Bound: The Mastered Series (13 page)

Then Ronin’s hands were on her cheeks, tilting her head. “As much as I want to feel your tongue flicking the sweet spot on my dick while you suck down my seed, I want to be balls deep in your pussy when I come.” His greedy gaze watched his finger follow the circle of her lips almost pressed against the root of his cock. “If I reach between your legs, will I find you wet?”

She nodded.

“You need to come just as bad as I do.” Ronin held her head in place as he eased out. “Stand up and bend over the bed, baby, because I’m coming at you hard.” Gripping her biceps, he hoisted her to her feet. He set her completely off balance by kissing her with such passion before he lowered her chest to the mattress.

Amery was still reeling so much from the kiss, from the surge of self-satisfaction she’d gotten driving Ronin Black to the brink of orgasm, that she’d forgotten he’d immobilized her arms.

A condom wrapper crinkled. He sucked in a sharp breath after he reached between her legs and found her drenched. Then he opened her, aimed his cock, and impaled her to the hilt.

She gasped. She was already so close. And the rapid-fire pistoning of his hips only increased that pressure. That need. She squirmed against the mattress, searching for some relief for her aching clit.

“Don’t make me guess, tell me what you need.”

“Push my clit into the mattress when you . . .” And just like that he changed the angle of penetration, so every single drive gave her the friction she needed.

But he went a step further, latching on to her hips and sliding them against the sheet so the contact was constant as he slammed his cock in and out.

Pulling and pushing . . . Amery couldn’t hold back the surprised yelp when she started to come. Heat and friction and throbbing and tightening. Her mind shut down to everything but the pleasure.

When the whoosh of consciousness roused her, she tried to push upright, but her arms didn’t work and she panicked.

Ronin’s body covered hers and he kissed her temple. “You’re okay. You blissed out there for a second.”

“Oh.”

His heated breath drifted over her ear. “That was incredible. Thank you.”

“So I zoned out while you . . . ?”

“Came like a wild man?” he teased. “Yes. But, baby, that is the ultimate compliment.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “Stay still and I’ll undo your hands.”

The way he untied her was as erotic as the way he tied them. With almost a loving touch.

You’re reaching. This isn’t love, just a case of supersized lust.

Then Ronin brought her onto the mattress and caressed her back. Not just with his fingertips, but with his whole hand. As if he couldn’t get enough of the curve of her spine, the edges of her shoulder blades, the breadth of her neck, the flare of her hips, and the roundness of her ass.

And Amery was so sated she didn’t ever want to move.

“Your skin is remarkable,” he murmured, and bent to kiss her shoulder. “Like ivory.”

“You mean sickly looking pasty white.”

“No, I mean like ivory. There aren’t many moles or freckles to mar the perfection.”

“That’s because I’ve spent most of my life avoiding the sun. I’ve had to slather on sunscreen every day since I was a little girl or else my skin turns cherry red. Then it blisters. Some of the kids I went to school with called me an albino.”

It’d bothered her during junior high, when everyone was at the city pool, playing in the water and soaking up the sun. On the rare occasions her parents had allowed her go to the pool, she’d had to sit in the shade, covered in SPF 75, which had been bad enough. But add to it that she had to wear a T-shirt over her one-piece swimming suit because of the congregation’s stance on modesty, and by age fifteen she’d stopped asking to go swimming with her friends.

“You tensed up. Why?” Ronin asked, zigzagging his fingertips across her lower back.

“Thinking about all the rules my parents set for me still has an impact on me, sad to say.”

“Why?”

“My dad is a minister. I grew up in a hard-core fundamentalist household. Anything fun was considered a sin and would be punished by God—or my father. My mom’s goal in life was to be the perfect minister’s wife. Her job was to make sure the minister’s children were examples of godly perfection in the eyes of the congregation and the community.”

“Were you the rebellious minister’s child?”

“No. I followed the rules, even when I didn’t agree with them, because it was easier than fighting with my parents. By age sixteen I counted down the days until I could be free of that life and that small town. I kept my grades up because I knew college would save me. And it did. My parents weren’t happy with my choice because I’d opted for a state school instead of a private Christian college. Even now I still struggle with acting bold, acting how I want to, when the girl inside me who abided by the rules for so many years tells me my actions and thoughts are morally wrong.” She wanted to hide her face after that confession. Would Ronin believe, as Tyler did, that she’d never be able to tackle those demons from her past?

“Seems family expectations can bog us down no matter how old we get.”

Tears sparked her eyes; he did understand.

“How’s your relationship with them now?”

She inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Strained. I almost never go home. They repeatedly subject me to the
I’ve forgotten all my family and Christian values
lecture. You’d think they’d clue in that their shaming attitude about how I’ve chosen to live my life isn’t making me want to come home. But the kicker is, they’ve never visited me in Denver. Not once in six years. I rarely hear from my father directly—which isn’t all bad. My mother calls me maybe once a month, mostly to see if I’ve had a ‘come back to Jesus’ moment or if I’ve met a decent man. I always need a stiff drink after that conversation. Or during it.”

Ronin kissed her temple. “That’s got to be hard.”

“It is. But I don’t miss anything about that life or who I was expected to be.”

“You don’t seem to be carrying much baggage from the way you were raised.”

She laughed. “Wrong. I just hide it well. Or try to. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m still really modest.” She looked at him over her shoulder. “Which is probably hard to believe since I’m lying here naked with you.”

“And we’ve sinned twice too.”

“My parents are probably holding a prayer vigil for me even as we speak.”

He laughed.

“Sorry about the weird pillow talk.”

“Don’t apologize. I want to know everything about you. Even the stuff that makes you uncomfortable to talk about.”

But that wasn’t a two-way street. He talked, but didn’t reveal much personally, only in the context of how it affected her. In response, she reverted to that “don’t ask questions” girl, because she feared if she pushed him to open up, he’d just walk away.

Do you really want to be involved with a man who keeps so much of himself to himself?

Yes. She’d take Ronin Black any way she could get him.

“This is totally off topic, but are you busy next Saturday night?”

“Not that I know of. Why?”

“There’s this Colorado Sports Banquet I’m supposed to go to.” He smoothed his hand over her hair. “I intended to skip it, but it might be tolerable if you went with me.”

Amery drew circles on his chest but didn’t look up. “As your date?”

“Are you surprised I want people to know we’re seeing each other?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure . . . what this thing is. If we’re just having fun or whatever.”

Ronin lifted her chin. “Should I be insulted you think I’m some fuck-around playboy?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. I’m not involved with any woman, Amery, besides you. I haven’t been involved for quite some time.”

“Why not? You’re . . . perfect. Gorgeous, with a killer body, and you’re amazing in bed.”

He stared at her for so long she feared she’d said the wrong thing. “Because I don’t do this sort of thing.”

Was this his way of warning her this wouldn’t last? “What sort of thing?”

“Dating. And before you get all indignant, I said that because I want to continue this with you. It doesn’t feel casual to me.” His eyes searched hers. “Does it to you?”

“No. But if we’re going to be involved . . . or whatever . . . I need to know how long you’ve been enjoying casual sex. A guy doesn’t get to be an expert at anything without practice. Knowing what a sexual man you are, I doubt you’ve gone long without a woman in your bed.”

He rolled over to stare at the ceiling. “I’ve been selective as far as partners go. No woman lasted beyond two nights at the most. I’ve always worn condoms. I got a clean bill of health six months ago, but if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll get tested again.”

That was more information than she’d expected. “I’m on the pill, but I’ll get tested so we can ditch the condoms. But if we’re together, I want to make sure we’re exclusive.”
For however long it lasts.

“You have my word.” Ronin rolled on top of her. “I’ll set up the appointments for Monday afternoon. We should have the results the next day.”

“That fast?”

“A guy owes me a favor.”

Wasn’t the first time he’d said that, and she wondered what Sensei Black had done to garner such a vast array of favors. “How far is this testing place from downtown Denver?”

“Across the river, over by me.”

“Okay. But . . . I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“I know, baby. It’s necessary, but a bit of a buzzkill. Would it help if we went together?”

“Yes.”

He kissed her. “So, is that a yes on the banquet date?”

“Of course it’s yes. What’s the dress code for this banquet?”

“Formal. I’m required to wear a suit and tie.”

“I can’t wait to see you in a suit.” Her hands trailed down his muscular back. “Then again, it’d be hard to beat how you look in your birthday suit.”

“YOU’RE
shitting me, right?”

Amery looked at Emmylou over the rim of her coffee cup and frowned. “What did I say?”

Emmylou stalked over. “We’re having normal Monday morning conversation and you just happen to let it slip that Ronin Black asked you to be his date for the Colorado Sports Banquet?”

“Yeah. Why? Is that a big deal?”

“Yes! It’s only the most exclusive event of the year. All the biggest, hottest names in the Colorado sports world, including current and former Broncos players, Rockies players, Nuggets players, Avalanche players, and Olympic trainers, are involved. Million-dollar deals are made at this event. They choose an athlete of the year and give an award for most philanthropic work. Not only is it huge that Ronin is invited, but it’s huge that he asked you to be his date.”

“I guess he’s been invited in years past but he’s never gone.”

Emmylou jokingly beat her head on the wooden support post.

That’s when Chaz breezed in.
“Bonjour, mesdemoiselles.”

“Chaz, you’re absolutely gonna flip when I tell you this news.”

“The cast from
Magic Mike
is making a sequel and this time it’s all gay porn?”

She rolled her eyes. “No, pervert. Amery is going to the Colorado Sports Banquet this Saturday as Ronin Black’s date.”

“Shut. Up.”

“I’m dead-ass serious.” Emmylou leaned forward and mock-whispered, “She had no idea it’s a big deal.”

Chaz put his hand on his stomach. “I might actually have to sit down.”

Amery narrowed her eyes at her overly dramatic friend. “How do you know about this event? You are the least sporty guy I know.”

“I know about it because everyone who’s anyone in Denver goes to this event. It’s not only about sports; the event is elbow to elbow with philanthropists. This event is so exclusive the catering staff and servers are subjected to serious military-style background checks.”

“Why have I never heard of it?”

“Because you live under a rock?” Chaz suggested sweetly.

Emmylou swatted him. “Be nice, because you know what Amery attending this event means . . .”

“What does it mean?” Amery demanded.

“Shopping trip,” they said simultaneously.

Then Chaz said, “Girl, I’m on this. This is what I live for.”

“This isn’t a costume party,” Emmylou drawled. “Amery needs to look classy.”

Chaz gave Emmylou’s outfit—a floral chiffon baby doll dress, worn over ripped pink leggings, and her Doc Martens with flames on the toes—a sneering once-over. “I guess that leaves you out of the shopping excursion.”

“I swear if you two don’t knock it off, I will buy a dress at Kmart and call it good.”

They both gasped. “No, no, no. We’ll work together, we promise, won’t we, Emmylou, my love?”

“Absolutely, Chaz, my turtledove,” she cooed back.

Amery made gagging noises.

“Wait, it’s Monday, right?” Chaz said. “You know what’s open today?”

“Natasha’s.”

“At the risk of being outed as ignorant again, what is Natasha’s?” Amery asked.

“A vintage and designer clothing boutique. She owns stores in ten states and only takes the highest-quality pieces in exchange for store credit—no cash. But the kicker is, if you drop off your item here in Denver, it won’t be resold in Denver. It’ll be shipped to one of the other nine stores. And it’s only open two days a week.”

“She moves that much merchandise?”

“That, I’m not sure of. I do know it adds another layer of exclusivity.”

“So it’s a Goodwill for rich people. Except with fewer store hours.”

“Exactly.”

Chaz didn’t recognize her sarcasm.

“Go on.” He shooed her toward the stairs. “Since this is a fashion emergency, we’ll close up shop.”

Emmylou said, “I’ll grab my purse and my keys.”

•   •   •

TWO
hours later, Amery stared at the rack of dresses, more than a little discouraged. She must’ve tried on two dozen outfits, from funky to chic. A couple looked good, but none looked great, or gave her that
wow
factor she wanted.

Emmylou and Chaz had ganged up on her with the help of Niles, the nattily dressed salesman. They brought her long dresses, short dresses, even a couple of Halston pantsuits from the 70s that were retro enough to be hip.

Since they were convinced they knew what style suited her better than she did, Amery hadn’t checked the merchandise. But while Niles and Chaz were advising Emmylou on professional outfits, Amery snuck out of the dressing room.

She’d been a bargain shopper all her life and immediately headed for the sales rack. Rather than sticking to her size, she checked the selection a size smaller and a size larger. Sometimes clothes were mismarked, and other times tiny adjustments fixed fitting issues.

Her friends were overly hung up on designer labels and tended to overlook design, while Amery gravitated toward simple styles. The pieces they’d brought to her were anything but simple. One dress had feathers around the hemline.
Feathers,
for god’s sake. Feathers reminded her of being forced to gather eggs on her grandparents’ farm—she’d had enough flying feathers to last her a lifetime, thank you very much.

She flipped through hangers slowly, weighing the pros and cons of each piece, while keeping an eye on the price. She spied a dress half dangling off the hanger. It was a black silk sheath, simple looking at first glance, but then she noticed the fabric overlay was threaded with silver. When she tilted the dress, it gave the illusion of movement like lightning. The beaded hem made a cool clicking sound as the clear round beads connected with the silver tube beads around the bottom edge. Although it was shorter than she normally wore, she figured the extra weight of the beads would keep the dress from riding up.

The woman next to her eyed the dress and Amery draped it over her arm and returned to the dressing room.

Even before she’d zipped it up she knew it was “the” dress. She didn’t care if Emmylou or Chaz didn’t like it; she felt glamorous. As if she might not embarrass herself on Ronin’s arm, because, guaranteed, the striking-looking man would turn heads in whatever he wore.

“Amery, darling, I’ve found . . .” Chaz’s eyes raked over her.

“Hey, could you zip me up?”

“Where did you get this?”

“Pawing through the sales rack.” When he continued to stare at her, she turned defensive. “I didn’t like anything I tried on and I don’t care if you don’t like this; I love it.”

“I love it too. It’s perfect. You are a goddess in that, Amery. A goddess.” Then he yelled for Emmylou.

She poked her head in, took one look at Amery, and said, “Holy shit.”

“I know, right? Our little North Dakota farm girl is all fancied up for her trip to town for the annual pie-and-ice-cream social.”

“Fuck off,” Amery said to Chaz. “I
can
dress myself.”

“Oh, really? What shoes would you wear with that?” he demanded.

“Heels.”

He rolled his eyes. “You gotta be more specific than that.”

“I don’t suppose you could find me a pair of silver Louboutin spike heels or black Manolo sling-backs in my size?” Amery spun and checked out her rearview. “Maybe I need something funkier. Check to see if there’s a pair of Jimmy Choo booties. Or better yet, chunky Alexander McQueen platforms or wedges would be perfect for this dress.”

Chaz got right in her face. “How is it that a woman who professes to care nothing about fashion can rattle off the top footwear designers?”

“I never claimed I didn’t care, as my subscriptions to a dozen fashion and beauty magazines can attest. Just because I can’t afford haute couture doesn’t mean I’m unaware of it.”

“I feel like I don’t even know you. You never want to discuss fashion trends with me,” he said with an exaggerated pout.

“Because then that’d be all we’d ever talk about,” she pointed out. “Besides, I’m more interested in the layout and design of the ads in those magazines because it’s my job to stay on top of advertising trends. I can’t help it if specific fashion brands make a better impression than others.”

“But—”

“Chaz, leave her alone,” Emmylou warned. Then she smiled at Niles brightly. “So, sugar, you fixin’ to show us some fancier shoes for our girl?”

Amery tuned them out as they debated shoe choices. The truth was, it wouldn’t matter if she picked a pair from Payless. No one would be checking out her feet in this hot little number. Wow. She was smokin’. She couldn’t wait to see Ronin’s reaction.

•   •   •

TUESDAY
night she showed up at the dojo at nine when Ronin was almost finished teaching class. As much as she would’ve loved to see him in action, his “no observation” rule applied to girlfriends as well. She waited in the reception area for either Ronin or Knox to escort her to the elevator.

Knox showed up ten minutes later. “Amery. Sorry to keep you waiting. Sensei has been detained, so I’m escorting you upstairs.”

“But . . . Alone?” She wouldn’t feel comfortable just roaming around his place without him there.

“He insisted. You don’t want to get me in trouble by refusing a direct order, do you?”

“I suppose blindly following orders is why you’re Master Black’s second-in-command ninja badass, huh, Shihan?”

Knox grinned. “It helps.”

They didn’t make small talk as they rode the elevator to the fifth floor. She expected he’d put her in the next elevator and then leave. But he swiped the card and punched in the code for the roof.

When Amery gave him a challenging look, he smiled again. “I know about it because I’m his second-in-command ninja badass. But that doesn’t mean he lets me wander around up there by myself as he’s allowing you to. He’s a very private man for a reason.”
Don’t fuck that up for him
went unsaid.

The doors slid open. She faced Knox before they closed again. “Thank you. I promise not to run off with the silverware.”

The stress of her day vanished when she entered the garden. She wandered through the tree canopy, running her hands along the smooth bark. The garden designer had created a bonsai look with the trees without all the years it took to groom a tree to that size. Pots of flowers were tucked between the trees and ringed the perimeter. She loved the riot of colored blooms, from azalea bushes to bird-of-paradise and anthurium. How often did he have to replace these plants that weren’t native to this area? She paused at the sand garden and looked at the zigzag pattern. Different than the last time she’d been up here. What had Ronin been thinking when he’d drawn that pattern?

Amery stretched out on a chaise and stared at the purple twilight sky. A breeze stirred, bringing the sun-warmed scent of petunias.

Time truly lost all meaning when she was nestled in Ronin’s rooftop paradise. Closing her eyes, she let herself drift into that place as relaxing as
savasana
.

Even in that dreamy state, she sensed his presence. She smiled without opening her eyes. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to plan what I intend to do to you first.”

Amery didn’t bother dressing to impress when she came to Ronin. She wore yoga pants, no underwear, and an athletic tank top—all clothes that could be easily stripped away. Just hearing him say he had plans for her made her wet with anticipation. Made her arch and purr because he was about to pet and stroke her until she yowled.

“Did you get the test results today?” he asked.

“Yes. I’m clean. You?”

“Clean. So I plan to get very, very dirty with you tonight. Take off your pants.”

She did as he bade and waited for further instruction.

“Lower the chaise completely and remove your shirt for me.”

Her blood began to pump faster as soon as she was naked. But she didn’t feel bare, or exposed, just anxious for his touch.

“Your skin glows. You like being out here, naked in my garden, waiting for me, knowing I’m as drawn to you as the bees are drawn to the brightest, sweetest blooms.”

Hearing the scrape of his bare feet across the cement as he erased the distance between them, Amery felt her stomach pitch.

“I can smell that honey you’re making just for me. A full bouquet that’s sweet and creamy on my tongue.”

How could just his words turn her on this much? She squirmed, rubbing her thighs together.

“No cheating. I will take you there.”

She opened her eyes. Ronin was less than a foot away, and his eyes were molten. Hungry. Assessing. He still wore his gi.

He touched her then. A single fingertip down the center of her body, from the hollow of her throat to the rise of her pubic bone. “Yes, I came here straight from class because I couldn’t stay away from you another moment.”

“Ronin—”

He placed his fingers over her mouth. “Do you trust me?”

She nodded.

“Drop your hands to the ground. Palms flat, press the inside of your arms against the support posts of the chaise.”

Amery had to scoot down to stretch out her shoulders.

“Good. Now stay still.” Ronin dropped to his knees. His hard-skinned hands caressed her forearm, from the bend in her elbow to her wrist. Goose bumps spread across the right side of her body from that simple touch.

The long strings from the chaise cushions tickled as he untied them. Then she felt the ties crisscrossing her forearm as he tied her to the support post. It didn’t hurt, but she couldn’t move. Then he switched sides and secured her other arm. His hands followed the length of her arms up to her shoulders and down to her breasts.

“You okay? Not cutting into you?”

“Not unless I move.”

Ronin stood and straddled the chair. “Then you’d better hold still, hadn’t you?”

“What do you plan to do to me?”

He drew lazy circles around her nipples. “Anything I want.”

Amery’s mouth dried at seeing the heat in his eyes.

More lazy circles. “Does that scare you?” He leaned forward and curled his tongue around her nipple. “Or excite you?”

Her nipple puckered into a rigid point. She wanted more of his touch, his mouth, more of him.