And there it was, the pleasure of knowing she’d pleased him shone in her bright eyes, a look that had been absent until now. Her nipples rose up, taut and hard, with the areolas puckered around them, giving away her heightened state of excitement brought on by knowing she’d found favor with him. That look sent a deep, painful jolt straight to his groin. Setting aside the reasons she wasn’t for him, he shifted over her, keeping his eyes leveled on hers as he clasped both wrists in one hand and held her arms above her head. He could make out the frantic beat of her pulse in her neck and feel the contrasting, soft yielding of her body under him. Her breath hitched as he swooped down on her ‘to die for’ lips, right before her low, weak moan of surrender slipped into his mouth.
Krista’s lips were as soft as Dax remembered when they’d been wrapped around his cock. She opened under the demanding pressure of his lips and he surged inside the moist recess of her mouth to possess her tongue. Sucking on the appendage with deep pulls had her shifting under him until he stilled her restless movements with more of his weight and a sharp bite to her lower lip. A frustrated groan emerged from his throat as he lifted his head, the amber glow emitting from the lamp shedding enough light to catch the raw need shimmering in her eyes. Dax wondered if she realized, as he did, this was the first time he’d kissed her. It had been difficult, but the night Kurt had invited him to join them, her mouth under his had been the one thing he’d avoided, thinking it would save him grief later. It hadn’t. After taking another minute to savor her soft lips clinging to his harder mouth, he pulled back again and wrapped her hands around the headboard slats.
“Don’t let go.”
“Dax…” At his frown, she amended without pause, “Sir. I thought all you wanted to do is tend my wound?”
“So did I.” But that look in her eyes along with the press of her curves against him proved irresistible. He could hold off sating his own lusts but not hers, not after what she’d gone through tonight to gain a measure of relief. Following the mouthwatering scent of her arousal, he slid down her perspiration-slick body, praying for control as he neared his goal.
Pulse-pounding need overrode Krista’s confusion. His title had slipped with natural ease from her mouth, the look of approval stamped on his face almost enough to set her off. Tightening her hands, she held her breath as he shifted down her length, shoved her legs wide apart and settled his broad shoulders between them. His silk shirt felt cool against the heated flesh of her inner thighs, the look in his green gaze just as cool before he scooped his hands under her butt, careful to avoid the abrasions, and lifted her crotch to his descending mouth.
“Oh, God.” The first touch of his lips on her labia sent flames licking up her core and her blood rushing in a torrent of molten heat through her veins. Months of built-up desire and aching, unfulfilled need roared to the surface and demanded assuaging. Using his teeth, he nipped one plump fold, the sharp pain ricocheting throughout her body, the dull throb it left behind matching the trembling in her lower lip from a similar bite. She never could comprehend why some pain turned her off and some produced the opposite effect, but she’d take what she could get at this moment.
Sliding his deft fingers up, Dax hooked them in her folds and spread her open for his gaze, his breath warm as he took his time, as if inspecting a newly opened gift. The natural reflex to shift away from his scrutiny met with the resistance of his hard hands clenching on her ass, her immobility adding to the building pleasure taking over her senses.
“Watch me and wait for my permission,” Dax ordered before dipping his coal-black head and spearing his tongue inside her.
Never before had she defied that command by Master Kurt, no matter how difficult. But the long months of celibacy had taken a bigger toll on her control than she could’ve imagined. That diabolical mouth that issued the order suckled at her flesh as he stabbed his tongue deep inside her quivering pussy, over and over until her skin turned as slick as the juices oozing down her crack. Teasing strokes over her clit moved on too soon, replaced with sharp teeth and the thrust of two long fingers.
“Sir, please,” she begged, her muscles contracting around the plunging digits that teased and tormented the sensitive tissues lining her inner walls. With a voracious appetite, he gnawed on her labia, fucked her with his tongue, and nibbled at her swollen bundle of nerves until the rioting sensations bombarded her past the point of no return. Uncontrollable pleasure exploded as he wrapped his lips around her clit and sucked, savoring her flesh as if it were a decadent dessert.
Dax squeezed the soft buttock he still held in one hand, a warning Krista was beyond heeding as she filled his mouth with her slick cream. Her cunt was as tight, as juicy as he remembered, her small cries still sweet music to his ears even with her soft thighs pressed tight against his head. He’d meant to drag this out, make her wait so her climax would be even stronger, but he doubted any more teasing or time would have increased the strength of her orgasm. Her slick, warm channel convulsed around his fingers and tongue with such tight contractions they put his circulation in jeopardy. But that was a small price to pay for the pleasure of holding her in his tight grip again.
Fantasies of everything he wanted to do to her body, scenes he hadn’t dared to imagine putting her through before now, flitted through his head. He would love to see her strung up on the deck of their yacht with the vivid blue ocean behind her enhancing the blue of her eyes and the sun turning her skin to a golden brown.
Pulling his fingers slowly from her still spasming pussy, he looked up her quivering abdomen and couldn’t resist the lure of her beaded nipples. Reaching up, he locked his eyes on hers as he rubbed her slick juices over one taut bud while running his tongue up and down her still dripping slit. Her knuckles had whitened with the tight grip she’d maintained and didn’t release, her face was as flushed as her vagina, and her eyes were wide pools of lingering pleasure and sated exhaustion.
It required massive effort to pull back from her succulent flesh but he managed to do so, sliding upward with a none too gentle tap between her legs as he gazed down at her. “Next time I tell you to wait and you don’t, I won’t make concessions for any other discomforts you might be suffering from.”
“Next time?”
Her breathless inquiry caught him off guard, made him realize what he said. Shit. Could he give her what she’d been needing for so long without losing what was left of his sanity? If she ever found out the role he’d played in her husband’s suicide, how he hadn’t stopped Kurt from leaving her before he had to, she’d never forgive him. And if he agreed to help her back into the lifestyle—then she discovered his betrayal? He doubted any relationship they had could be salvaged if that happened.
Unable to think clearly with her soft nakedness cushioning his much bigger, harder frame while peering down into those expressive, blue orbs, he rolled off the bed and ran a hand through his hair in indecision. “I need to call Sean to come get me.” Pivoting from the flash of hurt crossing her face before she masked it as fast as it had appeared, he stalked back into the living room, pulling out his cell as he opened the front door.
Chapter 7
Krista tightened her short robe around her waist as she watched Dax get in the sporty Mustang that pulled up in front of her house. Small shudders of pleasure still racked her body, but the ecstasy she should still be basking in had already dimmed with his abrupt departure. It had felt good to address him as Sir, to succumb to his demands and turn her body and needs over into his care, but confusion over his attitude tonight put a damper on what could have been an exemplary end to the bad start of the evening.
Sighing, she scooped her hair back and turned from the window in her front room. Padding into the kitchen, she pulled a bottle of wine from the small wine refrigerator under the island separating the space from the living area. Lifting a glass off the hanging rack above her, she poured a generous portion as she looked around her cozy home. The two-bedroom, two bath bungalow wasn’t big, especially compared to the sprawling
ranch she’d shared with Kurt, and had never felt cramped until Dax entered. Several inches taller than her husband, his towering presence and broad shoulders seemed to shrink the space. That had been just one of the things during the last two hours that had caught her off guard.
She could still hear the anger in his voice when he’d interrupted the scene between her and the other Dom, see it swirling in his snapping green eyes. The warm glow his over-protective, over-bearing presence had ignited still lingered. Having someone come to such possessive defense of her had been a new, heady experience, and went a long way toward easing the shock and pain of the other man’s callous actions.
Carrying her glass back to her bedroom, Krista sipped as she looked at her rumpled bed. Despite his chivalrous, timely intervention at the club, she hadn’t wanted Dax to drive her home or enter her house. Working with him this past week had been hard enough. His defection after Kurt’s death still hurt, as did the polite distance he’d maintained during the cases she’d assisted in. She’d needed to move on, and since he’d made it clear she couldn’t count on him to help with that, she didn’t understand why he’d insisted on staying. Call her naïve, but during their one night together, she had thought they’d forged a special bond. Since it hadn’t altered how she felt about her husband or marriage, she hadn’t thought much about the significance of her feelings. But when Dax took off without a word, she realized whatever she’d thought happened that night had been one-sided, and again didn’t spend much time berating herself for reading more into it than she should have. At the time, there had been much more important priorities, like getting through the grief-stricken days.
But, God, she was now glad he had stayed. Even with the pin-prick stabbing pain along the welts across her buttocks, she was more relaxed, more content now than she’d been in a long time. His abrupt departure confounded her further and she wondered if he was finding it as difficult to get back to where they were before he left and Kurt died as she. Although Kurt had spoken highly of Dax as a surgeon and Dom he trusted, she hadn’t thought the two of them were close friends. Dax hadn’t been among the doctors Kurt golfed with on a regular basis, nor had they ever socialized with him as a couple. The number of times she’d spotted him at Chains were few, the ménage her husband had arranged coming about just a few months after the first time she remembered catching sight of the renowned surgeon she’d just started working with. After that, Kurt had sped downhill so fast, there’d been no time for socializing of any kind.
Dropping her robe, she finished the wine, crawled into bed, and tried to ignore the lingering scent of sex and Dax, but the potent combination kept her awake a little longer. She could still feel his mouth between her legs, the sharp nips, deep thrusts and teasing flicks of his tongue combined with the hard, controlling clasp of his hands that all worked against holding on to her irritation at the way he’d insisted on taking over. Without a doubt, Krista now knew she’d have no trouble getting re-acclimated to submitting to the right person, and Dax could be one of them. Whether tonight meant he’d had a change of heart and was willing to finish what he’d started on this bed, remained to be seen, and hoped for. But this time, she wouldn’t be willing to wait so long.
The summer afternoon sun warmed her back and shoulders as Krista knelt in the grass the next day, pulling weeds from the thick cluster of bright orange butterfly weed flowers dominating the small garden in her back yard. Taller stalks of sun-yellow tickseed added another splash of color along the edge of her small lawn. The slow-moving waters of the canal created a soothing, darker backdrop, the quiet roll of waves against the docks mingling with the cry of seagulls soaring overhead. The remnants of discomfort she woke with that morning reminded her so much of waking next to Kurt after a night of enjoying the painful stimulation of his control, she’d needed to get outside and lose herself in the mindless task of gardening.
Immersed in her task and thoughts, she didn’t hear Alessa until she spoke behind her. “Crap, Krista, aren’t you hot?”
Swiveling from her crouched position, Krista tipped back her big, floppy hat to peer up at her friend, who held out a large cup. “How did you know?” Pushing to her feet, she brushed her dirty hands off on her butt, then winced when she remembered the welts.
“Oh, tell me, tell me,” Alessa chanted as Krista took the smoothie from her and followed her to the patio.
“What kind is this? Mango?”
“Of course. Now, give,” Alessa insisted again.
Krista joined her on the glider that faced the canal, stalling as she took her time to enjoy several long drinks of the refreshingly cold, fruity concoction. “I suppose yours is filled with fruits or veggies geared toward weight loss?”
Alessa looked down at her body with a rueful smile and shrug. “Gotta admit I could stand to drop a few. Why are you stalling? Did it go that bad?”
Krista wasn’t quite sure how to answer her, as parts of last night were not good, but there was a huge chunk that had been frigging awesome. “I keep telling you to quit trying to mold yourself into what you think most men like. Find someone who’ll take you as you are, abundant curves and all.”
“I don’t want to talk about me. What happened?”
Alessa never wanted to talk about herself, but Krista didn’t push her. She had enough on her plate right now. “I hate to say this, but you were right. The Dungeon turned out to be a poor starting place. But you’ll never guess who showed up.”
“Who? Oh! Are you freakin’ kidding me? Dr. Hayes, our Dr. Hayes?”
“None other, and he brought me home. Unfortunately, by the time he left, I was no closer to figuring out that man than I was before.”
Krista relayed the events of the previous night, leaving nothing out. By the time she stopped, they’d finished their smoothies and Alessa’s eyes conveyed bemusement as she shook her head. “Only you, girlfriend. Well, at least he broke the ice for you. That’s gotta account for something, doesn’t it?”
“At this point, I’ll take what I can get. Come on in while I take a quick shower before we hit the mats. I have a feeling I’ll need to make time for every one of the positions to face him this week.”
Alessa followed her inside, saying in a mumbled undertone, “Could be worse. You could have no prospects.”
Krista loved her job. Some of the doctors were difficult to assist, but she’d always been able to shrug off the condescending remarks from the worst ones. No two surgeries were the same and the inner workings of the human body fascinated her. She’d never had any desire to spend more time in school than necessary to land a decent job, and when Kurt suggested she look into taking the eight-month course to become a surgical tech, the lure of working with him had been irresistible. She’d never been assigned to assist in his cases due to their relationship, but not only did she discover how enthralling she found delving inside bodies, she also enjoyed the benefit of seeing her husband throughout the week and the opportunity to meet up for lunch when his busy schedule allowed. She’d been so in love, she’d gladly snatched any spare time she could to be with him.
By Friday, she seriously contemplated quitting. After waking Monday morning from a restless night of erotic dreams in which Dax played a crucial role, she geared up her nerve to see him again. Having no idea what his mood would be, she’d changed into her scrubs with clammy hands and a pounding heart, praying he would greet her with friendly warmth and a hint he would be interested in picking up where he’d left her so abruptly Saturday night.
Her hopes were deflated as soon as she checked the schedule and he wasn’t listed for any of the surgeries slated for that morning. He had one on Tuesday, but she’d been in a four-hour trauma case and he was gone by the time it ended. Having the nineteen-year-old man die after the efforts of the trauma team soured everyone’s moods that morning, and tempers had run short in the OR. Then came the crushing blow. Checking the schedule Wednesday morning, Krista saw her name had been scratched off Dax’s surgery and put on another case.
Worse, when she saw him for the first time since Saturday night passing on the way to prep her room, he treated her to a polite ‘good morning’ without even pausing. Her rapid pulse upon seeing him slowed to a sluggish rhythm and she’d battled back tears before shoring up her resolve not to let him get to her again.
On Thursday, Krista discovered her name had been removed from Dax’s case again and asked her supervisor about it. Hearing that Dr. Hayes had requested another scrub hurt as much as his defection a year and half ago. She didn’t see him again, for which she swore she was grateful, but as she clocked out Friday afternoon and walked out to her car, the summer heat did little to thaw the cold his betrayal filled her with. Vowing to be done with him, she drove home deciding she’d return to the club scene and forget all about fickle doctors with piercing, panty-melting green eyes that could turn her inside out with just a look.
She wasn’t brave enough to try the new place again, so that left her and Kurt’s old haunt, Chains. While she didn’t look forward to taking her chances in front of people who knew and remembered Kurt so well, she at least knew she’d be safe there. One thing was for certain. She wouldn’t expect or welcome a repeat interference from Master Dax.
“Didn’t think you were going to make it.” Holding up a bottle of beer Jackson pulled from the small corner bar, he asked Dax, “Want one?”
“God, yes.” Striding across the plush carpet of the mega yacht’s playroom, Dax managed to work up a smile of gratitude as he took the offering. “Thanks. Sorry I’m late,” he said loud enough for the others to hear. They were already seated around the table. With any luck, the impromptu poker game Zach had put together would take Dax’s mind off Krista’s hurt face and his asinine behavior. Why was it he’d been smart enough to put himself through college and med school at the top of his class yet he couldn’t get a handle on his emotions when they involved one blue-eyed woman? Running away overseas sure hadn’t done the trick, and touching her again had only reinforced his desire for the one person he could never have.