Yellow Ribbons

by Caitlyn Willows

  Chewing gave them an excuse not to speak, which was great, because Lani didn’t know what to say.

  “You know what’s missing?” Greg’s question jerked her away from wherever her mind had gone.

  She searched the table, wracking her brain for what she might have forgotten. Before she could open her mouth to confess ignorance, Greg walked to the east-facing window, pulled the drapes open, and slowly opened the window. Birdsong filled the room on the cool dusk breeze.

  “Now it’s perfect,” he said, returning to his seat.

  “Is it?”

  Standing again, he leaned over the table, nearly singeing what little hair his regulation haircut allowed on the candles. “It is.” He drew her lips into a soft kiss.

  Now who’s the liar? Lani didn’t call him on it.

  Chapter Ten

  Lani stood just inside the threshold of their playroom, letting the room’s atmosphere seep into her pores. Native American flute music drifted from the speakers from the four corners of the room. What felt like thousands of candles provided the only light yet left no dark shadows. She felt transported to another time and place. A goddess about to be worshipped, or perhaps a sacrifice to the god who dwelt here.

  Barefoot, wearing only panties and Greg’s shirt, she waited as he’d commanded. Two floor-to-ceiling two-by-fours, sanded smooth of splinters and varnished to a satin sheen, stood locked in place mere feet ahead. Works of art didn’t have frames as beautiful to surround them. Deerskin cuffs dangled from the struts in two places—one set for her ankles and the other for her wrists.

  Her nipples tightened, and juices trickled into her panties. He’d covered the pool table with the foam padding, set out bottles of water, and uncorked a bottle of cabernet. Assorted toys and equipment were spread out on a black velvet table runner covering one long credenza. On tiptoe, she surveyed the selection.

  “Curiosity killed the cat.”

  Lani gave him a sly smile over her shoulder. “Satisfaction brought it back, and you always manage to satisfy me very well.”

  “It’s the devil, having to live up to one’s reputation.” He skimmed his hand over her ass, setting off fireflies in her belly as he stepped around her and through the portal that would soon become her frame as he walked toward the pool table. He’d changed into black silk pajama bottoms that shimmered and flexed over his perfect backside, but then all clothing seemed to love the man. Hard not to, with an ass that fine.

  Braced against the pool table, Greg crossed his arms and ankles and swept his gaze over her from head to toe. His erection pulsed against the silk, thick, long, hard enough to break the threads. Precum made a wet spot on the black silk. It looked like he was as damp as she, want churning their juices, bodies unable to contain the rush.

  “Undress for me, sweet.”

  Lani tucked her fingers around the edges of the shirt and drifted them down, down, down until she reached the first of the buttons. Her breath hitched as his gaze followed. He’d done half the work for her already, leaving only the last three buttons. She took her time releasing them, freeing one and then playing with the edges of the shirt again before moving on to the next. When the last was open, he peeled the shirt away, let it catch on her shoulders, then dropped it to the floor behind her.

  More precum had seeped onto the black pajamas, enlarging the wet spot. Greg’s breath was deep and steady, but his half-lidded eyes told her he fought for every second of control he maintained.

  “It’s beautiful. The room feels like magic.”

  His erection pulsed. “It’s for you.” His voice rumbled over her, setting off sparks and lifting the hairs on her arms.

  “Thank you.” Lani could barely get the words out.

  “Not just this.” He waved his hand, indicating everything around them. “The room. I did it for you. The modifications. All for you.”

  “Greg…” She couldn’t breathe, much less think. Why was he going down this road again?

  The burden of his sigh settled heavy on her shoulders, dimming the lust that burned in her core. Greg, too, had been taken down a notch or two. Maybe this was all his way of helping them slow down and enjoy the play. Lani didn’t know if she appreciated it or resented it.

  “Panties?”

  She hooked her thumbs under the elastic band.

  “On second thought…” He extended his hand to her. “Allow me the honor.”

  Lani stepped through the frame and grasped his outstretched fingers. Greg bent her facedown on the pool table. Her body sank into the soft foam, her skin sang when he tickled his fingers down the valley of her spine and into the cleft of her ass. He stretched the satin until the crotch slipped between her labia, kneading first one cheek and then the other until she squirmed. Then the panties came down, inch by inch, his hot lips tracking each inch of flesh revealed. When he reached her feet, he pulled the undergarment free and feathered his fingers up the inside of her legs, urging her to widen her stance and lift her ass.

  She closed her eyes and dug her fingers into the foam. Her other senses took command—hearing his slow steps toward the credenza and back, smelling the chocolate he placed near her nose, feeling his body heat wax and wane over her.

  Paper crinkled, and the scent of chocolate grew stronger. Then the soft snap when he broke the bar apart. She gasped when he placed the pieces in a line down her back. The hairs on his legs tickled her thighs. He was naked now, pressed against her, and still hard as a pike. She squirmed again, inviting him inside. Greg traced his cockhead down her crack, probed her opening, then stepped to the side and gave her a soft spank.

  She jerked her head up on a gasp. “I want another.”

  “Do you now?”

  Lani knew he wouldn’t give it. He was in control. He was the one who decided what she’d get and when she’d get it.

  He retrieved the chocolate with the same degree of slowness in which he’d placed the squares. “Climb up on the table. Face up. Spread that smooth, sweet pussy for me.”

  With his help, Lani crawled into place. Greg stretched out beside her and braced himself on his elbow. His smile lit his eyes as he positioned his chocolate sentries down her torso.

  “I suppose you’re going to gobble those up.”

  A glimmer of mischief flared in his gaze. “In a manner of speaking.” He picked up the square between her breasts and aimed for her pussy.

  “You’re seriously not going to ruin good chocolate, are you?” she asked.

  Greg grinned. “Just one piece? And I’d hardly say it would be ruined. I’m going to enjoy it very much.”

  “Tempting but…” She left the “no” implied, waiting to see what he’d do next.

  With a devilish wiggle of his eyebrows, he bit the piece in half and lifted the second half to her lips.

  Lani wrapped her fingers around the tidbit, then licked his fingers and sucked each digit into her mouth. Greg groaned and stabbed his cock into her hip. He eased his fingers free, then traced them down her throat, between her breasts, and over her belly, sweeping the remaining chocolate from her as he went. He stopped short of her clitoris, combing through the small triangle of curls that was all that remained of her pubic hair. His cock thrummed against her hip, the head dotting precum until she felt it trickle to her back.

  Pulling in a deep breath, Greg righted himself, then gave Lani a hand up and helped her to her feet. They exchanged a kiss before she entered her frame, spread her legs, and put her arms up for possession.

  Greg locked the soft cuffs into place and made sure her safety release was within easy grasp. One tug would free her in an emergency. He kissed her, molded his hands over her curves, double-checked her safety, then kissed her again and returned to the credenza for a hairbrush and a hair clip. With no preliminary prep, he snapped the clip over her left nipple and sucked the right one into his mouth. Lani writhed within her restraints and earned herself two sharp whacks from the brush, then two more when Greg stepped away. Standing behind her, he brushed her h
air, swept it atop her head, and secured the mass with the clip.

  Eyes starting to glaze with anticipation, Lani watched his retreat, wondering what was next in his bag of tricks. He reached for the flogger, then grabbed a hunter green length of suede instead. He turned her way and cradled his cock in a sling, teasing her with what she couldn’t have. A pearly drop glistened at the tip. He dipped it into her navel, filling the well, before he knelt at her feet.

  Starting at her legs, Greg buffed the suede over every square inch of skin, coaxing her blood to the surface until Lani hummed. Bliss crept her way. She closed her eyes and drifted into it, warm, content, wanting more and knowing Greg would deliver.

  Lani groaned with the first kiss of the flogger, and that’s all it was, a kiss. The falls wandered over her body, teasing her swollen nipples, raising her heated skin to a higher degree. A tap over her ass, a gentle slap over her breasts, a swing from behind right between the legs that brushed her clit. Juices swamped her pussy. His strokes grew stronger, quicker, more precise, one right after the other, no space left uncovered, front or back. Her legs quivered, and she sagged into her bindings. There she drifted, lost to everything but the rush of endorphins flooding her system.

  Greg wrapped his arm around her waist, released her arms, then laid her gently on the mat and unclipped her hair. Her ankles remained bound.

  The suede was back, cooler this time. Greg danced it over her body, bringing her back to earth. The buzz slowly subsided. When she peeled her eyes open, it was to the sight of Greg kneeling between her thighs—a square of chocolate in one hand, a wineglass holding enough cabernet for a taste or two in the other.

  Lani pushed her elbows beneath her, lips parted. He placed the chocolate in her mouth, then offered her a drink. She sipped. Flavor exploded in her mouth. Greg’s mmmm said it all.

  “Try not to spill.” He placed the stemware in her hand, winked, then dived for her pussy.

  “Oh God, Greg,” she gasped. “I can’t. I don’t have any control.” Especially with him tunneling his tongue through all her sweet spots.

  He glanced up, his mouth poised over her clit. “Of course not, sweetheart. You gave your control to me.” He rolled her clitoris between his lips.

  Lani cried out. Wine splashed onto her breasts as she fell back and raised her hips for more.

  “That’s it, sweet. If you have to spill, do it on your body. I swear, I’ll lick off every drop after I finish my dessert.” He flashed his tongue deeper, tracing her folds up and down with his tongue, skirting her clitoris until Lani thought she’d go insane if she didn’t come soon.

  She clutched his shoulder in one hand and somehow managed to keep the glass upright with the other, though why she bothered, when dumping the contents over her body for him to drink up sounded so much more intriguing, she didn’t know. Lips plucked at her clit. She moaned and rocked into his mouth, and just when she thought orgasm was hers, Greg stopped.

  “No no no!” She beat her fist against his shoulder, realizing her mistake too late.

  Lani opened her eyes to an arched eyebrow.

  “That’s gonna cost you.” Greg grabbed the glass. “Imagine how frustrated you’ll feel an hour from now when you’re still waiting to come.” He drained the contents and sat on his heels.

  “You wouldn’t.” Oh… He would, and she’d love every second.

  “Not tonight.” He released her ankles. “But only because I want inside you so bad, I can’t stand it. I want to feel your pussy squeezing the life out of me when you come.”

  Drawing her ankles around his waist, Greg stretched atop her. His cock nudged her entrance, but it was the unfettered adoration in his eyes that had Lani close to coming. He smelled of chocolate, wine, and sex. How could she not want a taste?

  She pressed her lips to his, testing the way, wanting him so much but unwilling to take so much as a microgram of control from him. Greg groaned and slipped his tongue around hers, his cock deep inside. Neither moved but for those delicious kisses that drifted from one minute to the next. There was no part of either of them unfilled. That was especially true of Lani’s heart. She let her fantasy believe the same of Greg.

  Finally, he shifted enough to slip his hand between them, his thumb seeking her slippery clit. There was nothing frantic about this. Slow and sweet built them to the edge; raw, hard, and deep tipped them over. Lani locked herself around him, loving that final stab and the force that rattled their bones.

  “It has to be a sin to have orgasms this great,” she said as they panted for breath.

  Greg chuckled. “If that’s the case, I’d gladly go to hell to have you.”

  She almost called him on it. Why ruin great sex with rules, regulations, boundaries, and safe words? “Would you?” she asked instead.

  He combed the hair away from her cheek. “I would.” Dark eyes locked on hers. “Gonna safe word me on that too?”

  Lani cupped his nape. “No. I feel pretty safe right now.” She butted her forehead to his, closed her eyes, and drank it all in.

  Chapter Eleven

  Greg fumbled for the beast ringing on his nightstand, cursing duty that required them to keep their phones on and the bastard who’d dared to call them.

  Lani groaned and buried her sleep-tousled head under the pillow.

  “This better fuckin’ be good.”

  “No shit,” she mumbled.

  He punched the Talk button and barked out, “Landess.”

  “Detective Ron Pattison here.” The full designation struck Greg as odd. Pattison must be verbally flexing his muscles for someone’s benefit on his end of the line. “Sorry to bother you this late at night.”

  Greg glanced at the clock. Three. Didn’t anything happen at a decent hour? “I’m not going to lie and say it’s all right. What’s up?” He scrubbed his fingers against his eyes and sat up to keep from falling back to sleep.

  Lani shifted with him. “Put it on speaker,” she whispered.

  Greg did so, placing the phone between them.

  “We’ve found that person of interest. Got her in interview right now. Lance Corporal Christina Owens.”

  Fuck, they mouthed. Another one of their own.

  “She won’t speak to anyone but you,” Pattison said.

  “I’d think she’d do better with an attorney.”

  “She’s a witness, not a suspect at this point, although I did ask her. She refused. The kid’s a mess, hysterical since we brought her in. Keeps insisting on you, only you.”

  Greg flopped back and rubbed at the growing ache in his temple. “Have you tried to reach Captain Hollister? I’d think female to female—”

  “Only you,” Pattison repeated. “She’s adamant. Beck’s on his way in—”

  “You called Beck?”

  “We are supposed to be working together.” Pattison’s holier-than-thou tone pissed him off.

  “And PMO isn’t supposed to be involved at all,” Greg shot back.

  Pattison huffed out a sigh. “Look…I haven’t had the luxury of sleep like some people. This is our first break. She clearly has information she’ll only share with you. She refused a lawyer. She wants you. I wouldn’t be doing this at all if I weren’t so desperate and fed up with the lack of progress on this case. We’ll be watching and listening to you from the surveillance room. Cut me some slack here. Let’s see if we can’t put these murders to bed. You aren’t involved, merely being the conduit we need right now.”

  Greg read Lani’s shrug loud and clear—He has a point. What harm will it cause? Frankly, Greg wanted an end to all this too.

  “I won’t go in without Captain Hollister having my back,” he said. “Call her and get her in.”

  “No. Only you,” Pattison said. “She won’t talk if Hollister’s there.”

  “Then don’t tell her she’s there.”

  “Fine. Then you call her. You coming or not?”

  “Yeah, I’m coming.” He disconnected and scooped the phone into his palm as he rolled fr
om bed. “Consider yourself called, Lani.”

  “I’m on it.” She moved with as much enthusiasm as he did—none. “I don’t have a uniform with me. I’ll have to go home.”

  Fuck, he’d have to shave. “Think it’s wise showing up in uniform?”

  “If we don’t, it might look like we’re trying to hide something.”

  “If we do, it’ll make it seem like we’re there in an official capacity.”

  “True enough. I’ll still have to go home for something more appropriate to wear. Leggings and a sweater won’t cut it.”

  “I’ll meet you there then.” He snagged boxer briefs from his dresser drawer and headed for the adjoining bathroom.

  Lani followed, pausing in the doorway. “You’ve cultivated a measure of trust with the marines, Greg. Owens is reaching out to you, for whatever reason. There’s no sense resenting it because it’s inconvenient.”

  She was right. Still…

  “This wasn’t how I’d hoped to start our morning. I’d envisioned hot sex, a steamy shower, and having a leisurely brunch before heading out to the odious task of rooting out cheaters.”

  She walked up behind him and slid her hands around his ribs until her palms covered his pecs. “There’s always tonight.” She flashed her tongue over his spine, then plunged her fingers beneath the waistband of his underwear. His penis surged into her grip.

  Greg looped his hand over her wrists, torn between pulling her free or shoving her closer. Duty won out. He drew her fingers up for a kiss. “I’m looking forward to every second.”

  “Me too.” On tiptoe, she kissed him and then walked out.

  When he left the bathroom fifteen minutes later, Lani was gone and the scent of fresh-brewed coffee drifted his way at the same time he heard his phone alert him to a text message.

  Bring me a cup. She signed it with Xs and Os.

  He smiled, despite his dour mood.

  Brkfst LR? he texted back.

  On me.

  Oh, the images that conjured. “I hope to hell you talk fast, Owens.” Deep down, what he really hoped for was the information to give Kenyon, Tipton, and Regina Whittaker justice.