“Mmm… You awake, baby?” Cruella stirred beneath the comforter, turning within its cocoon until they faced him. They peeked out from above the cotton fabric. “Did I steal all the blankets?”
Ray grinned. He doubted his enthusiastic expression matched the question, but he was so damn happy to have Cruella waking up in his bed that he could barely keep it together.
“No. I wrapped it around you before I left for the gym. I didn’t want you to get cold while I was gone.”
Cruella offered him a lazy smile in response as they wriggled loose from the tangle of the covers then lifted the edge of the comforter. “Let’s share.”
Ray chuckled, scooting beneath the cover and sighing as he gladly joined Cruella in the warmth of their arms. “Good morning, angel. Did you get my note?”
Cruella nuzzled his neck. “No, I just woke up. And I’m hardly an angel.”
“You are to me.” Ray pressed a kiss to Cruella’s forehead. “If you want to go back to sleep, I can leave you alone.”
Cruella tightened their hold. “Don’t you dare, mister.” They gave a small thrust, bumping their morning wood against his lengthening dick. “How much time do we have before you have to leave for work?”
Ray carded his fingers through Cruella’s hair, careful that he didn’t pull too hard as he worked his way through a few tangles. “About two and a half hours. Plenty of time to do lots of things. I was also planning on taking you out to breakfast on my way into the shop.”
Cruella quirked a smile. “Oh, I know what I want for breakfast, but it’s not something you order in a restaurant.”
With a wicked grin, Cruella grabbed Ray’s wrists to still his hands then slid down the length of his body, wasting no time capturing his straining erection in their mouth. Ray gasped the moment Cruella’s hot tongue flattened against the underside of his cock, caressing it with a maddening slowness, sliding across his glans then gently prodding his slit with just the tip before beginning again. Soon, Cruella increased their suction on his stiff flesh, bobbing their head and increasing their pace.
Ray clutched at the sheets to keep from grabbing Cruella’s hair or trying to guide them in any way. He didn’t want to make Cruella do anything they didn’t choose to do, since he was still unsure as to how much abuse they’d endured from their ex. His legs shook with the effort to keep from kicking out, to keep from coming too fast, the sensations from the expert blow job a torturous pleasure.
He let out a low groan as Cruella grasped the base of his cock with one hand and teased his nipples with the other. They scraped a long fingernail over each nub in turn, then circled the pad of their thumb over the sensitive flesh as if soothing it. The sharp contrast between the touches tightened his balls, bringing him ever closer to the edge.
As Cruella continued to torment his nipples, they pulled off his dick then mouthed his sac, licking and sucking on each orb as he fought against his impending orgasm. Cruella lifted their head and locked eyes with him right before breaking away and taking him to the root, swallowing around his cockhead. Ray tumbled over the precipice and shot hard down Cruella’s throat, each pulse of cum ripping another shout from him.
By the time he’d slumped against the mattress and his softening shaft had fallen from Cruella’s lips, he could barely catch his breath. Cruella continued to lap at his groin with gentle movements while trailing their fingertips up and down his torso, soothing him as he recovered from his tremendous climax.
Ray released his death grip on the sheets then petted Cruella’s head, gathering their hair to one side. He then ran his palms over Cruella’s shoulders and arms, their joint caresses sealing the moment between them.
“Damn. You’ve melted me. That was incredible.”
Cruella gazed up at him, circling a finger around his navel. “Best breakfast ever.”
Ray smiled then encouraged Cruella back up the bed by clasping their arms and giving them a light tug. Ray embraced them and descended on their mouth, kissing them with all the affection that had filled him for months. He’d been attracted from the start. But somewhere along the line his feelings had evolved into something more. He cared about Cruella, wanted their happiness, wanted to be a part of giving them that joy.
Ray broke the kiss and rubbed his nose against Cruella’s before bringing their foreheads together. “It’s my turn to taste you.”
Cruella hooked one of their long legs over Ray’s muscled thigh. “Only if I shower first.”
“Hmmm. I guess that means I’ll have to join you since I’m very, very hungry.”
Cruella chuckled. “Then come along, baby. Your breakfast awaits.”
I don’t know why I torture myself like this.
Cruella slid each delectable garment along the new arrivals rail in the Rags & Rhinestones vintage clothing store, almost drooling over the spectacular collection of goodies that Heath had picked up at an estate sale over the weekend. Their rather limited clothing allowance over the past couple months had gone to purchase rope for the shibari class. They sighed. It would be so worth it if Ray would let them tie him up in bed.
It certainly seemed to turn him on the other night when I suggested it.
If they were being honest, the idea had them rather hot too. When they had originally signed up for the class, the eroticism of the art hadn’t been the strongest attraction to learning shibari. At least not in terms of tying up a partner for sex. Their thought process had been more along the lines of the visual appeal, not necessarily using it as a prelude to, or as part of, making love.
They stepped behind a round rack to conceal their arousal as their mind wandered to Saturday morning, when Ray had kneeled before them in the shower and sucked them to completion. While they’d never viewed themself as someone who wanted to dominate a partner, they’d begun to consider that the desire to do so had been there all along but hadn’t been allowed to flourish.
That sure as hell was the case with Tucker.
Ray on his knees, Ray tied up and at their mercy, Ray beneath them as they fucked him into the mattress—all those scenarios had been playing on a loop in their head ever since they’d last seen him. They knew one thing for sure—when they got together with Ray that night to finally work on their class project, they were going to get a little rope action in bed if nothing else.
“Hey, Cruella. See anything you like?”
Cruella glanced up at the shop owner, Heath. “Hi, hon. Trust me, I see plenty I like.” Cruella let out another mournful sigh. “But I’m broke this month.”
Heath tsked, shaking his head. “I keep telling you, come work for me. You have a better sense of style than anyone who’s ever worked here, and you’d get an employee discount.”
Cruella barked out a laugh. “And never come home with a paycheck. No, they pay me well at Rogue, at least a couple more bucks an hour than I would get for that type of job, especially since I’m not a manager or anything.”
“I’ll match what they’re giving you right now, with an eye toward making you a manager eventually.”
Cruella blinked repeatedly as they stared at the tall, blond-haired cutie they’d come to know over the past few years of being a regular at the shop. Heath had teased them more than once about coming to work for him, but had never made such a serious offer. Cruella hadn’t been kidding, though, about not coming home with a paycheck. The killer clothes, shoes and handbags that regularly filled the shop to the brim would suck the cash right out of their pocket. Their buyer resistance was almost non-existent.
“You can’t be serious, hon. Why would you do that? And why do you need a manager?”
Heath draped an elbow over the rail and leaned against the rack. “So fucking serious, doll, you have no idea. Look, to begin with, most of the staff who come through here are either clueless and couldn’t give two shits about fashion, or chose this job by wandering down the street until they spotted it and thought, ‘gee, this looks like a great place to steal from’. I can’t even with these losers anymo
re.” Heath glanced around the shop, the few other customers in the large, rectangular space seemingly lost in their own perusing. He leaned in closer. “I love this shop. I’m flippin’ proud of what I built up over the past five years. But damn, honey. I haven’t had a social life since I turned twenty-two.” Heath huffed. “And I was only out and proud for two years before that, so this girl hasn’t had nearly as much fun as she should have by now.”
Cruella fingered the nineteen-twenties mauve velvet coat that they could totally picture themself in and considered Heath’s words. “Wow, I guess I never thought about how much work it must take to run this place on your own. Although, the owners of Rogue seem to work nonstop. But at least there’s three of them to handle the responsibility.”
Heath furrowed his brow. “Is that little sweetheart who was kidnapped still doing okay?”
After the dust had settled from the horrible events surrounding Liam’s kidnapping, Cruella had been able to work out that Heath’s shop was where Neal had called the police from.
“He’s doing fine. I think, in his case, having the responsibility of a new business has done wonders at keeping him distracted and from dwelling on what happened.” Cruella chuckled. “Of course, his fiancé keeps him more than distracted enough anyway.”
Heath smiled. “That’s good to hear.” Heath glanced over his shoulder as someone approached the register. “Listen, you think about what I said.” He squeezed Cruella’s shoulder. “I meant every word.”
Cruella let their finger run down the beaded edging of the coat until they found the price tag. They sucked in a sharp breath as they absorbed the amount of the vintage item. Two hundred and twenty-five dollars. They whimpered. I wonder how much of a discount?
Drawing on every bit of what little willpower they possessed, they let go of the sleeve the tag was attached to and turned away. Dammit. Cruella checked their cell and decided they’d have just enough time to meet up with Tai at Kiss of Leather before heading to Rogue. They had a week’s worth of product review sheets to hand over and a new eye-color palette to pick up from him.
The truth was, they weren’t ready to give up working at Rogue. They loved their job and the people they worked with. Not that Heath wasn’t cool, but they were happy where they were, and with all the changes they’d been through in the past year, there was a certain comfort to showing up at a familiar place every day and knowing there would always be someone there who cared about how they were doing, who already knew what they’d been through.
Perhaps if Tai opened their company soon, and followed through on the hints he’d been dropping about needing some print models for the ad campaign, they’d be able to stay at Rogue and still afford to shop at Rags & Rhinestones. Before they could talk some sense into themself they plucked the coat from the rack and waited at the counter until Heath had finished ringing up his other customer.
When Heath was done, Cruella approached the register. “Hon, could you put this one aside for me and I’ll give you a down payment on it when I get paid this Friday?”
Heath took the coat from Cruella, lifting it over the counter then placing it on one of the wall hooks behind him. “Of course. I thought of you when I spotted this one. You’ll look fabulous in it.”
“I’m not sure whether to thank or berate you for buying it. I shouldn’t be spending one dime on anything frivolous this month.”
Heath tugged on the bottom of the plastic bag he’d been covering Cruella’s precious coat with, smoothing it down. He straightened and regarded Cruella again. “Now, now. What’s the fun in that?”
“I can’t afford fun.”
Heath arched his eyebrows then batted his lashes. “You could, if you ever decided to move into management.”
Cruella placed their hands on their hips. “I still think I’d manage myself into bankruptcy with all the temptations in this store.” Cruella softened their tone. “But I do appreciate the offer, hon, I really do. I’m really happy where I’m working right now, but I promise I’ll think about it.”
Heath nodded, his lips pressed together in a thin line. “I hope you do. You’d be amazing here, I know you would. And after a while, you figure out there’s always more stuff and you get less grabby.” Heath winked at them. “Although, one way to battle the addiction is to buy things you like, wear it for a while then sell it after you’ve had your way with it.”
Cruella winced. “Don’t give me any bad ideas.”
“Oh no, honey, these are the best ideas. The very best. Now run along and I’ll see you Friday. By then I hope you’ll have come to your senses and be buying this spectacular garment at cost while beginning your training as my new manager.”
He’s killing me. “I would love to have an answer for you by then, but I can’t promise anything.”
Heath shrugged. “You can’t blame a girl for trying. Just know the offer stands if you ever decide you want to take me up on it.”
“Thank you, Heath. I promise I’ll give it serious thought.”
As Cruella made their way to the bus stop, they did their best to push the fantasy of working at Rags & Rhinestones from their mind. Maybe someday. For the time being, working at Rogue was awesome. In addition to how much they enjoyed the shop—Ray, Neal and Liam relied on them. Out of all the staff that had manned reception since they’d taken over, Cruella had been the only responsible one. They couldn’t just up and leave, especially now that Mike had been written up a third time and let go. What would their friends do?
The bus pulled to the curb with a hiss and squeak of brakes, and Cruella climbed aboard, swiping their pass before taking the first available seat. They chewed on a fingernail as they gazed out of the window.
Yeah, maybe someday.
Chapter Nine
Ray woke up his cell to check the time and was dismayed that only three more minutes had passed since the last time he’d looked. Quit obsessing. Even though it had only been two days since he’d seen Cruella, it felt like an eternity. Yeah, he had it pretty bad for them. He let out a sigh, accepting his fate when it came to the beautiful Cruella. Denying that he’d been falling for them for months now wouldn’t ease his overwhelming desire to be with them all the time. But maybe if he acknowledged the truth of his feelings, he could keep himself in check and not get too pushy. In the same way he hadn’t wanted to make a move before Cruella was ready after their disastrous breakup, he didn’t want to push them into something more serious if they weren’t on the same page as him.
Right as he locked up his cabinet, the door ringer sounded from downstairs. Ray took one last peek in the wall mirror to make certain he wasn’t too disheveled, then made his way to reception. His heart had been thudding in anticipation already, but at the sight of Cruella, his chest seemed to swell even more.
“Hi, gorgeous.”
Ray approached a smiling Cruella and gave them a quick kiss. Since Liam was working reception, he didn’t temper himself. If anyone other than Liam or Neal were on duty, he wouldn’t have done such a thing. They’d already discussed that public displays of affection wouldn’t be appropriate in front of staff.
“Hi, baby.” Cruella leaned in and lowered their voice. “My, my. Aren’t you fuckable tonight.”
Ray’s face immediately heated and he angled away from Liam. He kept his voice just as quiet as he answered, “Not nearly as much as you. I’ve always loved that black stretch mini.”
Cruella responded with a husky chuckle. “I could tell. Why do you think I wore it tonight?”
Ray rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “I’m gonna have a helluva time keeping my hands off in order for you to get in any practice for your class.”
This time, Cruella belted out a hearty laugh. “I beg to differ. You’ll be tied up and under my complete control. Your hands won’t be able to do anything unless I let them.”
Ray held in a groan, but just barely. “Holy hell. I don’t think I’m going to be able to walk out of this shop if you don’t stop putting those p
ictures in my head.”
“Should I leave you guys alone?”
Ray was snapped back to awareness at Liam’s query. Shit. “No, no. Sorry. Uh, did you need anything else before we leave? Restroom break?”
Liam glanced between them both. “No, I’m good. But I think you guys should probably go now so you can be alone together.”
Cruella snaked an arm around Ray’s waist as his cheeks flushed again. “I think you’re right, baby.” They regarded him. “Shall we?”
Ray relaxed in Cruella’s hold. “We shall.”
After saying goodbye to Liam, Ray gathered up Cruella’s hand and led them through the back door of the shop. The exit opened onto the small parking area reserved for all the store owners on the block. He couldn’t resist stealing one more kiss from Cruella before unlocking the truck and helping them inside.
Once they were on their way, he headed down Sunset toward Westwood. “I thought I’d surprise you by taking you out to this amazing sushi place that opened up recently. I hope you don’t mind, but I asked Liam what you like to eat.”
Ray had been kicking himself ever since their first night together when they’d played Truth or Dare, bemoaning the fact that he’d missed an opportunity to bring up what he suspected were eating issues with Cruella. In one sense, it wasn’t his business. But his concern overrode any other considerations. Without talking about Cruella behind their back by interrogating Liam regarding their personal business, he’d instead asked him for suggestions on what type of food Cruella enjoyed.
“I don’t mind.”
Kink Aware (Kiss of Leather Book 9) Page 7