ChasingCassie (13 page)

“You know, I do have an idea. I’m going to need some help,
though.” She quietly outlined her plan to Ella. When she was finished, Ella let
out a small whoop.

“And here I thought you were such a nice girl.”

Chapter Ten

Two days later, her plan was ready to go. Her nerves were
wound so tight she felt a little lightheaded and ill. She could do this,
though. She had to do this. It was time to show Jay that she wasn’t a pushover.
If she let him continue bossing her around then she’d never break him of the
habit.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want his protection, she did. But
he was overwhelming her with his hovering.

Guilt gnawed at her. She’d heard so many women complain
about how little attention they received from their husbands and boyfriends.
Their men went to work, they came home, ate, drank, watched TV, went to bed,
and that was it. She didn’t want that, to be ignored. But she needed to have
her views heard and taken seriously. To do that, though, she had to first get
his attention.

Boy was she going to get his attention.

Looking at herself in the mirror one last time, she took a
fortifying breath, almost pitching her breasts out of the cups of the miniscule
gown Ella had given her. Cassie had never owned anything so provocative, so
revealing and so incredibly sexy in her life. Pinching her cheeks to add color,
she winked at herself. She felt attractive. The crimson-colored nightie
stretched tightly over her breasts then flowed out from her body in a wave of
sheer, soft lace. She was bare beneath the lace, which ended midway down her
thighs. Red high heels were an added touch she would never have thought of, but
Ella had insisted she borrow them.

Moving toward the closed bedroom door, Cassie looked back at
the bed, making certain everything was ready. Taking a deep breath, she opened
the door, her gaze drawn to where Jay sat on the sofa, flicking through the TV
channels.

She knew it was tough on him, being here when the pack
needed him at home. They hadn’t figured out who had bombed the shop yet, but Jay
said Cooper was waiting for Dusty to come home to organize a pack gathering.
Hopefully, the werewolf who bombed the shop belonged to one of the packs nearby
and Dusty would be able to pinpoint who he or she was.

She’d tried to convince Jay to go back to the estate. That
she would follow. But he refused every time, and each day he got grouchier and
more overprotective. She knew he liked to be in control. As an enforcer, he was
used to taking care of others, taking charge. It was instinct, second nature. But
Ella was right, if she let him get away with this behavior now, it would send
him the wrong message. He would think that he could act this way all the time.
No way was she going to have that.

“Jay,” she whispered huskily. His gaze rose, his eyes widening
with astonishment. His mouth dropped open slightly as he stared over at her.

“Umm,” he murmured. Hunger was clearly etched on his face
and she felt her body stir in reply. Their sex life had suffered since he’d
started behaving like an overprotective idiot. But her attempt to punish him by
withholding herself was backfiring on her. She was suffering just as badly as
he was, if not more. “Come here.” She beckoned at him with a finger, feeling a
bit foolish—after all, what did she know about seduction?

He rose suddenly and walked toward her, his gaze roaming her
body. His reaction was everything she could have hoped for and more.

As he walked toward her, she quickly took a step back,
avoiding his reaching hands. She had to remain in complete control.

Which was much, much harder than it sounded.

“What? I’m not allowed to touch?” He followed her to the
bed, his gaze hungry. She dangled the eye mask from her fingers and waved
toward the bed where two fluffy sets of handcuffs were already attached and
dangling from the iron rungs of the headboard.

“No, you’re not. Now lie down like a good boy.”

His eyes narrowed, the arousal in them clearing for a
second. She forced herself not to panic, knowing he’d be able to hear her heart
race.

“Don’t you have to go to work soon?”

“Let me worry about that,” she purred, her hands moving to
undo his belt, deliberately not answering. She didn’t want to be forced into a
lie, knowing he’d sense it.

Surprisingly, he let her strip him without another word, his
gaze, piercing in its intensity, locked on her face. When he lay back and let
her cuff him to the bed, she almost sighed in relief. Instead, she covered her
reaction with a long, searching kiss that left them both panting like
racehorses after a heat.

Barely holding back a grin, Cassie covered his eyes with the
mask.

“Remember, love, what happened to you the last time you tied
me up.”

Cassie shivered, remembering all too well, knowing this time
wouldn’t result in anything close to that pleasurable experience.

He was going to be furious with her, she knew. But he’d get
over it, and hopefully he’d realize his behavior was out of order. She might be
fragile in comparison to him, but she wasn’t weak and she wouldn’t be
smothered. It was a fine balance, she realized. She loved having his attention,
loved knowing that he cared so much about her. She loved him. She did. Even if
he had been driving her nuts lately.

Believing it was unfair to tie him up and leave him
hungering, Cassie began kissing her way down his smooth chest. She straddled
his head and shoulders, facing away from him, then licked her way down his
stomach.

She yelped, startled as his hot tongue swiped through her
folds. Turning sharply, she almost fell onto the bed.

“I haven’t lost all my senses, love. I can still smell and,
yum, taste.”

She didn’t know whether to laugh or scold.

“Now get back over here so I can continue,” he ordered,
obviously expecting to be obeyed.

“Oh no,” she replied, straddling his stomach this time so
she could easily reach his quivering, thick rod. “You’re not distracting me
from my prize.”

“What pr—? Ahh.” He let out a loud moan as she licked up his
shaft before twirling her tongue around the thick head.

“Far be it for me to deny you,” he panted as she continued
to bathe him until he glistened.

Drawing back, she clasped his cock between her hands,
running them up and down, loving the feel of him—warm, heavy, satisfyingly
aroused. Then, clasping the base of his erection, she took as much of him as
she could into her mouth until his tip touched the back of her throat.
Swallowing, her own need grew with his appreciative moan.

“Ride me, Cassie. God, ride me.”

She moved back and shook her head before realizing he
couldn’t see her.

“No.”

“Yes. Bring that luscious pussy up to my mouth so I can make
sure you’re ready, then ride me.”

Sighing in irritation, she shook her head yet again. “Have
you forgotten who is in charge here, mister?”

“My sweet little dictator, you can make all the moves.”

“Really?” she asked in disbelief.

“Really, and I know you’re longing to move that sweet pussy
up here so I can lick those plump lips and suck on your little clit. Come here,
love.”

“No,” she replied. But when he tensed she realized he was
going to try to break the bonds. She moved.

“Stay still,” she ordered.

Quickly shimmying her way down his body, she grabbed his
cock, slipping a condom over him before she slowly impaled herself.

“Oh, Cassie, love, that’s the way. Now ride me, baby, ride
me.”

“I should have gagged you,” she panted, indeed riding that
thick, sexy cock.

Orgasm took her by surprise. Intense and furious, her shout
of satisfaction filled the room. Still driving herself down onto his shaft, she
leaned over so she could take his mouth with hers. She kissed him hungrily,
madly until his own cry of joy erupted. She fell against him, exhausted.

Shaken by her reaction—she hadn’t meant to find orgasm
herself—it took a moment for Cassie to gather the energy and wits to move off
Jay’s delectable body.

“Stay still, I’m not finished with you yet,” she ordered
huskily. Stumbling slightly, her legs shaking, she moved to the bathroom.
Stripping naked, she tugged on the work clothes she’d set out earlier.

“Cassie?” Jay called.

“I’m coming back,” she answered him.

“What you doing?”

“Tidying myself up,” she replied, close to tears as the
zipper of her shorts became stuck. Betrayal, nerves and a little excitement
shimmied through her body, leaving her feeling breathless. Jay must have picked
up on her clash of emotions as she noticed him stir. At last the zipper moved
and she threw on her t-shirt as she raced back to the bed. Cassie leaned over
and kissed Jay on the forehead.

“Don’t be too mad, okay?” She walked swiftly toward the
door. “I’ll bring you back some dinner.”

“Cassie.” His voice was a low rumble. “What’s going on, what
do you mean ‘don’t be mad’? What have you done?”

“I’ll see you later. Don’t strain against the handcuffs,”
she ordered, wincing as she noticed him trying to break free. “You’ll hurt
yourself. I had silver cuffs covered in fluffy material. They won’t hurt you, just
weaken you a little so you won’t be able to break free or shift.”

“What? Why?” he yelled.

“Because I have to go to work. Without you. Bye,” she yelled
at him before slamming the apartment door shut.

“You sure about this?”

Josh’s voice startled her. His face was as serious as she’d
ever seen it as he leaned against the wall outside her apartment.

“No,” she sniffled, wiping under her eyes to catch any stray
tears. Lord, she felt terrible about locking Jay to the bed. “But I had to do
it.” She’d told Josh her plans, to stop him from storming into her apartment
when he heard Jay crying out—if Jay decided to yell out. She wasn’t certain his
pride would allow him to ask for help. It wasn’t necessary to tell her other
neighbor. Mr. Rawson was as deaf as a post and nearly as blind.

“Go on then, get to work. I’m leaving in an hour for
Chicago. See you when I get back.” Leaning down, he gave her a hug and she
smiled.

“Thanks for everything, Josh,” she whispered.

“Hey.” He wiped his thumbs over her cheeks. “I’ll be back in
a few days, I’ll see you then.”

“If Jay hasn’t killed me.”

Josh’s eyes darkened as he frowned. “You think he’ll hurt
you?”

“No.” She shook her head, smiling. “He’d never hurt me. He
might lock me up for a year, but he’d never hurt me.”

Josh snorted. “If you were mine, I’d spank your ass for a
stunt like this.”

“I’ve got to go.” She began walking, unable to stand outside
her door any longer when Jay was naked and bound inside. She was tempted to
turn tail, run back inside the apartment and resume the position she’d just
left.

“Tempting, very, very tempting,” she muttered to herself,
still shaking as she began to walk briskly down the block. She glanced at her
watch. “Drat, I’m going to be late.”

“Do you always talk to yourself?” A smooth voice spoke behind
her.

Gasping, she stopped and turned. Her hand came up to clasp
at her chest, as though trying to prevent her heart from jackhammering its way
free.

“Brynn.” She cleared her throat, gathering her nerves and
her voice. “What are you, umm, doing here?”

Her gaze darted around the street. Alarmed to find they were
alone, she pulled away slowly. His lips twitched as though he were amused by
her nervousness.

He was as beautiful as she’d remembered. And her libido
didn’t stir one bit. Probably due to the hunk tied to her bed.

“I’m sorry, I wish I could stay and chat, but I’ve got to go
to work.”

“Didn’t your mama teach you that it’s not nice to lie,
little doe?”

Her eyes narrowed at him as once again she wondered who he
was.

“Don’t call me
little doe
. And I wasn’t lying. I do
need to go to work.”

He grinned down at her. “Oh, I know that, it was the sorry
part that was a lie. So where’s the guard dog?”

“He’s not my guard dog.”

“Hmm, isn’t he?”

“What does that mean?”

“Didn’t you say you had to get to work?” Abruptly he turned
and walked away, leaving her gaping after him.

“Hey, wait—”

“You’re going to be late,” was all he said as he disappeared
around the corner of a building.

“Urgh. Weirdo.” She pondered the strange man for a moment.
She wasn’t scared of him, simply cautious. She made a mental note to tell Jay
about him.

That was, if he didn’t kill her before she could explain.

* * * * *

“Jeez, Cass, will you chill out? Break one more plate and
you’ll be owing this place money rather than making any. Bad enough that pit
bull of yours has all our regulars wetting their pants, now you’re so nervous
they’re wondering when the tsunami’s going to hit.”

Cassie attempted a smile, but her nerves were too jumpy for
anything more than a meager offering.

“Sorry.” She blew out a breath. “I feel bad, you know?
Leaving him there like that. I mean, I only have another few days of working, I
should have—”

“Cassie!” Ella took her by the shoulders and shook her.
“Stop worrying. He’s perfectly safe. You’ll get home and find him a bit pissed
and embarrassed, but he’ll get over it. I mean, what’s he going to do when you
both go back to Landon? He can’t go to work with you then, can he? He’s turned
into a lunatic. Now he’ll get the message that we don’t need him here, scaring
all our customers.”

“Oh, he’s gotten the message all right.” The dark, lethally
quiet voice came from the kitchen doorway. Letting out impressively theatrical
gasps, both women turned to find Jay standing in the doorway.

“Oh fuck,” Cassie swore, feeling her heart sink as she gazed
into Jay’s livid eyes. His face remained expressionless, aloof, but his eyes
betrayed his fury.