Part 19 (1/2)

”Confining.” She sounded breathless. ”I feel so helpless, but I know you'll take care of me.”

Tying a sub with her body spread exposed them. Bindings like this sometimes triggered claustrophobic sensations. It forced her to touch herself, to acknowledge the truth of her position.

He feathered another few kisses over her eyelids, cheeks, and lips. ”Always, Kitty Kat. I'll always take care of you, no matter what.”

Taking three steps back, he put some distance between them. This wasn't intended to make her feel lonely, though her s.h.i.+ver and the way she dropped her gaze indicated that she thought so.

”Look at me.”

He waited until she complied before he continued with his plan. First he went for his tie, loosening it slowly. He pulled it away and let it fall to the floor. She watched, the line of her gaze following it down briefly before snapping back to his face. He waited, and she didn't disappoint. Realization dawned in her expression. While the outward evidence of her vulnerability didn't disappear, it lessened, morphing to desire as she figured out that he was stripping for her.

Next he removed his belt and tossed it aside. Her lips parted as she inhaled a shaky breath. He loved how much he affected her, and he treasured the fact that she didn't hide it.

By the time he'd opened his s.h.i.+rt, she was regarding him with a hungry expression, and the faint scent of her arousal tickled his senses. His muscles were hard and long, cording his arms and legs and defining his abs. He worked out regularly, punis.h.i.+ng bouts of exercise that happened mostly in the training gym at work, and so he knew how good he looked.

When he was fully naked, he stood motionless before her and gave her a visual feast. He drew out the moments, savoring the desperate heat radiating from her very being. Then he turned away, smiling at her whimper of protest, and settled himself on the center of her bed.

”Come here, Kitty Kat.”

She scurried over, climbing onto the mattress with a graceful agility difficult to achieve without the use of arms to aid in balance. He was impressed.

”Straddle me.”

This order was followed to the letter. His c.o.c.k was up for the job, but it wouldn't be easy for her to do it alone. He dipped the tip into her juices and slid it around, teasing a pleading cry from the back of her throat.

At last he gave her what she wanted. She sank down on him eagerly, moving her hips to find the right rhythm and still keep her balance. Keith luxuriated in the silken heat of her tight sheath, but when she increased her pace, he slowed her with an authoritative hand on her hip.

”Slow, Kitty Kat. There's no hurry. We've got all night.” Though if she kept clenching around him as she'd developed a habit of doing, he wasn't going to last nearly as long as he wanted. She was gifted at delivering just the right amount of pain to ratchet up the intensity of his o.r.g.a.s.m. ”Relax. No squeezing.”

She opened her mouth to protest. He hadn't made a secret of how much he loved when she exerted extra pressure.

Pressing one finger to her lips, he said, ”I hope you aren't thinking of arguing with me.”

That effectively squelched anything she might have said. With that concern out of the way, she could concentrate on her own pleasure. Soon tiny moans and squeaks poured from her, and he felt small flutters as her v.a.g.i.n.al walls contracted around him.

He tightened his hands on her hips and forced her to stop.

”Master?”

Her question nearly undid him, not because she questioned his actions, but because she only called him by that name when she felt the comfort and safety of her submission.

”Lift up and turn around. You're going to ride reverse-cowboy-style.”

She'd been close to climaxing, but it wasn't going to be enough to take her to the level she needed tonight. A huge helping of o.r.g.a.s.m denial would do far more to help her deal with the complex coil of emotions knocking around inside her.

This time, she wasn't so graceful. He helped her turn around and get into position, taking advantage of the opportunity to run his hands all over her body. She arched her b.r.e.a.s.t.s into his palms. He kneaded the small mounds and pinched her nipples until she threw her head back and murmured, ”Yes.”

Then he positioned his c.o.c.k at her entrance and grasped her hips as she sank down once again. With her arms bound, it would be even more difficult for her to balance this way. She would have to concentrate harder, another thing that would help deny her the chance to climax. ”Slow, Kitty Kat. I want to savor the way you feel around me.”

At first her movements were sporadic and lacked rhythm. After about a minute, she found a pace that worked. The whole time, he kept his hands on her hips to help her stay upright, and he talked to her, speaking reverent words of praise and encouragement.

When something wet fell on his thigh, he immediately recognized it as a tear. Moving with the utmost care, he s.h.i.+fted under her until he sat up with his legs tucked underneath his a.s.s. He pulled her back until she rested against his chest. This position forced his c.o.c.k to press hard against her abdomen. The small bit of sharp pain nearly finished him. Through sheer strength of will, he refrained from ejaculating.

He wrapped his arms over hers, fortifying the self-hug he'd forced on her. Another tear landed on his arm, but he made no move to wipe them away or quiet her.

”Am I hurting you?” He didn't think he was, but he had to make sure.

She shook her head.

”Talk to me, then. Tell me what's wrong.”

She shook her head again. ”Nothing's wrong. Everything is right. It's just that when I'm not with you, like this, after you've checked all the doors and windows, this feeling goes away. I hate looking over my shoulder all the time. I hate the way my heart races for a few seconds when I'm in court and I get the feeling somebody's watching me. I never used to notice the other people in the courtroom, the ones waiting for their cases to be called. Now I can't stop.”

He'd known she was trying to put a positive spin on her circ.u.mstances. Denial was going to eat her alive if he let her go on much longer without letting it out. Another tear splattered on his wrist.

”I've always gone out of my way to be nice to people, even if that just meant asking about their day. But now I find myself looking at everyone and wondering if they're the one who broke into my bedroom and stole my underwear. I feel bad about not being so friendly. I feel guilty for suspecting my friends. And I feel so completely helpless. I hate it.”

She really broke down now. He held her in his arms as she sobbed. Inside her, his c.o.c.k softened a little. The sight of her tears only turned him on when they were shed from pleasurable pain or s.e.xual frustration. This cut him to the quick. He'd driven her here because she needed to deal with these emotions, but that didn't mean he liked it. He turned her in his arms and untied the rope. Then he scooted back until he could lie against the pillows and hold her as she cried.

Kat clung to him, and for the first time in his life, he felt peace instead of revulsion when a woman looked to him for emotional support, and he understood what it truly meant to be a Dom.

When her tears subsided, he wet a cloth and wiped her face. Then he kissed her, telling her without words all the tender things he felt for her but couldn't give voice to just yet. There would be time enough for that later.

She kissed him back, and he slipped into her silky warmth and made love to the woman he'd dreamed about for so long.

Chapter Eleven.

Catching sight of Aaron through the open door of the file room as she searched for the right drawers, Katrina cringed at his appearance. He looked as if he hadn't slept at all the night before. From her vantage point, she could make out the dark circles under his eyes and the wrinkles in his clothes. If she wasn't mistaken, he was wearing the same suit from yesterday. It didn't look like cleaning out his mother's bas.e.m.e.nt had gone well.

Her night hadn't started out much better, even though she usually loved when a family member dropped by to visit, but Keith's dominance had made a difference. He'd forced her to break down and face her fears. Things hadn't improved. It still sucked to have a stalker, but now she knew that he was there for her in all the ways she needed to be supported.

She finished putting away the files Aaron had been so thoughtful about bringing to her and rose to her feet. ”Hey, you. Feeling okay?”

He exhaled loudly and flopped down on the chair at his desk. ”I'm okay. I lost track of time and worked all night. No coffee for you today. Sorry.”

”That's okay. I don't expect you to bring me coffee.” She really didn't. Though she liked a strong cup or two in the morning, she rarely drank it during the day. Still, she appreciated his thoughtfulness. ”I have to run out in a few minutes. I should be back in time for lunch. Did you want to meet? My treat.”

A bit of life sparkled through his eyes, and he managed a smile that seemed to cost him a great deal of effort. ”I think I'm going to clear my schedule this afternoon and go home. Now that I'm sitting down, last night is starting to catch up to me.”

While she could offer to take on some of his duties, it would mean using up the part of her day she'd set aside to investigate the situation with Keith's sister. Choosing presented no contest. Keith was her priority.

Aaron ran a hand through his hair, further beating down the tracks that were already there. ”Hey, I think I accidentally gave you some of my files yesterday. Do you have those handy?”

She shook her head. ”I wondered about that. None of them were mine. I just finished refiling them. You'd better be careful, Aaron. You had some files that shouldn't leave the office. I know you have a lot going on, but that kind of mistake can ruin a career.”

He pressed his lips into a thin line and peered at her strangely. Then he dropped his gaze to focus on his computer screen. ”Thanks for the advice.”