B00MV3HMDW_EBOK (18 page)

“No.”

“Fine,” Art replied, knowing he wouldn’t get what he wanted unless he was willing to pay up front. The man he was dealing with was a professional, a highly paid assassin and one who usually only dealt with government agencies. Thanks to the social circles Art ran in and a lot of backwater deals, he’d finally been given the name of someone who could help him out when diplomacy and intimidation failed to achieve his desired goals. This killer had earned his money and would likely do so again, but not before Art knew exactly whom he was dealing with. “The full amount, but you don’t act decisively unless you hear from me.”

“I don’t usually conduct business where a benefactor resides.”

Art mulled over what he should say in regard to the job he was offering. He’d gotten a call from the police department, explaining how Taryn Sisal and Ethan Chambers had been asking questions regarding Madeline’s car accident and Sabrina’s disappearance. They’d told him they were in town to verify George Sisal’s past. Obviously they’d left some other things out…matters that were solely his business and his alone.

“Make an exception.”

Art turned back toward his antique hand carved Napoleon III marble-topped mahogany side table and picked up the snifter, downing the remaining contents. He waited for the man on the other end of the line to say confirm or deny, but there was only silence. Pulling the phone away from his ear, he saw the time of the call flashing to indicate a disconnection. The son of a bitch had hung up on him. Seeing as the man didn’t turn him down, Art would assume the man would be in Houston by tomorrow evening. By then Art should have enough information on Sisal and Chambers to know whether or not he needed to eliminate them. He was finally king of his domain and he’d be damned if he would allow anyone to take that away from him.

Chapter Fourteen

T
aryn wasn’t sure what Ethan had been trying to prove last night, but lying with him beside her while she tried to sleep had been futile. There were moments when his arm had been around her waist and there were times when her head had lain on his shoulder. All that little experiment did was keep her up the entire night and hyperaware of her body—in a very frustrating sexual way. Ethan Chambers…her best friend.

“If you want something else to nibble on, all you have to do is ask,” Ethan said, startling her out of her reverie and causing her to realize she had a pencil in her hand. He stood in front of the bathroom with only a towel around his waist, looking like one of those Calvin Klein models getting ready to do a photo shoot. She would never have imagined how easy it would be to view him as a friend one minute and then want to jump his bones the next, but there it was. What had she done to make karma so mad at her? “Are we staying in today?”

“You’re asking?” Taryn threw out the challenge, knowing it would fuel him on and absolutely wanting it to. Ethan’s dimple that had been showing was now nowhere in sight as the brown of his hazel eyes appeared darker than ever. Her stomach wobbled as it hit her that this wasn’t the good-natured friend who had gone into the shower twenty minutes prior, but the man he’d been yesterday when he had her bound to the bed. In his own innate way, he was breathtaking in this role. “I take that back. Let’s head out to get coffee.”

“Come here.” The words were a command and Taryn’s thoughts flashed back to the last time she’d been at the club and a Dom named Flint had said those words to his wife. The way the order was said…low, intense, potent…was exactly the way Taryn was hearing it now. Her body responded instantly while her mind took a few moments to catch up. “Now.”

Taryn rose on trembling legs, which sparked her annoyance. Had Ethan always had this kind of power over her body and she was just now realizing it? In a way it was nice to forget about everything outside of these four walls and have the present be just the two of them. On the other hand, experiencing these unexpected sensations due to something as simple as an order wasn’t something she could wrap her mind around right now. She stood in front of him and any laughter she might have had yesterday at the thought of Ethan’s dominance was nowhere in sight.

“Put your hands against the wall and don’t move.”

Taryn felt like her body was being electrified as the air shifted to contain an energy she’d never experienced before. Yesterday’s little demonstration had nothing on what was occurring at the present. She slowly faced the wall and placed her hands on the paint. In the back of her mind she knew this wasn’t quite the position Ethan wanted her in but she couldn’t bring herself to shift her posture.

His rough palm ran up her left arm and over her hand until their fingers were laced together. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her back against him until her lower half was farther away from the wall. Separating her feet with one of his, he slowly nudged her until her stance was shoulder width apart. She was a runner by nature and never had she been out of oxygen like this.

“I know it’s going to take time for both of us to learn each other in this capacity, which is why we’re taking this slow,” Ethan murmured against her ear, causing Taryn to tilt her head for more of the shivers his warm breath caused on her skin. “But know there are certain things that won’t go unpunished.”

Before Taryn had a chance to react he’d released his hold on her fingers and her running shorts were pulled down along with her panties, baring her ass. The cool air instantly encompassed her warm flesh, but his hand captured her heat as his palm stroked her curves. In the blink of an eye, Ethan had lifted his hand and brought it back down with a
smack
. It didn’t hurt by any means, but the action did send vibrations straight through to her clit. Her body immediately became aware and it was as if time hadn’t passed from yesterday’s brief scene. His calloused fingers glided over her crevice and onto her other cheek. Before she could savor his touch, he once again brought his hand down with sting.

“Two words. Two slaps.” Ethan leaned in and placed a kiss on the back of her neck. “Remember that for when you decide to really challenge me.”

Ethan’s arm that had been around her waist loosened, and when she thought he would release her she felt his hand dip lower. His fingers grazed her swollen clit, for it had yet to receive any relief. She heard a hiss echo throughout the room and was surprised to know it came from her. What astounded her more was the moan it had turned into as he slid open her folds.

“You are so fucking wet,” Ethan murmured as he stepped slightly to her side, allowing him to rub the smarting skin of her ass while exploring her pussy. That’s what it felt like as his fingers parted her folds and stroked the inside of her labia. It wasn’t long after that when he gradually pushed his middle finger through her entrance and glided it along the walls of her pussy. Taryn locked her knees so that they wouldn’t give, and if she could have broken her fingers through the drywall for something to hold on to she would have. “Taking my time in exploring your body has given me so many things. Would you like me to share?”

“Hmmmm,” Taryn replied, laying her forehead on the wall.

If Ethan thought she could speak coherently right now he was wrong. He pulled his finger out, only to push it back inside with some sort of twist that would have had her standing on her tiptoes if she’d been in position to do so. She arched her back a tad bit more when he brushed the area right above her crevice.

“Your lower back has the most sensuous divot, and when I stroke it lightly you react every time.” Ethan placed small kisses along the side of her arm and although she wanted to open her eyes to see him, she found she couldn’t. He traced underneath her shoulder blade and to where the flesh of her breasts started, eliciting a moan. “You are full of wonderful surprises.”

Taryn wasn’t sure how much she could take of Ethan’s touch before she exploded. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry and when he pulled his finger out to rub her clit, lights exploded behind her eyelids. The pressure wasn’t enough, but she refused to move. Her pride wouldn’t allow it and somehow, that made this scene all the more intense. Would he allow her to come?

Without any indication, Ethan started to tap her ass with his other hand. He didn’t let up on her clit, but the combination had Taryn climbing to that peak she loved to be on. She turned her head slightly so that she could bite the inside of her arm to keep from screaming out at the intense pleasure that he’d created.

“The two things I didn’t get to explore yesterday were your breasts and your nipples. I was saving that for tonight and now you’ve taken that from me.” Ethan continued to rain down smacks onto her now sensitive ass, but the erotic stings only carried her closer to the edge. His words were her wings. “Tonight you’ll be spread wide open for me to have my fill.”

Images of her yesterday floated through her mind yet she knew what happened then would be nothing compared to what Ethan would make her feel tonight. He’d captured her clit between two of his fingers and started stroking while maintaining pressure. Her pussy contracted as a wave of pleasure overtook her.

“I am wondering what you sound like when you come,” Ethan murmured, running his tongue over her skin where he’d brushed his lips. Taryn could feel that his eyes were on her face, but she still couldn’t release the flesh that was between her teeth. “I want to hear you, Taryn.”

Ethan pressed his fingers even tighter, and with her cream smeared everywhere it was easy for him to stroke her engorged clit. The pressure was overwhelming and her body started to shake from having arrived at the precipice. She was hanging on by a thread. Over and over, while he peppered her ass with small smacks, he continued the assault of hedonism until her body eventually exploded. Waves of pleasure rolled through her body and didn’t immediately end as he carried her further into that euphoria.

Taryn couldn’t contain the scream that had been welling up inside of her and by the time she was done she was chanting his name over and over again. She wasn’t sure how it happened but Ethan was holding her close to him while he leaned up against the wall. Her body was slowly coming down off of its high and the warmth of his body maintained the temperature of hers. She rested her cheek against his chest and heard the reassuring rhythm of his heartbeat. Her shorts and panties had fallen around her ankles but she didn’t care at the moment.

“Wow.”

Ethan stroked her back and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. Taryn could get used to this, but something inside of her kept her from saying any more words. She’d known him a very long time and he didn’t maintain serious relationships for long. She wasn’t sure if she could handle being discarded after a few weeks and worse, after what had taken place these last two days, their relationship would never go back to the way it was before.

“I really like that you said my name,” Ethan said, taking her chin gently in his hand that had brought her an incredible orgasm. “I’ll hear it again tonight.”

Taryn inhaled and searched Ethan’s eyes for any doubts, but all she witnessed was affection. She’d already made the decision yesterday to see if
they
could work and where this would go, so she wouldn’t overthink anything at the moment. Now that she had a little bit of energy back, she stood on her tiptoes and quickly placed a kiss on his lips. It felt natural and the familiar feeling had her smiling back up at him.

“If I’m feeling generous I might actually call you
Sir
.”

Chapter Fifteen