Chapter 11
11
N atalya nervously studied the park, trying to spot any threats. What had she been thinking, insisting she wanted to come here alone with Mateo? She wasn’t ready for this. Nausea bubbled in her stomach as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. The back of her neck itched. Someone was watching her. She was sure of it.
You’re being silly. No one is watching you.
Mateo waved at her as he ran by, thoroughly enjoying himself.
She forced herself to wave back even as she longed to reach out and snatch him.
“Your little boy is so cute.”
With a gasp, she jumped and turned to stare at the woman standing beside her. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater; her long, mousy hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
“Sorry, did I scare you?” the other woman asked curiously. She pointed at the kids. “My daughter loves the slide. I’m going to have a hell of a time getting her off it.”
Natalya quickly turned back to the children. How could she have taken her gaze off Mateo?
She slumped in relief as she saw him over by the swings.
“Umm, I have to go.” She knew she was being rude, but she didn’t care. She’d had enough. This had been a terrible idea. She wasn’t ready.
And she just wanted to go home. Back to Aedan.
“Mateo, we’re going home,” she said when she reached him.
“No.”
“Mateo,” she said sternly. “Come here, please.”
“No.” He glared at her, his lower lip poking out. She wasn’t about to give in to him, though. Not only because her fear was close to bubbling over but because he needed firm boundaries. If she let him, Aedan would spoil him terribly. She needed to have a word with him about setting rules and sticking to them.
“Mateo, I’m going to count to three. One . . . two . . . th?—”
Mateo took her hand.
“Good boy.” Thank God he hadn’t let her get to three. She didn’t relish racing around the park to catch him.
“Ice cream?” Mateo asked.
“No ice cream; it’s time for lunch.”
“No fun.”
No, this wasn’t fun at all.
Aedan answered his cell quickly. “Declan? Everything okay?”
“All good. They’re both home safe and sound. They left the park abruptly, though, and Mateo looked upset.”
Aedan didn’t feel guilty about sending Declan to secretly watch over Natalya and Mateo. He didn’t think someone would actually try to hurt them. All the men who’d been involved with Mateo’s kidnapping had been taken care of.
However, he didn’t want Mateo or Natalya always looking over their shoulders, constantly worried that someone might hurt them. There were so many crazies around; he was just trying to protect them.
He’d sent Declan to keep an eye on them because even though Natalya might be ready to do this on her own, he wasn’t. He’d give them the illusion of being alone, but he took his vow to take care of them seriously. He would never risk their safety.
“All right, I’ll head home.” He was due in a meeting, but nothing came before his family.
And they were his.
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Declan replied. “They’re both having a rest.”
“All right.” He checked his watch. “I should be home just before dinner.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll look after them until you get back.”
Aedan slowly walked into his house. He felt so old today. He’d planned on getting home much earlier, but another crisis in London had needed his attention, so he’d spent the last few hours dealing with it. He’d much rather have been wrapped up in Natalya’s arms.
Maybe it was time to pull back permanently. His staff had proven themselves more than capable over the past few months, and he finally had something worth being at home for.
Shedding his jacket, he placed it in the hall closet. Leaning down, he picked Mateo’s jacket off the floor and hung that up as well.
Hopefully, Natalya was still awake. He really wanted to take up where they’d left things that morning.
Aedan walked into the living room, his body tightening as he spotted her on the sofa, the television playing softly in the background. As soon as she saw him, she smiled, her brown eyes warming.
“Damn, I have been looking forward to coming home to you all day.” He strode over and, picking her up, sat back on the sofa with her on his lap.
He cupped her cheek and kissed her leisurely.
“Hmm, that was worth waiting for,” she murmured.
“The only thing that would have made it better is if you were naked.”
She grinned. “Might give Declan a shock if he walked in.”
“He’ll stay far away if he knows what’s good for him,” Aedan replied, sitting her up so he could strip off her T-shirt.
She wasn’t wearing a bra. There was a God.
Natalya closed her eyes as Aedan cupped her breast, pinching the nipple lightly. Her head swam, buzzing with need.
“That feels amazing. I’ve been dreaming about this,” she confessed, opening her eyes to stare up at him.
“Have you? And have you been using your vibrator while you were dreaming about me?”
Oh Lord, he wasn’t going to make her confess, was he?
“Natalya?” he growled, rolling her nipple between his finger and thumb. A jolt of sensation slammed through her body, landing on her clit.
“I don’t want to tell you.”
He pushed her pants down over her hips. “I am definitely placing a ban on underwear.”
“Not going to happen, buddy.”
“Naughty brat. You definitely need to be punished.”
He pushed his hand beneath her underwear, running his finger up and down her slick folds. Natalya bit her lip to stop herself from begging for more. Drawing his finger free, he held it up with a lascivious smile.
Natalya watched as he licked his fingers, her whole body tightening with need. She looked longingly at his skilled fingers and that wicked tongue. What she wouldn’t give to have his tongue licking her clit right now.
“Oh, you should see your face. You need this badly, don’t you, lovely?”
“Yes.”
“I want you to stay nice and still,” he told her. Aedan returned his fingers to her pussy, strumming her clit before thrusting two fingers deep inside her. She arched, groaning as he brushed her clit with his thumb.
“Tut-tut, very naughty,” he murmured.
“I’d like to see you stay still if I was playing with your cock.”
He grinned. “Am I being too demanding, Lovely? Would you like me to back off?” He removed his fingers from her pussy and she grabbed his wrist, holding him still.
“No, wait. I’ll be good. I’ll be good. Promise,” she told him frantically.
“I’m sure you will be,” he murmured, pushing his fingers deep inside her once more. He circled her clit with his thumb, driving her insane. A soft sweat covered her body as she grew hotter, wilder. Small, electric pulses raced over her skin.
Closing her eyes, she gave herself over to the sensuality of his touch. His scent made her head swim, and her breath came in fast low pants.
Dios mío .
She was so close. So close
Just then, he drew back, denying her the fall over into bliss. Natalya growled in frustration, opening her eyes to glare at him. What did he think he was up to?
“What are you doing?” she questioned as he stood before picking her up in his arms.
“Taking this upstairs.”
“You could have let me come first.”
His grin was wicked. “I don’t think so, Lovely. You’re being punished, remember?”
“What? No! Can’t you just spank me or something?”
“You want a spanking?” he asked as he walked them into his bedroom.
“Yes! Spank me.” It would be over quick and then they could get back to where they’d left off.
He set her down on her feet and drew off her pants and underwear. Then he sat on the bed, still fully dressed, and drew her over his lap.
“Ahh, you know, I’m not sure ” she began.
He laid a trifling slap on her right butt cheek. She barely even felt it. Another spank hit the other cheek. She peered over her shoulder at him. “Seriously? You call that a spanking? Ow!” she yelped as he gave her a hard slap. “That hurt.”
“Isn’t that what you wanted? You’re calling the shots here.”
“I don’t want to call the shots.” She trusted Aedan to look after her if she let him take control.
He paused, staring down at her, meeting her gaze. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure,” she panted. “Take control. Take me.”
“With pleasure.”
Aedan smacked his hand down three more times before pausing to rub the heat into her skin. The sting evolved into a burning desire that had her pussy throbbing. She’d never been spanked like this before.
Turns out, it was a total turn-on.
“Part your legs,” Aedan commanded. He placed his hand between her thighs, cupping her pussy. “Does being spanked turn you on, Lovely?”
She couldn’t answer. She couldn’t admit it, could she?
Another smack landed. Then two more. Without meaning to, she let out a low moan of pleasure.
“I’ll keep spanking until you answer me,” Aedan drawled, massaging her stinging ass.
“Oh,” she cried as he thrust a finger deep inside her pussy.
“Your body can’t lie. But I want to hear it from your mouth. Does being spanked turn you on?”
Another three spanks.
“Yes,” she told him, knowing she couldn’t take much more. The need to come was overwhelming.
“Good girl,” he praised her as he ran his finger through her folds, gathering up her moisture.
He spread her ass cheeks and she tensed. What the hell was he doing?
“Relax,” he ordered. He brushed his damp finger over her asshole. “I have a little toy for this delightful asshole. Would you like that, Lovely? Would you like to have a plug inside you?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you would.” He pushed the tip of his finger inside her. “So damn hot. I can’t wait to take you here.”
“You won’t fit.”
“I will. I promise. I’d never do anything to harm you.”
“I know.”
He slid her off his lap onto the bed. “Lie in the middle of the bed. Arms above your head.”
Aedan disappeared into the bathroom and she could hear water running. As he returned, she hastily moved into position.
Glancing back, she gulped as she saw the handcuffs in his hand.
“Arm out.”
Holding out his hand, Aedan waited patiently until she moved. He attached one cuff to her wrist, running the chain behind one of the rails in the headboard. She raised her other hand without being asked and he locked the other cuff on.
“Okay?” he asked, brushing his fingers down her cheek.
“I trust you.”
He didn’t know when it had happened, he hadn’t just woken up one morning this way, but he trusted her as well. It had been a gradual thing that had developed as they’d slowly gotten to know each other again.
This time around, they were stronger. They knew they had to work at some things. Aedan no longer hid parts of himself from her, and Natalya was working on opening herself up more.
Aedan smiled then kissed her. He drew away from her lips to kiss his way down her neck to her breasts.
“Aedan, oh hell,” she cried as he licked, bit, and sucked on her nipple. He swapped to her other nipple, and she arched her hips up. Her body was on fire; need swamped all of her senses. That damn vibrator he’d bought her couldn’t even come close to this.
“Please, don’t torture me,” she cried out.
“Ahh, but you’ve been naughty, haven’t you?”
“You just spanked me.”
“Only because you asked me to.” His grin was devilish as she gaped at him.
Aedan almost laughed out loud at her disgruntled expression.
“Oh no, Lovely, I’ve got something else planned for you.”
“You bastard.” The look on her face told him she was dreaming of ways to remove his balls from his body. Tying her up had been an excellent idea. He kissed his way down her stomach.
“Spread your legs.”
“If you promise I’m going to come.”
“Oh, you’ll come.” Just not any time soon.
With a suspicious look, she moved her legs apart for him.
Aedan settled himself between her legs. He pulled the lips of her pussy apart. Ahh, his happy place. If he could live here, he would.
He rimmed her entrance with the tip of his tongue. Round and round. Up and down. Delicious. Slowly, he licked his way up her pussy to the swollen bundle at the top of her slit. He flicked it lightly.
“Harder,” she cried.
“Uh-uh, I’m in charge, remember?” He liked tying her up, and he’d certainly enjoyed spanking her. Arousal, brutal and fierce, threatened to overwhelm him as he played with her.
“I’m fast regretting that,” she complained.
He pushed his tongue deep inside her.
“Oh, oh, oh.”
Thoroughly enjoying her responses, he thrust his tongue back and forth, brushing her clit with his thumb.
“Aedan, please let me come,” she begged as he pulled back, savoring her taste.
“When you were using your vibrator, were you thinking about me doing this to you, Lovely?” he asked as he toyed with her clit, rubbing the tip of his finger back and forth.
“Yes. Yes, I dreamed about you, you narcissistic bastard!”
“Narcissistic? Ooh, you’re nasty when you’re horny.” He grinned.
“Yes, I am.” She raised her head to glare down at him. “I have waited months for this. Obviously, you don’t want me as much as I want you.”
“Oh, I don’t, huh?” He climbed off the bed and quickly stripped. “See this?” He pointed at his erection. “Try living with this 24/7. I jack off, and it’s almost instantly back. It’s like I’m like a bloody teenager again. I haven’t been this horny since we found some dirty magazines in Rogan’s father’s bedroom when I was fourteen.”
He ran his hand up and down his cock. “Oh, I want you, Lovely. I had to get my tailor to put buttons into my pants rather than zippers because it is fucking painful to zip up pants over a raging erection.”
“You liar.”
“Okay, that was a lie. But don’t ever think that I don’t want you as much as you want me.”
“Then why are you standing there, rubbing your dick?”
“Why, indeed, when I could kill two birds with one stone? Stop you from talking and easing my pain.” He placed his knees on either side of her head, kneeling over her. With one hand on his cock, and the other holding onto the headboard for dear life, he lowered the head of his cock to her lips.
“Take me in, Lovely. Make me come.”
“With pleasure,” she sighed.
Her mouth was heaven around him. Fiery, silken, soft. She worked her lips and tongue over his hard cock with such hunger it blew his mind. Using that wicked tongue, she licked and stroked, teased and tortured. There was a hungry need in each pull of her mouth, each touch of her tongue. Helpless against that demand, he could do nothing else but give her what she needed.
It was his reason for being on Earth. To love her, protect her, cherish her.
Gritting his teeth, he pulled out and then thrust back in, careful not to overwhelm her. She sucked him in eagerly, her cheeks hollowing out. Staring down at her, he wondered how he’d ever gotten this lucky. This was his second, well, third chance.
And he was going to hold onto it. He was never going to let her go.
His balls tightened painfully as need grew to towering heights through his body.
“I’m going to come, baby.” He moved faster, and she murmured enthusiastically.
Ahhhh. He threw his head back, breathing heavily as he came. His whole body shuddered with the power of his release. He had to remind himself to breathe as fierce pleasure consumed him.
When he had himself somewhat under control, he pulled away and rolled to the side, trying to gather his breath. Leaning up on one elbow, he smiled at the contentment on her face.
“You are so beautiful.”
“So are you,” she countered with a grin.
He rolled his eyes as he ran his fingers down her stomach to her pussy. “Men aren’t beautiful. They’re handsome, sexy.”
Her breathing hitched as he lightly pinched her clit.
“Handsome doesn’t fully describe how gorgeous you are.” Her eyes glittered with arousal as he moved his fingers down to her passage, pushing them deep inside her as he used his thumb to play with her clit.
Skin flushed with heat, her breath coming in fast pants; she had never looked so enticing.
“I want to watch you come. Keep your eyes on me.”
He held her gaze with his. Watched the way her eyes widened, how her pupils dilated. She licked her lips, her mouth parting as her breathing grew faster. There was a hitch in her breath and she shuddered. She was close.
“Come for me, baby. Come.”
His fingers were caught in a silken vice as she came, clenching down, her breath coming out in a shuddery sigh. She closed her eyes, but he didn’t care. Ravaging waves of hunger slammed through him as his dick hardened, wanting her desperately.
“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” he told her.
A grin crossed her lips, but she didn’t open her eyes as he undid the cuffs and massaged her arms. He gathered her close, kissing the top of her head.
“I love you, Natalya.”
She stiffened in his arms, and suddenly he worried it’d been too soon. Nervously, he waited until she met his gaze with hers. He relaxed at the hope he saw.
“Really?” Natalya asked.
He loved her?
“I never stopped,” he replied honestly. “Even when I was furious with you, I still loved you.”
Thank God.
“I never stopped loving you either. I think I love you more now than I ever did before.”
“Me too.”
“Does this mean you trust me?”
He ran his hand through her dark hair. “Yes, I do. It didn’t happen overnight, and I’m still working on it, but I do trust you, Natalya. This time around, things are going to be different. Neither of us is holding back. All I want is to be with you, to love you, and to take care of you. Both of you. I love Mateo as well. He’s a great kid.”
“He adores you. You’re much more of a father to him than Diego ever was. Although you’ve got to stop spoiling him. He needs boundaries and for us to stick to them. Both of us.”
“I know.” Sitting up, he pulled a book out of his bedside drawer. It was worn and well-read, with bright sticky notes poking out from the pages. She peered at the cover:
How To Raise Boys.
“You’ve been reading about raising boys?” she asked as she sat up, resting her back against the headboard.
“Well, I don’t know anything about kids. I haven’t been around them since I was one. So I figured I’d go to the experts. I thought about hiring someone to teach me, but I felt a bit stupid doing that. It’s been interesting reading, and I now realize that Mateo needs my time, not my money.”
“Exactly.” Natalya smiled at him. “You’re an incredible man, Aedan Blake. Not every man would want to take on another man’s child. But you’ve gone beyond that. You truly care about him, don’t you?”
“I do. I want what’s best for both of you, and I want you both to feel safe and happy.”
“I want the same for you.” She hugged him tight.
“How did your trip to the park go?” he asked.
She studied him. Why did she get the feeling he already knew?
“Were you watching us?” she finally asked. She should have guessed. He was very protective of both her and Mateo.
His smile was sheepish. “Declan was.”
Thank God.
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I know that’s intrusive?—”
“No,” she interrupted. “Don’t be sorry. That makes me feel a whole lot better. It didn’t go well. I was on edge the entire time. I was so paranoid I felt like someone was watching me. And I guess someone was.”
“What?” he snapped.
“Oh, it was nothing. A woman came up and spoke to me. She had kids at the playground too. I took my eyes off Mateo for a second. I panicked. Nothing happened, but I kept thinking, what if she was a decoy? What if she was supposed to distract me while someone kidnapped Mateo? I know I sound crazy, but I totally panicked. I wasn’t ready to go on my own. Part of me wonders if I ever will be.”
He tugged her close, rocking her. “You will be. But nobody said it had to be now.”
“But I should be better by now. Mateo needs to live a normal life. He doesn’t deserve a totally paranoid mother. I don’t want to be a helicopter parent who is constantly worried about their child getting hurt.”
Aedan was silent for a long moment. “What would you think about having a bodyguard?”
“I don’t know. That would be awfully expensive. Especially when it’s not really necessary.”
“Lovely, I’ve got plenty of money. That isn’t an issue. Having you and Mateo safe is what’s important.”
“I wouldn’t feel right hiring a bodyguard when I’m just paranoid.”
“What about my paranoia? You’re not the only one who worries. I’d feel a lot better if you had someone watching over the two of you. I’ll talk to Declan. See if we need to hire someone else or if he wants to handle it himself. Please, do this for me?”
If it would make him feel better . . . oh, who was she kidding? She knew it would help her feel more secure as well.
“All right. I’ll agree for both of our peace of mind. But this is a temporary measure. Once I feel better, I have the right to review the situation.”
“Agreed. Now, I believe there’s another situation that needs your immediate attention.”
She scanned his body to find his cock standing at attention.
“Wow, that was quick.”
“Told you,” he said. “I’m insatiable around you.”
“It must be my superpower, turning you on.”
He grinned. “You’re also the cure.”