My Liege of Dark Haven (30 page)

Parting her sore buttocks, he ignored her whimper. Her asshole was red, but again had incurred no damage. “Looks good, but you’re going to be sore for a day or so.” He rose and helped her straighten. “There are ice packs in the freezer. Use them.”

“Yes, sir.” To his surprise she leaned into him, her forehead pressed against his shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around her. “What?”

“Did you like seeing me…? The machine and the other men?”

He rocked her. It was the same question he’d intended to ask her.

Odd that few subs or slaves ever asked him if he enjoyed something. Perhaps they thought a Dom never did anything he didn’t like. But that wasn’t true. A D/s relationship was a two-way street. His subs occasionally had to do what they didn’t like. So did he, if the submissive needed it.

“I enjoy showing you off,” he said. “It’s a competitive male trait:
see the pretty submissive I have
.”

His little professor snorted. “Testosterone-ridden animals.”

“I like smacking your tender, round ass. I enjoy seeing other Doms paddling their submissives. I
didn’t
like them paddling
you
.” He rubbed his chin over her hair, trying to explain. “Part is protectiveness. No one should hurt you. Although I’m the one who arranged the punishment, I found it difficult to see you in tears.”

She didn’t speak, but her arms came around him.

“Part of it’s territorial. You’re mine, and I rarely let anyone touch what’s mine. For the fucking machine, I’ve rewarded submissives with it before, and I’d enjoy using it on you if I was at the controls.”

“Huh.”

But he’d let others do that, and guilt still hung like a cloud over him. “I’m sorry, Abby. This was the only way I thought might mend your relationship with the members. I could have punished you in front of them, but they needed to participate in order to forgive you.”

“I understood that.”

He waited for more and only received silence. “Tell me how you felt.”

She stiffened.

Her defenses had risen. Regretting the necessity, but not about to let her hide from him, he administered a stinging swat to one very tender area.

Her outraged squeak made him grin.

He really did enjoy the feel of a round ass under his hand. “Answer me. Honestly.”

When she didn’t answer, he lifted his hand again.

“I
hated
being paddled and having those…people…using stuff on me. I don’t know if I’d like the machine if you did it, but I didn’t like
them
.”

“Good girl. Why didn’t you answer me the first time?”

She gave him a disbelieving stare. “More questions?”

“You’re a forthright person, unless you’re afraid someone will yell at you. Did you think I’d get angry at your answer?”

Her gaze dropped, and she bit her lip. “Not angry.”

“What did Nathan do when you told him something he didn’t want to hear?”

He might have missed the tiny flinch, except she was plastered against him. “Nathan was open-minded about anything except intimate things.”

“I see. And?”

“If I didn’t like something, he acted as if I’d insulted his…dick. He’d get cold. Sarcastic.”

“Ah.” One of those who believed
I’m a Dom. I can do no wrong
. “Abby, if I ask you a question, I want a truthful answer, even if I don’t like it. Trust me. I’ll be angrier if you aren’t honest. Is that clear?”

On his shoulder her head moved up and down.

“As long as we’re speaking of intimate things, I noticed you’re on the pill. Since our medical tests are both clean, do you have any objection to me not using a condom?”

“All right.” Her shoulders tensed. “But if there’s anyone else…”

The thought of her being with another man was unpalatable, but she’d posed a fair question. “Use a condom with the other person. And then I will also, until the testing is repeated.”

“Good.”

His mouth tightened. She hadn’t made any objections about the possibility that there would be others for either of them. Well…that was good.

The sound of her stomach growling diverted him. “You didn’t eat much today, did you?” Too nervous. “Let’s go get you some soup.” He smiled down into her big gray eyes. “We’ll eat in the media room, and this once you can even pick the movie.”

Her mouth rounded up, giving him a hint of the dimple at the corner of her mouth. “I feel a real need for a chick flick.”

He chuckled. “Vengeful little pet.” As she headed into the media room, tucking the blanket around herself, he watched in admiration. Another submissive might have spent the night in his arms weeping. The professor had more stamina and guts than he’d realized.

And a vicious sense of humor. If she picked something like
Runaway Bride
, he’d make her suffer.

Chapter Twenty

As the chimes rang through Xavier’s house, Abby hurried to open the door. Yesterday she’d asked Rona over. Forgiven or not, Abby feared she’d damaged their friendship. She swung the door wide. “Hi—”

“Hey,” Lindsey said from where she stood beside Rona. “I asked if I could tag along.” Her smile was tentative. “I don’t want to lose you.”

With a huge sigh Abby hugged them both. “Thank you for coming.” She blinked back happy tears.

“Don’t you start leaking, or I will too.” Lindsey’s eyes reddened.

“Right.” Abby motioned. “Come on in. I made éclairs so we can get a sugar high.” As she entered the living room, the puppies started to whine.

Lindsey spotted the tiny heads peeking over the edge of the wading pool. “Oh my blessed Jesus, look at them.” She dropped to her knees beside the pool.

As her streaky brown hair fell forward, the puppies took it as an invitation to play, jumping and trying to grab the curls. She laughed and lifted Tippy. “Aren’t you just the sweetest baby?” she crooned, cuddling the brown ball of fur.

“Want a dog?” Abby asked.

“More than I can say, but I just signed a lease for a new apartment.” She wiggled her eyebrows hopefully. “I’m moving in a week, if y’all feel like carting boxes around.”

“No couches or beds to carry?” Rona asked. She crouched beside Lindsey and picked up Freckles.

“No. Where I’m living now was furnished, so I’m fixin’ to buy furniture for my new place. Finally.”

Abby joined the other two on the floor. Blackie’s tail wagged furiously. “Hey, snookums.” Puppy breath and a deadly fast tiny tongue and squirms and wiggles. “You are the sweetest baby.”

“Oh, they all are.” Lindsey chose Blondie. “Isn’t it going to break your heart to let them go?”

“It’s hard,” Abby admitted, smiling down into soft black eyes. “It’s worse when one grabs you, like this one.” She planted a kiss on his fuzzy nose. “Maybe it’s because his eyes are the same shade as Xavier’s.”

Rona laughed, then gave Abby a keen look. “If you’re falling for a puppy because of a resemblance, I’d say you’re also falling for the man. And you are living here now, aren’t you?”

“I’m not falling. Absolutely not.” The thought sent a chill into her stomach. “I’m just here because I wanted to know about the Dominant/submissive stuff, and he needed help around the house. That’s all.”

“The sacrifices a woman makes. You probably don’t even like him, huh?” Rona said in a dry voice.

“Fine. I like him.” Oh heavens, she really did. She looked up to see understanding expressions on both faces. “More than I’m comfortable with, especially after Nathan. Being around him is like being on a roller coaster. He comes in, and I feel all bubbly inside. When he uses that Dom voice, the bottom drops out of my stomach and my knees go weak.”

Rona laughed. “I know what you mean.”

“I wish I did.” Lindsey sighed. “I had the loverly bubbles when I first got married—for a little while, at least. I’ve had that sinking feeling from a few of the Doms. Never both together.” Lindsey cuddled Blondie close. “So you don’t figure Xavier is permanent?”

“Get real. He’s
my liege
. Rich, powerful, gorgeous. I teach college students, trip when kneeling, and my butt’s so big I could use it for a serving tray.”

Rona raised her eyebrows. “Xavier lets you run yourself down like that?”

“Ah.” Abby flushed. “No.” The last time she’d complained she had a fat ass, he’d given her one of those frowns and then…

“Oooo, Missy Red-Face. Tell us what happened,” Lindsey demanded.

“He simply said he liked my ass.” Abby gave in to the expectant expressions. “And if I called it fat again, he’d turn it a pretty pink.” Then he’d stripped off her jeans and shown her exactly what he meant. The feeling of being over his knees, of his hard hand on her bare bottom, had been so humiliating and so…intimate…that she’d never be able to explain it. “He seems to think he needs to help me overcome stuff. Like I have some horrible background.”

“Did he really put it like that?” Rona asked.

“Well. No.”

Rona gave her a smug look. “I didn’t think so. He obviously likes the way you look—and who you are. Honey, he’s happier than I’ve ever seen him.”

Really?
Abby realized Blackie had squirmed out of her arms and was exploring. Tiny and defenseless…yet so brave. His ears were forward, his body eager for what experiences the world had to offer.

When did I turn into such a coward that I’m scared to leave my own wading pool?

XAVIER OPENED THE door to the sound of laughter and had to smile. Simon had mentioned Abby’d invited Rona over, and that Rona had been delighted. Now he knew why she’d been nervous today.

But the little professor hadn’t told him. That was a disappointment. Anything that affected her emotionally should be shared with her Dom, but she kept herself so guarded that it worried him.

Then again, neither of them had been in this kind of awkward situation before. The slaves he brought home had always known there was a time limit and they’d leave once he found them the right Master.

He and Abby had set no time limits. Neither of them wanted anything serious. Not at this point. She was learning how to please him; he was learning her vulnerabilities and where he could help her become stronger. That was enough for now.

The door to the patio was open, and the women and puppies were outside in the patchy sunshine. As he headed past the living room toward his study, he saw the iced tea glasses on the coffee table and a plate with éclairs. The rope the pups used for tug-of-war lay on the floor next to Abby’s sandals. Not clutter, but signs that someone lived here.

He turned in a circle, realizing the house felt alive.

Catherine had loved the Old West and had decorated with rugged, dark furniture, rough tables, Western paintings, and crafts. The style hadn’t quite matched the building’s elegant lines, but neither of them had cared. When she’d died, he couldn’t stand seeing her favorite furniture, and a decorator had changed everything over to a light, contemporary look.

He hadn’t realized how cold the house was until pieces from Abby’s home appeared. Her plants had been rescued when she found she didn’t get back often enough to water them. A giant schefflera in a hand-painted ceramic pot brightened one corner. Ferns in wrought iron stands softened the foyer. Parsley, chives, and thyme were in small terra-cotta pots on a kitchen windowsill.

Now every time she went to her duplex she returned with touches of convenience and beauty. A glazed earthenware bowl was on the dining room table, filled with fruit. A dark-red porcelain stand held umbrellas by the front door.

Apparently her archeologist father had taken his family with him on digs, and after graduating, she’d used his life insurance money to travel overseas every summer, shipping home whatever delighted her. Tapestry pillows from Belgium, as comfortable as they were bright, were in the corners of the sofa and chairs. An Italian cashmere throw lay over the back of a chair.

He walked into his study and smiled at the rounded lines of the Middle Eastern leather ottoman she’d brought over, hoping he’d keep his ankle up on it.

She was quite the traveler. Would she enjoy having company this year?

* * * *

Abby tried to snuggle down into the covers, but Xavier’s hands ran up her body. Firm, confident, and unstoppable. A hard cock pressed against her stomach. He was awake.

“Don’t want to get up.” It couldn’t be much past dawn. All weekend she’d frantically worked to finish analyzing her observations. She still had more literature searches to do and only ten days until she had to submit the article. And now her time would be filled with end-of-term school matters—exams, essays, projects—and handing in the students’ grades.

A low chuckle sounded in her ear as he stroked her breasts. “But you’re going to anyway.”

Her nipples tightened to hard peaks; warmth flowed downward. She looked up into his molten dark eyes, saw the line of his determined jaw, and went from sleepy to wet and aroused. How did he do that?

He kissed her shoulder and bit it.

The sharp pain woke her completely. Excited her completely. At least until he set her onto her hands and knees and slid into her from the rear.

My liege’s favorite position
. Because he didn’t want to see her face. Because he didn’t want to remember she wasn’t his beloved Catherine. Her resentment was followed by a wave of unhappiness, and her hands clenched. She buried her face in the pillow…so he wouldn’t have to look at her.

He stopped moving. “What’s wrong, Abby?”

Not a thing except I’m not your dead wife
. “Nothing.” She kept her hips up and available to him, even though her interest had died the minute he’d flipped her over. “Keep going.”

“Nothing?” His voice had turned to clipped ice.

Her body stiffened. He was angry.

As if to prove the point he pulled out and rolled her over. His mouth was tight, his face cold. “I dislike lies, pet.”

She flinched. Her hands made an abortive gesture toward covering her ears, to keep her from hearing him yell. Only…she’d never heard him yell.

He swung a leg over her, straddling her—an appallingly efficient way to pin her down. “Look at me, Abby.” Although the hardness was gone from his expression, the displeasure remained. His long black hair swung loose as he leaned over her.