by Maddie James
She had looked forward to it. Earlier.
Glancing about, she affirmed her worries. No book discussion was about to happen here.
One turn of the room and her suspicions were raised. Pretty darned high. The table was set for seduction, not stimulating intellectual discussion. Two place settings of fine bone china, sparkling crystal water and wine glasses, and polished silver reflected flickering candlelight. A lazy tune played soft in the background. The lights were low. Rose petals were sprinkled everywhere. And strawberries dipped in dark chocolate sat perched on a cake stand in the center of the table.
The song changed on the stereo and like an idiot, she hummed along. Ta-ta-ta. Ta-ta-ta.
Ta-ta-TA-DA. Ta-ta-TA-DA. Ta-ta-TA-DA. Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match and…
Matchmaker. Crap. She’d heard the rumors about Suzie.
I’m an idiot.
I. Will. Kill. Him.
“Wine?”
Suzie sashayed in, holding a bottle. She smiled and gravitated toward one of the glasses and poured a small amount. Picking the goblet up by the stem, she handed it to Katie.
“It’s from New Zealand. Fruity. Goes nicely with the berries and chocolate. I think I’ll add this combo to my cookbook, Perfectly Matched. What do you think?”
Katie squinted, took the glass, and downed the wine. Not enough. “I think you’re up to something.” She handed the glass back to her hostess. “Where is he?”
Wrinkling her nose, Suzie placed the glass back at the setting and poured a half glass full this time. A timer went off in the kitchen. “Oh,” she said then. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.”
It was like she blinked her eyes and disappeared.
“Witch.”
Reaching for the glass of wine, she brought it back up to her lips. Hesitated. Then firmly set it down again. “Dammit.”
She whirled, ready to leave.
Except something solid and unmoving and male blocked her way.
Chest.
And she barreled right into it.
Smack!
Chris steadied her, fingers gripping her biceps. “Going somewhere?”
With an exhale long and deep enough to force out any frustration left in her body, she stepped back and pushed away. As she opened her mouth to blast him for whatever little scenario he had gone and paid too much for, she clamped it back closed again.
Whoa. What the hell?
“Uh. Oh. Um.” Damn he looked good.
The suit was crisp and new. Deep chocolate brown. Underneath the jacket, he wore a starched ivory shirt graced with a necktie the color of a mocha latte. Her gaze rose to his face.
He’d shaved. Close. Every hair was in place. And his deep-set amber eyes twinkled.
Not to mention he smelled like pure lust. She leaned forward and inhaled. Deep.
No. Musk.
Oh. My.
“What is this all about,” she whispered, gritting her teeth and challenging herself not to get caught up in this mess. But he was good. Oh, yes. He was damn good.
And so was Suzie.
Criminy.
He ambled to the table, glanced back at her once, and plucked a dipped strawberry off the cake plate. “Hungry?”
She pursed her lips.
Chris moved closer and dangled the berry in front of her face.
She watched his eyes, crinkled at the corners, and chewed her bottom lip.
“Come bite me…” he teased, waving the succulent fruit in front of her. Then he tilted his head back, opened his mouth, and slowly sucked the chocolate off that strawberry while she watched.
Her thong was now thoroughly soaked.
“Damn you.”
He laughed. “Want one? I’ll feed you.”
“No.”
“Sure you do. I can see it in your eyes.”
“I don’t want one.”
“What if I rub it over your—”
“Stop it!”
“Then lick off the excess juices—”
“Enough.”
“Wanna bite something else then?”
Okay. Time to leave. Sex was sex was sex…and she’d always been able to resist when it wasn’t in her best interest—and sex with Chris right now was definitely not in her best interest—but the man was relentless. This time, however, she would not fold. Would not succumb. Would not give in no matter what he did or said or…
“Or I could bite you.”
Shit.
Her pussy quivered.
She backed away. “Chris, look…” This was not working. Retreat. Retreat!
Unfortunately, he was a step ahead of her. Grasping her by both forearms, he hauled her up against him.
It was good. Yes. Good to be next to him.
Why couldn’t she just give in? Why was she fighting this? Her feelings were real. Genuine. And he was so irresistible when it came to sex….
His lips found her ear and he nuzzled. “Katie, I’ve missed you so.”
They swayed and her chest grew warm, swelling with the wings of a thousand butterflies that were frantic for release. To fly free and to live and love and…
Butterflies died when they mated, right?
His tongue penetrated her ear. Made slow, lazy, tempting circles.
Groaning, she slid her hands around his waist, under his jacket, felt the muscles over his ribs. “You bastard,” she breathed.
“I love you, Katie. Please, let’s talk about this.”
His words were soft-spoken and sincere. She knew he loved her. Still…
“It’s impossible, Chris.”
Both his arms went around her shoulders then. His mouth embarked on a slow, lazy trail down her neck. “Nothing is impossible, sweetheart. Let’s talk. Suzie has a room upstairs that we can stay in tonight,” his hands worked their way up her neck and cradled her face, “and talk this out. It’s the right thing. For us. Me. You. The baby…”
The baby.
Tears stung the backs of her eyelids again.
The baby.
If it weren’t for the baby, he wouldn’t even be asking her to marry him. And she wouldn’t be thinking about it, either. Because she had other plans. Other ways she wanted to live her life. A baby wasn’t in the plans.
She had dreams.
She would not be stuck at home with a baby. Not like her mother. And die before she lived out her life.
No.
Except the damned condom broke.
Sonofabitch.
She pushed away. Broke the embrace. Fell back two more steps.
Her eyes filled with tears and she cursed herself. Damned hormones! She couldn’t even look at a kid anymore without crying. Then she leveled her gaze on Chris’ face and stared straight into his eyes.
“No, Chris. It’s not going to work. All of this,” she waved her hand toward the table,
“…won’t help. I won’t marry you. You’ll be sorry in the long run. I’m not going to ruin your life. Or mine. Or the baby’s.”
She stumbled toward the door. He caught her by the elbow.
“Katie, stop. You are not making sense. I don’t have a clue what is up with you and you have to talk to me. What do you mean, you’d ruin my life?”
She twisted and jerked her arm out of his grasp. “Just what I said.” She could barely hold the sobs back now.
His voice rose. “What the hell, Katie! The baby is coming! Whether you like it or not. We have to figure out something. We have to plan. How you will ruin the baby’s life, is if you keep ignoring this and pushing me away! Pushing both of us away!”
Whether I like it or not. The baby is coming.
The realization hit her square in the chest, ripping her wide open. Every emotion she’d kept pent up for so long was whooshed out for the world to trample on. For Chris to see. She’d never been so scared in her life!
Pregnant.
Baby.
Hers.
Theirs.
What was she going to do?
Too m
uch. It was all too much.
In the next instant, an agonizing sob wrenched from her throat. Then she ran.
Chapter Four
Closing his eyes against the scene that had unfolded before him, his hopes and dreams sank. He had no clue where to turn next. What to do. The only thing he knew was that he couldn’t give up.
She was carrying his child. He loved her. And he already loved that baby more than anything, too.
Aching inside, he grimaced at the pain. What would he do if he couldn’t convince her to marry him? What was it going to take?
At the sound of footsteps, he opened his eyes to find Suzie standing framed by the dining room doorway.
“Didn’t go so well, huh?” she asked softly.
He shook his head.
Suzie sighed. “This one has me puzzled.”
“Yeah. Like one big old eight-hundred piece monster.”
“She’s upstairs. I’ll go talk to her.”
A little hope rose in his chest. Girl talk? Maybe? “It’s hard to get her to open up.”
Nodding, she said, “I know. She was three years behind me in school but I know her about as well as anyone. Let me see what I can do.”
“She’s pregnant.”
Suzie’s eyes grew wide.
“It’s mine.”
“Ah. Important information.”
“We just found out. Last weekend.”
“Hm. The day I saw you.”
“Yes.”
“So, it’s still new. Emotions are running high.”
“Yes.”
Suzie nodded.
“I don’t want to lose her. Or the baby. And I don’t have a clue what I’m doing wrong.”
She studied him for a moment, then reached out and clasped her hand over his. “Go back in the family room with Brad. Have a beer. Relax. Let’s see what I can find out.”
****
There was a knock at the door.
Great.
Why she hadn’t run straight out the front, she would never know. But her stomach was turning flip-flops and she thought she was going to be sick—it had happened a few times lately—and ran up the stairs looking for a bathroom. By chance, she found one that came attached to a bedroom and now, she lay stretched out over a crisp, cool, white cotton comforter in a room painted a soothing shade of blue.
It calmed her. Somewhat.
Lying there allowed her some time to think. Let her brain clear.
As the door creaked, she didn’t open her eyes.
“Katie, it’s me. Suzie.”
“I know.” She smelled her floral perfume.
The weight of Suzie’s small frame settled on the bed. “Lots of stuff going on, huh?”
Katie snorted.
“He loves you.”
“I know.”
“He’s a good man.”
“I know that, too.”
“Then what is the problem?”
Silence. She turned her head into the pillow.
“I like to be spanked.” The words were muffled.
“Oh. Hm. Really.”
Katie could tell by the tone of her voice Suzie was trying to be dignified. “Yes.”
“I’m not quite sure what that has to do with all of this but I’m intrigued.”
Sitting up, she looked straight at Suzie. “I don’t want to make this decision. About the baby. About us. I want… I want him to make it.”
“Sounds to me like he already has. He loves you, Katie, and wants to be with you. To marry you.”
“I know, I know. But I don’t want him to ask me, I want him to tell me.”
Suzie smirked. “Tell you.”
“Yes. He needs to like…order me to marry him.”
“Order you?”
“Yeah. Insist. Demand it. Not give me a choice in the matter.”
Katie watched Suzie’s face turn squishy.
“That doesn’t sound like you,” she finally said.
“I know. But it is what I need. I don’t want to make this decision. I mean, I want to, and I don’t want to. I’m…” She whooshed out a breath. “Oh, hell. I hope you don’t think badly of me or anything, but…” She glimpsed again into Suzie’s face and the words came tumbling out. “You see, the thing is this—I like it when Chris takes control. During sex, particularly. It works well for us. When I’m, well, you know, submissive.”
She watched Suzie’s nostril’s flair a little. “Well, what do you know…”
“Are you shocked?”
Suzie shook her head. “Not really. I’ve read about these things. You know that erotic trilogy that was out and everyone talked about it? Well, I read all three of the books and I sort of get this.”
“Oh shit. It’s not really like that. It’s different. I just, just…”
“Just what, Katie?”
“I’ve been the bad girl for a long time. I need for Chris to make me his and take the bad girl out of me, in a way. I need to be punished.”
“Oh!”
“I know what you are thinking. I was always the hard-headed kid in school, the control freak, had to have my way, etc… And that was fine. Then. But the thing is this. I’m still hard headed. I have a dream. I want to be an editor. In New York. I want to edit great works of fiction. I’ve tried writing but I’m not sure I’m good at it. But editing? I’m a whiz. And I’ve had this dream for so long that my hard-headed self can’t let it go.
“However, I know in my head now, that with the baby on the way, my dream isn’t going to happen. Not in New York. Not if I am married to Chris. Although, marrying him isn’t the issue, is it? Because the baby is coming whether I marry him or not. I’m so confused! See why I need for him to do this!”
Suzie gave her hand a squeeze. “Honey, we all get confused in times like these. And your hormones are running amok, I can tell that. But give Chris a chance. I’m sure if you talk with him—”
“No! I can’t talk to him about it. He came here because he wanted to live in a small town. I’ve been trying to get out of it forever. Been scheming and planning my way since high school. And Suzie, I don’t know how to stop. I don’t know how to let go of the dream. And I don’t know how to tell Chris about it. That’s why—”
She paused.
“That’s why what, Katie?”
“That is why I need for him to take control. Not only in the bedroom. But of me. My life.
Our life. I want to give up the dream. For him. For us. I’m not sure how to do it on my own. Not sure how to tell him.”
Suzie narrowed her gaze and exhaled. “Hog-tied and throttled.”
“Excuse me?”
“He knew all along.”
Katie wasn’t sure what that meant.
Standing, Suzie directed, “Katie Long, you are staying the night. Slip those clothes off and get between the sheets. I’m having a talk with Chris and then I am sending him on his way.
And you, Missy, are going to get a good night’s sleep, because tomorrow, your life is going to change forever.”
Katie didn’t even flinch, or question, as Suzie left the room. She just did as she was told. That was easy.
****
“Chris Marks, I have the answer to your prayers.”
He looked up and wondered if the two beers he’d just drank with Suzie’s husband, Brad, were making him see things.
“You were right,” she told him. “You do know the best way to handle her.”
Standing, he looked again to the objects in her hands.
“Yes, you are seeing correctly. You don’t need roses or strawberries or fancy wine to woo Katie Long. What you need, what she needs, are these two things.”
She extended both arms and he blinked, clearly seeing the items.
From the fingers of her left hand dangled a shiny pair of silver handcuffs. In the right, she gripped one very fine leather riding crop.
She thrust them toward him. “Now take these and use them. If you aren’t sure how, then I’ll leave you two boys alone for a
while.” She winked. “Brad can give you some pointers.”
Turning on her heel, she made her way to the master bedroom, a wicked little smile stretching across her face.
Chapter Five
They chatted like old school chums all the way up the mountain. Although Suzie was a little older, Katie never knew why they weren’t good friends. Three years in age makes a big difference when you’re kids, she guessed, and then there was high school and college and work and all different sorts of challenges.
But she liked Suzie, and grinned at her right now as she listened to her talk about her new cookbook and the surprising call she’d had that morning from her agent. There was talk of a television show for Suzie—not local but on Food Channel, no less, in New York!—and the woman had been dancing around the kitchen all morning.
Katie was hard pressed not to get in on the excitement. That’s why when Suzie said she wanted to run up to the Lodge and tell her husband, Brad, the news, she’d said fine when asked to tag along.
Besides, she needed some fresh air and perspective. After a deep night’s sleep, her brain was foggy. Mountain air was always good to clear a foggy brain.
Suzie rattled on. Her son, Petey, in the back seat, jabbered on as well. She heard most of it, Suzie’s part, at least, trying to keep her mind off Chris and all the embarrassing things she’d said to Suzie last night.
How could she! The thought of it all made her tummy twist. Thankfully, there was no mention of it this morning.
Leaning back in the seat, she closed her eyes. They elected to roll down the windows as they left the B&B. The day was crisp and new and the further they ambled up the mountain, the more serene the surroundings and the more calm, her heart. Sweet pines tickled her nose and the rush of a brook comforted her ear.
“So is that all right with you?”
Katie tilted forward and looked as Suzie. Had she slept?
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I said…” But Katie didn’t hear the last of her sentence. Outside Suzie’s window, she saw the Lodge whiz by.
“We passed the Lodge.”
“Yes, that’s what I said.”
“Huh?”
“I need to run something out to a guest in one of the cabins.”
Katie settled back in her seat. She had dozed, she guessed. “Oh, that’s fine. I’m just your tagalong today. Sure am glad Monday is my day off.”