by Avery Gale
Trace smiled when Tori responded with a deep nod of her head as if she’d just made the decision of a lifetime. When she looked directly at him and said, “I’ll call them right away and—” Her words were cut off when Trace grabbed her, pulling her close.
“No, my sweet subbie, we’re going to go back to the subject that you are so skillfully trying to avoid.” While she was processing his words he reached over the edge of the bed at her head and pulled out the silk scarf he’d secured their earlier. When he manacled her wrists in his large hand and moved her arms over her head he saw her eyes dilate as they filled with a lust-filled apprehension. When he had secured her wrists he checked to be sure they weren’t so tight that they would impede her circulation and then moved his hands slowly down her arms, his light touch causing her to jerk against the restraints. He smiled at her startled look and continued. “Oh, princess, lawyers are champions at avoidance, I’ll grant you that, but we Doms are Olympians at bringing you right back where you were when you tried to jump off the train.”
He laughed when she blushed a deep crimson. “See? I was right, wasn’t I? Damn but you are a delight. I love how you keep me on my toes. I can see now the challenges and rewards with you are going to be never ending.” Standing, he quickly rolled her to her back before securing her ankles to each of the bed posts. He stood back and watched as the blush of arousal spread over her chest and her breathing became so quick and shallow that she was nearly panting.
Slowing his movements in order to heighten her anticipation Trace rid himself of his jeans then moved between her still-damp thighs with a catlike grace. Holding himself high enough that his rock-hard cock lightly traced up and down her slit, he smiled down at her as she closed her eyes and tried to rock against him.
“I love seeing your beautiful thighs spread so far apart my beautiful snow princess. Your pussy is so red and swollen, and knowing that is all for me is such a turn on princess. Are you ready for your Master’s possession?” Trace was thrilled with Tori’s reaction to bondage, her responses had been nearly textbook perfect. He moved slowly, taking time to visually savor every inch of her.
Leaning close to her ear, Trace spoke in a softer tone, saying, “Open your eyes, Mrs. Bartell, I want to see everything.” He loved watching as Tori’s eyes took on that slightly glazed-over expression as she slowly let the pleasure of his touch catch fire within her. “You, my gorgeous wife, are a vision. And I love watching as the realization that I own your pleasure writes itself so clearly in your eyes, and I don’t want to miss a single moment of it.”
Trace heard Tori moan in pleasure as he pushed himself into her already-swollen tissues. He felt her attempts to rock back and forth despite her restraints, and knew she was trying to get the small bit of friction it would take to push her quickly toward the release her body was chasing. He wasn’t going to allow it and when he went completely still she cried out. “Oh, no, no, please! Don’t stop, I need to come! Oh please.” He didn’t react to Tori’s desperate sounding words because she still hadn’t opened her eyes. He knew when she had finally realized her error because opened her eyes quickly and locked on to his and he continued to watch her intently.
For long seconds Trace didn’t move or speak, he simply watched her with such an intense focus he was certain would make her uncomfortable. He finally spoke. “Tori, I told you that I am not a heavy-handed Dom and that I dislike handing out intense levels of pain as punishments, but that does not mean I will allow you to top from the bottom…ever. Do you know what that means?”
Watching as Tori struggled to make sense of what he had said, he knew he’d left her so on edge she was probably having trouble just keeping up with his words, let alone being able to form any coherent thoughts of her own. He knew he’d been right when she finally managed to squeak out, “I…un…oh God, Trace I can’t answer questions now! Argh!” Trace had leaned back so that her pearly pink clit was nice and exposed, and his light slap directly atop the delicate tissues had her gasping for breath.
“Watch your tone, sweetness. I can keep you dancing right on the edge of release for hours if I want to, so I suggest you make a real diligent effort to answer my question.” Trace loved how responsive Tori was to being dominated, and he was sure it wouldn’t be long until regular vanilla sex didn’t hold any appeal for her at all and that would be fine as far as he was concerned. He could see she was struggling to focus enough to remember what he’d asked her. Deciding to help her just a bit, he repeated the question. “Princess, I asked you if you know what ‘topping from the bottom’ means.”
“Oh frack…um…No, I don’t know for sure…oh God, please…” Tori’s voice was becoming increasingly ragged, her breathing little more than shallow panting and he knew she was finding herself awash in the sensations as he used an ever-so-slight rotation of his hips so that the blunt end of his rock-hard cock brushed up against her sweet spot, while at the same time he drew circles around her throbbing clit, never hitting the top, knowing it would be enough to put her over instantly. Christ, she was just so very perfect for him. He loved how his brilliant wife was rendered nearly speechless under his hand.
“Ohhhh, please! Um…I think it must be trying to be the boss when I’m not supposed to be. Is that it? Or at least close? Please, can I come now? Is the quiz over?”
Trace had to bite the insides of his mouth to suppress his smile. Damn she was so adorable. Sassy, but adorable. Another quick pinch to her nipples brought her up almost off the bed. “Watch your sass, princess. Remember who is in charge when we are in this room or the playroom or The Club. Hell, let’s just make it an even slate, shall we?” With that he began thrusting into her rippling channel with long, deep strokes before he finished, saying, “Let’s just leave it that it is my right, duty, and honor to be in charge of your safety, happiness, orgasms, and most everything else you can imagine. Now, Tori. Come now!”
Tori’s response was immediate, and Trace was sure her body had been thrown over the edge of bliss before her mind even had the chance to register the command. He used his hands to hold her down as much for her safety as to give her the feeling of total restraint that he knew she loved. Damn, babe, I’m afraid you are going to bruise your wrists and ankles. Hell if you hadn’t been tied down you would have thrashed yourself right off this bed. It only took Trace a few more strokes to find his own release. His own pleasure had been accelerated by the strength of her release. Stilling inside her, he gave himself a few seconds to catch his breath and enjoy the rippling aftershocks that were caressing his cock. When he finally caught his breath, he looked into her eyes loving, the sated expression he saw moving over her beautiful face. Reaching over her head he untied her wrists and then smiled at her groan when he shifted just enough to pull the silk ties from her ankles as well. As his cock had shifted within her he’d felt her muscles ripple around him as after-shocks continued to roll through her pelvis.
“I’m going to roll to the side and stay inside you as we drift off into sleep for a couple of reasons, princess. First, I want to keep my seed inside your body for as long as possible, the caveman in me wants to beat my chest in triumph knowing I’ve planted it so deep in your womb. And I also want you to feel the full depth of my love for you, my ownership of your body is just a small part of that love, but it’s a part I want you to be thinking about as we fall to sleep in each other’s arms.”
Rolling gently to his side and tucking her head under his chin so that he could feel each soft breath she took, he smiled and enjoyed enormous satisfaction in the fact that she snuggled as close as possible to him and let herself slide almost instantly in to sleep. He’d been pleased when she had mentioned recently that since she’d been sleeping wrapped in his arms she hadn’t had any of the nightmares that had plagued her for the past year. He’d noticed the dark shadows that had been so prominent under her beautiful eyes when he’d first met her, had faded, another testament to the fact she was finally able to get the rest she needed so badly. On the rare o
ccasions she’d become restless in her sleep, she had settled immediately when he’d pulled her close and whispered his reassurance in to her ear. Knowing she responded to him even in sleep was deeply satisfying.
Chapter 16
Trace had reluctantly agreed to leave Tori at home only because he was confident that she was being protected by a state-of-the-art security system that had been fully activated as soon as they had returned home from their honeymoon. After the FBI agents had alerted local authorities that Tori’s stalker had gone off grid in Texas, Colt and Dylan had put together a crack team of security professionals of their own because frankly, they had seen the Feds blow enough cases to be convinced taking additional precautions was time and money well invested.
With the temperatures on ShadowDance Mountain hovering just below freezing, no one had expected George to make a water entry, so they were several seconds behind him when he silently cut through the glass doors on the deck surrounding the second story of the Bartell ranch home. When Creed speed dialed Tori, her phone went straight to voice mail. He didn’t waste time leaving a message, this would all be over in the time it took her to even retrieve it. Cursing, he dialed Trace.
“We have a breach of second-floor deck—my ETA is three minutes—where are you?” Creed’s tone was quick, and his words were military brief.
“Fuck! How? Goddamn it I’m just leaving the feed store in town. I’m at least ten out.” Trace couldn’t believe he’d left Tori alone. He’d tried to get her to ride along, but she’d pleaded for a bit of “girl time,” reminding him that “beauty doesn’t just happen” and saying she needed some time to attend to “details” if he expected her to be ready to attend dinner at the Lamonts’ and then go to The Club later this evening.
Jamie knew Trace had been lost in the guilt of leaving her, and even though he understood it, he needed Trace back in the game. “Bartell, focus—What was Tori planning to do and where was her weapon?”
“Her gun was beside the bed, and she wanted some girl time, so I’m assuming she is taking a nice leisurely bath.” Jamie heard Trace cursing as he tried to manage the phone and rational thought all the while driving at a breakneck pace. Trace finally continued, “Fuck I hope she took her weapon and phone with her. Did you try to call her? Hell, maybe we shouldn’t scare her. How did he get past everyone? Goddamn it!”
Creed could hear the sounds of squealing tires and horns and knew Trace would be driving like a NASCAR champion, having him hurt or hurting someone else wasn’t going to help anybody. “Hey, man, I know you’re worried about her, but you can’t possibly get here before this goes down, and killing yourself or someone else won’t help Tori—Be Safe—Out.” And he disconnected the call.
Heeding Creed’s warning, Trace tried to slow down. He remembered exactly what it felt like to lose someone to the negligence of another person behind the wheel when they shouldn’t be, and even though he and the young man who had taken his wife would always live with the consequences of his poor decision that night. Trace knew they were both slowly rebuilding their lives, and that was as it should be. But now the life he’d been so sure was finally back on track was once again on the verge of going terribly wrong. Not wanting to be responsible for bringing the kind of pain and desolation he had experienced into anyone else’s life and particularly not his new bride’s, Trace slowed his pace and refocused his attention of the task at hand—getting to Tori—safely. Creed’s going to get her, and she’s going to need me, and I’ll be there for her…today and always!
* * * *
Tori knew Trace would be proud of her for remembering to bring her small pistol into the bath with her. She’d moved her bath sheet to cover it after placing the small-caliber weapon next the miniature pool Trace called a bathtub. One of main purposes of a lavender-scented bubble bath was to relax, and she’d been distracted by the gleaming metal of a deadly weapon laying out in plain sight. It wasn’t distracting her as long as it wasn’t out in plain view. Oh, husband mine, you will be so proud of me. Just as she lowered herself into a lavender-scented heaven, she thought about her cell phone. Damn…I have kept that phone within reach for months. Hell it’s been nearly an obsession for over a year. What was I thinking not grabbing that, too? Then blowing out a sigh, she remembered she’d let the battery go dead because her charger was still in Trace’s truck. She made a mental note to get it and her laptop from the backseat as soon as he returned. They had both been so tired when they had finally returned home last night they hadn’t bothered to bring in anything but the barest of necessities.
Even though they’d been nearly dead on their feet, she couldn’t help smiling as she recalled the brief stop they’d made at the Lamonts’. Laying back and just letting the warm water work its magic on her aching muscles, Tori let her mind wander back to the joy she’d felt when they’d entered the bedroom last night. She’d been so touched by his friends’ efforts to make their first night back home extra special. It takes an extraordinary man to inspire that level of loyalty from his friends. Tori was continually amazed by how much her life had changed in such a short amount of time. She’d left behind a job she had loved in the beginning but as the stalking had gotten worse, her coworkers and friends had pulled back one by one, all except for Layla.
She smiled to herself when she thought about the tall blonde bombshell receptionist. Layla Lange had proved to be the bravest person Tori had ever met. Tori hadn’t been joking when she’d told Trace that her sweet friend hadn’t hesitated to stand up for her. Layla had lied to Gary George on several occasions, and on others she had sent him on wild goose chases or distracted him to allow Tori time to slip out one of the side doors. Everyone else had been worried about being caught in the crossfire and becoming collateral damage, but Layla had only worried about doing what was right. She’d waved Tori off several times when Tori had tried to thank her for her efforts because she’d insisted no one should be thanked for “just doing the right thing.”
Laughing to herself, Tori remembered meeting Layla after work one night for drinks after the Blonde Tornado had blown “Stalkerman,” as Layla had dubbed him, right back out the front doors of the office building where they worked. Layla had grabbed the bouquet of flowers out of his hand and swatted him with them all the way out the front, leaving a trail of floral destruction in her path. When Tori had come down the hall just in time to see Gary stalking off down the sidewalk, she’d taken in the flower stems and petals littering the floor and had burst out laughing. Unfortunately that laughter had soon been followed by racking sobs. Layla had quickly gotten them both out of the building quickly, and a few minutes later they’d been sipping the most enormous margaritas Tori had ever seen. They’d talked late into the night about everything and nothing. God I wish I had Layla nearby to talk to. Kat, Jenna, and Rissa would so love her…damn but we’d all have fun together!
Because of her appearance Layla was continually underestimated. The woman was a modern-day version of Marilyn Monroe, except for her Mensa-worthy IQ. Tori knew about all the hours her friend spent studying, she would be graduating Summa Cum Laude from The University of Texas in Houston with a Master of Science degree in Business this coming May. She was so proud of Layla. The woman was fierce in everything she did despite a very rocky history. Tori made a mental note to ask Mitch Grayson if there was a way she could securely e-mail Layla and invite her to visit after her graduation. Sighing softly, she tried to relax back in the warm water and consider all the ways her life had been affected by the relentless stalking of a man she’d only had dinner with once. Focusing on all the horrible things he’d done wasn’t going to accomplish anything. She needed to remember that without fate playing out the way it had, she would have never considered coming to Colorado when she’d received the letter about her surprise windfall. She would have never met Trace, and even though they hadn’t been together very long, her soul recognized him from the moment she’d looked up in to his eyes as she sat in the snow in front of that crazy bar. No, she
wasn’t going to focus on what she’d lost, rather she would look at what she’d gained, and she couldn’t imagine her life without Trace in it.
* * * *
Gary George could smell lavender as he made his way through the enormous bedroom. Pausing beside the bed, he thought the top of his head was going to blow clear off as he envisioned Victoria giving herself to the fucking cowboy she’d sold herself to. Christ, didn’t the woman have any taste at all? Knowing she had been willing to share with this two-bit mountain man, what she’d denied him was infuriating. Deciding he’d need to add another “punishment” for that, but really, what did it matter? He was going to torture and kill her anyway. Keeping score seemed like a waste of effort when you looked at the large picture. He knew he was doing society a huge favor by taking women like Victoria Paulson off the streets. Yeah, dick teases—all of them. The world is better off without them. Leaves righteous women like his sweet mama with more options, yes, that’s what it does. Hell, I ought to get a fucking Nobel Prize or something.