Chapter 28
Yeah.
This was the part that she’d known was going to go down like a lead balloon.
And why she hadn’t wanted to tell him.
But she knew Travis . . . he wouldn’t just let things lie. And he couldn’t go looking into Aadan. Not if he wanted to keep breathing.
And she really, really wanted him to keep breathing.
“Why can’t you tell me?” he practically purred as he brushed her hair off her face.
“Because I know you. You’ll want to look into him. And he’s a dangerous guy. If he found out I’d told you about him . . . if he somehow caught on to you investigating him, he might do something to you.”
“I can take care of myself, Caren,” he replied.
“In most cases, yes. In this case, I think it’s better if you don’t know who he is.”
He drew back and she felt herself grow cold. Was this it? The moment he told her that he couldn’t be with her anymore because she wouldn’t do what he wanted?
“Don’t know what’s going on in your head right now, but I can almost guarantee I won’t like it. I will tell you this. I don’t like you keeping things from me.”
“I know.”
“But that doesn’t mean I’m going to reject you or push you away or tell you that I don’t want you. That’s not the way this works.”
“It . . . it isn’t?”
“I’m not him, baby. One day you’re going to trust me with his name. And you’re going to know that I can take care of you and of myself.”
She sucked in a breath. “It’s not that I doubt you, Travis. It’s just he . . . he’s a monster.”
He smiled at her. “I’m used to dealing with monsters. I’m going to be your monster slayer, Goldie. I’m going to give you some time to tell me his name. To work out that I won’t let you down.”
“I never thought you’d let me down,” she protested. “And . . . just how long are we talking about?”
“Hmm. I figure an hour or two.”
“Travis!”
“What? You need longer? You really are scared of this guy, aren’t you?”
“It’s probably stupid. At the moment, I feel like he is far away and I’m safe. That as long as I don’t go looking into him, he will leave me alone. It feels like a precarious tightrope that I’m walking and I don’t want to fall off.”
“And telling me will push you off?”
“It could,” she whispered.
“I promise I will never let you fall.”
Yeah. He knew just what to say.
Damn him.
“You’re forgetting that I was a Marine, baby.
I saw some things that haunt me sometimes.
It changed me. It made me into the man I am now.
I know that I can be possessive and overprotective.
But I know the dangers out there. I know how cruel this world can be.
And I also know that when you have someone of your own, you protect them from all of that. Which is what I will do for you.”
“You saw some terrible things? Do you have nightmares?”
“I used to,” he admitted. “For years after I left. I couldn’t stay in the Marines, it wasn’t healthy. But I still had this need to keep people safe, which is why I started Raptor Inc. I have the necessary skills to keep you safe. And I will keep you safe.”
She let those words sink in. She knew that Travis was strong and skilled. But she still couldn’t shake that feeling that Aadan would destroy him.
“Can I . . . can I just think it through for a while? I mean, longer than an hour.”
“Twenty-four hours?”
“Yeah. Maybe. Are you upset at me?”
“Do I wish you would trust me with this? Yes. Do I also realize that we haven’t been together that long? Also, yes.”
“Hmm, yes, I believe we’ve been in a relationship for all of an hour,” she teased.
“Well, twelve hours if you take last night into account. And I do. I also think that you owe me for being so patient.”
“I owe you?” she squealed.
“Yeah. You owe me.” He moved them so she was lying on her back on the sofa and he was between her open legs. “You’re sitting there in just a bra, tempting me to touch you, taste you.”
“You’re the one who stripped my clothes off!”
“I know. I’m a smart guy.”
“And so modest, too,” she said dryly.
“What’s the point in being modest? Sounds boring,” he said as he slid his hands beneath her so he could undo her bra. Then he drew it off so she was lying there in just a pair of pants and nothing else.
“Fuck, Goldie. You are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
“Really?” she whispered.
“Yes. Really. I never say anything I don’t mean.” He slid further down and almost fell right off the sofa. “Fuck. This sofa is too small. Gonna do myself an injury.” Standing, he picked her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. “Need room so I can explore you properly.”
Yeah, she wasn’t going to protest.
He laid her out on the bed on her back, peering down at her hungrily. Then he reached for her pants, drawing them and her panties down her legs. Throwing them aside, he stood at the end of the bed and stared down at her.
“Can’t believe that someone as beautiful as you is fucking mine.”
He had it all wrong. She was the one that should be grateful to belong to someone as sexy and hot as he was.
But before she could tell him that, he was speaking again. “Spread your legs.”
Her breath caught at the demand in his voice. It washed through her, sweeping away her thoughts. A sense of calm started to fill her.
And all he’d done was order her to spread her legs?
Bloody hell.
She could be in real trouble here.
“Do you need a spanking, baby?” he asked quietly. “Because you don’t have to be naughty in order to get one. All you have to do is ask.”
“Sometimes that can be hard to do.”
He leaned over her, his hands on the bed as he stared down at her intently. “Then play up, baby. It will still get you that spanking. But it might also get you other punishment. What was it that you said about orgasm denial . . .?”
“You wouldn’t!” she cried with a gasp.
He just smiled.
She took back every nice thought she’d had about him. He was terrible.
“It’s all right, baby. I’ll give you what you need. Always.” He started kissing down her body, taking one nipple into his mouth to suck on it strongly.
“Do you . . . what do you want me to call you? We didn’t talk about what you want from . . . from this . . . from us,” she said, barely able to speak as he moved his mouth to her other nipple.
“We did talk about what I want. For you to be happy, healthy, and safe.”
Was that really what he wanted? Nothing for himself?
“Call me Travis when we aren’t in the club. Sir when we are. I don’t expect absolute obedience, I don’t mind a bit of sass during play. As long as you obey me when it comes to your health and safety. Understand?”
“Yes. I understand.”
“Such a good girl.” He kissed his way down her stomach. Then he moved so he was standing at the end of the bed again. “Now, spread your legs.”
Travis wondered if she would do as she was told.
Or whether she’d misbehave.
Either way, he didn’t care. All he wanted was for her to get what she needed.
Slowly, she pushed her legs apart and he could stare down at the prettiest pussy he’d seen in his life.
“Good girl for doing what you were told,” he said in a low, husky voice. He wouldn’t normally spank a partner the first time he fucked them.
But everything was different with his girl.
“However, you were very slow to part your legs, weren’t you? I think someone needs to learn to obey their Dom immediately.”
“But you’re not my Dom right now.”
“No? What am I?”
“My Travis.”
Fuck. She knew just what to say to make him melt. He wanted to gather her close and kiss her. To make love to her soft and slow.
However, that wasn’t what she necessarily needed.
“I am. I’m always yours,” he told her huskily. “Your Travis. And if you don’t want me to do something, what do you do?”
“Say my safeword.”
“What’s your safeword?” he asked.
“Red.”
“And you’re to use your safeword even if we’re not playing. Okay? I never want to do anything that might scare or hurt you.”
“You won’t. I know you won’t. Because you care about me.”
“I do. But that care means I have to spank you when you’re naughty.” He pretended a reluctance that he definitely didn’t feel. “And it’s too bad because all I wanted to do was get my mouth on this delicious, sweet pussy.” He cupped her mound, could feel her wetness against his hand.
Fuck. That was so damn hot.
He loved how much she wanted him. And that she couldn’t hide it. Her every reaction showed on her face. In the way her breathing sped up. In the widening of her eyes and how she bit her lip.
Nervous and anxious.
Needy.
He slid his finger along her slick lips, then pushed it slowly into her pussy. She actually clenched down around him, arching up.
“That’s it, Goldie,” he murmured. “Show me how much you want me. How much you need me.”
Travis drove his finger in and out of her slick, warm pussy. Then he added a second finger. Her head thrashed back and forward as he stared down at her.
So beautiful.
“More! Please!”
“You beg so prettily. It’s too bad you have to be punished.”
“Noo!” she cried as he slid his fingers out of her pussy. “You can’t stop!”
“Of course I can. I’m the one in charge.” He smiled down at her. “Although you always have the power to stop things if you need them to.”
Somehow, he didn’t think she was going to do that.
Grasping hold of her hips, he rolled her over, then he dragged her to the end of the bed so she kneeled with her torso over the bed. She was a bit short, though, so he grabbed a couple of pillows to pile under her bent knees.
There.
Perfect.
Her ass was on display. Pale white and surprisingly plump. Just ready for a firm spank. He rubbed his hand over her right cheek, giving it a squeeze.
Then he moved his hand to her left bottom cheek. Drawing it back, he smacked it.
“Ow!” she cried.
“Aww, poor baby. Did that hurt?” he asked.
“Yes,” she grumbled, turning to glare at him over her shoulder.
“Good. It’s meant to.” He gave another firm smack to her other cheek. Then he followed with several more before stopping to check in on her. Her cheeks were pink by this stage and so fucking gorgeous. “How are you doing, baby?”
“I’m good, Sir.”