“I do care. It’s a little overwhelming, that’s all. I’ve known Keith for eleven years. He’s an exceptional person. He served in Iraq, and when he returned home, he joined the FBI. He’s dedicated his life to putting away bad people.” She swallowed back unexpected tears and stopped thinking through what she wanted to say. The words poured out.
“He’s never said much about his family. Savannah is eight years older than him, and she was horribly abusive. I don’t know all the details, but I know that when he says he doesn’t want kids, it’s because he’s afraid of reliving the horror of his childhood. After his mother approached me last week—he won’t even talk to her—I went to see Savannah in jail. She seemed to want Keith to take the kids, but I didn’t promise anything because I’m not sure he’ll even consent to see them.”
Mrs. Daley handed her a tissue.
“Thank you.” Katrina dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose. She was more than a little appalled at her breakdown. Her heart broke for those kids as much as it did for Keith, though she knew he didn’t want sympathy. “I honestly don’t know what I’m doing here.”
Mrs. Daley shook her head and blew out a stream of air, sounding like a pressure-release valve. “Honey, you’re a mess. I’ll set up a meeting, but you need to figure out what you want. I’m going to have to place those kids as soon as I can, and that might mean splitting them up and keeping Angelina in the system. Now give me your card and get out of my office. I have work to do.”
* * * *
That night at dinner, Kat was exceptionally quiet. Keith had arrived home first, and he’d downloaded an awesome tilapia recipe. It used capers and bacon, as well as all his favorite vegetables. He’d thought Kat would exclaim over it, and then he’d show her the surprise he had in the dungeon.
“What’s wrong, Kitty Kat?”
She brightened at his use of her nickname, and she seemed to come to life a little. “Nothing. Chief Alder put me second chair on the Holbrook case.”
That was a huge deal. Keith couldn’t figure out how that would make her almost pensive. “And you don’t want the responsibility?”
“No, I do.” She focused her gaze on him, searching his face for something. “Aaron wanted second chair really badly. He was crushed when they refused his request. I came to the chief’s notice when I found some files that had gone missing. It was a favor for Aaron. I don’t want him to think I went behind his back.”
This wasn’t the first time Kat had mentioned Aaron’s shortcomings. Keith had spent time with Jordan that morning, going over the evidence they had on Buttermore. The man was definitely setting up Kat in a way that could ruin her career.
He put his hand on her bare knee under the table. He’d allowed her to wear clothes, but he’d made her remove her panties and hose. “He’ll be jealous at first, but if he’s a true friend, he’ll be happy for you.”
Really he wanted to tell her that Buttermore was corrupt and that she should stay away from him, but Kat was a horrible actress. Her inherent honesty would inevitably lead her to slip up and say something to Buttermore, especially if she was feeling betrayed and her emotional guard was down. The elusive stalker provided enough stress for now.
She stretched toward him and kissed his cheek. “You’re a very sweet man. And this is very good fish.”
“I know.” He slid his hand up her leg, scrunching the fabric of her skirt out of the way. “I have other good things planned for tonight.”
She shifted her legs to let him have more access, and her expression turned downright flirty. “Really? Does it involve bondage?”
“Of course. And you’ll get to call me ‘Doctor.’ Actually, you’ll get to scream it.” He pulled her onto his lap and slid her plate closer. Though she was sitting next to him, it was too far away. He plunged his tongue into her mouth until she clung to him and made those little kittenish moans in the back of her throat. Then he fed her the rest of her dinner.
* * * *
When Keith had given her the folded garment and told her to change into it before knocking on the dungeon door, Katrina hadn’t expected it to be one of those paper hospital exam gowns. She put it on with the opening in the front, frowned at her attire, and knocked on the door.
“This isn’t sexy.” She muttered it, but he opened the door just in time to hear her criticism.
His gaze traveled down her form and back up. “It isn’t meant to be sexy, Ms. Legato. This is a doctor’s office, not a sex clinic.” He took her by the arm and led her into the room.
Maybe her gown wasn’t sexy, but she had to admit that adding the lab coat over his shirt and tie did make him appear even more handsome.
Most of the dungeon had been hidden by strategically placed sheets that functioned as drapes. Only the corner with the exam table was open. It reclined like a chair, but it also had padded extensions on which to rest legs.
“Doctor, going to the gynecologist’s office is never sexy.”
“Of course not,” he agreed somberly. “That would be unethical. Get on the table.”
She sat on the center part of the table and leaned back.
“I’m going to lift your legs into the stirrups. Nothing to be alarmed about.”
He lifted one leg, bending it at the knee and adjusting the stirrup part to fit her length. Then he saw to her other leg. She felt split open, exposed in a way that never happened with her real doctor. Analyzing the placement of her legs, she realized that her doctor never spread her this wide.
Then she felt the restraints being tightened into place. He secured her at the ankles and just above her knees. Next he tied her arms to the padded armrests, securing her at the wrists and elbows. Then he buckled a thicker leather band over her shoulders. An even thicker belt crossed her hips to hold them still.
He hovered over her, checking the fit of the restraints. “Comfortable?”
The exam table was surprisingly cozy. “What are you going to do to me?”
One corner of his mouth lifted with the suggestion of a smile. “Anything I want. We’re alone in a soundproof room, and you’re tied down.” He ripped at her paper covering, shredding it as he pulled it from her body. “And now you’re naked.”
She tried to move, but it was a futile attempt. She could turn her head, but that was all.
He frowned at her, and then he disappeared behind the chair. She heard him rummaging around. When he returned, he secured yet another restraint across her forehead. Now she couldn’t move at all.
“Now, Ms. Legato, what seems to be the problem this time?”
She was tied to a chair and trapped in a room with a sex addict, but she didn’t consider that problematic. She searched for a plausible answer. “My pussy aches.”
“Hmmm. Sounds like you need a full exam.” He put on a headlamp and situated himself on a rolling stool between her legs.
She felt the heat of the light as it bathed her wet tissues. He probed her folds without any sense of urgency.
Abruptly he stood. “I can’t see anything down there. I’m going to shave you.”
Katrina wasn’t sure she’d heard him right, but when he produced one of those rolling surgical carts with a bowl of warm water, a can of shaving cream, and a razor on it, she protested. It had been a few days since she’d groomed herself, but it wasn’t that bad. She didn’t object to being shaved, only to the fact of him doing it. “You’re not really going to shave me.”
He chuckled as he resumed his seat. “How are you going to stop me?”
She could call red, but she didn’t want to stop the scene. She could see where this could get interesting. The heat of the lamp made her juices seep even faster, and the loss of control freed her to enjoy the process. He made quick work of it and cleaned her up with efficient movements. Then he produced his cell phone and took a picture, which he showed her. It looked downright pornographic.
“That’s the prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen, Kitty Kat.”
“You’d better delete that picture.”<
br />
He chuckled as he slipped it back into his pocket. “Delete my screen saver?”
She wanted to rail at him, but he blew across her pussy. Sensations, wild and wanton, came to life. Then he ran his finger over her tender flesh.
“Now I can do a thorough exam. You do not have permission to orgasm.”
That made her wary. She’d noticed that he often denied permission when he was going to make it difficult for her not to climax.
Heat from the light came back, but it was quickly replaced by heat from his tongue. He licked her pussy lips, and she found out just how insidious he could be. The restraints let her go nowhere. The sensations on her bare pussy bordered on too much, and she couldn’t lift her hips or wiggle back to ease the pressure. She was stuck in this position, completely at his mercy.
“Doctor, please.”
He ignored her, exploring her folds with short and long licks. Soon he let his fingers join the party. He fucked them into her slick opening and found her sweet spot. She fought the heat coiling in her abdomen, but each tiny jerk of her arms or legs, even her shoulder and hips, against the straps only heightened the arousal. He buried his mouth in her cunt, and due to the inclined positioning of the chair, she could see the ecstasy on his face.
Her climax broke over her, and he moaned between her legs, lapping faster at her juices. When he sat back with a self-satisfied smirk lifting the corners of his mouth, she cursed him.
“Well, I can see that this naughty pussy needs to be taught a lesson.”
Her body quivered with aftershocks. He used the flap of a crop to trace around her nipples. If he hit her with that in her newly exposed pussy, she didn’t know if she could handle the pain.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll try harder next time.”
“Yes,” he said. “You will.” With that, he brought the crop down on her leg.
The flap got her, but the plastic length of the implement did as well. It stung. It hurt. Heat radiated from the red line forming on her thigh. She mewed, a belated reaction, and he brought it down on her other thigh.
Back and forth, he alternated thighs and the force of his strikes. He peppered her inner and outer thighs. Dimly, she noted that he concentrated on the meaty areas and avoided the places where he might hit too close to the bone, strict guidelines he’d imparted at their practice session.
Sweat broke out on her brow, and the sting morphed into pure heat. Her thighs were a mess of red lines, and her pussy was thick with cream. Then he tapped the floppy leather flap on her clit, and she exploded. Colors burst behind her eyes, and she screamed with the force of another climax.
He didn’t give her much time to recover before he turned his attention to her breasts. He was gentler there, tapping her swollen globes and pointy nipples. He varied the force as well. She never knew when he would bring the crop down hard or tap it lightly or just barely touch it down at all. When he stopped, heat spread over her breasts, stomach, and thighs. Her pussy craved the feel of him stretching her with his cock.
“How are you doing, Kitty Kat?”
She knew he wanted her color, but she played dumb. “My pussy still aches, Doctor.”
He grinned. “I have just the thing.”
This time, he disappeared on the other side of the sheet. When he returned, she recognized the bulky TENS unit he carried. He set it on the floor below the exam table.
“I’m going to clean you up first, Ms. Legato. You’re quite wet.”
She closed her eyes and enjoyed his ministrations. The pads felt sticky against her skin. He placed two where her butt muscle met her pussy, two on either side of her freshly shaved mons, and two on her lower stomach, just above the belt holding her hips in place.
He smacked her clit with the crop. “Let’s see if we can’t keep you from climaxing this way. Tell me when you feel it.”
The tiny pricks grew in intensity until they felt like miniscule mallets thumping away at her. It felt good. “I feel it.”
He turned the machine up a little more. “Tell me when it becomes unbearable.”
The thumps came harder, which still felt good. Then they turned into something unpleasant. “There. Not that. Please not that.”
He dialed it back. It was more than she wanted, but it didn’t hurt.
“Doctor, please turn it down, just a tad. It felt so good a moment ago.”
“No. You’re not supposed to climax, Ms. Legato. We talked about this. It’s inappropriate. I’m attempting to cure your ache, and you’re behaving in a decidedly wanton fashion.” He ran his hands over her flesh, exploring from the palms of her hands to the soles of her feet. That seemed inappropriate behavior for a doctor, but she was too busy trying to deal with the riot of sensations running rampant in her body to point out the hypocrisy.
When he got to her nipples, he rolled and pinched them. Then he clamped something on them that felt like it had spikes.
“Clover clamps, Ms. Legato. They’ll help keep your mind on your treatment.”
The TENS unit abruptly cut off, and her whole body relaxed. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d become. She closed her eyes. He peeled off the sticky pads, but she could still feel the electricity stimulating her muscles. Every cell buzzed with anticipation.
When he pushed his cock inside her, she wasn’t surprised. She was amazed he’d held out this long. She opened her eyes to find him watching her face.
She felt like she’d run a marathon, and she hadn’t moved an inch. Still that didn’t dampen her brazen side. “Do you fuck all your patients, Doctor?”
“Internal massage.” He winked and thrust hard. “There’s a difference.”
Because this was the part she’d been praying for, she didn’t argue. “Yes, Doctor.”
“No orgasms, Ms. Legato.”
She wasn’t in control anymore. If it happened, it happened. “Yes, Doctor.”
She kept her gaze on him, though. He was sinfully handsome in that jacket. It gaped open at the bottom, revealing that he’d done nothing more than shove his pants out of the way before entering her. Seeing him clothed, looming over her as he pounded his cock into her, filled her with gentle powerlessness.
Pressure built, and she didn’t bother fighting. Gazing into his emerald eyes, she surrendered to everything she felt. “I love you, Keith.”
His eyes blazed brighter. He came, pulling out as he ejaculated and spraying her pussy with his seed. The hot mess seared her tenderized flesh. She whimpered at the sensation, but she didn’t protest the way he marked her.
Leaning down, he captured her mouth with a hungry kiss. It overwhelmed her, as did his cock when she felt it elongating against her back entrance. Like a good patient, she hadn’t climaxed. If he fucked her ass, she had no hope of controlling herself. Though, to be honest, if he had lasted a minute longer, she would have come with him.
She felt his fingers on her sphincter, rubbing in the lubrication. Then he eased his cock past the tight ring of muscle. “Now you’re in trouble, Ms. Legato.”
He moved at a leisurely pace, but it didn’t matter. Molten heat tingled at the base of her spine. She panted and struggled to move—with him, against him, it didn’t matter as long as she could release some of this energy.
Then he slid two fingers into her vagina, curving them to find her sweet spot, rubbing it to the slow slide of his cock, in and out, in and out. “Give it to me.”
With a long, loud cry, she came. Her orgasm burst slowly and violently, like the birth of the heavens. He kept thrusting into her, making her ride that stardust to the crest of another orgasm. This time he removed the nipple clamps as she came. Heat radiated through every cell in her body, and her vision went black.
KEITH LOOSENED THE straps binding her head and arms first, but she didn’t open her eyes. He shook her shoulder. “Kitty Kat?”
No response. Her eyes weren’t completely closed. He could see the whites peeking out where her lids didn’t quite meet. Worried, he pried them open and checked h
er pupils. They responded to light appropriately, but she still didn’t stir. He’d never driven a lover to this place before. They’d passed out, gone to sleep, whatever. But they always roused when he told them to.
He freed her shoulders and hips, but he kept her legs bound while he cleaned her up. As sensitive as he knew she was, she didn’t flinch at all. When he finished, he wrapped her in a warm blanket and lifted her into his arms. He didn’t have a sofa in his dungeon because he didn’t want to encourage cuddling.
It looked like he was going to have to get one.
He carried her up two flights of stairs and into his bedroom. He had a very comfortable armchair there, so he settled in and held her in his arms.
Time passed. The digital display on his alarm clock changed fifteen times before she made a small whimpering noise that put him on high alert.
“Kat?”
Her cheek was against his shoulder. She stirred, shifting so that her nose touched his neck. Her hand came out of the flap in the front of the blanket, and she grasped at his shirt in a jerky, panicked twitch.
“I’m here, honey. I’ve got you.”
She settled down and mumbled something, but he didn’t catch what she said.
“What? Can you say that again, Kitty Kat?”
Seven more minutes passed. At least he knew she was all right. Then she stirred again. “I said I need to talk to you. I have to tell you something.”
Her tone conveyed her worry. He smoothed his hand down her spine. “We have all night. I’m not going anywhere.”
“It’s serious.” Now she was rousing. Her voice was stronger, but she didn’t move a muscle. “And not about sex.”
Iciness crept through his veins. “Okay. Do you want to get dressed?”
“No. I don’t want you to let go of me. I feel like you’re holding me together, like if you let go, I might break apart.”
It had been a more intense scene than he’d originally planned, and it had left her vulnerable and emotionally wrung out. His ill-timed orgasm hadn’t helped either. He’d heard her utter those three heartfelt words. He wanted to say them back, but the chance had passed him by, and his courage had gone with it. The least he could do was hold her.
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