7
MALORY
I climbed onto Gareth's bed and positioned myself on all fours, my ass toward the foot board so it would be the first thing he saw when he walked into the room. Lust thrummed through my body making my heart race and my breath quicken. It had been so long since he'd truly dominated me. I craved it deeply, needing to feel connected and close to him again, to cement out bond and our love through dominance and submission. I couldn't wait for his control, and to feel him deep inside me again. I closed my eyes and took a shuddering breath in anticipation.
I heard him go into his large walk-in closet, followed by electronic beeping noises as he opened this small wall safe. I knew he was putting his gun away. He'd been carrying it everyday since going back to work. I didn't even know he owned a gun until he was getting dressed for work Monday morning, and I passed the closet door. He'd had his back to me, and the scary black pistol was in a holster attached to his belt at the small of his back. I couldn't blame him for carrying it after his attack, and if it gave him some measure of comfort, then I wasn't going to say a word about it.
I felt his presence enter the room, and then heard the soft sound of his feet coming to a stop at the foot of the bed behind me. He let out a low animalistic growl that made my pussy clench and a shiver travel up my spine. I could almost feel his eyes searing into my flesh.
"Good girl," he said in a voice turned husky with lust.
His approval was like liquid heat poured over my body, saturating me in warmth and pleasure. He moved now, coming around to the side of the bed, so I could see him. I glanced over to watch him slip his suit jacket off, his broad shoulders filling out his dress shirt underneath to perfection. He draped the jacket across the nearby club chair and removed his cuff links, then set them on the nightstand. His hands moved to his collar and removed his tie. Then he began undoing his shirt with careful measured movements, slowly exposing his sublimely chiseled torso with each button. I watched breathlessly, marveling at his sheer perfection and the fact that he was mine.
"Tonight," he began in a seductive tone as he slipped his shirt from his sculpted arms, "the only things I'm touching you with are my hands, my mouth," His voice dropped an octave, "and my cock."
I moaned as my sex clenched yet again in anticipation of his promise. He tossed his shirt on the chair, and my eyes followed his hands as they moved down to his belt. In moments, he was completely and gloriously nude, his big beautiful cock hard and throbbing again, despite the fact that he already orgasmed a short time ago. A soft whine escaped my lips in longing for this man.
"What's your safeword, Malory?" he asked sternly.
I shuddered in reaction to that much missed question. "Bourbon, sir."
"Very well," he replied in approval. The mattress dipped as he climbed up onto the bed behind me. His hand fell gently upon my right ass cheek in a soft caress that sent gooseflesh pebbling across my body.
I closed my eyes and let out a long cathartic breath as I embraced my submission. Calm peaceful bliss fell over me. I felt his hand slide up onto my back, pushing the forest green satin of my camisole up to my waist. I shivered again.
"Did you buy this just for me?" he asked. His left hand slipped up to my left hip and gripped me firmly in a proprietary way that spoke of his ownership of my body and my pleasure.
"Y...yes, sir," I whimpered out softly.
"It pleases me very very much, Malory," he murmured seductively. "It's so damn sexy, just gorgeous on you." He leaned over me and added in a rasping whisper next to my ear, "It makes me want to fuck your tight little cunt." He straightened and added, "but not yet."
I mewled in stark disappointment as lust burned through me in a hot rush, my insides tightening and clenching achingly with need.
"Hmm," he sounded thoughtful as his hand slid back slowly until his fingertips skated close to my pussy without actually touching it, making me whine in frustration. "It occurs to me, that up until now, I've gone much too easy on you, been entirely too lenient. Now that you're mine in every way, it's time for me to truly be your Dom, your master, to teach you what being a submissive really means. And I take that kind of responsibility very seriously." A finger ghosted across my sex making my insides contract and throb for more.
Oh my God. Easy on me? Too lenient? What had we been doing before? And what was he going to do to me now?
"You will not move, you will not make a sound, and you will not come until I say," he said in a stern tone that brooked no argument. "Understood?"
What? Holy crap, how was I supposed to manage that? Was he insane? My mind whirled and churned with anxiety over the very real possibility of disappointing him.
His hand suddenly came down with a loud smack on my ass that stung and sent a jolt of electric pleasure straight to my clit. It brought me back to the present moment with a gasp.
"When I ask a question, I expect an immediate answer," he barked out harshly. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," I blurted out in shock. Apparently, he was really going to push my limits tonight. It was a terrifying, yet exhilarating revelation. His palm massaged the sting away, leaving tingling warmth in its wake.
"Tell me your safeword again, beautiful." Both of his hands slid up my back now, then down to grip my hips, his fingers wrapping around my waist possessively.
"Bourbon, sir," I whispered as I fought not to push back against him, eager for his cock. I didn't miss the fact that he'd asked me for my safeword twice, something he'd never done before. Oh yes, he meant business tonight.
"Good girl," he said huskily. His hands tightened on my hips. "If you move or make a sound, you'll be spanked. If you come without permission, you won't get to come on my cock when I'm inside you," he said in a decisive tone that demanded obedience. "You will safeword immediately if you need to. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir. Yes, Gareth," I replied waveringly, suddenly terrified that I was going to fail in pleasing him for the very first time. He picked up on my fear immediately.
"Baby," he said, his voice a tender and loving caress as his hands gentled on my body. "Don't be afraid. I would never truly hurt you. You know that, right?"
"I'm...I'm not afraid of that, sir," I answered worriedly. "I trust you."
He leaned down to press his front to my back, his warm solid presence soothing me, even as his cock brushing against my core made me whimper. "Then what are you afraid of, beautiful?" he asked as his lips caressed the shell of my ear making me shiver.
"I...I don't want to disappoint you," I confessed pathetically.
His hands clutched at my hips again. "That's. Not. Possible," he growled out with conviction. "When we play, it's about giving each other what we need, and giving each other pleasure, not me setting you up to fail so I can punish you. Besides, you know my punishments are about giving you pleasure, not actually harming or hurting you." His warm soft lips pressed a tender kiss to the sensitive skin under my ear. "I love you, Malory. You will never disappoint me."
His words instantly calmed my anxiety and filled me with warmth.
"Now," he said firmly as he straightened again. "You're going to let all that go and give yourself over to me. Just feel. Just be in the moment, and I'll take care of everything else, beautiful."
I nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Very well." His voice was deep and commanding again, his power and dominance radiating out like liquid heat to cascade over me. It was sweet and utter bliss. His right hand lifted from my hip and cupped my pussy. It felt warm and reassuring. "I'm going to give you a lesson in the fine art of erotic torture."
His left hand released my hip and was fisted in my hair a moment later, pulling enough to arch my neck back. Little pins and needles of pain tingled across my scalp. He'd never done it this roughly before, and to my surprise, it felt good. I liked it. I liked it a lot. I moaned without thinking.
Smack! The loud stinging blow to my ass came out of nowhere.
"Bad girl," he snarled as his grip on my hair tightened. He caressed the sting away with his palm, turning it into sweet warmth again. Then his hand was on my sex once more, rubbing up and down over my swollen clit and soaked folds. It felt so good that I barely kept myself from whimpering.
I adored it when he called me a good girl, but somehow being called a bad girl was almost as good. It almost made me want to disobey him on purpose. Almost. I wasn't insane. He'd realize what I was doing, and I feared his punishment at that point would be to end our play tonight completely, and that was the very last thing I wanted.
"See?" he said smoothly. "I've been much too lenient. You've learned that you can misbehave with no consequences, but we're going to change that now."
His fingers found my clit and pressed into it with firm circles. Sweet pleasure began spiraling up inside me, higher and higher until I was skirting the edge of release. My God, it took every ounce of strength I had to hold still and stay silent as I fought my orgasm down.
"Don't you dare come," he said in a heated and threatening tone. "Or I'll fuck you to my own release and leave you wanting."
All I could do was pant and hold on for dear life, until he mercifully stopped his erotic assault on my poor clit.
"That's my good girl," he crooned.
He leaned over me once more, the tip of his cock teasing my core yet again. His hands snaked up my body, pushing the camisole up, so he could cup my breasts, his big warm palms feeling like heaven as he kneaded them gently. His mouth began suckling at the sensitive spot where my neck and shoulder met, his hum of pleasure vibrating delightfully on my skin. Oh God, it felt amazing. His fingers found my nipples, and he began rolling and twisting them. Electricity zipped down to my clit and left it throbbing achingly for more. I bit my lip to stifle a moan, my body shaking with the effort to remain still.
Then suddenly, at the exact same instant, his teeth sank firmly into my flesh, and his fingers pinched my hardened nipples. It jolted through me like an exploding firework, the pleasure/pain like nothing I'd ever felt before. It hurt so damn good. Without thinking, I moaned and arched up into his body, wordlessly begging for more.
He rose up from my body in an instant. Smack! His hand cracked down on my ass in a loud and stinging blow. A burning heat bloomed in its wake, but Gareth caressed it away into blissful warmth. I sighed softly in pleasure as languid euphoria began to fall over me, pushing coherent thought away.
"Bad girl," he said huskily. "I'm starting to think you like disobeying me, beautiful."
I shook my head in denial.
Smack!
I yelped.
Smack!
Shit, I needed to focus here.
"Liar," he said in an amused tone as he massaged my ass to chase away the pain. His right hand returned to my pussy, and rubbed at my swollen flesh. I squeezed my eyes shut as I fought down a needy whimper. His fingers found my clit again, and I gritted my teeth to keep my hips from thrusting against his hand. My body shook from the effort, and I was just on the verge of winning, when he suddenly pinched my clit. Holy. Crap.
I wailed, and it was immediately followed by two sharp burning slaps to my ass. I teetered over the edge of coming for what felt the longest few seconds of my life, before battling it down.
Gareth chuckled in a low sexy tone that made my insides flutter and throb with desire. "That was close." His hands tenderly massaged my ass. "You're such a good girl for not coming. I think you've earned my cock inside you now, don't you, beautiful?" he asked wickedly. "You may answer me."
"Yes, sir. Please, Gareth, sir," I whimpered out shamelessly. I didn't think I could take much more of his torture. I needed him inside me more than my next breath. I didn't think I was ever more turned on more in my life.
"Very well," he whispered seductively. He began rubbing his cock at my core, teasing and taunting me some more. The sadistic bastard was really enjoying himself. He slid just the tip in and leaned down to press a deep open mouth kiss to the back of my neck. It sent a line of electric pleasure shivering down to my clit.
"Come," he commanded against my skin. Then he bit down hard and thrust violently into me at the exact same time, his cock sinking all the way to the hilt in an instant, filling me and penetrating me completely. My body immediately obeyed, white-hot pleasure scorching out from my core in a devastating blast that blew me apart. I screamed on and on, so long and so loud that I expected to be hoarse later.
When I finally came back down, Gareth had straightened behind me and was pounding into me with harsh vicious snarls, his hands holding my hips in a bruising grip. My God, I loved it when he lost control like this, loved how animalistic he became when he was inside me, and the stark contrast to the controlled Dom he'd been mere moments ago.
The dichotomy of this man was my undoing, and I came again, wailing out in pleasure, my insides clamping and squeezing down hard on his cock. Gareth snarled out incoherently and followed right behind me. His cock swelled and began jerking and throbbing with his release, a wash of heat filling me up as he emptied his seed into me. His body spasmed and quaked behind me, his snarl slowly fading into low groans of bliss until we both came back down together. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around my middle, the sound of his harsh shuddering breaths mingling with mine.
"That's my good girl," he gasped out between breaths. "That's my Malory, never disappointing me. Never. I love you so much, baby." He pressed soft kisses to my sweat dampened neck while making little growling noises that were so incredibly sexy.
"I love you too, sir," I whispered as I shivered with aftershocks.
He hummed happily against my skin, then pulled both of us down onto our sides. He tucked me in close and held me tight, spooning behind me. I drifted away in sated worry-free contentment, feeling safe and secure in the arms of the man I loved.
**********
I awoke Sunday morning to find both Gareth and Reggie smiling at me after returning from their walk.
"Good morning, beautiful," Gareth said with a sexy gleam in his eyes.
He stripped and crawled back into bed with me, then proceeded to make sure my morning was indeed very very good, multiple times. For the first time since the attack, Gareth seemed content and completely at ease this weekend. He hadn't even had a headache that I could tell. I didn't know if it was from all the sex we were having, or from dominating me, or maybe both. Whatever the reason, it was a relief to see him feeling better.
After we cleaned up and dressed for the day, he served me coffee and some pastries he'd picked up on his walk. He told me he had some work to catch up on, and I decided I wanted to take a good look at the library in his study. I was curious to see what kinds of books he had, and garner some insight into the man. When I asked, he smiled indulgently and told me to help myself.
After only a few minutes of perusing his large eclectic collection, I found the perfect book that peaked my interest as soon as I saw it. I sauntered back up to the second level sitting area with my book selection and plopped down next to him without a word. I set the book in my lap and scanned the description on the back cover. Suddenly, I felt Gareth watching me. I looked over to see him eying me with a darkly amused smirk. He glanced down at the book in my hands.
"Interesting choice," he said in a sexy tone that made my heart flutter.
"I saw it on the shelf and couldn't resist," I said with a wicked grin as I flipped the book over to look at the title again. It was a book about BDSM. "It seemed apropos to my situation."
"I imagine so," he replied with heated eyes. He leaned over until his lips brushed my ear. "Let me know if you see anything in there that you want to try," he whispered suggestively. "I'm open to almost anything."
I felt my face blush furiously. Apparently, making Malory blush was going to be an ongoing activity around here. He winked at me and turned back to his laptop on the couch next to him to continue working, ignoring my glare completely. I huffed indignantly and opened the book.
An hour later, I was blown away by everything I'd read. There were a lot of things that sounded scary and didn't appeal to me at all, like breathplay or knifeplay. Yikes. I was amazed to read that there were actually people who consensually lived a master/slave relationship with each other twenty-four hours a day. I wasn't interested in taking our dominance and submission to that extreme, although the idea of doing a little role-playing that way for short periods of time sounded intriguing to me. I remembered the way Thea had submissively sat at Derek's feet the other day after we all had dinner together. They had looked so natural doing it, and the obvious bond between them had seemed so beautiful to me. I wanted the same with Gareth.
The one thing I really found fascinating was the rope bondage. The pictures of women bound in intricate and complicated ropes and knots were beautiful and powerfully erotic. Some of the subs were even hanging from the ceiling in their ropes, looking blissful and completely at ease. I didn't want to be trussed up and dangled like a Christmas tree ornament, but I wouldn't mind Gareth using a little rope on me just to try it. I planned on asking him later, when he was finished working. I started yawning and re-reading sentences after that, so I curled up on my side with my head on Gareth's thigh and nodded off.
A little while later, I woke slowly, blinking my eyes blearily from my unexpected mid morning nap. I was still curled up on Gareth's sofa with my head on his left thigh where I'd drifted off to sleep. I stayed still, and enjoyed the feel of Gareth's fingers absently sifting through my hair. I could hear the hushed sound of papers being shuffled, interspersed with the occasional soft clicking of his laptop keyboard as he worked on one of his many cases. Soothing classical music was playing softly over the penthouse's state of the art sound system.
I closed my eyes, savoring this comfortable and intimate moment with him, feeling safe and loved. I wanted to stay here all day long. I closed my eyes and started drifting off again. Of course, that was when Gareth's phone decided to ring. He sighed softly and answered the call.
"Hi, Dad," he said in an affectionate tone, and not his usual terse greeting that he used for most calls. Gareth adored his father, and who could blame him. Tom Caxton was a kind and loving man, much like his son.
"Today?" he asked a few moments later. "Let me ask her," he added after a pause.
I sat up to meet Gareth's eyes. He looked unsure and nervous, which was completely unlike him. I raised my brows questioningly.
"Dad invited us over for lunch today," he explained. "I know it's kind of a last minute thing, but Victoria's kids are coming over, and he wanted us there too. Would you be okay with that?" he asked worriedly. It was sweet that he was nervous about inviting me to have lunch with his family.
"That sounds great," I replied with a genuine smile. "I love your dad, and I already know Victoria's kids anyway so it's no big deal." Natalie and Ford, Gareth's step-siblings were friends with my brother, Andy. I'd been around them quite a few times and their significant others, David and Jenny, who I knew the most since she was also Andy's younger sister.
He instantly looked relieved and smiled softly. He lifted the phone back to his ear. "We'll be there, Dad."
A few hours later, Gareth was pulling his gorgeous white Audi R8 supercar up the circle drive of what could only be described as a mansion. I mean I knew Gareth grew up in one, but seeing it was something else entirely. Wow. Just...wow. The place was massive with a steeply pitched roof, and a gray stone and half-timbered exterior in a Tudor Revival style that was most likely built in the 1800s. I couldn't wait to see the interior. What I could see of the grounds, after Gareth helped me out of the low vehicle, was breathtaking with lots of trees and sprawling lawns. The whole place was beautiful, and I told Gareth as much as he led me by the hand to the front door.
He smiled softly. "It just got more beautiful now that you're here."
I almost laughed, thinking he was joking around, but he pulled me close and kissed me before I had a chance. His lips were firm yet tender as they moved over mine in a passionate dance that made me melt in his arms. I was breathless and stunned when he finally pulled away.
"I love you," he murmured in my hair as he hugged me to his chest. "I'm so glad you're here, so glad you're mine."
"M...me too," I replied with a smile. "And I love you too."
He kissed my temple then led me up the sidewalk to the front door, and rang the doorbell. A moment later, a petite woman dressed in a blue shirt and khaki pants answered the door. Her hair was in a bun, and her eyes were open and friendly.
"Hi, Gareth," she said as she smiled happily at both of us.
"Hi, Audrey," he said. He turned toward me. "This is Malory, my girlfriend," he announced proudly. It made me feel all mushy inside.
"Hi, Malory," she said warmly. "I'm Audrey, Tom and Miss Victoria's housekeeper. It's so nice to meet you."
"Hi," I reached out to shake her hand. "It's nice to meet you too."
She took our jackets and ushered us in. Gareth led me through the massive house as I admired the warm earth-toned rooms that had a modern traditional flair that lent it a comfortable feel. I was half afraid the place would be stuffy and overdone inside. I could hear voices and laughter getting closer until we walked into a large sunroom with a sitting area and a bank of windows that wrapped around the room and looked out over the grounds. I could see Tom, Ford, Jenny, David, and Natalie sitting on the couches along with an older auburn-haired woman holding Daniel, David and Natalie's little boy, who I think was eight months old or so now. There was no mistaking the older woman as anyone other than Natalie and Ford's mother, Victoria. Natalie and her mother looked very much alike, both tall and slender with green eyes.
Gareth and I were greeted enthusiastically, particularly me, and I felt immediately at ease and welcome here. It helped that the only person I'd never met before was Victoria, but she greeted me the most excitedly, hugging and fussing over me. It was nice, even if it was disconcerting. When she fussed over Gareth, I could tell he thought so too, but he indulged her anyway.
Audrey announced that lunch was ready after that, and we all went to a nearby dining room with a long elegantly set table that had enough seating for all of us with some to spare. It was so unlike anything I was used to, but the pleasant company more than made up for any discomfort I might have felt. We all talked and laughed through the meal, mostly entertained by Daniel and the mess he was making on his high chair as he enthusiastically fed himself. By the time he was done, he even had food in the soft dark curls on his head.
After lunch, the men took off downstairs for a game of pool in the entertainment room, and Victoria, Natalie, Jenny, and I returned to the sunroom. Natalie settled Daniel on the floor on a blanket with some toys, where he began laughing and squealing happily as he amused himself with some brightly colored stacking cups. We sat and chatted about Daniel and Jenny's wedding plans as we watched the baby play.
Eventually, Victoria dragged Natalie upstairs to check out her newly redecorated office. Jenny and I volunteered to stay and keep an eye on Daniel. He started fussing after his mother left the room, so Jenny picked him up and sat back down next to me with the baby in her lap.
"Who's a handsome big boy?" Jenny asked him as she grinned at him and bounced him on her knee. "Who loves his aunt Jenny?" He giggled and cooed then snuggled up against her contentedly. He was such a good-natured baby.
I really liked Jenny, always had. Andy's sister was petite and curvy with long silky dark hair and bright blue eyes identical to her brother. She was strong and fierce with a spunky attitude. Plus she didn't take any of her brother's bullshit.
"You're a natural with babies, just like your brother," I commented with a smile as I watched Daniel grip the finger I offered him in his little fist.
She laughed. "To be honest Daniel freaked me out at first," she confessed with a grin. "I was scared shitless the first time I held him. He was the first baby I'd ever held, and I thought I would break him."
"I felt the same when I held Alice the first time," I told her. "She was so tiny and fragile looking."
"Yeah, but she's a Purcell," Jenny said with a smirk. "We're all small, but feisty as hell."
"Amen to that," I agreed. "Let's just hope she's not as annoying as her father."
"I don't think that's humanly possible," she said with a laugh as her eyes sparkled in amusement.
She stood and went over to the baby blanket and set Daniel on it. She sat down next to him, and I rose to join them on the floor. I handed some blocks to Daniel as Jenny pulled up the legs of her jeans to slip off her stiletto boots. I noticed a tattoo on one of her ankles. It was two parallel ropes wrapped around her leg and tied into an infinity knot. It was simple yet beautifully done.
"I love your tattoo." I nodded toward her leg. "Did Ford do it?" I knew that Ford was a talented tattoo artist, and owned his own very successful shop.
"He did." She smiled softly as she sat crossed legged, then brushed her fingers across the ink in her skin.
"Does it mean something?"
"Well, the infinity knot means Ford and I are tied together forever." She eyed me thoughtfully for a beat then spoke again with a sly smile. "And let's just say that Ford shares the same need for control in the bedroom that Gareth does, and has a thing for using rope to do it."
"Oh," I blurted out as I immediately pictured an image of Jenny wrapped up in rope and dangling from the ceiling, just like in the BDSM book I was reading earlier. Sudden mortification fell over me, and my face instantly felt like it was on fire.
"I didn't mean to embarrass you," Jenny said as her grin faltered. "I just assumed that the two of you were into those kinds of things since I know Gareth is. I'm sorry."
"We...we are," I confessed quietly as my face continued to feel hot. "I...I just didn't expect you to know about it." I shrugged and managed a self-deprecating smile. "And I'm easily embarrassed."
She leaned forward and laid a comforting hand on my knee. "Don't be," she said reassuringly. "It's not common knowledge. Ford and I are the only ones aware of it as far as I know, and we're not going to tell a soul." Her eyes glittered impishly. "Besides, you shouldn't be embarrassed. There's nothing shameful about two consenting adults enjoying each other any way that makes them happy."
"True," I replied with a genuine smile.
She nodded, and then we focused once more on playing with Daniel, who was too damn adorable for his own good with his bright blue eyes and little chubby cheeks.
"Are you and Ford planning on having kids?" I asked her.
"Definitely," she replied with a tender smile. "Hell, if Ford had his way I'd be knocked up already, but I want to get married first. I refuse to waddle up the aisle in a maternity dress," she said vehemently. "How about you?" she asked curiously. "Is it serious enough with Gareth to be thinking about kids in the near future?"
I paused and seriously considered her question. I had to admit that just the thought of carrying Gareth's baby made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. In the past, having a family had only been an abstract thought that was off in the distant future, but now the idea of having a family with Gareth sounded like heaven to me. Did Gareth want a family? I didn't know. And now that I thought more about it, I never really saw him pay much attention to Daniel at all. Even when the rest of his family was fussing over the baby, Gareth didn't really join in. Did that mean he didn't like or want kids? Was I reading too much into it? I frowned, not liking the direction my thoughts were taking me.
'Hey," Jenny said softly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or upset you."
Luckily, I was saved from replying as the men walked into the room. Daniel set eyes on his father and began reaching for him. "Da, Da, Da!" he cried out happily as he bounced up and down.
"Hi, baby boy," David said affectionately. He came right over and scooped his son up with a wide grin. Tom and Ford stood on either side and began talking to Daniel in completely unmanly baby talk. It was utterly adorable.
Gareth on the other hand, ignored the cute little scene altogether and came over to me instead. Did that mean I was right? Did he not want kids? Worry and anxiety filled my head. I schooled my face into a smile, not wanting him to know that I was upset.
"Hi, beautiful," he murmured as he helped me up with an outstretched hand. He smiled down at me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. He pulled me close and pressed a soft kiss to my temple. "I love you," he whispered softly in my ear, and just like that I felt better again.
"I love you too," I replied with a genuine smile. My worry fell away as warmth filled up my heart. It was ridiculous to fret about him not paying attention to a kid who wasn't even his anyway. I needed to chill out. After all, we'd only been together a matter of weeks. We loved each other, and for now, that was all that really mattered.