“You know where it is,” Jackson says. “Wash your hands.”
“Okay, Uncle Jackson,” Lara says at the same time Damien tells her to take Anne. I expect an argument, but to my surprise Lara takes her little sister’s hand and leads her into the bungalow.
“I was hoping we could beg a babysitting favor,” Damien tells Jackson. “I have plans for my wife tonight, and as much as I love my children, they don’t fit my itinerary.”
“Oh?” I tease. “What kind of plans are those?”
Damien looks at me, his expression reflecting a hint of surprise. “I assumed you knew. I plan on fucking you senseless.”
“Damien!” Heat rises to my cheeks. I’d expected the plan. I didn’t expect that he’d announce it in front of Jackson.
Jackson looks about to die with laughter. “You tossed a challenge in his lap,” Jackson says to me, with a sideways nod to Damien. “Come on, Nik. You should know better than that by now.”
My blush remains, but I have to laugh, too. “I should,” I agree. “I really should.”
We linger awhile, accepting sweet hugs and sloppy kisses from our girls before heading across the boardwalk to our bungalow. As soon as we’re inside, I wrap my arms around Damien’s waist and press close. He’s already hard, and I’m already wet, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s a very good thing.
“I think you mentioned something about fucking me senseless.”
For a moment, he says nothing. Then he says, “Take off your clothes.”
I do, my body hyperaware of the brush of air over my heated skin. I stand obediently, curious about the edge to his voice and wondering what he has in store for us tonight.
“Do you remember what I said at the beach?”
“I—” I frown, trying to recall.
“I said that I won’t cower to fear. And I won’t let you, either.”
I nod, remembering. But I’m still confused. “So, you—”
“You’ll do what I say, Nikki. Without question. Without argument.”
I open my mouth, but I’m not sure if I’m intending to agree, argue, or ask a question. I see Damien smile, as if he understands my confusion.
“You’re wondering why,” he says, and I nod. “Two reasons. First, because it makes me hard when you submit to me. But it’s the second reason that’s the most important. Because I’m going to push your limits, wife of mine. I’m going to take you outside of your comfort zone. And you’re going to do what I say, aren’t you? Because I ordered you to.”
“Yes.” My voice is breathy, heavy with anticipation. “Yes, sir,” I amend as he cocks a brow.
“And once I’ve pushed you to your limit over and over and over again, I’m going to demand one more thing of you. I’m going to order you not to be afraid. And what will you do then?”
My voice catches in my throat as I answer. “I don’t know.”
“You’ll obey,” he says simply. He closes the distance between us, then brushes his thumb over my lower lip. “Then you won’t be afraid anymore.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” I whisper.
“Then we’ll make it true. Because you are strong, baby. Strong enough to face your fear. Strong enough to survive. And do you know why?”
I shake my head.
“Because you know that no matter what, you will always—always—have my strength to lift you up.”
A lump fills my throat, and though I don’t even plan to say it, I find myself voicing my biggest fear, the one that is the motor for all the others. The one I don’t like to admit, even to myself. “What if my biggest fear is losing you?”
“Oh, baby…”
He reaches for me, his fingertips grazing my collarbone, then down to caress the swell of my breast before he lifts his fingers from my body and gently cups my face. “Don’t you know that could never happen?”
“I know you’d never leave me,” I tell him, but I can’t bring myself to speak the true horror. As if saying the words would be a challenge to the gods.
Damien, of course, understands me. “No,” he says with a gentle smile. “Not even that. You will always, always, have my strength. Because while death might keep me from your side, it can’t keep me out of your heart. Do you know why?”
I shake my head, overwhelmed by his words. By his love. And by what I understand he is trying to give to me.
“Because you’ve always been strong, baby. Strong and fearless. I’m just a lens that helps you magnify it. But if you had to, you could stand alone.”
“Damien…”
“As long as I’m on this earth, you’ll never have to.”
I open my mouth to speak, but he shakes his head firmly. “No. Time to get on your knees, baby.”
I don’t hesitate. That’s the game, after all, even though tonight feels like so much more than a game.
“There’ll be no more talking,” he orders once I’m on the ground, my ass resting on my heels. “Not a word unless I ask you a direct question. Do you understand?”
I nod, and earn a smile for my obedience.
“The only thing those lips are for tonight is my pleasure. Kissing me. Sucking my cock. Are we clear?”
Yes, I think as I move my head in a nod. Oh, God, yes. My entire body is tight with an anticipation that is almost too much to bear, especially when he walks toward me, his fingers nimbly unbuttoning his shorts.
He stops just inches from me, then reaches down to stroke my hair. “Show me how well you can use that beautiful mouth,” he demands. “Make me come, Nikki. And when I
do, I want you to swallow every drop.”
Chapter Four
His cock might be hard, but right then Damien felt pretty damn impotent. He wanted to see her fearless, but at the same time he wanted her to know that fear wasn’t a weakness, just one more thing to conquer.
Still, even with his famous powers of concentration, he couldn’t think about that now. Not when her wide, kissable mouth surrounded his cock. When her tongue was doing something magical, and her fingers at the base were bringing the show home.
He reached out for the back of the sofa, steadying himself as a delicious pressure built inside him. Watching the movement of her head as she took him in. Letting a profound sense of awe overtake him from the simple knowledge that this incredible woman was his wife.
His.
And, goddammit, he took care of what was his.
“Enough,” he said, the word more of a growl than he’d intended simply because of the rawness of the emotions that coursed through him.
She was on her knees, looking up at him, playing their game, surrendering to him because she trusted him. Not just to help her overcome her fears, but because she simply did. She trusted him. Forever. And in all things. And if that didn’t fucking humble him…
How did he deserve such a woman? Honestly, sometimes it baffled him. He’d meant what he said about her being strong and determined. She’d made her own life, after all, coming to LA against all odds, with a plan and a fierce determination to succeed.
She’d had so much shit thrown at her over the years, too much of it because she’d fallen in love with him, and that had made her fodder for both the paparazzi and his enemies.
She was exceptional, and it wasn’t fear he should be seeing in her eyes but determination.
Determination.
The word bounced in his head, teasing out a thought, maybe even a solution.
“In the bedroom,” he ordered. “On your stomach, arms and legs spread.”