Knight Nostalgia: A Knights of the Board Room Anthology(53)
The way she watched his fingers buckle the strap made his cock twitch again, especially when she licked her lips in unconscious reaction. Insatiable. Just as insatiable as him. And yet…
He slid a fingertip along her bared upper thigh, where he’d intentionally wrapped the cane last night, more than once. “Should I say I’m sorry?”
“For what?” Her attention went to his face, her expression puzzled.
“For what I am. What I want from you so much.”
“Only if I should say I’m sorry for wanting it, just as badly.”
He held her gaze. “No. You shouldn’t.”
“Then neither should you.” Her lashes dropped, fanning her cheeks. “May I get dressed?”
In answer, he took her hand and drew her to her feet. He did it himself, pulling her panties up first, playing along the elastic of the legs, tsking over the dampness of the crotch before guiding her hand to his shoulder. It gave her permission to hold onto him as his rubbing over the sensitized petals of her sex made her sway and tremble.
At length, he pulled the jeans back over her hips, zipping and fastening them. Picking up her shirt, he threaded it back over her head, helping her get her hands through the sleeves. As he tucked the hem of the garment back into the low riding waist band, he caressed her hips and the lace edge of her panties once more.
When he lifted his hand to her face, her smaller fingers curled around his wrist. She turned her head to study his palm, tracing the bite mark she’d left there before she pressed her cheek to it.
“I’m happy and sad when the marks go away,” she said low. “Happy, because it means you’ll mark me again, because you like seeing them on my body. Sad, because I always want your marks there. I want to feel them when I move.”
He swept his thumb down under her chin and caught the chain of her forget-me-not pendant. “Maybe I’ll brand my sub. Over her hip bone, or in the small of her back. Or inside her thigh, so it will brush against her skin when she walks. And every time it fades, I’ll do it again.”
She swallowed, dipping her head to kiss his palm, where the bite marks rested. When she spoke, it was against his callused flesh.
“Thank you, Master. I would love that.”
Leaving the one palm against her face, he slid an arm over her shoulders, drawing her to him to hold her close. Now he said it aloud. Twice in one day. He really was losing his mind and heart over his brat. But there were sure as hell far worse things in life to lose.
“I love you.”
“I am officially worn out,” Rachel pronounced, sitting among a collection of small bags around her ankles. She’d picked out several seedlings at the EarthFirst gardening store, and hadn’t wanted the tender plants in the trunk. “Anyone else have somewhere they want to go?”
“Not me,” Cass responded. She had her legs folded up on the seat, feet tucked against her backside, her shoes on the floorboards, as she sipped a glass of red wine. “Lucas is grilling dinner for all of us and Jon is handling the sides. Since the weather’s so nice, we can eat out on the gazebo.”
A wave of approving commentary greeted that announcement. Ben didn’t disagree with the idea of a nice, thick steak, what he knew Lucas would have set aside for him, no matter their earlier razzing, but there was one more store to visit. Maybe.
He had considered throughout the day whether he should do it or not. Cass’s comments during their shopping trip had tilted the scales somewhat, but it was being with Marcie in that backroom, the way she looked up at him, her heart in her eyes, which told him the answer. Even if it made something odd jump in his stomach.
“Max, I have one more stop to make. The place we discussed.”
The limo driver met his gaze in the rearview mirror. Ben thought he detected a trace of approval in the gray eyes. Not that he cared what the muscle-headed Boy Scout thought.
Dana turned in her seat and reached around the back of Max’s headrest to wrap her arms around his broad shoulders. “So, have you kissed Janet yet?”
The shoulders lifted in a sigh. “Pest. None of your business.”
“That’s a yes,” Savannah observed, tossing the others a smile.
Dana started back as Max hit the button to raise the dark privacy screen between the driver’s area and the rest of the car. He ignored their boos and catcalls as he disappeared from view behind the scrolling glass.
“He’s so totally kissed her,” Dana said.
“Leave the man alone. You women are like piranha,” Ben chided.
“I could have asked him if he’d done other things to her,” Dana pointed out. “I showed a lot of restraint.
Rachel flashed a mischievous smile. “Since Janet is a Mistress, more likely it’s what she’s done to him.”
“But he’s no sub,” Marcie said.
“Exactly. Which makes it so interesting to imagine,” Cass said, drawing out the so in a way that had the women chuckling.
“Or not,” Ben said, affecting a shudder.
“Watch this,” Marcie said conspiratorially to the others. Leaning against Ben’s shoulder, she spoke into his ear in a sultry stage whisper. “But I want to talk about my fantasy starring you and Max. Both of you naked and all oiled up, wrestling until one of you wins, overpowers the other, and then…”