“It’s all right, ma’am,” the officer said to Laurie as he held out his hand to her.
She took it and he helped her to her feet, then with a steady arm on her elbow, guided her to the squad car. He opened the back door and she slipped inside. He closed the door and walked toward the back of the car. She could hear the trunk open, then a moment later he got into the driver’s seat. He turned and handed her a blanket.
She took it with trembling hands and wrapped it around herself. Her clothes were soaked right through.
The policeman settled into the driver’s seat. “What’s your name, ma’am?”
“My name is Laurie Conners.” She leaned forward and glanced at the reflection of his face in the rearview mirror, but he was looking down at his cell phone, texting something. “And I’ve got to tell you, there are these men … bikers … and they’re looking for me. In fact—”
“Do you believe you’re in danger?” he asked.
“I … uh … well, they kidnapped me.”
He put away his phone and glanced at her in the mirror. “That’s a serious accusation. Do you want to press charges?”
She had told Steele she wouldn’t charge him, but she’d said it to convince him to let her go. But, did she want to press charges?
She shook her head. “No. I just want to go…” She was going to say home, but she realized that Steele and Wild Card were right. Donovan would probably be looking for her there. “I want to go somewhere safe.”
He put the car in gear and started moving. The windshield wipers slapped back and forth, clearing the sheet of water that steadily poured across the glass, but they could barely see past the front of the car.
Laurie huddled into the blanket and sank back in the seat, feeling safe for the first time in a long time. Not just since Steele and his men had kidnapped her, but in the several months she’d been dating Donovan.
She pulled the blanket closer. How had she let things go so far with Donovan?
She’d wanted to trust Donovan. He was rich, successful. Handsome. He was the perfect man. At least on the surface. But when she’d started having second thoughts, her girlfriends told her she was just afraid of commitment. When she first realized he had some kinky tastes in the bedroom, it had unnerved her a little, but every article she read about sex said that couples should let loose and try new and different things. He was more experienced than her and so was ahead of her in that department. At least, that’s what she’d tried to convince herself. At first, it had been a bit of bondage, then he’d started giving her orders. She had been shocked at how mindlessly and completely she had responded to his domination. A part of her craved being controlled and that scared her a little. But she’d been willing to push back her other issues to explore this side of herself.
Then things had taken a strange turn.
She had been staying with him for the weekend at a big house he had in the country. The house was beautiful, but she didn’t get to enjoy it much. The first day, he’d dragged her into a small bedroom and bound her wrists and ankles to the bed, then had sex with her. Then he’d just left her there.
A couple of hours later, he’d come back and taken her again, then given her some food. When it became clear he wasn’t going to let her free, she told him she wanted to end this, but he simply said, “Silence, slave,” and shoved a ball gag into her mouth. He’d fucked her one more time that evening, then left her alone in the darkness all night long.
In the morning, he’d dragged her from the bed and bound her to what he called a punishment bench, where she was bent over the padded, wooden frame, forcing her naked ass into the air, then he’d slapped her. Hard. Over and over again until her ass burned.
Afterward, when she’d told him how upset his actions had made her, he’d apologized, telling her he’d thought she’d wanted the whole immersion scenario, that he’d thought it had turned her on. He’d promised that he’d be more careful in the future.
She’d reluctantly continued seeing him, but he was attentive and seemed genuinely sorry for his mistake in judgment. For a while. But then they had slipped back into the Dominant-submissive roles and things started to derail again. What caused her to finally break it off with him was when during sex, he’d wrapped his hands around her neck and squeezed so tight, she’d almost passed out. He’d seemed to enjoy the total panic in her eyes, and her obvious sense of complete helplessness. That was the final straw.
She sank into the seat and let the movement of the car lull her as she watched the water stream down the window beside her. She was safe now. She shivered inside. At least, from the bikers.
She seemed to have dozed off because she awoke with a start when the car came to a stop. She peered out the window but the rain hadn’t let up and everything outside was blurred. But it didn’t look like she was at a police station. She thought she could make out trees, and some shadowy shapes approached the car.
The officer in the front seat glanced back at her in the mirror.
“Wait here, ma’am.” He opened the car door and stepped out.
“Hey, Killer. So you found her?”
She stiffened. That sounded like Rip’s voice.
A moment later, the door beside her swung open and Steele glared at her.
“What the hell were you thinking?”
The policeman put his arm in front of Steele. “Now, Steele, give her a minute until you cool off.”
Steele’s eyes narrowed. “Screw that.” He grabbed her wrist and tugged her from the car. Her heart pounded loudly as he dragged her into the house.
“Why did that police officer bring me back here when I told him you kidnapped me?” she asked as he tugged her up the stairs. “And how did he know you were here?”
“Killer is a friend of your brother’s.”
They reached the top of the stairs and he pulled her down the hall.
“Killer? Is he even a real cop?” she asked.
“People around here know him as Officer Grainger, but Rip knew him when he was an undercover cop in a criminal gang. Killer was his ride name. About six months ago, he decided he’d had enough of that life. He moved here with his new wife and became friends with your brother.”
He pushed her into the bedroom and slammed the door behind him. “But that’s not what I want to talk about right now.”
He stared at her, his breathing heavy. They both stood there dripping on the hardwood floor.
“I’m going to ask you again, what the hell were you thinking?” he demanded.
The expression on his face was more anxious than angry, she realized, but when he took a step toward her, she jerked back.
“Ah, fuck, really?” He glared at her as he strode closer. “I’ve done everything I can to prove to you that I won’t take you against your will, but you still don’t believe me.” He stepped closer and she backed up until the wall pressed against her.
He stood so close that if she took a deep breath her breasts would brush his big, solid chest.
His eyes narrowed. “Since you’ve already tried and convicted me in your mind maybe I should just commit the crime.”
He cupped her face with one big hand and tipped up her chin, then captured her lips. A moment later, he whispered against her mouth. “But I would never do that. Do you understand me, Laurie?” Then his tongue drove into her mouth with a sure stroke, claiming her for his own. Tears streamed from her eyes because she wanted to relax into his arms and invite him to take her. She wanted him to hold her close, to feel the comfort of his body. She could feel his cock hard against her belly and she wanted to open to him and feel him glide inside.
He seemed like such a good man. He seemed to care about her.
But then so had Donovan. At first.
Steele’s mouth moved on hers, his body shifting closer, pinning her to the wall.
Their lips parted and he stared at her, his glittering granite eyes boring through her.
“Fuck, I was worried something had happened to you. That you were lost, maybe hurt.”
The concern in his eyes tore at her gut. Did he really care?
“I was lost. I was so glad…” Her throat closed up and tears welled. “… to … to see that police car on the road and flag it down. If he hadn’t stopped…” She sobbed. She had just felt so alone and terrified out in the woods alone, not knowing how to find her way back.
His strong arms tightened around her and she leaned against him, taking comfort in his closeness. Her heart thumped loudly against him and she could hear the echo of his. He drew back and cupped both her cheeks, then lowered his face to hers. The brush of his lips was soft and gentle and they moved on hers with a tenderness that shocked her, sliding past all her barriers, and she found herself responding. His tongue slid into her mouth and she stroked it with hers. He held her tight to his muscular body and her nipples, already hard from the cold and wet, felt an agony of need as they bored into his rock-solid chest.
He drew back and stared at her, looking as bewildered as she was.
He sucked in a breath and stepped back. “You need to get out of those wet clothes.”
She stared up at him, ready to surrender to her need at last. To strip off her clothes at his command and let him take her, whatever the consequences.
She reached for the hem of her T-shirt and pulled it over her head, exposing her wet, lace-clad breasts to his view.
“What the hell are you doing? You fucking overestimate my self-control.” He grasped her shoulders and turned her around, then marched her to the bathroom door. “Get in there, strip down, and have a hot bath. I’ll be back in a few minutes with something to warm you up.”
She couldn’t help hoping the something was him. After all her fighting against the idea, now that she’d given up the fight, she couldn’t wait to be in his arms again. To feel his powerful body against hers. To finally feel his big cock glide into her.
When she finished her bath and returned to the bedroom wrapped in a big, fluffy towel, he was sitting in the armchair.
“I brought you a hot chocolate.” He stood and picked up a metal thermal mug from the dresser and handed it to her. She took a sip. It was still piping hot.
“When you’re finished with that, get dressed and come downstairs. Officer Grainger wants to talk to you.”
* * *
Laurie walked down the stairs and into the living room to see Officer Grainger sitting at the dining room table sipping a cup of coffee. Sitting with him was Rip, Wild Card, and Steele. Shock, Raven, Magic, and Dom were relaxing in the living room.
She crossed the room and sat in the empty chair across from the police officer.
“Miss Connors … Laurie … May I call you Laurie?”
She nodded numbly.
“I think you and I should have a talk. I think you should fully understand the situation you’re in.”
Wild Card picked up the thermos of coffee on the table and filled a mug for her. She sipped it, letting the heat emanate through her.
“Laurie, I’m sure you must be confused by all of this. I just want you to know that these men are your friends and they are looking out for you. We believe that if you were to go back home now, you’d be in danger.”
She nodded, frowning. “I know Donovan is a problem, and I really don’t want to see him again, but I can’t stay here forever.”
After the way he’d behaved, and from their history, she was apprehensive of what Donovan might do, but she had to find a way to move forward.
“I really think it’s in your best interest to wait until your brother gets back.”
“Steele told me you and Craig are friends,” she said.
Whereas Laurie chose to live in Jasmineville, a small city, Craig lived in a small town called Marin Falls, about an hour out, preferring the quieter lifestyle. He owned a sporting goods store in the town and Laurie drove out a couple of times a month for Sunday dinner, but she didn’t know Craig’s friends.
“That’s right, and I’ve been trying to get in touch with him to let him know what’s happened, but without success.”
He folded his hands on the table.
“A while ago, Craig told me you’re in a relationship with Donovan Blake and he also told me he’s had concerns about this man for quite a while.”
“He’s always been overly protective of me,” she said.
“Well, this time it seems justified,” Officer Grainger said. “I ran a search on Donovan, and I was shocked at what I found.”
She wrapped her hands around the coffee mug, finding comfort in its warmth, not wanting to hear what he was about to say.
“This is not the kind of man you want to tangle with. He’s been charged with assaulting several women, but he always managed to get the charges dropped. Every one of the women had been in a relationship with him, and had said things just kept getting worse. By the time the assault happened, they had all wanted out of the relationship, but were intimidated by him, and were afraid of what he’d do to them if they walked away.”
She knew she was trembling. His intense gaze locked on hers.
“Then one woman almost died of asphyxiation.”
The breath froze in her lungs. She could remember Donovan’s hands around her throat. Remembered the terrifying feeling of being unable to breathe. Thank God he’d found his release before she’d passed out, or worse.
“She was terrified and her family talked her into pressing charges against him. But this man is well connected and has money. He finally convinced her to drop the charges, probably with a big payoff. Just after that, he moved to this area.
“Over the course of four years, two women he dated disappeared. No one could ever prove a connection between their disappearances and him, but the circumstances are highly suspicious.”
“Are you saying you think he … murdered them?”
“I’m not making any allegations, but I do think he’s dangerous.”
Her gaze fell on Wild Card, whose jaw tightened in obvious anger, and then to Rip, who watched her with an assessing eye. Probably trying to gauge her reaction to Officer Grainger’s revelations.
“There’s more. I want you to understand that the women he hurt weren’t just beaten once by him. They were abused on an ongoing basis, every one of them afraid to leave him for fear of what he might do to them. That’s why Craig wanted to get you away from him. He was going to tell you about what I discovered when he got back, but he had a bad feeling about the other night when you were going out to celebrate an anniversary. That’s why Steele and his crew went to the bar that night. To make sure you were okay.”
None of what Officer Grainger told her about Donovan came as a huge surprise to her. Not really. Not after having experienced Donovan’s mistreatment. But she hated sitting there like a child, being made to understand how dire her predicament was.
She felt helpless and resentful. Of Donovan, of course, but also of these men who sat here judging her stupidity at having gotten herself involved with such a man. Not that any of them said it. But she knew they were thinking it. Just like Craig had thought it.
It only made it worse that he was right.
Officer Grainger leaned forward. “Laurie, I know he’s probably been more careful since he’s been here. That last incident was enough to send him packing. To go somewhere that people didn’t know him. But he’ll fall into old habits.”
She straightened in her chair. “So what you’re saying is, I really have no choice. Stay here or go back home and fear retaliation from the man I was in a relationship with.”
The bitter resentment in her voice was clear. She felt trapped. And controlled by these men who claimed to want to protect her.
She knew deep inside that none of this was their fault, and that they were just trying to help, but that didn’t change how she felt.
Silence hung in the air.
She felt cold. And numb. Her throat was tight and she couldn’t talk. Not that she had anything she wanted to say.
Right now, she just wanted to escape. Not out the door to return home. That was the last thing she wanted right now.
She wanted to escape her life. Escape her stupidity at ever having gone out with Donovan, let alone staying with him.
And she wanted to escape from these men’s judging gazes.
She tightened her arms, which were folded around her, and pushed herself to her feet.
Steele’s gaze stayed locked on her. Assessing her. Judging her.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
She drew in a shaky breath and forced herself to speak. “Upstairs.”
She could feel tears prickling at her eyes. She didn’t want these men to see her being so weak.
“Are you okay, Laurie?” Shock asked.
She nodded her head, barely trusting her voice not to break.
She walked away from the table to the entrance, her pace increasing as she neared the stairway, then she hurried up the stairs, stopping herself from fleeing in an all-out run.
She reached the bedroom and opened the door, then closed it behind her. She leaned against it, barely able to hold back the tears. She caught her breath, then pushed herself away and walked to the bed, feeling numb inside. She lay down, pulled her knees tight to her chest, and clung to them.
Her body ached from walking so much today, especially through the rough terrain. And when she thought of the mess she was in, her stomach quivered and her mind whirled.
And her heart ached.
Why couldn’t she attract a nice man? So far, she’d only attracted men who didn’t really care about her, or in Donovan’s case, actively wanted to hurt her.
Even kill her.
She’d been alone in an isolated house with Donovan when he’d choked her. She’d been chained and couldn’t fight him. If he’d gone too far, like he had with that other woman …
He could have killed her. Then he would have just gotten rid of her body and paid off anyone who questioned his word that he hadn’t seen her that weekend.
Someone tapped at the door.
“Laurie, may I come in?” Steele said from the other side of the door.
She couldn’t believe he was asking permission.
But she didn’t say anything. Her throat was too choked up. And what could she say? No? He wouldn’t accept that.
The door opened and he peered inside. When he saw her curled up on the bed, he pushed the door open and entered.
“I just wanted to make sure you’re all right.” He closed the door behind him. “I know Killer gave you a lot to think about.”
She began to tremble from head to toe. She was in this impossible situation. She couldn’t go home, because Donovan might hurt her, and her only option was to stay here with these men who had kidnapped her.
He stepped farther into the room. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“And say what?” She was surprised at how even her voice sounded. “Admit that I’m an idiot for having gotten involved with the man? To cry about the fact that now I’m in trouble and that my brother was right all along and if only I’d listened to him…” She ran out of air and sucked in a deep breath.
Steele walked toward the bed. “Laurie, it’s not your fault. Guys like that … they have a way to pull people in. You’re the victim here. You’ve done nothing to deserve this, understand?”
Tears welled from her eyes and she curled tighter.
He sat down on the bed behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder. The warmth of his touch was comforting. A sob escaped her throat.
“He was so charming at first.” She sucked in a breath. “He made me feel like the most important person in the world. I hadn’t been with anyone in a while … I’d had a bad breakup with a guy who didn’t really care about being with me … I was just convenient. So when Donovan treated me like I was someone special…” She choked up again, but took in a deep breath and relaxed her throat. “And he took charge. I liked that.” She hugged her knees tighter. “At first.”
Steele didn’t say anything, just squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.
“Craig never liked him. He hadn’t even met him, but he started on about how I shouldn’t be with him. It was as if he didn’t trust a guy who thought I was special.”
She shook her head. “And he was right. I was so stupid.”
“You’re not stupid to think someone would find you special.” He squeezed her shoulder again, and warmth emanated through her. “And I’m sure that’s not what your brother meant. He cares about you.”
She just nodded, barely hearing him, tumultuous emotions swirling through her. “When things started going wrong … they were just little at first, you know?… but Craig kept pushing me to drop the guy, but my friends kept telling me he was great and I was lucky to be dating a rich, handsome guy who seemed to adore me.”
“What kind of things started going wrong?” he asked.
She sniffed and shook her head. She didn’t want to tell hm. Didn’t want to admit just how stupid she’d been.
But she needed to tell someone. She let out a pent-up breath.
“He liked to dominate me. In the bedroom.” She closed her eyes and bowed her head. “I know it sounds stupid that I let him.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
She stiffened.
He sighed, and his hand stroked back some hair that had fallen across her cheek. “I didn’t mean that as a criticism. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying giving up control to someone. Or taking it. As long as that’s what you both want.”
“I did. I mean, I found it…” Her stomach quivered, but she wanted to tell the truth. To tell someone. “Exciting. It was strange, but he was so in control and confident. I found that … sexy.” She sucked in a breath. “But it was also a little scary.”
“Why?”
“He … liked to bind me. Sometimes with rope. Sometimes with leather restraints or handcuffs. But I had no way to tell him when I didn’t want him to do something. He liked me to pretend to struggle against him, so saying no became part of the playacting.”
“You didn’t have a safe word?”
“I…” She shook her head. “I didn’t know about … I mean, I’d never done anything like that before.”
“You shouldn’t have had to know. He should have.” He stroked her back. “And I’m sure he did. He was getting off on controlling you, but not in a healthy Dom-sub relationship. He was enjoying your fear.”
Tears welled in her eyes again and she squeezed her legs tighter to her chest, resting her face on her knees.
“Aw, sweetheart, it’s not your fault.” He pushed himself onto the bed beside her and scooped her up, pulling her onto his lap. His big arms came around her and she found her head resting against his solid, welcoming chest. He rocked her as she sobbed in his arms, her head tucked under his chin. He was so strong, and she felt protected in his embrace.
“My friends told me I just wasn’t used to kinky play in the bedroom and I was overreacting. Of course, I didn’t tell them all of it.”
“Like what, Laurie? Tell me.”
She gazed up at him, worried at how he would perceive her. She didn’t want him to think she was stupid or weak, when he was so strong. She admired Steele.
“He would punish me. Which I know is something that turns some people on. I thought maybe I was just being too stuffy. At first, he’d spank me with his hand. I didn’t like it, but it turned him on, so I decided to push my limits and go with it. Then he started using a flogger of some kind. One day, I told him I didn’t like it … before we got started, you know? He seemed annoyed, but he agreed not to use it. Instead, he brought out a riding crop and struck me again and again, so hard it burned. I had trouble sitting for days after.”
Steele must have been wondering why she hadn’t stopped seeing Donovan then. Why she’d been such an idiot. But he just stroked her back. And held her close.
“What made you finally decide to break it off with him?” Steele asked.
She began to tremble in his arms. “It was … He had me handcuffed to a … what he called a punishment bench. When he was…” She drew in a breath, remembering Donovan behind her, driving deep into her body in hard strokes. “Like … in the middle of things. He wrapped his hands around my neck.”
Her fingers curled tight, grasping the fabric of Steele’s shirt.
“I couldn’t breathe. And he just kept…” She couldn’t say it out loud. “I felt panicky. I thought, if he didn’t … uh … find … his release … I was afraid I’d pass out. That maybe I wouldn’t wake up again.”
Steele’s arms tightened around her.
“Sweetheart, you’re safe now.”
But she wasn’t. Donovan was still out there, and eventually she had to leave here and face him. And she didn’t know what he’d do to her.
“You’re safe here,” he said again, murmuring against her hair.
And she did feel safe in his arms. She wished she never had to leave them. She shifted on his lap and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. Never wanting to let him go.
* * *
Steele’s heart ached as Laurie burrowed deep into his arms. She was so fragile right now. So vulnerable.
That jackass had really done a number on her, and if he ever got his hands on the guy, he would likely kill him. At the fierceness of his thought, he held her tight, and she whimpered a little. He eased his hold on her and kissed the crown of her head.
“It’s all right. I’ll never hurt you. You know that, don’t you?”
She nodded, filling him with a deep sense of satisfaction.
But he would have to make sure he never got his hands on that Donovan asshole. The last thing he needed was another assault-and-battery charge on his record.
Or possibly manslaughter.
* * *
Steele heard her murmuring in the bed. Once she’d fallen asleep, he’d moved to the armchair, giving her space. In the darkness, though, her whimpers made him want to go to her, and he was just about to throw the blanket he’d pulled over himself aside when she sat bolt upright, with a strangled “No.”
She sucked in rapid breaths of air and glanced around. His eyes were used to the darkness, but she probably couldn’t see him in the shadowy depths.
“Are you all right, Laurie?”
“Steele?” Her head turned in his direction.
She pushed back the covers and, for a confused moment, he thought she was going to bolt, but instead of heading for the door, she hurried toward him and—to his total surprise—climbed onto his lap and flung her arms around him, then snuggled against his body.
She was like a tiny child who’d woken up frightened in the night and needed comfort. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Her head rested against his shoulder and her soft breath brushed against his cheek. She was trembling—because she was cold or frightened because of the dream she’d been having, he wasn’t sure, but probably the latter. He tugged the blanket from his knees and wrapped it around her. Within moments, she was asleep again, so he just held her.
* * *
Light washed against Laurie’s eyes and she opened them. She was in Steele’s big solid arms, on his lap in an armchair.
Reminding her how she’d trotted to him in the middle of the night like a child seeking comfort. But she didn’t feel like a child now, snuggled against his muscular body, his strong arms encircling her.
He glanced down at her. “Good morning.”
“Morning.”
He was so close. So masculine. Their faces were only inches apart. She gazed into his intense gray eyes, drawn in deeper and deeper. The two of them seemed to be drawn together by some magnetic force and his lips found hers. His mouth moved on hers tenderly, totally undemanding. Need welled up in her and she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer.
When they finally parted, their gazes were locked. She wanted him to carry her to the bed and make love to her. To make her feel what it was like to be with someone who cared about her.
She drew back with a start. How did she know this man cared about her?
“Is there something wrong?”
She shook her head.
He obviously had a basic respect for her and her needs, but it wasn’t a caring for her like a man for a woman in a relationship. She didn’t even know him. She was projecting her need to be protected and cared for onto this man who was basically her captor.
He was a good man. She knew that now. But he didn’t love her. He simply felt a responsibility to keep her safe.
And she also believed he felt as intense an attraction for her as she felt for him.
She stroked her hand across the defined muscles of his chest, wishing there could be more between them. Still, it didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate all he’d done for her.
“Steele, thank you for looking out for me, and for keeping me safe despite my best efforts to break away.”
“Escape, you mean?” He grinned. “Truth be told, that’s one of the things I love about you. Your tenacity.”
Love?
He didn’t mean that the way her pounding heart wanted him to. Did he?
Shock zipped through her. Could she really want him to fall in love with her? This man she’d only met days ago? After he’d kidnapped her?
But the kidnapping made him all the more appealing because it showed the lengths to which he’d go to keep her safe.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, watching her changing expressions.
“I just realized that everything about our relationship has changed.”
His eyebrow arched. “Relationship?”
“Well, you know … I mean…” But she noticed his eyes were glittering with amusement.
“Yes, I know. I’m no longer the big bad man who has you chained to his bed.” He grinned and kissed her lips lightly.
She smiled timidly at him. “True. But you know, if I had to find myself trapped in someone’s bed, I’m glad it was yours.”
Fire blazed in his eyes and he drew her close, his lips ravaging hers.
“Steele,” someone said while rapping on the door.
Steele tore his lips from hers. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, then snarled, “What do you want?”
“Laurie’s brother is on the phone. He wants to talk to her.”
He stared at her. “This isn’t over.”
She smiled and slipped from his lap.
Sometime during the night, she’d shed her jeans, so she quickly pulled them on as Steele walked to the door. He opened it, revealing Rip standing in the doorway.
Rip handed him a cell phone and Steele nodded, then closed the door and handed the phone to Laurie.
“Hello?” she said.
“Laurie, I’m glad you’re okay. I heard about what happened,” Craig said on the other end of the line.
She didn’t know which happening he referred to, and she didn’t care right now.
“You’ve been out of town,” she said.
“Yeah, I had to go on business, but I got back as soon as I could.”
“But you were busy before you left.” Her hand tightened on the phone.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, arranging for my kidnapping.”
“Laurie, wait—”
“No, I’m not going to wait. How could you do that?” She was aware of Steele in the background, watching her.
“I was just trying to keep you safe. And you must know that I made that suggestion when I was … uh … less than sober.”
“But sober or not, you really thought that turning me over to a gang of bikers was a reasonable solution?”
“I didn’t turn you over to a gang of bikers. I asked my friend—a cop—to help me look out for you. He knew these guys and one of them is an ex-cop, too. I knew you’d be in good hands. Anyway, I told you, I was drunk at the time, and desperate to protect you. But none of that matters, because they refused.”
“And yet, here I am,” she responded, her hand balling into a fist. But she realized that it wasn’t fair to pin that on her brother, since it was circumstances that had caused Wild Card to snatch her. And save her from Donovan’s clutches, she admitted to herself. Her gaze darted to Steele.
But despite that, she couldn’t let her brother get away with this kind of thing.
“Craig, you really can’t do things like this. You’re overprotective and controlling. I need to live my own life. I’m an intelligent adult.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, annoyance in his voice. “Because some of your choices suggest otherwise.”
Anger flared inside her and she jabbed the END button, then spiked the phone at the armchair. It hit the cushion then bounced to the floor as she tugged the bedroom door open and stormed out. She strode down the stairs then straight out the front door. She ignored the stares of Dom, Rip, and Shock who sat in chairs on the grass overlooking the water and continued along the path to the isolated beach. She kept walking until the glittering water came into view and past the dense bushes then stopped by a big tree and leaned back against it, waiting for her pounding heart to settle down.
“You okay?” Steele asked from behind her.
“Afraid I’d run away?” she asked, annoyance in her voice.
But he ignored her barb. “I thought you might want to talk.” He stepped closer. “Your brother cares about you. You know that.”
She drew in a deep breath. “Yet he arranged for you to kidnap me.”
“He wasn’t really serious, and we didn’t go along with it.”
She glared at him. “And yet I’m here.”
He walked toward her. “Laurie, don’t transfer your anger at your brother to me. You know what happened.” He grasped her shoulders and gazed at her, his granite eyes intense. “Wild Card—or any of us, for that matter—wouldn’t have ignored what was happening to you in that parking garage. He stepped in because he wouldn’t just stand by and allow that asshole to manhandle you like that.”
She pursed her lips. “The point is, my brother doesn’t think I can take care of myself.”
“You’re a woman and he’s trying to watch out for you.” He shrugged. “And I can understand why he wants to protect his little sister.”
She glared at him. “So you think that because I’m a woman I can’t take care of myself either? So tell me, if I wanted to leave right now, would you stop me?”
His jaw twitched. “I shouldn’t have to. You should know what’s good for you.”
“So you’d keep me here against my will?” She tried to step past him but he blocked her way. “You’d overpower me?”
He stepped forward, backing her against the tree. “Why not? That seems to be what you like.”
He dragged her into his arms, his lips taking hers in a forceful kiss. She stiffened, resisting the urge to melt against him. But her anger began to disappear when he pulled her tight to him, her breasts crushed against his hard, muscular chest. She longed for him to stroke them, to rip off her shirt and nuzzle the soft skin.
He stroked his hands down her sides to her hips, then pulled her against his body, his hard erection pressing against her soft belly. Oh, God, she wanted to feel that big cock. To hold it in her hands and stroke it. To feel him press it to her opening and glide inside. Deep and hard inside her.
She clenched her thighs as his hard lips dominated and his big body trapped her immobile against the tree. No escape.
She drew in a breath, wanting him so bad she thought she’d die from the need.
His tongue spiked into her mouth, and he rocked his pelvis forward. He was big and hard and she just knew he was going to take her, here and now. Just like Donovan would.
But Donovan hurt her.
She couldn’t let this happen.
He grabbed her wrists and pushed them over her head, holding her firm, his big, hard body pinning her to the tree. She pushed against his hold, but he was too strong. Panic rushed through her and she shook her head, breaking the demanding kiss.
“You’re going to force me into submission? Just like he did?”
The heat faded from his intense gray eyes, and they hardened into glinting steel.
“Shit.” He drew back and released her. “All you had to do was say no.”
He turned around and strode away.
She sucked in air as he disappeared through the bushes, her heart pounding.
Oh, God, she had been so aroused being overpowered by him. She had wanted him to take her right here against the tree. But those feelings reminded her of how she’d felt around Donovan when he’d taken control.
And that had terrified her.
But Steele wasn’t Donovan. Right from the beginning, he had been protective and caring of her.
And now she’d driven him away.
* * *
As she walked back along the path to the house, she heard a bike engine roar to life, then zoom away. When she pushed through the bushes, she saw that Steele’s bike was gone.
She spent the day trying to be useful. She made lunch for everyone while they sat by the lake in front of the house, and after dinner, she helped with the dishes. Steele was still gone as the sunlight faded deep orange over the lake and finally disappeared, leaving the world in darkness.
She played cards with some of the others, but finally decided to go to bed. She heard Steele’s bike return sometime after midnight and she held her breath when he came into the house, waiting for him to come upstairs. Wondering what she would say to him.
But he didn’t come up.
She was restless and anxious as another hour passed. Then she heard someone on the stairs. She gripped the blanket and watched the door. But then she heard a woman’s giggle and the rumbling of a man’s voice.
It was Raven and Rip.
She hopped out of bed and pulled on her jeans, then peered out the door to see their bedroom door closing. She raced down the hall and tapped on the door.
It opened and Rip stood there.
“Hi. I … uh … wanted to ask Raven something.”
“Sure. Come in.” He stepped aside and she scooted into the room.
Raven walked toward her. “What is it?”
“I wanted to know if you could help me with something?”
Rip grinned. “Can I watch?”
“Rip!” Raven sent him an admonishing stare.
“Sorry, I’m just…”
Raven laughed. “Yeah, we all know what you’re just.” She turned to Laurie. “Don’t mind him. He’s had a few drinks and is ready to go, if you know what I mean. What is it you want?” she asked with a smile.
“Well, it’s about Steele. He and I had an argument this morning.”
“Yeah, I figured.”
“I want to fix things between us, and I thought you could help.”
* * *
Steele sat on the couch alone in the living room, nursing a beer. Everyone else had gone to bed. He wanted to go up to bed, too, but Laurie was there and he didn’t know what to say to her. And if she was asleep, climbing into bed with her just seemed … wrong. Especially since she’d accused him of trying to take her against her will.
Fuck, what could he do to prove to the woman she was safe with him?
A door closed upstairs and he could hear quiet footsteps and murmurs on the stairs. Then Raven and Rip entered the living room.
“Oh, Steele, you’re still up.” Raven stood there, her gorgeous body on display in a scant bikini.
His cock swelled at the sight of her.
Rip stood behind her.
“Steele, don’t you think you ought to go up and get some sleep?”
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
Raven sat down beside him. “Look, I know you and Laurie had a fight, but I just looked in on her and she was sound asleep. Whatever you argued about, you can sort it out in the morning.”
“I have a better idea.” He rested his hand on her long, silky thigh, slowly sliding upward. “Why don’t you and I and Rip enjoy a little together time?”
But she grabbed his wrist just before his fingers brushed her bikini bottom.
She shook her head. “Afraid not. I’m looking forward to some alone time with my man.”
“Are you sure? Seeing you in that skimpy little bathing suit has made me hard and ready for you.”
Raven laughed and stroked over his big bulge. “Oh, you’re hard and ready all right. But that boner is for Laurie, not me. And I’m not taking a backseat.”
“I think it would be me taking the backseat,” Rip said. “Steele would be riding up front.”
Steele’s cock grew harder.
“Yeah? My point is I’m only going to have one rider tonight.” She glanced at Steele. “I’m not here to relieve your needs, you know.”
Steele sucked in a deep breath and nodded. “I know that. Fuck, I’m sorry, Rave.”
She patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. Now go to bed.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why do you guys want to get rid of me anyway? You can fuck in your room.”
Raven smiled. “Because there’s a great hot tub out on that deck and I want to get naked in it and enjoy the attention of my man. And it won’t be as much fun with you in here mooning around.”
He grinned. “I could come out and watch.”
“No,” she said firmly. “Now go to bed.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Steele reluctantly pushed himself to his feet and started up the stairs.
* * *
When Steele opened the bedroom door, he was surprised to find the light on. As he stepped into the room, his heart rate jolted when he saw Laurie lying in the bed, her hands above her head in handcuffs. Her shoulders and arms were bare, and he suspected she was totally naked beneath the sheets. His already-hard cock ached.
His chest constricted and he strode toward the bed to release her. Had one of his crew done this because Steele had been out and they assumed nothing had changed?
* * *
“I’ll find the key and take those handcuffs off.”
She gazed at him, her big blue eyes wide. “No, I don’t want you to.”
Steele stopped in his tracks and frowned. “Why?”
She drew in a deep breath. “Steele, I’m sorry about the things I said earlier. I know I can trust you. I was just … reacting. And when you kissed me so forcefully, it reminded me of Donovan and—”
“I’m not like that asshole.”
“I know that. I just … freaked out. It was a knee-jerk reaction.”
“So why the handcuffs?”
“Because I want to show you that I trust you.” She sat up a little more and the covers slid down her chest, revealing the swell of her breasts. His cock twitched.
“I was thinking that with me bound like this, I could show you just how submissive I can be.”
She wanted him to take her like this? Naked and bound to his bed?
His heart raced.
She had one hand closed in a fist and she opened it now, revealing the key to the handcuffs in her palm. “This is for you. Because I trust you.”
He stepped closer. Could he do this? Take her while she was bound in his bed? When he was her protector?
He reached for the key and took it from her hand. At the merest brush of his fingers against her soft skin, he knew he had no choice but to obey the intense craving inside him and finally know the pleasure of gliding deep inside her body. His groin ached at the thought, and his cock swelled even more.
He placed the key in his jeans pocket, wanting this symbol of her willing surrender to him close, not discarded in a drawer. He sat down on the bed beside her and stroked her cheek. He smiled, then leaned toward her and brushed his lips lightly on hers, loving the soft sweetness of her mouth.
But his hands ached to touch her body, to explore the luscious curves hidden from him by only this thin cotton sheet. He wanted to see her naked breasts, and her long, lithe body. And her pussy. Would it be bare? Or decorated with a fringe of hair? Or maybe a pretty shape?
He longed to see. And she’d given him permission to not only see, but to touch. To enjoy.
His tongue glided over her lips. He kissed the corner of her mouth, then nuzzled her neck.
“You are so beautiful.”
“Steele, I am totally under your control,” she murmured softly. “There’s nothing I can do to resist you.”
His heart thundered in his chest. She wanted him to dominate her. Despite how her boyfriend had treated her. Or more likely, because of it. She wanted to get past her fear, and she trusted Steele to help her.
He caressed her soft shoulder, then dragged his finger down her chest to the edge of the sheet. Slowly, he peeled it downward, revealing the swell of her round breasts, then lower, until they were totally exposed.
They were so round and pert. Perfect. He cupped one, watching her face as he did. She watched him nervously, but when he closed his hand around her, her eyelids closed and she arched against his hand. He cupped her other breast and squeezed them both gently, delighting in the feel of her hard nipples poking into his palms.
He leaned down and licked one hard nub, then drew it into his mouth and suckled. She moaned softly.
He stood up and pulled off his shirt. She watched him, her gaze drifting down his naked chest, then locking on his hands as he unbuckled his belt. He unfastened the button, then drew down the zipper. Fuck, the intense look of anticipation in her eyes sent his hormones skyrocketing. He dropped his jeans, then stripped off his boxers and tossed them aside. He grasped his big, hard cock and stroked it as he stepped toward her again.
She licked her lips and he couldn’t help but take her up on the invitation. He sat beside her, leaning against the headboard and twisted toward her. He stroked her cheek with the tip of his hard cock and she turned her head toward him.
She stared at his erection with such hunger he thought he might explode right then.
“Lick it,” he said.
She leaned closer and her soft, wet tongue rasped across his tip. He suppressed a groan at the intense pleasure.
“Now take it in your mouth.” The words came out hoarse, revealing his deep need for her.
Her soft lips opened and glided around him. Fuck, her mouth was so warm and sweet as it closed around his big cockhead. His stomach tightened as he controlled his desire to drive into her mouth, then thrust until he came deep in her throat.
She squeezed him inside and he groaned.
“Now suck me.”
She obeyed and pleasure washed through him.
“Ah, fuck, baby, that feels so good.” He cupped her head, then glided deeper into her mouth.
She gagged a little and he pulled back, but then went forward again. Slower this time. He drew back and forward. Slowly. Going a little deeper each time. He knew he was too big for most women, and longed to be fully immersed in a woman’s mouth, but not here. Not now.
She sucked as he filled her mouth again and again. Heat built within him and he was close.
He knew he should pull out, but he wanted to come in her mouth, and she wanted him to dominate her.
“That’s so good, baby.” He stroked her hair from her face as he pivoted in and out of her mouth.
He was so close. He groaned. “Oh, yeah. Baby, I’m going to come in your mouth.”
She didn’t tense. She squeezed and sucked, pulling on him, driving him wild, then he groaned again as red-hot lava pulsed through him and he erupted into her mouth.
She continued to suck as he filled her, then she glided back and licked his tip. Finally, he slipped from her mouth and she smiled up at him.
He stroked her hair, then turned away and stepped off the bed beside her. He grasped the sheet covering her from the waist down and lifted it, drawing it off the end of the bed, revealing her totally naked body.
Her pussy was clean shaven.
* * *
Laurie caught her breath as Steele stared at her naked folds. Heat swelled through her and she wanted him to touch her. He pulled her knees wide, exposing more of her to his gaze, then he knelt between her legs. When his big fingers touched her sensitive flesh, she sucked in a breath. He stroked her, then a thick finger slid inside.
“Ah, you are so fucking wet.”
He leaned forward and licked the length of her slit, then nuzzled his tongue inside. She could feel her insides melting, adding to the slickness already coating his fingers as he glided his finger deeper.
“Baby, I’m going to make you come, and I want to hear you call out my name when you do.”
He slid a second big finger into her and they glided in and out. His mouth found her again and his tongue pushed into the tiny nest of folds covering her clit. Then intense sensations blasted through her as he found it. His tongue glided over it, then he began to suck lightly. She arched against him, wanting to feel more of what he was giving her.
“Do you like that?” he asked as he peered up at her, plunging his fingers deeper.
“Oh, yes.”
He thrust them in and out faster as he licked and cajoled her clit. Heat washed through her and pleasure spiked. She arched and moaned as heat consumed her.
“Oh, yes. I’m…” She sucked in a breath as blissful sensations vibrated through her. “I’m coming.”
He sucked harder, his fingers still stroking inside her.
“Who’s making you come, baby?”
“Steele.” She gasped. “Oh, God, yes, Steele.” Tears streamed from her eyes as the building pleasure burst into pure joy. Her senses expanded and ecstasy swelled through her. She moaned long and loud, riding the wave of complete and utter bliss.
It went on and on. Steele’s insistent attention pushing her to the absolute limit.
Finally, she collapsed, gasping for breath.
It had never been like this with Donovan. When he had handcuffed her that first time, he’d forced her to suck him until he was swollen and close to bursting, then he’d climbed on top of her and penetrated without caring if she was ready, then used her for his own pleasure. He gave no regard to the fact he hadn’t satisfied her need. Not that she would have come anyway. She hadn’t enjoyed anything about his careless, rough treatment.
At the feel of hot, hard flesh against her now, gliding along her slick opening, she stiffened. A whimper escaped her throat at the memory of how it had felt when Donovan had pushed into her, without caring if she was ready or not.
But this was Steele, not Donovan. She was surprised he was ready again, so he’d caught her off guard.
Steele immediately rolled aside. “What is it? Was I hurting you?”
She shook her head. “No. I was just surprised you were hard again.”
He smiled. “Of course I’m hard again. Tasting your hot pussy. Feeling you come against my mouth. Fuck, any man would be.”
* * *
At the stricken look on her face, Steele realized she’d been thinking of a different man. Probably that jackass Donovan, who had treated her so badly.
“You were thinking of him, weren’t you?”
She dropped her gaze. “No, you just caught me off guard, that’s all.”
“It’s okay. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. I told you that before.”
He stood up and found his jeans, then pulled the key from his pocket and released her from the handcuffs.
“Steele, it’s all right. I want you to make love to me.” She grasped his wrist. “I want to feel you inside me.”
Fuck, the need in her eyes tore at him, and his cock twitched with the same need.
But he couldn’t. Not knowing she might be thinking of him.
He pulled on his boxers and walked to the other side of the bed, then turned out the light and climbed into bed behind her. “And I want to be inside you. But it’s not going to happen tonight.”
He turned her away from him and pulled her into his arms, then drew her tight to his body. She wiggled her sexy ass against him and his cock ached.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
He tightened his arm around her waist, trying to stop her arousing movements. “Stop moving,” he demanded through gritted teeth. “I’m trying to be a gentleman here.”
She stopped and relaxed into his arms. Then she took one of his hands and drew it to her breast, then pressed it to her soft flesh.
“Yes, you are,” she said.
They lay in the darkness in silence. His cock ached with wanting her, but he would will it to relax. Ten minutes later, he was still hard and aching, despite all his concentration. How could he calm his intense desire with her soft breast pressed into his palm, and her warm soft body tight against him?
If she were to make one movement, he was sure he would explode.
This was pure torture, but he wouldn’t let her go now for the world.
“Steele?”
“Mmm?” He didn’t risk saying anything. His hoarse voice would give away his intense need for her. As if she couldn’t feel it pressing hard against her back.
“Thank you.”
He sucked in a breath, then kissed the back of her neck. A few moments later, her deep, even breathing told him she was asleep. He lay there for a long time holding her close, until finally his body relaxed and he dropped off to sleep, too.
* * *
Laurie woke up in the warmth of Steele’s arms. She opened her eyes and thought about last night. It had been incredible. They had each brought the other to orgasm, yet they still had not made love. She shifted and he murmured behind her, still asleep, but she could feel his hard bulge pushing against her backside.
He had been a gentleman, as he had put it. Because she’d had a flashback to how Donovan had treated her, Steele had backed off.
But she wanted Steele so badly. She wanted him inside her. She wanted to share that intimacy with him.
She turned in his arms, then she kissed his raspy neck.
* * *
Steele awoke to a raging hard-on and soft breasts crushed against his chest. Laurie’s soft hand stroked down his chest as her sweet lips kissed his neck, and under his jaw.
“Fuck, woman,” he said sleepily, “you could drive a man to distraction like that.”
She laughed. “But I don’t intend for you to be distracted at all.” She grasped his chin and drew it down until he gazed at her. “I intend for you to be fully focused on what we’re about to do.”
She wrapped her fingers around his cock, still encased in his boxers. But she squeezed him and he groaned. He flipped her onto her back, then prowled over her, raining kisses on her neck.
“Woman, you’d better learn right now. I’m in charge.”
She pursed her lips. “Yes, Steele. Whatever you say.”
“That’s more like it.” He glided his hand down her stomach, then dipped into her soft folds. Slick moisture surrounded his fingertips. “Fuck, you are so ready for me.” He drew his cock from the slit in his boxers and slid the tip over her slick folds, loving her murmur of pleasure.
“Oh, baby, I am going to fuck you so hard.”
“Yes. Oh, please.” She arched against him.
A loud knock sounded at the door.
“Fuck,” he muttered, then snapped, “Go away.”
He pressed his cockhead to her opening and pushed forward a little.
“Steele, this is important,” Rip called from the other side of the door.
“I said fuck off.”
She cupped his cheeks, gazing at him with wide, dewy eyes, as he pushed forward, his cockhead slipping into her. Just a little.
The knocking at the door turned into a pounding.
“I’m not kidding, man. You better get out here.”
Laurie gazed at the door. “I think he means it.”
“Fuck.” He kissed her, then pulled back, slipping from her welcoming warmth.
He grabbed his jeans and pulled them on.
“I’ll be right back.” He stared at her. “Don’t move.”
She smiled. “Whatever you say.”
* * *
Steele scowled as he followed Rip down the stairs.
“It’s Killer on the phone.”
“What the hell does he want?” Steele demanded.
“I’ll let him tell you that.”
Steele stormed into the living room and picked up the phone.
“Yeah, what is it?” he snapped.
“I just want to warn you that I’ll be coming out there to make an arrest. I have no choice.”
“You’re going to arrest me for kidnapping?”
“No. I’ll be arresting the woman for theft.”
He tightened his grip on the receiver. “Theft? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Apparently, Donovan Blake has charged that she stole a very expensive diamond necklace. I have no choice but to come and arrest her.”
“Thanks for the heads-up.”
“You understand I expect you to keep her there until I get there.”
“Of course, Officer Grainger. I understand completely.”
Steele hung up the phone.
“So what are we going to do?” Rip asked.
Steele locked gazes with him. “We’re going to get her the hell out of here.”