White Collared Part Four: Passion (7 page)

She yelped as the throbbing on her ass set in, matching the one between her thighs. From head to toe, her body pulsed in time with her heart. She felt as though she was soaring above the clouds, weightless and untethered.

“Two more,” he crooned. “Don’t come.”

“Okay,” she whispered automatically, although at this point, she had no control over her body, much less her orgasms.

He moved back a few steps.

One. Two.
The cane wacked both thighs.

It was over.

“You took your punishment beautifully. Just relax and let me take care of you.”

On the edge of climax, she groaned when his fingers sunk inside her and pulled out the vibrator. She was so, so close, but he hadn’t given her permission to come.

He bent and removed the restraints around her ankles and then moved to her wrists.

She slumped, her legs buckling. His arm banded around her waist, catching her before she crumpled to the ground, and he tossed her over his shoulder. The room spun as he carried her out into the hallway and back into the bedroom, where he lowered her belly down on the bed.

Was that it?

“You completed your punishment, but the scene isn’t over yet,” he said somewhere from across the room.

She hadn’t known she’d spoken out loud. Was he mad? She wasn’t supposed to speak. If he was, he didn’t say it.

She heard the sounds of him removing his clothes. She sighed, relaxing into the mattress. If real life mirrored the erotic trilogy she’d read, this would be the part where he’d fuck her hard and still not let her come. Normally, it would drive her crazy, but tonight, she was too high to care.

The bed squeaked from his weight settling on the bed. She vaguely sensed him straddling her at her waist. He grabbed her left wrist, wound something around it, and then pulled her arm toward her back. He bent her leg up and she felt the same sensation snake around her ankle.

He tied each wrist to the opposite ankle and was now roping her ankles together. The only thing for her to do at this point was simply be. She didn’t have to think, or move, or even feel.

She closed her eyes and sighed.

“Katerina.”

She jerked awake. How long had she been sleeping?

He’d shoved something soft under her middle, angling her body and raising her head off the mattress.

His cock bobbed in front of her face. It was engorged and red, its veins swollen and prominent, and a drop of precome glistened at the tip. She licked her lips and smiled at Jax, hoping to get the chance to take him in her mouth.

He grasped his cock by its base and fed it to her, pushing his way past her lips, shallowly pumping and sliding on her tongue. His tangy essence satisfied her hunger better than a steak dinner. She hollowed out her cheeks, tightening the suction around his length.

To her disappointment, he pulled out.

Why?

Holding her by the chin, he stared into her eyes. “I was a coward. When I saw you at the police station after Miles Joseph almost killed you, I wanted to throw you over my shoulder, find the nearest private space, and bury myself so deep inside you you’d never forget who owned you. In that moment, I didn’t care how it would look to the cops or how it might hurt your career. In fact, I wanted Nick to know that however grateful I was to him for saving your life, I’d never let him have you. You belong to me.” He rubbed his thumb along her lower lip. “But I couldn’t do it. Not because I didn’t want you but because I realized I was placing my needs above yours—to hell with the consequences. I’m normally a man run by logic and intellect, but when it comes to you, I’m ruled completely by emotion. If I cared that much about you after one week, how would it feel after a month? A year? It scared me. So I ran rather than reigning in my fears and being there for you when you needed me. I’m so sorry. Let me prove to you how much.”

A bubbly warmth swelled in her chest from learning he hadn’t rejected her. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was in love with her.

The rope physically binding her was nothing compared to the strings tying her heart to his.

She nipped at his thumb. “Yes, Jax. Prove to me how sorry you are.”

He swiftly moved behind her and thrust himself inside, completely filling her. “God, you’re so hot and wet. I want you to come over and over. Each one is my apology to you.”

She tossed back her head in bliss. Her ass and thighs throbbed as they came into contact with Jax. It only drove her arousal higher, to feel the mix of pain with the pleasure of him stroking her pussy with his cock. His balls slapped against her as he pistoned harder, the tip of his cock bumping her cervix. He settled his hands on her breasts, pinching and twisting her nipples. The pain from it darted down her belly to her clit.

The waves of contractions crashed into her like the sea in a hurricane, strong and violent. She bit down on her lip, the sensations bombarding her body and overwhelming her.

Jax squeezed her clit between his fingers. “Again.” He pinched and rubbed the sensitive bud as he continued moving inside her.

She hadn’t finished her first orgasm when the second one hit. Black stars danced in her eyes and her body quaked. She squirmed, trying to escape from Jax’s fingers, but he continued to manipulate her, wringing every last flutter from her climax.

His cock pulsed inside of her, and he threw back his head. “My Katerina.” He collapsed on top of her, kissing her as if he’d never get the chance again.

She sighed when he freed her arms and legs. Her muscles ached and burned as she straightened her legs and stretched her arms over her head to rest them in front of her.

Jax massaged her shoulders, digging his thumb into the muscle. “Any tingling or numbness?”

“No. I’m just sore . . . everywhere.”

He moved to her wrists. “Rest now. I’m going to massage all the kinks out of you and apply some arnica cream to prevent the bruises.”

“I happen to like the kink.” She smiled even though he wouldn’t be able to see it.

He pinched the side of her breast. “Smart ass.”

She laughed and melted into the bed, enjoying the way his large hands administered such care. Amazing they could be the source of both excruciating pain and glorious pleasure.

Minutes, hours, days later, he’d finished kneading every muscle of her body. She was completely boneless when he rolled her onto her back, threw her feet over his shoulders, and entered her, this time making love to her slowly. Softly. Intensely. Each purposeful swirl of his hips worked her clit until her entire body shook and he drove her to another orgasm. Then he cried her name as he followed her with his own climax.

Rolling over, he tugged her with him, bringing her to rest on his chest. They both breathed heavily, their bodies drenched in perspiration.

He caressed her spine with his hand. “Consider those orgasms a down payment on my apology.”

She perched her head on her hand. “I’ve already forgiven you, but I’m looking forward to collecting the rest of your apology.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Thank you. Your forgiveness means everything to me.

“I need to tell you something, and I want you to know this has nothing to do with you.” His eyes clouded as he pulled back. “I’m leaving tomorrow. I’m going away for a couple of months.”

The bottom dropped out from beneath her feet. How could he leave her now when they’d finally worked out their differences?

“Why? I don’t understand. It’s all over.” Her gaze fell on the framed picture on his nightstand. The same one she’d seen at Nick’s place of Alyssa in between Jaxon and Nick.

Something about the photo vexed Kate, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. Maybe that Alyssa wore diamond earrings and a diamond choker with shorts? Or was it anger toward Alyssa for hurting Jaxon?

He hooked an arm around her waist and lifted her onto his lap, and so she straddled him. “I need some time to decompress, and I can’t do it here. I thought I’d go to Aruba for a couple of months until things die down.” He swept his hand along her cheekbone. “Come with me.”

For a brief moment, she allowed herself the fantasy of them on a beach, watching the sunset and drinking those frozen daiquiris with the little umbrellas in them. But the reality was that she couldn’t run away from her goals. Not when she was this close to achieving them.

Besides, she wasn’t a daiquiri type of girl.

“I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“I thought you’d say that.” His hand drifted from her cheekbone down the length of her neck and across her collarbone. “Will you wait for me?”

She ground her pussy against his growing erection. “Hmm. I’m not sure. What will you give me in return?”

He growled.
Growled.
“Anything. Everything.” He splayed one hand between her shoulder blades and the other on the small of her back and then sunk his teeth into her neck.

The sharp sting of his bite and the rough scrape of his beard on her skin ramped up her arousal, her core clenching. Her pussy soaked his cock, making it glisten with their mixed fluids.

He released his hold on her neck. His face looked feral, the irises of his brown eyes swallowed by his pupils. “Sit on my dick. I need to be inside your hot cunt.”

Helpless to resist, she positioned him at her opening and sank down his length, taking him into her swollen tissue. This would be the last time he’d be inside her until he returned. The last time she’d feel the burning stretch of his thick cock, the friction against her clitoris. She wanted him to leave his mark on her.

He dug his fingers into her hips and slid her up to his tip and then slammed her back down. Over and over, proving he could still dominate with her on top. The tension in her lower belly built and built and built, the power of his thrusts relentlessly spiraling her toward another climax.

The cords of his neck strained, and his skin flushed a dark red. “Come for me, Katerina, and let me feel you milk the come from my dick one last time.”

She had no choice but to obey. The climax rolled through her like an earthquake, shaking her foundation and throwing her off balance. Her walls clamped down on him as if begging him to stay inside her forever.

Groaning, he grew still as a statue. His cock pulsed and hot semen jettisoned into her waiting pussy.

He fell back, taking her with him, and she curled into his side. She placed her hand over his chest and felt the strong beat of his heart. He drew up the covers, wrapping them in a safe cocoon where nothing else mattered and no one else existed but the two of them. Warm and sated, she closed her eyes, lulled by Jaxon’s slow, steady breathing. As she fell closer to slumber, the noise of the day cleared from her mind, leaving behind a single nagging question. Her eyes popped open and she stared at her lover’s peaceful face.

If she hadn’t stopped at Jaxon’s house tonight, would he have left town without saying good-bye? She reached to shake him awake and ask, but she couldn’t do it. She didn’t really want to know. `

Because if the answer was yes, it might destroy her.

Chapter Eight

T
HE MORNING CAME
all too soon. As she sat on the bed and slipped on her blouse, she thought about how much had changed. Two weeks ago, she’d been in a vanilla relationship with Tom, ignoring her sexual needs, and now she’d not only accepted her masochistic tendencies but was wearing Jaxon’s collar. Closer than ever to working for Joseph and Long, she was no longer sure if that was her dream. And she’d met a reporter she didn’t want to throw off a cliff.

Jaxon came out of the bathroom, his beard gone and his dark hair wet from the shower. He wore a white towel low on his hips, accentuating the V of his tight abdominals. She couldn’t tear herself away from the sight. She wanted to memorize every contour, every plane, every ridge. He strode toward her, his suddenly lengthening cock tenting the towel.

Oh well. Guess she could be late to work this one time.

He pushed her back, and she yanked off his towel as he flattened her to the mattress.

Separated by only the thin material of her lacy panties, his hardness butted against her clit, sending tiny shockwaves rippling through her pussy. He laced his fingers with hers and brought their joined hands over her head. He feathered a kiss across her lips before deepening it with the hunger of a starving man.

Or of one saying good-bye.

Her cell phone’s ring cut through the tender moment like scissors to paper. He lifted himself off her, anguish in his eyes. The last time her phone had rung in this room it had been Nick with news about Jaxon’s false alibi.

Her stomach tied itself in knots as she pulled her phone from her purse until she recognized the number. “Hi, Tom. Now’s not a good time—”

“Hannah’s awake and asking to see you.”

She lost her ability to breathe for a moment, the swirl of different emotions confusing her. “I’ll be there in an hour.”

After ending the call, she checked Jaxon for his reaction.

He sat next to her, his head bowed, hindering her view of his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was a scratchy whisper. “I don’t want to go to Aruba without you. I was going to say good-bye to you and Nick at your office. Keep it professional. Stay detached. But now I can’t imagine a day without you in it. I was miserable without you. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t concentrate. Last night was the first decent night’s sleep I’ve had all week. You made me whole again, and if my leaving ruins what we have, I’ll always regret it.”

As cold and unfeeling as his plan had been, at least he’d planned on saying good-bye, and now she knew the truth—that he’d suffered as much as she had this week.

How she wanted to say don’t go.

But she couldn’t be his reason to stay. Not when she understood what it was like to have people whispering behind her back and reporters stalking her. She wasn’t that selfish.

She reluctantly started dressing. “A couple of months away will do you good. I’ll be so busy with school and work that you probably wouldn’t get to spend much time with me anyway. You need the time to grieve and decide what you want to do with your life. I hope that you choose for me to stay a part of it, but if you change your mind—”