CHAPTER NINE
Gracie’s dark eyes widened when he stooped in front of her and unbuckled the gold fuck-me heels. “Go ahead and eat, sweetheart. I’ll give you a foot massage while you do.” He stood once he had her shoes off and looked around. “Where’s your body lotion?”
“On my nightstand. Webb, what are you up to?”
“Just showing you how this Dom takes care of his submissive. We all have things we like to do. I like to pamper with massages and cuddling, lots of cuddling. Flowers and jewelry. Mostly when it’s unexpected.” Her Touch of Pink body lotion in hand, he pulled his chair in front of hers so their knees touched.
“Put your feet on my thighs. Let me help you relax from a rough day while you eat your chocolate cheesecake.” He opened his mouth and pointed.
She held the plate to her chest in a protective embrace. “You’re not getting any.” She jabbed the air near his bowl of mousse. “Eat your own chocolate.”
“I never took you for a selfish person, Gracie Sweetlips Luera.”
A grunt sounded around a spoonful of cheesecake. “Compliments will get you nowhere, Webb Knobby-knees Mohanty.”
Damn, she was cute.
He worked the lotion into and between her toes. “Are you dating anyone? Is it serious? Who do I have to knock down to get to you?” His fingers moved on to the pads of her feet and she moaned.
“No one. I pulled away from dating several months ago.”
“You’re in need of a man who can control you in the bedroom.”
Her foot and leg tensed. “No. I need to be free. Alone. I have an addiction I need to overcome.”
His fingers stilled. An addiction? Like cocaine or heroine? “What were you hooked on?”
Her dark-eyed gaze roamed over his face for a minute. “Bad boys. I always seem to find men who will hurt me in one way or another. Boss me around. Belittle me, which is painfully bizarre. My mother went for men like that and I swore I never would.” Forking fingers through her long tresses, she lifted them from her neck.
“Yet, in the end, what kind of men turn me on? The same effing kind that sucked Mom in. Once I realized I had the same weakness, I’ve done everything I can to kick the looser habit. I’ve stayed away from men. Maybe one day, I’ll meet a nice guy who sparks my interest and finds me wonderful just the way I am. Until then, I’m going through life by myself.”
“You forget. I’ve already been with you. Benefitted from your passion. A fantastic woman like you should never be alone.” He focused on kneading her feet, his decision made. “Not for long, anyway.”
Gracie tried to remove her foot from his hands, but he halted her by bending to press a kiss to the instep. His gaze rose to meet hers. “Don’t pull away from me and all the possibilities of us. Give me a chance to win here.”
“How can you use the word ‘us’ when we’ve only met today?” The heels of her palms covered her eyes. “My God, I met a guy and was naked in his arms within hours. Then went to a press conference and pretended I barely knew him, when I was acquainted with every inch of tattoos beneath his shirt and pants.”
“Gee, when you use the word inch in relation to me, I’d hope you’d have another portion of my anatomy in mind than my ink.”
“Oh, I’m not even mentioning the man-beast,” she groaned and shifted in her seat.
He had to smile at her reaction to thinking about his cock. “So, it’s decided then?”
Her hands dropped from her eyes. “What’s decided?”
“That we’re going to work on a relationship.”
“Are you deaf and heavy hung? We can’t think of a relationship. Hell, we haven’t even known each other for twenty-four hours. This is lunacy!”
She was right. It was. His response to her made no sense. Hell, did he even know what a real relationship entailed? He hadn’t had one since shortly after he’d been accepted for SEAL training. Breaking things off with Katelyn, his high school sweetheart, seemed only fair. He’d be gone for long stretches of time, often to places he couldn’t tell her about. She deserved someone who was nearby, to pay her the attention she needed.
A couple of SEAL buddies introduced him to the lifestyle of BDSM clubs. At first, it had been a good way to blow off steam. He’d taken training on how to be a Dominant and found it suited his sexual needs. From time-to-time, he’d taken a submissive, but duty always pulled him away. Each mission took him emotionally to a darker place, where he needed more time to swim to the surface of normalcy again.
When he left the SEALs for his emotional survival, he’d turned directly to football and loose women, fast times, cheap thrills. Now? Now, a few hours with a stranger and he was ready to talk relationship. Damn, he was losing his shit. Thank goodness Gracie thought with a clear head, because he wasn’t being one bit rational.
“Webb, I think you should leave. I’m tired and have a big day tomorrow. Please go.”
He wouldn’t push himself on her, that’s not how he treated women. This particular feminine delight was someone special, someone he could respect and adore if he had more time with her. They had shared interests—love of sports, dedication to winning, and he’d wager, the same sex drive.
“Okay, if you don’t want me to spread that chocolate mousse over your breasts and nipples, then lay a thin trail from your navel to your slit, where I’d planned on covering your clit with the rest of the dessert—” By now, her nipples reminded him of pencil erasers again, “—I’ll leave.” He stood and extended his hand. “Walk me to the door?”
Her gaze sprang from his hand, to the bowl of mousse. She cleared her throat and stood. “Sure.”
“I wanted to thank you for all you said at the meeting, Gracie. You handled the press very well, but then, you’re experienced at that.” He cupped her face and kissed her forehead. “Management was quite pleased. Believe me, it was all because of you, not me. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Her palms ran over his shirt, skimming his pecs and abs. Her attention, though, was focused on the bowl of mousse.
Webb tried not to laugh or tease her in any way, while she evidently waged the battle between shoving him out the door or agreeing to be part of his chocolate dessert. The decision for him to stay had to be completely hers. Still, he wasn’t above a little lip magic to help her make up her mind. “Kiss me goodnight, sweetheart.”
He wrapped her long hair around his hand while the other skimmed down the curve of her back and cupped her ass. A gentle tug of the hair would light up her scalp and get her complete attention, as his lips expertly feathered over hers. He nipped at her bottom lip and then soothed it with his tongue. A sound, close to a needy whimper rose from her throat, and from that instant, the kiss went wild. Arms banded around each other’s body. Teeth grazed lips, jawlines, and ears. Tongues played together in the pool of desire, while lips silently voiced secret needs and passions.
When the kiss ended, her dress lay at her bare feet. His palms skimmed over her satiny skin. Her pale naked perfection was tarnished only by a black lacy thong. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. This … almost instant connection I feel for you is the strangest sentiment I’ve ever had. Saying goodnight to you is like cutting my wrists.” His forehead rested against hers. “I won’t last the night.”
Webb had to agree with what she’d said. These emotions were coming too fast and too strong. No wonder Gracie was sidestepping, he had her skittish. If he wanted to keep things going with her, he needed to pull back.
“Will you have breakfast with me?” His fingers trailed the contours of her pretty face.
“I can’t. I’ll be busy all day tomorrow. Will you still be in town the day after?”
“Yes.” He’d be here for a few weeks doing some heavy counseling.
“Maybe we could do breakfast then?” She smiled, her thin eyebrows arched in question.
He kissed her neck and she trembled in his arms. “Count on it. I’ll text you.” God, he hated leaving her. He opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. “Sleep well, Gracie.”
“Webb?”
“Yes?”
“I think you should eat your dessert first.” She hooked her thumbs in the lacy elastic of her thong and tugged.
His heart flipped over and murmured a status update. I am so fucking hers.