She moved reluctantly away from Conor to follow Jeb. “Are you coming with me?”
Jeb waved her forward. “Of course he’s coming. They’re all right behind you. Come along, Cinderella, you’re missing the ball. This party’s for you.”
Conor’s phone rang in his pocket, and he pulled it out to answer. Jeb was tugging on her arm, but she held her ground. Conor hung up and turned to her. “Can you get a ride with Brianne and Nate? I need to go. A high-ranking state official has been arrested.”
Lisa couldn’t believe her ears. “You’re leaving? Now? Can’t someone else take care of it tonight? He won’t be arraigned until Monday.”
The familiar look of impatience crossed Conor’s face. She knew it well. He brought it out any time she objected to his working hours. “He’s an important man, Lisa. I can’t send one of the juniors for this. I have to go.”
She pressed her lips together, anger simmering. “Then you should go.” She turned to Brianne. “Can I get a ride with you tonight?”
Brianne’s eyes were wide, her gaze darting back and forth between Lisa and Conor. “Of course, you can.”
Conor’s expression wasn’t even apologetic. “I’ll be home late. Don’t wait up.”
“I won’t.”
She turned on her heel to follow Jeb. She was going to get a good night’s sleep tonight. Because tomorrow, she and Conor were going to have a hell of a fight.
* * * *
When Conor got home, it was two in the morning. He tossed his suit jacket on the couch and followed the shaft of light coming from the back patio. Lisa was in the pool swimming laps back and forth. He watched her for a few minutes, admiring her grace and athleticism. Lisa had never been a stick, but even after three children she still maintained a curvy, healthy shape that never failed to stir his desire.
He sat down in the patio chair and waited until she took a break, finally seeing him. She swam to the pool stairs and levered herself out, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her nude body. Despite his exhaustion, his cock stirred in his pants at the glimpse of pink nipples, tight from the temperature of the pool.
“I told you not to wait up for me. It’s two in the morning, babe.”
He kept his voice down, although he didn’t think the kids could hear him from their rooms. They were all good, heavy sleepers.
She squeezed the excess water from her hair. “I didn’t. I was restless and wanted to take a swim. But if I did want to wait up for you, I could. You don’t get to control every minute of my life anymore. You forfeited that right. I run my own life now.”
Conor fought his rising irritation. Lisa had a reason to be frustrated with him, but this level of anger was unwarranted.
“You’ve done a fine job. Can you dial down the anger? I had to work, Lisa. I support this family. I’m not going to grovel to you because I had to work.”
Lisa stomped into the house, pulling a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
“You didn’t have to work. You could have sent any of the other attorneys. You chose to go. Fuck, I think you wanted to go. You didn’t want to be there, just admit it.”
He pulled a couple of cookies from the cabinet and sat heavily at the table.
“Of course I wanted to be there. It was your first show. I didn’t like that Jed guy with his hands all over you. Other men aren’t allowed to touch you.”
She sat down next to him, her blue eyes almost gray. “His name is Jeb. And that was a rule from before. Those rules don’t apply any longer. We never have sat down and renegotiated new rules.”
“Well, I sure as fuck am not agreeing to other men having their hands all over you.”
He wasn’t liking his belligerent tone, but he couldn’t seem to shut up. He was only making things worse when he wanted to make things better.
Lisa snorted. “He had his arm around me. Big deal. He does that to everyone.”
“He called you ‘doll.’”
“He calls everyone ‘doll’ or ‘baby’ or ‘honey.’ It’s just his way. He doesn’t mean anything by it, and he doesn’t have any interest in me.”
“He’d be fucking crazy not to have any interest in you.”
Apparently, it was the right thing to say. Lisa smiled…just a little. Maybe he wouldn’t be sleeping on the couch after all.
“You’re biased.”
He shook his head. “I’m not. You’re hot, blondie. Smokin’ hot. In that black dress tonight you were turning heads. I don’t mind them looking, but I do mind them touching.”
“I don’t want anyone touching you either.”
“No one else touches me.” She was trying to turn this around on him.
“How about Carrie? Was she with you tonight at the office?”
He felt the heat creep under his skin. Carrie had helped him with the breaking case tonight. Lisa laughed mirthlessly. “As I thought. Carrie wants you, Conor. Last time I was in the office, she was all proprietorial over you and I’m your fucking wife. How does she act with other people? She had her hand on your arm and shoulder, too.”
“I’m not interested in Carrie.”
She nodded. “I know. That’s not the point I’m making here. My point is if you want the people I do business with not to touch me, I want the same courtesy.”
That got his attention. “Are you going to be doing business with this guy? I thought it was just a show. A one-time thing.”
Lisa looked down at the table and then looked back up at him, tears glittering in her eyes. “Tonight was the biggest night of my life, Conor, and you bailed.” He started to speak but she held up her hand. “Don’t bring up our wedding day or the day the kids were born. Of course those were big days, but those were big days for us. Tonight was about me. I’m the wife of a famous attorney and the mother of three. It’s rarely, if ever, about me, and mostly I’m fine with it. But sometimes, I need something for myself. You weren’t there for me tonight. You left for something you didn’t need to do.”
He wasn’t sure what to say, he only knew he’d hurt the woman he loved. Her eyes were filled with pain he’d put there. “I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry. I didn’t realize tonight was such a big deal, I guess. I thought it was just a show.” He tried to put as much sincerity into his words as he could. He felt like a pile of shit at the moment.
She nodded, her expression sad. “I know.” She looked back down again. “I made sixty thousand tonight after Jeb’s commissions.”
Shock rippled through him. “What? Are you sure?” She had to be mistaken. It was her first show. There could be no way she’d made that kind of money in one night.
She got up from the table and tossed her empty bottle in the recycle bin. “Yes. Jeb gave me the number and told me to stop by tomorrow for my check.” She lifted her chin and gave him a look of defiance. “I’m proud of myself, even if you aren’t. They want more of my art. You don’t have to work so hard anymore. I’ll have money coming in.”
He still hadn’t gotten past her statement that she’d made sixty grand in one show. It wasn’t even her show exclusively. She’d shared it with a half a dozen other people.
“I’m proud of you, blondie.” His voice sounded choked. “Really proud. But you don’t need to work. I can take care of us fine.”
She laughed. “You act like I don’t know how to work. I distinctly remember supporting you while you were in law school.”
He stood up and put his hands on her shoulders, suddenly needing some contact with his wife. It felt like she was pulling away from him. He couldn’t let her slip away. “In exchange for giving up grad school and going to work to put me through law school, I promised to take care of you. Haven’t I done that?”
“I’m the most pampered wife in the Tampa Bay Area, Conor. You’ve done a great job. Maybe I simply want something of my own. Maybe I want to be more than your wife and slave.”
Was she upset she’d given up grad school for him? She’d always planned to become a clinical psychologist, but he’d pers
uaded her to wait until he was done with law school. By then, they’d been planning a family. It had never seemed the right time for her to go back.
“You are more. Shit, blondie, you’re an amazing woman. Haven’t I always said you’re formidable?”
She stepped forward and ran her hands around his middle, hugging him close.
“You have, and that’s great.” She pressed her head to his chest, and her soft fragrance wrapped around him. No one smelled as good as Lisa did, her combination of flowers and coconut oil. He pulled her closer, feeling the warmth of her skin.
“I wish I could explain this, Conor. I wish I could make you understand. I’m just hurt you left tonight. I wanted to share this evening with you.” She looked up at him, her expression pleading. “All this great stuff was happening and you weren’t there. I need you. This doesn’t mean anything if I can’t share it with you.”
He felt like she’d punched him in the gut. “I’m sorry, babe. I’ll be there next time. I promise. No job will come between us. I’ll leave my phone in the car. Whatever it takes. I’m there for you. God, I love you.” He rubbed her back. “I guess I screwed up again.”
“You’re learning faster. I never thought things would be perfect from here on out. I knew we’d hit rough patches. It’s going to be rocky, but you’re worth it.”
He grinned, heat spreading through his body, his cock hardening at the playful look on her face. “If we’re going to have our ups and downs, we might want to enjoy the up parts.”
A delicately shaped eyebrow arched. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
He swept her up in his arms, her towel dropping to the floor. “Blondie, our minds are completely in sync.”
* * * *
Lisa had wanted to be furious with Conor, but she’d never been able to stay mad long. He was too handsome, too sexy, and she loved him too much. Even now, just the scent from his body was driving her crazy, arousal humming through her veins.
He’d said he was sorry and it seemed genuine. Neither one of them was perfect and they were going to argue and disagree until they found a new normal. She could only hope it would be soon. He carried her into their master bathroom shower, the stall large enough for two, and set her feet on the tile.
“We need to get the chlorine rinsed off of you.”
He turned the shower on, and the hot water cascaded over her chilled skin while he shed his clothes, revealing his muscled body. Not bodybuilding muscled, but handsomely chiseled. She couldn’t wait to run her hands all over his yumminess. She hid her giggle. This was why they had three children. Twenty years later, she still thought he was the hottest thing going. She would always think of him that way. Not only did he look good, he was an awesome lover. Some women complained about their husbands in bed, but not her. Lisa knew she had it good.
She licked her lips in anticipation when he walked into the shower butt naked. His cock was already hard, the veins standing in stark relief to the velvety skin. She dropped to her knees, swiping at the head with her tongue. She wrapped her hand around her base, while her other hand caressed her balls. His fingers automatically tangled in her hair.
“Fuck, babe, your tongue is lethal.” His voice was already hoarse and strained. She wouldn’t need to be on her knees long before he would get off. She moved her hand up and down his thick shaft, loving the steely feel underneath her fingers. She engulfed the purple-red mushroom head with her mouth, feathering her tongue underneath. He hissed in response, his fingers tightening almost painfully on her hair.
Some women didn’t like to suck cock, but Lisa loved it. She felt so powerful and desired when his dick was in her mouth. A man was vulnerable for those few minutes, his attention focused on only one thing. The pleasure she could bring him.
She tightened her lips and sped up her movements, feeling his balls draw up. His breathing was ragged, his eyes squeezed shut. She felt his cock swell in her mouth and filthy words fell from his lips.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck. Your mouth is so fucking good. Aw, fuck.”
Hot jets of cum filled her mouth and throat, and she swallowed quickly to keep up, licking his cock clean when he was done. He leaned against the shower wall, his eyes slits as he gazed down at her.
“You’re a fucking witch. I didn’t want to come so fast. I wanted to come inside you, blondie.”
She looked up at him with wide-eyed innocence. “You mean we can’t have sex now?”
He laughed. “I can do it, but it’s going to take a few minutes. I know what we can do while I recover.”
He pulled her to her feet and lifted her hands over her head. Her stomach fluttered and her pussy dripped honey at the thought of what was to come. Conor was going to tie her to the showerhead. He’d installed special restraints for just this purpose. She felt the waterproof cuffs wrap around her wrists. Conor knelt down to make sure her feet were firmly on the floor.
“Are you okay? Too tight?”
Her mind was already starting to drift to the special place she loved. “Just right, Master.”
“I’m going to wash you head to toe, and all you can do is stand here and enjoy it.”
He poured some shampoo into his hand and gave her an evil grin worthy of Lucifer himself.
“You do not have permission to come and you do not have permission to make any noise. Violations will be punished.”
From the look in his eyes, he wasn’t in any hurry to get her off. She knew her husband well, and he could hold out for a very long time. Probably longer than the hot water heater, even if it was the biggest damn one they sold. She steeled herself for his assault on her senses.
He rubbed the shampoo into her hair, massaging the scalp and relaxing her entire body. She thought back to when they were first married and how Conor used to wash her hair every night in their tiny bathroom in their even tinier apartment. She wouldn’t wish their abject poverty on her worse enemy, but they’d been so young and in love it hadn’t mattered. Her heart ached remembering the joys of discovering new things about her handsome husband every day. Some of them nice, and some of them annoying.
His hand cupped her jaw, making her look up at him. “You got a very sad look on your face for a second. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking about how you used to wash my hair when we were first married. Remember that apartment we had and how small the shower was? It barely fit one of us, let alone two.”
Conor chuckled. “That apartment was the size of a postage stamp. We sure had a great deal of togetherness when we were first married. The apartment made you sad?”
“No. Remembering how young and in love we were made me sad. We were just learning about each other. Every day was a journey of discovery. Don’t get me wrong, I love what we have now, but I miss those days sometimes. Maybe I just miss being younger.”
His expression was fierce. “We are young, and we are in love. I love you more now, blondie, than I did back then. I didn’t think it was possible, but I do. There are still things to discover about each other. I promise.”
He tipped her head back to rinse her hair, quickly applying conditioner and rinsing again. His hands raked through her hair, and the entire time he pressed kisses everywhere he could reach, her lips, nose, forehead, ears, neck, and shoulders. She was giggling and aroused at the same time, the blood singing through her limbs.
He tapped on her nose. “You were supposed to keep quiet, pet. Ten for your disobedience.”
Before she could catch her breath, he’d turned her body, his hand coming down on a vulnerable ass cheek. Nine more followed and the sound echoed off the tile walls, amping up her arousal and making cream leak from her pussy. Her bottom burned, but the slide of the water over it quickly turned it to pleasure. She tugged at the restraints and had to bite her lip to keep from crying out with the sensations playing tag in her belly and lower.
He dropped to his knees, kissing a trail of fire down to her ass cheeks. “You always take your punishments so well. You’re such a g
ood girl. Now let’s get you clean.”
Staying quiet was impossible as his soapy hands ran all over her body. He caressed every nook and cranny of her body. Brushing the undersides of her arms where she was ticklish, caressing her breasts and nipples until they were hard, sliding down her legs and rubbing soap in between her toes, until finally pushing her legs apart and washing her cunt thoroughly. She pressed her lips together hard to keep from moaning as his fingers brushed her clit over and over.
“Master, I need to come.” She couldn’t hold back her plea. He frowned.
“I told you no sounds and no coming. Fifteen this time.”
More spanking was only going to push her closer to orgasm, and her diabolical Dom knew it. She shuddered as he counted out each strike on her wet flesh slowly, drawing out the heat as long as possible. She was panting and holding on by a thread when he was through.
He pressed a finger inside her wet cunt. She whimpered, trying to hold back her groan of pleasure.
“Does that feel good, pet? Do you want more?”
She nodded her head up and down vigorously, needing all he would give her. He pressed in a second finger and hooked them so they were rubbing her sweet spot. She was trembling with the effort to hold back her climax.
“Does my sweet pet need to come?”
She nodded, her eyes closed, her body tense. She was beyond words anyway, lost to this passion only Conor could create inside her. He wrapped his hands around her thighs and lifted her so she was braced against the wall, his steely cock pushing inside her drenched pussy. She bit into his wet shoulder when he slid into the hilt.
He didn’t pretend to seduce her. He fucked her hard and fast, their breaths ragged, their wet bodies slapping together. She wished her hands were free so she could dig her nails into his shoulders and back, but she made do clutching the restraints as if her very life depended on it.
He insinuated his face into the crook of her neck, nipping and licking at the sensitive skin there, making her flush with want. The water running down their bodies added a second dimension, and she gave herself up to it, loving the feel of being fully impaled by him. Each thrust of his cock rubbed his groin against her clit. She only needed his permission and she would go off like a rocket.
Remind Me, Master [The Martinis and Chocolate Book Club 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Page 5