Merediths Awakening (7 page)

*

Tony felt her silken sheath contracting on his fingers, and practically shot in his pants. She came in silence, and he found himself filled with a burning desire to make her gasp, to moan, to scream out her pleasure. Before she could come down he latched on to the little bud of flesh that tempted him so unmercifully. With just a few hard sucks and a few flutters of his fingers, he felt the tension in her body ramp up again until she was straining against his mouth and clutching at him all over again.

*

“I didn’t give you permission to come.” His voice rumbled against her wet flesh, sending aftershocks of sensation through her body. It felt so good, so right, it took her several seconds to understand what he’d said.

“Permission?” Her voice was lower, huskier than usual, but it was completely level.

She stiffened, jerking her leg from his shoulder and smacking at him until she could slide from in between him and the wall.

“Permission?” Okay, she admitted, maybe her voice wasn’t completely level, but for God’s sake… Who was this man to come into her office, assault her—no matter how much she might have liked it—and then say she needed permission to orgasm?

“Look, Mr. Renatto,” he rose to his feet as she stalked back to her desk. Meredith studiously ignored the pulsing erection readily visible behind his button fly. “Your company has done an admirable job so far on the Convention Center. That is the only reason you still have the contract.” She sat, refusing to acknowledge the sensation of her skirt on her bare butt. “I have some serious concerns about your crew,” she refused to remember the sights and sounds of their rough carnality, “and after today, I have some concerns about you, too.”

She stopped for breath, satisfied she had once again brought the situation under control. Okay, so she’d had a lapse in judgment. It had been a stressful day. First walking into the live sex show at the job site, then walking in on Marcus and Carrie and their afterglow. Then facing her greatest fantasy, and feeling his lips on her. His hands stroking. The whip of his voice… Oh, God, better not go there.

Tony returned to his chair. He met her eyes squarely. She’d noticed that about him: he always looked her in the eye. When he was sure he had her attention, he leaned forward to speak.

“If you’d had concerns about the crew, you wouldn’t have stood there creaming those lacy little panties while they fucked.” She knew she flinched at the crude language, but he didn’t seem to notice. “If you had concerns about me, you wouldn’t have let me bury my tongue in your hot little pussy and drink down all your sweet cream.” A tide of red washed over her face, and that too was ignored. “If you’re scared, Ms. Worthington, just say so. I won’t give you more than you can take.” Meredith felt her eyes widen. This was not how she’d expected the conversation to go. “Your job is to trust me.” Not in a million years, she thought. “My job is to give you what you need.” It was a tempting thought, far too tempting. But she was very much afraid no one could give her what she truly needed.

* * * *

The phone’s shrill ring jerked Meredith from a sound sleep. She flailed around, momentarily disoriented, before grabbing the offending receiver and answering.

“Ms. Worthington?” She didn’t recognize the male voice on the other end of the line.

“This is Bill Murphy, at the Convention Center site. We’ve had some trouble here over night, and the insurance company is on the way out. They need someone from Central Office here, and Mr. Worthington was unavailable.” By the time he finished speaking, Meredith was out of bed and pulling trousers and blouse from the closet. The idea something might be wrong at the building site put a lump in her stomach. Marcus had gone off the deep end and once again he’d done it just in time to jeopardize the business. She froze at a sudden, sickening thought.

“Was anybody hurt?” She was sure Tony Renatto was fine. She wasn’t asking because of him. Really.

“Oh, yeah,” the caller sounded taken aback by her question. She knew she had a reputation as an ice queen, but did he really think she didn’t care if people were injured while working on her project? The idea hurt, and that surprised her. “No,” he added, “no injuries. Uh,” he stuttered a bit, and seemed to stop and listen to someone nearby. “Right, you just need to get down here, as soon as possible.”

“I’m on my way,” she replied, voice grim.

*

Tony slapped his foreman on the back. “Excellent job, Bill.” The man smiled doubtfully.

“She sounded pretty pissed,” he commented. “She’s not gonna fire me for lying to her, is she?” Tony hid a smile. Bill Murphy was an incredible foreman, totally in control and command of everything that happened on his job site. But faced with a woman, especially the woman who signed his paycheck, Bill became a stuttering middle-schooler.

“Bill, if she gets pissed at anyone, it’ll be me. Don’t worry, you’ll be long gone before she gets here.”

The other man nodded and seemed quite happy to immediately be on his way. Tony was just as happy to see him go—he had preparations to make.

Whistling a jaunty tune, he opened a duffle bag and began removing things. The first items out were the leather straps.

The first thing Meredith noticed was the lack of emergency vehicles. Actually, the lack of any vehicles. Frowning, she picked her way over various beams and tools, looking for the trouble that would require the presence of insurance agents and the owners of the property.

Nothing.

She moved further into the building, listening intently. There. A soft scrape sounded in the distance. As she followed the noise she rolled her eyes at herself.
If I were in some
slasher film, this is the part where the evil killer would creep out behind me
and cut me to
ribbons
. She sighed.
And it would serve me right for wandering around in here all alone.

Pulling out her cell phone, she considered for a moment who she might call. Marcus was probably still busily poking at poor Carrie, so he was obviously not going to be any help. It was before noon, so she didn’t imagine Matthew had dragged his sorry butt out of bed yet. With a sense of dawning depression, Meredith realized she didn’t have any friends who were close enough to bother this early in the morning. She put the phone away without bothering to flip it open. Well, she knew better than to count on anyone anyway.

The noise got louder as she rounded a corner, then it stopped suddenly. With a growing sense of discomfort, Meredith recognized the area where she’d witnessed yesterday’s carnal lunch interlude. Just as she was about to turn and head for the exit, someone grabbed her from behind, capturing both wrists in one hand and quickly binding them in front of her with some sort of plastic zip tie.

Shock rendered her momentarily immobile, but it wore off quickly, and with it her silence. Drawing a deep, gasping breath, Meredith screamed for all she was worth.

Screamed like she hadn’t since she was a child, ducking the blows her father gifted her with when he noticed her existence. Thrashing and kicking, she knew she got in a few good hits when her captor grunted behind her and wrapped his body around her more securely.

Something about the large, hard body felt so right, so familiar it shocked her out of her panic. Writhing wildly, she managed to turn her head enough to see his face. He wore a black leather mask. It covered his whole face, almost like a wrestler’s costume, with narrow slits at his eyes, nose and mouth. Below it, his chest was bare, exposing whorls of silky black chest hair and daunting looking muscles. The goth-bondage-serial-killer look was finished off with black leather pants dripping with silver zippers and chains, and black biker boots.

“Hush, Princess.” If she hadn’t recognized his voice, the endearment would have done it. “I will never hurt you,” he slid one gloved finger down her cheek, and she turned her head and snapped at it viciously. He just chuckled deeply, the sound vibrating through her body where he had it pressed against him.

“Aren’t you just the feisty little thing?” He breathed hotly in her ear. “How anybody ever mistook you for an Ice Princess…” he trailed away with a smile as she bared her teeth at his glowing brown eyes, which were just visible through two narrow openings in his mask. “Your safe word is frost,” she went stiff at the mention of a safe word. Those were for the kind of sex Marcus had. What did Anthony intend to do to her? “If at any time things get too intense, too scary, you say frost, and I’ll stop. No arguments. No hesitations.” He tipped her chin up and met her eyes somberly. “If you use the word, I’ll stop and we’ll talk it out.”

Her body sang with adrenaline, and she felt a surge of rage began to emerge. Damn it. She was a powerful executive at the Fortune 500 company bearing her name. She was a good person, kind to animals and small children. She never got in trouble, never caused waves. Now, in less than twenty-four hours she’d been turned on by witnessing gay sex, definitely not something to fit in her conservative image; she’d lost track of her sex-fiend brother … and his secretary; she’d had the most incredible orgasm of her life at the hands and mouth of an employee who also happened to be her one secret fantasy; and now, she was being abducted by that very same employee, dressed as a totally sexy goth-bondage-sicko who planned to do only God knew what to her. Even more horrifying, beneath the anger was a kernel of something entirely different. Something soft and hot glowed in the pit of her belly.

*

The Meredith Worthington who entered the job site Saturday morning was a very different woman than the one who’d entered the previous afternoon. Obviously she’d dressed in a hurry. Her khaki capris and black sleeveless top matched well enough, but her black hair stood up in tousled spikes around her elfin face, and she wore no make-up.

Somehow her mussed hair and innocent face made her even more irresistible to Tony, and he felt his cock grow in response.

Her panic had been so genuine and so obvious he’d had to give her some reassurance. His whispered words hadn’t been a part of the plan, but in the face of her fear he’d realized a woman with his Princess’s need for control would never be able to handle a blind abduction without something to hold on to. And she’d needed a safe word.

He’d felt the tension relax just slightly when he’d given it to her.

Moving around in front of her, he took her bound hands and lifted them over her head. He quickly attached them to a hook screwed into one of the exposed beams of the unfinished ceiling, and then stood back to admire his work.

She stood, not quite on tiptoe, stretched out for his enjoyment. The position made her top ride up, and her pants ride down, exposing a slice of creamy white belly. Bending, he licked a warm path across her bare skin, eliciting a shriek of rage as she began kicking and struggling again. She was perfect.

“You won’t get away with this!” Her smooth, modulated voice had given way to a snarl. “You will get caught, and I will personally make sure you spend the rest of your short and miserable life in jail.” He didn’t respond, other than to wander around behind her, trailing his rough fingers over her bare flesh. She wasn’t saying no, and she wasn’t using the safe word. “You’ll be some convict named Guido’s bitch, and every time he bends you over, you’ll think of me.” The longer he remained silent, the less confident her voice became, until she finally trailed off entirely.

He was almost sorry when she stopped. He much preferred this passionate, feisty Meredith to the pale ghost he’d met with in her office. This woman had fire, though she’d buried it deep, and he intended to throw gasoline on it.

Once she’d gone silent, Tony reached into his back pocket and pulled out a length of black satin. He drew the cloth over her cheek, her collarbone, and then in one practiced movement wrapped it around her eyes, tying it tight in the back. Then he stood back, well out of the reach of her kicking feet, until she’d calmed again. Well, he mused, he had wanted to make her scream herself raw. This just wasn’t exactly how he’d planned it.

*

Meredith stood breathing raggedly, little whimpers coming on the heels of each exhalation. She felt too drained to fight, too confused to know if she really wanted to fight. He’d bound her, blindfolded her, trussed her up like a fricking Thanksgiving turkey, but his touch had been strangely tender. The heat he radiated threatened to melt the ice she’d encased her emotions in. And he smelled so good.

He dropped to his knees and lifted the hem of her shirt. She went stiff, but didn’t fight as he rubbed the leather of his mask over her midriff in an oddly affectionate gesture, sending little chills over her skin. When he popped the button of her pants she couldn’t hold back a small cry.

Softly, tentatively she asked, “Are you going to hurt me?” And then was ashamed of herself for giving him so much power. His answer was to peel her pants and panties off with one smooth movement, pausing only to remove her leather sandals when they got in the way. His hands on her legs were gentle, and she felt a tiny bit more of her fear recede.

Standing, he pulled the hem of her top along with him until it was dragged up her arms, and tucked it behind her neck, exposing her for his pleasure. He made a small sound and traced one finger over the patterned lace of her bra before popping the front clasp open and setting her breasts free. Now entirely bare to his gaze, Meredith could do nothing but wait for his next move.

*

God she was lovely. He’d known she would be. Had even seen bits and pieces of her.

But this, her bare and stretched out in his bonds, was beyond anything he could have imagined. Her skin was milky white and free of blemish. Her ass rounded and firm. He pictured her white, white ass flushed pink from his hand … from his flogger … and felt his cock surge so hard it all but busted his zipper.

He wanted to dominate her completely. To own her pleasure. But he knew, this first time at least, he had to go carefully. She had too many barriers, too many fears. They were like a mine field he had to pick through to find the warm, passionate woman they guarded. If he could just get her to trust him enough, he could give her everything.

Everything her body could take. And in pleasuring her, his own fulfillment would be shattering.

*

He wasn’t touching her, but she knew he was there. She could feel his heat, and his enticing scent, musk and man, surrounded her. A rustle, a soft plop, and his lips touched her shoulder. When she felt rough skin and silky hair brush across the back of her neck she realized he’d removed the mask.

She wasn’t sure what to expect, but he began stroking her … with his tongue. It was as if she were his favorite candy; he licked light paths up her neck and down her spine, graceful wings over her shoulder blades. She heard his knees hit the ground again, and then he was tracing his tongue along the lower curve of her buttocks before lightly biting at the firm globes.

She knew she should be afraid, angry, fighting him, but instead she felt flushed with languorous pleasure. When he licked the back of each knee, she whimpered again, but not in distress. What he was doing felt so good, and tied as she was, she was utterly at his mercy. And somehow the fact that no matter what, this was one situation she just couldn’t control, left her almost lightheaded with relief.

He moved around her again, kneeling at her feet. She felt the brush of his hair on her belly a moment before his tongue found her navel, flicking nerve endings to life. He trailed the damp caress down until he tickled the neatly trimmed thatch of curls guarding her most secret flesh. He gave a soft grunt when he discovered the moisture there, enough moisture to pearl on the delicate whorls of hair.

Instead of burying his tongue in her pussy which, she admitted in the privacy of her mind, is what she wanted him to do, he stood to lap at her nipples. Hands spread wide over her back, he pressed her into his mouth, sucking one nipple greedily into his mouth, and then the other. Bringing his hands around, he cupped her breasts, kneading in time with his suction. His caresses were rough, almost painful, and they filled her with heat.

She felt her nipples elongate into his mouth, her breasts swell into his palms. Her pussy pulsed and dripped with moisture.

With a sudden sense of bemusement she realized that this is what Marcus did. He tied his women up, and in pleasuring them he found his own satisfaction. She could almost understand how he’d need this. Marcus was about as alpha as a man could get, and he’d always found his greatest satisfaction in taking care of others. She could see that carrying into his sexual life—the need to take care of his partner.

It was more difficult to reconcile her willingness to let this virtual stranger, a man whose hands were so tender and so familiar, take care of her. If anything, Meredith would have assumed she would need to be the dominant partner. The one making the decisions.

The one in control. Why, then, was she savoring every moment this man kept her bound and helpless to his hands and mouth? What did it say about her that, instead of being the caretaker, she was being taken care of?

Thankfully, Tony chose that moment to distract her by beginning to lick and suck at her neck. The contact was shockingly arousing, and she found herself tilting her head to give him better access, and arching into his mouth.

After several heated minutes of warm, wet kisses, he nipped at the point where her shoulder met her neck, causing her to jump and gasp. Gathering what was left of her wits she choked out, “Unless you plan to murder me when you’re done, could you please not leave any hickeys where someone could see them on Monday?” His laughter huffed against her skin, and she felt oddly pleased she’d caused it.

*

God, she was delicious, luscious, edible beyond words. She was so strong, so resilient, and at some level he knew she recognized his place in her life because she was so responsive. With one last lingering lick over her arching neck, Tony brought his lips to hers, sucking her lower lip between his own, toying with it with teeth and tongue.

“Tony…” her voice was sharp with irritation. He could well imagine her shredding impertinent employees with her icy tone of voice. “Why the hell are you doing this? No,” she added before he could respond, “don’t answer.” She gritted her teeth so hard he expected to see them crack. “Let me go, Tony. If you let me go now, we can both walk away and it’ll be like this never happened.”

“Beautiful Ariel, my little Princess,” he kept his voice soft, caressing. “You know you can’t pretend this never happened. And even if you could, I could never pretend I don’t know the taste of your lips, your nipples, your…” he stroked one finger through her lush wetness, “amazingly sweet little pussy. And I wouldn’t want to.” She moaned in response, and Tony brought his face next to hers, caressing her cheek with his own.