by Renee Burke
If she got onto that bike, she wasn’t sure what she’d be doing. He had secrets concerning her, and she needed to know what they were. She would just have to work hard to maintain a little distance because she really wanted to go somewhere with him. The idea of forgetting her troubles with a fast ride appealed to her on several levels. “You’re sure it’s safe?”
“Positive. We’ve-“
She waited. “We’ve?” Her mouth tilted into a soft grin on one side.
He leaned toward her then, no preamble, just touched his lips to hers. “We’ve got to get going if we’re going to get back before dark.” His lips were soft and warm and she felt bereft that the touch was so quick. She hadn’t seen it coming, hadn’t savored it at all. It was the first time a kiss on her mouth hadn’t been part of sex. The other was good but this was also very nice.
She gave a firm nod and got on behind him. He put on his own helmet before pulling from the building and weaving around to the road. As they passed the house, she was sure she saw Gretchen watching from the window. But she hadn’t been alone. There was a man watching too.
The roads were clear. The wind whipped past them as they weaved through hills and valleys and made their way across the landscape. Derek would open up on long strips and slow slightly to avoid breakneck speeds on the snakelike curves. The fresh air made her lungs expand, her outlook clear, and her attitude improve. Things would be okay. She’d figure out where she belonged, and in the meantime, she would enjoy whatever the days with Derek brought her. She wasn’t married. She had checked for a ring. She didn’t have one. Nor was there a ridge or tan line to show where she had previously worn one.
The high speeds brought her closer to him. No way to stay separate on a motorcycle. When he accelerated, she held tight, her hands moving over the muscles on his abdomen – taut and firm. She couldn’t help but lean in, pressing into his back and smelling the rich masculine scent rolling off him in the wind. When he slowed, she found herself sliding forward, her legs splayed around his, nestling their bodies close together. The ride was cold, but she felt hot at the contact with Derek.
They encountered a small trail, and he slowed to turn. The dirt path led to a cliff with a spectacular view. Derek parked and helped her off the back, halting her movements when she would have burned her leg on the hot metal of the bike.
“This is some view.”
He watched her as she studied the valleys below. She spotted a waterway winding through the hills.
He pulled a blanket from a compartment on the motorcycle and spread it on a grassy patch in the sun. He dropped onto it, but she didn’t join him immediately. The day had grown warmer, the sun making it comfortable now that the wind wasn’t rushing past them as they sped through the landscape.
“Deep thoughts?”
“Just wondering if I belong somewhere out there.”
He leaned back, his big body sprawled across the blanket, and tucked his arm behind his head before closing his eyes. “I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Sara. I think it will come back to you when you’re ready.”
“Maybe.” She scanned the blanket where he looked so comfortable. He’d left a swath for her, a prime soft spot in the sun, and she made her way over to sit.
“Lie back.”
It sounded more like a command than a request. She didn’t argue but leaned back to rest her head on his thigh rather than parallel.
She watched soft clouds drift by and play peek-a-boo with the sun. Peek-a-boo. She frowned. The thought nagged at her. They hadn’t talked about the baby. His reaction the day before had been odd. Did he leave to give her privacy or was he upset by the baby? Did he have children somewhere? She closed her eyes trying to clear her head. The thoughts drifted away just like the clouds that had triggered it. Her irritation passed, and she felt herself relax.
The warm sun filled her muscles with languid heat, and the feel of Derek’s leg behind her head was comforting. She turned to look up the length of his body. His eyes were no longer closed, ready for an afternoon nap. They were dark, focused and intent, first on her face and then down, past the bulk of her jacket to her thighs and the bend of her legs.
He sat up and leaned forward to brush his lips across hers. The kiss was soft. When she opened her mouth slightly, he delved deeper, and she welcomed his tongue leisurely exploring the feel of her, wet and warm against her own. She lifted her hand to touch his face.
He continued to kiss her at will. One minute, soft and sweet, the next deep and soulful. His hand slid down her back to cup her ass and hold her in place. As if she was going anywhere. It was the most grounded Sara had felt since realizing she was walking down a dark highway two nights before.
When he surfaced for air, kissing down her neck, Sara opened her eyes. “How can you want to do this?”
His grin quirked against her skin as he licked up her neck, before breathing hot against the crook of her shoulder. She felt the zip of her jacket lower and reached for his hand. “You don’t know anything about me… except that I’m going to have a baby.”
He reared back to look into her face as he slid off his jacket and tucked his big hand under her head before moving away and pushing the make shift pillow in the place where his leg had been.
He lay beside her, stretching his big body lengthwise so his mouth was close enough to feel his breath on her neck.
Oh, that moist heat was turning her insides to warm silk. “I know you, Sara. Trust me.”
Trust was the only thing she could give him in her current position.
When he kissed down her neck to the dip exposed by the low cut shirt, she lifted her hands to his hair and stroked down the back of his neck. He nudged the edge of her top to the side exposing the scalloped edge of her bra.
His warm mouth covered the fabric and quickly made the filmy material wet and transparent. She watched as her nipple beaded and pierced up, seeking him. She moaned when he gave the other side the same treatment. Her back arched into his mouth and he slid his hand down between her legs. No preliminaries, no discussion. Just one movement and he was stroking the soft place between her legs with strong fingers, the heel of his hand pressing into her clit.
The movement made her wild, moaning though she tried to contain the sounds. She placed her own hand across her mouth. One more muffled noise emerged, and he stopped.
He slid his hand behind her back, quickly unsnapping the clasp of her bra. Talented. Experienced. He was a gorgeous single man. She’d seen pictures and knew he had a lot of sex. Then again, maybe she did too. She couldn’t know for sure. Before she could give it much thought, her bra was loosened and his mouth covered the tip of her breast. He licked and nipped with his warm lips while his deft fingers stroked the soft skin beneath the other before rolling her nipple and pinching repeatedly, pulling the bud into a taut peak.
“Beautiful.” He moved his mouth to the waiting tip, enclosing it in wet heat. Sara gasped at the sensations pulsing through her. His hand moved to give the other breast the same treatment, rolling and pinching, playing leisurely as he feasted on her.
His touch worked magic on her cool skin, heating her from her core out. She felt the flush of desire climb her neck and roll through her belly. She slid her hand down his chest to the button of his jeans. It opened easily, and she quickly slid her hand inside. The cotton fabric covering his erection did nothing to hide his desire. She stroked the hard length up and down with her small hand.
A sound in the distance broke the silence. Sara’s hand stilled for a moment. An engine? Was someone else driving toward them, on their way to catching them in a hot clutch that was sure to lead to hot sex? She lifted her eyes to Derek’s. His expression was stern.
“We don’t stop now. Not til I say so.”
His words inflamed her. They should have been offensive, made her back stiffen. Instead, they made her melt closer to him, run her hand back up and inside the fabric to feel his silky skin covering hardened muscle.
Satisfied, he
began unbuttoning her pants. He dragged the layers down, pulling them free from her hips, leaving her bare in the open air. When he had the fabric free of one limb, he kissed her chin and lifted her as if she weighed nothing. When she resettled, she was facing the blanket. She glanced over her shoulder to see Derek slide down on the blanket between her legs.
“What…”
She wasn’t sure of his plan until he pressed her legs wider with his forearms before sliding down and burying his face in her wet heat.
She was startled by the intimate move. They lay in broad daylight, on land that belonged to she didn’t even know who, and she was ass bare. A man she’d known only a few days was sprawled on the blanket licking her core. She was sure it was a bad idea. But it felt so good, she didn’t want him to stop.
With his arms holding her open, his hands massaging the back of her thighs and his mouth a breath away from her folds, she couldn’t find the words to resist.
She wasn’t relaxed. She was perched, half twisted, watching the dark hair that brushed his forehead. He seemed to be settling in for a long stay, and she couldn’t make up her mind whether to object or relax and let it happen.
He didn’t let her tarry for long. A firm slap rang out as his hand made contact with her ass. The force wasn’t enough to do more than sting, but it toppled her forward onto the blanket, putting her comfortably in his reach. His tongue ran up her slit, and he growled into her flesh.
Time stood still as his mouth worked between her legs. Sara’s breath caught in her throat as she hung between awareness and the wash of ecstasy. His roaming hands, pressing lips, jutting tongue made quick convincing her. She gave a low cry and pressed her face into the blanket.
His hands gripped her thighs, immobilizing her, when she might have moved forward. He eased off, gentling his touch, making her seek him out. She shifted back, wanting more, and he sat up quickly, pulled her higher and backwards so she nearly squatted over his lap, right at the tip of his cock. She needed more. More of his mouth, more of his touch, more of the comfort he offered.
He slid the tip just inside and stopped.
“Mmmm. So wet. What’s got you so ready?”
She tried to scoot back to take him further inside, but he held her hip firmly. He pushed her loosened blouse higher on her back. He stroked the skin and leaned forward to kiss the smooth skin there.
“Please.” Her whisper incited him, and he responded with a pump of his hips. He pressed just inside her tight channel.
“Please? We’ll get there. Tell me you want it.” He nudged forward another smidge, and the tight tissues shivered under the pressure.
Her breath was loud, like she’d run a mile but she couldn’t have been more focused, intent. The missing memories were forgotten. The anxiety of someone seeing them in the throes of passion no longer worried her. His secrets were swept from her mind for the moment. She wanted him. He was all she wanted. Like her body knew his in some elemental way.
“Give it to me. Please.”
His grip on her hip loosened, and she took advantage of the freedom, bouncing back, impaling herself further on his cock. Her grip on the blanket tightened, and she clenched her eyes shut, focusing on the pressure building low in her belly. The tension was delicious and torturous all at once.
His hand slid into her hair, grasping the long blond tresses and winding into a firm hold, and then he pressed home with one hard pump of his hips.
“Ah…Derek. “ She held still, unable to move with the feeling of impalement.
His hand tightened in her hair, and he dragged his cock to her entrance before slamming in again. He was in no hurry, enter and withdraw, moving at a languorous pace, and she quickly felt her control slip.
If he wasn’t increasing the tension in her hair, Sara might not have known he was truly affected at all. Knowing he wanted it too just spurred her on.
“Faster,” she gritted out before sobbing once.
She felt him quickly withdraw and immediately craved him again. He gave one side of her ass another slap. She jumped, startled, but his hand slid around her waist, pulling her upright, and she seemed to float into position above him. He stretched back on the blanket with her perched across his lap.
His eyes were hot and mysterious. She wasted no time sliding down onto his cock, the feeling of connection touching deep. She rocked back and forth while touching everywhere she could reach, loving the freedom to explore. His chest was smooth and tanned, and she leaned forward to kiss his neck.
He held her there, her body moving over his. The sound of wet skin sliding over wet skin, and the delicious warm scent of man stirred an orgasm that seemed to destroy her. She moaned as she came, and Derek quickly followed, filling her with heat.
She lay stretched across his body as they caught their breaths. He stroked her back and kissed her hair before rolling to the side to dislodge her. The loss of connection made her feel vulnerable, reminding her how troubled her life was. Everything was lost. She swallowed against the fullness in her throat and reached for her panties.
Derek took them from her and surprised her by holding them out for her to slide in to. He did the same for her jeans, and she felt like a child, being cared for.
Her “thanks” was barely a whisper, and he caught her chin to give her a soft kiss that lasted several seconds.
“Let’s head back. I want to get you fed and in bed.”
She smiled and searched his face for a hint at his meaning. In bed, in bed? Or asleep in bed? She couldn’t tell. His face didn’t show heat any longer. The sky was darkening as they drove and by the time they were home, a roll of thunder echoed in the distance.
Chapter Seven
When they pulled into the drive, she saw another car parked in front of the house. He pulled into the garage, helped her off the bike and took her helmet. She shook out her hair as he put everything away.
“Go get cleaned up, and I’ll check on dinner.” He tapped her backside, urging her inside.
When she saw Gretchen sitting with a man in the living room, she stalled, but Derek put his hand to her lower back and followed her to the bedroom.
“Will there be visitors – other visitors, I mean – for dinner?”
He ground his teeth. “Possibly. I need to take care of a few things. Get changed, and I’ll come get you.” He stepped outside and shut the door, effectively closing her inside and ending their conversation.
Sara watched the door warily. That had been odd. He certainly hadn’t given her the chance to speak to the stranger. This was his life, not hers, and his behavior made it clear that she wasn’t a part of it.
She moved to shower off the grime from the motorcycle ride and found a new outfit in the closet. This time it was a champagne colored dress. She ran her fingers over the fabric. So comfortable with crystals around the softly gathered elastic waist.
She pulled it on and adjusted its fit. It hadn’t looked like much hanging up, but on, it was magnificent. The fabric fell off one shoulder to reveal everything above the nipple of one breast. A small strip held it in place on the opposite shoulder. It was beautiful and bright lying across her smooth golden brown skin, draping over the mounds of her breasts and falling to mid-thigh.
The waist was tight but the skirt was loose and pieced together from several hanging panels, strips really, rather than one large piece. It fell in a beautiful covering that twirled around her with the smallest movement. It was short enough that she’d have to be careful not to show her small satin underwear. Was that what Derek wanted? She thought back to the pictures. Someone had taken pictures of him having sex with the woman. Had they also joined in? She swallowed and considered that. It wasn’t entirely comfortable to imagine someone else with them. She was so connected to him. She didn’t think she would feel that way about someone else.
She slipped on the matching strappy sandals she found at the foot of the closet and found matching hoop earrings on the dresser. It was this way each time. A new outfit, exactly as h
e wanted her to appear, was presented each day. It made it very easy to be just what was needed, what he wanted. This might not be her life, but it felt comfortable. She sighed and moved toward the dining room. He said he would come for her but hadn’t.
There was no one in the kitchen or living area. Sara moved to the door to look outside. Were the cars gone? She heard a noise from downstairs. His office. She moved closer and heard the sound again. It was a banging noise, slapping in a slow rhythmic pattern. The thought made her heart pound.
When she stood outside the office, Sara realized that the sound came from further away and turned to continue down the hall to another doorway. The large door opened easily when she laid her hand against the smooth, dark wood.
The sound was louder now, accompanied by the cry of a woman. The scene was quickly apparent. Gretchen was stretched over a padded bench. Her hands and feet were bound as Derek and the other man stood over her. Derek watched as the stranger alternated between using a paddle on Gretchen’s bare backside and stroking gently with his hand after each strike.
“When she is ready, I will tell her. Do not continue to interfere.”
“Yes, sir.”
She watched in horror as the paddle slapped down on Gretchen’s pinkened skin again.
“You do not have to agree to obey. I will not let you harm Sara by interfering. Leave the decisions to me. Do you understand?” Derek’s voice was stern and cold. Sara sucked in a breath.
“Yes, sir.” Tear filled and muffled, Gretchen answered.
“Tell me what?” Sara’s question wasn’t loud, but the tableau before her seemed to freeze. Derek turned to look in her direction. “What am I not ready to hear?”
The other man continued to stroke Gretchen rather than paddling her again, his touch soothing and welcome if Gretchen’s moan was anything to go by.
Derek stalked over, crowding her into the wall, hiding the scene behind him as he cupped Sara’s face in both hands. “There are things you don’t know. The doctor agreed with me that it was too soon to tell you everything. You need to be given time to remember things on your own.”