A flare of answering lust lit up Jonas’s eyes, when he seemed to notice her reaction, and his pinched expression relaxed. With a wry grin in her direction, he grabbed a wriggling Brutus, who tried to shoot into the room through his legs, and put the dog back outside.
“No, stay.”
She had to grin at Jonas’s muttered exclamation of surprise when the dog sat down and did just that. Her amusement fled, when Jonas bent down to pick up a tray he’d left outside the bathroom door. The fabric of his joggers tightened over his ass, and Rissa bit her lip to stop from groaning out loud. How was it possible that she wanted him again? Awesome sex must be as addictive as folks claimed it was.
The click of the door made her jump, and Jonas gave a somewhat forced laugh.
“I seem to have found my inner Dom dog voice at last. That’s the second time he’s done what I told him to in one day. Unheard of.” He winked at her when she just stared at him, and raised the tray up a tad. It held two covered plates, and an open bottle of wine, cutlery and two glasses.
“I rescued our dinners, and I thought we’d have it in here, as you need to soak away those aches and pains. I was hard on you earlier.”
He nodded when she shook her head.
“Yes, I was. What’s more I upset you and that was never my intention, baby girl.”
“You haven’t… I mean…” Rissa wanted to protest, but Jonas quirked that damn eyebrow and having put the tray down at the wide shelf at the end of the bath held up one finger.
“Don’t girl. That’s one swat added to your tally for when you can take another spanking. You don’t want me adding to it, do you?”
“No, but.” Another finger shot up and Risa hastily slammed her mouth shut.
“Better, baby girl. Now scoot up, I’m coming in.”
True to his word, Jonas pulled his joggers off and Rissa had mere seconds to scoot forward as he got in behind her. Bringing his long legs either side of hers, he grasped her around the waist and pulled her back until she rested against his chest. His hard cock poked into her lower back, and Jonas reached between them to adjust himself.
“Ignore that. I have no intention of fucking you again.”
Rissa couldn’t stop her disappointment from showing, as her shoulders slumped and those dratted tears wanted to spill again.
“Relax baby that came out wrong. I want nothing more than to sink my cock back into your body, but you’re sore, overwrought and tired. We need to talk, once I’ve fed you, not fuck.”
He sighed as Rissa tensed up even more and shook her head.
“Yes, baby girl, we do, and we’re doing this right her and right now, where you can’t escape me. I want the truth. You triggered and I want to know why.”
Chapter Ten
Rissa’s whole body tensed. She tried to push away from him, but Jonas had anticipated that. Hooking his legs over hers, he brought his arms around her, trapping both set of extremities in his.
“No, please, just let me go. I told you not to bother with me. I…”
Jonas tightened his hold on her, while nuzzling into her neck and humming into her ear. The tune of an old Swedish lullaby soothed her agitation like he’d hoped it would, and after a few more half-hearted struggles, she sagged against him.
“Good girl, I’ve got you. Relax, and let’s eat, before that casserole gets cold. It smells and looks delicious. If it tastes as good, I might have to marry you.” Jonas meant that to come out sounding like a flippant comment, intending to make her laugh, but fuck him, if that thought didn't sound appealing. His sisters would laugh at him. After all he’d always run a mile at the mere mention of marriage.
“That’s not funny.” Rissa’s quiet words shook him out of that unsettling insight into how much Rissa already meant to him, and turning slightly he reached up to grab the tray. It was designed to fit over the tub, but he’d have to get Rissa to move over, so he could place it between them. Not ideal, because he would have preferred to keep her in his arms, but that would make eating impossible and he was hungry. It had been a hell of a long day and their earlier activities had given him quite an appetite.
At least with the taps being located in the middle of the bath tub, it meant neither one of them had to sit with uncomfortable metal protrusions sticking into their backs.
“Budge up a bit, baby girl. I need to hook this over the sides.”
Rissa scooted over to the opposite end, and he frowned when she pulled her knees up to her chest, hiding herself from him. For now, he let it pass, however, and concentrated on the task at hand. Once the tray was secured, he poured them both a glass of wine. Rissa frowned at the receptacle he held out to her.
“I shouldn’t. I’m working at the club tonight.”
“No, you’re not. I phoned Scarlett and told her you’re not coming in.”
Rissa’s eyed widened, and when she looked all set to argue, he shook his head at her.
“It’s done. You’ve got holiday due, so you’re taking it. I don’t want you there tonight or the rest of the week, because I won’t be there.”
Some of Rissa’s sass returned, because she sat up straighter and frowned.
“You can’t just decide that. What if I was saving my holiday for something else?”
“Were you?”
She couldn’t quite meet his gaze when he asked that, shook her head, and took a sip of the wine instead. Closing her eyes she seemed to savor the taste. Jonas followed suit. The fruity flavors of the Sauvignon Cloudy Bay exploded on his tongue. He savored the hints of lime and grapefruit, mixed in with nectarine and gooseberry. Putting his glass back on the tray, he smiled at Rissa when she opened her eyes, having taken another sip.
“This is delicious,” she said. Jonas nodded his approval.
“Yes, it’s one of my favorites. I know, strictly speaking we should have red wine with meat, but I’ve never been one for following the rules over much.”
He winked at her as he said that, wondering at the frown that creased her eyebrows.
“Anyway, eat.”
Not waiting for her to follow suit, he lifted the bowl off his plate, and proceeded to eat. He could see her do the same, before his attention was taking up by the food.
A small smile kicked up her lips, when he made appreciative noises around mouthfuls of food.
Halfway through his portion, he stopped to take another sip of wine.
“This tastes even better than it smelled, baby girl.” Lifting his wine glass in a silent salute to Rissa brought another little smile, but she was still far too tense. She’d also hardly eaten, dammit.
“I’m glad you like it. It was my mother’s recipe.”
“Well, then, remind me to extend my thanks, when I meet her.”
If that was possible Rissa tensed up even more.
“I wish you could, but she died a few years ago now.”
“I’m so sorry, baby.”
She didn’t meet his gaze, so Jonas put the half lifted fork back down. Seeing her on the verge of tears robbed him of his appetite, and he needed to hold her. He couldn’t do that in the bath. What had he been thinking?
Rissa startled and pulled her knees back up to her chest, when Jonas rose to his feet, took the tray with him, and stepped out of the bath. Water sloshed over the sides and covered the floor, but he didn’t care about that right now. Besides his bathroom acted as a wet room, so no harm would come from a bit of water. Having dumped the tray on the floor, he dried himself, pulled his joggers back up and then held out a hand for her to take.
“Come on, sweetheart, out you get. Let’s get you dry and tucked up in bed, and then we can continue this conservation.
It seemed to take forever, before she finally took his hand. Wrapping a large fluffy towel around her, Jonas proceeded to rub her hair dry, before he picked her up, and carried her out of there.
Rissa murmured her protest, but Jonas was paying that half-hearted request to be put down no heed.
“Shush, let me take care of
you. You weigh next to nothing, as it is. You need to eat more.” He caught her eye roll in response just before she dropped her gaze to his chest. It made him smile. He wanted her sassy and challenging him, after all.
Dumping her on his bed—the covers of which had been changed by her in his absence—he grasped her hair brush off the nightstand. Her breathing sped up, and she tensed anew, as though she was afraid of what he was going to do with that, and Jonas suppressed an irritated sigh.
He crouched down low in front of her to make himself seem less intimidating, and lifted the hair brush into her view. There was no mistaking the way she flinched away from the brush, and Jonas rested it on her lap while he framed her face in his hands to be able to study her.
“Breathe, baby girl. Stay with me.”
Her eyes widened, but her breathing, which had been in danger of making her hyperventilate, did slowdown in rhythm with his measured breaths, and her tense frame slowly relaxed.
“That’s my girl. I’m going to brush out your hair for you, that’s all. It will be all tangled otherwise. I used to do this for my sisters, so, indulge me. I know what I’m doing.” He felt her surprise at his words. It manifested itself in a tremble that overtook her. Jonas wasn’t a violent man, far from it, but right now, he would have gladly pummeled whoever had messed this lovely woman’s brain up into a bloody pulp.
He released that murderous impulse through a long exhale of breath, kissed her nose, and picking up the hair brush again, sat down on the bed behind her.
Slowly the white knuckled grip she had on the towel she was still wrapped in, relaxed and she started to lean into the soft strokes of his hair.
“I’m sorry.” Rissa’s barely audible whisper meant Jonas stopped detangling a particularly stubborn knot of hair, and pulling her damp hair off her neck, rubbed his stubble along the sensitive skin there. Rissa shivered, but she didn’t shy away from him either, just took several long breaths.
“You keep saying that, little one.” Jonas resumed his hair brushing task while he spoke. “I wish you would see that you have no reason to apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
Silence fell between them, during which Jonas carried on brushing the silky locks. Each stroke of the brush brought with it a hint of her scent, and it took all of his concentration to will his cock to behave. Rissa didn’t need sex right now, and even if she did, he wouldn’t touch her again until he had the answers he sought.
When at long last the task was achieved to his satisfaction, he got off the bed, and offered her his hand again.
“Up you get and lose the towel. You’re dry now and I want to see what’s mine.”
Rissa’s gaze flew to his. A faint blush stained her cheekbones, but she did as he asked. That blush deepened when he steered her toward he full length mirror, and stepping behind her placed one hand on her shoulder. With the other he cupped her chin and lifted her head until she had no choice but to look at herself. Rissa’s fingers jumped as though she was desperate to cover herself. No doubt she was. Jonas hadn’t met a woman yet, who liked what she saw when she looked at herself in the mirror, but this was the most expedient way to get through to her.
“Look at yourself baby girl and tell me what you see that keeps on making you apologize to me.” Rissa bit her lip. Her gaze darted around the room, and Jonas tightened his hold on her.
“I said look at yourself, Rissa Nauenburg.”
* * * *
The use of her name stung more than she would have thought possible. It wasn’t just the reminder of her childhood foibles. Whenever her mum had used her full name in that tone of voice, Rissa had known she was in real trouble. Back then her instinct had been to hide under the bedcovers. Not that her mum had ever raised a finger to her. She hadn’t needed to. The look of disappointment in her eyes, when she used that tone of voice, had always been enough to ensure that Rissa tried her utmost to avoid it. She’d hated disappointing her mother, and bringing up her gaze to Jonas’s she braced herself against seeing the knowledge that she had let Jonas down, too.
However when their gazes connected, she saw something very different. Warmth, affection, a quiet understanding, that made her chest feel tight, and her knees wobble. She sagged against him in relief, and Jonas smiled.
“That’s better. Now tell me what you see.”
Taking a deep breath in Rissa forced the words past her lips.
Goddamn stick insect. You’ve got no tits…too boyish…childish…clumsy. You’re no woman, just a child playing dress up. Can’t you do anything right. Stop that godawful sniffling. No such thing as fairytales, you dumb fucktoy. Now look what you made me do. Unicorn, my ass. That’s what I think of your unicorns.
Hateful, derogatory words that he’d said to her time and time again, until they had become part of her. So much so that she found it hard to believe anything else. The crunch of glass under his boots, as he’d systematically destroyed her collection of glass unicorns. Seeing him hold her mother’s unicorn in his hands had perversely been the catalyst to set her free.
Launching herself at him, that precious glass figurine had gone flying, but had only lost its horn. Rissa had received the beating instead. Thank lord for the emergency that had required his attendance at the clinic, for it had given her a chance to escape.
Jonas’s expression grew forbidden. His breathing became harsher and his jaw clenched, his blue eyes blazing in fury. Strangely enough that didn’t fill her with the need to cower in a corner. It had the opposite effect and her words tumbled over each other in her haste to get them out.
“So, you see, I was a complete and utter fool. I don’t understand why you’d bother with me. I’m too clumsy, too childish, too thin, and—”
Rissa screeched when Jonas spun her around so fast the world went dizzy. Pushing her up against the mirror, he yanked her arms up above her head, trapping her wrists in his large hand, while he kissed her. The passion and simmering fury behind that kiss took her breath away. He took possession of her mouth as though he owned her, and right now he did. There was no place on earth Rissa would rather be than here pressed up against Jonas’s hard frame, the coolness of the mirror a soothing counterpoint to her still smarting ass cheeks.
It was a good kind of pain, however. The kind that made her feel cherished and cared for, which probably meant she had really lost the plot completely this time. Soon, even those jumbled thoughts were impossible. Surrounded by Jonas with his bulk and strength the only thing stopping her from sliding to the floor in a heap, as her bones seemed to have liquefied under the assault of his talented tongue, she gasped for breath when he finally broke the kiss. Licking along her jaw, Jonas moved his legs between hers, until his thigh pressed against her pussy. A shiver of need shot through her system at the contact, and she could feel his smile against her skin, as he kissed his way down toward her collarbone, murmuring to her in between kisses.
“Shall I tell you what I see now?”
Dipping lower he swiped his tongue across one of her needy nipples, eliciting a gasp of delight from her. Her pussy muscles clenched releasing yet more of her juices as she grew wet for him again.
Kissing his way back up to her mouth he nibbled on her bottom lip, before he pulled back and releasing her spun her back round to face the mirror.
“I see a beautiful desirable woman, who has chosen to give me her submission, a gift made ten times more precious, because I know that’s not easy for her. I see childlike enthusiasm for her surroundings that I treasure, a very real need to please and to be loved, to be allowed to care for those who need that care.” He paused to smile at her when she shook her head.
“I see a woman who has been hurt badly by someone who quite frankly has no right to call himself a Dom, let alone a Daddy to this precious little one in front of me. That man was nothing more than an abusive asshole. It took strength and courage to walk away from that situation, which makes you far from childish, sweet girl. And even if you were, there is nothing wrong in that. You�
�re adorable when you lose yourself to you inner child. It makes me want to scoop you up in my arms and protect you all from the harshness in this world. That’s what that wanker should have done, not belittled your need to stop being a grown-up for a little while.”
He smiled at her sharp intake of breath.
“And you’re very much a grown-up, my sweet. I’ve seen you with Brutus. I’ve seen you at the club, the quiet efficiency with which you get things done. Just look at what you have achieved in just one day at my house. Brutus is practically eating out of your hand. I can’t wait to see the transformation that will be the hell hound after some more loving care from you, sweetheart.” He brought his hands up to cup her breasts, and Rissa moaned in need, when he flicked his thumbs over her nipples.
“Nothing boyish about your rack either. These are just the right size to fit into my hands. They’re perfect because they fit your frame and they are part of you, and so fucking responsive, you’re soaking wet even now. Look how your pretty little pussy is glistening for me.”
Letting go of her breasts he trailed his fingers down over the soft skin of her quivering abdomen down to her mons. Free of any hair, the puffy lips guarding her sex glistened with the evidence of her arousal, and Rissa moaned when Jonas pressed closer to her. The hard ridge of his cock branded her, and his voice shook with barely concealed emotion.
“Feel what you do to me, baby girl. I’m so hard right now, I could explode. You do that to me. No one else, just you. It doesn’t matter if we made love half an hour ago or two minutes, I want you. All of you, Rissa. Your moans, your sighs, your submission, but above all else, I want you to trust me. I need you to know that you’re safe with me, baby girl. Let me take care of you. Will you let me do that?”
Auctioned to the Protective Dom [The Spectrum Auctions 4] (Siren Classic) Page 10