Staking His Claim (10 page)

Her eyes twinkled. “Have you ever been camping?” When he only looked at her, she paled, obviously remembering the time he’d spent overseas living mostly outdoors. “Never mind. That was a stupid question.”

Matt felt the insistent need to make her feel better. “Extreme camping, maybe. Minus the s’mores.” He waited until she smiled again. The pressure in his chest eased. “We ate MREs. Field rations. Not as appetizing as what you’re cooking, but they got the job done.”

He watched as she very carefully placed a piece of chocolate on a graham cracker, then stacked a marshmallow and another graham cracker on top. Looking satisfied with herself, she handed the creation to him. When their fingers brushed, he felt it down to the soles of his feet. Judging from her intake of breath, she felt it, too. Her tongue danced along her lips. “What was your first meal when you came back?”

Such an odd question. Hell, this whole situation was odd. So why did he feel so at home? He bit into the s’more as he thought about her question, a grunt of approval escaping him before he could stop it. Damn, it tasted good. Not half as good as her, though. “A foot-long sub sandwich. Two, actually.”

“Not something your mom made?” Oblivious to how her question threw him, she stuck another marshmallow onto the end of the wire. “I would ask for meat loaf and mashed potatoes. And several kinds of pie. Let’s just say I’d be wearing sweatpants for a while.”

He decided she could use some extra weight. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel so guilty about manhandling her.
Stop that line of thinking. You can’t continue to have her. Leave her alone.
“My parents weren’t there to cook for me when I got back, but the sub did the trick.”

“Where were they?”

The s’more felt stuck in his throat. “My dad lost the use of his legs when I was young. They have a difficult time traveling.” Matt didn’t add that he hadn’t seen his parents since before his deployment and only spoke with them on holidays. His father had long ago become his mother’s full-time job, leaving very little time to travel. Or cook special meat loaf. Lucy didn’t need to be dragged down with that knowledge, though, nor did he know how he’d react to her sympathy. He was very much afraid he would like it and take advantage. Bask in all that light as long as he could. Quickly, he diverted the attention from himself. “What’s on your bucket list today?”

For long moments, she stared as if she wanted to question him further on his parents. He realized he was holding his breath, hoping for both of their sakes she’d let it drop. If she showed him an ounce of compassion, he’d be across the room buried in her before she could blink. He couldn’t explain it. Only knew it would undo him, and he’d never shown that side of himself to another person. What lay on the other side of exposing himself like that?

“Are you sure you want to know?” she asked hesitantly.

Now he did. Was it dangerous? It better not be. “Tell me,” he demanded.

She visibly shivered. Why? “Trapeze classes at Chelsea Pier.” Her gaze flew to the clock. “Actually, I better go. One should not be late to defy death. It’s bad luck.”

He frowned when she jumped off the counter and started to leave the room. “Forgetting something?”

Her expression was puzzled. Until he turned off the stove’s burner with a flick of his wrist. Looking sheepish, she rubbed her bare foot against the opposite leg. “Don’t tell Hayden?”

“I won’t, if you promise not to break your neck today.”

“I’ll give it my best shot, coach.”

“Jesus.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Go get dressed. I’m coming with you.”

Chapter Ten

Lucy stood with her arms raised as the trapeze instructor, Justin, harnessed her into the safety equipment. She actually worried for the poor guy’s life more than her own, thanks to Matt standing ten feet away watching every movement through dangerously narrowed eyes. It was obvious that he didn’t like the instructor having access to any part of her body, and based on Justin’s strained expression, he’d picked up on Matt’s not-so-subtle warning, too.

The trapeze school practiced outdoors during the summer, right on the Hudson River. A gentle summer breeze flitted across her skin, warm morning sun heating her neck and shoulders. It would be nice if
she
knew what the hell his possessive attitude meant. She’d been shocked when he offered to come with her today, but he’d just muttered something about it being his day off and having nothing else to do. Was he simply doing her brother a favor by looking out for her, or did he actually want to be here? Last night and this morning, he’d effectively scrambled her brain with extraordinary sex. Somewhere in Hayden’s town house, her panties were still smoking. Talking to him in the kitchen afterward had felt…natural. Well, as natural as possible when a big man-panther who dripped sensuality stood bare-chested licking chocolate off his fingers. She’d been silently begging for him to lose the pants and commence round two, but she’d sensed him holding back.

Talk about confusing. Any other time, she would poke him in the chest and demand answers. It’s how she operated. There was little sense in holding back and not speaking your mind. With Matt, however, she feared it would send him packing. It made her nervous. Set her off-balance. He sent mixed signals and she didn’t know how to receive them. He’d told her he didn’t tolerate liars, but he continued to show up, as if he couldn’t stay away. She liked having him around, even if his intentions were far from clear, so she kept all her confusing thoughts to herself.

She tuned back in to Justin’s safety spiel. “Your first jump, we’ll keep it very simple. You’ll swing back and forth a few times, just to get used to the bar. Then you’ll release and fall into the net. Once you know the net is there and you’ve experienced it, you’ll feel more confident about the next phase.”

Matt crossed his arms. “Next phase?”

“I-if she’s comfortable, we’ll attempt a knee-hang.”

Lucy did a little dance. “Swinging upside down? Boom, let’s do it.”

Justin nodded, shooting Matt an apprehensive look. “Only if you’re comfortable.”

Lucy didn’t know if he was reassuring her or Matt, who looked two seconds from pulling out his badge and shutting the entire operation down.

“Okay, your belt is secure. Once we’re on the platform, we’ll attach it to the
very secure
safety lines.” Justin looked as though he were embarking on a death march. “I’m going to take you up now.”

“Cool—”

“Wait,” Matt barked. Before she could decipher his intention, he strode toward them, looking incredibly determined. With one tug of her safety belt, she collided with his body and he was kissing her. Not a good-luck-I’ll-catch-you-on-the-flip-side kiss. It was a brain-melting, I-will-make-you-very-sorry-if-you-get-hurt kiss that nearly buckled her knees and sent her crashing to the ground. His tongue swept in and claimed every corner of her mouth, his hand curling around her ponytail to tilt her head back in a gesture of ownership. She moaned into his mouth, surrendering to him on every level possible, but he pulled back all too soon, steadying her with a firm hand on her elbow.

“Wow,” she breathed, immediately wanting to slap herself. Honestly, could she not take his lead and shroud herself in a little bit of mystery, too? Instead, she seemed bent on showing her hand at every opportunity. Perhaps that was the reason he showed up whenever he felt like it. She welcomed him with little urging on his part every time. The annoying realization caused her forehead to crease.

Matt frowned at her. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m too easy.”

“You’re forcing me to watch while you put your life in the hands of a man wearing purple spandex.” He shook his head. “You are anything but easy.”

She felt her mouth stretch into a grin. “Thank you.”

His jaw flexed as he moved closer, lowering his voice. “At the risk of distracting you, baby, you should know I’m dying to spank your ass right now until you scream.”

Oh, holy hell
. Her stomach felt like it had sprouted wings. “H-how is that not distracting?”

“I don’t want you doing this.”

She didn’t hesitate. “Too bad. I’m doing it.”

His eyes flared along with her already raging need. But she wouldn’t give in. She’d already decided a moment ago that she’d done too much of that lately. Time to leave
him
wanting more for once. He obviously read the resolve in her eyes, because he huffed out a breath, giving one last tug of her belt to judge its secureness. “Go. I’ll be right here.”

“Good. I might need someone to catch me if I miss the net.” She yelped as he made a grab for her, leaping out of his reach and jogging off to join a nervous-looking Justin. They climbed up the ladder to the platform, which Justin explained stood twenty-three feet high. When they reached the top, Lucy scanned her surroundings and took a deep, exhilarating breath. This is what she’d wanted after those grueling years of grad school. What she’d missed by buckling down and locking her wild side in a cage. She’d missed that feeling when you’re about to embark on the unknown. Matt gave her that feeling, too. She just didn’t know how long he’d stick around to give it to her.

No more icky thoughts. Focus on the positive.

Justin finished securing the safety lines to her belt, then handed her the trapeze bar. “Okay, now as I said, this first time is going to be really fun and easy. Just let yourself fly. Drop whenever you’re ready and the net will catch you.”

Lucy nodded once, squared her shoulders, and jumped.

…

Matt watched with a mixture of horror and awe as Lucy tucked her legs up to her chest and curled them around the bar. No. This was only her first jump, she wasn’t supposed to go upside down this quickly. He hadn’t been given enough time to mentally prepare for the sight of her dangling upside down like a monkey at the zoo, zipping through the air at a speed that made his heart seize. Oh, but she couldn’t just dangle. Oh no. This crazy girl he couldn’t get enough of had to fling her arms wide and arch her back, as if she’d been doing it her entire life.

Matt didn’t even realize he’d started moving until he was positioned directly underneath her swinging form, watching her expression transform with absolute bliss. Her beauty and abandon sucked the air right out of his lungs. Yet at the same time, he was
jealous
. He wanted to be the only one who made her feel like that. If that wasn’t a supremely dangerous and arrogant sentiment, he didn’t know what was. That right didn’t belong to him, nor did it have any place around her. It warned him that he needed to stay far, far away from her, even as he felt compelled to drag her off the trapeze and never let go. For the first time he could remember, he didn’t know if the controlled part of him would win. Not where Lucy was concerned.

It terrified the ever-loving shit out of him.

She let go of the bar then. Time froze for Matt as she dropped, dropped…and landed. She bounced once into the air, letting out a delighted laugh that punctured his rib cage. He could only stand and watch as she rolled toward him and eased off the net to her feet. Their eyes locked and whatever she saw in his expression made the glow on her face dim. He hated that reaction, because he recognized it as inevitable. If he spent any length of time around her, he’d dim her until no more light existed. Knew it with absolute certainty.

Her hands began clawing at the safety wires, disconnecting them from her belt. “Is there a bathroom I can use?” she called to Purple Spandex.

“Inside the office, all the way in back. You don’t want to do another jump first?” the asshole shouted back, making Matt want to strangle him.

“No. Not right now.” She finally succeeded in freeing herself from the belt, dropping it to the ground and coming forward to take his hand. “Come on, Chuckles.”

Matt followed her into the empty office, down the brightly lit hallway. He had no idea where they were going or what she wanted once they got there, only knew he couldn’t turn down a chance to touch her. Not now, after he’d just watched her careen through the air and
let go
. Probably not ever. When she tried to pull him into the women’s bathroom, he balked, but followed her in anyway.

When the door closed behind them, he heard someone breathing heavily and realized the sound came from him. A glance at his face in the mirror had him doing a double take. Jesus, he looked like shit. Worse, he felt shaky, anxious. Weighed down with need, not only of the sexual variety. Something more. Something urgent. He’d meant it earlier when he told her he wanted to spank her until she screamed. Watching her jump off the platform, then let go and free-fall, had left him feeling startlingly out of control. Control he needed to regain immediately.

Somehow, Lucy seemed to understand, coming to stand in front of him. “Whatever you need, take it.”

He’d spun her around to face the sink before he’d commanded his hands to do so. He saw in the mirror the way she closed her eyes, mouth parting on a bracing inhale, and his cock swelled in his jeans. It made him want to hear her gasp his name. Sob it. Shout it. Made him desperate to hear the slap of her flesh. Without a trace of gentleness, he yanked down her black yoga pants and bared her tight, fuckable ass. “Brace your hands on the sink.”

Reflected in the mirror, her breasts rose and fell temptingly. He reached around her with a rough hand and pulled down her neckline so he could watch them jiggle each time he slapped her. He found her nipples and pinched them roughly, her needy whimper making his vision blur.

“You drive me out of my goddamn mind, you know that?” He ran his hand over her shoulder and down her back, ending at her upturned ass, kneading the flesh with his fingers. “You shouldn’t want this. You shouldn’t want my punishment. But you do, don’t you? You’re starved for it.”

“I want it.” She pushed back and twisted her hips. “Please.”

A voice sped through his consciousness telling him this was wrong, that he was introducing her to something that she should never have to know about, but his body overruled the warning. Power licking through his veins, he leaned down and spoke very precisely near her ear. “I hope that motherfucker hears me spanking your ass until it’s red. This first one is because I didn’t like his hands on you. When it lands, I want to hear an apology.”

He watched her eyes glaze over in the mirror, transforming her from the carefree girl flying through the air to someone else entirely. It shamed him. It made him hotter. Keeping their gazes locked, he brought his hand down with a loud
slap
. Her mouth opened on a silent scream, before she whispered something he couldn’t hear.

“I didn’t hear you, Lucy.”

She pushed her ass into his hands, asking for more. “I’m sorry.”

He couldn’t stop from pressing her forward onto the sink, pumping his jeans-encased erection between her spread thighs at an erratic pace, until she cried out. Finally, he managed to drag himself away. “This next one is for being impulsive and not waiting for proper instruction before flipping upside down like a lunatic. You scared the hell out of me. An apology, Lucy.”

His hand connecting with her flesh reverberated through the restroom, mingling with her throaty moan. If he checked, he knew she’d be wet and ready, but something wouldn’t let him take her there, in the restroom. Did he actually have a shred of decency left? When she met his eyes and breathed her second apology, he stopped wondering and resolved to think about it later. At a time when he felt rational. He was getting there now, regaining his composure with every blow to her perfect backside. Every sound of pleasure coming from her lips. This sweet, carefree girl was curing him of his anxiety. And he was dragging her down into his pit.

Matt almost stopped then, the realization sobering him ever so slightly. Then she thrust her ass higher and bit that plump bottom lip, heavy-lidded gaze meeting his in the mirror. Her breasts were ripe, nipples pouting up at him. Christ, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Too beautiful. Nothing could stop him from giving her that final blow. Verbally and physically.

He wrapped her ponytail in his fist and tilted her head back. “This last one is for letting me do this to you. For not running away every time you see me. Say you’re sorry for letting me touch you.”

Her eyes cleared, a hint of panic entering them. “No.”

“Lucy,” he grated. “You are not in control. You handed it to me when we walked in here.”

“I don’t care.” Her voice shook. “I won’t say it.”

A frustrated growl ripped from his throat. He didn’t know where he found the strength, but he released her, falling back against the bathroom door. She quickly tugged up her pants and turned to face him. He was horrified to see tears in her eyes.

“Why wouldn’t you say it? Look at you.” His voice sounded hollow, agonized. “Two days in a row I’ve made you cry. I bet you don’t cry this much in a year.”

She closed the distance between them and slipped her arms around his neck. He flinched at the contact because it felt so right. So damn right. He didn’t deserve it after what he’d just done. How he’d ruined her morning with jealousy and control issues. “I lied to you once and I won’t do it again. That’s why I didn’t say it.” She pulled back and kissed his mouth lightly. “Drive me home?”

He closed his eyes so he couldn’t see her. If he kept looking, he’d kiss her and lose himself. She’d make him forget about the shame and he wouldn’t allow that. “You know I will.”

They drove home in silence, although he could feel Lucy throwing occasional glances in his direction. He was glad she didn’t speak or try to discuss what happened, how he’d overreacted. What the hell would he say? He had no explanation for what she did to him. Inside him. When they pulled up in front of the town house, he felt a flare of panic at the prospect of watching her leave, but reminded himself that her itinerary was at home on his kitchen table. He could relax marginally knowing where she’d be tomorrow, even if he knew he’d spend every moment until then convincing himself to stay away.