Lucas snorted. “She looked like she could handle herself well enough.”
Josh chuckled, agreeing with his brother. “She’s got a tiger by the tail at the moment. Hope she fares well.”
* * * *
Bunny’s heart beat fiercely as she tried again without success to break free from Joseph’s firm but gentle grasp on her arm as he led her down the hall. Her reaction had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with wild arousal as he effortlessly kept her in tow and opened a heavy wooden door at the opposite end of the corridor from where she’d originally entered.
“Where are you taking me?”
“My private suite.”
“I don’t remember there being a stairway leading to your suite.”
“There is more than one way to access it.”
With little choice in the matter, she followed him up the staircase, which was lit by sconces on the walls every few feet. Though the architecture was modern traditional, the lighting gave the space an air of timelessness. She could just as easily have been in a Victorian manor, transported to an age gone by. She’d noticed that about the whole place. Few contemporary elements, like the in-house sound and entertainment system had been allowed to remain visible, as if to hide distractions from visitors. Even though she thrived on contemporary technology, made her living with it in fact, the thought was a pleasant one. Nothing to detract from the atmosphere or the formidable man who owned it all…and set her panties on fire every time she saw him.
She tugged on her arm. “It’s a minor scrape, and I told you I have a first aid kit in my truck. This isn’t necessary.”
He stopped abruptly on the stairs and shocked her when he trapped her against the wall, mashing her body with his, towering over her. “Maybe not but this is,” he ground out before tangling his fist in her hair and anchoring her so she couldn’t get away.
He drilled her with his dark, fathomless eyes, and his full lips flattened into a firm line as his jaw jutted. Her heartbeat was a tribal rhythm in her ears as she looked up at him, flabbergasted and unable to move…and not wanting to, as he leaned so close they were sharing the same breath. His mingled scent of black coffee, spearmint, and male pheromones made her lips throb for a kiss and her pussy soften and swell, as if anticipating his first thrust.
The thought of a man like him taking charge brought a soft moan to her lips, and she saw the satisfied, predatory gleam in his eyes before his lips landed on hers, short circuiting her brain.
She’d known a kiss from him would be like this. Ensnaring her in his arms so she couldn’t move. Enthralling her so she didn’t want to move. She let him in, reveling in his quiet groan as his velvety tongue swept against hers, not demanding or conquering her into submission. Oh no. He teased her with gentle flicks, tilting his head to the side to take it a little deeper and pausing for breath and to nip at her bottom lip with his teeth before kissing her again. All resistance drained from her, and she released her grip on his coat sleeve to wrap her arms around his neck, giving in to him.
“Yes,” he whispered before grasping her rounded ass cheeks. He lifted her, and pressed her against the luxurious wood paneling, his rock-hard erection nestling against her pussy as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“I’m too heavy,” she whispered.
“I’m strong, love.” He grinned and then plunged in again, seeming to delight in leaving her a breathless wreck.
“I’m strong, too. Heavier than I look…” She lost track of what she was saying as he flexed his hips and rubbed his cock against her clit, making her pussy clench with need.
“I can handle you,” he murmured as his lips left a damp trail on her jaw and sought the sensitive flesh beneath her ear.
She gasped and clenched against him as waves of pleasure took her to the edge of rapture. Something about the way he kissed and gently suckled that skin made her hyper-reactive to him. He was like Kryptonite to her, and she needed to remember that.
As if he understood how close she was to the edge, he drew the moment out, growling softly as he nuzzled that area and then switched to the other side while gently rocking against the throbbing place between her thighs.
“I love the sweet, aroused sounds you make, fiammetta. I want to hear what you sound like when you come undone.”
“No. I can’t. I’m—”
“You can,” he whispered as he drove her to the precipice, the ripples of impending orgasm undeniable. “You will. Do it for me, little flame.”
He pressed hot kisses down her throat and closed his teeth over the tender flesh there, not hard but enough that she obeyed his primal demand. The climax erupted within her, washing away her inhibitions as she cried out and sobbed. She rocked against him as the waves of pleasure washed over her, leaving her weak and trembling.
“Master?” a female voice called from the bottom of the stairs, beyond the landing they’d just passed.
Reality descended as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her head in a practical joke. She pressed her lips together, trying to mute the remnants of her pleasure as Joseph cursed softly.
“Yes?”
“We’re assembled and waiting for you, Master,” the female voice called out. A muted conversation followed below and then the sound of high heels echoing on the stairs until a blonde head came into view. Joseph cursed again as he released Bunny, and she struggled to stand on wobbly legs. The woman caught sight of them, in flagrante on the staircase, but no trace of reaction showed on her lovely, cultured face. In a low, respectful voice, she said, “Sorry to…interrupt, Sir.” Not the same voice as moments before.
Joseph glanced at his watch, and his jaw worked as if he was gritting his teeth. “I’ll be a few minutes longer, Mona. Please go back downstairs and, if anyone asks, tell them I will be down shortly. I need to tend to Miss Carrigan’s injury first.”
“May I be of service, Sir?”
He gazed at Bunny with regret in his eyes. Not what she’d fantasized about seeing there if he ever kissed her. Of course he regretted it. She wasn’t the type of woman he was attracted to. She’d heard through the grapevine that he preferred blondes like the tall one offering assistance.
Joseph interrupted her inner thoughts by carefully tipping her scraped chin up. “I do need to get down to my guests.”
She inched back from him. “I understand completely.”
The trace of a frown knit his brows as he gazed at her with those implacable eyes and he said, “Possibly not. Can I trust you not to argue with me right now? To allow Mona to take you upstairs to treat that cut?”
She scoffed, “It’s nothing,” and then hissed as she touched it and it throbbed. Her fingers came away red.
“You’re bleeding. A little cleaning and bandaging is all it needs. Please?”
Bunny nodded, and Mona drew closer. Her manner was unobtrusive, but Bunny still resented the interruption. How embarrassing to think Mona had probably heard her caterwauling and setting up a ruckus as she came like some hussy against the staircase paneling. Shame filled her at the sight she must’ve made, the way she must’ve sounded. With one steely gaze and skills probably honed on one thousand women or more, he’d conquered her will to keep him at arm’s length.
Joseph stroked her shoulder as he stepped back, but he captured her gaze and murmured, “We’re not done, Bunny.”
She drew a breath of fresh air and realized she’d been holding hers. A smile flickered on her face, but she schooled it. He’d used her first name for the first time, and it somehow sounded…different rolling off his tongue. Self-conscious couldn’t begin to describe how her name had often made her feel, as if she should be waitressing in a truck stop diner, popping bubble gum, and saying things like “Kiss my grits!” But spoken in Joseph’s growly tone, it made her feel like prey to his predator, and by jiminy, there was a part of her ready to be hunted—hard.
He paused before the other woman, a submissive she supposed, and spoke quietly. The woman made a brief exp
lanation Bunny couldn’t hear and then nodded, obviously eager to please him. Bunny’s heart flared with unreasonable jealousy. It was obvious they got along, and he trusted this Mona person. With each passing second, her arousal cooled and self-consciousness returned.
He turned back to her. “I’ll talk to you before you leave.”
Why? So you can send me on my way? He’d probably make some excuse about the heat of the moment or say something stupid like her red hair drove him wild. Bullshit. She planned to get this job done, get the hell out of there, and let Thorne Grogan know he needed to send someone else out to service Hazelle House in the future. It wasn’t going to be her. She didn’t belong anywhere near this decadent mansion…or it’s irresistible owner.
A tap on her arm pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked up at the tall blonde, who was clad in an iridescent, silver sheath dress, which was practically transparent and barely reached her thighs, the sides of which were held together by ties woven through grommets. Paired with silver pumps, the dress’s effect was stunning. And then there was the heavy platinum choker around her throat.
“If you’ll come with me, we’ll get that cleaned up.” Her blue eyes were open and honest as she gestured up the staircase. The wound was starting the throb, so Bunny nodded and followed her up the stairs, feeling more dumpy, frumpy, and overdressed by the second.
At the top of the stairs, the woman, Mona, opened another heavy wooden door and held a hand out for her to enter, and Bunny immediately recognized the interior from when she’d been working there earlier in the day.
Joseph’s suite was richly furnished but not overly ornate. Mona led her past a row of large windows hung with heavy dark red draperies into a sumptuous bathroom, complete with a huge tub and a shower that were a works of art.
“He said the kit was in here,” she murmured as she opened a cabinet and rummaged around and then pulled out a clear plastic box. “Here we go. Let’s get you cleaned up first.”
The alcohol wipe stung as Mona swiped the raw area on her chin, but Bunny kept still. Their reflections in the mirror only emphasized the differences in the type of woman Joseph preferred. Her blonde chin-length hair was cut in a chic style, and her minimal makeup looked professionally done. Bunny hated the feeling of inferiority racing through her as she caught a glimpse of herself in faded jeans and faded pink shirt, with her hair wild and springing in every direction. Unkempt and uncultured and out of place in his spacious suite and the mansion beyond. Mona seemed to know her way around his quarters well enough. Was she his?
“I’m sorry you were hurt earlier,” Mona murmured as she swiped a bit of antibiotic on the cut and then dabbed at it, her focus on the cut and not much else. “You sounded so scared when you screamed.”
A little surprised by the compassion in her voice, Bunny said, “I’m sure you’ve heard worse in Joseph’s chamber of horrors.” It had been a question burning in her mind for months. Was that really something Joseph had…or was it only rumor? Mona seemed like the best, most neutral person to ask.
The sub frowned and backed up to look at Bunny. “I don’t know what you’ve heard about Joseph, but it’s not like that. Sure, he has a dungeon, and yes, maybe later there might be screaming, but…not like we heard from you earlier. Every Dom in the ballroom downstairs came running when we heard you.”
“I don’t react well to being attacked from behind.” Distant memories of rough hands wrapped around her throat, and the sting of a leather belt across her back, made her shudder.
Mona bit her lip and said, “Sorry, I have to rub this in a bit.”
“It didn’t hurt.” Yes, it did. Although she wasn’t thinking about the current injury. “Are you his sub?” Might as well rip that figurative bandage off. Make leaving even easier.
“Joseph’s?” Mona grinned. “No. My Dom, Randall, is one of his best friends. We arrived earlier for the evening’s festivities and to visit with him tomorrow. So…you’re not a sub I take it.”
“I’m not even sure I know what that means, but yeah, no. No way. Not that I think less of you. But I don’t do submission.” Merely thinking the word set her teeth on edge.
Mona giggled and nodded. She didn’t say any more as she smoothed the bandage on Bunny’s chin.
“You know, I could’ve done all this myself.”
“I know, but thank you for letting me do it so I can tell Joseph I did as he asked of me, to the letter.” Judging by the sparkle in her eyes, the thought gave her a lot of pleasure.
Bunny snorted but then realized Mona was serious. “You care that much?”
Mona nodded as she tidied the box of first aid supplies. “To someone outside our lifestyle that might make me seem subservient.” She grinned and shook her head. “It’s actually not a bad word choice, but the connotation is different for me. I’m a submissive, and I love to serve. But I control who I serve and whether or not I give my submission. I love Randall, and Randall loves Joseph like a brother. Therefore I wish to serve Joseph in whatever way will help. He was needed downstairs. I saw an uncomfortable situation about to arise, and so I—”
“Saw?” Bunny said, and her cheeks caught fire. “You were watching?”
Mona shook her head and chuckled softly. “No, but I definitely heard. That’s not the situation I’m referring to, though. It wasn’t me who initially followed the two of you up the stairs. I had to make a split-second decision because she’d already called out to him the first time.”
“She who?”
Mona paused as if weighing her option and then shook her head. “Just another sub. It was presumptuous, but I didn’t think Joseph wanted her walking in on the two of you.”
Oh shit. He does have someone in his life, and his little flirtation with me is just a dirty little secret.
“I see,” Bunny said, shaking on the inside. She was tired of being used.
Worry clouded Mona’s expression. “I hope what happened earlier doesn’t affect the way you see Joseph. He’s a good man.”
With a dungeon and friends who wear leather and carry big black whips…and probably chains. Oh, and a sub-whatever girlfriend, evidently.
Bunny shrugged and then followed Mona back through the luxury suite to the door they’d entered, which was really an opening cut into the paneling that wouldn’t be noticeable if closed. He probably used it to shuffle off women to the lower floor unseen, once he was done with them. “It’s not my business. I was here to do a job, and it’s nearly finished, but I appreciate your help.”
She’d expected the beautiful blonde to be rude or uppity once out of Joseph’s earshot, but she’d been quite friendly.
Bunny held out her hand. “I’m Bunny Carrigan.”
Mona smiled as she stopped in the doorway and did the same. They shook hands as she said, “Mona McAndrews. If you need anything else while you’re here, I’d be happy to help you.”
Bunny rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Draw me a map of this place?” So I can get the hell out of here and away from that stick-up-his-ass Dom.
Chapter Thirteen
There were a lot of people in the ballroom, Violet observed. Chuckling beside her, Lucas tipped her jaw closed. Worried her men might think she was staring, she didn’t allow her eyes to light in any one place for too long. Then she caught someone staring at her. No, the guy was definitely ogling her…and smiling. She remembered him from breakfast that morning, when he’d been eyeing her breasts with avid interest.
He got up and approached them, eating her up with his eyes as his friend joined him in the walk across the ballroom. When he was close enough, he bit his lower lip, and in a voice that was deep and honey-smooth, he murmured, “My friend and I despaired of you showing up tonight. I’m so delighted to see your change of costume, my little zaftig forest creature.” He leaned forward and whispered, “I would know those lovely breasts and this golden mane anywhere, little nom-nom.”
His voice had the intriguing hint of a cultured European accent. He turned to his mal
e friend, who nodded.
With a similar accent and inflection, he murmured, “Yes, you’re a lush little Lola Bunny with a lovely fluffy white tail in need of a spanking, perhaps, and then to be the creamy center in a huntsman sandwich?” He held up two fingers, indicating he meant huntsman “times two” and then waggled an eyebrow her as he gestured at himself and his friend. Somehow he made the slightly goofy come-on sexy, and she felt her cheeks heat as she recalled the wonder of being in the center between her men.
Unconsciously, she clenched on the butt plug, and her nipples hardened into tight, tingling peaks. Trying to ignore them only made it worse, as they began to throb, and she imagined them glowing hot pink. And she was wet. What the fuck? I don’t even know these dudes.
She blinked and worked her lips to speak, but Josh bailed her out. “I’m sorry, gentlemen, the bunny, Violet, is with us—for the entire weekend.”
Lucas murmured to himself, so low she didn’t catch what he said.
The man nodded, acknowledging their pre-eminence, and then said, “If you should change your mind, little furry liebling, we long to eat you up.”
Violet giggled when he lifted her hand to his lips and, instead of kissing her knuckles, turned it and kissed her wrist. She glanced up at her men, and while Josh looked as if he was ready for the men to head on off to greener pastures, neither of them looked upset. She cast a glance around the room. Could she throw off the cloak of modesty that kept poking at her conscience, at least for the weekend? Chances were excellent she’d never see anyone in this room again.
When in Rome…
She leaned forward, and without speaking, she pecked them both on the cheek…and then scrunched her nose like a bunny, drawing amused chuckles from them, before wrapping her hands around Josh’s and Lucas’s arms, in a sign of mutual possession.
Someone called to the men from across the room, and they said their farewells, giving her one last appreciative appraisal before going off to join their friends.
Lumberjack Weekend [Divine Creek Ranch 21] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 14