Authors: Mari Carr
“You’ve been back in New Orleans for years. You saw my book. You knew I was still here. Why didn’t you call me?”
She sounded so genuinely hurt, it made Blake’s chest ache. “I didn’t think you’d forgive me.”
She lifted her head. “You were wrong.”
He gave her a tentative grin, hope blossoming. “So you do forgive me?”
She shook her head.
His brow creased. “You don’t?” For a moment, he felt lost. If she couldn’t understand his reasons for stealing the money, everything they once had was truly lost.
“It doesn’t matter if I forgive you, Blake. I’m pretty sure I stopped being mad at you the second my mother said you paid her the money back. I wouldn’t have had sex with you otherwise.”
He felt the urge to laugh, but his gut told him something was still wrong.
Chloe cupped his cheek in her hand. “It’s not
my
forgiveness that matters. You have to forgive yourself, Blake. You stayed away because you were trying to do penance, right?”
Her words hit him like a ton of bricks. Had he done that? Had he let guilt for his actions stop him from searching for her, for happiness? For love? “I’m not sure what to say.”
Chloe gave him a wicked grin that told him exactly how much of a fool he’d been to stay away. “You could always start with ‘You’re right’.”
He chuckled. “I’m pretty sure I’d be smart to use those words sparingly.”
She gave him a light punch on the arm. “Blake.”
“You’re right, Chloe. I’ve been letting guilt guide my decisions. I was wrong to do that.”
Chloe leaned closer and kissed him, showing him with actions rather than words that all truly was forgiven between them. It was a gift Blake had never let himself hope for.
For the first time in six years, he felt like he’d truly come home.
Blake reached for her, pulling her onto his lap. He had obviously reached the same realization she had. The time for talking was over. One main benefit of the rain was it had helped them shed the clothes early on. Blake was naked, his skin warm against hers.
He kissed her gently at first. An apology. Chloe accepted it, offering her own in return. She was sorry for doubting him. For failing to believe in the man she’d known he was. Both of them had let pride and the exaggerated emotions of youth—the ones that believe every problem is insurmountable and the worst thing that could ever happen—take control.
Chloe met Blake’s tongue halfway, letting the passion of the kiss build as she turned. Straddling his body, her knees on the cushions by his ass, she relished the hardness of his cock as it brushed her pussy, her stomach.
She’d spent too many years settling for lackluster sex. Chloe could see now she was to blame for those passionless affairs. Sex was way hotter when you were in love.
Love.
She broke the connection of their lips. She was wrong. There was still one more thing left to say.
Blake scowled at her retreat, clearly not finished. He started to pull her face back to his, but she resisted. “Chloe?”
“I love you.”
His smile grew so wide, Chloe couldn’t help but return it. “Say it again.”
She lifted one eyebrow. “I think I’d be smart to use those words sparingly at first.”
Blake laughed, shifting her until the head of his cock rested at the opening of her body. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
She glanced down, intent on taking her prize, with or without his permission. She started to slide down, but Blake’s grip on her waist tightened, holding her in place. Dammit. She kept forgetting how strong he was.
When her gaze met his again, she saw something almost like sorrow in his eyes. “Blake?”
“I’m going to be greedy for a while, Chloe. I can’t help it. I want too much from you.”
She understood the sentiment. She shared it. “We’ll be gluttons together. I love you. I love you so much it hurts. And if you ever try to leave me again, I will hunt you down to the end of the earth and I’ll—”
Blake cut off her threat with a kiss. “Never gonna happen, but you know…there are laws against threatening a police officer.”
She returned his kiss with interest, nipping his lower lip. “Oh yeah? Handcuff-worthy laws?”
Blake chuckled. “Definitely.”
He loosened his grip on her waist, using his hands to guide her, drawing her body down onto his cock. Both of them gasped once he was fully seated. Her position on top left her wide open and able to take him deeper. It still didn’t feel like enough.
She lifted up a few inches then slid back down slowly, savoring Blake’s pained expression, his quick intake of air.
He gave her a warning look. “Are you really sure you want to play the control game, Chloe?”
She recognized the threat. She’d been trying to force his hand ever since they’d walked into the apartment, daring him to take charge.
Regardless of the danger, it was a challenge she couldn’t refuse. After so many years apart, she felt the need to test him, to see if he was still the dominant lover she remembered. Craved.
However, she needed him to understand that she had changed. While she still wanted to submit to him, she wasn’t the weak, inexperienced little girl he’d taken all those years ago. She wouldn’t bend to his will easily. She intended to make him work for it.
Chloe rose once more, returning even slower, taking the time to tighten her inner muscles. Blake felt it. The stiffness of his posture told her that while he may appreciate her efforts, he was determined to come out on top.
She repeated her seductive slide a third time, adding her breasts to the game as she leaned forward, rubbing them against his face.
Blake’s tenuous grip on control slipped a bit as his hands found her ass, his fingers digging into the flesh there. She expected him to try to seize power. After all, it was clear he needed her to move faster, harder. She wanted that too.
Unfortunately, the damn man was too astute. She should have known better than to play with a cop and his instincts. His grip on her ass loosened, though he didn’t move them away. Instead, he reached farther around her, his fingers slipping into the crease.
She gasped when he parted the twin globes, dragging one finger lower.
Their sexual experiences ten years earlier had been cut short. Chloe had always wished there had been more time for them to explore their kinkier desires. Now, at last, there was.
“Who’s in charge, Chloe?” His voice was deep, dark, tinged with a hint of menace.
She wasn’t afraid. She smiled and continued her painfully slow glide up and down his cock. “I’m not sure.”
He leaned closer, his teeth capturing one of her nipples. She gasped when he started to press down. She felt Blake’s gaze on her face. One of the reasons she felt safe exploring these games with him was because she knew he would never let it go too far. He read her face, protected her…even from herself. Her hands tightened on his shoulders and he released her.
“Do you want to reconsider your answer?”
She bit her lip, pretending to think. Then she shook her head.
“Good girl.”
She didn’t understand his pleasure until he lifted her off his cock, twisted her quickly, and tossed her facedown over his lap. Before she could even consider escaping, his hand struck her bare ass three times. Chloe gripped Blake’s calf, torn between halting the spanking and begging for more. It hurt more than she’d expected, but not so much that she couldn’t feel her arousal sparking, flaring.
Blake stroked the heated flesh, his fingers surprisingly gentle after his hard blows. Then he repeated the motions, striking her ass three more times before caressing the skin again.
Her stomach clenched in anticipation when he raised his hand, her body readying itself for more. He paused. She knew the game. He wanted her to ask for it, to beg. She lifted her head, glancing at him over her shoulder.
“Who’s in charge, Chloe?”
She narrowed her eyes, not ready to give in yet. She let her silence answer the question.
Blake grinned at her stubbornness, clearly enjoying the struggle for power. He lifted her from his lap—much to her dismay—pulling her up until she straddled his lap once more.
He guided his cock to her pussy, using a strong grip on her waist to press himself inside her. Fully seated, he held her in place, refusing to let her move.
“Are you on the Pill?”
She nodded.
“Are you okay with not using the condom?”
“Yes.”
His strong hands held her down despite her attempts to move. She needed friction, thrusting, anything. Her pussy clenched against his cock, seeking more, but Blake held steady.
“Blake,” she snapped, her temper firing. “Fuck me. Now.”
He leaned toward her, nipping her earlobe in warning. “That’s not a very nice way to ask. Who’s in charge, Chloe?”
She continued her struggle, wiggling her hips as much as his hands would allow…which wasn’t anywhere near enough.
“Hand the reins over to me and I’ll give you everything you want.”
It was the most tempting offer she’d ever received in her life. Given her rather powerful personality, she’d only managed to attract men who expected her to control every aspect of her life—professionally, personally…and sexually. She was damn tired of being on top.
Still, her pride made it hard for her to give in so easily. Even if she was cutting off her nose to spite her face. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him what he wanted to hear, but Blake must have decided her time was up.
He lifted her off his cock then grasped her hand in his. He tugged her to her bed, where he pulled back the covers and tossed her into the middle of the mattress. She started to sit, but he held his hand up, halting her.
“Don’t move. Not one muscle. If you do, I’m going to demonstrate the difference between a spanking to stimulate and a spanking to punish. Understand?”
She nodded, the sadist in her really wanting to test that limit. Instead, she decided to let this game play out. She lay on the bed and watched as he rifled through her dresser. He found what he was seeking in the second drawer.
Chloe closed her eyes, fighting her growing arousal when he came back to the bed, scarves in hand. He used one to bind her wrists together then he tied them outstretched above her to the headboard. She wiggled, trying to loosen the knot, but Blake knew his stuff.
She startled, her gaze flying to his face when his hands pressed her legs apart and he knelt between them. She read his intent as he looked down at her pussy. He looked a bit like a man surveying the all-you-can-eat bar. She giggled.
Blake paused, his mouth quirking up at the corners. “You find bondage funny?”
She shook her head. “Not really. I’m excited and edgy. My mind is whirling a million miles a minute, thinking about ridiculous things. I’m a nervous giggler.”
“Maybe I should try to distract you.” With that, he bent down, his tongue finding her clit on the first stroke.
Her hips reared up, but Blake’s hands were there, holding her against the mattress. Though he hadn’t restrained her feet, Chloe didn’t pretend that she wasn’t truly helpless. Blake had complete control of her body, his own personal plaything. That idea didn’t frighten her at all. It made her even hotter.
Blake ran his tongue along her slit from ass to clit and back again. She felt consumed, possessed. Chloe closed her eyes, but that didn’t stop her from feeling Blake’s head shake.
“No, Chloe. Open your eyes. Watch me.”
She obeyed. The command forced her to see as well as feel. It was a potent combination. Most men viewed this act as a chore. Blake clearly did not. He pressed his tongue inside her pussy and she bit her lip, fighting not to come so quickly. She was trying to play hard to get, but that game would only work if she didn’t have an orgasm every time Blake looked in her direction.
Then she wondered why she was resisting. Blake was a very generous lover, never stopping when she’d come just once. She released a long breath and gave herself over to the magic of his lips, tongue and fingers. She was seconds away from complete bliss when Blake pulled away.
She frowned. “Wait.”
“Who’s in charge, Chloe?”
Damn him. He had her over a barrel and he knew it. She didn’t bother to protest. This game was over before it started. “You are.”
He smiled, the expression transforming his entire face. He was so handsome he took her breath away. The tight lines around his mouth, the haunted look in his eyes had faded. She suspected it would take some time before they vanished for good. Maybe they never would. Given Blake’s painful childhood, perhaps he’d never totally escape the bad memories. But she sure as hell intended to distract him for the next fifty years or so.
“Remember you said that.” He spoke lightly enough, but there was something behind the warning that triggered alarm bells.
“Okay.”
“You’re not to come without permission.”
And that was the sound of the other shoe falling. He gave her a wicked wink then resumed his place between her legs, driving her arousal higher and higher, while offering no reprieve.
She was trembling and panting, begging, but Blake ignored her. His tongue wiggled against her clit as he drove three fingers inside her, deep and hard. Just when she knew she’d fail, he withdrew, giving her time to recover before starting the same glorious torture over. And over. When he dragged one wet finger lower, pressing it just inside her anus, she felt a tear slide down her cheek.
“Blake. Please.”
Chloe wasn’t sure what he heard in her voice, but he lifted his head. “Come, baby.”
With that, he pushed the finger at her ass in all the way while pressing his tongue inside her pussy. She thrashed and cried out loudly as her body exploded into a million bright, shiny pieces.
The moment she came down, Blake was there. He untied her arms then thrust his cock in with one strong push. She was back up in an instant, her body reacting to his hard fucking as if she hadn’t just had the most incredible orgasm in the history of sex.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs about his waist. She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to cling to him. Maybe she was still harboring some fears of her own. She didn’t believe he’d leave her again, but even as she thought it, she realized her heart wouldn’t survive losing him.