Stripper: The Fringe, Book 4 (33 page)

“I want to possess you. I want you utterly submissive to me.” Nudging her again and again, he demanded, “Be my willing whore.” He bit the side of her neck, then sucked the tender flesh to his mouth.

With a groan and a stifled scream, Diane nodded.

“Not good enough. Tell me.”

“I’m yours.”

“My what?” He bit her neck again.

“Your princess, your whore.” Breathless, Diane begged, “Fuck me, Duster.”

Fighting down a need to penetrate her, he continued to tease her until she wriggled in desperation beneath him.

“Please, Duster, I’ll do what you want, say anything—”

All at once, he thrust himself into her.

She gasped.

“Like that, do you?” Before she could answer, he kissed her hard and plunged within her again. “Open wider for me.” When she did, he rocked himself into her greedy, grasping body. To stifle his own screams of pleasure, he had to lower his face to her shoulder and smother his cries against her. Ripe, raw, vulgar expletives he muttered against the safety of her shoulder. She did the same against his shoulder until they were nothing but hissing, mating animals.

Faster and faster, he worked his body against hers. Angling himself up and back, he pushed his hand between them and rubbed her clit hard until she climaxed. Once she did, he gripped her hips and pounded her with a frenzy. Thrust after wicked thrust, he finally allowed himself to succumb to the swelling need inside.

Rapture.

Seven years of fantasy and need culminated. His whole body surged forward as he climaxed. Wave after wave rippled through him. For a brief moment, he collapsed his entire weight on her as he forced her legs around him; then he rolled over, taking her with him.

Softly, he stroked her hair back and kissed her. “Did I hurt you?”

“No.” Diane laughed softly, dazed. “You can do that to me any time you want. Wifely duties? If that’s one of them, I’m all for it.” She teased her fingertips over his face. “I felt crazy with lust and need. Seven years was an eternity.”

“I know. I felt the same way.” A curious, passionate anger had compelled him. Curling their bodies together, he sighed. “You know I didn’t mean it. I don’t expect you to be my willing—”

With a finger to his lips, she stopped him. “I know that. When I ask you to talk dirty to me, you better remember that’s what I like.”

“The way you looked on top of me, the way your need overtook you… You were damn near howling.”

Her eyes went wide as she cast her gaze to their bedroom door. “You don’t think I woke up Scott?”

“I doubt it. Like I said, he was asleep before he hit the pillow. Besides, I bit your scream down. Had to bite back my own screams.” He curled her closer. “At some point, we’ve got to arrange things so we can make as much noise as we want.”

“That would be a first. We never could make noise on the
Damn You
either.” Diane slid her hand down his chest. “I remember once when we only had a few minutes together. You pressed me to the wall, yanked up my skirt, shoved aside your pants, then took me standing up.” She shivered. “It was sexy and exciting, especially what you said.”

Duster got hard just thinking about how he’d hissed crude and vulgar words to her ears as he thrust into her. “We could have gotten caught.”

“I know. That’s what made it so exciting.”

For a long time, Duster held her, kissing her lips and face, the curve of her neck. “It’s strange. I should be exhausted after this long day, but I’m not.”

Diane cupped his hardening penis. “I can feel that.”

He slid his hand between her legs. “I can feel that it’s mutual.”

She angled close, lifted her leg, then drew him inside. He couldn’t help it— he groaned. Rather than his own fist around his prick, he found her slick passage.

“Slower this time,” he begged.

“We can try.” Diane rocked herself against him. Pulling with her leg, wriggling her body close, she coiled herself around him. She gripped his cock even tighter when she flexed her inner muscles.

“Diane, that feels—”

Whatever he wanted to say, she cut off with a kiss as she continued to tighten and release his whole damn body.

Tearing her mouth from his, she angled her lips to his ear. “Talk dirty to me, Duster.”

And he did. He talked until his voice grew hoarse and both of their bodies were completely released of all tensions. Duster had no idea what time it was when they finally wore themselves out and started to drift off. All he knew was that he was thoroughly satisfied. Whatever fear Diane had about having more children had apparently been resolved, which pleased him. He wanted more kids, and he didn’t want her to be afraid.

But then that little voice, the one that always seemed to pipe up and cast doubt, wondered how a woman who had given birth could still be so…tight. The more he tried to dismiss the thought, the deeper the tiny burrs of the notion dug into his gray matter. He’d gotten a damn good look at Diane in the bathroom and when she’d been riding him. If she’d had a cesarean, there was no scar on her belly.

His rational side spoke up and said that there were all kinds of surgeries she could have had to remove any scars or heal any damage. Berating himself for his suspicions, especially when she’d been honest with him about her fears, he rolled over, spooned up behind her and fell asleep.

Three short beeps followed by a brief pause woke him up. Bleary-eyed, he peered down at his wrist com. Beside him, Diane stirred and sat up.

“Well, at least he waited for a relatively decent hour.” Duster opened the com. “Good morning, Michael.”

“I need you here at base.”

Funny, his voice wasn’t in his usual range of extremely bossy or even mildly demanding. Michael sounded resigned, almost defeated.

“Is Mary okay?”

“She’s fine. I need to see you and Diane here.”

Diane stiffened beside him, and her eyes went wide.

“Why?” Duster didn’t like this at all. He had a terrible feeling that whatever Michael had smelled on Diane, he was about to reveal, whether Duster wanted to hear the information or not.

“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

“You didn’t ask, you ordered.”

Michael sighed. “Please come to base command.”

A chill of foreboding made Duster wrap the blankets around himself a little bit tighter. To his recollection, Michael had never acquiesced to social niceties so promptly. Whatever he had to say must have been unpleasant indeed.

“We’ll be there, but we have to find a sitter for Scott.”

“Bring him with you.”

Diane clutched his hand. Short hairs bristled along Duster’s neck. “No, he can go over to the MacKays’.” After hosting their boys yesterday, Duster hoped they wouldn’t mind returning the favor.

“That’s fine.”

Michael’s calm acceptance only aggravated Duster’s deep-seated concern. “See you soon.” He pulled his hand away from Diane’s and flipped off his wrist com.

“I swear, I didn’t do anything.”

And Duster understood then what it would be like for her. Every time something came up, she would wonder what she was being accused of. So would he. There had to be a way to move past this. He couldn’t abide a lifetime of doubting her.

“I know you didn’t.” He lifted and kissed her hand. “I trust you.”

Her eyes went even wider than they had during Michael’s call. “You do?”

“I do.” And he did. The choices she’d made all those years ago were the best she’d been able to do at the time. She hadn’t deliberately tried to hurt him. Diane had done her best, and he couldn’t keep that kernel of anger alive if they were going to survive as a couple. And beyond anything else, he wanted them to have a long and happy life together. “Let’s get cleaned up, have breakfast and then go and see what Michael wants.”

Diane took a deep breath and nodded.

“Hey, it might not be something bad.” He smiled, but it felt as false as the smile Diane flashed at him.

After separating to shower—otherwise they’d forget all about going anywhere for a few hours—they met up in the kitchen where they ate a minimal breakfast. After talking with Sherry MacKay, Duster took Scott over, and then he and Diane entered his shuttle.

“Relax. We’re probably making a big deal over nothing.”

“Right. Because Michael often calls you first thing in the morning demanding you come to his office to give you good news.”

Duster didn’t answer mainly because he didn’t know what to say. It was a short, silent ride to base. Before Diane exited, he took her hand and held it.

“What are we waiting for?”

“I just want a minute.”

They sat in
Scuttlebutt
, holding hands, for a good five minutes. Duster wasn’t trying to drag things out as much as he was trying to center himself for what was coming. One way or another, he knew this wasn’t going to be pleasant. Perhaps this was payback for all the grief Duster had given Michael over Mary.

“Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Diane exited from her side, and he followed suit on his side. They met up at the back end of the shuttle and again joined hands.

After clearing security and working their way along the massive hallways, they finally made their way to Michael’s office. The two guards on duty were obviously expecting them, because they opened the double-hung doors without being asked.

Michael was sitting behind his desk rather than on top. Duster couldn’t decide if that was bad or good. His hopes sank when he realized Michael had emptied his office of guards. All the op-pans were off. The silence was the loudest thing Duster had ever heard.

Michael looked up when they entered. “Thank you for coming.” He nodded to the two chairs in front of his desk.

After seating Diane, Duster moved his chair closer to her and settled in. “What’s this all about?”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Michael opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Diane clenched her hands into fists but kept them from Duster’s sight by hiding her hands in the voluminous folds of her dress. Michael couldn’t see her lap from behind his desk, which was good, but she mainly didn’t want Duster to know how angry and afraid she was.

When Michael continued to sit silently looking at the two of them, she balled her fists tighter as if to prepare herself for the worst. She thought Michael was only delaying to torment her.

Duster reached over and firmly took her hand in his. He smiled at her and nodded sharply as if to say whatever it was, they were united. She wanted to return that sentiment, but she couldn’t. Michael said he would stand back and watch her destroy her dreams, but apparently it wasn’t happening fast enough for him.

Turning her attention to Michael, she was surprised by what she discovered. After a long moment of really looking at him, Diane realized whatever he thought he knew didn’t seem to fill him with joy. If Michael had something on her, he’d be beyond thrilled to give that information to Duster, but Michael wasn’t gloating. If anything, he looked sad.

“I have a vile reputation because I earn it.” Michael stood, forcing both of them to crane their heads back. “More often than not, I act first and consider the consequences later.”

“What did you do?” Duster’s hand tightened around hers, and she squeezed back.

Michael walked away from his desk, his hands clasped behind his back. “I wanted to destroy you, Diane.” After a beat of silence, he turned and faced her. “I was so convinced you would hurt Duster again that I was willing to help you do it.”

Her heart didn’t know whether to speed up or stop, so it seemed to be trying to do both simultaneously.

“What did you do, Michael?” This time, Duster’s voice had a sharp edge. He clutched her hand so hard she uttered a cry and pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry,” Duster said to her while keeping his gaze on Michael.

“I smelled something on Diane, and I wanted to prove that I was right, so I sent my operatives to the hospital on Dahank.”

Fear melted into utter confusion. The only thing Michael would have found there was the truth behind her difficult birth with Scott.

Duster flashed her a curious glance, but she was relieved to find not one trace of hostile suspicion. What Duster had said earlier seemed to be true—he trusted her. And in that moment, she knew whatever was coming they would face together.

Returning to his desk, Michael touched a small pile of papers. “I wanted to expose you.” Golden-brown eyes drilled right into her eyes with such intensity she almost winced. “I wanted Duster to know that you hadn’t changed one bit.”

“Damn it, Michael.”

Michael cut him off by raising his hand.

Diane struggled to take a breath. “I never meant to hurt him or you.”

“I know.”

Diane felt as if the ground had suddenly shifted. “What?” Had she gotten this wrong and Michael was actually forgiving her?

“I went looking for indisputable truth to the accusation that I had kept to myself. I thought if I had proof, Duster would have no choice but to believe me and cast you out.”

As much as she didn’t want to ask, she found herself asking, “Proof of what?”