Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Tess woke slowly, the smell of coffee enticing her to open her eyes.
Stretching, she was amazed her muscles were not protesting.
Gingerly getting out of bed, she made her way to the bathroom, glad to have a few minutes of privacy to take care of things.
Brushing her teeth, she avoided looking at herself in the mirror.
Embarrassment flooded through her as she remembered all they had done last night.
At first, she tried to convince herself she had not exactly been a willing participant.
Rory had certainly taken firm control, but her own sense of fairness forced her to admit she had come willingly to his bed.
Tess figured she had orgasmed more times last night than she had with her little toy in the last year, maybe longer.
Powerful and dominant, he had driven her to madness.
That was the only explanation she was willing to entertain for her uncharacteristic behavior.
When she thought of the places his lips had touched, the things his long fingers had done …
and, Dios, that pacifier, it was all she could do not to try to sneak from the house.
Surely, he would not want her now that she had become a wanton slut.
In her mind, there was no other name, no other way for her to describe herself.
No normal woman would allow a man to do such things to her.
Even now, just thinking about it, Tess could feel heat spreading through her tummy as moisture welled from her lower lips.
And the spanking, Tess thought, reaching back cautiously and lightly clutching her bottom.
Turning, she looked over her shoulder into the mirror, her barely pink cheeks surprising her.
She expected to see a much redder bottom and intended to call him out on it.
This blushing bottom showed no signs of abuse.
No bruises marred her skin and the warmth that remained seemed comforting somehow.
How could a woman complain that she had been wronged when she had screamed her desire and pleasure in hoarse, throaty howls?
Where was the evidence that he had mistreated her?
Certainly not in the condition of her body—a little whisker burn on her shoulder and between her thighs?
Slightly swollen nipples? Washing quickly, Tess put on an over-sized tee from her bag along with a clean pair of panties and ran to the bed.
Pulling the covers over her breasts she waited.
Rory was whistling when he entered the bedroom moments later. Sitting beside her on the bed he leaned over and kissed Tess before handing her a coffee.
“Morning, babe, be careful it’s hot,” he told her, not missing the fact that she was now dressed and huddled under the covers.
“Mmm, thank you,” Tess murmured, taking a sip. Grateful to have something to do with her hands that did not include fidgeting with the covers; she held the cup in both hands.
“I hope you’re not wearing panties in my bed, Tess. It would not be a good way to start the day,” Rory stated calmly, fixing her with his cool blue eyes.
Tess tried to stare him down, her chocolate brown eyes flashing in annoyance.
Her lips were pressed firmly together and she was holding her own until the corner of his mouth twitched and his eyebrow rose in challenge.
She got the distinct impression he would heartily enjoy enforcing his edict in the most basic of ways, with her bottom over his knees.
Huffing, she put her coffee cup into his outstretched hand.
Under the covers, she wiggled out of her panties.
Rory handed her back her cup and smiled.
“Good girl,” he said approvingly.
Taking the cup in one hand, Tess whipped her panties at his head. Snagging them out of midair, Rory brought them to his face and sniffed deeply.
“Sweet,” he declared, laughing when Tess blushed fiercely and dropped her chin to her chest, refusing to make eye contact. Rory allowed her several minutes to pout before his finger lifted her chin.
“Babe,” he gently chided. “Talk to me. What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” When Tess didn’t respond, Rory took the cup from her hand and set both drinks on the nightstand. Pulling back the covers he slipped in beside her, moving her toward the middle of the bed.
Tess, trying to remain stiff and cold was turned on her side, her head was pulled down onto his chest and her leg arranged over his pelvis, inches from his rapidly hardening cock. His arm around her slid down and cupped her bottom, forcing her bare pussy snuggly against his hip.
“Now, let’s get to the bottom of this, shall we?” he asked, patting her behind firmly. “Obviously, there is something on your mind and I’d just as soon get it out in the open. Why don’t you tell daddy all about it, hmm?” he asked chuckling.
Tess snorted. “You are about as far from acting like a ‘daddy’ as you can get,” she huffed.
“Now, now, don’t be so quick to make up your mind. I can rock you to sleep anytime you want and I did buy you a pacifier,” he reminded her, kissing the top of her head. “Maybe you need a daddy to keep you in line.”
“Rory, stop teasing me,” Tess insisted, giving him a jab with her elbow. “I already feel bad enough about the way I behaved last night, without you putting anymore naughty ideas into my mind.”
“What do you mean you feel bad about the way you behaved? What exactly do you think you did that was so wrong?” Rory asked mystified.
“I let you do things that were … Rory, normal people do not engage in the things we did last night, and I am sure normal women do not enjoy that sort of thing. There must be something wrong with me,” she said sadly. “I think in my heart, I must be a slut and just did not know it.”
Rory covered his laugh the best he could with a cough.
“Tess, babe, first of all, you did not let me do anything to you. I took what I wanted, did what I wanted, it’s as simple as that.
Secondly, don’t ever let me hear you refer to yourself in such a derogatory manner.
You are a beautiful, warm and loving woman.
There is not one thing I would change about you. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, but, Rory, I am so ashamed,” Tess confessed with a whimper.
“What could you possibly be ashamed of? You were wonderful.”
“I enjoyed it,” she whispered so softly he had to bend his head to hear her.
The fear Rory had refused to acknowledge melted and piercing joy flowed through him.
She enjoyed it! It couldn’t get any better than this.
He wanted to shout in triumph. All along he’d known last night was a risk.
Despite having Tess in his bed, claiming her lovely body, challenging her preconceived ideas of making love and watching her explode over and over again in his arms, there was always the chance she would wake up this morning and walk out of his life.
He realized he might not have been able to let her go.
Rory knew from experience that sometimes the protector evolved into the predator given the right set of circumstances.
It was hard to imagine himself as a criminal, but not impossible.
Would he have kept her by force? At least for a time, while trying to convince her that he was her man?
Sweet relief warmed his heart. Turning to face her, Rory kissed her tears away.
“Babe, there is absolutely nothing for you to be ashamed of. Last night was the best night of my life. You have no idea what it means to me to have you say you enjoyed it. There is nothing I want more than to bring you pleasure. Trust me, Tess, if you’re truly afraid or in pain, I’ll know it.
I will never take you farther than you can go and above all I will treasure you always.
Nothing two people in love do to please each other is dirty or wrong and certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
And if you ever refer to yourself as a slut again, I will paddle your behind. Do you understand?”
Tess shivered. Her heart was beating like a captured bird. Everything Rory said made sense. Logic told her she was acting like a repressed schoolgirl. It was not that she had not heard of strange bedroom behavior, she just assumed it was only porn stars that really indulged in this type of sex.
Now, she knew differently. She had experienced it for herself. Frightening, exciting, thrilling, Rory was all of these things, but best of all he was hers.
“Yes, I understand,” Tess answered breathlessly as her arms slid around his neck. “I will let you lead me, Rory, and try to be good.”
“Don’t be too good,” Rory groaned into her mouth. “I sure do like spanking your pretty ass.”
* * *
Bridget stood in front of the law office shivering.
Checking her watch, she saw it was exactly nine o’clock.
Where the fuck was Winston? He was never late.
Wishing she’d worn pants instead of a mini skirt, she huddled farther into the little alcove.
Yesterday it had been sixty-eight degrees, today forty.
Never trust an upstate weatherman. During November in New York you could be skiing or enjoying the sun.
You guess which one. Jesus, where was Winston?
Speaking of the devil, Winston came up the alley from the parking lot behind the office. Bridget watched as he walked to the sidewalk and then across to the walk leading to the building. God forbid he should cut across the lawn.
Halfway up the walk, Del spotted Bridget and stopped. Good grief, the day was just starting and already this, he thought. It was bad enough to get pulled over and given a ticket, now he would have to deal with Ms. O’Malley.
“Hurry up, Winston, I’m freezing,” Bridget called out, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jacket.
“I’m coming,” Del called back. Serves her right, he thought. “If you wouldn’t insist on wearing skirts that barely cover .…”
“Winston, you bad boy, are you checking out my ass?” Bridget replied, delighted.
“I most certainly am not,” Del informed her, scowling as he unlocked the door.
“I’m just stating the obvious, Ms. O’Malley.
If you would dress appropriately for the weather conditions, maybe you wouldn’t be freezing your …
ah derrière off. What are you doing here at this hour?
Where is Ms. Martinez?” he asked as he methodically put his umbrella in the holder and hung up his coat in the closet.
“I’m not sure. Nick called me this morning and asked me to cover for Tess this week. I think she spent the night with Rory, so she might very well need the rest of the week to recover,” Bridget giggled as she tossed her coat onto a chair.
Del raised a disapproving eyebrow as he picked up her coat and hung it neatly in the closet.
“Why aren’t you in school, Ms. O’Malley?
Skipping class again?” he inquired, determined to see her in the very worst light.
Turning away from the closet, his eyes located Bridget bent over, unzipping her ridiculously high boots, her bottom displayed for anyone in the vicinity.
“I’m on break for Thanksgiving,” she informed him, puffing her golden hair out of her eyes as she struggled with the other boot.
Straightening up, she opened her back-pack and pulled out a pair of equally high red stilettos and slipped into them.
The black stockings, red and black plaid mini skirt and her red sweater all combined to make her look incredibly naughty.
Winston noticed the red lipstick as she fluffed her curly hair around her shoulders. The shoes boosted her height about six inches, but she was still far shorter than him. As she approached him, he could feel himself start to perspire.
“I don’t always cut class, Winston. Only when I get a better offer,” she told him with a wink.
Watching her walk away was just as mesmerizing. Her hips swayed and Del wondered how he would survive the week. Picking up his briefcase, he positioned it in front of him, hiding his reaction.
“Anyway, why were you late today? I have it on good authority that you are always on time. Have a hot date last night?” Bridget teased. It really was too easy to get him flustered.
“I did not have a hot date,” he emphatically informed her. “I had the misfortune to be ticketed on my way to work.”
“Why, Winston, I do declare,” Bridget drawled in her best southern accent. “The very idea that you would disparage the law in such a way, why it just shocks me to my very core,” Bridget continued talking over her shoulder as she strolled to the break room to put on the coffee.
“I’d like to shock you to your very core,” Winston mumbled.
“Excuse me?” Bridget asked, leaning back to peek out of the doorway. Her eyebrows wiggling suggestively, her smile brilliant.
“Nothing, Ms. O’Malley, I’ll be in my office,” Del replied. Inside his office he shut the door firmly and leaned against it. A whole week with Bridget O’Malley? He was in deep shit.