Maneater 3_Raven

by Caitlyn Willows

  It’d do them both good to simmer. Tonight would be intense. She wasn’t going to come all this way and not give Will everything he needed. Friends didn’t do that to friends, and Dommes sure as hell didn’t to subs.

  “I decided to stay with you for the duration. I hope you don’t mind.”

  The slightest bit of tension answered before him. “Actually, Ben’s decided we’ll both stay at his house.”

  Her grip on the wineglass threatened to snap the stem. Rachel set it on the tray and glided away to stare at him. “Ben decided? You knew I was coming?” She’d meant to surprise Ben, catch him off guard.

  “Well…yes. Oliver told us.”

  Oliver…of course. His busy fingers were in everyone’s pies. One day he was going to get burned.

  “He called you?”

  Will studied the golden wine he swirled in his glass. “I told Harv Bennett to call him when he couldn’t reach you.”

  Roger’s attorney tried to call her? When? More importantly… “Why?”

  He took a long sip. Rachel recognized a stall tactic when she saw it. She reined in the temptation to yank the damn glass out of his hand.

  “Ben wished you to appear in person.”

  “Wished it?” That didn’t sound like the Ben Welsh she’d heard about. In the shark-infested waters of the business world, Ben was a great white.

  Will cleared his throat and set the empty glass aside. “Demanded it. He refused to sign the papers without you present.”

  Ah, there it was. Rachel was thrilled she’d trumped him. Well, thrilled she’d let Oliver talk her into it. “I imagine he was delighted to learn I was already on my way.” She raised her palm. “No need to reply. I wouldn’t want to put you in the position of lying.”

  “And I appreciate that.” He slid her way, caught her arms, and peeled them away from her knees. “Play nice. You might find you have a lot in common with Ben.”

  “And did you give the same advice to him?” She scooted into his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist. His erection still waved proudly between them, harder than ever.

  “Not exactly.” He cupped her ass and lifted until her pussy was aligned to his cock. “Let’s just say he wasn’t in a receptive mood.”

  “And I am?” Rachel shoved heels and hands between them and pushed away. She scrambled to her feet, splashing water and suds in her sad attempt at a graceful stand. The fact that she failed frustrated her all the more. She smacked the stopper to drain the tub and snagged one of the towels from the nearby rack.

  “Aw, Rach, come on.”

  “I can’t believe you tried a sneak attack.” She dried off as she hurried out the bathroom door. “If I had the time, we’d deal with that lapse.”

  “Where are you going?”

  She heard water sloshing with his exit. He’d be right behind her, probably trailing water as he went.

  Rachel whirled, halting him at the door. “Where do you think? Ben has extended an invitation to stay at his home. It would be rude of me to ignore that. After all, I do need time to evaluate him personally and professionally before putting so much wealth and control in his hands. What better way to do so than to spend as much time as possible with him?”

  Will grabbed her upper arm when she tried to turn. Outside the playroom/bedroom, Will was a dominant male. Rachel loved those flashes of alpha in him, loved how he brought it to the table in business and in public. If only he could cross the line once or twice in his private life.

  She gave a little jerk. Will hesitated and then released her, but he didn’t back down.

  “What about dinner?”

  “Enjoy it.”

  “You would ignore me for him?”

  “I can’t believe you played that card. I don’t know whether to reprimand you or compliment you for a hand well played.” When he didn’t so much as flinch, Rachel realized that for the first time, she couldn’t read him. She had no idea if Will was serious.

  Pulling in a breath, she stepped into his space and placed her palm over his heart. “If I have to call my own safe word, I will. Trust me; you don’t want me like this.” Her control was stretched to the breaking point.

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “Best to wait a bit, eat something, let the wine get out of your system.” She patted his chest and walked away.

  “And what about the wine you’ve had?”

  “I only took a sip or two. I’ll be fine.” Rachel glanced over her shoulder but refused to look at him. “And before you suggest it… No, I won’t have you ride along. You’ll stay here.”

  “Is that an order, Lady Raven?”

  The snide tone that crept into his voice rankled. Rachel refused to be baited by a sub.

  “Does it have to be?” She gathered the things she’d unpacked not an hour before. When he didn’t answer she said, “Don’t you dare think about warning him I’m coming. And that is an order.”

  “And if I break it?” His body heat surrounded her. Will was definitely taking risks tonight, crossing lines…tempting her in ways she’d never thought possible.

  “Then I promise you’ll feel no pleasure from your next strapping. The effect will be…long-lasting.” Rachel went about her business, dressing in jeans and a T-shirt, packed her few wayward things, and ignored the magnificent man who stood there beautifully erect, his dark blond hair tousled, his brown eyes…smoldering.

  “A taste perhaps, so I can understand the ramifications of my actions.” The request came in a low voice that rumbled from his chest.

  Rachel zipped her suitcase closed. “My control has been compromised.”

  Will came up behind her. He brushed the backs of his fingers down her arms until he could lace his hands over hers. “Your control is never compromised,” he whispered against her ear. “You are always in charge, my Lady.”

  He nibbled her earlobe. “A taste.” Traced his tongue down her neck. “A sting.” A nip to the curve of her neck. “A hint of what might happen.”

  He was trying to top her, and doing a damn fine job of it. While many different scenarios ran through Rachel’s head on how to handle this intriguing breach, she had a feeling his actions were generated less by need and more to keep her from Ben.

  “Good.” She elbowed him in the ribs, pushed him and his massive erection away with her backside, and hauled her suitcase off the bed. “You can imagine it all while you enjoy the dinner I labored over.”

  She loosened her ponytail as she strode for the garage door. “Be a dear and take care of the cum stains on my clothing.”

  “Rachel, stop.” He hurried after her and tentatively grasped her shoulder. At least some things were back in order.

  Chin lifted, she granted his request and turned toward him. “Yes? There was something you wanted?”

  “Yes…to know what’s wrong with you. He demanded your appearance, and now you’re going to go to him? Give him what he wants? The Lady Raven I know would never—”

  “You do not question my actions.” It killed her to put Will in his place when in her heart, she knew he was right. Something about Ben had always gotten under her skin. It was the other reason she’d avoided him. His demand pissed her off. She was in control, and he was going to damn well know it.

  “Someone has to.” He dropped his hands and moved back a step. “You have no idea what you’re walking into.” Will pulled in a breath and locked his gaze on to hers with such intensity, Rachel felt a tremor build inside. “You and Ben are both Doms.”

  Intriguing. That explained his demand that she appear, although not why he’d given it. Why play for power when she had signed everything over to him? Unless… “Is he your Dom?” The idea bothered her, though she and Will weren’t exclusive.

  “No!” His eyes bugged out. “But we have teamed together,” he added, just as quickly. “Woman in the middle,” came out rapid-fire.

  Yes, Will would be very specific about that. Rachel tried not to smile.

  “Oliver trained him.” />
  That wiped out the urge to smile. Schooling her expression had never been harder. Rachel could understand Will not telling her about Ben. After all, it was a privacy issue. But Oliver? She was part of his top echelon.

  She forced herself to calm, for the tension in her muscles to drain. “Then I can presume Ben is aware I am Raven?”

  Will gave a single nod. “And of the true nature of your relationship with his father.”

  Roger’s explosive tirade that night would have made that very clear. Rachel had left at the outset, hoping to defuse the situation. But Roger didn’t calm easily. As his dementia had increased, so did his volatility, and he was pretty volatile even before then. Rachel had cut ties to him long before he’d been diagnosed.

  Ben should have protested the will. Rachel wouldn’t have opposed it. The last thing she’d wanted was to be trustee of Roger’s estate. Ben would have won, considering Roger’s mental state. But then, he had been of sound mind when the will was created years ago.

  Oliver. Always Oliver.

  A sudden headache beat behind her eyes. She had to absorb this information, figure out what the hell was really going on before she met Ben face-to-face.

  “What’s his Dom name?”

  Will’s reply was long in coming. “Sledge.”

  Arrows of awareness sliced through Rachel, tiny whip cracks startling her to life. She tried to hide a gasp with a cough and knew she failed. Will was smart enough to not comment.

  Sledge. The name came with a reputation that more than intrigued Rachel. He was whispered and gossiped about at the various gatherings but always managed to elude her. Julia’s Maneater had partnered with him on occasion, singing his praises as much as the sub who’d enjoyed their attention. Rachel wanted him. Only her pride and standing as a crown-jewel Domme kept her from seeking him out. She wanted him on equal terms, didn’t want to appear too anxious. People fawned over Sledge all the time; she didn’t want to be one of them.

  And all this time, Ben had known. Not once had he come to her, nor had they crossed paths. The slight hurt, considering how promising her first introduction to Ben went. How he’d pressed his hot hand to her back and led her down a rose arbor path, his eyes dancing with the promise of pleasure, taking silent command of that little sub inside her. Roger’s outburst had spoiled it all. What would have happened if he hadn’t burst onto the path? Where would they be now?

  She really needed to think this through.

  “You know, I think I could use a leisurely dinner after all. Here, love, put this back where it belongs while I finish things up. I’ll be staying the night.” She pushed her suitcase his way. “And fetch me that glass of wine I abandoned in the bathroom.”

  Will wrapped his long fingers through the suitcase handle, then slipped his free hand around her waist before Rachel could dash off. “Thank you.”

  He kissed her hesitantly, sighing with her when she cupped his face. He’d saved her from making a fool of herself, from giving Ben the upper hand. Rachel intended to see he was nicely rewarded. She’d ignore the fact he didn’t tell her sooner.

  * * * *

  Disaster averted. Rachel would thank him for that once she was with Ben. The two were equals, and Will wanted them both to realize that. If she’d gone charging over to Ben’s house, God only knew how that would have turned out. Only one would have been standing in the aftermath, and Will wouldn’t place bets on who that would have been.

  Rachel had calmed once he’d laid all the cards on the table. He felt like a traitor for not telling her sooner. But he’d never imagined the two of them would meet like this. He’d had it planned more carefully before. Oh, the possibilities now!

  He scrubbed a smile away with his hand.

  “Something amuses you?” Rachel nudged his bare foot with hers.

  They lay stretched at opposite ends of his long sofa, watching yet another Underworld sequel. Mindless entertainment while their dinner settled and the wine they’d shared worked through their systems. They’d stayed in jeans and T-shirts, the moment having passed for wearing boxer briefs or satiny undergarments. He’d nursed a hard-on most of the night, wondering when—and if—Lady Raven would come out to play. Should he dare tempt her?

  “Nothing, my Lady.”

  “I see.” She drew her legs back and crawled his way. “You do realize there will be repercussions for your earlier behavior.”

  Will’s heart raced, his body on full alert. “I understand and am fully prepared to suffer the consequences of my actions.”

  Raven lifted a half smile as she walked her fingers up his jeans-clad thigh. “Are you now? Are you even aware of what your transgressions were?”

  Will thought over everything said and done tonight, and the order in which it happened. There was only one conclusion to make. “I tried to top you to get what I wanted.”

  “Continue.” She tugged his fly button open. “What exactly was it you wanted? Keep in mind the penalty for lying.”

  “To tempt you from leaving. Although, in my defense, it was to calm you down and help you have the advantage,” he added with a small smile.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Raven traced the line of his erection. “Show me what you’ve been sporting all evening. I want to see if it rivals the one you carried around this afternoon.” She leaned back, her gaze never wandering from the erection trapped in his jeans. “In fact, I’d like all your clothes removed.”

  Will stripped the Raiders T-shirt over his head and tossed it aside. The jeans were trickier. He had no choice but to stand in order to remove them. He swung his feet to the floor as he unzipped.

  “Facing me,” Raven ordered.

  He did as ordered, shoving jeans and briefs down until his cock sprang free. Raven caught it in a grip that threatened to snap it off at the root. Will gasped, momentarily frozen, then slowly yanked his feet free of his clothing.

  “Spread,” she ordered.

  He did, knowing she’d go after his balls next. Her featherlight touch across his sac buckled Will’s knees. She urged him forward, astride her lap. His weight sagged the cushion, wedging his knees between it and the back of the sofa and putting his cock right at her lips.

  “Hands at your back.”

  The words whispered over his erection, melting the precum at the tip. She caught the droplet on her tongue and slowly pulled it into her mouth.

  Will locked his hands in place, one hand gripping the other wrist. Raven twirled her tongue around his cockhead, then flicked the tag on the underside. He whimpered with every lash while he fought the urge to thrust into her mouth. The earlier orgasm was the only thing that saved him now. Barely.

  Her hot hands roamed over his ass. Her nails raked his flesh, and her fingers pulled his cheeks apart and moved toward his anus. His breath came out harder with every exhale. Then her lips closed over his dick.

  Will cried out, his pelvis pushing forward involuntarily. His hands broke their hold, and it took everything he had to yank them back into place and not stab his fingers through her long black hair to hold her in place. But the lapse didn’t escape his Lady Raven.

  She loosened her hold on him by slow degrees—her way of letting Will know he’d erred. Her heavy sigh added more weight.

  “You know the drill, love.” Raven patted her thigh. “Facedown.”

  He hated the position, and she knew it. Raven drummed her fingers against his thigh while she waited for him to comply. Each second he delayed added to the resulting discipline. When he finally started to slide into place, Will knew it was too late.

  “Halt.” A sharp whack to the side of his ass came with the command. “We do this, or we do not. I’m not in the mood for games. You will comply, or we call an end.”

  Stopping wasn’t an option either. Will wanted this, needed it. “As you wish, my Lady.”

  “Very well.” She pinched his nipple between thumb and forefinger, giving it a hard twist. “Since you want to make this difficult, we’ll skip the warm-up. Secure th
e house, turn off the lights. I’ll meet you in the bedroom.”

  Raven walked away, expecting to be obeyed. Will didn’t disappoint her, but he also didn’t hurry. She needed time to prepare, and he liked the slow burn that built in his gut thinking about what was about to happen. His cock led the way, entering the bedroom seconds before he did.

  The sight of her never failed to take his breath away. She stood at the foot of his king-size bed wearing the white satin camisole and tap pants. Lamps on the nightstands were lit. Plumped pillows stood propped against the headboard. Raven’s tools lay within her grasp: a leather strap draped on the mattress; the paddle by the pillow; a very large black anal plug, a cock ring made for two, condoms, and lubrication lay on the nightstand.

  Without a word he took his place at the foot, braced his hands on the mattress, and spread his legs. Leather whispered over the bedspread as Raven picked up the strap. Will closed his eyes and soaked in the sounds. The rush started to build—that burn that filled his soul from the inside out—and she’d yet to touch him.

  He jumped when she touched his neck, then shivered when she snaked the strap down his back and into his crack. She brushed the tip against his balls, added a subtle tap that startled a gasp from him. Then she swept the leather up, down, and all around his legs until the hairs stood on end.

  Will felt her shift, knew Raven took her stance next to him. He tensed, anticipating the first smack. She touched him first, plucking his ass, digging her fingers in deep. The leather kissed the backs of his thigh. She parted his cheeks, exposing his hole, and gave another light tap below it.

  “You are a beautiful man, Will.” Raven ran her hand over his balls, up his erection, and ended at his anus.

  “I’m going to fuck you tonight.”

  God, he hoped so.

  The whack caught him by surprise. He’d been too lost in the promised fucking. Fire raced across his backside and licked his groin. More smacks followed in quick succession—not too hard, not too soft. Will swam in the heat; muscles eased into the rhythm of Raven’s strokes. With each one, he sank deeper into a subspace he’d never been able to describe.