Reluctant Surrender (2 page)

“Really Mr. Wh—”

“Ethan, remember?” He tapped the desk a couple of times and softly encouraged, “It won’t take a minute. Come on, up you get.”

“I—”

“Please,” he said, shocked that he’d uttered the word and infinitely glad when she begrudgingly complied. If he weren’t careful, next he’d be begging. He watched while she settled and wondered what the hell he was doing. Was he really going to seduce her? Wasn’t the sole purpose of him being here today to make sure she wasn’t led astray and didn’t fall prey to Ted’s and David’s antics?

“See?” She stuck her leg straight out in front of him and flexed her foot. “It looks perfectly fine to me.”

It sure did. He rolled his chair forward and took hold of her heel. “Relax.” Without looking at her, he felt along each digit with his other hand. “Does this hurt?”

“No.”

“This?” He rubbed the bottom of her arch with sure and steady strokes.

“No.”

“How about this?”

“Um, um.”

After a minute of relentless petting, he placed her foot on his thigh. The move jarred her slightly, causing her to dip back until she had to use her arms to brace herself. Now her breasts were thrust forward and Ethan couldn’t have been happier. She looked ripe for the picking. A veritable peach with her cheeks nicely flushed and her bottom lip captured between her teeth. The combination of innocence and sensuality was like a direct stroke to his libido. “How about this?”

“Ethan.”

“Yes?” He held her glassy-eyed gaze and slowly, steadily inched his hand up the curve of her calf. Over her knee, sliding his fingers between her legs and calling on every technique he knew to entice her. Her skin was silky and firm. And the way she looked at him? As if she’d let him lead. Wanted him to take the reins. Was totally focused on him and what he was doing to her. For her. What a rush.

“You shouldn’t…do—”

He held his breath, nearly groaning when her eyes closed and her head fell back. She had a beautiful neck. Slender and long. Inviting. The pulse at the base of her throat was beating fast and erratic. Hell, he’d barely breached the warmth of her inner thigh yet and she’d already started to breathe hard. God, she’d be a pleasure to train.

The first thing he’d do is release her hair. Then he’d undress her and put her on her knees to wait for him. Make her want him until she was ready to beg, but he wouldn’t allow her to do that because there’d be no talking. Only obeying for her.

Ethan applied the slightest pressure with his palm, a mere suggestion for her to part her legs, and she did. She opened for him. There was no hesitation, no shyness to conquer. Shit. His adrenaline surged. Dom mode was engaged.

Getting up, he was careful not to spook her, as he went in for the kill. She was cozy. Soft. His for the taking. “Damn, I’m going to want full access to you.”

This was the first time in nearly three years he’d said those words. And the trouble was he meant them. Images of her naked and curled at his feet came to the forefront. He’d teach her self-restraint and control so there’d be no mood swings between bratty and cute. She’d be too eager to please him to muddy the waters. Covertly watching her through half closed lids, he decided all she needed was the right kind of guidance. She was a natural.

He loved the way she pulled up her knees. The way she dug her hands in his hair and yanked, hard. Holy Christ, he was only kneading her through her panties. Touching. Gauging. He pressed into the moist fabric and groaned at the hot feel of it against his fingers.

“Ooh, yes…
yes
,” she cried and flexed her hips.

She was wet, drenched, and he was dying to connect with her skin to skin, yet a larger part of him wanted to see just how desperate she was for some personal attention. Could he get her off like this?

“Sweetheart, stop squirming and let me feel your heat.” She kept moving despite his order, so he halted all pursuit.

“Ethan…?” She pivoted into him. Hell, she was a fast learner. Naturals always were.

“That’s right, sweetheart, stay still.” He toyed with the elastic band at the bottom of her panties. Hooking a finger in between the ribbed edging and her skin. Stretching the fabric away from her heat as he mercilessly teased her, loving how she quivered as if she were shaking apart. And when she moaned? That did it.

He went after her neck, sucking hard until he carelessly made a mark. Releasing her panties so they snapped back into place, he crushed the fabric against the sizzling core of her and reveled in the fact that when she spoke his name this time, it came out in a gasp. “Ethan.”

She was too responsive. That was the problem. He had no business messing with her, but now that he’d started, he wanted more. He couldn’t help it. Seeing her all bundled up was wreaking havoc on him. More so than if she was totally naked and spread for his pleasure.

“Give me your mouth.”

He pushed his hand up higher, so eager to get into that lace he didn’t feel her shift until her soft hand clamped over his.

Her voice was a long way from sounding convincing, when she said, “Don’t.”

Keeping his hand firmly in place, he leaned into her. Forcing her back and back some more until she was beneath him. “Let go of my hand.”

They stared at each other for a quiet few seconds. She was unsure. On the fence about what to do. He could tell. And even though he knew it was an unfair advantage, he pulled the heated “do as I say look” and fried her with it.

Her eyes widened and then squeezed shut. Perfect. She capitulated. He’d use the opportunity to close the distance and get better acquainted with her. Breathing into her ear, he coaxed, “Colin, be a good girl now and let go of my hand.”

The moment he spoke her name she groaned and he didn’t fight the urge to capture her lobe between his top and bottom teeth for a sensual tug. She tasted like fresh strawberries.

“We shouldn’t…you shouldn’t do this.”

“Why?” He kissed her neck, grateful now for that tightly wrapped bun of hers. It gave him unlimited access to her silken flesh. “It feels good doesn’t it?”

“Yes.”

It was his turn to physically react. Her languid reply made his cock swell and fill with need.

“But…” She sighed and angled her head in a silent bid for more of his mouth. “Something’s wrong.
Mmm
… This isn’t right. We barely know one another.”

He nipped and licked a path from her collarbone to her ear. “All the better. Haven’t you ever hooked up with someone where—”

He was going to say something about the sex being mind-blowing but she stiffened beneath him. “No.”

No? Leaning back, he was almost afraid to ask, “You have had sex, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

Monumental relief washed over him. “I’m glad.” He used his other hand to brush the back of his knuckles down her cheek and marveled. Her skin was so soft. “Let’s see how this goes, okay?”

“Excuse me?”

“Let go of my hand and let me do what I have in mind to do.” When she looked as if she were going to protest, he added, “You can say no anytime you want and when you do I’ll stop. You have my word.”

Colin was in serious trouble. All she’d wanted was a little understanding and now she was getting more than she’d bargained for. Because even though initially she’d taken this job for the money, the more she read about the lifestyle and some of the powerful men within it, she’d become intrigued. As she dug deeper and explored the different facets of BDSM and the philosophies behind it, the more convinced she was that she had a few submissive qualities herself. It was an exciting thought until she met two of the three Dom partners nearly a month ago. She’d been expecting special. They were both gorgeous and polite. In the end, though, they turned out to be just two more guys she wasn’t attracted to.

But once she met the third partner this afternoon? She got her tall order of special.

She’d run through the gamut trying to deal with Mr. Sex-personified. She was hopeless when it came to men in general and there was nothing general about Ethan White. He had a way of looking at her that made her think she was in trouble, but in a really good, secret, want-to-be-held-accountable way. The instant she’d met him her body had begun to hum. As if his presence brought on some kind of heightened sexual anticipation. The zings and thrums low in her belly just kept on coming. Which was insane and probably explained why she’d been acting crazy since being introduced to him.

She’d thought she’d be able to deal with it, but then they’d gotten locked in together and it became a matter of survival. She’d gone from desperately trying to escape him. Total fail there. To attempting to pull off sassy and confident. Miserable fail. To throwing a little bitchy at him. Utter fail. And now she was succumbing to pathetically needy and her common sense was nowhere to be found? Good Lord, she wasn’t actually thinking about agreeing to this? She’d never let herself live it down if she did.

He gently tugged on her chin and she was forced to look at him again. The moment she did she was instantly struck by the serenity of his expression. He boasted a solemn confidence that put her right at ease, causing her to let go of his hand and breathe, “Okay.”

Epic fail.

“Such a brave girl.” He kissed her chin, her cheek and ear. “Relax your legs for me, honey. That’s right.”

“Ethan…” It was as if she had no will. No, more like no willpower. How could she? He stroked her through her panties. Pressing against places…doing things to her.

“You like that, don’t you?”

“Mmm.” She was sinking, drowning in a sea of long-denied sensations and loving it. Screw living it down, she was going to live it up.

“Colin, if I let you come this way you have to promise me something.” He continued his assault. Pressing and rubbing and circling.

“Oh, yes…” She’d promise him the world providing he didn’t stop what he was doing to her now.

His words came low and husky to her ear, “Promise me if I let you come this way you’ll fuck me afterward. I want to bury myself in your hot little pussy until you scream for me to stop.”

The sensitive muscles between her legs squeezed up tight and shivered. “Yes…mmm.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, I promise… I promise.” She didn’t want the thrilling sensations to end. She’d give him anything as long as he continued. Anything. It felt too good.

Fisting his shirt in her hands, she pulled at him. He was so close that his warm breath bathed her face. Their lips only a hairsbreadth apart and she was dying to get her first taste of him. Heart pounding. Nipples tightening in a delicious ache. Her legs opening as she—

“Sir?”

One moment she was sprawled, mindless with need, and the next she was assaulted by clarity. She blinked back to reality and wiggled out from underneath him. Shooting up and away from the desk, she kept her back to the door and yanked her skirt into place.

“Yes, Decklan.”

“I wouldn’t have interrupted, sir, but there’s a situation outside.”

“Situation?” Hearing this she latched on to the distraction and spun around. “What kind of situation?”

She didn’t wait for his answer as she hurried forward to get her shoes. Casper was out there somewhere.

Ethan growled, “What kind of situation are we talking about?”

“The guests have broken the agreement.”

Colin had one shoe on and paused before putting on the other. “Agreement?”

Ethan sighed. “Yes, the wedding party is primarily bikers from several different states and counties. We’d been warned that two factions were at odds, which was why we’d arranged an agreement between them ahead of time.”

She shoved her foot into her shoe and murmured, “I need to get Casper.”

“How bad?” Ethan stalked past her and ordered, “You stay here.”

“It’s a full-out brawl.”

“Brawl? I’m not staying here. Casper is out there
along with my equipment.”

She tried to rush by him, but he caught her arm “I’ll see to them. You stay put.”

“No.” Jerking her arm free she kept on going. He wasn’t her keeper.

“Sir?”

“Colin.”

She recognized an angry tone of voice when she heard one, so she quickened her pace.

“Ms. Reneaux.”

Glancing over her shoulder, she noted he was following her and even though he wasn’t rushing, his stride was twice the length of hers. Inevitably he’d overtake her.

Remaining calm, she turned and continued walking backward. “I appreciate your concern but I can take care of myself. Besides, I need to find Casper.”

“No. I want you to stay inside.”

He was nearly within reach of her, which blew the last of her remaining calm out of the water. Doing an about-face, she took off running. “I’m sorry,” she yelled, as she turned a corner, “but Casper is my responsibility.” She refused to think about all the other reasons she was running from him because none of them were good.

A minute later she burst through the front doors and skidded to a halt. The pristine gardens looked like a war zone. All manner of guests were fighting and wrestling. A number of women rolled on the ground by the gravel walkway while a group of burly, leather-clad men attempted to pull a guy away from his victim whom he was drowning in the fountain.

“Casper?” She scanned the melee. Searching the area where she’d set up her stuff, she saw the tripod there, but her camera was gone. “Casper!”

He was nowhere in sight. She brought her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun and examined the expanse of ground between the potted shrubbery and the patio. Nothing. She checked back to where they’d positioned themselves and studied the area. Casper’s tool bag and gloves were gone. That was a good sign. It meant that he’d made a purposeful departure. If he’d been forced away from his position he would have abandoned those items.

A huge clap of thunder exploded and she fell back against one of the four columns on the porch. A resounding silence followed, which was odd because the courtyard was still alive with activity. She gave herself a shake and swallowed to unblock her clogged ears. The action had no effect as the buzzing continued to roar inside her head.

Automatically her palms covered her ears and she would have completely lost it if Ethan hadn’t grabbed hold of her. He checked her from head to toe. His mouth was moving and even after she dropped her hands she still couldn’t hear a thing.