The idea of letting Wade have total control over her sent a shiver of warning down her spine. Even though she knew that Wade wasn’t an autocratic man, that his demanding side only surfaced when they were in the bedroom, it stil caused her to hesitate. Letting a man, even one as trustworthy and kind as Wade, see her in such a vulnerable way scared her.
And yet, it turned her on as wel . She couldn’t lie about that. Not even to herself. Wade would never hurt her. Gracie knew it in her heart. The thought of turning herself over to him, submitting, made her clit throb with the pleasure such an act would bring.
“So serious,
” Wade murmured as he rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. “If it’s not what you want, tel me, sweet angel. I won’t have you feeling forced.”
“I like when you take control, Wade. It does scare me a little. I’m not accustomed to relying on anyone but myself. This is new for me.”
His lips curved upward in the most wicked grin she’d ever seen. “A little scared and maybe a little excited?”
She closed her eyes tight and gave him nothing but total honesty. “Yes.”
“Mmm, such a surprise you are, Gracie.” Suddenly a large palm closed over her pussy through her jeans. She could feel the heat of his skin through the denim, and her eyes shot wide.
“Would you like me to tongue fuck your sweet cunt, Gracie? Would that please you?”
Wade’s coarse language spoken in his guttural voice was the single most stimulating thing she had ever heard. There was, of course, only one answer to give.
“Yes.”
“Ah, now that’s the way I like it. My dick is as hard as a hammer right now. One touch, and I could come.”
Gracie didn’t speak; she couldn’t. Her blood was liquid fire running through her veins.
Wade stepped away; Gracie tracked his every move, excitement a razor sharp edge. “Get down on your knees.”
This time Gracie started to lower herself. Wade helped, and it brought to life just how awkward she felt. She couldn’t look at him; equal parts embarrassment and arousal flooded her senses.
Wade cupped her chin in his hand and lifted her face upward. Her eyes connected with his. Gracie witnessed the wild frenzy of sexual hunger in the set of his jaw and the heat in his gaze. Knowing she had the ability to affect him so intensely was enough to loosen her up, if just a little.
“Do you know what you look like in this position?”
She shook her head, stil staring into eyes the color of dark chocolate.
“You look like my pretty little sex slave.”
“No.” Her independent streak reared its feminist head at the notion.
“Yes. And you are mine to fuck,” Wade growled.
“Wade,” she groaned.
He touched the ring in her breast, flicking it in a way that had her clit throbbing. “Wil you let me?” he asked, staring at her naked torso.
“I can’t think straight when you do that.”
“Stop thinking so hard, sweet angel. Let me take you somewhere you’ve never been. I want to be the first man to pul pleasure from the very depths of your soul. Let me.”
Gracie faced the truth then. The moment she’d let Wade tie her hands behind her back, she had been his to touch, to taste, to fuck. “Yes.”
Not a single sound came from Wade at her acquiescence. He didn’t even appear to be breathing hard. He seemed total y at ease. As he moved his finger away from her breast and began unbuttoning his jeans, Gracie nearly whimpered. Licking her lips, Gracie hungered to suck him into her mouth, to taste him on her tongue.
Slowly, as if he had al the time in the world, Wade unzipped and freed his cock, and final y Gracie could see him in al his magnificence. He was hard and pulsing with life, the bulbous head darkly engorged. Jesus, he looked delicious. It was crazy how eager she was to nuzzle her face against him, to savor his unique scent and flavor.
His cock held firmly in his hand, Wade stepped forward and bent slightly at the knees. “Open those sexy lips, my Fiery Angel.”
Gracie tilted her head upward and opened, but when she would have sucked him in, he stopped her with a hand to the back of her head, pul ing at a fistful of her hair just hard enough to bring the slightest sting to her scalp.
“Only your tongue. Lick my dick, little Gracie. I want it nice and wet.”
Obeying, Gracie opened wide and slipped her tongue out. Letting her eyes close, she tasted the sensitive tip of him. Taking the smal bead of moisture that had appeared there into her mouth only teased her appetite. She wanted his come. Al of it. Spurting into her mouth, fil ing her.
“Christ that’s good, baby. So fucking good.”
Gracie moaned, lost in the pleasure of playing with Wade. Her tongue roamed freely over and under. His cock was silk over steel and so large she wondered how on earth she would ever be able to use her mouth to bring him satisfaction. Slowly moving to the underside, Gracie final y came into contact with the sensitive flesh of his bal s. She swiped her tongue back and forth, eager to take them both into her mouth and suck. Wade had given her an order, though, so she held back, moving her wet tongue over the rest of him instead, giving his cock the thorough licking he demanded.
She felt his hand pul ing once more at her hair, and Gracie eased away. Leaning back on her heels, she looked up at him. Wade stared at her with the most feral look she’d ever seen on a man’s face. He looked ready to explode. To throw her on the bed that sat a mere few feet away and fuck her brains out. Had she pushed him too far?
“You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen. Such a tempting little thing, Gracie,” he growled, and then he dipped down, put an arm beneath her, and swung her into his arms. He carried her to his bed and sat her, ever so gently, at the edge. She adjusted her hands slightly, trying for a more comfortable position, but when he began stripping off his clothes, Gracie went stil .
The sight of his body would always make her go pliant and mute. He was just too good-looking for her peace of mind. His short, dark hair and just the slightest hint of stubble on his chin emphasized how incredibly rugged and masculine he was. Any woman would drool over him, but only she had the right to touch. The thought sent her heart soaring.
Wade put one knee on the bed and turned to the task of unfastening her jeans and ridding her of the rest of her clothing. Soon, nothing stood between them and sexual heaven.
He pushed her legs wide, and before she could protest, he descended between them and licked her. She pushed forward, attempting to get him closer, to get his tongue inside her as he’d suggested earlier, but he seemed in no hurry.
“Wade, please, I need you so badly!”
He chuckled and lifted slightly. “You are in no position to be giving me orders, slave.”
She glared down at him and muttered, “Don’t make me regret letting you tie me.”
“Once I’m done with you, you wil crave being tied,” Wade whispered. The heat of his breath stroking her clit caused her femininity to throb to life. “Your mouth wil water and your pussy wil drip with need any time I mention this tie.”
“So confident in yourself are you?” She had to struggle to say the words coherently.
“No. So confident in you. You’re a woman capable of great passion, and I intend to be the man drowning in it very soon.”
Now that sounded promising. “Then quit talking and get to work. You’ve barely scratched the surface,” she dared.
He grinned, and her clit swel ed. “Ah, just what I love, a chal enge.” Then his tongue delved deep, and Gracie’s thoughts scattered.
21
Wade was exactly where he wanted to be. Between the wide spread thighs of the woman he loved. It’d hit him when he watched her get down on her knees in front of him. Her supplicant position had pul ed feelings out of him that he’d never felt before.
He’d always thought himself free of entanglements of the heart. His father had warned him once, when a Harrison man fal s in love, it’s for life.
There’d be no going back. Somehow, he was going to have to convince the wil ful and independent Gracie that they were meant to be together.
That he was good for something other than protection from a stalker. He had a feeling that proving to Gracie that he wasn’t her father, that he wouldn’t let her down, that she was worthy of love, would indeed be a chal enge.
As Wade tasted and teased her, feeling the quiver of Gracie’s supple body, he knew that no man could ever touch her in such a way and live.
She was his. Her desire was for him to play with and nurture to life, no other. The very thought of any other man using his tongue on her swee
t, hot pussy had him feeling crazed with rage.
He lifted up and stared at her nude body. Her eyes were closed, her hands behind her back, securely tied, and best of al she was already in the beginnings of a climax. She looked magnificent and so damn hot he felt singed.
Wade used his thumbs to part her delicate folds, exposing her swol en clit as he did, and then he dipped his head once more and sucked the tiny bit of flesh into his mouth, flicking back and forth with his tongue.
Gracie came undone, screaming his name and arching her back. Wade held her, keeping her from fal ing backwards, as he swal owed every last drop of her tangy flow.
This time when Wade lifted his head, Gracie was staring at him through half-raised lashes, a sexy hint of a smile on her face. Wade spoke, uncaring how his words affected her. “I hope you understand that I’m a man who doesn’t share, Gracie. This curvy body is mine to treasure, mine to love.”
Gracie didn’t rebuke his claim, only stared. Unmoving. Her eyes seemed to look straight into his soul. No woman had ever been able to do that to him. At that moment in time, Wade didn’t care to think too hard on such serious issues, however.
To take his mind off the out-of-control freight train of his thoughts, he slipped his hands beneath her hips, cupped her ass cheeks in his palms, and squeezed. She clenched up on him, drawing forth a grin.
“Remember when I said I wanted to fil this ass with my cock?”
Her eyes went instantly wide with shock, and her mouth dropped open. Ahh, now he had her ful attention. “Don’t look so scandalized, sweet angel.”
That pushed her out of her delirium, and she began to shift and wiggle atop the bed, as if by doing so she could free herself. But he wasn’t about to let her go.
“Wade, this is definitely an area that’s unfamiliar to me, and I’m not so certain I want to become familiar with it.”
“You’ve never had anal sex with a man?” He held his breath, not quite sure why.
“A couple tried. It simply didn’t work.”
They’d hurt her. He could see the fear. He hated when Gracie had that guarded look. Wade cupped her cheek, letting his thumb tease her lower lip. “Baby, you trust me with your body, I know you do. I won’t hurt you. I would never do anything that made you uncomfortable or brought you pain. Let me show you how wel we fit.”