ETHAN
BEEP.
BEEP.
BEEP.
“Make it stop,” she whispered, but since she was on top of me her lip brushed against my skin with each word. That and the feeling of her naked body pressed on mine didn’t really help my cock, which grew harder every time she shifted.
BEEP.
“Ahh,” she whined and then pouted, lifting her head and resting her chin on my chest. “Your phone.”
“You’ve pinned me down,” I told her and then glanced at the other side of the bed where my phone was.
Sighing, she sat up, either forgetting she was naked or not caring, and sitting on my waist she stretched out, allowing me to watch her breasts rise up as she did. Brushing her messy hair behind her ears, she leaned over, and I knew then she was tempting me on purpose.
“Ahh.” She gasped when I bit her nipple. Licking and sucking, she jumped slightly when my hands gripped onto both of her breasts, squeezing them. “Oh…”
I didn’t stop, moving my mouth from one nipple to the other. Watching as they turned from pink to red, the more I bit and sucked, her moans filled my ears.
BEEP.
BEEP.
Releasing her breasts and removing my hands, I sat up, taking the phone from her hands.
“What is it?”
She sat on me in shock. Her blue eyes glanced down at her marked breasts, as if she wanted to make sure she hadn’t imagined it, then at me. Slowly, a wicked grin spread across her lips.
“Sir? Did you hear me?”
“I—”
She snatched the phone from me and spoke, “Thank you for calling Mr. Callahan. He’s currently on his honeymoon and will not be available…until he’s available. Please don’t bother him unless it’s an emergency. Thank you, bye.”
She threw my phone over her shoulder, sending it onto the ground. Wiggling herself from my waist onto my cock, however, she didn’t let me in her. Instead, I was tortured with the feeling of her pussy rubbing onto my cock.
“For all you know that…” I closed my eyes, inhaling at the feeling of her before speaking. “That could have been an emergency.”
“More of an emergency than your wife?” she said softly, placing her hands on my chest, leaning forward, her hips never stopping. “When you fell asleep I made a decision to get to know you better…right now I just want to know the many different ways you can make me cum.”
“It’s always about you, correct?”
She had declared so only an hour ago.
“Yes.” She kissed my lips softly. “I don’t care how you do it, husband...just make me cum.”
We were both dazed. Half asleep. Half awake…and horny. I knew that was the only reason why we were both like this…why I didn’t give a damn about whatever it was Toby had called to ask me…and why I wanted nothing more than to do exactly as she asked.
Flipping us over, pinning her underneath, she held her breath, the eagerness in her eyes only matching my own. Sitting up onto my knees, I lifted her hips to me. Her eyebrow rose and before she dared speak and further tempt my restraint, I lifted her thighs higher, so high her back came off the bed and her hands branded themselves on the sheets under her, as I placed her legs on my shoulders, licking her pussy, already wet for me. My tongue darted, teasing her slowly.
“Ahh…” She moaned, rocking into my mouth. Reaching up, I spread her wide to lick her clit, sliding my middle finger into her.
“E…”
Seeing the way she clenched onto my finger, she desperately wanted my cock instead and yet was paralyzed each time I sucked on her.
“Oh!” she cried out, and I ignored her, finger fucking her, teasing her with my tongue until all too quickly she came in my hands, crying out my name, “Ethan!”
Pulling out of her, letting her fall onto the bed, her chest and breasts rose as she tried to breathe. “That was quick, wife. Don’t ask for what you cannot handle.”
She opened her eyes, I was sure to bark at me, but froze when she watched me as I licked her off my finger. Surprising me, she pushed herself up off the bed, her hair already sticking to her body, and on her knees she licked my middle finger slowly before taking it into her warm mouth and slowly letting go of it.
Licking her lips, her eyes met mine as she spoke, “Don’t get cocky. My first one is always my easiest.”
I could feel her challenging me and reacted, pulling her hair back and to that she grinned, adding insult to injury by saying, “If you can bend me, then break me.”
The one thing I’d been trying not to do she’d just asked for by name.
Rising from the bed, I felt her eyes on me. Turning back, I offered her my hand. She took it, eyeing me, but said nothing as I led her to my closet. When she stood in the middle of the room, I left her, walking over to stop the cameras from recording. A dozen things went through my mind, but remembering she’d just left prison a little over a week ago and our minor confrontation only hours ago, made me realize that what her mouth said and what her mind was ready for were two different things. Thus…we’d need baby steps. Grabbing one of my re—yellow ties, red making me feel far too much like a cliché—I walked back over to her.
“What are you doing?”
“Breaking you.”
IVY
I felt my heartbeat quicken and time slowed as he walked back in front of me. The tie he had in his hands already spoke volumes to what was about to come next and…I kinda wanted to tell him I wasn’t 100 percent serious about the break me thing.
“Do you trust me?” he asked and the way he looked at me sent a chill down my spine. Like the whole world could fall away and he’d still be standing there looking at me like this.
Feeling a little awkward, I tried to lighten the mood and said, “Enough to sleep with you…and marry you.”
However, he wasn’t having it. “Yes or no, Ivy?”
“Yes,” I admitted even though I had no idea why.
“Good. Because I trust you.” He kissed my forehead.
I closed my eyes, preparing myself for whatever he was going to do. However, when I peeked them open to see what was happening, I wasn’t prepared at all for the sight of him taking the tie and wrapping his own eyes.
“Do your worst, wife.”
“This is breaking me?” I scoffed, not really sure what in the hell he was thinking.
“Yes, wife,” he answered directly.
I stood there, not sure what to do, and he just stood there too, like a naked Greek statue, perfectly relaxed.
“So I can do whatever I want to you?” I asked, stepping up, waving my hand in front of his face to really make sure he couldn’t see.
“Yes, wife.”
Grinning like an idiot, I really wanted to see if he’d do anything I wanted. “Kneel…and kiss my feet.”
His face was hard and he hesitated.
“I knew—”
Before I could get the words out he’d taken a step closer to me and forced me to look up at him until he put his hand gently at my waist and went down onto his knees. His hands trailed down until he touched my feet and he kissed them. The moment he did, for some reason, I felt my chest tighten and I wasn’t sure from what. He just waited, still kneeling.
He was Ethan, asshole, cocky, know-it-all, Mr. Center-of-the-World, big bad Callahan, and now he was kneeling at my feet, waiting for me to tell him what to do.
“Why are you doing this?” I whispered.
“Because you…we need it, wife,” he replied, calling me wife for the fourth time since doing this. “You need to feel like you control something. That you are different than every other woman. I need you to know you do. And you are. You control me, something no one else has ever done.”
It felt hard for me to breathe, so I had to look away from him, and I wished I hadn’t because it was then I saw his gun sitting on the center cabinet.
Reaching up, I placed my hand on his hair, which felt much softer now that I wasn’t tugging on it.
“You know I could kill you right now.”
He smiled. “If it makes you feel better, wife.”
WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM! My mind screamed and yet my body was shaking. Worst of all I was confused over whatever the hell I was feeling.
“Rough sex would have been just fine,” I muttered.
“Break your mind, wife, and your body will come soon enough.” He smiled.
“Thank you, Aristotle,” I mocked, not that he could see my face. Why was I the one all riled up? He was the one who was supposed to be listening to me. I didn’t have to keep thinking.
Leaning down over him, I wasn’t going to let him keep messing with me like this. “Kiss me…passionately, like I’m your first, last, and only true love.”
I was expecting him to call me wife again, but instead he reached out, grabbing the side of my head and bringing my lips onto his hard. My mouth opened immediately for his tongue, rolling over mine, his free hand pulling me to his chest, where he wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly, preciously, his hands never moving down to grab my breast or my ass. He just kissed me with everything I’d asked for. I was defenseless even though I demanded for it. My body relaxed nto his and we both fell back to the floor of his closet. He rolled us onto our sides, my leg over his thigh, no space between our bodies. The passionate kiss he’d given me only seconds ago morphed into gentle ones. He’d break away slightly just to leave one soft kiss after another on my lips and each time he did I was eager for the next one.
“Make love to me,” I whispered against his lips.
“Show me how, wife,” he whispered back in the small distance between us. “I’ve never made love to anyone.”
He isn’t playing fair. I hadn’t even realized what I was asking until the words came out of my mouth and he replied. Because if I did I would have realized I didn’t know what that meant either…not until he kissed me.
Reaching up, I tugged on his tie until it came undone. He blinked a few times before his beautiful green eyes focused on mine. Swallowing back whatever sound was trying to come out of my throat, I smiled and replied, “Look at me like that, hold on to me like this, kiss me like you did, and take me slowly.”
“Yes, wife,” he said softly, shifting on top of me and kissing me again. Closing my eyes, my arms wrapped around his neck.
“Oh…” I moaned against his mouth when I felt him enter me as if I were a virgin…as he buried himself into me deeply, each time leaving me aching for more.
“Ivy,” he whispered, resting his forehead on mine.
“Y…yes?”
“Why are you crying?”
I didn’t even realize I was. And now that I did I tried to look away from him, but he just kissed my cheek and the side of my eye. Until his lips were at my ear again.
“You don’t play fair…”
Me? I don’t play fair?
“I can barely control myself when you smile…seeing you like this…” He kissed my ear again. “You even cry beautifully…it makes me weak.”
I held on to him tighter, trying not to become even more of a mess than I was.
“Who said you could talk?” I choked out. “I thought I was the one in control here.”
When he didn’t say anything again I glanced back up at him, and he was smiling at me gently, a light layer on top of him.
“Forgive me, wife,” he said before kissing me again and as he filled me I never wanted to leave the floor of the damn closet.
ETHAN
For the first time since I met her she was quiet as we ate on the floor of our bedroom. After my closet experiment, we lay there wrapped in each other’s arms for almost an hour until her stomach growled and I called for an early dinner. It was already four in the afternoon. I did my best not to watch her as she ate her yogurt, still dazed, but failing. However, it proved I made the right choice. Did I want to tie her up and have my way with her…yes. Did I hate taking orders from anyone…also yes. But Ivy was used to rough, and while that thought pissed me off to no end, I tried to think of it only in the context of her life and not anyone she’d been with before me. Yes, I am chauvinist, what-fucking-ever. Either way, I figured if I’d done what I wanted she wouldn’t have been fazed much.
“Wife,” I called, and she jumped slightly, staring at me. “Are you all right?”
“Huh…yea…I mean, yea, I’m fine. Just hungry,” she lied, eating again and looking back through the phone that came up along with the food.
This is better, I thought, taking a bite out of my chicken. I realized she wouldn’t stay this soft-spoken and reserved for long. But that didn’t matter.
“Here.” I lifted the yellow tie and handed it to her. “For whenever you need control again. Don’t go abusing your power, wife.”
She smiled, taking it from me. “I’ll try, but you’re the one who gave power to a novice.”
“Not a novice. My wife.” I’d keep saying it until she understood it.
“Why do you trust me so much? I hated you only until a little while ago…” She put her cup and spoon down. “And don’t tell me it’s the vows again. Despite being a jerk when we first met, you’re still considerate and kind to me.”
I wasn’t sure how to phrase it to her other than, “Rule four: no bloody divorce. Rule forty–eight: love your wife above all else…after all, she is the one who can either keep you warm at night or make sure you never wake up. Rule forty-nine: never cheat. Affairs destroy the family. No face or body is worth it.”
“What? What are those rules?”
“The Callahan family rules,” I said, taking another bite of my food as she focused all her attention on me. “From my father, which came from his father and his father before him. Rules are very important to this family because they have kept us on top. We respect them. We acknowledge they may be contrary sometimes. However, the point is the same, take care of your family, your people, and do it while looking ungodly handsome. Something I was luckily blessed in spades with.”
“Wow….” She stretched out. “If your ego were food it could end world hunger twice over.”
Ignoring her, I went on. “Why do I treat you this way? Because this is how I’ve been taught to treat you.”
She frowned, inching closer to me until she rested her chin on my shoulder. “I feel like there is more.”
“Everyone feels like there is more,” I muttered, taking the glass of water, her eyes still on me. “But it is the truth. Would you prefer if I come up with something romantic?”
“Do you know how?”
I scowled at that. “Sorry, that was my father’s forte.”
“Your father?”
I nodded. “The man who loved his wife so dearly he’d nearly killed himself. My parents’ love affair was renowned and blinding for us growing up.”
“My parents loved each other too,” she said, but I didn’t think she understood.
“I’m sure. However, my parents were obsessed,” I told her, thinking back on it, though it was not hard to remember. “They were like two magnets. The minute one of them came into the room they automatically knew, and when they were close they were almost inseparable. They fought with each other physically and verbally just for the sole purpose of making up. If my mother went more than an hour without speaking with him she’d become irritated. My father refused to sleep until she came home. They walked at the same pace. Their eyes met at the same time. They even breathed evenly. I thought it was normal for the longest time, until I watched Toby’s parents get a divorce. I didn’t even really understand what that meant then. I thought it was maybe just them. But soon I came to realize that almost half of marriages failed and I was shocked. It was never in the realm of reality for our family.”
I hadn’t noticed I’d trailed off until she lifted her chin from my shoulder.
“Do you want a love like your parents’?”
“No.” I snickered, drinking, then remembered who I was speaking with. Of course she wasn’t pleased. “It sounds great to be loved like that. I’m sure it was great. Until my mother died. And, like you said, my father became a shell of the man he was. But that wasn’t even the worst. If he’d simply self-destructed I could have understood. Instead, he was…horrifying. He took out his anger on us, his children, like he blamed us for keeping him alive and not dying. He ripped us apart with vengeance. He sent Dona to a boarding school. And contently drove Wyatt and me against each other when we were together. And when I was with him, he’d blame me for defeating Wyatt. He’d ask me how I’d let my brother fail, meanwhile he’d asked me to make him fail. There was no peace. The day he died we all took a deep breath again. That is what his love did…and I want no part in it.”
“So never lov—”
“The point isn’t not to love…it’s not to obsess.”
She smiled and nodded. “I’ll let you know if you start obsessing over me.”
“I’m not the problem,” I said, grabbing my yogurt.
“Are you saying I am?”
“Have you seen me?”
She groaned, rolling her eyes and getting up. “I’m going to take a shower. Feel free to marry your own reflection or something.”
“I tried. Apparently it’s not legal in the state of—”
“Oh my God, you are annoying!” she yelled and laughed, stomping over to the bathroom. Smirking, I didn’t move and kept eating.
“I do hope you know this story is not for free,” I called out, grabbing an apple as I rose to my feet.
“What?”
Walking toward the shower, I watched as she stood under the water and as it rolled off the curve of her breast.
“My eyes are up here.”
“I know where your eyes are. I wasn’t looking at them,” I said, taking a bite out of the fruit in my hand.
“As you were saying?” She reached for my shampoo, just pouring the hundred-dollar bottle on her head.
“Give and take. You hear about my past, I’ll hear about yours once we get to Boston.”
“What?” She paused, her hands tangled in her hair.
“We leave for Boston first thing in the morning. Sorry, wife, but I like business with a side of pleasure.” I wanted to join her…badly. But the look of horror, anger, and anticipation kept me at bay. Leaving her, I walked back to my bed, picking up my phone, long since forgotten. Only three missed calls from Dona and one from my aunt Cora, which was followed by a text that they were gone with my grandmother.
Dialing, it rang once before he picked up.
“Sir?”
“Is everything ready?”
“Yes. I’ll be flying out—”
“No. You’ll stay here in Chicago. Report to Dona, let her know I’m leaving her to look over the house.” She’d know what that meant and hopefully it would cool her head off some. Dona wouldn’t fail. The problem was, just like a dog that had tasted blood, it was almost impossible to cage them again. “However, Tobias…don’t let her out of your sight.”
“Of course.”
“Good.”
“Ethan,” he called out before I could hang up. “Congratulations on your wedding, my friend.”
“You keep calling me that, but we are not friends.” I hung up, throwing the phone onto the bed.
Turning around, Ivy stood in my robe, which was so big on her it almost seemed as if she were drowning in it, her hair dripping wet and sticking to her face.
“Who’s dying first?”
“Anyone who won’t bow.”
The corner of her lip turned up, as did mine.
Boston was about to get very ugly.