Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
Master Niles reacted with lightning speed.
Within moments, he was on his back, and she was straddling him, her breath forced out in a frantic whoosh, and her Dom’s dick was deep inside her pussy.
Her head swam, leaving her disoriented.
“Put your hands behind your back.”
Once she had, he pinched her nipples and rotated them, forcing a hissed breath from between her clenched teeth.
“Now you can come all you want as long as you ride me hard.”
Most Doms didn’t allow her this kind of control, and she savored the uniqueness, using her toes and knees for balance as she rose and descended in a way that put pressure on her G-spot.
“Fuck me, beautiful Brandy, and I mean it.”
She watched his face, and when he closed his eyes, she increased the speed of her motions. “You fill me up. So, so deep, Sir.” At some point, she thought he might take over, grab her by the waist, or at least tell her what to do, but he didn’t. Instead, he turned over complete control.
With great gusto, she did as he’d said, rising, slamming herself down.
“You don’t need permission to orgasm,” he reminded her.
Reaching up, he curled his hands around her shoulders, supporting her.
With a deep scream, she climaxed.
“That’s it, beautiful Brandy.”
He let her stay where she was, and she gulped for air. She had no idea how long she remained like that, but when she opened her eyes, he was grinning. “What day is it?” she asked teasingly, shaking her head.
Master Niles chuckled. “Guess it was good for you.”
“Amazing,” she confirmed. “But now I want it to be good for you.” She dug her knees in next to his hips and used the position for leverage as she straightened up.
He needed no further encouragement to take over.
His big, strong hands around her waist, he lifted her up then pulled her down on his throbbing cock.
They rocked the bed and each other.
Within moments, she was overcome with sensation, lost in the moment.
He tightened his jaw. “Love being inside your gorgeous pussy.” His words were rushed together, nearly indistinguishable from each other.
The momentum made another orgasm uncurl.
“Yeah. That’s it. Come. Squeeze my dick.”
In a tangled, sensual mess, her hair fell everywhere.
Then he surged up a final time, forcing her down and keeping her there.
With a guttural moan, he ejaculated deep inside her.
They stayed entwined, and she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to leave him.
Eventually, the world stilled.
“Fuck.”He exhaled, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down on his sweat-slickened body.
Then he cradled her head between his hands and kissed her, gently teasing her tongue.
“That was like a cherry on top of an ice cream sundae,” she murmured in awe. When he lifted a shoulder, she explained, “That kiss.”
“Meaning?”
“You know, when you think it can’t get any better, it becomes even more incredible.”
“Icing on the cake?” he suggested.
“Yeah.” She smiled. “And a cherry on top of that.”
Slowly, luxuriously, he kissed her again.
It was as if neither of them wanted the moment to end.
Reality lay just beyond her bedroom, and she was in no hurry to face it.
As her body cooled, he stroked her back.
All too soon, Brandy pushed her hair behind her ears and eased herself off him then left the bed with great reluctance. “I’ll get you a warm washcloth, Sir.”
As she shrugged into a robe, he said, “Count your blessings any time I let you wear any clothes.”
Reaching for the belt, she looked at him.
“Don’t tie that.”
She dropped her hands to her sides.
He stood and discarded the condom then traced a finger across the top of one of her stockings. “This is the view I’ll carry with me until I see you again.”
Her heart shoved six beats into the space of a single second.
All morning she’d pretended to herself that they wouldn’t say goodbye.
She hoped—wanted—to be with him again.
But going to his event wasn’t something she was willing to do.
Since he lived in Denver, running into each other at the grocery store had been a one-off chance. She wasn’t inclined to give up her pets or home, and his business interests kept him in the city.
Which meant the Den was her only hope.
“I will see you again,” he assured her, as if he’d read her mind.
“Yes, Sir.” She blinked, then looked away.
Her motions mechanical, heart heavy, she made her way into the bathroom to fetch two warm, damp washcloths.
After bathing herself, she returned to him.
In one final submissive act for the day, she cleaned his still mostly erect cock then offered his clothes to him.
While he dressed, so did she.
Then, out of reasons to delay him, she walked him to the door.
The dogs followed, Dana whimpering softly, and Master Niles took the time to pet both of them before climbing into his SUV.
She waved from the carport. He crooked his finger, and her pulse soared as she hurried over to him.
“I never say things I don’t mean,” he promised.
Brandy attempted a brave, false smile, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make her face respond.
Instead, her expression matched her emotions.
He held her jaw in one hand and brought her in for a kiss.
As he drove away, Dana lay down and put her big head on her outstretched paws. MW tried to bite Brandy’s bare toes.
For the first time, she appreciated the distraction.
Master Niles’s vehicle was no longer in view, and standing here, staring, was doing her no good.
With a sigh, she found a couple of toys and threw them as far as she could. Neither dog chased them. “Fine lot we are,” she told the animals.
Now what am I going to do?
* * * *
Night didn’t come soon enough, and she took a long bubble bath to pass the time. Not that it helped. She’d drained the water heater, and the book she’d carried in there couldn’t keep her attention.
In a ridiculously short amount of time, the compelling, sexy Dominant had insinuated himself into her life, a fact even more apparent the next morning when she had to brew her own coffee.
She’d enjoyed having a pot sitting on the burner waiting for her—even if his offering didn’t taste nearly as good as her own.
As she had yesterday, she took her cup outside to watch the sunrise and tried to put the weekend behind her.
Her phone rang.
Hopeful, she rushed inside and snatched the device from the counter.
Margot.
Attempting to hide her disappointment, Brandy answered.
“So, is that guy still there?” Margot demanded.
“You mean Master Niles?”
“Yeah, yeah. Niles.”
“No.” She sighed.
“Has he called?”
Instead of responding, admitting to her heartache, Brandy asked a question of her own. “Don’t you have a restaurant to open?”
“It’s Monday. We’re closed.”
Which meant this could be a long conversation.
“So. I didn’t hate him as much as I thought I would.”
Brandy blinked. “That’s high praise coming from you.”
“But now I think he’s an asswipe since he hasn’t called you.”
“I didn’t say that,” Brandy protested.
“You didn’t have to.” Margot’s voice was surprisingly soft.
Really, Brandy was fortunate to have a friend like her.
“Let me know if you want to have lunch or a drink. I’d suggest a hike, but my feet hurt like hell from the new heels I wore yesterday.”
“I’m good.”
“If you fucking mope like you did after Reyes, I’m kidnapping you and taking you shopping until you max out your credit card.”
“Because you’re hoping I’ll be depressed enough to buy you some new shoes.”
Margot laughed. “There is that.”
“I appreciate what you’re trying to do.” Brandy exited the house to pick up her coffee cup. Holding it, she paced. “But there’s no need. I need to be a grown-up, right? Master Niles and I never agreed to contact each other.”
“Who are you trying to convince?”
Brandy was silent for a moment.
Then, because she knew Margot would ferret out the information anyway, Brandy admitted, “He invited me to a party at the Moline.”
“Ha! I knew there was more to the story. You turned him down and broke his heart and you want me to take your side, so you make it sound like he dumped you on your ass.”
She laughed at her friend’s ridiculousness. “That’s not the way it is.”
“No guy would willingly put up with me unless he was really into you. Argue with that.”
How can I? “I’ve got nothing,” Brandy said with a smile.
“He’s not like Reyes,” Margot said. “Not that I’m taking Niles’s side or anything.”
“And not that you like him.”
“Never will. Go with him. He’s already fucked you and beat you, how much worse can it get?”
“The Moline,” she reminded her friend. “Charity fundraiser that his aunt is hosting. He knows Reyes and Shawndra.”
“The bitch from hell.”
She could always count on Margot’s loyalty.
“And?” Margot asked. “Niles isn’t a damn thing like them.”
“What if his aunt is?”
Margot was silent as she considered her response. “Do you really think that Niles would put you in that kind of situation? Reyes was an infant. This one isn’t. I can’t imagine him allowing anyone to treat you badly.”
“But I do work at the Den.”
“Jesus. Seriously? So what?” In exasperation, Margot sighed. “Look, Brandy. You’re starting to piss me off. Those hoity-toity gazillionaires aren’t any damn better than you are. And I’m tired of the way that Reyes and his bitchhole of a mother allowed you to think that.” She took a breath. “And frankly, you’re better than any human being I’ve ever known. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I appreciate you.” But how will I ever be able to make myself believe what you say?
“Seriously, call me. I’m here all day with nothing to do,” Margot said. “I could use a margarita at Teddy’s Lodge. Or some retail therapy on your card. Or, better yet, invite that pirate that you’ve told me about.”
“Gregorio?”
“He sounds swoon-worthy.”
“Are you serious? How many times have you told me that BDSM demeans participants?” she asked Margot, shocked.
“Maybe I should be more open-minded.”
Shaking her head, Brandy held the phone away from her ear. Was she still talking to her friend?
“He has an earring. Can you imagine him with an eye patch?” With that, she was gone, leaving Brandy staring at the blank screen, laughing.
Every fifteen minutes throughout the morning, Brandy checked her phone.
No calls.
No texts.
No emails.
It was as if the damned device had lost service.
Then, mid-afternoon, a delivery van arrived.
Frowning, she signed for the large, odd-shaped package.
There was no return address, and she carried the parcel to the kitchen counter to slice through the packaging tape, only to discover two more boxes.
Brandy opened the smallest to find a human-sized rubber foot inside. The biggest toe was gargantuan. “Oh my God.” She gasped and laughed.
Master Niles.
“I think this is for you.” Crouching, she offered the toy to MW.
Dana looked at the smaller dog then the foot, then she backed up, as if she were afraid.
With a growl, then an excited yip, MW attacked with unabashed glee.
The next box was heavy, and it contained a gigantic bone.
Sniffing the air, the Dane strolled over. “Of course you didn’t get left out,” Brandy said, putting the gift on the floor.
As she went to throw away the box, something else caught her eye.
A soft toy turtle, colored bright blue and green, lay on the bottom. She pulled it out, along with a tube of catnip.
Heaven help her.
In all her experiences, she’d never met anyone like him.
As if by magic, Whisper appeared and began singing an unholy song.
Dutifully, she poured some of the contents of the vial into the toy and tossed it to him.
In heaven, he rolled onto his back.
In the distance, her phone pinged.
Is my bribe working?
She pressed the device to her chest. Goofy, ridiculous, fabulous man. Using her pets to get to her?
If there was a key to her heart, her menagerie was it.
The burst of energy that shot through her after hearing from him carried her through the rest of the afternoon, and she met every one of her deadlines.
The next time her phone chimed, the message was from Margot.
Need a margarita?
Brandy tapped out a quick reply, saying he’d sent a rubber foot to MW.
The man tolerates me and that little monster? He’s a saint.
The next day, Master Niles sent Brandy a short but demure black dress. In the right size.
He included a short note.
I booked us a room at the hotel.
On Wednesday a pair of heels arrived.
She tried on the outfit and stared at herself in the mirror, looking for flaws. Even though she was her own worst critic, she had to admit he’d chosen well.
That first night at the Den, she’d worn a black dress, and the material had clung to her curves. This one flowed over her body.
The neckline would reveal the barest hint of cleavage. And if they danced, the dress would move with her. It couldn’t be more perfect.
Through his website, she sent him an email, complaining that he didn’t play fair.
The bastard didn’t respond.
Thursday’s delivery of lingerie pushed her over the edge.
Stockings, a garter belt, a bra, even panties were nestled in layers of tissue paper.
She would have expected him to demand she wear nothing beneath the dress. The fact he’d realized she’d get a confidence boost from attending as his date rather than as a submissive meant the world to her.
An hour after the delivery, he finally called.
She stared at his name on the glass screen for a few seconds, resisting the impulse to answer on the first ring.
The dogs jumped up and barked, adding to her racing heart.
“Shh!” Dana settled right away, while MW spun in crazy, loud circles.
Maybe a break from this wouldn’t be all bad.
Right before he would be sent to voicemail, Brandy answered. “You are relentless,” she said by way of greeting.
“I gave you fair warning.”
She sank onto a kitchen chair.
“I’ve missed you this week,” he continued.
Have you?
His words curled through her like the ribbons he’d used on his packages. And his tone was rough, as if they’d been wrapped in sandpaper, and yet they were somehow refined at the same time, making it difficult to resist him.
“Tell me you missed me, too.”
Her emotions constricted, and she couldn’t force out the words.
After her mother’s death—from which her father recovered—she’d been raised by him. He was incredible, always doting, always protecting, and he’d steadfastly believed she could accomplish anything her brother could.
Her first serious relationship had been with a guy named Jonathan, and he’d introduced her to BDSM. She’d fallen in love with the lifestyle and him.
But he’d been drunk on power, and as time went on, he’d used kink to manipulate her, and she’d ended up putting his hopes and dreams ahead of her own, which was one of the reasons it had taken her so long to get through college.
Then she’d found the Den and met Gregorio. Immediately he’d set her straight about what a true BDSM partnership looked like.
Soon afterward, she’d gotten involved with Reyes, who had reinforced Jonathan’s awful message.
Avoiding another intimate disaster with a Dom was the prudent choice, especially when the Dominant was as overwhelming and powerful as Master Niles.
“Tell me you missed me, too,” he repeated, his voice more urgent.
God. How could she? And more, how could she not respond to the heartfelt plea in his words? “I missed you,” she confessed.
Now that she’d admitted it aloud, the reality of her feelings rushed through her.
All week, she’d tried to keep her emotions locked away.
Because of her past, she was right to be wary of him, and her need to protect herself was at odds with her desire to care for and nurture others.
As some had surmised, there was a reason she had a houseful of abandoned animals.
“I can’t endure tomorrow night unless you’re there. I’m throwing myself on your mercy. Take pity on me.”
“Nice try.” She laughed. “There’s not a more competent man on the planet, Sir.”
“Not when it comes to this kind of event.”
Tempted, wishing she wasn’t, she hesitated.
She should be stronger.
But when it came to him, she was weak.
“Is this a yes?” he asked hopefully.