Destined for the Dom [Masters of Submission 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) (14 page)

Zoë was backing him into a corner. “If I let you go, you’ll leave me. I don’t want that to happen, Peaches, I—”

“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. That’s a chance you’ll have to take, Hunter. Or maybe you’re not the exciting risk taker I thought you to be.”

“And what the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

With her jaw set in stone, she retorted, “I’m not prepared to discuss anything until you release me.” As if to emphasize her point, she rattled the handcuffs against the headboard again, louder and for longer this time. The annoying metallic sound echoed around the bedroom.

Realizing Zoë was as stubborn as himself, he reached down and released the cuffs. Zoë’s eyes flared angrily at him as she rubbed her hands over her aching wrists. “Thank you so much, Master,” she said sarcastically as she moved from the bed, and began walking from the room.

“Wait. Don’t you want to hear what I have to say?”

She turned and looked at him, her brows drawn together, her demeanor still very, very annoyed. “I suggest you speak quickly, because you’ve got until I reach the door. Then I’m gone for good.”

It was just as he feared. Everyone he’d ever loved either disappeared or died. History was about to repeat itself, when the inner voice in his head angrily kicked his butt.
What the fuck do you think you’re doing, dude? Wise up. Zoë’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you. She’s perfect in every way, and loves you deeply. Are you gonna be a dumb bastard, and let her walk out of your life like some sort of pussy? Or are you gonna tell the girl how you really feel about her?

“Zoë, don’t go.”

She turned. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t?”

He wasn’t sure where to start, and went for the easiest option. Besides laying his soul bare didn’t come natural to him. “Look, I get jealous, okay. I just can’t stand the idea of another guy wanting you.”

“Anything else?”

“Fuck, you want it all, don’t you.” He might have known Zoë wouldn’t be satisfied with his banal statement.

“Yes. Of course I want it all.”

He moved across to the easy chair and sat down, facing the window. Fuck, he needed to relax. “Peaches, come and give me one of those Indian massages of yours. It’ll help clear my mind.”

Zoë hovered in the doorway, before saying, “You’ve got a nerve.”

Hunter took a deep breath. “I know.” For a terrible moment, he thought he’d lost her, but then her cool hands slid under his collar and began soothing his aching muscles.

“Jesus, Hunter. You’ve got a serious knot problem here.”

“Tell me about it. I guess I have a lot of explaining to do.”

“You bet.”

“I find it hard to express my feelings, Zoë. In the past, when I’ve gotten close to people I really care about, they’ve either fucked off or died.”

She pressed her thumbs into the base of his neck and manipulated the tender flesh. “I know about your buddies in Afghanistan, Hunter. But it wasn’t your fault. So why keep beating yourself up over it?”

He groaned appreciatively when she dug her fingertips hard into his tense shoulder muscles. “Because I was there, Zoë. They died right in front of my very eyes, and I did nothing. Why did I survive and they didn’t? What the fuck makes Hunter Black so special.”

“I know you feel guilty, but there was nothing you could do.”

“Humph, guilty doesn’t even start to cover it. Goddamn it, for some strange reason, I can’t remember their faces clearly anymore. It seems disrespectful to their memory.”

She tenderly kissed his cheek. “Perhaps, you’re starting to move on, babe, moving forward to another phase of your life. Although what you witnessed will stay with you forever, it’s part of your past now, just like St. Mark’s. The future goes on, with or without us. Be part of it, Hunter.”

He thought she was speaking sense, and he couldn’t help but nod his head as she drifted her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp. “I think, you’re right.” His nightmares still persisted, but they weren’t quite as lifelike and disturbing as they used to be. Perhaps the old adage was right. Time heals.

“When Dad left me at the children’s home, he promised to come back for me, but he never did. I thought the world of him, Zoë, but he just walked out of my life as though I never existed.”

“That sucks, Hunter. But look at it this way. My mother wouldn’t give me up. She was an alcoholic and that made her nasty and vindictive. Every time the social workers got close, we moved on to another dead-end town. It wasn’t a life for a small girl. I never went to school from one month to the next. She dragged me from one drug-infested apartment block to another, but what could I do. I was just a kid.”

“So what are you saying?”

“Maybe it was your lucky day when your father dropped you off at St. Mark’s. Maybe your life turned out far better without him. Perhaps he realized he couldn’t be the father you deserved.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

“When the authorities eventually did catch up with my alcoholic mother, they sent me to St. Mark’s.” She kissed his cheek again. “That’s where we met for the first time, Hunter, and we’ve been soul mates ever since.”

Hunter patted her hand. “Perhaps it was always meant to be that way, Peaches. You and me together.”

“And look how well you’ve done for yourself. You’re healthy. You have a wonderful house, a wonderful job. What more could a man ask?”

“The love of a good woman.”

“You got it, Mister, but you know that already. I’ve told you often enough.”

He pulled her onto his lap, and held her head in his hands. Her beautiful elfin face lit up the room as her green eyes, so full of love, stared back at him. “Jealousy is a new emotion for me. I’ve never cared for a woman like I care for you. I’m sorry I overreacted, but I’m not sorry you lost your job. I can’t bear the thought of other men looking at you, the way I look at you.”

“I can’t bear it, either, Hunter,” she admitted on a sigh. “I hated working at Les Belles. I can’t believe I’d forgotten all the heartache.”

He brushed his thumb over her lower lip. “I don’t want to lose you, Zoë.”

“You won’t lose me, Hunter. But I need to understand where I fit in. I feel like I’m coasting here. I’m not contributing anything. I need purpose, too.”

Hunter felt his heart swell as he looked at her. He took her hand and held it to his chest. “See how fast it beats when you’re around. You fit right here, Zoë. You always have, and you always will.” The words he thought would never pass his lips came bubbling to the surface. “I love you, Zoë Leighton. Don’t ever forget that.”

Zoë felt an overwhelming sense of connection with Hunter now. The man she’d loved for as long as she could remember had made her the happiest woman alive.

“I love you, too, Hunter.” Tears welled in her eyes as he held her close. She hadn't meant to push him into confessing his love for her, but events had taken over. She’d been angry, and said things she didn’t really mean. She may have lost her new job before it had even begun, but she didn’t care, she had Hunter. That was enough for any woman.

He wrapped her in his arms, his lips seeking the tender flesh of her neck. “I guess I’ve always loved you, Zoë, even when we were kids at St. Mark’s. That’s why I came back to Pittsburgh to claim you. I just wish I’d done it earlier, but life has a habit of getting in the way.”

Zoë placed a finger to his lips. “Shhh, babe, no regrets. We’re the people we are today, because of what we’ve been through in the past. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Knowing you love me means everything.”

Hunter sucked her fingers into his mouth. His eyes locking with hers, as he tasted each and every one. She heard him groan with pleasure as he nipped at her fingertips with his teeth. Eventually, his lips covered hers. Hot, and demanding, they blazed a trail to her ear, where he whispered, “It’s a shame to waste such talent, dance for me, Peaches.” His breath was warm against her neck, and a pulse of sexual desire shot straight to her pussy.

She smiled. “For your eyes only, Sir.” Cupping her hands to his face, she planted a soft kiss to his lips, and then rose from his lap.

Looking directly into his beautiful blue eyes, she began her well-practiced routine. Her body swayed gently and seductively before him, and she beckoned with a come-to-me finger. Zoë’s ass and hips undulated and rotated as she spun around in front of him. She knew she was having the desired effect on Hunter’s libido. From the bulge in his pants, there was no doubt in her mind about that. His eyes were hooded and focused solely on her. A sexy smile drifted to his lips as he closely monitored her provocative routine.

“Hands on the deck, Mister,” she warned, as she got up close and personal.

“Yes, ma’am.” He placed his hands on the arms of the soft chair, palms facedown.

Zoë sat on his lap and straddled him, arching her back provocatively as she ran her fingers through her hair. She swayed back and forth in front of him, her breasts and nipples coming oh, so close, but never quite touching his mouth. She loved teasing Hunter, and he loved it, too.

She’d never danced with such uninhibited joy before. This time her moves were real, not make-believe. Her mood was euphoric and full of optimism. Zoë knew her pussy was soaking wet. Something she’d never once experienced when dancing for clients at Les Belles, back in Pittsburgh.

Zoë moved from his lap, and continued to dance sexily for her man. She twirled, doing a full three sixty, before kicking her foot high in the air and placing her ankle on his shoulder. The breath seized in her lungs as his control snapped, and he grabbed her leg.

“That’s not allowed, Sir. You’re breaking the rules,” she whispered as he slowly kissed her ankle, running his tongue over the sensitive bone structure.

He smiled at her. “I own the club, Ms. Leighton. I make and break the rules as I see fit.” Maintaining eye contact, he slowly brushed his fingers over her calf, before caressing the supersensitive skin behind her knee. Hunter continued smoothing his fingers along her leg until he reached her panties. Her lips parted, and she let out a little animal cry as he touched her pussy through the thin material. With his other hand cupped around her buttock, he pulled her closer.

“That’s better. Now slip off your dress.”

The black, skintight outfit had already risen high up her thighs, and she rolled it further up her body before pulling it over her head. She discarded it with a flamboyant flick of her wrist. “Gone now.” Her full, unfettered breasts bounced free. She loved the way her nipples protruded and pebbled with sexual excitement. Her panties were soon dispatched when Hunter hooked his thumbs inside and ripped them from her trembling body.

Goddamn it.
She loved the erotic noise that tearing lace made.

Completely naked now, she stood breathless and expectant in front of her man. Her eyes connected with his. She wouldn’t blink first. She was damned sure of that. “Well, what are you gonna do now, big boy?” she taunted.

“Pretty sure of yourself aren’t you?” He caressed a finger over her clit, making her shudder. “So wet, too. You’re ready to play, aren’t you?”

“Oh, Hunter, you know I am.”

“Then help me undress.”

He let her go, and they both stood and started kissing each other passionately. Now that Hunter had told her he loved her, his sweet mouth seemed to taste even better. “I want you, Hunter.” Zoë frantically began undoing the buttons on his shirt. In her excitement, and haste, she couldn’t be bothered with the last few. Instead, she ripped his shirt wide open, exposing his wonderful masculine chest. His pierced nipples turned her on, and she leaned forward pulling at the gold jewelry with her teeth. She gave them an extra hard yank for good measure.

“Just take it easy, Peaches. I’m only made of flesh and blood.”

“Such a baby,” she jokingly mocked, as she soothed the aroused flesh with the tip of her tongue, enjoying his warmth and masculinity.

His pectoral muscles flexed as he pulled the ruined shirt from his shoulders. Without ceremony he dumped it on the floor.

Zoë eagerly pulled down his pants. “What’s in here belongs to me, Mister.” His cock jutted out magnificently. It twitched and throbbed, ready for action. “You’re beautiful, Hunter.” She sunk to her knees and swirled her tongue over the engorged head. After five days away, she figured Hunter was ready for her. He tasted of man as she sucked him right back.

He groaned, out loud. “Fucking hell, woman. What are you doing to me?” She squeezed his ass with one hand and his balls with the other. His whole body shuddered and he gripped her head tightly, forcing her onto his prick.

Through gritted teeth he whispered, “What you do with that cute little mouth of yours is something else, but I’m gonna stop you right now.” Reluctantly, very reluctantly, he pulled his shaft from her wanton lips.

She pouted petulantly. “Spoilsport.”

“Lie on the bed.” As she rose from her knees and stood upright, he spanked her bare ass three times in quick succession. “That means now, lady.”

Loving his dominant side, she immediately lay on the bed. “Yes, Master, right away, Master.” The cool covers tickled deliciously against her naked back, and she held out her arms in welcome as he lay on top of her. He nudged her legs apart and entered her quickly, making her moan in appreciation. His cock felt thick and satisfying as it touched the back of her womb.