Defensive Zone (The Dartmouth Cobras #2) (45 page)

Her bottom lip quivered. "You're not my
Dom."

"I am right now. So answer me." He blocked
her attempt to slip by him and pulled her into his arms, holding
her. Warm, solid strength chasing away the chill of how wrong
Scott's hands had felt on her. Landon had always felt right. And he
always would, damn him! She couldn't take it anymore. She stopped
struggling and collapsed into him, thumping his chest weakly with
her fist even as he whispered. "Why would you pretend just any man
would do? You have two men that love you very much."

"Love me?"
Are you fucking kidding me?
She sniffed, hating how pathetic she must look. Runny nose,
probably all red. Tears in her eyes. All his fault! "You pushed me
away. I took the punishment because I knew I fucked up. I needed
you to know I got it. That I was sorry! But then you left me there
like I was nothing!"

"You had a good man—a better man! I hated
punishing you!" He raked his fingers into her hair and kissed her
forehead. "What we had was perfect. I didn't want to ruin it. But I
did anyway."

"All you had to do was tell me you weren't
mad anymore. Maybe give me a hug."
Why did he have to make
things seem so complicated?
She shoved at his chest. "Was that
really too much to ask?"

"Would that have been enough?" His eyes held
pain, the pain she'd wanted him to feel, the pain she'd seen on the
plane, that she'd seen every time he'd looked at her since. But she
didn't want it anymore. "I would have held you, told you everything
was okay . . . then I would have made love to you. And I couldn't
have let you go. I'm not good enough for you."

She had the crazy urge to laugh.
Not good
enough for me?

"Oh, shut up, you dumb ass." She slipped her
hand behind his neck and dug her fingers into the tense muscles.
"How 'bout you let me decide that."

Slamming her lips into his, she drank him in,
still angry and damn frustrated, but for a split second, it didn't
matter. She had him, right here, right now. After all that thinking
she meant nothing to him, only to learn he wanted her as much as
she wanted him. And now he was all hers, this stupid man who didn't
think he deserved her. She'd make him pay for that. What he'd done
to her was nothing compared to what he'd done to himself.

She nipped his bottom lips, then drew away.
"Can I ask you something?"

He looked a little dazed. "I told you
already. Speak your mind."

With a smug smile, she poked him in between
his ribs. "How does a sub punish their Dom? Because you promised to
come to me when you needed me."

"You wouldn't accept my phone calls."

"You could have found a way. We're going to
have a chat about what was bugging you before you got yourself
suspended."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And . . . ." Hell, she might as well take
advantage while she had the upper hand. "I want a penance for what
you pulled at the club. Foot rubs every morning for a week."

His brow shot up. "You planning to spend a
lot of time at Max's place?"

She shrugged. "We have a lot of time to make
up for."

Dean cleared his throat. "You called yellow,
pet. If you've negotiated enough, it's time for the scene to
continue."

Raking her bottom lip with her teeth, she
looked over at him, wondering if this bothered him. Maybe there was
still some negotiating to do. "You said you wouldn't make me
choose. Is this what you meant? I can be a selfish bitch and keep
you both?"

He chuckled. "Well, you're certainly not
getting rid of me." He cocked his head. "And you may keep him if it
pleases you."

"It pleases me." She smiled up at Landon. "If
that's okay with you?"

Landon gave her a lazy grin. "I think you've
forgotten yourself, pet." His grin widened when she shuddered at
the familiar endearment. "You may keep me. But it's my—
our.
"
He inclined his head to Dean. "Pleasure you should concern yourself
with. I think you've said all you need to say. Silence now. I'd
like to enjoy my new little sub without all this chatter."

Our.
She couldn't think beyond that
wonderful word. She wanted to dance and sing! Only she wasn't even
allowed to talk. Of course, she wasn't all that good at the
obedience thing yet.

So she ignored his last request. "But—"

He put his finger over his lips. "I told you
to speak your mind. I told you I wouldn't punish you tonight. But
if Dean and I are going to share you, I believe he'll have no
problem doing so in my stead if you disobey. Are we clear?"

A freakin' catch. Why am I not
surprised?
She wrinkled her nose and nodded.

"That's my girl." He slid his hand down her
cheek, to her throat, then hooked his hand to the front of her
nightie. "Now, as I told Demyan, you really do need to be naked for
this. So do not move."

Her breath whooshed out of her as he pulled
her babydoll over her head. The flames within reignited.

Her eyes locked on Dean. She mouthed 'Thank
you'.

And he smiled.

* * * *

All that emotion, pain, regret, love—Dean
shook his head as he stood back and watched Bower strip Silver—he
could almost lose himself to it. Could almost believe that this
could last.

His gaze followed Bower's motions as the man
clipped Silver's wrists to the upper corners of the frame, then
attached her ankle cuffs to the bottom corners. Other than the odd
touch to her side or her thigh for comfort, he seemed to avoid
contact. A glance at the insides of Silver's spread thighs showed
Dean why. The soft, pale flesh glistened, damp with her
arousal.

Dean grinned. Bower didn't want her to come
yet. The right touch would set her off. So he was being very
careful.
We're going to play our needy pet for all she's
worth.

Since Bower was in charge of the scene, Dean
caught his eye as he approached Silver and waited for his nod
before touching her. It felt odd, asking for permission to touch
the woman that had been his alone for so long, but a relationship
like the one he'd instigated demanded mutual respect.

"My poor baby, this is hard for you, isn't
it?" He pinched Silver's chin between his thumb and finger, making
her look into his eyes as he stroked up her slick inner thigh and
smoothed his hand over her pussy. Two fingers moistened in her
juices sank into her feverishly hot slit. "But you're going to show
Bo—Master Landon how eager you are to please him. You're going to
make me proud." He gently fucked her with his fingers until she
whimpered and her eyes widened with the effort she made not to give
in to the sensation. "No matter what he does to you, you won't come
until he allows it, will you?"

Her tiny teeth dented her bottom lip. She
shook her head. The metal clips holding her wrist cuffs rattled
against the eyebolts. Her nostrils flared. But she managed to pull
herself away from the edge.

Landon came up behind her, swiftly braided
her hair, then pinned it out of the way. He kissed her throat and
pressed his body against her back. "You have more control than I
thought you did, mignonne. I'm impressed." He brought his hard gaze
to Dean's as he slid his hands up her sides and cupped her breasts.
His fingers scissored over her nipples. "You enjoy being here,
between us. Your pulse has sped up, your skin is damp with sweat.
You love knowing we can, and will, do anything we want to you."

Her pupils dilated. She nodded as much as she
could with Dean still holding her chin.

"You're right, mon petit chaton. We've have a
lot of time to make up for." Landon's grey eyes softened slightly
as he continued to study Dean, as though he'd confirmed something
to himself. Most likely that they were on the same page. "Shall we
get started?"

Dean withdrew his fingers and inclined his
head as he used them to moisten Silver's lips. "I think that's a
very good idea."

Landon made sure the wire attached to the
base of the long, black wand circled wide from the unit, giving him
plenty of space to move around Silver's body, and attached the most
basic electrode. A hot rush of power flowed through him—not from
the wand, he hadn't turned it on yet. No, it was a feeling of
control. Electricity was his element. The one thing besides
guarding the net that he had full confidence in.

He glanced over at Richter as the man dimmed
the lights over their roped off section. Far off screams and
leather slapping flesh, as well as flesh slapping flesh, came to
him, along with the dark, violent thrum of Lazarus AD's Lust. Damn,
he hadn't heard that song in awhile. A cool song, but he blocked it
out with everything else. Found his center. And opened it to
include Silver, and, to a lesser extent, Richter.

"This is the Mushroom." He held up the wand
so both Silver and Richter could see it. He circled the flat base
with his finger. "The width lessens the intensity. I like using it
to wake up the nerves and warm the flesh. I'll start on the lowest
setting."

That had to be the shortest intro he'd ever
given. But Richter could learn more later. Landon had Silver,
watching him with nervous anticipation, her sleek, naked body bound
and available to him.

He turned the knob at the base of the wand
and smiled over the pink glow. "I thought you'd like this
color."

She giggled and the pulse at her throat sped
up.

Moving in, he held the wand over her arm,
then ran it smoothly from her elbow, down to the base of her
breast. He pulled the wand away and took her mouth hard to taste
her little gasp. Putting a breath of distance between them, he
stroked the wand under her breasts, up the other arm, and smiled as
she began to pull on her restraints.

"It probably feels a little strange, tingly
and warm." He lowered the wand and followed the path he'd taken
with his other hand, pausing to tease her nipples. "This is
nothing, mon amour. Just." He bent down and flicked his tongue over
a rosy little nub, already nice and erect. "A little." He sucked
hard until she jerked and tried to twist away from him.
"Taste."

Panting, she stared at him as he knelt before
her. She twitched, making helpless little sounds as he kissed just
above her knee, then worked his way down with his lips. And back up
with the wand. When he reached her inner thigh she threw her head
back and swallowed back a scream.

"Silver." Richter took a step forward, then
stopped himself and gave Landon a tight smile. "I apologize. I've
never tested her limits. I don't know how readily she'll use her
safeword if she needs to."

We'll have to work on that.
But Landon
understood Richter's concern. "I make a habit of reminding a sub
several times during a scene what their safeword is. I don't think
she needs it yet . . . ." He cocked his head. "Silver, tell me your
safeword."

"Yellow. Red." She shook her head as though
to clear it. "Red. It's red."

"Good girl." He arched a brow at Richter who
nodded, satisfied. Looking back up at Silver, he stroked her leg
and smiled. Her lips were pressed tight together, but he had a
feeling it was from impatience more than anything else. He decided
to test her. "We've only just begun, chaton, but I don't want to
overwhelm you. Would you like me to continue?"

She lifted her head and whispered something
to the ceiling. Her narrow gaze came down, fixed on him, dark and
downright deadly.

Damn. That look could light me on
fire.
He stared her down, his cock hardening as he watched her
struggle with herself. Finally, she lowered her eyes.

"Yes I'd like you to continue." Her tone was
sharp, but her jaw worked as though she was chewing on what else
she wanted to say to him. Her lush lips curved slightly and
amusement lightened her features. She shook her head and sighed.
"I'll get better at this, I promise. But . . . please. Please
continue, Sir."

Hard won submission. The best fucking
kind.

He turned up the wand until the soft buzz
became a loud hum. "Very good, Silver. I know that wasn't easy for
you. I think you've earned a reward."

"I—"

"Shh." He smirked when she frowned. "Not
another word or I'll change my mind." He pressed his palm to her
belly, slipping lowered and lower as she shivered and pushed
against him. He spoke just as the wand took the place of his hand.
"You may come. Whenever you're ready." He drove his fingers into
her cunt, all wet and ready for him, then withdrew them and let the
wand touch her flesh. "As often as you like."

* * * *

More and more heat. A stingy bite of pain. It
went away and Silver shook as Landon's fingers pushed into her one
again. She convulsed as they slipped away. The bite returned, along
the crease between her pussy and thigh. Her orgasm raged through
her, so fierce a scream ripped from her throat before she could
stop it. The aftershocks reverberated through her body like the
earth under a stampede, coming closer and closer until she was sure
she'd come again if the fucking man blew on her.

"Ohohoh!" Her eyes teared as he teased a
sensitive spot along her side with sharp electric bites. So good,
yet almost too much. Then . . . not. Her head felt airy and the
pain was gone. She moaned as a pink glow hovered over her breast,
snapping at first one nipple, then the other, such a sweet, sweet
sensation. Tiny lightning bolts shot downwards and her clit ached
as it absorbed them. Like when Dean pinched them, only without the
pressure.

Dean . . .
she spotted him, still
close, his eyes hooded as he watched her. Slightly dazed, she
smiled at him and he smiled back. His lips moved, but she couldn't
make out what he said.

"Silver." Landon filled her vision, his grey
eyes sparkling as though filled with the electricity he used on
her. He grazed her cheek with his knuckles. "You in a good place,
precious? Does anything hurt?"