by Lauren Smith
“What kind of yellow? There are a bunch.” Callie thought of cadmium yellow, trying to ignore the wave of homesickness for the ranch.
Wes walked up to her and settled his hands on her hips, gazing down at her. “The yellow of a lantern’s warm glow in summer.”
There in his eyes, a secret shimmered effervescently and Callie ached to see it.
“Why that color?” she probed gently.
Wes sighed, the sound ancient and full of a century’s worth of sorrow. “Before my ninth birthday, my life was rich in love, in color, in friends. I didn’t know the darkness in men’s hearts, didn’t know the evil that drives people to hurt others to get what they want. I was just a boy. Innocent. I used to camp with my friends, Emery, Fenn, and Royce. The four of us were inseparable. And that last summer…” A man’s rage and a boy’s fear collided in his eyes and roughened his voice. “That summer our innocence perished. The lantern-glow yellow is the way back to those memories for me. It’s a way to remind myself of what was, but is no longer.” His hands were on her hips and they tightened slightly, as though he needed to root himself in place and holding her was the only way to do it.
Callie knew of the kidnapping of the Lockwood twins, had recently learned just how horrible things had been for Fenn and Emery. She could only imagine how hard it would be for Wes, as a little boy, to lose one friend and have another one come back emotionally damaged. Even though she had been only four, losing her mother had scarred her soul. There was an emptiness inside her that could never be filled, a void that could be filled only by the presence of a mother she would never have.
“Lantern yellow is a lovely color,” she said. There was nothing else a person could say after a confession like his.
“And yours is cobalt blue. Why?” He seemed genuinely curious as to her answer and she felt compelled to tell him the truth.
“Your eyes. They’re cobalt. It’s such a rare shade of blue. No impurities, only endless depth.” She reached up, unthinking as she touched his cheek and studied his eyes, this time from her artist’s eyes. Sometimes the artist in her was its own being that woke like a sleeping goddess to wave her hand and create magic upon the page before slumbering again. Callie often teased that inner part of herself, calling it the reluctant muse. Around Wes there was no reluctance. If anything, he’d put her muse into overdrive.
“Keep talking about colors and you will end up in my bed, sore or not,” he warned, his lips curling into a seductive smile that showed just how on edge he was while trying to maintain his control.
She wanted him. But her body still needed some time to recover before they made love again.
“Strip down and get in the bath,” he ordered.
Still shy, she hesitated. The look he gave her promised a punishment, but she still wasn’t ready to just whip off her clothes.
With a low laugh, he gripped her arm and turned her to face the counter. He pushed hard enough to keep her bent over, helpless, but not hurting.
“When I give you an order relating to the bedroom or the removal of clothes, you say ‘yes, sir’ and do as I ask.”
Smack! The little slap to her bottom stung, but it was well away from her tender areas. He knew her body too well. Like how she would respond to a light pat at just the right spot on her backside, or the way to nibble her throat between kisses.
“Yes, sir,” she hastily said, burying her face in her arm, a little turned on and more than humiliated by the fact that the spanking made her instantly wet.
“Good. One more for you to remember this lesson.” Smack! This one was harder, but still nothing painful. The light sting always faded into a delicious heat a few seconds later. Wes kept her pinned down on the counter with one hand between her shoulder blades while his other hand massaged her ass, rubbing in the little reminder of her disobedience. Then he let her stand and he pointed at the floor by the bathtub.
“We’ll try again. Strip now.”
With trembling hands, she tugged the boxers down and kicked them away and then lifted the large t-shirt over her head. When she let the shirt flutter to the ground, she had to clench her hands in fists at her side so as to not cover her bare breasts. She was learning now that he’d punish her, deliciously so, if she tried to hide from him.
“Very good. I know you want to hide, Callie. But you are beautiful. Inside and out. I’ll allow some modesty, because it’s charming on you, but I want you to learn to accept your body and be comfortable sharing it with me.”
“Yes, sir.” Her fingers uncurled from their tight fists and she inhaled slowly, then exhaled. It helped.
I’m beautiful. She chanted the mantra a few times and was surprised that it made her feel beautiful standing bare before him.
“I don’t expect or want you to adhere to most of the rules I would require of a submissive. We both know what’s between us is more complicated.” He stared only at her eyes as he spoke and she didn’t feel like an object, but a person, and that made her relax.
“Wes, now that we’ve slept together…” She paused, terrified of how he might answer.
“Yes?” He was so patient, so calm, it was almost unnerving.
“Well, is that what you want? I mean you had me. Do you still…”
“Still want you?” He only continued once she’d nodded. “More than ever. Before I’d only had a taste of you. Now I’m not letting you go. You agreed to try to play by my rules and it will be so rewarding for us both. Tell me now if this isn’t what you want. If you don’t want me any longer then we can stop.”
She shook her head. “I still want you, too.”
“Good. When I have expectation or wishes, I will tell them to you so that you do not fear punishment. I will never really hurt you. What you’ve endured up to now is all that I’d ever put you through.”
She nodded. That little reassurance made her feel better. The idea of doing something wrong without knowing made her uneasy.
“Now come here and kiss me.” He waited like a lazy lion as she approached him. He didn’t move to touch her but let her place her hands on his shoulders. He waited, so patiently, but she could see the barely banked fires in his deep blue eyes. Her naked body pressed to his clothed one, only their bare feet touched and for some reason that made her giggle. He moved fast, too fast, grabbing her and pulling her against him.
“What’s so funny?” he demanded in a soft tone.
She shook her head and stood up on tiptoe, kissing his startled mouth. She’d managed to catch him by surprise and the knowledge of that turned her on. Knowing she’d caught him off guard only made her shake with silent laughter and he started laughing, too, even though she sensed he didn’t want to.
“What’s so funny?” he asked again.
“It’s not something I can actually describe,” she said and kissed the corner of his mouth, his jaw, then his cheek. She was happy. That was part of it. The rest was a sense of wholeness, of being complete and satisfied in a way she hadn’t ever felt before.
“You are a confusing woman,” he said and sighed, but it was accompanied by a soft smile that made her toes curl, especially when he followed it with a sweet, deep kiss. His hands cupped her bottom, clenched, and she jerked when he gave it a playful smack. Wetness pooled instantly between her thighs at that mix of pain and pleasure.
How did he know just what to do to her body to make it light up with inner fire?
“Go on and get in the bath, you minx.” He tapped the tip of her nose and urged her to get into the tub that was nearly full by now. She did as he ordered, sighing as the hot water sizzled on her skin and soaked into her, melting away her stress and soreness.
“Feeling better?” Wes asked, watching her from beside the tub. Amusement danced in his eyes and she grinned sleepily up at him.
“I’m not going to last long with this. What’s next, warm milk and cookies?”
He chuckled. “If you like.” His rakish wink made her roll her eyes.
“Are you getting in with m
e? Plenty of room.” She waved a hand at the expansive tub.
“I can’t promise not to touch you again.” He took a step back, as though the temptation was too great, but Callie had quick reflexes and she caught his hand, holding him still. Whenever he tried to pull away it made something inside her flutter with panic.
“Please.”
He pulled his hand free and she feared he’d walk away, but he stripped out of his jeans, sweater, and briefs and then climbed into the tub behind her. The water sloshed as he reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. She was too tired to fuss as he arranged her just the way he liked, her back to his chest. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder, their cheeks touching as he held her close. It was oddly right, to feel and be this close to Wes. He’d seen part of her soul in the last few days and she was starting to see his. After the bearing of such secret parts of one’s self there was no other need for barriers between them.
“Now that our bet is over, I have a serious matter to discuss with you, Callie. If you had the chance to go to art school, would you? If money was no object?” He added this last bit hastily.
Feeling a little bold, she stroked his forearm, which rested on her stomach. It was so nice to be able to touch him, like a lover. She’d never been able to do that with anyone else.
“I…If money wasn’t a problem, then yes. I would. Assuming I could get in without a recommendation of course.” She doubted she could do it. Art schools were incredibly competitive and she had no portfolio or any real experience besides her own self-taught techniques.
“That’s good to hear. There’s an excellent school on Long Island. I’ve spoken to Royce about applications for the spring semester and my friend has already written his recommendation based on the photos of the pictures I took of your art at the ranch. I’ve taken care of everything except for your entrance essay and three pieces of art you need to provide in three different mediums for your portfolio submission.”
Callie stiffened. “What? I thought losing the bet meant I didn’t get the recommendation…” That had been the only thing driving her to resist him and he’d made his seduction too irresistible. Now he was offering her the thing she’d wanted almost as much as she’d wanted him?
He chuckled. “My intention from the start when I made that wager with you was always to obtain the recommendation no matter whether you resisted me or not. Even if you succumbed, I planned to help you get into art school. Your application was filled out and ready before you ever boarded the plane with me in Walnut Springs.”
He’d filled out an application for her? She wasn’t sure whether she was angry or pleased…but she didn’t like that he’d done it without talking to her. There was so much he hadn’t considered though, like how far away Weston was from Colorado, from the ranch, and from her father.
“Wes, you can’t just do things like that without first talking to me. Leaving my father and my life at the ranch for school is a huge decision that only I can make. That’s a personal boundary you crossed.”
His arms tightened around her waist, and his suddenly hard cock nudged her backside.
“I break down walls and leap over boundaries, darling. It’s how I operate.” His warm breath fanned over her cheeks and she shivered. Her temper and resistance apparently aroused him. The man was still a puzzle to her.
“You’re not getting off that easily. You have to talk to me about decisions that affect my life.” She tried to slide off his lap because this was definitely a face-to-face conversation. But he didn’t let her move, even when she thrashed and water splashed over the tub’s edge.
“Be still or I’m liable to fuck you into submission, so you’ll listen to me.” His harsh growl rumbled in her ear and she stilled. The most basic animal instincts deep inside her demanded she not fight him. He was the alpha male and she’d resisted him. If she wanted to calm him down, she’d better not make any more sudden moves.
Dominants were a lot like predators in the wild. The romance novels she’d read hadn’t been wrong about that. The question was how far would she dare to push him?
Chapter 14
When Callie went lax in his arms, Wes relaxed as well. She could feel the tension seep out of his limbs.
“Good. Now here’s our discussion. You said if money was no object, you would go to art school. I’m paying your way so you’re going. That’s the end of the discussion.”
The bristling inside her was barely containable, but she had to be careful. It also rankled her that he’d made some silly bet when he’d planned on giving her what she’d dreamed of all along. What had been the point of the bet then if there hadn’t been any real stakes?
“Why did you even bet me if you were already going to get me the recommendation?”
His face grew serious. “Because you were drowning, Callie. Your heart was breaking and I couldn’t stand to watch you suffer. I gave you a challenge, something to fight for. It kept your spirit from dying. Here you are, as feisty as the day I met you, recovering from your heartache. It’s because you had the strength to fight back for the bet. It was never about winning, but about the challenge.”
She was silent for a long moment. He was right. She’d been so focused on their wager, on his playful, intense seduction, that the pain in her heart from Fenn had eased and slowly started to fade. The unbearable pain of losing the first man she’d loved had begun to heal. Because of Wes. And now he was still helping her, offering to get her into art school.
“Wes, you are not going to pay for my art school.” Taylors didn’t like owing debts. If she was going to school, then she would pay.
Wes turned his head slightly and licked the inside of her ear. A bolt of desire so strong shot straight to her clit and she jolted in his tight hold. She arched her back, breasts jutting out, and he cupped them, squeezing them and kneading them with his elegant hands. They were strong looking but beautiful and Callie whimpered when he pinched her nipples.
“Wes, stop. We have to talk about this.” She gripped his thighs, digging her fingers into his legs as a building wave of need whiplashed through her.
“I know you’re sore, darling,” he murmured in her ear. “Can you take me? I’ll go nice and slow.”
Could he keep that promise? Hell, did it matter? She wanted him so much…
“Okay…” She was barely coherent now. Trapped between Wes’s hot body and the water, she could barely remember her own name. She ached for him. There was no other word for what she felt. Wes had to fill her, possess her, but it was the only way to ease the mind-numbing ache for him.
He lifted her up and placed her on her knees on the opposite seat in the large tub so that she faced the tub’s edge and Wes stood behind her, knee deep in the water.
“Bend over and rest your head on your arms,” he urged, his voice husky and soft.
She bent over, laying her hands on the marble platform that extended past the tub’s edge and jerked in shock when Wes wedged a knee between her thighs from behind and parted her legs farther.
The soreness between her thighs stung a little as the blunt head of his cock nudged her entrance. He used one hand to guide himself into her and his other hand gripped her left shoulder. He rocked forward, pushing in a few inches. She tightened and twitched around him.
“Relax,” he crooned. “Just relax.”
She breathed deeply and let herself relax. This time when he pushed into her, her body accepted him, even though it was still tight.
“God, I thought I’d imagined how good you felt. But it’s better than I remember.”
A wicked surge of pride filled her. She loved knowing that he thought she felt good. Having no experience with sex, she was afraid she wouldn’t know what to do to make sure he enjoyed himself, too.
“Does it hurt?” he asked.
“Not so much,” she said, panting as he withdrew and waited. “I’m okay now. It feels better.” It felt really good actually, once she relaxed and focused on how it felt to be full and s
tretched by him, connected at such an intimate place.
“Thank God,” he groaned and began a leisurely but steady pace of thrusts. His hand on her shoulder tightened and his other hand slid down her belly to her clit. Fingering the sensitive pearl, he teased it, then pressed just hard enough that the stimulation with his penetrations was too much. The world blurred around her and a drugging fuzziness filled her head and the climax came but it was slow, drawn out, everlasting.
Ripples of pleasure, heat filling her, flushing her skin, her breath heavy. She’d never done drugs, wouldn’t ever do them, but this was what they had to feel like…only infinitely better. Floating on ecstasy. Wes collapsed over her, bracing himself on one arm beside her shoulder as he nipped her ear and murmured soft sweet things.
It was something she would never forget as long as she lived. The way they felt together, bodies as close as physically possible, hearts beating wildly, his scent mixed with hers, and the way he spoke to her. Hushed endearments, things that made her heart clench, and something inside her unfurled, like the petals of a newly blooming flower stretching for the sun. He was opening her heart up, forcing light and heat into places she’d attempted to darken with shadows. Soon she wouldn’t be able to keep him out. A man who could banish her inner darkness, make her feel alive again after her broken heart…There would be no stopping the love that would surely follow.
I’m falling for him. A man who keeps his women at a distance…And I promised myself I would never love anyone again…
It was her last coherent thought as she succumbed to exhaustion.
* * *
Wes realized Callie had fallen asleep seconds after he’d withdrawn from her body. She was worn out, the poor little thing. He shouldn’t have taken her again so soon, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself, not when she’d begged him to. He carefully cleaned her and then lifted her from the bath. She was wet, but he had a spare robe lying by the bathtub and he tucked her into the terry cloth folds before he carried her to his room. There had been only a brief thought that he should have taken her to her own bed. That had been his original intention all along. But now that he’d had her here in his arms, his bed was the only place he wanted her to be.