My eyes widen. I do a quick sum in my head. The dove head was TGB number six. That means I have ten. Ten means… a brand new freedom.
The freedom to go outside.
“Really?”
“Yes, really,” he says, smiling. He walks back to me and offers his hand.
After a second’s hesitation, I take it. His strong, warm fingers wrap around my palm, cradling me and making me feel safe.
That is the last feeling I should be having around Stonehart.
But I can’t fight it. I can’t. I can’t change the way my body reacts to him.
I may not like it, sure. I may know, logically, that it’s all types of wrong.
But I still can’t do anything about it.
He pulls me up. Without warning, he raises our linked hands overhead. “Do a spin,” he breathes.
I do. A giggle bubbles up as I twirl around once.
Stonehart smiles at me with warm, gentle eyes. He pulls me into him, so that our hips are touching. I’m thrown so off-balance by his radical shift in behavior that I decide it’s better to simply not think about it.
Just go with the flow.
He kisses the crown of my head, then says, “Come on. Let’s see if Charles can’t pack us some lunch. I’ve waited a long time to show you the grounds. Today feels like a day for celebration.”
Chapter Four
I let go of Stonehart’s hand as he steps over the threshold at the front door. I can hardly believe this is happening.
He looks back at me. “It’s perfectly safe, Lilly. Come on.”
I touch the black, smooth collar. “This is off?”
“No,” Stonehart sighs. “You know that. But the range is extended. As long as you stay on my property, you’ll be fine.”
He comes back and takes both my hands in his. He tugs me forward in a gentle pull. “Come on.”
I nod, and take a step through the open door. As soon as I’m across, my entire body tenses in anticipation…
But, nothing happens.
Stonehart graces me with an indulgent smile. “I told you you’d be safe.”
I look down at the ground. I see my feet, spread on the concrete steps leading out the front door. I take another step forward, then look back over my shoulder at the house now two feet away from me.
Two whole feet. Twenty-four inches.
It feels like a light year away.
Stonehart watches it all with a proud smile.
I touch the collar again. It’s still dead.
Then, in a sudden rush of exhilaration, I run forward. I feel the wind in my hair, the warm, early morning sun on my skin. I feel freer than I have in ages. Nothing can take this moment away from me—
I’m jerked to a stop by Stonehart’s hand tightening around my upper arm.
I look at him. In an instant, my happiness is gone. Cold Stonehart is back, and he looks furious.
“Trying to run?” he growls.
“No, Jeremy,” I say, panicking, “I was just—”
And then his mask breaks. The fury flies away, replaced by pure mirth as he starts to laugh.
“I’m kidding,” he says, grinning at me like a school boy. “After all, if you run, where would you go?”
“Ha, ha, very funny,” I say dryly. Still, something about Stonehart—Jeremy Stonehart, CEO and President of Stonehart Industries—cracking a joke makes all the panic I felt shrivel up and die.
“Would you like a tour of the estate?” he asks, offering me his arm. “I have a feeling you’ll be spending quite a bit of time outside from now on. Unless I miss my mark…?”
I smile up at him. “You’re very right,” I say, taking his arm. “And I would love a proper tour.”
Chapter Five
My life is so screwed up. It’s impossible for me to tell what part of it is reality, and what part is an act.
Stonehart’s estate is vast. Massive. As he leads me around, I can’t help but wonder how much he must have paid to own this much acreage in California. The house is so far away from the property entry gates that it takes us twenty minutes just to walk there. We follow a winding road that curves through the trees.
It feels wonderful to walk. Just to walk. With no worries about being shocked or harmed. Under cover of all the trees, I can forget where I am.
Even having Stonehart beside me does nothing to hamper my spirits. In fact, I can probably say that, right now, I would rather be with him than without him.
It’s such a strange and bizarre sentiment. But Stonehart is a strange and bizarre man. One moment, he can be cruel and angry; the next, sweet, kind, and compassionate.
I’ve said this before, but being with him right now almost makes it feel like everything that happened last night was just a bad dream. There is no lingering animosity between us.
He teases me for the way I leap out of the way when I hear a bee approaching. Every once in a while, with absolutely no warning, he pulls me into him and kisses me with a passion that leaves my head woozy.
Stonehart’s good mood is infectious. I’m laughing and joking with him as easily as if we were old friends. For those precious moments, I don’t feel like a prisoner, but an equal. Or, at least, like his actual lover, and not just a… whore.
Stonehart’s dual personalities concern me. Who is he? Is he the man beside me right now? Or, is he the one who cut my clothes off and fucked me raw?
Could he be both? I mean, he obviously is—it’s not like he has an evil twin who carries out all the horrible things he’s done to me—but I mean it in a different sort of way. The two personalities do not remind me of someone who is bipolar. I would know. I studied this stuff.
No, the two personalities seem more secure than that. More tightly bound to who Stonehart is as a person.
He’s always in control. I know that. It’s not like he loses control when he becomes domineering. He always knows exactly what he is doing.
It must be a conscious shift, then. He must decide that he wants to treat me a certain way, and then do it.
That means he is scarily in control of his emotions. That type of restraint has to be a burden.
Again, I come back to the same question as always: Why? Why is he doing this to me? Why, if it’s in his nature to be both cruel and kind, doesn’t he forgo the cruelty?
I look at him out of the corner of my eye. He is beaming, his hand tight around mine. He’s telling me a story that I’m listening to with half an ear. It has to do with some previous takeover…
Wait. I come to myself with a start. I just heard him mention Dextran.
“I’m sorry. Can you please say that again?” I ask.
This is the type of thing to which Stonehart would react horribly if he were in his other mind. Instead, he just chuckles and says, “Daydreaming again, are you?”
“It’s the fresh air,” I say. “After breathing air conditioned air for so long, nature is making me euphoric.”
“Hmm.” He smiles. “I’ll make sure to ask nature if she can give me a few pointers, then, next time I see her.”
I smile. “I think it might just be a girl thing.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “Don’t tell me you haven’t experienced the magic of these fingers?” he asks. Then, without warning, his hands dart out and he starts attacking my armpits and all my most ticklish spots.
I shriek and fight him off. “Stop! Jeremy, stop! Stop it!”
“What’s that?” he laughs, chasing after me when I slip away. “You want more?”
“No, Jeremy! Stop it!” I laugh when he catches me and wraps his arms around my waist. I’m reduced to doubling over and giggling hysterically as his fingers keep darting in and out to tickle me more and more.
“No, no, stop, it!” I beg. I try to defend myself, but he is relentless. My knees give way and I fall onto the soft grass.
Stonehart collapses on top of me. I’m breathing hard from laughter, but as I’m lying there, looking up at him, I see something change in his eyes. They b
ecome hungry. They roam over my face, pausing at my lips, hitching at my neck, before moving down to take in the expanse of my cleavage.
I feel a sudden surge of arousal rush through me. Stonehart must feel it, too, because his cock gives a sudden twitch against my leg.
Our eyes meet. His hands slowly move down my body, grazing over my breasts. He pinches my nipples beneath my shirt—I’m not wearing a bra, as per his rules—and I give a short, tiny gasp.
“I love seeing you flustered,” he says in a rumbly voice that makes my insides writhe with boundless arousal. “But even more, I love seeing you breathless.”
And his head dips down, and he kisses me.
Our mouths connect with real passion. I am as hungry for him as he is for me. I am as desperate for him as he is for me.
Maybe even more so.
I moan into the kiss as Stonehart’s hands knead my breasts. His thick, solid body is plastered over mine, making me feel small and feminine and—again—protected.
I don’t question that feeling anymore. If I feel protected when I’m with him like this, so be it. It’s a good feeling to have. Better than being on-guard all the time.
Those thoughts are interrupted as Stonehart grabs me around my back and rolls us over. Now, I’m on top of him.
I break free of our kiss to gasp for air. He looks so sexy on the ground. His wavy hair is a mess—courtesy of my hands. His eyes are filled with a mix of lust and greed that makes me feel absolutely desired. His nostrils flare with every heavy breath.
His large hands curl around my petite waist. His fingers are long enough to have both his thumbs and forefingers touching. Or maybe I’ve just lost some weight. I have been on a strict diet since I arrived.
“Strip,” he commands.
I blink once. “What?”
“Strip for me, Lilly-flower,” he says. Gently, he guides me up so that I’m sitting on him. I can feel his straining erection beneath his jeans.
I give him a shy smile. It becomes mischievous when I see the growing desire on his face.
Slowly, I pick up the hem of my shirt and raise it overhead, exposing my naked belly inch by satisfying inch.
Stonehart’s hands let go for a moment to free the cloth. Then they clamp down right where they were before, just above my hips.
I roll forward and back over his erection, loving the feeling of control it gives me as I continue lifting my shirt. When my breasts drop free, Stonehart exhales in boundless lust. His eyes zero in on my raised nipples, but his hands stay right where they are across my waist.
I lift the shirt over my head, and then shake my hair out to give it a wild look. Fueled by my own desire, I put my hands on his tight stomach and start rolling his shirt up.
“Your turn,” I say.
Stonehart does not protest. He lets me take off his shirt, exposing his glorious body in the process. My hands trail over the ridges of his abs and up the midline of his chest. His hands still haven’t moved, but I can feel his eyes glued to my breasts.
I sit back up and start to play with them. “You like these, don’t you?” I ask, using my most lilting voice.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” he growls, and reaches up to grab my neck and pull me toward him. Suddenly he’s kissing me again. A moment later, we’re both rolling on the ground, our bodies a tangle of arms and legs.
We end up on a patch of grass a few feet away. My insides are roiling with heat, and I’m consumed by the passion Stonehart is stirring within me.
“Have you ever been fucked outside?” he asks, his voice a heady growl.
I bite my lip and shake my head. It’s all I can do to stop myself from begging, “Do me. Do me, now!”
He looks down at me. His eyes leave a trail of heat on my skin as they explore my body.
“Get up,” he says. “We’re not doing it on the ground.”
He gets off me and pulls me to my feet. He searches around us and focuses on an evergreen. “There,” he says.
“Against the tree?” I ask, uncertain.
“That’s right,” he affirms. “Go.” He propels me forward by slapping my ass.
I jump. When I look back at him, I find him grinning diabolically.
But the humor dies as soon as we reach the massive tree. “Put your hands on the trunk,” he commands in a way that allows for no protests. “Bend over. Spread your legs. Let me see your pussy.”
Heat floods my cheeks at the words. But complying with Stonehart is as natural as breathing at this point.
I do as he says, then swing my head back and look over my shoulders at him with my most seductive gaze.
“Eyes front,” he barks. Without conscious thought, I instantly turn to the trunk.
“That’s better,” he says. He sounds pleased. “You don’t turn back unless I tell you to. Got that, lady?”
I whimper a small sound of agreement. A cool breeze is blowing over my half-naked body. My breasts feel heavy as they hang down.
I hear Stonehart approaching. I feel his hands circle around my calf and trail all the way up my smooth leg. He lifts my skirt, and his hands take hold of my ass cheeks, spreading them wide.
I can’t take the wait. I want—no, I need—him to start fucking me immediately. It’s not fair that he can have me so turned on and then take his sweet time doing anything about it!
“Don’t move,” Stonehart says in a whisper. “Stand absolutely still.” I hear the whoosh of his belt being pulled through the loops. Finally, it seems like I’ll be getting what I so desire…
But Stonehart continues to take his time. His hands roll over the curve of my bum and sweep up the length of my spine with the lightest touch.
I want to turn my head to look at him, but he hasn’t given me permission yet.
His hand tangles in my hair. He makes a fist and spears me back by the roots, not hard, but enough to cause a bit of discomfort.
“You are a magnificent creature,” he whispers in my ear. “And magnificent creatures deserve to be kept safe from the horrors of the world, lest they lose their luster. If I had my way—” his voice becomes an octave lower, “—you would never leave these grounds again. Nothing would mar your beauty.”
Before I can think of a reply, he loops his belt over my head. He yanks once, and it tightens right over my mouth. I stir, but he tightens the fist in my hair so that pain shoots down my scalp.
“Still,” he murmurs. “Stay still. Don’t worry. I’m going to fuck you hard, Lilly, and you’re going to want to scream. The belt…” he traces the bit of it in my mouth with a finger, “will make sure nobody hears. Now, then,” He smacks my ass again. “Remember what I said. Eyes front. Hands on the trunk. Don’t look back at me.”
I bite down on the leather in my mouth, doing my best to repress memories of last night. I don’t want this act tainted by them.
I feel Stonehart position himself behind me again, feel him press his hips into mine. All the while, one end of the belt is clutched in his hand, limiting the mobility of my head.
He sucks in a breath as his hand clamps my left ass cheek. When his thumb starts to trace light circles around the forbidden hole, my entire body tenses.
“Relax, Lilly,” he says. “This is new for you, I know. But I am going to open your eyes to the vast world of pleasure it can bring.” The circles start to press a little tighter into me. “Relax. Don’t clench up. Let your body go. Give me control. Trust me.”
As his thumb continues skirting over the same spot, sharp, panicky breaths start to rock my body. I’ve never tried anal play before. Things are supposed to go out, not come in. And we don’t even have lube—
I gasp as his finger plunges inside. I try to pull away, but he has me trapped with the belt.
“I told you to relax,” he rasps. He is starting to sound irritated. “If you don’t do what I say, Lilly, I’m not going to give you the favor of taking my time.” His voice transforms into a heady growl. “We both know I’m ready to fuck you to oblivion right now.”<
br />
The threat of having something so much bigger than the tip of his thumb go inside me is enough to make me force my body to slacken.
“Much better,” Stonehart says. Again, he sounds pleased. “I’m not going to lie. The first time’s going to hurt. But we’ll take it slow…” his thumb begins to ebb in and out of me. Every time it does, he pushes a little bit deeper on the way in. “…and it’ll get better.”
The feeling is completely foreign, all wrong, and just seems to be so far removed from anything I would ever enjoy that—
Out of nowhere comes a tiny sliver of pleasure. It flitters away in an instant, like a snowflake melting on hot skin, but I felt it. I actually felt it!
“You’re starting to like it,” Stonehart chuckles. “I knew you would warm up to the idea. Now—” his fly zips open, “—let’s take this one step further.”
All control abandons me. I step away from him, afraid, and start to push myself up—when I find the belt tightening.
“Don’t make me think I made a mistake allowing you outside,” Stonehart warns softly.
The implication behind those words thrusts me back into my role of prisoner. Everything magical I’d experienced earlier is gone.
I deride myself for believing, however briefly, that things were any different today.
They never are. They never will be. I mustn’t forget that.
So, I put on my big girl panties, keep my palms glued to the tree, and prepare to endure whatever I have to.
“Atta girl,” he says. “Now, remember what I told you: Relax.”
This pretty much seems like the worst idea ever, from where I’m standing. No lube, barely any build up, and—
And my thoughts are cut off as Stonehart’s cock pushes into me. I gasp into the leather against the piercing sensation.
Both his hands come to my hips. The long end of the belt is dangling loose somewhere over my shoulder. I squeeze my eyes shut against the pain and take deep breaths to dispel the adrenaline rushing through me.
“Easy,” Stonehart stays. “Easy now, Lilly. I’m going slow. Bit by bit. Are you ready for more?”
I whimper, “No,” but he doesn’t listen. Instead, he pushes in deeper.
Uncovering You: The Complete Series (Mega Box Set) Page 24