Protecting Fate (10 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Before Sara could really dig into the goodies Ridley had sent, Z muttered something about checking in with his men and disappeared. Thirty minutes went by and she finally decided that she was going to have to entertain herself for a while. The poolroom was delightfully warm, the winter sunlight streaking in through the glass.

She dove in and swam a few laps. The feeling of her naked body cutting through the water had never felt so erotic, but then, she didn’t spend a lot of time skinny-dipping. It was going to be a damn shame when she had to go back to reality and the pool at her gym.

Her gym that she hadn’t spent nearly enough time at in recent weeks, if the fatigue she felt was anything to judge by. She used to swim a few miles a day, but now she was barely over one and failing fast. She’d let a hell of a lot go while she was tracking down evidence of Nord’s parking garage hookup. It had become personal, which by now was something she knew better than to let happen. Business was supposed to be business. She had to care—if she didn’t, she’d be shitty at her job. But it was a fine line between caring and becoming obsessed—a fine line she’d definitely crossed.

She’d screwed up. Sara swam to the shallow end and walked out of the pool, pausing to squeeze the water of out her hair. She could admit that now, even if she hadn’t been able to a few days ago. If she hadn’t been so focused on bringing Nord down, she would have noticed the heat she was attracting—would have actually backed off when Uncle Rodger ordered her to—instead of charging blindly ahead. He was rarely wrong, and this time was no exception. She was going to have to call and apologize—and definitely buy him some of the expensive scotch he favored when this was all over.

That could wait, though. She’d been sent here to stay out of their way, and calling every few minutes wasn’t going to prove that she could follow orders. She sat on one of the lounge chairs situated around the edge of the pool and laid back. In the meantime, she was going to enjoy the sun and warmth and relax for a little bit.

She’d found a library in her wanderings, and picked up the romance novel she’d decided on. It was old enough to have a shiny cover with a man who could have passed for Fabio on it. Though she hadn’t expected to enjoy it, a few pages in, she got sucked into the torrid affair between the Duke of somewhere she’d never heard of and the orphan virgin heroine.

She wasn’t aware of time passing, so she jumped when lightning flashed above her, followed by thunder so loud she
swore
the glass shook in response. Even knowing she probably had nothing to worry about, she still dropped the book and moved away from the pool. Some habits were too ingrained to fight—if there was a storm, you stayed the hell away from any body of water.

She didn’t go far, though, because the lightning flashed again, a gorgeous forking across the sky. Rain hit the roof in sheets, the sound almost as loud as the thunder. They had storms in the city, of course, but it felt different here, with only the ceiling of glass between her and the elements. Wilder. She had the insane urge to slip outside and dance in the rain, and only the knowledge that it’d be freezing and miserable kept her rooted in place.

She felt him come in behind her, though that should have been impossible. But sometime in the last three days, her body had become so attuned to Z’s that she wasn’t the least bit surprised when he slipped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head. “Fierce storm tonight.”

“I think it’s beautiful.”

The power flickered and went out, leaving them bathed in darkness. She jumped, smacking her head into Z’s chin. “Ouch.”

“Come on.” He took her hand and led her into the house. It was like a completely different place in the dark, furniture rearing out, threatening to smack into her legs with every step. But he led her unerringly around it, moving from one room to the next until she felt cool tile beneath her bare feet. A flash of lightning showed what she’d suspected—the kitchen.

“I need to learn how to do that.” She took a cautious step forward and touched the shadow that resolved itself into the island.

“Do what?” His voice echoed slightly.

“Memorize a place well enough to be able to move through it in the dark. That’s got to be a useful skill.” Her job took her into some sketchy places, and it couldn’t hurt to be able to move quietly without bringing attention to herself.

“Are you planning on breaking into someone’s house?”

She grinned. “I didn’t say that.”

“You were thinking it.” He moved next to her and set things on the island with a thump. A few seconds later, a match struck, lighting up the space between them. He wasted no time in lighting the thick white candles he’d found somewhere. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving.” She hadn’t eaten since that morning. She took one of the candles and walked over to grab sandwich stuff from the shelves. “Peanut butter and jelly okay?”

“Works for me.”

She went about putting them together—one for her, two for Z—while he watched her. She glanced up and had to make an effort not to sigh at the way the candlelight played along his dark skin and killer cheekbones. He was gorgeous under normal circumstances, but this made her think back to a time before electricity and polite society, where the strong and feral ruled. She suspected he’d be perfectly at home hunting with bows and arrows and celebrating a successful kill around a campfire with a woman on one side and a brood of children on the other.

Whoa
. That was enough of
that
.

They ate in silence, her mind still reeling from that unexpected turn. Sara didn’t want kids. No, that wasn’t strictly true. She didn’t mind children—in theory. They were cute and cuddly and totally life changing. And, though her childhood had been pretty good as such things went, there was the whole boatload of abandonment issues she now carted around to consider. She didn’t want to pass those along. Beyond that, she’d probably be a shitty parent. No, no kids for her.

She glanced up to find Z watching her. He held out his hand. “Come.”

Well,
that
she could get on board with.

…

Z had spent the day doing his damnedest not to be rattled. He’d never told anyone what happened with his ex, but he’d been prepared for Sara to do anything but accept him wholeheartedly. All it did was reinforce his growing certainty that he had to convince her to stay. Easier said than done. If he tried to force the issue or bully her, submissive or not, she’d dig in her heels and tell him to get lost. No, he’d have to wrap her up so tightly that she never wanted to be let go. And
that
would be a challenge he relished.

He blew out all but two candles and led her upstairs. While she’d been relaxing by the pool, he’d hauled up the box of toys Ridley sent—which still wigged him out a bit—and unpacked them. They walked into the room he’d set up and he pointed at the bed. “Sit.”

“Yes, Sir.” She woofed and dropped primly onto the edge of the mattress.

He turned away so she wouldn’t see his smile and went about lighting the candles he’d arranged on the dresser. There were half a dozen of them in a rainbow of colors—and he fully intended to use them all tonight. He moved back to the bed and couldn’t resist kissing her. That mouth, so quick to quirk into humor, was far more tempting than the best kind of alcohol. Her tongue swiped his, and she moaned when he drew back. “Onto the bed.”

She crawled backwards and lifted her arms over her head and spread her legs, already knowing how he wanted her positioned. He picked up the cuffs from the dresser and attached her ankles to the footboard, before circling around to do the same to her wrists. “Tell me your safe word.”

“Wolfman.”

“Use it if you have to.”

“I won’t have to.” Her expression was so tender and full of trust that something in his chest split wide open.

Fighting to keep some modicum of control, he grabbed the blindfold and slipped it over her eyes. “You are beautiful, sweetheart. Your body is a canvas that begs for my marks.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Nothing but desire in her tone—desire and expectation. He leaned over and took her closest nipple into his mouth, kissing it the same way he’d kissed her mouth earlier. When she gasped, he moved to the other breast. He needed her desperate before he started in on the next step. He moved around the bed to settle between her legs, taking his time tasting her, circling her clit with his tongue. Her body shook with pleasure, teetering on the edge of orgasm.

It was only then that he lifted his head and pushed to his feet. She cried out, “Sir,
please
.”

“Not yet.” He checked the candles. They were sufficiently burned down, each containing a small pool of wax in the center. “Tell me your favorite color.”

She hesitated, her body tensing. “Blue.”

“Hmmm.” He picked up the blue candle. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes, Sir.” No hesitation this time.

Fuck, did this woman know what she did to him? He’d never known how much he needed that unquestioning trust until she submitted like this. “Good girl.” He tipped the candle, letting a drop of wax fall onto her sternum.

She hissed out a breath, arching into the mattress. He waited, but she didn’t use her safe word, so he dribbled a bit more wax onto her skin, up the curve of her breast, stopping just short of her nipple. She squirmed and bit her lip, but she stayed silent.

It would be easier if he could see her eyes, but he wanted her tense and alert and uncertain of where the next contact would come from. Which meant he needed verbal confirmation that she was fine. He
couldn’t
lose her like he lost Jennifer. “Sara?”

“I’m fine, Sir.” She gave a shaky laugh. “Better than fine.”

A part of him wondered if she was lying to please him…but Sara knew better. And trust had to go both ways. If he didn’t trust her to be honest with him, then he had no business playing these kinds of games with her. “Good.” The next bit of wax landed on her nipple, and she cried out.

This time, he kept going. Z repeated the line up her other breast and around her nipple, and then moved down her stomach, stopping just short of her belly button. The candles were created specifically for this purpose—burning at a lesser temperature than normal candles, to remove the chance of actual injury—but her pale skin was still red around the edges of the wax. He liked it. Fuck, he more than liked it.

He set the blue candle aside and considered. Green was the next logical choice. So he used that color wax to draw circles around her stomach and up the outside curve of her breasts, and then down the center again, thickening the lines he’d started with the blue. She shook with each drip of wax against her skin, but he recognized the way her hips twisted.

Little Sara Reaver was loving this as much as he was.

This time he chose the red candle. “Brace yourself.”

“What—
oh my God
.”

He dropped a stream across the sensitive bare skin above her pussy, and the wax ran down the dips created by her pelvic bone, creating a frame that he found he liked very much. He used his free hand to stroke her, just once, finding her even more wet than she’d been under his tongue. “You love this.”

“Fuck yes, Sir.”

“Good.” He finished covering her nipples with the red wax, enjoying her cries. Next it was the black, the white, and the yellow, until she was a myriad of colors. Then he sat back to let it completely harden. It wouldn’t take long, but he liked watching her, seeing his handiwork and knowing her reactions were a result of
his
actions.

He liked that a whole hell of a lot.

Chapter Fourteen

Sara had never thought her body could feel so over-sensitized. The wax had burned, but now that it hardened, the sensation of it resisting her movements only made her hotter. It was like a strange form of bondage that she could break through if she really tried…but she totally didn’t want to.

Z dragged the blindfold off, leaving her blinking in the low light. She immediately looked down her body, and gasped at the pretty pattern of mixed colors covering her. “Wow.”

“I’m not done, yet.” He uncuffed her, and helped her up without dislodging too much of the wax. She let him maneuver her to the end of the bed, and stood silently watching as he shoved off his pants and rolled on a condom. He sat at the edge of the mattress, nearly in the exact spot she’d taken when they came in earlier. He held out his hand in silent command and she took it. But when she went to straddle him, he turned her around and lifted her onto his lap, using his legs to keep hers spread wide. He took her chin and lifted it. “Look.”

There was a freestanding mirror, similar to the one in her bedroom, directly across from them. The candlelight glinted off her body as he lowered her onto his cock, the angle perfect to see every inch disappear inside her. The contrast of their skin was only accented by the wax, and she couldn’t take her eyes off their reflection as he guided her to ride him in long, slow strokes.

He coasted his hands up her body, making the wax crumble and flake away, leaving her skin unbelievably sensitized. Z pinched her nipples, and fire shot through her veins, making her gasp. So, of course, the bastard did it again. While one hand kept up that motion, the other skated down her stomach to stroke her clit. He left the wax framing her pussy alone, and the picture they created? Yeah, it was enough to send her to the edge. “Z, I—”

“Come. I’ve got you.” He squeezed her clit, his green eyes intent on her face in the mirror as her body came apart around him. Sara twisted around, and he met her halfway, kissing her as the second wave rolled over her. She barely had time to take a breath before he was up and turning, pressing her facedown onto the bed and thrusting into her from behind. She braced herself as best she could, but she had no illusions—Z held all the control.

“Touch yourself. Now.”

She reached between her legs, her clit already so sensitive that it took the barest touch to bring her over the edge again, driven by the man behind her, filling her with his cock. She screamed into the comforter, vaguely aware of Z’s strokes becoming less controlled and more savage. He came with a curse, his fingers digging into her hipbones hard enough that she was sure she’d wear his marks tomorrow.

Good.

He withdrew from her and stood, pulling her up with him. “Shower.” He took one of the candles with them into the bathroom and frowned. “It’s going to be cold, but there’s no help for it. Hold on.” She waited, still dazed, while he turned on the water and slipped beneath it with a curse that had her laughing…until he dragged her in behind him.

The cold was a shock her to system, and she cursed just as loudly as he had, while he scrubbed her down in quick, efficient swipes. Less than a minute later, she was as clean she was going to get, and he shut off the shower. Sara squeezed the water from her hair. “Sadist.”

“You love it.”

There was that word again. She said it nearly as often as he did, but it made her stomach twist uncomfortably. Because it was something she went out of her way not to use casually—until now. “Yeah.”

He wrapped a towel around her and then another around himself. It was horribly domestic, and she lapped it up like it was something she’d been missing all her life. Maybe she had. She stopped in the doorway back to the bedroom and took in the wax that seemed to cover every surface of the bed and floor. “Maybe we should try a different room.”

“Your room.”

It was a calculated move. Even with her head practically floating off her shoulders from remembered pleasure, she knew that. He could have picked any of the other half a dozen rooms on this side of the house. They were all empty and more than big enough for their purpose. But he was leading her to the room she’d claimed for her own—the one that was as close to her own territory as she could possibly get in a house that wasn’t hers.

He was taking it into account and trying to make her as comfortable as she could be. Her chest warmed at the realization. Z wouldn’t put this amount of thought into something if he didn’t really want her to be okay with sleeping next to him.

It struck her that there was no reason for them to share a bed tonight. That had been time number three, which meant this thing between them had reached its predetermined expiration date. Sara hugged the towel to her chest, cold in a way that had nothing to do with the water. If she were smart, she’d say it now, lay it out there, and retreat. He’d agreed to it, the same as she had.

She looked up to find him watching her, seeing too much. “Do you want me to find another room?”

He knew. Of course he knew. He could count, after all.

All she had to do was say yes, and he’d do just that. He didn’t look like he
wanted
to, but he would. The question that remained was… Did
she
want him to sleep somewhere else?

No
. The answer came almost before she’d finished the question. If he wasn’t going to call her on the three times thing, then maybe she could relax the rule.
I’m not ready for this to end
. “No.”

His smile was a reward in and of itself. “Good.”

She caught herself relaxing, but didn’t try to fight it. This day was going too well to ruin it by bringing her issues into it. Eventually they’d have to talk about it, but if he wasn’t going to push her, she wasn’t going to. All she wanted was to enjoy this time with this man.

Once in her room, he pulled her onto the bed and beneath the covers. She tensed for a moment, instinct fighting against relaxing in his arms, but finally her mind prevailed and her body followed. She turned in his arms, draped a leg over his waist, and buried her nose in the crook of his neck. He smelled like the outdoors—fresh and clean—and his body heat warmed her despite the power still being out. Words came, words she’d had no intention of ever voicing. But, just like before, it was all too easy to say them to Z. “I like you.”

He went still, his chest barely rising and falling. “I like you, too, Sara.”

It was hard to speak, harder than she could have imagined. “Once this is over—I mean, once it’s safe to go back to the city—would you…” She took a deep breath and just rushed through the last bit. “Do you want to go out?”

“Date you?”

“Yes.” The word was barely more than a whisper, and she had to fight the completely irrational urge to immediately take it back.

His arms tightened around her. “I’d like nothing more.”

She’d hoped he’d say that, but hearing it still reassured her. They could do this. They could take it one step at a time and go slow, and work through both their issues as things arose. It didn’t have to be scary or the end of the world that they had sex more than three times. Everything was going to be okay. It didn’t have to end.

…

Z opened his eyes to find himself alone in Sara’s bed. He waited, but she didn’t reappear, and the bathroom seemed uninhabited, so he climbed out of bed. It took a grand total of five seconds to figure out where she’d gone. He stood in the window and watched her swim. It was different than it had been yesterday—she hadn’t run from him, so much as run to the water. He could respect that.

A quick flip of the light switch told him the power had come on sometime during the night, so he went downstairs to brew some coffee. Once he had two mugs full, he made his way to the pool. Sara floated face up, her eyes closed and her hair a cloud around her head like some sort of siren from legend. She sure as fuck was tempting enough to alter his course, though he hoped like hell he wasn’t heading for disaster.

She opened her eyes. “I couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to wake you.”

“You didn’t.” Which spoke volumes. Normally, he knew the second someone walked into or out of a room he was in, even when asleep, but he’d never noticed she was gone. He held up the mugs. “I brought coffee.”

“Yes, please.” She climbed out of the pool and walked over to grab a towel. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good.” Better than he could have expected. He took a drink of his coffee and watched her, searching for signs that she was regretful or less than comfortable. None of the indicators were there. In fact, she seemed more relaxed than he’d seen her since they met. He let loose a little sigh of relief. Even though she’d reassured him last night, a part of him had still expected to wake up and have her be distant or flinch from him or
something
.

But she hadn’t.

“Come here.” He pulled her into his lap, needing to touch her. It was more comfort than sexual, and that, too, was a gift. He stroked a hand down her spine and pressed a kiss to her temple. “You are amazing.”

“I know.” She laughed. “Oh, wait, sorry. I mean, thank you, Sir.”

“Always something clever to say.” He kissed the spot behind her ear. “Unless you’re on my cock.”

“Hey, now.” She wiggled out of his arms, and he let her go, curious to see what she’d do. Sara turned and waved a finger at him. “None of that until I get my coffee.”

“You put coffee before your Sir?” He rose slowly, enjoying himself far too much. She had a twinkle in her eye, and he couldn’t stop grinning despite putting some growl into his voice. “Your priorities are skewed.”

“I don’t think so.” She took another sip, watching him over the rim of her cup. “Coffee is so warm and delicious and makes me feel good.”

“Sara.”

“I mean, you have two out of three, so I guess that’s sort of okay.” She took a step back, and then another, and he shadowed the movement. “Though coffee doesn’t stalk me with
that
look on its face.”

“Coffee’s loss. Come here.”

She ducked out of his reach and set her mug on a nearby table. “I don’t think so.”

He rushed forward, but she was already gone, diving in the water. Z wasted no time shedding his pants and following her in. He’d spent too much time being half drowned by the ocean to completely love the water anymore, but this wasn’t some mission to the depths of hell. This was…play, and fun, and laughter. He surfaced in time to get splashed in the face, Sara’s giggles ringing through the room.

He dove again, swimming beneath the surface toward her. She was quick, but he was quicker. He snatched her ankle and dragged her down as he pushed up. This time, she was the one met with a splash when she surfaced. She went under, and he had half a second to wonder if he’d pushed too hard, but then he felt clever hands running up his thighs. He held as still as he could while treading water, but it was damned difficult with her stroking his cock like
that
. She squeezed, and he groaned and went under.

Fucking enough.

He hooked her around the waist and dragged her to shallower water. His feet barely touched the bottom and she was wrapped around him, kissing up his jaw to his mouth. “God, you make me so hot, Z…” Sara leaned back, a small frown on her face. “I just realized I don’t know your full name.”

“Zebadiah Loreto.”

“Zebadiah,” she breathed. “That’s strangely hot.”

The way she said his name was strangely hot, too. He kissed her, using his grip on her hips to line her up exactly where he wanted her. She was so warm compared to the water around them, and her pussy was warmer yet. He walked them up the incline to the wide steps leading out of the shallow end, and sat on the second one. It left everything above the tops of his thighs above the water, which was fucking perfect as far as he was concerned.

“Zebadiah.” Fuck, she seemed to like saying his full name as much as he liked hearing it come off her lips. “Let me have my wicked way with you. Please?”

As if he could deny her anything right then. Z felt strange and out of control in a completely different way than he had been so far that week. “Do it.”

She backed down until she was between his thighs. Without hesitation, she took his cock into her mouth. With the water lapping at his hips and her fingers digging into his thighs, the contrasting sensations only served to heighten the pleasure. He leaned back, bracing his arms on the concrete and letting her take the reins. She sucked him deeper, until his cock bumped the back of her throat, making him groan. “That’s it, Sara. Take all of me.”

She licked and sucked and drove him damn crazy, and he had to dig his fingers into the edge of the pool to keep from hauling her up his body and taking her right there. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he wondered why the hell he was holding back. He wanted her.

He was going to take her.