“So it’s not just my red hair you like, huh?”
He chuckled. “No, it’s not just the hair.” He smoothed a hand over her belly, setting off little fires everywhere he touched. “Now, relax,” he growled as he began removing her clothes. “Leave everything for later. Think only of pleasure, Catherine, nothing more.”
Soon Catherine was totally nude, Dean’s strong, rough hands caressing her body and bringing her higher. “Touch me,” he whispered against her ear. She reached out with her right hand and smoothed it over his pectorals, running her fingers through the sprinkling of hair that littered his chest. She inched her leg up and over his, letting her sex slide along the side of his muscular thigh. Dean groaned his approval, and Catherine continued, encouraged by the deep sounds coming from him.
She teased her fingers down the front of him, giving herself free rein. In some dark part of her soul, Catherine wanted Dean at her mercy. She wanted him begging for her. Out of control.
“Jesus, you’re soft, Catherine,” Dean complimented. “Soft and lush and mine.” His hands skated over her overheated skin, toying with her belly button ring a few seconds before moving lower. “More,” he said. One second Catherine was lying next to him, and the next she was spread out on top of his huge body. He smiled at her surprise and kissed her tenderly. His lips, so warm and eager, tasted her as if he wanted to spend a good long time pleasuring each and every part of her with his mouth. Lips parted and tongues met in a wild mating dance, and all the while his hands massaged and caressed. When his fingers came within an inch of her clitoris, Catherine broke the kiss and opened her eyes. “Touch me, Dean,” she quietly urged.
“Always,” he murmured as he stroked her nether lips. Catherine’s body vibrated at the bare touch.
Catherine’s heart soared to the clouds and beyond at his one-word reply. She lay atop the wild and rugged Dean Harrison, his hands all over her, stroking and touching and driving her crazy with need. Hot damn.
22
C
atherine’s body began to climb higher and higher. She moaned his name. Dean cursed and went still. “What—”
“Shhh,” he said, his voice rough. “First things first.”
Unhappy with that ridiculous answer, Catherine slapped his chest. “I had hoped that would be first,” she replied, feeling woefully neglected.
He winked and asked, “Do you still want to be adventurous?”
With only a few days left to spend with the man, the answer came easily to Catherine. “Yes.”
In another heartbeat, she found herself flat on her back as Dean stood up and walked away from the bed. She waited, unsure what he would do next. He went to the closet again and retrieved a small wooden box. Intrigued, Catherine asked, “What is that?”
“Something for your pleasure.”
“I thought that’s what
you
were for,” she shot back, feeling naughty as she lay in wait for Dean to work his magic.
He grinned down at her. “Mmm, you’re in a mood, aren’t you?”
She couldn’t deny it. It’d been too long since she’d had him inside of her body. She was desperate for the connection. “Yes, so hurry.”
“Impatient little thing,” he crooned as he moved to sit on the bed beside her. She rolled to her side and propped her head on her hand to watch as he opened the box. She let out a startled squeek when he raised the lid. Enfolded in red velvet lay a dildo and a tube of lubricant.
“Uh, why do you have a dildo?”
He chuckled. “It’s for you, smart-ass. Have you ever imagined being with two men?”
Her face flamed at the carnal image, and she couldn’t bring herself to answer.
He leaned down and kissed her. “That’s what I thought. I can’t give you that though. I think you know me well enough by now to understand that I do not share well with others.”
She nodded, understanding completely, because she felt the same way about him. “Ditto.”
“So, since there is no chance in hell of you fulfilling that little fantasy, maybe this will suffice.”
When he lifted the flesh-toned toy from its bed of velvet and brought it between her legs, she stiffened. With tender care, Dean stroked her clit with it. Catherine was amazed to note its warmth. She’d thought it’d feel cold, but it didn’t. Of course, it wasn’t as if she’d never seen or felt a dildo before. After all, what single woman wasn’t familiar with one of those babies? Still, it was the first time she’d ever had a man use one on her during sex.
“Get up on all fours for me,” he murmured, his voice lowering an octave. “I’ll make it good, sweetheart, trust me.”
It was the
trust me
that did it. Despite what Dean had been through with his past girlfriends, he’d still been able to overcome it. He believed in her now. She could do no less for him.
Catherine obeyed, her blood racing, her body wild with anticipation. As she turned her head, Dean moved up behind her, then took out the lube and squirted a portion of it all the way down his hard cock. Catherine forced her gaze away as fear welled up inside her. She was worried she’d somehow disappoint him and scared she wouldn’t be able to go through with it.
Now on his knees, Dean stroked the seam between her buttocks with a single lubricated finger. A moan erupted from deep within as Catherine felt it drift back and forth over her puckered opening. Did she want him there? Could she possibly handle him and the toy both?
Dean covered her body with his and kissed the back of her neck. “I want to fuck your pretty ass, Catherine. Do you want that? My dick in that tight little hole?”
“God, Dean,” she whispered. “I don’t know.” She paused. “Yes, maybe . . . I’m not sure.”
“I’ll fuck it real slow and easy, while the dildo fills your hot pussy. Do you think you can handle both at the same time, sweets?”
“Dean, please . . . I-I’m not sure.”
“Yes, you are,” Dean urged, then he let his finger penetrate her, little by little, until he was buried deep inside her ass. She shuddered and pushed against him. “Oh, that feels . . . it feels so good,” she breathed out.
“Son of a bitch, Catherine,” he gritted out. His finger moved in and out, fucking her slow like he’d promised.
As Catherine started to think she could take no more of his teasing, one of Dean’s big, warm hands picked up the dildo and caressed her clit with it. She writhed and moved in time to his strokes. When she squeezed her bottom, Dean growled. “Such sweet torture you are, Catherine.”
Catherine couldn’t concentrate on Dean’s words. A second finger joined the first, penetrating deep, while the dildo slid back and forth over her nubbin. She felt every heated touch and stroke. Dean kept it slow at first, then faster, and soon a third finger entered her ass, stretching and preparing her for the thick invasion of his cock. Inhibitions dropped away as need rushed in and took command. She gyrated against Dean while he tormented her with the toy. When he leaned down and bit her hip, she lost it.
Her climax came from somewhere deep inside as Catherine screamed hard and loud, her back arching as her body flew apart. Everything she thought she knew about sexual pleasure seemed to pale in the wake of what she’d just experienced. Dean’s rough voice barely broke through the quagmire of her mind.
“I want this ass, Catherine,” Dean hissed, then he moved his fingers out of her and cupped her dripping mound. “Look at me, sweetheart.”
She turned her head, already limp and sweating from her orgasm, but when she saw the intensity, the insane yearning etched into his not-so-perfect features, her body went from sated to hungry all over again.
“You’re mine. From this moment forward, you belong to me.”
No words sprang to mind over such a bold claim, so she stayed silent. When the heavy weight of Dean’s cock entered her bottom and the thick toy nudged into her dripping pussy, inner muscles clenched up and she automatically attempted to close her legs, panicked and scared. It was too much, too soon.
“No, Dean,” she cried out, her body tensing further.
Dean pulled out instantly. “Shhh, sweets. We’re going to take it easy. There’s no rush, okay?”
Catherine relaxed a measure, relieved by Dean’s words. He slowly slid the toy deep inside her vagina and held it there, then leaned down and kissed her shoulder. She rocked against him, and when his tongue flicked over the sensitive spot behind her ear, the panic that had been riding her disappeared as her body hummed back to life.
“You will enjoy this,” he whispered into her ear, “you only need to have a little faith in me.”
“I do,” she said, unwilling for him to think any differently.
“No, you think I’m going to hurt you.”
She wanted to deny his claim, but he didn’t wait for a reply, only began stroking her hair and smoothing a palm down her arm and over her hip where he cupped her bottom and kneaded the plump flesh. She melted, giving them both what they needed. Her total surrender. Dean seemed to sense it, and he began to slowly glide his cock into her ass, even as the dildo filled her pussy.
“Fuck,” he growled as he pushed in an inch at a time, slow the way he promised, until soon he filled her completely.
Inner muscles stretched to accommodate his overwhelming size. Catherine felt utterly surrounded by Dean. Tethered to him in a way that had tears stinging her eyes. It was like nothing she’d ever experienced. The silky inner walls of her vagina were caressed with gentle thrusts from the toy as her ass gripped Dean’s cock. The taboo nature of what they were doing sent a rush of rapture through her.
“Reach between your legs and take hold of the dildo,” he said, his voice hoarse with passion. “I want you to fuck that tight pussy with it, Catherine.”
Catherine couldn’t speak as she took possession of the toy, and with each inward stroke of Dean’s dick, Catherine pulled the dildo outward, then thrust it back in again. Her inner muscles held them both snug.
“Christ, yeah,” Dean groaned as he thrust in and out, his moves becoming more frantic.
“I’m going to come,” Catherine moaned as she sped out of control.
“Now, sweets,” Dean growled, as he pushed into her again and again.
All at once, Catherine spiraled out of control as her orgasm slammed through her, sending her into oblivion shouting his name.
Dean thrust once more, deeper than before, filling her ass with hot jets of his come. Catherine could feel every spasm as his cock emptied inside of her. She knew the moment would be forever branded onto her heart and soul.
They were both breathing as if they’d sprinted up a mountain. A few deep breaths later and Dean carefully pulled the toy free and tossed it aside. They both collapsed onto the bed, Dean’s heavy body pinning her to the mattress. Catherine never wanted to move again. He brushed her damp hair from her face and kissed her cheek. “Mine,” he whispered against her overheated skin.
Catherine ached to respond in kind, but she simply didn’t have enough energy. She’d been sexed to death. Not a bad way to die, really.
23
T
he light filtering in through the window across the room dragged Dean back to the land of the living. He opened his eyes and caught Catherine awake and staring at him, a sweet smile on her face. “Morning,” he mumbled.
“Morning,” she said, her voice husky. Probably from all the screaming she’d done, Dean thought with a grin.
He kissed her forehead. “I would do better than that, but I have morning breath.”
She slapped a hand over her mouth and muttered something unintelligible. Dean pried it and away. “Huh?”
She turned her head in the other direction. “I said, I probably do too.”
As he stared at her, Dean thought about what all they’d done the night before. “Are you sore, sweets?”
She blushed and shook her head. “You made sure of that last night when you bathed me.”
Dean’s morning erection hardened further when he recalled how she’d quietly lay against him in his tub while he’d delicately washed her. “I—” Dean started to say, but his cell phone rang, interrupting him. He reached over and grabbed it on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Well, you asked for it,” Jonas said on the other end.
He sounded pissed, and Dean knew immediately what he was referring to. Catherine watched him with interest, and Dean was forced to keep his response vague. “You have something for me?”
“Yeah,” Jonas shot back, “and you aren’t going to like it.”
Dean went still. What could he possibly have found on Catherine? The bigger question was, did he really want to know now that their relationship had moved to the next level? He’d just poured his heart out to her the night before. She’d been so understanding, and Dean had felt like the luckiest bastard alive, considering she hadn’t blasted him for practically punishing her for another woman’s sins.
“You still there?”
Jonas’s voice in his ear pulled him out of his bleak thoughts. “I’ll meet you at the office in half an hour,” he said, hoping it wasn’t the biggest mistake of his life.
“Yeah, see you there.”
Dean hit END and tossed his phone back on the table. “I need to go in to work.” He turned toward her and saw the sadness in her eyes. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he murmured as he pulled her into his side. “I had hoped to spend the day with you.”
“It’s okay,” she replied, snuggling up close. “I didn’t really expect you to take the day off work. Besides, Gracie and I were going to do some girl stuff today.”
Dean played with the length of her hair. Jesus, he loved her hair. It was the stuff of fantasies. “Girl stuff?” he asked.
“Manicures, pedicures, waxing, that sort of thing.” She danced her fingers over his chest and said, “Should be fun.”
“Waxing?” Dean reached between them and cupped her mound in his palm. “Not here, I hope. I like these fiery-red curls.”
“God, no.” She shuddered. “I’m a total wuss when it comes to pain. Waxing that area is not my idea of a good time. No, I’m going to get my eyebrows waxed.”
“Good,” he growled as he became distracted with the feel of her beneath his hand. She hadn’t bothered to put her panties back on after they’d made love. “I could get used to waking up to this every morning, sweets,” he whispered against the top of her head as he teased her clit with his thumb.
“Me too,” she said in a barely-there voice.
Dean felt a trickle of moisture and knew she was turned on. “How about I give you something to think about while you’re out with Gracie today?”
“I-I would like that,” she murmured as she reached down and pressed his hand more firmly against her pussy. “God, you have the most talented fingers.”
Dean yanked off the covers and whispered, “My fingers thank you.” As he sat up and moved between her smooth, supple thighs, he looked his fill. Catherine’s red curls glistened with her juices. He took her swollen clitoris between his forefinger and thumb and gently squeezed. She moaned and grabbed at the bed on either side of her body. “Oh, yes, like that,” she whimpered.
“I need a taste of your sweet cream. Something to keep me from craving you every second of the day.” Her plump nether lips were totally exposed to his view, and Dean spread her legs wide, then lowered his head, licking her clit and her soft, puffy pussy lips. Her legs moved to rest on his shoulders, and Dean hummed his approval. He held her firmly in place and tasted her tangy flavor on his tongue.
“I’ve never sampled anything as sweet as you,” he whispered.
Dean inhaled her womanly scent and sucked her clit in between his teeth, nibbling on her. Catherine’s hands flew to his head, clutching and grasping handfuls of his hair in stinging desperation for more. When his tongue thrust between her folds, she seemed to lose it completely, pushing against his face and undulating as he tongue-fucked her. A few more licks to her clit and Catherine burst wide, screaming and straining against the unyielding hold his hands had on her soft thighs.
He stayed still and stared up at her as she became lost in the delirious aftermath of her orgasm. Dean kept his mouth against her wet mound while she gained control. When Catherine collapsed back, the muscles in her thighs going slack as they fell open, her hands dropping back to the bed, Dean kissed her clit and lifted up. His gaze took in everything. Her satisfied smile, the perspiration on her forehead. She made the most tempting picture. She looked nearly asleep, but when Dean dipped his finger into her slippery opening, her eyes flew open. “Ah, there you are,” he said as he pulled it back out and brought it to her lips. He rubbed her lube all over her mouth, then leaned down and kissed her clean. Catherine moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down on top of her. Just as her breasts came into contact with his chest, he caught himself and stopped.
Dean raised his head, regret filling him as he said, “I need to go, sweetheart.”
Catherine went still. “Wow, I already forgot.” She swatted him on the arm. “See what happens to my brain when you’re around?”
He chuckled. “I have a pretty redhead naked in my bed. Do you think my brain isn’t total mush right now?”
A wicked gleam lit her eyes. “Maybe I should try and make you forget about work.”
That easily, Dean had an image of her mouth wrapped tight around his cock, and it nearly blocked out all rational thought. “I really want to take you up on that right now,
really,
but it’s going to have to wait until later. There will be a later, right? I want to see you.”
She nodded. “I was hoping you’d say that. Want to call my cell when you’re finished? We can plan a time to meet.”
“Sounds good to me.” Dean leaned down and kissed her once more. He let his tongue drift out and tease her lower lip and they both groaned. “I’m going to be late,” he muttered. “I should give a damn about that, but I don’t.”
She pushed at his chest and smiled. “Go, you can’t keep your employees waiting.”
Guilt washed over him, knowing he wasn’t going to his office to work but to meet Jonas instead, and they’d be discussing her.
Dean got off the bed and started getting out clothes. “Tonight, you and I are going to do something a little different,” he said, as he tossed a pair of jeans onto the bed. “Are you up for it?”
She sat up and pulled her legs into her body and wrapped her arms around them, hindering his view of her lovely tits. “That depends on what it is,” she replied, tilting her head to the side. “I draw the line at standing on my head, running down Main Street naked, and orgies.” She shrugged. “Other than that, I’m good.”
He reached over and tweaked her nose. “Nothing quite that crazy, but do you remember when we talked about handcuffs, spankings, and role-playing?”
All signs of teasing vanished, and her green eyes were once again filled with desire. “Uh, I couldn’t very well forget a discussion like that, Dean.”
He grabbed a gray T-shirt from the bottom drawer of his dresser and slipped it over his head. “Well, that’s sort of what I have in mind.”
He yanked his jeans up his legs and turned toward her. She was watching him. He took his time zipping and buttoning his fly. When Catherine licked her lips, Dean had to bite back a smile. “Catherine?”
“Hmm?”
“Did you hear me?”
“What?”
“Role-playing, spankings,” he reiterated.
“Oh, uh, yeah. I’m not sure about that, Dean.”
“That’s what you thought about the dildo, but it turned out okay, right?”
She rested her chin on her knees and said, “It turned out better than okay. Still, I’m just not sure I want to be as adventurous as what you’re implying.”
“I understand. You do have to be able to leave your inhibitions at the door. And you would need to trust me, completely.” He paused, then added, “How about if you think about it?”
She frowned and pulled the covers over her. “I suppose I could do that.”
Dean sat down on the bed next to her. “Think on it today while you’re out with Gracie. For me.”
She smiled. “Only for you.”
Dean’s possessive side loved those three little words. He reached out and toyed with her hair. “There’s something I want you to read.”
He got off the bed and crossed the room, then grabbed a book from a shelf along the far wall. He took it back to her and handed it over. “Here, read this. Chapters twenty-eight through thirty-two, to be specific. I think you’ll find them . . . informative.”
“The Adventures of Mira,”
she said, reading the title aloud. “What is it about?”
“A man and woman who like to play sexual games. The master and slave type.”
Her face flamed, and she dropped the book onto the bed as if it were a snake. “Oh,” she mumbled. “That’s . . . nice.”
Dean reached out and cupped her cheek. “Read the chapters, Catherine. If you hate it, then we’ll forget I ever brought it up.”
She bit her lip and looked down at her lap. “Will you be disappointed if I don’t like it?” She peeked up at him. “I mean, I’m not sure I could play those types of games.”
Dean winked. “Sweetheart, there are about a million other sexual things I can think of where you’re concerned. I have a very vivid imagination. If you don’t feel comfortable with this one, then we’ll scrap the idea and go to idea number one hundred and ten. My pleasure comes from your pleasure. It’s as simple as that.”
She laughed, but Dean could tell she was worried. “You’re sure?”
“I’m positive,” he said, hoping to alleviate her concerns. “Just read the chapters and we’ll talk. No pressure, no expectations. Got it?”
She nodded.
Dean wrapped an arm around her middle and drew her close, then covered her mouth with his. He forced her lips apart and swept inside, needing a bigger taste of her on his tongue before he left her to meet with Jonas. Their tongues teased and Dean’s dick went hard all over again. With the last shred of willpower he had left, Dean released her. “God Almighty, your mouth would tempt a saint.”
“Right back at ya,” she whispered.
He stood up and pointed to the bed. “Stay as long as you want. Use the shower, raid the fridge, whatever.”
“And read the book,” she helpfully supplied.
He wagged his eyebrows. “Definitely read the book,” he said, then he left, lest he be tempted to skip the meeting and spend the day in bed with the seductive woman. It wasn’t until he was in his truck and down the road that it dawned on him what he’d done. He’d left a woman in his house alone. He hadn’t done that since he’d been living with Linda.
“Damned if she hasn’t sneaked right under my radar,” he said to himself, a stupid grin on his face. But when he thought about where he was headed and why, the grin swiftly vanished. He’d pried into her life like a dog with a bone. What the hell had he been thinking? If a woman had done that to him, he’d be livid. If he screwed up with Catherine, Dean knew he’d be doomed to a life alone, because no way in hell could any woman ever hold a candle to her.