by Sara Brooks
“Taking me out to the garage to fulfill your little motorcycle fantasy?”
“As fantastic as that sounds, I want a hell of a lot more time to see you bound that way. Something we really don’t have time for right now.” He made it as far as the hallway before he gave in to the need to kiss her again. Twisting, he spun her into the wall, pressing her back against it.
“You’re still wearing clothes.” He swallowed Beth’s frustrated groan, feeding off the power swirling between them. Without breaking away, he brought his hands up, yanking his shirt over his head.
Her muttered curse barely registered through the haziness in his mind, and he shook his head in an effort to clear it. This woman barreled over his senses faster than he’d expected and he found he wanted more. A lot more.
It was more than simply the fact he wanted his cock buried deep inside the tempting heat he loved to spend time adoring. Something had broken loose inside him the day she’d found the picture at the warehouse.
Her eyes glazed over as his finger brushed against a hardened nipple. He extracted a condom from his back pocket and slid open his belt buckle. He had to release her to continue, allowing her legs to drop as he unfastened his pants and let them fall away.
“Prepared, aren’t you?” He followed her gaze to the foil square in his hand.
“Like a Boy Scout.” He discarded the packaging, sliding the condom on without much thought to go slow. Right now, they both seemed to want the same thing and it didn’t include time for patience. “Now my question is, are you?”
“Am I what?” The corners of her mouth lifted even as she wound her arms around his neck.
Without answering he reached down, lifting one of her legs to wrap around his hip. He took a moment to indulge himself despite the need screaming in his veins. His fingertips grazed through her soft folds as he held her in place and she shuddered against him. Her lips skimmed against his jaw and the rasp of his unkempt beard against her delicate skin caused him to let out a quiet grunt of pleasure.
“Tell me what you need, Beth.” The purposeful use of her name signaled their carefully crafted balance of D/s wasn’t in play at this moment. Even he was capable of vanilla sex.
Still hot and heavy, but definitely not his usual flavor.
“You, Ryan. Please. Now.”
The plea was almost too good to give in to, but their friends would come back at any moment. He wanted time to savor her to the fullest.
“Any other time I would make you beg louder…” He trailed off as he slanted his mouth over hers. She groaned, arching against him as she lifted her other leg to wrap around his hip. The heat of her pussy was scorching against his waist. He couldn’t resist letting his fingers dip into her folds again as he positioned her a little higher.
She inhaled, widening her legs more to open for him. He shifted his hand around, brushing his thumb firmly against her clit. Her head fell back against the wall and he feasted on her neck, letting the floral scent of her perfume wash over him. God, that scent alone could drive him wild.
“I thought you said right now.”
“I did.”
“They’ll be back soon—oh Christ. That feels good.”
At her distraction, he drove into her, listening as her sharp gasp of surprise echoed off the ceiling. It was nearly as intoxicating to him as hearing her call him Master in her husky voice for the very first time. Her thighs tightened around his waist as she pulled him closer, her voice melting away into the dark blanket of the hallway.
The sound of the noise calmed him, allowed him to focus and made him want more from her. And himself. Giving in, he let a piece of himself go that he’d held onto for more years than he cared to count. “Let me hear you. Really you. Not dominant and submissive. Nothing but you and me. It’s just us.”
Her voice caught as he thrust into her again. She arched against him as her voice echoed in the confined space. God, he’d forgotten how much he loved the sound of a woman this caught up in herself.
In him.
Most of the time women just utilized him for his skills as a Dom. Even though he’d be the first to admit he’d used them right back. But this…this was pure need. Simple and elegant despite the frantic pace he’d set them on.
Sex in its purest form.
He used the clarity to spiral them both up faster. Driving into her with deliberate strokes that caused warmth to gather at the base of his spine. The heat traveled out in all directions, pooling low in his gut as his testicles grew harder. Unadulterated need crashed into him as her cunt tightened around his cock, erasing the skill he spent so many years perfecting.
The skill he normally prided himself on.
Her hands fisted in his unruly hair as her body went rigid. Her keening cry echoed in the marrow of his bones. The sound of it caused him to want to shout in triumph. As he shifted his hips to slam home into her tight heat, silence filled him.
It seemed to be a long, few minutes before he could managed to think clearly again. His chest burned from panting and he hauled in a breath to stop the ache. Opening his eyes, he found a half smile turning up her lips as she stared back at him.
The sight of her so content made him ridiculously happy.
Still lightheaded, he pulled her against him and kicked away his pants. Legs free, he finally made it to her bedroom. They fell onto the unmade bed, a tangle of limbs and perspiration.
He pulled her tight against his body, a warmth spreading through his chest as she rested her head against his shoulder. The last thing he remembered before drifting off was the soft caress of her fingertips tracing over his chest and abdomen.
* * * * *
A few days later, Ryan wanted to celebrate the recent move with drinks at Brogans. The loud and raucous atmosphere washed over him as they stepped inside. Cold weather with the threat of snow in the forecast overnight had the locals filling the pub to the seams.
Beth pointed to a free table in the back with one chair. “There’s a spot.”
“Grab it while I get a round.” Ryan shouldered his way to the bar, smiling when he saw Tessa slinging sodas on the other side of the counter. “Hey, kid. Haven’t seen you around in a while.”
The quiet brunette’s face lit up. She pushed toward him, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. “Heya, Uncle Ryan. Home for the weekend to give Dad a hand.”
“How’s college treating you?”
“Brutal. One of my professors is an ass.”
“Hey! Language, Tessa.”
She rolled her eyes at Sam’s correction. “Says the man who calls someone a bastard every five minutes.”
Sam came over, delivering a round of beer to Ryan. “Do as I say, not as I do. Hey, bro. Saw you brought your woman in tonight.”
Tessa’s entire face lit up. “Uncle Ryan has a woman?” Sam pointed to the corner where Beth was deep in conversation with the patrons at the next table. “Holy shit, she’s gorgeous. Oh. My. God. She’s wearing a Blade Runner shirt.”
“A what?” Ryan glanced over his shoulder, eyeing the dark-brown shirt with Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? printed in gold lettering on the front. “What the hell is a blade runner?”
“It’s a movie. You really need to get out a bit more, Uncle Ryan. Or talk to Aunt Elena, I bet she knows all about it. I love those leather cuffs she’s wearing too. The rough-at-the-edges-type stuff is hot all over the campus right now. I’ve been wanting to get me a set.”
“You will not.” Sam tapped Tessa on the shoulder when she started to move toward Beth. “And right now, you’re going to get Jeremy at the other end of the bar another coffee. He’s a designated driver tonight, so make sure you keep his mug filled whenever he makes a run. Weather is going to be nastier later.”
Ryan grimaced as his niece stuck her tongue out before flouncing away to fix a fresh pot. Sam undoubtedly thought Beth’s cuffs were a mark of Ryan’s ownership. While Sam didn’t have an issue with Ryan’s lifestyle choices, even Ryan agreed Tessa was too young and
immature to understand the complexity of that type of relationship. She had enough problems in her life without adding more issues into the chaotic mixture.
“She really doing okay?”
“Yeah, she’s good. She wasn’t kidding about one of her professors. She means well, but Tessa just wants to be treated like everyone else and hates to be signaled out just because of her learning disability. You know how she is. It gets much worse, I’m going to have to step in and say something.”
“Well, let me know if you need anything.” He glanced, noticing Sam had served him too many beverages. “What’s with the extra drink?”
Sam gestured to the back with his chin. “You have company.”
Ryan stood, relaxing when he saw Dade had joined the lively conversation Beth was still engaged in. “Gotcha. Thanks.”
“Yo! Ryan.” Ryan lifted an elbow in signal, his hands full. “Tickle the ivories for us!”
He ignored the request, sliding the beers onto the table. She glanced at him, curiosity evident in her eyes. Suddenly, he wanted to cross the room and play the instrument he rarely touched anymore. Because of her. He was discovering day by day Beth made him want to do things he hadn’t thought of doing in years.
“What do you think?”
Dade gave him a skeptical look while Beth just smiled in encouragement. “You play piano?”
“Twelve years of piano lessons thanks to Gran.”
“Well, we can’t disappoint her.”
“Bless her soul, no we can’t.” He leaned forward, brushing his lips across hers. He couldn’t seem to stop kissing her lately. “Come on.”
“What? No, you go.” Beth pulled her hand from his, shoving it between her knees. She looked to Dade for help, but he just shrugged and made no offer to assist.
Ryan’s eyes glinted with mischief as he turned. “Seems as if my date needs a little encouragement, boys.”
The hollers and catcalls grew louder while Ryan continued to hold his hand out to her. When he saw she wasn’t going to budge and was actually trying to disappear into the corner, he held up a hand to the crowd to silence them. This had the opposite effect and caused them to get louder.
Ryan leaned over and brushed his lips against her ear, speaking loud enough so she could hear him over the noise. “They’re not going to stop until you go with me. Once the townies are drunk, they’re damn persistent and have been known to go for days.”
“Days?”
He nodded. “Sometimes weeks.”
He pulled back to wait for her answer and noticed Dade signaling him with a wave. “I’m going to take off. Have a few things I need to take care of.”
“Didn’t you just get here?”
Dade nodded. “Weather looks like it’s going to take a nasty turn. Don’t want to get stuck in town.” He stood, dropping a few bills on the table. Beth turned to resume her heated conversation with the neighboring table, though they were now encouraging her to join Ryan on the stage.
Dade clapped Ryan on the shoulder. “I saw how you looked at her from across the bar. She’s lucky to have you. Stop thinking otherwise and just relax. Enjoy her. Enjoy your life.”
Ryan watched him exit, wondering what brought on the sudden bought of romanticism from his friend. Dade had never made a secret about his disdain for love and all that entailed.
Turning his attention back to Beth, he pulled her along to the bench to sit beside him. He stretched his fingers out to warm them up before brushing them over the keys. The crowd settled down and a quiet hush fell over the audience as they waited. It had been a while since he’d been in this place, but the familiarity of it immediately enveloped him.
He started to sing, a stripped-down and raw song—the sort he poured his utter soul into. He drew the entire crowd in with his raspy voice. He sang of love and loss, about mistakes and long-forgotten memories. But most importantly, he sang about heartbreak. He knew all eyes were on him as his powerful voice sang vocals that tore him apart.
It was cathartic—a cleansing of his soul—and very much overdue.
He’d needed to do this long ago but had pushed it aside because the time had never been right. Right now, he wasn’t the man everyone saw onstage at one point in his career slinking along in skintight jeans, a cowboy hat and an open shirt displaying his well-toned body. He wasn’t the same one who belted out songs about sex, drugs and the fucking truck all the country songs seemed to be written about.
Right now, he wasn’t Ryan Mason—country music superstar. He was Ryan Flynn. Man. Singer. Lover. Dom.
His voice cracked on the last note as emotion swamped him. He bowed his head as everything inside him fought to reach the surface. Emotion rolled through the bar as every person in the crowd lifted their glasses high in the air in a silent toast as the last strains of the piano faded.
The gathered crowd broke up, moving away so Beth and Ryan were the only two people remaining at the stage. Someone shouted as a goal was made on the soccer game being shown, shifting the atmosphere to one more suited for the business.
“Let’s get out of here,” Ryan said as he surged upward, grabbing her hand to take her with him. He pushed away the hollow feeling in his stomach, blowing out the smoky air filling his lungs. He hadn’t played that song since the funeral, but it still held enough power to shred his insides.
They walked along quietly for a few minutes before she finally spoke. “Did you write that song for your wife?”
“No.” He stared at the car rumbling slowly down Main Street, a cloud of gray smoke billowing from the tailpipe. “My son.”
“It’s not every day I watch a country music legend who walked away at the height of his career hack out his heart and hold it up on display.”
“Sorry. I hadn’t planned on singing that song. It just happened. I didn’t mean to ruin the night.”
“Why did you never sing anything like what I heard in there when you were still touring?”
“You’ve been checking up on me.” He snorted as he kicked at a rock on the sidewalk. When he’d first started singing, he hadn’t much cared what he sang. As long as someone put a piano and a microphone in front of him, he’d been happy. As his popularity had gained momentum, he’d learned to partition off pieces of himself in order to not lose sight of what was really important.
“Some things are private and the general public had no business knowing. Besides, record sales proved it time and time again—sex sells, even in country music. Dogs, trucks and sex. And don’t forget the occasional tractor thrown in for good measure. What a fucking combination.”
“So you chose to make money rather than bare your soul.”
As sick and twisted as it sounded, he’d have done anything to keep himself separated from those who only wanted him for one thing. He’d done a good job of it too until the reporter at the hospital had plucked his last nerve. “To millions of fans—yes. Just because I only sang superficial songs about sex and the like doesn’t mean I believe in them any less. I rather enjoy sex, or haven’t you figured that out?”
She folded her arms in front of her. “You’re a Dom, you’re supposed to enjoy sex.”
“Thought you’d already figured that out too,” he teased, determined to lighten the subject matter.
“You’ve purposefully set out to misinform people, be it in your past or your future. If you sang more songs like you just did in there, maybe people wouldn’t have had so many misconceptions about you.”
And here they were back to this topic again. He kept his tone light. “Ever think maybe I enjoy people having those misconceptions? I fought very hard to maintain my private life and keep it just that—private. Why do you think I live out in the middle of nowhere? Why I only reluctantly carry a cell phone? I like my privacy. Other than what you just saw in there, I’m done singing. So get rid of whatever dollar signs are forming in your head about me making some kind of fucking comeback.”
She pressed her fingertips to her forehead. “Sorry. I’m pushing when I
shouldn’t. I just…hate to see a talent like yours go to waste. Especially when I’m around this kind of thing day in and day out. I understand, I do.”
“It’s all right. It’s been…a long night.” He leaned against a tall light post, pulling her against his body. This close, he could all but feel her body vibrate against his. Drawn to her building passion, he drew her mouth closer, brushing his lips against hers a few times before tilting his mouth to the side for better access. She sighed against his tongue as it slipped into her mouth. The vibration swelled, begging his body to join with hers. “How about we head over to your place, curl up on the couch and watch old science fiction movies?”
“Deal.”
* * * * *
Ryan sat with his legs crossed in the center of his room at Sanctuary, a length of black cord coiled on the floor in front of him. He absently ran his fingers over the smooth woven surface, studying each nook and crevice of the tightly woven fabric. He’d been surprised to wake this morning filled with a consuming need.
He’d tried to dismiss the sensation as nothing more than a whim, but the idea had firmly taken root and didn’t seem to want to let go. He’d never thought he’d ever arrive at this juncture of his life.
When he’d never been able to shut away the sounds in his head, he’d always felt his life was as good as it was going to get. He had his house. His business. His boats. Sanctuary. What more did he need? Then Beth entered the picture and in a very short amount of time she’d showed him there was so much more he needed. So now he sat alone in his room, absently playing with a length of cord that would become Beth’s collar.
She hadn’t asked him for this. Hadn’t asked for this strong of a connection. But there’d been no way to prepare either of them for the force and power hammering at them both. He’d never set out to take on a submissive to teach. He looked forward to their time together and it had to do with more than just utilizing his skills as a Dom. He and Beth shared a unique connection he’d only ever experienced one other time in his life.
With his wife.
This was more than simply wanting Beth under his command. More than showing her what she was capable of. This was a rare emotional connection between two people who transcended their D/s relationship. He wanted her under him, accepting him and the man he was as he made love to her.