by Anne Rainey
Once Wade was a few inches in front of her, his strong, masculine scent fil ing her senses, he growled, “Tel me the truth. Have you changed your mind about Hard & Dangerous?”
Gracie hadn’t expected him to take her so seriously. Al of a sudden she seemed incapable of lying to him. Stil , she wasn’t wil ing to give him that much leverage over her either, so she merely shrugged and let him decipher for himself what it meant.
Wade backed up a step, jaw clenched tight, the muscles in his forearms flexing as if he were trying very hard to keep from pouncing. The image of him unleashing al that untamed passion brought her back to the night before. He’d strummed her body like an expert. No man had ever taken such care, spent more time pleasing her.
“Turn around.” Wade’s deep voice al owed no room for argument.
And stil , Gracie pushed. “Why?”
Wade planted both hands on the counter beside her, caging her in. “Do as I said, Gracie.”
In that moment in time, Gracie knew the truth. Wade owned her. Irrevocably and completely. She would do anything for him. The notion sent a jolt of fear clear to her soul. No man should ever have such power over a woman.
On shaking legs, Gracie turned and faced the kitchen cabinets. Waiting, for what she didn’t know, proved to be a lesson in patience. It seemed like an hour passed before Wade spoke again. This time, his words had her pussy creaming.
“You lied to me, baby,” he whispered, his lips caressing the shel of her ear. “As far as I can see there’s only one thing to do about that.”
Gracie braced herself, anticipating the spanking she knew Wade would deliver. Only nothing happened. “Wade?”
“Hush, Gracie. I won’t be rushed.” When large hands cupped her buttocks and squeezed, Gracie groaned. “You wanted me for months, but you turned me down. Time and again. And then you have the nerve to lie about it to my face. That’s very naughty.” He caressed her through the denim, and Gracie knew a kind of torment she’d never experienced before. She ached to have his hard, cal oused hands against her flesh.
Warming her with the erotic spanking she knew was coming.
Stil , he took his time.
“So many times I went home after one of your rejections and was forced to take myself in hand. Do you know what that means, Gracie?”
She couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. His hands kept petting and kneading. She shook her head from side to side, already losing the thread of the conversation.
“It means, my Fiery Angel, that I unzipped my jeans and pul ed out my cock,” he whispered. “I had to wrap my own fist around it. Your image stayed in my head while I stroked. Your denials too. I came, vowing that someday soon it’d be your pussy I pumped ful of my seed, instead of a damn tissue.”
“Oh, Wade,” she whimpered, as the image he’d created with his words flitted through her head.
“And final y here we are.” Wade’s big, warm hands cupped and massaged; he was driving her insane with his words and touches both. “I’ve fucked this tight little ass. I’ve fil ed your hot cunt. And you’ve taken me to heaven with that pretty mouth of yours. Unfortunately, you had to go and tel that little fib about not wanting me.”
“I-I can’t help it. I’m not used to feeling so . . .” She simply couldn’t put into words the way he made her feel.
“Vulnerable?” he helpful y supplied. Gracie nodded, knowing that’s exactly what had her so scared. “You think it’s any easier for me? You can’t breathe without my taking notice of it, Gracie. Everything about you fascinates me.”
Facing away made it easier to speak her mind, Gracie realized. For the first time, she let down the wal s protecting her heart. “You’re too intense, Wade. I don’t know what to do with you half the time. I feel like a five-year-old going to kindergarten for the first time.”
“These are feelings we can work out. There’s no rush. I don’t need you to be a relationship expert. I only need you to be you. Open. Honest.
Wil ing to embrace what we could have together.”
She had no words. Wade already knew how she felt about relationships, so reiterating it seemed pointless. Instead, she stayed silent and waited.
Several seconds went by before Wade murmured, “So stubborn. Soon you’l see that I’m a good bet, sweetheart.” One strong arm wrapped around her waist. “Until then, there’s the little matter of your discipline.”
Gracie’s legs trembled as Wade unbuttoned her jeans. The zipper went down next. He pushed, and the material slid down over her hips to pool at her ankles. She felt him grip her panties and yank. The fragile silk tore in two. She moaned, more than ready to step out of her jeans and give him complete access to her body, but he stopped her with a hand on her hip.
“No. Stay stil . I like you like this. Shackled at the ankles and at my mercy.” Wade rubbed his palm over one cheek, and Gracie tensed. “God, I fucking love this ass. So round and creamy. I want to see it al pink, Gracie. I want you to have a stinging reminder of what happens if you ever choose to lie to me again.”
Gracie took a single breath, then yelped as Wade delivered the first hard swat to her bottom. She grabbed the counter harder and waited for the next, her clit throbbing and swol en, juices spil ing down her thighs. She didn’t have to wait long before Wade’s palm came down a second and a third time.
“Reach down and play with your soft little pussy, Gracie. Do it now.”
Helpless against the sensual assault, Gracie did as Wade commanded. She slipped her hand between the counter and her body and cupped her mound.
“Fuck it with your finger, pretty baby. Get yourself off while I spank this ass.”
“Wade,” she moaned, even as she glided her middle finger into her hot, wet opening. So close. She could come so easily.
Wade slapped the left cheek of her rear two more times, then switched to the other and paid the same attention to it. Over and over, Wade alternated between hard and gentle swats. Soon, Gracie was begging and writhing, her finger deeply imbedded in her pussy.
“Damn, you’re hot,” Wade growled as he massaged the sting away with his palm. “So pretty. So naughty. You love this don’t you? Admit it to me.”
As an answer, Gracie pushed her hips backwards, giving him better access to her ass. Her name passed his lips in a rough demand seconds before his hand landed on her stinging cheek once more. “Come for me. Let me see it.”
Given permission, Gracie moved her finger farther inside the heat of her pussy. Her body gripped the digit, sucking at her finger. Wade brought his hand down on her once more. Over and over. Gracie pumped herself faster, teasing her clit at the same time, while Wade delivered the stinging swats she craved. Unable to help herself, Gracie glanced over her shoulder. Wade stood behind her, his gaze on her ass, every inch the dominant male lover she’d imagined him to be. Knew him to be. She inched another finger in, watching as Wade’s gaze sought out hers. What she saw in his eyes curled her toes. Her sweet, demanding lover, aching to bring her pleasure. Her gaze darted to his crotch, and she saw the erection his jeans couldn’t even begin to hide. God, how she wanted to suck him. To swal ow his seed. Her mouth watered at the erotic thought.
Wade growled low and wrapped an arm around her middle, holding her tight. “I want my cock feeling that hot squeeze of yours, Gracie.”
“I want that, Wade. Very much.”
He shook his head. “No,” he bit out. “You lied. No cock for you. Come. Do it now.”
As far as punishments went, Gracie had had worse. The forceful command seemed to do the trick, as Gracie felt her body climbing higher and higher. She pumped her own pussy with her fingers. Just when she thought she couldn’t take another second of the pleasurable torture, Wade spanked her backside once more. Hard. Gracie’s body bowed as she exploded, screaming his name over and over.
“That’s the sweetest damn sound, baby,” Wade said, his voice deep and rough, as if ready to come himself.
“Hey, I wanted to—”
Gracie fro
ze at the familiar male voice. It did not belong to Wade.
“Oh, fuck!”
“Out, goddamnit!” Wade shouted, even as he moved to stand behind her, protecting her with his larger body.
She heard the sound of shuffling feet. “Fuck, I’m sorry. Fuck!”
Wade slammed his palm down on the counter beside her. “Out, Jonas! Now!”
“Uh, right. Shit.”
Gracie heard a door slam shut. She slumped against the counter. “Oh. My. God.” Her face was sure to be as red as her ass right now.
“I’l kil him. He’s dead.”
Gracie heard the rage in Wade’s voice, and al she could think about was stopping the runaway train of his anger. “Uh, I’m sure it wasn’t intentional.”
He kissed the top of her head and grumbled, “I’m stil gouging his eyes out.”
Gracie pushed her hips backwards. Wade got the hint and moved away. She reached down and pul ed her jeans back up. The denim scraped over her sensitive reddened flesh. She winced. Crap, that wasn’t at al pleasant. She attempted to ignore the sting as she buttoned and zipped.
Turning around, she saw Wade staring at the closed door leading to his PI business next door, a frown marring his brow. She reached up and cupped his check in her palm. He turned and stared down at her. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m sure he’s as embarrassed as we are.”
Wade’s eyes widened. “You’re defending him? He just saw your ass, which is red as hel from the spanking I just delivered, and you want to make excuses for him?”
Put that way, Gracie had half a mind to kil Jonas herself. “I . . . He must have had a good reason for walking in here after you told him to knock from now on. Maybe it’s about my stalker.”
Immediately, Gracie knew it was the right thing to say. Wade’s gaze shot to the door connecting his office to his home. He ran a hand through his hair and bit out, “Go upstairs and pul on something more comfortable. I’m going to talk to Jonas.”
Gracie bit her lip, unsure if that was guy code for “I’m going to beat him into the ground,” or not. “Is this your way of getting me out of the way so you can punch him?”
Wade looked back at her. To Gracie’s relief some of the rage was gone. He was definitely stil pissed, but it was no longer at the boiling point. “Baby, Jonas and I have known each other for a long time. Trust me; he’l expect what’s coming.”
She rol ed her eyes. “I don’t understand men at al .”
He closed the little bit of distance separating them and cupped her bottom in his palm. She sucked in a breath. “Sore?”
“Yes.”
“Pul on a pair of my sweats, pretty baby.” When she hesitated, he said, “I promise to ask questions before I start beating on him.”
For a possessive, hard-edged man like Wade, Gracie figured the promise was as good as it was going to get. Rising up on her toes, Gracie pressed her lips to his and murmured, “No blood, please. I can’t stand the sight of it.”
pressed her lips to his and murmured, “No blood, please. I can’t stand the sight of it.”
He smiled, but she noticed it was strained. “Go, before I forget he’s even here and drag your sexy red ass up those stairs.”
Gracie didn’t need to be told twice. She went. By the time she was on the upstairs landing, she turned and realized Wade was already gone.
She real y hoped he didn’t kil Jonas. Besides the blood, she didn’t want to be the cause of the men’s long friendship coming to a sudden halt.
24
When Wade walked into the office, he saw Jonas pacing back and forth, oblivious to the fact that he was no longer alone. Wade stayed across the room. Hel , if he moved closer he’d end up breaking his promise to Gracie.
His hands fisted at his sides in an effort to keep himself under control. “You’d better have a damn good reason for not knocking, asshole.”
Jonas stopped and turned. The only thing that kept Wade’s anger in check was the red color staining Jonas’s cheeks. Gracie had pegged it.
Jonas was embarrassed as hel .
“Shit, Wade. I wasn’t thinking.”
“I picked up on that part already. The question is why weren’t you thinking?”
Jonas pul ed a flash drive out of his jeans pocket and held it up in the air. “We had a visitor at Gracie’s apartment last night. The camera picked him up.”
Wade tensed. Could this be the break they’d been waiting for? “Her stalker?”
Jonas nodded and went to the desktop computer, pul ed out the chair, and sat. “Yeah, but don’t get too excited. The crafty little bastard hid himself wel . A hood over his face, gloves, not a spec of skin showing.”
He popped the flash drive into the slot. Wade strode across the room and knelt down, his gaze riveted to the computer screen. The front door to Gracie’s apartment came on the monitor. Within a few seconds a figure appeared on her front stoop. Jonas was right. There was no way to tel who the midnight cal er might be. Hel , he couldn’t even swear it was a man. “Looks about five feet seven, give or take. Maybe one hundred and seventy pounds.”
Jonas nodded. “And no way to tel his race. If it even is a he.”
Wade leaned forward and watched as the shadowed figure lifted his hand to the door. “What the hel ?”
Jonas sighed. “You aren’t going to like it.”
Wade swung his head toward Jonas. “What aren’t I going to like?”
“He left Gracie a note.” Jonas pointed to the desk. A Ziploc baggie sat next to the keyboard. Damn, Wade hadn’t even noticed it there. He’d been too intent on trying to identify the stalker.
Wade picked it up and read the neatly typed note through the clear plastic. “Motherfucker. I’l kil him.”
“I want to see it.”
Wade and Jonas came to their feet and swung around at the strained feminine voice. Gracie stood in the doorway, wearing one of his army Ts and a pair of dark blue sweatpants. The clothes swal owed her up. They were ugly as sin, but she looked adorable. Young, sweet, and too damn far away from him. Her gaze darted toward Jonas, then away just as quickly. He heard Jonas curse under his breath. Wade held out his hand. Gracie came to him, as if she’d been doing it her entire life, and entwined her fingers with his.
“Uh, Gracie,” Jonas began, waiting for her to look at him before continuing. “I’m sorry for earlier. I wasn’t thinking.”
She blushed and looked down at the floor. “It’s okay.”
Jonas’s lips thinned. When he stepped closer and cupped her chin in his palm, coaxing her to look at him, Wade wanted to protest. Seeing another man’s hands on Gracie set him on edge. Knowing they both needed to get past the embarrassment was the only thing keeping him from leaping between the two.
“Gracie, I’m not going to lie and tel you I didn’t see anything, but I would never do anything to embarrass you intentional y.”
Gracie’s head came up, her gaze connecting with Jonas’s. “Of course you wouldn’t. I know that.”
Jonas relaxed and held his hands in the air. “Believe me when I say it won’t happen again.”
“No, it won’t,” Wade gritted out as he pul ed Gracie in tight against his side. Gracie elbowed him in the ribs and glared up at him. Wade wouldn’t be swayed. One slipup was al Jonas would be al owed. Next time he’d find himself on the floor nursing a broken nose.
She rol ed her eyes and shook her head. “Whatever. You have something to show me, remember?”
Wade handed her the plastic baggie. “We need to get this to Detective Henderson. I doubt they’l get anything off it, but it’s stil evidence.”
Gracie began reading the note aloud. “ ‘ Did you like the gift I left? Soon, Gracie Lynn. We’ll be together soon, my love. Yours Forever.’ ”
She frowned and handed it back to him. “He’s talking about the black rose he left on my kitchen table.”
Rage threatened to consume Wade. He knew better than anyone that getting emotional could cloud his judgment,
but knowing Gracie was trying to be strong, trying not to let it eat her up inside, tore at his gut. He wanted this over already.
Wade shoved a hand through his hair. “Yeah. That’s not why he left the note, though.”
“Then what is it about, Wade?” Gracie asked, her voice rising in anger. “I’m so sick of the mind games with this jerk.”
Gracie stepped away. Distance, emotional as wel as physical. He knew what she was doing, and it made Wade want to put a fist into the wal . Better yet, into her stalker’s damn face. Christ, did she think that a few inches of carpet between them would keep him from knowing that she needed him? Hel , no. When would she learn that she wasn’t in this alone anymore? He wasn’t about to let her erect her little wal s. Hel , he’d just barely penetrated a few of her barriers; backtracking now wasn’t an option.
Wade tamped down the instinct to drag her close, to know she was safe and prove to her that she could lean on him, that he wouldn’t bend under the pressure, and focused instead on the threat. Pointing to the computer monitor, Wade said, “He came straight to the front door, even after trashing your place. He’s playing with us. He knows we’re watching, but it didn’t scare him off. He’s trying to prove how smart he is.
Preening for you.”
Jonas shoved his hands in his front pockets, as if he too had a hard time watching Gracie stand there, separate, alone. “The cops are driving by regularly, and we’ve got your apartment wired. Yet he stil couldn’t resist leaving the note.”
Fuck this. Wade wrapped a hand around her nape and pul ed her close. “This wil end soon. I promise you.”