The Beginning of Us (110 page)

I could hear the smile in his voice and I let my head roll back on my neck. “Please.”

“Please what, pet?” he asked, brushing his hand down my arm, back up and across my shoulder blades before wrapping around my throat.

“Use. Me.”

“I don’t give in to begging, Keely,” he purred.

“I’m not begging. I’m…” I swallowed. “I’m asking for your help. To forget.”

Parker let out a sigh. “I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know if I can make you forget but I’ll bring you to that high where you will think of only me. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I do, Sir. I’m fine with all of that. I need it. And I’m sorry for before…in the…in the limo.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“I don’t like fighting. I got enough of it with Devin.”

“Fighting happens, Keely, but know that I’ll never hurt you unless you ask for it. Remember that.”

“I do. I’m sorry.”

“Stop.” His grip on my throat tightened. “Apologizing. I could kill him for turning you into this woman that needs to apologize for everything she says.” He swore and then released me.

My body shook, vibrating against the shackles that held me bound. Spots danced in my vision. My heart raced, beating hard against the walls of my chest. “Sir.” I swallowed hard, pulling on my restraints. “Red,” I heard myself say.

“Shit, pet.”  He undid the locks on the cuffs and pulled me into his arms.

I crumbled against him and wrapped my body around his. “I’m so sorry.”

His back stiffened. “Keely—”

“No.” I took several deep cleansing breaths, getting control of the impending panic attack. “Listen to me.” I cupped his cheeks and kissed him softly on the mouth. “I am. I’m sorry for you losing your best friend. I’m sorry for the guilt that you feel for not saving me. I’m sorry for your dad. I’m sorry for what happened to your mom. I’m…I’m…” I inhaled a shaky breath.

“My Keely.” Parker lifted me into his arms, cradling me like a child.

I wrapped my hands around his neck, leaning my head against his chest, listening to the beating of his heart. The deep soothing thump-thump sent warmth over my skin, easing my racing nerves.

Parker brought me to the bed, pulled down the covers and laid me gently on the sheets. Sliding under the covers beside me, he wrapped his arm around me, holding me tight.

“Sir?” I asked, turning onto my side.

He kissed my forehead, my nose, and then my mouth.

“Make love to me,” I whispered, trailing my fingers down his hard chest. My thumb brushed over his pierced nipple.

A shiver ran through his body at the soft contact. “As much as I would love to feel your warm tight body wrapped around mine, you need to rest.”

I sighed, snuggling against him. “Please. I need to feel you,” I whispered.

His eyes searched my face before he knelt between my legs. He kissed me softly.

“Thank you. For everything.” I brushed his hair off of his forehead.

He kissed my shoulder and then my neck. “Thank you, Keely.”

“Please.” I lifted my hips, hinting.

“You need to rest,” he repeated and curled onto his side, holding me tight against him. His breathing became deep and even and I couldn’t help but watch him, just for a little bit as he lay so peacefully in his slumber. His eyes danced behind his eyelids, his black lashes fanning out on his high tanned cheekbones. He was beautiful, in a feral animalistic kind of way that always left me breathless.

Grazing my fingers over his forehead, down his cheek and over his mouth, I placed a soft peck on his lips.

I love you. So damn much. But I’m so scared to tell you. Knowing when you find out everything, it’ll ruin us.

THIRTEEN

The next morning I woke up and made my way to the very large kitchen. Troy would love the black granite counter tops with tiny speckles of red and the stainless steel appliances. It was a cook’s wet dream.

“Ah. You must be Miss Price.”

I squeaked and jumped at the feminine voice, spinning around on my heels. Clutching my chest, I took deep breaths, easing my racing heart.

She laughed. “I’m so sorry for scaring you.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m…okay.” I smiled at the stout elderly woman.

“I’m Anne Burley.” She walked up to me and held out her hand. “Mr. Reed has told me so much about you.”

“Really?” I asked, returning her handshake.

“Oh yes. He also told me that you are going to be staying here for a couple of days. So anything you need, just ask.” Her warm blue eyes drew me in and I couldn’t help but relax.

Then I remembered I was half naked. My cheeks heated. “Oh gosh.” I attempted to cover myself but had no luck. “I’m sorry. I’m not really dressed appro—”

She silenced me with a wave of her hand. “Girl. It’s not like I haven’t seen anything before. Mind you…” She smoothed her hands down her body and gave a shake to her hips. “I don’t have what you have anymore.” She laughed and started rummaging through the cupboards.

I giggled and shook my head, leaning against the counter, my eyes glancing around the vast expanse before us. “Has Mr. Reed had this place for long?”

“Yes. His father, God rest his soul, left it to him before he died.”

“You knew him?”

She nodded, blowing a strand of gray hair out of her eyes while she made the much needed coffee that I was craving. “Yes. I’ve been with this family for as long as I can remember. Mr. Reed became sick right before Mrs. Reed got pregnant…” Her voice wavered.

“I’m so sorry, Miss—”

“Please. Call me Anne.”

“I’m so sorry, Anne.”

She took a breath and straightened her shoulders. “What’s done is done and it was God’s will. Now, how about that coffee?”

I smiled and nodded. We continued chatting about nothing super important but it was nice speaking with an older woman for a change. I came to learn that her parents were from Northern Europe.

I really liked Anne and I warmed up to her quickly. She was like a grandmother figure to Parker and I could see the love she had for him. She was protective of the boy that wasn’t hers but she was protective of the family as a whole, even more.

About a half an hour into our friendly conversation, my body heated. The hairs on the back of my neck tingled and a yearning spread through me so fast it knocked the breath out of me.

“Good morning, pet,” Parker whispered in my ear.

My heart skipped a beat. Well that explained the unexpected reaction. “Morning.” I smiled up at him and that was when my jaw dropped. As many times as I had seen him naked, nothing was sexier than him wearing black drawstring satin pajama pants. They hung low on his hips, showcasing the delicious V-shaped muscles that I’d give anything to sink my teeth into.

The metal barbells that pierced his nipples twinkled in the early morning light and the tattoos? I would never get used to them. They were intricate. Detailed and they were the hottest things I had ever seen.

My gaze popped back up to his and he smirked. I could almost hear him in my head.
Something you like, Keely?

Oh yeah. Mama liked very much. I shook my head. I needed more coffee.

“Good morning, Mr. Reed. Coffee and paper.” Anne smiled at him and placed them on the large kitchen table.

“Thank you, Anne,” Parker said without taking his eyes off of me.

A flush washed over my body and I suddenly felt naked, exposed. I was standing in his kitchen wearing nothing but panties and a camisole but the thin white fabric left nothing to the imagination. Especially when my nipples peaked at attention, tingling, begging for his touch.

Anticipation
.

“Go sit on the patio and I’ll let you know when breakfast is ready,” Anne instructed, interrupting my intense stare down with Parker.

He grinned, his gaze glancing at my chest before popping back up to my eyes. “Good idea, Anne.”

“Of course it is.” She laughed. “Enjoy the warm weather before it’s no longer here.”

I grabbed my coffee and followed Parker out onto the deck and inhaled the fresh morning air. Letting out a deep sigh, I looked around the large back yard. Acre upon acre spread out before a vast forest. A large stone fountain sat at the back of the yard with figures that looked like they came out of a museum.

“What do you think, pet?” Parker asked, placing his hands on my shoulders.

“This place is simply amazing.” I looked up at him. “Why don’t you live here?”

“I wish I could but working in the city makes that difficult and…” His eyes took on a faraway look before he continued. “It’s a painful reminder that I will never meet the man who left this home to me.”

I nodded in understanding. “Thank you for bringing me here. I’m assuming it didn’t always have that special room?”

He chuckled. “No.”

“Well…” I waggled my eyebrows. “Your room of pleasure is simply amazing and I can’t…I can’t wait to test it out.” My cheeks heated.

Parker pinched my chin and tilted my head. “Room of pleasure? More like room of anticipation.”

I shrugged. “That works, too.”

He shook his head, a small smile splaying on his face. He pulled me to the patio couch and wrapped his arm around my waist when I sat down beside him.

Leaning against him, I sighed. “What made you create that room?” I asked as his hand inched higher up my torso.

“I actually use it for training purposes when I get time.” He pushed his fingers into the top of my camisole, his thumb casually brushing over my nipple.

A shiver ran over my body but the light touch was relaxing and soothing. “Training?”

“When I first met Aidan, he was having issues with some Doms not knowing how to treat their subs. I got the idea to train them. Not just Doms but subs, Masters, slaves, Dommes…whatever. I can’t teach them everything. Some things they’ll have to find out on their own but I give them enough information so they can play safe and be consensual and sane about their work.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea.” My stomach twisted. “You said you’ve never had sex with the subs though. How do you train them then?”

He pinched my nipple, igniting a squeak to escape my mouth. “Like I said before, BDSM isn’t just about sex. I’ve heard of people just needing a Dominant figure to tell them what to wear that day. Or someone just needs to be tied up but no sex is involved. I also met a couple where the male was a powerful business man but as soon as he stepped foot into his house? He was his wife’s slave.”

His large hand slid underneath my full breast, exposing it to the cool morning air completely. “Slave?”

“Yes. Slave as in every sense of the word. A Master/slave relationship can be very tiring, though, but some people need it. Having control over another person, not just yourself, is exhausting. Some live it twenty-four/seven, others just play in the bedroom. Some even have schedules where it’s just on the weekend. But when they’re in that role, the Master or Mistress makes every single decision for their slave. And I’m not exaggerating when I say
every
decision.”

My core heated, my heart giving a thump. What would it be like to have Parker control me completely? Even just for a couple of hours. “How does a relationship like that come about?”

“Curious about the Master/slave dynamic, pet?” he asked with a teasing lilt to his voice.

“Maybe.”

“You work up to it. In our situation, I can’t be your Master right now. It involves a lot of trust and skill and we would have to set a lot of ground rules. But…” He tweaked my nipple. “Maybe in time, beautiful one.”

I smiled. “It sounds like it takes a lot of patience.” Which was not a skill that I mastered.

“Yeah but once it’s there, once you’re ready to submit completely, and I do mean
completely,
and give your all to your Master, it’s one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.”

I thought about what he had said, curious as to what would become of our relationship. After Parker found out everything, I just prayed that he would still want me. Even if he got mad and I knew that he would, I hoped he would still give me a chance.

“What are you thinking about, angel?”

“Nothing.” It wasn’t time. I needed to tell him, but—I gasped when I was lifted over Parker’s lap and my panties were pulled roughly down to my knees.

“First rule. Do not lie to your Dom.” A hard swat landed on my rear followed by his soothing caress. Another swat and then caress.

The skin of my ass burned but it did something funny to me. The light pain followed by the gentle touch sent a flush over my body.

Parker grabbed my wrists, holding them behind my back and trailed his other hand between my legs. “Your pussy is wet, Keely.”

My cheeks heated at my body deceiving me.

“Do you like it when I spank your delicious ass?” He followed up that question with another two swats.

It hurt to the point where I pushed back against his hand, begging for him to do it again. Although it stung, it was exhilarating.

He slid a finger inside of me, rubbing the walls of my core.

I moaned, clenching around him, waiting.

“I shouldn’t allow you to come when you just lied to me but I enjoy watching your body shatter with ecstasy. So I’ll give you it this time. But next time you lie…” His voice became harsh as the thrusts sped up. “I’ll bind and gag you, spreading you open so wide that I can see inside your soul.”

I panted, squeezing my eyes shut as his erotic words mixed with the pleasure of his finger deep inside of me.

“I’ll fuck you until I come but I won’t give you the release that your body will crave. You’ll be so turned on that a caress of air will have you writhing in pent-up frustration.” He slid a second finger into me, stretching my body.

“Oh God.” I threw my head back, a release crashing into me with full force.

“You wanted to come that bad?” he growled, inserting a third finger into me.

I gasped at the tight feeling. “Please.”

“What, pet? What do you think you deserve after lying to me?”

I whimpered but the words wouldn’t come. He was right. I knew he was right but I still couldn’t tell him what I was thinking about.