Reaper's Reward

by Marie Harte

  She held her breath, pleased at the reasonable tone and wording in her carefully crafted manipulation.

  Ethan nodded. “I am. And since there’s nothing more I can do tonight for Rick, I’m going to plant myself in front of that cup until he returns in a few hours.”

  A few hours?

  “Take off your clothes.”

  She needed to make a break now. Much as she wanted to stay with Ethan and not worry about reality, Denton had returned. A man had been murdered

  “Didn’t you hear me?” His voice softened, and his eyes narrowed.

  Jewel tried to decide what to do. She couldn’t possibly care that much for a man she’d only just met. And what exactly did she know about him? Ethan lived in Seattle. He was incredibly strong, intelligent, and surprisingly funny, with a will of iron. He owned his own security firm, and from what little he’d said over the past few days, had been in the Marine Corps a long time ago. Which fit with his macho, take-no-prisoners attitude and his ability to control any situation.

  But what did she really know? His favorite color, movie, food? Ethan seemed to like seafood. And he ate like a horse. But what did her limited knowledge of the man truly mean?

  She suddenly blinked up into his eyes and realized he’d invaded every inch of her personal space while she’d been woolgathering. “Ethan?”

  Without warning, he grabbed her shirt by the hem and hauled it over her head. Tossing it to the side, he glared down at her. “Try Master.”

  Immediately, moisture pooled between her legs; her nipples hardened. He glowered and pinched one, the pain making her hotter.

  “Ethan, come on ‑‑”

  He kissed her hard, his tongue thrusting deeply into her mouth and stealing her last breath. He plunged in and out, and rubbed her nipple between his fingers. Cupping her other breast with his free hand, Ethan molded her, made her wanting and desperate for his touch until Jewel was practically climbing him to get closer.

  He broke away from her mouth and stared down at her, his brows drawn tight. “Not Ethan. Master.”

  “No.” Resistance was futile, but making him work to subdue her seemed to turn him on as much as it did her. Something about a man strong enough to force her compliance made her melt inside. And though Ethan could have used real force, the sexual torture he employed was much more devious because when he was through, she literally craved him. Would have crawled to him, and had only yesterday.

  Before her “training,” the thought would have shamed her, but now she wanted him to exercise that power, to show her she hadn’t mistaken her trust in the man she’d met, who unknowingly held her heart in his strong hands.

  His eyes glinted with hunger and with cruel delight. He rubbed his erection against her, pulling her into the hard evidence of his desire. “You’re going to be punished for disobedience, slave. And this time, I’m done holding back.”

  Chapter Seven

  Jewel quivered, almost undone by his rough handling and words. He’d thrown her to the bed and bound her after propping her on her belly over a silk-covered bolster. Once again he placed a blindfold over her eyes, and the waiting was killing her. She heard the rasp of clothing, overloud in the sudden silence. He moved around in the room, but she had no idea what he did.

  After what felt like twenty minutes, she grew less aroused and more impatient. Did he have any notion of what foreplay meant? Leaving a horny woman to wait forever didn’t exactly ‑‑

  “Ow! Shit! What are you doing?” Her ass stung from where he’d slapped her.

  “No talking.” He slapped her ass again, stinging the other cheek.

  “But ‑‑”

  Another slap, and another. Her flesh was burning, yet she creamed, attuned to what the play preceded. Ethan rubbed her skin, his light touch arousing in the extreme. The contrast of care and punishment made her wet with desire. Jewel didn’t understand how Ethan could arouse her so much. She’d never been spanked before she’d met him, and she’d never been turned on by scenes of spanking and dominance. Yet with Ethan, it only made the sex between them hotter, and dammit, more addicting.

  “Apologize to your master.”

  His voice was deep and had her throbbing inside. He spoke directly into her ear, his lips closing around the sensitive spot on her neck just under her lobe.

  “S-sorry.”

  When she said nothing more, he nipped at her and palmed her ass.

  “Master.”

  “Good girl.” Ethan ran that hand between her legs, sliding through her wet slit. He deliberately brushed against her clitoris, and she moaned, wanting more.

  “Please.”

  “Oh, no, slave. You push and push, and now it’s time for Master to push back.”

  The excitement in his voice spurred her desire, and more than anything she wanted to see his face, to see the hunger blazing in his eyes.

  The bed dipped, and she sensed him in front of her. Something pressed her lips, something soft but wet. He prodded. Not so soft after all.

  “Open your mouth.”

  She opened, and he pushed himself inside, his cock moist at the tip. Ethan kept moving, not giving her time to adjust to his girth. She gagged, trying to breathe while accepting him.

  “Take it all. And do it now. I’m not waiting on you anymore, slave.”

  His harsh breathing excited her, and she groaned when he began fucking her mouth. He pushed deeper, slapping his balls against her chin as he rocked.

  “Oh, yeah,” he rasped, and rubbed his balls over her chin with his hand, encircling her neck with his fingers.

  He tightened his hold and amazingly, she felt a swell in arousal.

  “I could crush you, couldn’t I, slave?”

  She wanted him inside her, her pussy spasming with need. Ethan released his hold on her throat, petting her gently.

  “I can do anything I want with you.” He increased his pace inside her mouth, his voice thick. “And I’m going to. Open your mouth wider.”

  She did, and moaned when he withdrew. She felt him circle around her and smelled a faint hint of coconut.

  The oil. She recognized the scent as the oil he’d rubbed onto the butt plug. Jewel licked her lips, expecting and even looking forward to the slight intrusion. He nudged her legs apart and spread her cheeks.

  “Now you’re going to please your master without a sound, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, Master.”

  “No matter how much it hurts.”

  Hurts? Oh, hell, he wasn’t going to take her ass now, was he?

  “Don’t tense, slave. Relax.” He grunted and began pushing, his thick cock stretching her comfortably, to a point. The plug had never gone so deep and certainly hadn’t been as thick as what he now shoved inside her. And he gave no quarter.

  “That’s it, baby, take it all.”

  She panted and tried to push out, since pushing with her sphincter allowed him easier access into her body. Still, she felt uncomfortably full as he moved deeper and deeper. And her body burned, not used to such play.

  “A little more. God, you’re so fucking tight,” he breathed, his hands gripping her hips. “Yes.”

  He rested within her, and she ached, wishing now she hadn’t toyed with this idea. Somehow, she’d thought it would feel good, that the pleasure she’d experienced with the plug would be the same with him in her ass. But he was too rigid, too hard. And it hurt.

  Ethan slapped her ass. “Don’t move. Get used to me.”

  Get used to him? Hell, she wanted him out, and now. But she said nothing, determined to remain quiet. She could take what he had to give, and then some. Master my ass…

  His fingers began playing with her clit, and she immediately jolted, moving his cock a fraction out of her.

  “No, slave, I said be still.” He rammed back into her, and she hissed at the pain.

  At the same time it hurt, she realized it didn’t hurt as much as it had. And the pleasure from his touch on her clit only added to the confusion in her body. Jew
el wanted to move, wanted him to shove inside her as much as she wanted to avoid the pressure in her ass.

  Ethan, however, took the decision from her. He began thrusting lightly, pulling out a little and pushing back in. And all the while he rubbed her clit, teasing the taut flesh as he fucked her ass.

  “That’s it. So good, baby. You feel so good.”

  And who knew, but so did he. After a while, the fullness within her felt right. If only she had something to clench in her vagina. She felt empty there, needing more. And then he withdrew completely and shoved something inside her channel ‑‑ something not his cock. He pushed inside her ass again, stretching, stinging, yet the dual fullness had her frozen in blissful shock.

  “Tell me now, slave, how does it feel?”

  “I can’t…oh, I’m going to come if you keep doing that.”

  He chuckled and slammed in hard again, his giant shaft rubbing against the dildo inside her, pushing it further as well. Returning his attention to her clit, he brought her quickly to the edge. “Don’t come yet, baby. Wait for it.”

  She thrashed, her body screaming for release while he toyed with her. He let go of her clit and thrust slowly, all the way in, all the way out, and she wanted to scream. And then he did something to the dildo that made it vibrate.

  “Master, please.”

  “You beg so sweetly, slave. Say my name again.”

  “Master. I can’t hold back any longer.”

  He groaned and sped up the tempo, rocking into her at such a rate she knew he neared release as well. The feeling was incredible, knowing he was close to his end, that though Ethan commanded her body, she commanded his. And she climbed with him.

  “You’ll come for me now, slave.” He pinched her clit and thrust hard. “Now.”

  Helpless to resist, Jewel screamed his name as she came, trembling with the ecstasy of fulfillment. Ethan quickly followed, his shout as loud as hers, and he held her hips tight as he shot inside her. Within moments, cum slid down her legs, and she ached from clenching the dildo so hard within her pussy.

  What felt like hours later, Ethan finally stilled inside her. “Yes,” he groaned as he pulled out and thrust in one last time. “That was so fucking good.”

  Jewel sighed and hung limply over the small bench, completely wrung out.

  Ethan stroked her back, then bent over and hugged her tight, cupping her breasts in his hands. “Tell me, baby. When is your training over?”

  Bastard. But she felt too good to grouse. “When you say it’s over.” She paused. “Master.”

  She could feel his smile against her neck. “That’s right, baby. So right.” He leaned up and withdrew, removing the dildo as well. “I wish I had a camera. You have no idea how sexy you look like this, tied up, my cum dripping from your ass.”

  She flushed, yet the pleasure she felt from his words made her warm.

  “Now how about we clean you up, hmm?”

  Ethan left her and returned with a towel. He wiped her gently, then removed the blindfold and untied her. “Come on, baby. Let’s shower and dress. Rick will be coming back soon, and I don’t want him finding you like this.”

  In the shower, he treated her like a child, not letting her do anything. And truthfully, his care felt wonderful. So tender, he cleaned every inch of her before turning to himself. And as they left, he dried her off before finding her some clothes to wear.

  “Where did you get these?” She recognized the short skirt and T-shirt as her own.

  “I took them from your room a few days ago. I figured you’d need them when we left.”

  “Sneak.”

  He shrugged and finished dressing and tidying up the area, including cleaning the toys on the bed stand. Watching, Jewel sat like a limp noodle on the bed, and Ethan gave her a concerned look.

  “Baby, are you okay? I wasn’t too rough with you, was I?” he asked gruffly.

  “No. But you did wear me out. I’m exhausted.”

  He grinned with relief and took her in his arms. Kissing her gently, he swept her off the bed against his chest.

  Stunned, she stared at him, aware he’d never looked at her the way he was just now. Her heart raced as feelings burgeoned inside her, needing to be set free.

  “Ethan?”

  “Jewel?”

  “I ‑‑”

  The door opened, breaking the mood, and Ethan’s smile turned into a frown. “Great timing,” he muttered. He refused to let her go, and instead walked with her past Rick. “See you in the morning.”

  Rick nodded with a smile, and Jewel turned into Ethan’s chest to avoid Elise and the guards’ bemused stares.

  As Ethan carried her down the hallway, she finally found her dignity and squirmed to get down.

  “Keep it up, and I’ll spank you right here in the hallway.” Ethan kissed the top of her head. “Relax, baby. Let me take care of you.”

  She groaned her assent and snuggled against him, knowing she didn’t really want him to let her go. Not now. And not tomorrow. And what did that say about her state of mind? Jewel was afraid Ethan had indeed claimed his slave, and for good this time.

  * * * * *

  Ethan spent the next two days working his ass off scrutinizing the staff’s and guests’ records. Through Jared in Seattle, he’d managed to land more detailed accounts of the staff’s history, and now had another four suspects who looked like potential trouble. Thankfully, Jewel Marciella wasn’t one of them. Jewel Riser, ha. Although, to give her credit, she’d gotten a “rise” out of him.

  Hell. She was conducting her own investigation, one he needed to look into as soon as he took care of the more pressing problem of a murderer.

  He sighed as he sat in Rick’s office, using the time to organize his thoughts. To try to organize his thoughts. He and Jewel had left Rick’s room, but Ethan had demanded she continue to “train” with him during the nights. Knowing she wasn’t really into the whole sex scene, contrary to what her application had stated, had taken a load off his mind. He still wanted her to confide in Rick about her real reason for being here, but between Pete’s murder, the thief, and trying to narrow down the suspects again, Ethan had his hands full.

  And that wasn’t counting his nights with Jewel.

  He should have backed off a little. But Jewel got him so hard, so fast all the time. He couldn’t be in the same room without wanting to have her. Watching her in the throes of orgasm was nothing short of heaven. And to know he’d put her there…it made thoughts of anything else pale, his focus completely on her.

  That Ethan knew little about her personal life bothered him. But damn it all, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from loving her delectable body. Time was running out, he knew. Before long, the case would end, and he’d have to leave the island. But you have to catch that damned thief before you can leave, his conscience asserted, before he hurts someone else. God forbid the killer do something to Jewel. He had to focus on the case. To catch the bastard, Ethan needed to be prepared. To stop fixating on Jewel. A seeming impossibility.

  Ethan exhaled heavily. He glanced down at the files on Rick’s desk and imagined himself back at home in his own office. Without Jewel. He didn’t know what to do. Ethan couldn’t possibly be in love with a woman he knew so little about. Sure, she fucked like a goddess and turned him on like no other, but he hadn’t so much as dated her, knew nothing about her likes and dislikes out of the bedroom. So how could he be so twisted and superficial as to think he might be in love with a woman he’d only ever laid flat?

  He didn’t know, and the not knowing was driving him crazy. Every time he caught Jewel laughing or flirting with her coworkers and the guests, he saw red. Rick, damn him, knew the truth. That constant smirk on the man gave him away. But how the hell was Ethan supposed to concentrate when his woman was out there unclaimed? And therein lay the problem. In this fantasy resort, everything was allowed. So where did fantasy and reality separate?

  Jewel was his slave…in the bedroom. Here in the resort, sh
e worked independently, yet always had a special smile for him. But she remained her own person, strong, beautiful, and too damned self-sufficient. In his opinion, she seemed too available. Wearing that string bikini ‑‑ thank God she still wore clothes around this place ‑‑ she was a walking temptation. So who could blame anyone for looking when he had a hard time blinking around her?

  Ethan growled and focused on the information in front of him. This obsession with Jewel was going to cost him. He knew it. He had trouble doing his job, didn’t seem to want anyone else but her, and had a hard-on anytime she stepped in the room. Hell, anytime he thought about her.

  He glared down at his tenting trousers and forced himself to read about Joshua Denton, to solve the fucking case. Finally, he was successful in shoving Jewel from his thoughts.

  Denton had been an employee at the resort for three years. He did his job and did it well, a popular escort with the guests. He was a real ladies’ man, but didn’t have a problem screwing the male guests, either. There was nothing in Denton’s file to indicate guilt, but something about the man bothered Ethan. And though Rick would have given him shit about being jealous of Jewel, Ethan knew it was something more.

  His gut told him to keep an eye on Denton. That mess about vacations and coming back early smacked of trouble, not to mention Denton’s allegations that the door to Rick’s suite had been ajar. Ethan would stake his entire career that he’d locked the damn door. He was good at what he did; when it came to a lockdown, the door was locked. Period. Ethan sighed. He would get to the bottom of Denton after a more detailed search of the man’s room.

  The next file, Elise Tanner’s, made him pause. Elise had been Rick’s head of security for five years, as long as the resort had been open. In all that time, she’d been strictly professional, never bonding with Rick on a more intimate level than a handshake. Yet Ethan knew she and Rick had notched the old bedpost a few days ago. So what gave? Why increase the intimacy now? To throw Rick and Ethan off the scent? A distraction?