Chapter 52
52
COLLINS
I escort Penny inside the corner coffee shop where just months ago I almost committed murder on the streets in her name and where I came face-to-face with my true feelings for her.
So much has happened since then. While I wish some things didn’t have to occur, I have to find gratitude that every moment since then has led to us being able to be together—out in public and as a couple.
Linking fingers with mine, Penny snuggles in closer to me. She has snuck her way into all aspects of my life, and I’m forever thankful she pursued me when I was so scared to reciprocate.
She is the sunshine my dark life needed.
And I’ll forever be trying to be the man I know she deserves.
I may say I own this girl in the bedroom, but in reality, I’ve been hers way longer than I care to admit.
I’d do anything for her.
I want to take care of her financially, make sure she is fed properly, and assure she attends her therapy sessions regularly.
Penny Hoffman has softened my hard, protective shell and has helped me to see my full potential.
Moving our linked fingers up to my mouth, I kiss each one of hers.
Her skin smells of strawberries. And I’m obsessed.
“Who would have thought Collins Stone could be so romantic?”
I smile down at her. “Shhh…don’t share our secret.”
Penny huffs out a laugh. “I’m pretty sure the entire world knows by now. You are pretty famous.”
She is referring to the World News reporting on the Soulful Mind takedown. Apparently Tanner’s twin brothers have been wanted for years and by many countries for their terrorist behaviors.
Clearly, Graham, Nic, and I did the world a big favor to rid the planet of their lives.
Walking hand in hand toward the back of the shop, I take note of all of our surroundings and the people present, just like I’ll always be conditioned to do.
Penny’s eyes scan the area. Her bottom lip pouts out in the most adorable way. “I don’t see him.”
“He’s over there.” I point with my free hand.
Realization hits her face and then she detaches from me and breaks off into a semi-run. Within seconds, she finds herself scooped up into an embrace by her former roommate, Luke.
Chuckling at their over-the-top reaction, I stalk toward the duo.
“I am so sorry, Luke,” Penny says, her voice muffled as she cries into his shoulder.
I pay close attention to the roommate’s hand placement on my princess’s back and allow for them to enjoy this reunion without me ripping her from his clutches like my initial instinct suggests.
It’s hard to relax in a setting where my girl is in someone else’s arms. But I try.
And not beating the shit out of him is progress toward being “less of a caveman”—which are Penny’s exact words from the pep talk she gave me prior to arriving.
Even an old dog can learn new tricks. Again…her words.
“I was set up by that fucker who used me to get closer to you. I don’t blame you for distrusting me,” Luke says calmly.
Oddly enough, his personality has grown on me. But not enough for me to allow Penny to watch him shake his junk for cash. Nope. That will never happen again. She had her one and done fun.
“I’m still sorry. I was so mad at life and used you as a scapegoat without even trying to hear you out.”
“I’m not upset,” he promises.
Penny sniffles, and I pass her a tissue from a box at a little book table in the corner. “I’m just glad we all lived to tell about it.”
Luke’s eyes catch mine, and then they move back to Penny’s. “Does this mean you are moving back in?”
I let out a half laugh, not because his statement is funny, but because hell will have to freeze over first before I let this girl out of my sight.
Luke then looks pointedly at me. “I’m being serious.”
“No.”
“Give it some thought,” he says, appearing to fight back a smile.
“No.”
Penny looks at me with puppy dog eyes. “But…”
“No, Princess.”
“He does have a queen…”
Leaning down, I kiss her ear. “But this princess is owned by a king.”
* * *
“This isn’t taking it slow,” Penny says, with a teasing smirk playing on her lips.
“I actually am taking it slow.” I click my tongue. “You should have seen my alternative plan if you decided to continue to be unreasonable.”
“Now that may have been fun.”
It’s been a week since Claire and Nic welcomed sweet Scarlett into the world, and I finally got Penny to move back into my place with me. It’s where she belongs. I’m just glad she came to her senses and decided to submit to my wishes.
Luckily, with my quick thinking skills, I was able to prove just how serious I was about the whole thing by sending over a moving truck to Nic’s old place to make sure she followed through on her verbal agreement.
There’s no way I would take a chance she would change her mind.
“You are a naughty girl.”
“You bring that side out of me.”
“It’s like you wanted me to kidnap you…”
She shrugs. “Maybe I still do.”
I carry Penny into the bedroom with my hard-on pressing against her backside and toss her onto the center of the bed. I flip her around so she’s on her belly. Despite her struggling, I get her wrists secured into the leather straps.
“Clearly you have more sass to work out of your system.”
She kicks her foot out backward, and I catch it.
Massaging her ankle, I secure the cuff around it and then repeat the process with her other one, rendering her motionless.
“There. Now you can relax and be a good girl without having to think too much about defying me.” It really is her default to be difficult.
Penny struggles against her bindings. “Quit looking so smug.”
“Oops, I almost forgot one thing. Thank you for reminding me.”
I bend down and kiss her along her spine, working my way up to the side of her face and then her nose, which only pisses her off more.
Penny can be so adorable when she is trying to be angry.
Leaning over, I reach into the drawer in my nightstand and grab a few fun items from my freshly stocked supply. I’ve upgraded since our breakup, utilizing what Angie and Claire often refer to as “retail therapy” to cope with life’s troubles.
It worked.
I had way too much fun finding “torture” devices to use on Penny the first chance she was back in my possession.
Resting my hand on her ass cheek, I massage it in circles. “I feel like this was a long time coming and well overdue.”
Then wielding it in the air, I allow my palm to connect with her fleshy globe. I savor the sting, as well as Penny’s high-pitched squeal.
She’s delightful when she’s at my mercy.
I repeat the process with her other cheek.
Penny bucks off the bed, with whatever slack I allow in her chains.
“That’s payback.”
I spank her a few more times, evening out the redness all over her sensitive skin.
“Your turn,” she says jokingly.
I smile down at her. “You look so sexy wearing my mark. You’ll look even sexier with some more jewelry.”
Kneeling beside her, I place the red ball gag at her lips, reveling in the euphoric feeling of Penny’s shock.
“No,” she says, shaking her head.
“It’s your mouth that always gets you into trouble first,” I say, tracing her lips with my thumb. “And it’s your”—I jerk my finger away—“ouch.”
She fucking bit me.
Straddling Penny, I suck my thumb between my lips, making a point of licking the blood from where she extracted. “Little vampire.”
I secure the ball gag into her mouth, tightening the straps around the back of her head.
“Hmph…”
“Perfect.”
Then I detach Penny from her chains, just long enough to put her on her back and reattach them with a simple click to the corresponding posts.
I want to see her eyes better. I want her to know just who is going to be claiming her—for keeps.
Bending over her, I kiss around her lips with controlled gentleness and then move down to her perfect nipples to reciprocate the treatment she did to my finger.
What’s fair is fair.
Reveling at how the restraints allow for Penny to thrash around but just with a few inches, I sit back on my heels and admire my view.
But she is missing something.
Leaning back over the bed, I reach into the drawer and then dangle the collar on my finger.
Penny’s eyes watch my every move while I latch it around her neck.
“I hope you know just how exquisite you look right now wearing my collar.”
Her eyes soften their once hard stare at me. I think she’s a bit salty her attitude got exactly what it deserved. She should know what I’m capable of and what I’m not willing to put up with in regard to her sass.
“If this becomes too much for you or you want me to stop, all you need to do is close your eyes. Nod if you can understand me.”
And she does.
“I want you to free your brain of any thought other than the one where I own your entire body. You have one purpose right now and that’s to be my little fuck doll. Don’t think about talking. Don’t think about moving. Just relax and enjoy the ride. I am making up for lost time.”
Spreading her pussy lips, I examine Penny up close, making her squirm under my scrutiny. I love when she’s vulnerable to my wishes. It’s in these moments where she submits to me just a little bit more that I feel the closest to her.
We are peeling back each other’s layers, baring our hearts, and attaching strings that will be impossible to break ever again.
Settling my face between her legs, I flatten my tongue and go to work at tasting every inch of her pussy and enjoying the guttural moans breaking through the ball gag pressed into her defiant mouth.
I keep my movements lazy, like I have all the time in the world to please her.
And I do.
Because I no longer want a one-hundred-day commitment. I want forever with this girl. And even then, it won’t be long enough.
“Mmmph…”
When I think she’s going to explode over my tongue, I pull away and crawl up her body, chuckling at her growl of disapproval.
Staring into her eyes, I push just the tip of my cock into her, and hover there at the end of my insanity. I want her. But I want to send a message to her loud and clear that there will never be anyone else for me but her.
Bending forward, I kiss around her ball gag, feeling the softness of her lips.
Then I slide my cock all the way in without much preparation. She is that slick.
Using just one hand, I remove her gag and savor her sweet sounds of surrender as I fuck her into ecstasy.