Tied Up, Tied Down (Rough Riders #4)(55)

“Pick a hand.”


“Why? Do you have a present for me?”


“A present of sorts. Pick.”


“Ah. Okay. The left hand.”


Kade’s instant grin was decidedly predatory. He thrust out his arm. A length of rope dangled from his fingers.

“What’s that for?”


“What do you think it’s for?”


“A new clothesline?”


“Wrong. Try again.”


“Are you going to tie something up?”


“Yep. You.”


Her stomach pitched. “Why?”


“’Cause it’s gonna be fun.”


“Umm. Where is this private rodeo event going to happen?”


“Your room because that’s what a four-poster bed was designed for, sweetheart.”


“But, Eliza—”


“Is sleepin’ in the guest bedroom.”


“Oh.” She swallowed hard. “What was in your other hand?”


He grinned again and held out…another length of rope.

“Hey! That’s cheating.”


“I already warned you I wasn’t gonna play fair. Get upstairs. The nekkid rule is now in effect.”


Her bare feet shuffled on the rug.

“Or would you rather I trussed you up, tossed you over my shoulder and we played out my pirate and the wench fantasy?”


Skylar’s mind created the image of Kade in a billowy white shirt, his gleaming chest muscles rippling like the sea. Knee-high glossy black boots gave way to tight breeches, which accentuated the size of his big…sword. His visage was topped off with a silky black eye patch and a shark-like smile.


He said, “That’s a fine choice, me hearty lass,” and started toward her.

“I’m going. But I don’t mind telling you I’m a little nervous.”


“You should be, darlin’, ’cause I am a force to be reckoned with when it comes to ropes.” To prove it, he snapped one rope low to the floor, and a crack reverberated through the air, loud as a gunshot.

Skylar took off like a bullet.

Kade waited a full five minutes before he followed her, as he let the scenarios run in his head.

Nothing painful. Nothing degrading. Nothing but her at his mercy.

A dark thrill zipped through him, potent as whiskey.

The bedroom door was ajar. Lamplight spilled across the carpet into the hallway. No candles. He’d been half-afraid candles would cast the room with a dungeon-like vibe and he didn’t want her to be scared. Kade wanted Skylar turned on beyond compare.

She sat in the middle of the bed, knees drawn up to her chest, eyeing the ropes attached to the wooden posts, not with curiosity, or fear, but with resignation.

Before Kade spoke, or touched her, Skylar blurted, “You aren’t going to whip me are you?”


“Not unless you aren’t cooperatin’.”


“Kade!”


He chuckled and placed his hands on her tense shoulders. “No whippin’s, sweetheart, I promise. I’d never hurt you. Lay back.” When she didn’t obey right away, he nudged her.

Kade stretched her arms in a “Y”, taking the opportunity to feel that soft, warm flesh beneath his callused hands. He tied her left wrist first, then her right and moved down to tie each of her ankles. He sat back and admired Skylar spread-eagled before him.

“Don’t strain against the ropes or you’ll get a nasty rope burn.”


“Easy to say, not so easy to do when you’re touching me like that.”


“I haven’t even started touchin’ you.”


He crawled up her body. Bracing himself on all fours above her, Kade kissed her.

And kissed her. And kept kissing her until she relaxed into the mattress.

He pushed up on his knees and whipped off his shirt. As he returned to softly brush his lips over her cheeks and eyes and forehead and temple, he allowed her nipples fleeting contact with the hair on his chest.

Skylar moaned softly. “I like that.”


“I know.” He kept the same amount of friction on her breasts as his mouth journeyed down her throat. Scraping his teeth over the graceful arch. “Have I ever told you how much I love your neck? But especially this spot right here.” Kade traced his tongue up her collarbone. “You usually push me away. Drives you so crazy that you can’t stand it.

Hard to push me away when you don’t have use of your hands, ain’t it?”


“Yes.”


“Could you come like this? If I suck—” he let his breath drift above the area, “—


right here?” Kade lightly flickered his tongue on the magic spot, sank his teeth into that tempting flesh and sucked hard until she bucked into him.

“Oh God.”


Kade smiled against her throat, continuing to use his breath and lips and tongue and teeth. The only places he touched her were the tips of her nipples rubbing on his chest and his mouth on her neck. He’d tease her and retreat until a fine sheen of sweat coated her skin and he could smell that sweet, sweet cream gathered between her trembling thighs.