Cherished (Masters and Mercenaries #7.5)(41)

“You met her there?” She gasped when he brought his hand down again.

“Yes. I met her and I was going through a slightly obsessive phase. I thought I wanted a truly submissive partner. Not just in the bedroom. Do you understand what I mean?” He spanked her harder this time. Her skin was warming up. It really was easier to talk about this when he had the distraction of her beauty to take away the humiliation he’d felt.

“Like you had to pick out her clothes and stuff?”

That had only been the beginning. “And leave a list of things for her to do and what she could eat. It was overwhelming, but I thought I should try. It seemed to be what she wanted. She was very peaceful. We moved fast because she gave me this story about how her ex-boyfriend was stalking her.”

“I would have bought a gun.”

He didn’t doubt that at all. Bridget wouldn’t have looked for a protector. She would have protected herself. “Of course you would. You would have turned it all around on him, but she wasn’t anything like you, sweetheart. She also didn’t actually have a stalker. She played me perfectly. I wanted to be the white knight, so I let her move in with me and we started a D/s relationship. You have to understand, I was very used to women being dependent on me. It felt almost natural.”

“Because of your sisters.”

“Yes, though they seem to be independent now. I rarely have to intercede on their behalves.”

“Because you raised them right.”

“I was a kid. I did what I could. I thought I could do the same for Starr. I thought she needed me. I now know you need me way more than she ever could.”

“Hey, I’m the chick who would have bought the gun,” Bridget admitted.

He didn’t like to think about an armed Bridget. “And then likely murdered someone with it. No, baby. You have anger issues. And organizational issues. And you can’t say no. You’re overcommitted at work, and we’re going to talk about that because you need relaxation time.”

She also needed him. More than he’d imagined. When he’d gone into the relationship, he’d thought they would come together for play and sex, and then he’d realized she needed more than a casual Dom. She kind of needed a sneaky one. Unlike the other subs he’d played with, Bridget often rankled at the idea of an authority figure taking control over her life. So he’d quietly topped her. He wondered if she’d even noticed that he’d started handling things like her mail pile? Aside from that one night, he handled dinner since she ate crap. Had she noticed her fridge now boasted actual food? Probably not. Sneaky Dom. He kind of liked it.

“This isn’t relaxing, Will. It’s frustrating.”

He could hear the little whine in her voice that let him know she was on the edge and really wanted to go over. He let his fingers glide over her labia, feeling the arousal there. She was wet. The spanking was already doing its job. He rubbed his thumb over her clit and felt the shiver go through her.

And then pulled his hand away because it wasn’t going to be that easy. Not tonight. “It’ll be relaxing in the end.”

“Damn it.”

He chuckled as he reached for the already prepped anal plug. “I promise I won’t leave you unsatisfied. I want you to understand fully that I’m not pining for Starr. I took out a restraining order on her. If you see her, I want you to call me. Don’t ever open the door to her again.”

He would be happier when she was safely in prison.

“So you weren’t in love with her. Oh, my god. I can’t get used to that.” She reacted to the lube he squeezed on her *.

He liked the way it clenched and tried to keep him out. Like the rest of Bridget, her anus was a challenge. Yeah, he wasn’t going to tell her that. She would likely shove an anal plug where he wouldn’t want one. She would do it while he was sleeping. His sub was sneaky, too. He rimmed her with the tip, lubing the plug while he worked her *. “I told you. I’ve never been in this magical thing you call love. Do you want me to say it? I can if that’s what you require.”

“No. No. It’s fine. It’s better to be honest.”

He wished he hadn’t broached the subject at all. He needed to make it plain that he wasn’t wishing for his lost love and trying to replace her. “I’m here with you, Bridget. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

“For now.”

Damn it. “I don’t have any other time to give you.”

Her ass wiggled. “Then you should really give me the now, if that includes making good on the promises you made. I believe there was something about being satisfied.”

She moved with a sensuous grace, her hips rolling against the plug, but he couldn’t help but feel some of the fire had gone out of her. Was this what Kai had warned him about? Did he not have what Bridget needed? Did she need the kind of man who could throw her his heart and say all the right things?

It didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to think about it. He was going to be a selfish bastard and he knew it. He was going to take every single thing she offered him and he wouldn’t look back. His cock jumped at the sight of the plastic plug sinking inside her.

“This is a large plug, sweetheart. You took it beautifully. You’re ready for me.” He f*cked her slowly with the plug, watching as her * opened and then tried to close. But he wasn’t about to let that happen. No. He had her right where he wanted her.