The Ties That Bind Read online

  Her fingers went to the hem of her sweater and she started to lift it over her head, but he interrupted her progress and said, “Leave the shoes on.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said insolently. But she did as he commanded.

  He held his breath as the sweater lifted higher, showing first her stomach and then the thin black bra. She pulled it over her head and tossed it on the back of one of the hard chairs that surrounded the big conference tables.

  Her fingers trailed to the side zipper of her skirt, but he shook his head and said, “No, get rid of the bra next. I’ve been dreaming about those gold rings.”

  She did as he commanded and flicked the front clasp of her bra. Her breasts were full and heavy, more than a handful, and she peeled the cups back slowly and then shrugged her shoulders so it fell to the ground.

  “Jesus, Claire. Look at you.” Her nipples were brown and tight, and the gold rings pierced through them begged for his attention. “What I wouldn’t give to have you home and strapped to the bed. To pull those rings tight until you’re whimpering for mercy.”

  She whimpered then, just the thought of what he described heightening her sexual awareness.

  “Finish what you started,” he said. “The skirt next.”

  Another flash of headlights cut through the big window and Claire paused with a gasp. They were taking a chance for sure. Anyone could be standing in the street, looking up at the second floor as Claire disrobed. The chances were small, considering Main Street was like a ghost town at this time of day. But it could still happen.

  “Afraid someone will see you?” he taunted. “Who’d have thought the Surrender librarian would have her nipples pierced.” He shook his head in mock surprise. “I wonder what other secrets she’s got hidden under all those prim clothes.”

  “Payback is going to be a bitch for this one,” she said, her voice husky with need.

  “I can’t wait. Now lose the skirt.”

  “Your wish is my command.”

  “You’re damned right. And if you don’t watch that smart mouth I’m going to have to find something to occupy it.”

  She arched a brow and looked down at the bulge of his cock behind his briefs. “Promises, promises.” And then her fingers went to the zipper of her skirt and tugged, so it fell in a pool at her feet.

  She took his breath away. Black lace barely covered the juncture between her thighs, but it was the matching garter belt and lace stockings that had his mouth watering.

  “I thought you weren’t expecting me for another day,” he rasped.

  “A girl can hope, can’t she?” Her fingers toyed with the clasps of the garters. “What next, hot shot?”

  “I told you that mouth was going to get you in trouble.”

  “I sure as hell hope so.”

  He almost laughed, but the break in his control would have made her too cocky and he’d lose the upper hand. At least what small shred he had of it.

  “Turn around and bend over the table,” he commanded, his voice harsh. “And grab the edge with your hands. I don’t want any interference.”

  She gave him one last, seductive look and licked her lips, and he swore he felt the touch of her tongue along the taut flesh of his cock.

  “You sure you don’t want me to take off the garters and panties?” she asked, pouting prettily. Her fingers trailed up her stomach and then her hands cupped her breasts, weighing the heavy mounds and tugging gently at the gold loops.

  Cooper growled low in his throat. “Oh, no. They’re staying on until you’re begging for mercy. Now turn around.” He yanked his belt from the loops so it made a swishing sound, and her eyes widened with excitement. “I warned you about that smart mouth. Now it’s time to take your punishment like a big girl.”

  The corner of her mouth lifted in a smirk and she turned around slowly, giving him a full glimpse of her body. It had been a matter of days since he’d had her last, but it felt like weeks. One more of those sultry, knowing looks and he’d be shooting off like a rocket.

  She looked over her shoulder at him as she bent across the dark mahogany table, her pale skin spotlighted beneath the lights she’d left on. Her hands grasped the top edge and she spread her legs wide, the wickedly high heels and the round globes of her ass making his mouth water.

  His footsteps sounded heavy against the marble floors and she shivered as he drew closer. He touched the leather of the belt to her ass gently and she tensed. The scent of her arousal made him weak in the knees, but he was in control. He wouldn’t give her what she wanted too soon.

  Just as she started to relax he snapped the belt against her cheeks, leaving an immediate red streak. And then he did it twice more in quick succession. Her head reared up and he could see the pleasure in her face. He traced his fingers over the raised welts, feeling the heat there, and then he slid his hand beneath the flimsy lace of her panties and yanked.

  He let them fall to the floor and then stood back to look at her, open and ready for him.

  “Jesus, Claire. You drive me crazy.” She was soaking wet. He pushed down his briefs and took hold of his cock, squeezing at the base until he got himself under control.

  “Please, Cooper. I need you now. Don’t make me wait.”

  “What kind of punishment would that be if I gave you exactly what you want? Remember who’s in charge.”

  “How can I forget? Spank me again.”

  Cooper barked out a laugh before he could stop it, and then shook his head. Claire was a handful. And thank God for it, otherwise he’d be bored to tears. She always challenged him. In and out of the bedroom. And he knew the next fifty years of his life with her would never be boring.

  Instead of doing what she’d demanded, he trailed his finger down her spine and ass until he felt her syrupy juices. And then he tugged gently at the clit ring that dangled from the sensitive bundle of nerves.

  Her knees buckled and a moan of pure bliss escaped her lips.

  If he tugged a little more he knew she’d orgasm all over his hand, so he released the ring and walked around to the other side of the table. He tossed the belt next to her head, making her jump, and then he stripped his shirt over his head and pushed his briefs and cargos down to his thighs.

  She looked up at him with lust filled eyes and licked her lips. His fingers ran through the short cap of her hair and tightened, pulling her head back more. She whimpered once, and then the head of his cock pressed against her mouth and she opened for him, taking him inside.

  “Oh, baby,” he growled. “Suck me.”

  And then he pressed into her open mouth until she swallowed him whole. He wouldn’t last long at this pace, and he was trying desperately to remember why it was so important to make her wait.

  He picked up the belt and swatted her in time with each thrust into her mouth until she was moaning with pleasure around him. The orgasm took him by surprise, ripping from his body. His back arched and his thigh muscles flexed and cramped, and she milked every drop of seed from him. He’d dropped the belt somewhere between pleasure and pain, and caught himself with his arms as they landed on each side of her body.

  He withdrew from her mouth slowly, his cock still rigid, and he realized he was trembling. He released his hands from her hair and stumbled back like a drunk, and then he saw the look on her face. She was just on the edge of her own orgasm, caught on a tightrope between frustrated longing and the ultimate pleasure.

  It wasn’t a time for words. He wasn’t sure he had the right ones anyway.

  Chapter Four

  One small touch. That’s all she needed. Even another tap with the belt would’ve sent her over the edge. She was that close.

  Her body was taut. Her back bowed, so the gold rings in her nipples clanked against the table. And her fingers were white knuckled as she held on to the table for dear life. The taste of him lingered on her lips and her vision blurred with unfulfilled need.

  He stood bigger than life in front of her, his cock still erect and the silver bar p
ierced through the underside of his cock. She knew it would bring her the kind of pleasure some women would never achieve. His body was hard—his abs defined and his muscled arms covered in tattoos.

  There was such a thing as too much stimulation. She pressed her head down so her forehead touched the cool tabletop, and she prayed he wouldn’t make her wait too long.

  Her body was powerless against him. Just as she knew it was the same for them. That her confusion and anger over the past three days could be put on hold for this one moment of pleasure didn’t make sense to her—even as independent as she was—Cooper was her other half in every sense of the word. She couldn’t deny him.

  The sounds of his boots against the floor as he walked behind her made her shiver, and her muscles tightened in anticipation.

  “Now I can take my time and enjoy the scenery,” he crooned, his hand tracing the heated marks on her bottom.

  She lifted toward him. If he’d only touch her where she ached between her legs. One touch. That’s all it would take to have her screaming his name.

  His voice rasped across her senses. “So sexy. A temptress. Even with my marks on your skin. Let me kiss them for you.”

  She whimpered as he placed small kisses where his hand had been.

  “You’re so close, aren’t you? The scent of you makes me horny as hell. I’m going to fuck you so good you’ll feel me for the next week.”

  Her brain was barely functioning, but she managed to get words past her lips. “All talk and no play. Why don’t you put your money where your mouth it?”

  “Why don’t I put something else where my mouth is instead?” he asked.

  Claire gasped as his finger circled the tiny rosebud of her anus and she moaned as he pushed against her, entering her slightly.

  “God, yes,” she begged. “Just take me. I don’t care how.”

  “Do you need to come, baby? Ask me nicely and maybe I’ll give you a slight reprieve.”

  Her breath came in pants and her voice came in broken sobs. “Pl—please. Please let me come. I’ll do anything you want.”

  “I know you will, baby. Such a good girl when you want to be.” His finger pushed further into her ass and she felt the rasp of his cargo pants as he stood close behind her. “Such a pretty picture,” he said. “My dick thick and hard as it slides right between those rosy ass cheeks. That’s pure heaven.”

  The head of his cock pressed against the swollen lips of her pussy just as his finger pushed all the way inside her ass. That’s all it took to make her body implode. The heat started at the base of her spine and crackled like lightning beneath her skin. She didn’t realize how loud she was screaming until she heard Cooper’s soothing voice.

  “That’s it, baby. Scream my name as loud as you want.”

  Her body shuddered and the swollen flesh between her thighs protested as he pushed the full length of himself deep inside.

  “So tight,” he groaned. “Like a glove squeezing against me.”

  “Fuck me,” she begged.

  “Are you giving orders now? I don’t think so.” He pulled out slowly, her pussy grabbing at him until she wanted to scream in frustration. He swatted her on the bottom with his hand lightly and then pulled out completely.

  “You’re going to pay for this,” she panted. “I promise. I’m going to tie you to that bed and find the tightest cock ring I can before riding you into exhaustion. Fuck me now, Cooper. No more teasing.”

  “What you choose to do during your time is up to you. But this is my time now, and you won’t be giving me orders. Have I made myself clear?”

  His voice was harsh and he flipped her quickly so her back was pressed against the table. He placed her feet so her heels pressed against his shoulders, biting into the skin there.

  “Put your hands back up so they’re grabbing the table. You can’t touch me. Only I can touch you.”

  She did as he asked. The game was over. She’d do whatever he asked to get what she wanted.

  “Please,” her voice broke, and she felt the tears come to her eyes. “I’m begging you.”

  He didn’t give her warning. He grasped her hips and thrust deep inside of her with one push. His hands were everywhere, alternating between the rings at her clit and nipples. Electricity gathered at the base of her spine and her skin tingled with the need for release.

  Then he leaned over her, her heels pressing harder into his shoulders as her knees were splayed wide. And then his mouth replaced the actions of his hands and she was lost. The sensations were too much. He pistoned in and out between her legs and his lips and teeth and tongue played havoc with her sensitive breasts.

  And then everything went black in an instant before exploding into a fractal of colors behind her closed lids. She heard him say her name before he stiffened and filled her with the thick hot jets of his seed.

  Chapter Five

  Claire was grateful for the solitary drive home. It gave her time to think. Her ass still stung and her body ached, but it was the kind of ache she’d beg for again. And again.

  But despite the pleasure, she knew in her heart they couldn’t continue to have the kind of relationship they had—both in their marriage and in their sex life—without trust. And that was the problem. The lies that had passed his lips put doubt into her mind. She had to confront him to get the truth. Even if the truth wasn’t something she wanted to hear.

  Cooper followed closely behind her in his unit until they pulled into the long gravel driveway that led to their house. The trees were thick and canopied over the house, and she’d forgotten to leave the porch light on, so it was pitch black.

  The simple white wooden house with the wraparound porch had been her home before she and Cooper had married. They were close to his family—in fact, on the other side of the lake at the back of their property was MacKenzie land. But they had the space they needed and were far enough out of town to not be bothered by nosy neighbors or those who wanted to come to their house to file a complaint instead of going to the SO.

  She parked to the side of the house and then saw the beam of a high-powered flashlight as Cooper came around to help her out of the car. They were both silent and the tension was thick—thicker than it had been before they’d left the library.

  By the time they walked inside the house her stomach was in knots and she was dreading the conversation. What if she confronted him and his response was something like, “You’re right. We made a terrible mistake in getting married so soon.”

  She wiped her palms on her skirt and flipped on lights through the house as he followed at a distance behind her. Cooper wasn’t an easy man to read. He had things on his mind. Serious things. And she’d find out what it was when he was darn good and ready. Stubborn man.

  Claire slipped out of her shoes and put them neatly in the closet, and then went about the ritual of getting out of her work clothes. She turned on the shower and could feel his eyes on her as she went about her tasks.

  How like strangers they were.

  He got in the shower as soon as she got out, so she put on lounge pants and a thin tank top. Her bones were chilled so she grabbed an extra sweatshirt to slip on over it.

  By the time he got out of the shower she couldn’t take the silence any longer.

  “Cooper, we’ve got to talk,” she said.

  He looked up at her and she watched with fascination as his face went perfectly blank and he pulled an emotional guard around him like a blanket.

  But he surprised her by saying, “I know.” That worried her even more. She was working her way from being nervous to pissed. It was the only protection she had.

  “I’ve got two things to say,” she said, straightening her spine and crossing her arms over her chest.

  “I’m listening,” he said, his voice soft.

  “I hope so. I guess my first question is do you think I’m stupid?” The question must have caught him off guard because he looked at her like she was a crazy person.

  “Of course not
. What kind of question is that?”

  She ignored his retort. “What would make you think that I don’t know you well enough to know when you’re lying to me? Fishing? Really? I didn’t realize the DEA was hunting salmon now.”

  Cooper’s back stiffened. “If you think you know that much, then you know I can’t talk about what’s going on. Too many lives are at stake. And the less you know the safer you’ll be.”

  “I’m not asking for details, Cooper.” She sighed frustrated and ran her hand through her hair. “I told you I’m not stupid. I know the sensitivity of your job. I respect that. What I have an issue with is the lies. Lies have a tendency to expand and multiply. How can any level of trust be established when I don’t know if you’re telling me the truth?”

  Cooper didn’t understand why he was so angry. He knew what Claire was saying was the truth, but he’d been so protective of his job and his life over the years it was hard to let anyone in. Even his wife.

  “What do you want from me, Claire? So I tell you I’m going back to work for the DEA and that I’m out on a job. What then? Twenty questions asking who and what and why?”

  “That’s part of the issue right there. You tell me you’re going back to work for the DEA. I’m assuming, because I’m not an idiot, that you’re still hunting down more drug dealers cutting through the area. The same drug dealers that shot at you last time and wounded your cousin."

  “You going back to work for them is a life altering decision. You’d think you’d have the courtesy to discuss those major decisions with your wife. Especially when you told me you weren’t going to continue working for the DEA before we got married. So not only are you lying to me, but I know you’re lying and now I have to wait and wonder if your body is going to be found in one of the mountain passes or eaten by a wild animal because some drug dealer shot you.”

  She never raised her voice, but Cooper felt each word like the slash of a razor. He felt lower than dirt. He’d never once considered it from her point of view. He was so protective of his life and his private time. Raising his brothers had left him very little time on his own. Then when he went into the military he was special ops, so there was no talking or sharing there either. And it wasn’t like he had someone to share with even if he had wanted to.