His Contract: Legally Bound, Book 1 (10 page)

His hand drifted over her shoulder and into her hair, fingering the strands, a hint of what was to come but sweet at the same time. It made her dizzy, how tender he was with her. For the first time in so long, she felt calm. Safe.

“We don’t need to,” she said. “I trust you.”

A pause followed. “Good.”

Jack’s gaze grew intense, firm, his demeanor shifting. He stood and waited for her to do the same, then walked her down the hallway, stopping in front of a closed door. He pulled her in front of him, and Lilly’s heart stuttered.

“Now, Lilly,” he said. “Now, you’re mine.”

Chapter Sixteen

“Mine.”

Lilly’s breath caught at the feeling of Jack’s touch, his body so warm and solid behind her. She melted into his heat, wanting more than anything to be his, just for a few hours. He marked the flesh below her ear with a kiss, then moved around her and opened the door.

“Follow me.”

Without another word, he led her downstairs. The area was dimly lit, with just enough light for her to make out a kitchenette and a small living area. Sensual music got louder as he guided her toward the back of the space and into a room lit with candlelight.

It would’ve seemed like nothing more than an ordinary bedroom, if it weren’t for the gleaming chains that had been stretched between the foot and headboards of the bed. Two pairs of leather cuffs and a feather tickler had been placed on it. A pillow was on the floor.

Panic sparked. Her pulse started to race. She drew in what was supposed to be a steadying breath, but it didn’t help. She crossed her arms and tried to calm down, to recall how confident she felt in the kitchen, but she couldn’t.

Jack walked ahead of her and sat down in an armchair. “Take your clothes off and put them in the closet. Keep your eyes on me.”

Lilly inhaled another shaky breath. Her arms felt rubbery as she peeled off her sweater and leggings, her hands trembling so much she had trouble unclasping her bra. She struggled to keep eye contact as she hooked her thumbs in her panties and tugged them down, turning back to face him after she’d stashed it all in the closet.

“What’s the pillow for?” Her mouth had gone dry, and her voice came out hoarse. “Sir.”

“So you don’t get rug burns on your knees.”

“Oh.” Which meant he planned on having her down there for a while.

Jack stood and pointed to the cushion.

“Kneel. Your bottom on your heels, arms behind your back.”

Lilly knelt down and tucked her feet under her rear. She crossed her wrists at the small of her back, posture straight, eyes on the floor. The position felt familiar, natural, and yet, she couldn’t stop shaking.

A paralyzing doubt gripped her, dread a heavy weight in her stomach. Jack could do whatever he wanted to her, and she’d have to take it. She had no idea how long she knelt there, time seeming to stretch on and on. Lilly tried to concentrate on the music, on her breathing, on anything other than how naked and exposed she was, but all she could hear was the frantic pounding of her heart.

Jack’s footsteps were quiet as he stepped in close behind her.

“Are you ready to play, little girl?”

Lilly swallowed. “Yes, Sir,” she said, even though she wasn’t. It was too late for doubt now.

He circled her in a slow prowl. “Do you know how often I’ve thought about you like this?”

She clamored for another breath. It was like breathing through a straw. “No, Sir.”

“Too often. More often than I should. And now here you are, just as I imagined.” He continued walking around her, a hunter lying in wait. “Now I get to see the part of you no one else knows about. See you so crazed with hunger you’re begging for relief. But as lovely as you look on your knees, I want to see all of what belongs to me. Stand up.”

She rose as gracefully as she could, her joints sore from kneeling, limbs awkward with her arms behind her.

“Spread your legs,” he ordered. Lilly complied, widening her stance. “Look at you. So eager and willing.”

“Dirty fucking slut.”

The memories slashed through her mind, making her tense and shiver.

Jack chuckled. “Oh, yes. You’ll shiver, and harder than that. You will whimper and plead. Your skin will be raw, your throat raspy from screaming. And I’m going to enjoy every fucking second of it.”

His hands finally met her bare skin in a caress along her shoulders, and Lilly jolted from his touch as sharply as if she’d been shocked with a cattle prod. A sob burst out before she could stop it. She ripped her hand from behind her and covered her mouth, but it only managed to muffle her cry.

Jack was quiet for a moment. Then, softly, “Where did you go?”

Lilly dropped her hand but shook her head, unable to answer. Jack stepped around to face her, dipping his head in an attempt to catch her gaze, but she couldn’t meet his eyes. She couldn’t bear to see how furious he must be with her.

“Lilly.” He cupped her face in his hands, breaking the mood like a spell. “Talk to me.”

She found the strength to look at him. “I’m afraid.”

“Of me?”

“No, not you. Not really.” She hugged her arms close to her and glanced around the room. “Of this. Of what’s going to happen.”

His brows drew together. “Why didn’t you safeword?”

The safewords. She’d completely forgotten about them. “I didn’t remember I could.”

Jack cringed. He lowered his hands to her shoulders, and Lilly waited for his disappointment. For him to tell her she’d wasted his time.

“It’s my fault,” he said.

She blinked. “What?”

“I should’ve known you’d have trouble with that. I should’ve reminded you.”

“You’re not…mad at me?”

“Of course not.”

Jack rubbed his palms up and down her arms in a hypnotic rhythm, and the clutch of terror lodged in her chest loosened. His touch was an anchor, a reminder of how much she’d wanted this, and she exhaled, her arms dropping to her sides. But as her fears ebbed, embarrassment took their place.

Lilly stared at the ground. “I felt so brave before.”

“You are brave. It took a lot of courage for you to come here today, didn’t it?”

“I suppose.”

Jack cupped her face again. “Look at me.”

She lifted her gaze and found only comfort in his eyes.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re much stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

His tone was gentle, his words soothing. It seemed silly now to have gotten scared. She’d never felt anything but secure with him.

“Thank you,” she said, then quickly added, “Sir.”

Jack tenderly kissed her forehead, and the move drew her eyes to his bare torso. She hadn’t noticed that he’d removed his shirt. The haze of anxiety she’d been clouded in started to lift as she watched his arms flex, saw the strength within them. The sculpted planes of his chest, his muscles ropy and notched where they met his shoulders.

His eyes sparkled when he caught her looking at him. “Do you want to continue?”

Her heart rate sped up, but there was no panic. She wanted this, wanted him. “Yes, Sir.”

“Do you trust me?”

She did. She didn’t know why she’d forgotten that. “I do, Sir.”

“Then close your eyes.”

Lilly obeyed. Jack’s lips brushed against hers, soft and reassuring, before he deepened the kiss, teasing her mouth with his tongue.

“Tell me your safewords,” he murmured.

The words they’d agreed on came back to her slowly. “Red, yellow and green, Sir.”

“Good girl.” Jack stepped behind her once again and trailed his fingers over her neck, her shoulders, her back. “Relax. Let go of your past. There’s no room for ghosts here.”

He gathered her hair, lifted it up, and pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the back of her neck. Heat bloomed and rushed down her spine.

“You’re here with me,” he said. “And while you’re with me, while you’re naked in my playroom, you’re mine. Every part of you is mine.”

His words put her into a trance. Jack pulled her to him, and his body was a wall of strength along her spine. She could feel the thick, hard line of him through his jeans. He nipped at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, a small bite that sent a staggering blaze of need through her. Lilly rose up on her tiptoes, trying to gather more of the sensation. She pouted when he pulled back, feeling the air shift as he stepped around in front of her, his hands gently bracing her shoulders.

“Open your eyes.”

She did, and found herself under the weight of mischievous, dangerous blue. His eyes were hungry, a skillful predator staring down his prey.

“Tell me who you belong to.”

“You, Sir. I’m yours.”

He wrapped one hand around her neck, collaring her with his fingers. “What color?”

“Green, Sir.”

Jack smiled wickedly and released her throat. “Now, little girl, we play. Hands behind your back.”

He retrieved the restraints from the bed and wrapped one cuff around each of her wrists, then did the same to her ankles. He stood back to look at her, then kissed her fiercely, thumbs grazing her nipples. When he bent down and took one taut bud in his mouth, she almost toppled forward, the sensation sending a spark from her breasts to her clit. He paid the same attention to the other breast, then pulled back and retrieved the feather tickler, twirling it between his fingers as he looked her over.

“I want you to stay perfectly still.”

Jack waited until she nodded, then chased the feather between her breasts. He fanned it over her nipples, wet from his mouth. Lilly strained to keep motionless, her nerve endings firing. Every limb was quivering by the time he’d stroked it from her shoulders down to her ankles, up her thighs and between her legs. She instinctively bowed toward the feeling, and Jack immediately stopped. He raised an eyebrow.

“I told you not to move, didn’t I?”

“You did, Sir.”

But he wasn’t angry. He simply waited until she was settled before bringing the feather between her legs again, grazing it along her clit. Lilly shuddered, her arms trembling as she fought the urge to rock against it. Jack pulled the feather away, and she let out a helpless whimper. He mimicked the noise she’d made, and the sound of him making fun of her was demeaning and seductive all at the same time.

“You want more, don’t you?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Do I have to ask if you’ve been good? If you’ve suffered through your punishment?”

God, couldn’t he tell? “I’ve suffered, Sir.”

Jack brought his lips to her ear. She could feel the shape of his smile pressed against her skin. “Then I look forward to rewarding you. Get on the bed, on your hands and knees, facing the headboard.”

Lilly scrambled onto the mattress. Desire coursed through her as he linked the cuffs on her wrists and ankles to the chains, binding her to the posts.

“Do you have enough give?”

She tested the slack. “I do, Sir.” She was comfortable, her arms close enough together that she could stay balanced. Her legs were wide open, her body completely exposed, but instead of shame and fear, she felt only want. An aching emptiness, the tender bud between her legs throbbing. Lilly squirmed, desperate for relief.

“Patience, little girl. I didn’t say I was rewarding you yet.”

He danced a fingertip along her thighs and rear, taking his time, his touch skirting right past where she needed it until he brushed her sensitive flesh in a glancing touch, then swiftly moved away. An endless amount of teasing followed, his fingers spread as he traced the insides of her knees, up the backs of her legs and over her rear. When he brushed along her pussy lips again, Lilly rocked backward into his hand, keening in need. By the third taunting touch, her head dropped, a low groan escaping her.

“Is this frustrating you?” he asked. “Is it making you wet?”

“So wet, Sir,” she blurted out, but her words melted into a moan as Jack finally sank a finger inside her. He pumped once—one delicious, maddeningly slow thrust, before sliding it free.

“Very wet, indeed.”

Lilly made a noise she wasn’t sure sounded human.

Jack chuckled and skirted his touch up to rub her swollen clit. She cried out, shocked at how easily he found her most sensitive spots. With tight circles, he worked her quickly. Too quickly. She felt her release bearing down on her at the same instant he stopped. She moaned loudly at the loss.

“My poor, aching girl. I haven’t given you permission to come, have I?”

“No, Sir,” she whined, shaking her head. Jack landed one light swat on her ass. It wasn’t enough, not nearly enough, and she arched up for more.

“How long has it been, hmm? How long since you were properly spanked?”

She yelped when he swatted her again. “Too long, Sir.”

“Is that what you want? To be spanked?” His hand dipped down to her wet flesh again. “Or do you want to be fucked by my fingers?”

Lilly closed her eyes and groaned. “I want both, Sir.”

“So greedy. You want both?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Then beg me.”

Lilly stiffened. She never imagined she’d let herself beg for this again. “Please, Sir,” she whispered.

“Please, what?”

“Please give me both, Sir.”

His finger circled her opening. “You can do better than that.”

“Please, God, I need it.”

He smacked her harder, a blissful sting that morphed into pleasure. He kept his hand against her freshly spanked skin, stroking her burning flesh once before pulling away again.

“No!” she cried.

“I told you to beg.”

“Please, please, please!”

“Not good enough,” he said through clenched teeth.

Lilly clutched the sheets, her sanity crumbling. The need to obey, the need to please him and the blinding, frantic need for release made her entire body buckle down.

“Please, Sir, spank me, touch me, anything, fuck! God…just…please.”

Jack grabbed a fistful of her hair and dragged her head back. The look in his eyes was wild. Feral.

“There it is. That’s what I wanted to see,” he hissed. “When you wake up tomorrow with your ass screaming, you will think about me. My hands on you. Nobody else’s.”

He kissed her then, a rough, searing kiss that claimed, their teeth clashing before he abruptly let go of her hair. He slid two fingers inside her as his other hand came down on her ass, hard.

“God, yes.” Lilly bowed her head, sinking into the sweet torture. “Thank you, Sir.”

Jack started a pattern, lashing her over and over as he pumped faster, working her into liquid fire. When her release started to rip through her, Jack slowed his strokes and slipped his fingers free, leaving her trembling, right on the edge.

“You want to come?”

The agony of holding out for this moment washed over her. “I want to, Sir. So bad.”