“I like play.” He leaned over and grasped his jeans then pulled the belt out of the loops.
Her eyes widened at the sight of the belt. He grabbed her hard and jerked her to him.
“Do you want it rough?” He grasped a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back.
Her eyes watered but she loved it. “Yes.” She swallowed. “I want it rough.”
He pinched one of her nipples hard while holding onto her hair and she gasped. Then he released her hair, took her by her upper arm, and brought her with him to the bed. He pulled the covers down to the foot of the bed then picked her up and set her in the middle of the mattress.
The next thing she knew he had taken his belt, wrapped it around her wrists, and secured them to the headboard. She tugged and found she couldn’t move them. Her heart raced faster.
Wild sensations shot through her belly as he grabbed one leg, and then her other, and unfastened the garters. He pulled off her panties and tossed them aside. She squirmed with desire as he slid down the stocking of her right leg then slipped the silky stocking over her foot.
“Now you’re mine,” he said with a wicked grin. “You can’t get away from me.”
When he grabbed her ankle, she started struggling, fighting him, the erotic play turning her on even more. He kept hold of her ankle and tied the stocking around it and secured it to a bedpost. He went to her other leg and she fought him even more as he slid off the remaining stocking. He easily grasped her left ankle and tied it to the bedpost, spreading her wide to his gaze.
She felt helpless but on fire at the same time. He moved away from the bed and went to his bureau and opened a drawer. He took out what looked like an old white T-shirt and a ripping sound met her ears as he tore it into strips. He tossed what was left of the shirt onto the floor then carried three strips back to her.
After he eased onto the mattress, he straddled her chest, looked down at her, and studied her eyes. “You’re gorgeous, Tess. I love seeing you like this. I love having control of you.”
He held her gaze as he put his cock to her lips and she pressed her lips shut and shook her head, as if she didn’t want him.
“You’re going to suck me.” He said the words like a command. He grabbed a handful of her hair, keeping her from shaking her head, and forced himself inside the warm of her mouth. He started moving in and out, not pushing himself too far, but far enough that her eyes watered. “That’s it, baby.” He pumped his hips a few more times then drew his glistening cock from her mouth.
Without taking his eyes from hers, he reached beside him and grasped one of the T-shirt strips. Her eyes widened as he brought the strip closer to her.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. Fighting him was turning her on so much that he had to see it in her eyes.
He put the piece of his T-shirt in her hand. “If at any time you really want me to stop, drop this cloth.”
He grabbed her face in one hand then wrapped another strip around her head and mouth, gagging her. She made muffled sounds of protest, struggled against her bonds, and shook her head back and forth again. He checked her hand periodically to make sure she hadn’t dropped the cloth.
With ease he stilled her, took the other strip and wrapped it around her head, too, only this time over her eyes so that she was blindfolded.
She made helpless sounds. She couldn’t talk and she couldn’t see, and she was completely at his mercy.
“Do you like being in my control?” he kissed the corner of her mouth.
She shook her head as if she didn’t and she fought again against her bonds but held onto the strip of T-shirt tightly.
“Oh, I know you really do like it,” he said.
She not only liked it, she loved it. She didn’t want him to stop.
“I want to take care of you.” His voice thrummed as he moved his lips down her jaw. She shivered from his warm breath on her ear. “I’m the only one who will ever bring you pleasure.” He bit her earlobe. “You’re mine.”
Her belly flipped at his dominant words. His warmth brushed her body and she wondered what he was going to do next.
He moved so that he was kneeling between her thighs and he slid his fingers inside her. She moaned behind her gag as he moved them in and out in a slow rhythm. He shifted and she felt his big shoulders between her thighs right before she felt his mouth on her clit.
Her breath caught in her throat and she would have come up off the bed if he hadn’t secured her so well. It felt so incredible as he licked and sucked her clit as he moved his fingers in and out. He’d gone down on her the first time, but everything seemed more intense while being gagged and not being able to see or move.
Heat washed over her and her scalp prickled as she felt her oncoming orgasm rushing forward. Her legs trembled and she fought against her restraints without even realizing that was what she was doing.
And then he stopped. She whimpered and squirmed, frustrated that he had left her so close to climax.
“Don’t come, Tess,” he said right before he went down on her again.
She nearly screamed behind her gag when he stopped again, her body vibrating with the need to come.
He kissed the inside of each thigh and she whimpered again, tears of need wetting the T-shirt strip over her eyes.
His mouth was on her clit again and he pumped his fingers in and out. She rose and rose toward orgasm and prayed that he wouldn’t stop. He didn’t this time.
When she climaxed she cried out behind her gag, every stroke of his tongue and movement of his fingers carrying her higher.
As she came down, he withdrew his fingers and moved from between her thighs so that she felt him over her. He untied the T-shirt strips from her mouth and eyes and then she found herself looking into his clear green gaze. He reached to the nightstand and opened the drawer then pulled a condom package out from inside it. Her heart beat faster as he opened the package and rolled the condom down his erection.
“I’m going to give it to you just the way you want it.” He pressed his cock to her core. “I’m going to fuck you hard.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “Now.”
He drove inside her and her eyes flew open, widening at the sudden feel of him stretching and filling her. He took her with a fierce, possessive look in his eyes.
The sensations were so incredible they whirled around her.
Her orgasm crashed into her and he kissed her hard as she came, stealing her cry. He continued taking her and then he gave a loud, shuddering groan as he climaxed. She felt every throb, every pulse in her sensitive channel.
He was still inside her as he unfastened the belt from her wrists. He brushed his lips over skin she hadn’t even realized was chafed. He pulled out of her and untied her ankles and then he was drawing her into his arms.
Chapter 22
So she liked it hard and kinky.
In the darkness, Harvey peered in through the slats in the blinds in Gage’s bedroom window as he watched Gage fuck a tied-up Tess. He’d even heard their conversation, had watched her struggle, and had seen on her face just how much that had turned her on.
The rage building inside Harvey caused his body to shake as he clenched his fists and ground his teeth.
If the bitch liked bondage and domination, he’d be happy to oblige. He’d been playing around with BDSM for years and even had some “toys” of his own that he’d be happy to use on Tess. A ball gag, nipple clamps, a flogger, maybe even a butt plug.
Yes, he’d throw a little pain in with the bondage while he was at it. He could almost feel the satisfaction of using clamps on her nipples and her clit while he had her bound and on her knees as he whipped her with the flogger until her ass and the backs of her thighs were bright red and raw.
And then he’d fuck her.
Harvey watched until Gage and Tess finished and were lying together. The longer Harvey stood there in the bushes beside the window, the more he wanted to kill Gage and take off with Tess. If he didn’t have such
good self-control, he’d kill Gage, take Tess, and burn the whole damn house down now.
But he had other plans.
And by the time he was finished he’d have Tess, and Gage would be dead.
Harvey took a step back from the window, his boot landing hard on a stick. The crack of wood snapping was loud enough to break the stillness of the night.
Shit.
He looked around for someplace to hide in case Gage had heard the sound and came out to investigate. He hurried to Gage’s truck, climbed into the truck bed, and flattened himself.
His heart pounded as he lay against the cool metal, the smell of dirt filling his nostrils and the dust almost making him sneeze. He heard the sound of the front door opening and then boots coming down the porch stairs.
He waited a moment then peered up out of the truck bed and saw Gage’s back as he crouched down and examined the ground where Harvey had been standing. At the same time Gage looked as though he was on alert. He was holding a shotgun.
After Gage took a good long look at the ground, he rose from his crouched position. He took slow, deliberate steps as he moved around the house, clearly checking to see if an intruder was there.
Harvey lowered himself back in the truck bed before Gage came back around the house. He waited until he heard the front door close, then waited a little longer before raising his head and looking at the front porch. He saw a movement behind the curtains and knew Gage was watching to see if anyone came out of the shadows. Harvey ducked down again and stayed in the truck bed.
After what had to be an hour or so, Harvey eased out of the back of the truck and hurried to the location where he had parked his own vehicle. He’d parked it away from the main road where it wouldn’t be easily seen in the darkness.
The entire trek he plotted the way Gage McBride was going to die.
Chapter 23
Tess bit her lower lip as she arrived at Gage’s ranch Monday morning. She sat in her car, staring at the front door of his home.
Today was her first day working for him after spending the past week wrapping things up at Nectars and the Hummingbird.
Saturday night was still vivid in her mind, but once again her belly ached as she was plagued by self-doubt and guilt, too.
It had been long enough since her husband’s death that she shouldn’t feel guilty being with another man, but for some reason she felt almost as if she was cheating on Steve.
And then there was the fact that Gage wasn’t a one-woman man. Maybe he had been once, but the girl he’d loved had hurt him. Badly. Tess didn’t know if he could or would leave that pain behind and settle for one woman again.
Could he leave his past behind and settle for Tess? And would that be what it was? Settling?
And she’d gone and agreed to work for him. Was she crazy?
She looked down at her hands that still grasped the steering wheel. Her knuckles had grown white as her grip had tightened, while her mind had turned everything over and over.
A knock at her car window startled her into giving a little yelp. She looked up to see Gage standing beside the car.
He opened the door for her and helped her out. “Everything all right?” He looked concerned.
She took a deep breath and smiled. “Great. Ready for my first day on the job.”
He lowered his head and kissed her firmly. Her mind reeled as he deepened the kiss.
When he drew away, she had to take a moment to catch her breath. She shook her head. “No on-the-job hanky-panky between boss and employee.”
He grinned. “Is that what this is? Hanky-panky?”
She gave a nod. “Absolutely.”
“You’ll have a couple of breaks.” He gave her a teasing look. “Plenty of time for a few off-the-job activities.”
She shook her head. Even with all of her doubts and insecurities, she couldn’t help smiling when she was with him.
“Come on in.” He nodded toward the house. “We can dig right in.”
Tess grabbed her purse and over the shoulder briefcase that she figured she might need for paperwork since she’d be working part-time from home.
As they walked toward his front porch, she looked up at him. “Thank you for this opportunity. It means a lot to be able to spend more time with Jenny.”
“No thanks are necessary, Tess.” He put his hand on her shoulder as they walked up the porch stairs. “You’re doing me a big favor by taking on the position.”
She let out a breath. “Now to see if I can do a good job at it.”
“You’ll do fine.” He squeezed her shoulder and when they reached the front door, he held it open for her. “Now stop worrying about it.”
“Okay,” she said as he closed the door behind them.
They went through the house to his office. “It looks like a tornado went through here,” she said as she looked at all of the papers and files piled up on the two desks, nothing looking like it was in any kind of order at all.
He gave her a sheepish expression. “I don’t do so well on my own. That’s why I needed the position filled.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve worked in an office or on computers.” She looked at the monitors on each desk. “I hope it’s as easy as getting back on a bike.”
“No rush,” he said. “Take your time getting to know how everything runs in my office and my business.”
She nodded. “Where do we start?”
He sat her down behind a computer monitor at one of the desks. The leather chair was comfortable but she had to adjust the position to make the chair higher. Whoever had worked here before her had been much taller than she was. Of course Megan would tease her and say that wasn’t hard because everyone was taller than she was. Tess smiled to herself. She didn’t mind the teasing.
Gage moved aside stacks of papers and file folders and pulled up a chair beside Tess at the desk. His nearness about sent her brain on short circuit but she forced herself to pay attention as he showed her how to use the software designed especially for businesses like his.
She kept fumbling with the keys on the keyboard and entering the wrong things in the program. When she grew more and more frustrated with herself, he rested his hand on her knee. “You’re not going to learn everything in a couple of hours, honey. Just relax and give it some time.”
“That’s not helping.” She looked pointedly at his hand on her knee.
He moved his palm up her thigh and rested it there. “Is that better?”
“Gage.” She tried not to react to the thrill it gave her to have his hand on her so intimately. “No hanky-panky while working…”
“I think it’s time for a break.” He took her hand and brought her to her feet before leading her out of his office. “We’ll go to the break room.”
She raised an eyebrow then shook her head as he led her into his bedroom.
“Gage—” she started but he cupped the back of her head and captured her mouth hard with his own.
With a soft moan she leaned into him as he kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her close to him, a hard ridge between them.
She pulled away and looked up into his eyes, feeling almost dizzy. “The boss isn’t supposed to have an erection when he’s with his assistant.”
“Who says?” he murmured before taking possession of her lips again.
This time when she drew away she shook her head. “Was this your break room with your previous assistant?”
At that he laughed. “Mary doesn’t do men.”
Tess raised an eyebrow.
“Meaning she’s a lesbian.” He smiled. “Best assistant ever, and she had to go off and marry her girlfriend and move.”
Tess shook her head. “And now you’re stuck with me.”
He caught her face in his hands. “I’m happily stuck with you.”
“We’ll see about that.” She looked at her watch. “Break time is over.”
He brought her to him again and cupped her ass. “I’m the boss.”
She placed her palms on his hard chest. “We’re going to treat this like I’m a real employee and not your—your—”
“Girlfriend?” he finished.
She felt her face warm. “I don’t know what we are.”
“I’ll tell you what we are.” He rocked her back and forth. “We’re a couple. You’re my woman and I’m your man.”
Her face heated even more. “That’s awfully presumptuous of you.”
He shrugged. “That’s how it is. No sense in denying it.”
She stepped away from him. “We’d better get to my training.”
“If you’re that fired up to get back to work, I guess this will have to wait.” He smiled and tweaked one of her short curls.
She nodded. “When I’m on the job—”
“No hanky-panky.” He gave a solemn nod but had a hint of a grin and a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Got it.”
They went back to work, but his constant nearness made it difficult to concentrate most of the time. His cell phone rang periodically, either employees or customers calling throughout the day. She tried to figure things out on her own when he was busy, but she was having a hard time of it.
“It’s a lot to get used to all at once,” he said as she frowned in frustration. “Don’t expect to learn everything in a few hours on your first day.”
It was more than that, though. It was the fact that she’d been away from office work for so long that she felt inadequate. She didn’t know if he was humoring her or he was serious. He was right, though. She was probably being too hard on herself.
His cell phone rang once again. This time he frowned as he listened. “I’ll be there in thirty,” he said. When he disconnected the call he looked at Tess apologetically. “One of my guys had a problem come up and I’ve got to get out there.”
She nodded. “I’d better get home and relieve Mrs. Webb and see my daughter.” She glanced at the laptop beside the desktop computer. He’d shown her how the program worked on both and how to sync the data wirelessly. “Do you mind if I take that home and mess around with the software? I’d like to become more familiar with it.”
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