Meredith‟s Awakening The Worthington Group Violet Summers Published 2008 ISBN 978-1-59578-462-9 Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing,10509 Sedgegrass Dr,Indianapolis ,Indiana46235 . Copyright © 2008,Violet Summers . All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Manufactured in theUnited States of America Liquid Silver Books http://LSbooks.com Email:
[email protected] Editor Terri Schaefer Cover Artist April Martinez
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author‟s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental. Chapter 1 Meredith Worthington sat in her car in the dark, looking at the line snaking around the club outside with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Music throbbed through the night, vibrating her car windows, and seeming to taunt her:coward, come in; see what you’ve been missing. Meri knew what she‟d been missing: fun. Fun seemed to be the sole domain of her brothers. Marcus, her elder by six years, was married, but it didn‟t seem to stop him from playing at any opportunity. In fact his wife, the stone cold bitch, seemed to get off on playing with him. And
whoever else was around. Meri wrinkled her nose. That wasso not the kind of fun she was after. Matthew, younger than her by a mere ten months, had made fun his life‟s work. He‟d started making headlines in the local entertainment news at seventeen, and in the intervening years his exploits had only grown more extreme. At this very moment, Matthew was in theCaribbean somewhere swimming with stingrays. And, no doubt, drinking too much rum and screwing anyone who held still long enough. Okay, that wasn‟t the kind of fun Meri was after, either. But it was getting closer. At twenty-five, Meri felt as if all she‟d ever done with her life was disappoint her father, go to school, and then dedicate herself to the family business. She couldn‟t help but think if she was good enough at the Worthington Group, if she made the company successful enough, maybe the Old Man would finally stop despising her so much. Maybe she could finally breathe in his presence. All of the work and school and more work had left her no time for an actual life. When the day came when her jealousy over the disparity between her life and those of her brothers was unbearable, when she found she couldn‟t utter a civil word to either of them when they came in radiating lazy satisfaction, Meredith had known it was time to do something. Marcus, after all, had been her one comfort, her one constant until recently. Feeling such envy toward him now left her feeling sick and guilty. And adrift. And while she and Matt had never been as close—their father had seen to that by pitting them against each other at an early age— they‟d always gotten along reasonably well. His breezy good nature didn‟t deserve her resentment. Yep. It was time to do something, all right. Something drastic. Gathering all her courage, she checked her lipstick one last time before getting out of the car. She wobbled a little on her three-inch heels, and cursed to herself as the Old Man‟s voice rumbled through her head.Businesswomen never wear more than a two-inch heel, Meredith. It’s cheap. Well, maybe tonight she wanted to be cheap. Maybe it was the cheap women who got to have all the fun! The line was ridiculously long. The beautiful, the desperate, and the depraved all waited beneath the lavender glow of Velvet Ice‟s neon sign. The flashy club was one of Metro Detroit‟s hottest dance clubs, and if there were whispers about what happened in the upper levels of the club, the titillation only added to the mystery. If the normal wait to enter was hours, the delay only added to the mystique. If only a bare fraction of the people in this line gained entry, the exclusivity only added to the allure. Meri settled herself at the end of the line, tugging at her silver sequined mini skirt in the brisk fall air. She knew the bouncers did walk-bys of the line every half hour or so and plucked likely clubbers out for immediate entrance. She came from a well enough known family, Marcus had subsidized enough of the club‟s start-up costs, and she had every expectation of being recognized and ushered in immediately.
She hadn‟t been in line long enough to begin to shiver in the cold when she felt a tingle on the back of her neck. Automatically her shoulders straightened, and she assumed her haughty “Worthington Mask,” the one that sent weak men running for cover. Or to check to see if their male parts were still intact. Taking a breath, she forcibly reminded herself that the “Worthington Mask” had no place here. Shewanted men to check her out. It was the whole point of this little field trip, after all. Reaction under control, she turned to face the source of her unease. * Tony Renatto had been working too hard for too long. His infant construction company had won a brutal bidding war for a local mall, only to be plagued with foul weather and a client who didn‟t like to pay his bills on time, leading to a tedious and exhausting year. He had a head of steam and boiling frustration that had been building for months, and tonight he intended to blow it all. And this was just the place to do it. He worked his way up the line, ignoring the resentful glances of the would-be dancers as he passed them by. Membership had its privileges. He hadn‟t been a member long before the mall job had gone to Hell, but he still had immediate and complete access to the club and its amenities whenever he chose to make use of them. He was still near the end of the line when a flash of silver caught his eye. Zeroing in on the bright glitter, he beheld the most gorgeous creature God ever created. She was tall, at least fiveten in her high heels, and as slender as a willow switch. A waterfall of black, silky hair fell stickstraight down her back, reflecting the neon glow of the sign. Her breasts were small, but perfectly formed, their inner curves like ivory in the low, scooped neck of her silver halter top. He imagined her shoulders and back, hidden by a black shrug, would be equally perfect. Tony was an impulsive man. He lived firmly in the now, and believed in going for what you wanted. Suddenly, with a fury that shocked him, he wanted this silver and ivory princess. * Meredith turned and froze. Arrowing through the crowded line was the most beautiful man she‟d ever seen. And his eyes were fixed firmly on her. Her fingers twitched with the desire to comb through his hair, which looked to be nearly as black as hers. It was left carelessly long, falling in curls over his collar almost to his shoulders. And those shoulders! Broad and strong, they dwarfed the men around him. Helplessly, she let her eyes take in the rest of the package. And, oh God, what a package it was! White, button down shirt half opened over a bronze chest liberally dusted with black hair. Snug black leather caressed every muscle and bulge of hard, thick thighs. Especially the bulge between his legs, which seemed to grow beneath her fascinated gaze. Holy Hannah! The man was gorgeous. A great dark knight in black leather. Walking sex on a stick. And he was walking toward her. She didn‟t know if she should be elated or terrified.
He didn‟t stop until he was close enough for her to feel his heat along the front of her body. It was delicious, and she had to force herself not to lean into him. “Are you here alone?” His voice was a low rumble vibrating things inside she‟d never even guessed were there. She tried to answer, but her voice seemed trapped somewhere beyond her pounding heart, so she just nodded. “You aren‟t any more.” He took her hand and, drawing her out of line, led her to the private entrance of the club. * Tony didn‟t even pause as he showed the bouncer at the door his gold membership coin and towed his little princess directly to the second-level dance floor. While the first floor of the club was open to the general public, only members and their invited guests had access to the upper levels. This dance floor was kept dim, flashing with colored lights creating a multitude of shadowed corners. The music pounded, and the dancers responded, crashing into each other in a rage of energy and passion. And, in some dark corners, of sex. He glanced down at his little princess, and smiled at her wide eyes. She was trying to be discreet, but her eyes darted from spot to spot, and every glance added to her dumbfounded expression. From her reaction, he‟d bet she‟d never been to a club at all, let alone a club like this one. There was something in her eyes, something that called to him. Certainly there was innocence. It seemed to waft off her like perfume. But there was more. Underneath her innocence he detected a strength he found oddly compelling. He bent so his mouth brushed the tender shell of her ear. “Have you been here before?” Her eyes snapped up to meet his, and for a second he forgot what he‟d meant to ask as he melted into the silvery depths. He blinked a couple of times when she leaned up on tiptoe to answer. “No, this is my first time.” She cast those ethereal eyes around the room again and sent him a fey little smile. “And it‟s exactly how I pictured it.” Her lips brushed the skin of his neck, just under his ear, with every word, and his cock swelled in response, begging to be brushed and stroked in just that way. Tony shook his head, amused at his reaction. He had every intention of getting lucky tonight, but he needed to take it slow, or he‟d scare his little princess away. That was unacceptable. *
Meredith felt almost giddy with excitement as her dark knight led her to the bar. She didn‟t know his name, or who he worked for, or who his family was, and it was exactly how she wanted it. Every man she‟d ever dated had been chosen and vetted by her father.You might as well be good for something besides spending my money, girl. Make a good marriage and you won’t be an entire waste of my DNA. Unlike the men chosen by her father, this one seemed rough and uncontrollable. And the way he looked at her made her hot and squirmy in places a lady didn‟t acknowledge. God, she wanted to dance with him. For starters. He ordered drinks without asking her preference, and his arrogance, which should have royally pissed her off, just turned her on more. When he‟d handed her the Cosmopolitan he‟d ordered for her, he leaned down to place his lips at her ear again. “What‟s your name, Princess?” She suppressed a shiver at the sensation of his warm breath on her skin. It wouldn‟t do to actually tell him her name, she realized. But her mind was suddenly blank. Buffy? Gak. Tiffany? Double Gak. He‟d called her princess… Hmmmm… “I‟m Ariel,” she answered, just loud enough to be heard over the music. Oh, good Lord, she thought. I‟ve made myself into the Little Mermaid! “And you are?” “Anthony.” She thought the name fit. A little formal, which went well with her image of a dark knight, and a little ethnic, which went just as well with his dark curly hair and warm chocolate eyes. “So, Anthony,” Meredith did her best impression of Karen, Marc‟s bitch goddess wife. The woman might be pure poison to other females, but men stood in line to fall at her feet. “Are you just going to ply me with liquor,” she tossed off her drink, relieved when she didn‟t choke or gasp at the potent alcohol. “Or are you going to ask me to dance?” She thought an eyelash flutter might be a bit much at this point, so she settled for drawing her eyes slowly over his lips to meet his. Oh, man. She saw somenaughty things in his eyes. “I don‟t ask, much,” he replied, relieving her of her empty glass and sitting his own nearly untouched beer beside it on the bar. “I tend to just take what I want.” The words, and the way he took her arm and tugged her to the dance floor sent a thrill of sensation through her, and she felt a never-before-experienced flush of moisture in her panties. Oh, damn. And he‟d only touched her arm. Out on the floor, the lights were dizzying, the crowd a seething crush. It was almost claustrophobic, and put a bit of a damper on her light-headed arousal. Arousal which came back in a rush when Anthony dragged her against his rock-hard body, guiding her arms around his neck so they were plastered together from chest to knees.
He was hard and hot, and the silky black hair peeking from his half-open shirt rasped thrillingly over the skin of her chest left bare by the low neck-line of her halter. He rested his hands low on her hips, and she shuddered in reaction when his fingers found the soft skin between her top and skirt and began to stroke. She‟d had lovers. Tame boys chosen from the ranks of the eligible and acceptable. None of them had managed, in the midst of sex, to arouse her as much as this stranger did just by looking into her eyes and stroking her back. Oh, wow. She reallyhad been missing out. The more his fingers played over her bare skin, the more she melted into him. He smelled amazing, and she felt the alcohol, the lights and music, and his scent enveloping her in a haze of sensation. When he lowered his mouth to the spot where her neck and shoulder joined, she mindlessly tilted her head, giving him access. His tongue was wet velvet. Just a little rough. Just a lot electric. She felt chill bumps rush over her at the sensation, and her nipples, already firm and stabbing into his hard chest, went painfully hard. He kept up his torment, adding a light scrape of teeth to hot breath and tongue, and she didn‟t even try to stop the moan that hummed out. His mouth lowered still more, licking over the hollow of her throat, teasing her for a moment with the possibility he might find one of her aching nipples with his diabolical tongue, before drifting up to bathe the other side of her neck. They were still dancing, swaying slowly and out of time with the music. With each dip, Meredith pressed closer until she managed to align the notch of her thighs with the iron bar between his in a grinding pressure that enflamed more than it relieved. Frustrated, she lifted one leg, sending her silvery skirt slithering up to bare the thigh she wound around his hip. The crowd ceased to exist. All she knew was the music, the man, and the sensations ripping through her like lightning. He gave a little grunt as she slid her damp and burning pussy over the long bar of his cock, and reached down to wrap one huge, rough hand under her thigh. Without warning he hoisted her up, and she automatically wrapped both legs around his hips, clinging with arms and legs as he moved them into the shadows at the edge of the dance floor. When her back hit the wall, and he released one thigh, letting her slide down while still keeping one leg firmly around his hips and her pussy completely open to him, she wondered what on earth she was doing. And how soon she could do it again. * Tony knew he‟d struck gold. His sweet little princess was a powder keg waiting to blow. He felt incredibly lucky he was the one who‟d found her. He was the one she would explode all over.
He backed her into the wall, crowding her against the slick surface with his lower body, keeping her thigh anchored around his waist with one hard hand while he leaned in to rest his other forearm on the wall by her head, caging her in completely. Lowering his head, he began to play connect the dots with the light dusting of glitter across her chest. One, two, three, he dragged his tongue from one silver flake to the next, breathing in her exotic, soft musk scent and tasting the salty-sweet tang of her skin. She was shaking in his grasp, breath jerking and shuddering as she tightened her leg and tried to grind her hot little pussy against him. With every little wriggle, he felt his cock grow, stretch, demand more. Fuck. He hadn‟t even kissed her yet, and he was about to come in his pants like a teenager. Suddenly he needed to feel more of her. More sweat-slick skin. Moving his lips to her ear, he toyed with the lobe, tugging her earring with his teeth before rasping, “Unbutton my shirt.” To his happy surprise, she didn‟t hesitate. Her busy little fingers went right to work, and in seconds the offending shirt hung open, baring his chest to her hungry gaze. * He didn‟t have to tell her to touch him. Her hands seemed to have a mind of their own. The skin they stroked over was silky smooth. Dark nipples poked from swirls of silky black hair as if begging for attention. Attention she was happy to give. She dragged her nails over the hard tips and was rewarded when his hips surged against hers. Encouraged, she shifted down just enough to run her tongue over his collarbone, savoring the light taste of salt and the answering jerk of his cock against her. This is fun, she thought, rising up a bit to nip at his earlobe. She‟d never imagined that bland, boring little Meredith Worthington could make a man like this shiver in her arms. Feeling bolder, she lifted one arm, snaking it around his head to pull him closer while giving her fingers access to those amazing curls. She combed upward, starting at the nape of his neck, and dragged her nails along his scalp to his crown. His hair was like silk, flowing through the sensitive hollows between her fingers, and when he shivered into the touch, she shivered right along with him. His breath gusted against her neck, where he seemed happy to lick and feast all damn night, as she played with his hair. Arching into the subtle pulse of his hips, she let her other hand wander. Slowly she stroked down his chest, tiptoeing her fingers down his rippling abdomen. The way his muscles jumped under her touch was intensely gratifying. And arousing. She worked her way around, sliding under his shirt and down the small of his back until she encountered his hard, round, leather-covered butt. God, with each tiny surge of his hips into hers, she could feel the flex of his ass under her palm. When she dug in and squeezed, he growled and ground against her in a rough and sudden move that had her seeing stars.
Now if she could just get him to kiss her.Anywhere. She remembered her reaction to his fingers on her back, and began to feather her own over the deep groove down the center of his. He flexed into her caress like a gorgeous Siberian tiger, dragging his chest over her breasts and finally raising liquid brown eyes to meet hers. “You feel like you want something,” his lips were full and sensual, and his voice grated her over-stimulated nerves. “If you want something, you must ask.” His eyes were on her lips as he spoke. She had a light bulb moment. “Sothat’s what you‟ve been waiting for?” She couldn‟t resist setting her teeth against his chin for a second. And then she couldn‟t resist sweeping the tip of her tongue over the light stubble rasping there. He tossed his head, throwing his hair back and breaking free of her light hold, and she laughed just a little bit. “Okay, then.” She ran her tongue over her lips and smiled as his eyes followed the movement. “Kiss me, Anthony.” She deliberately kept her voice soft and young. Karen-voice. “Touch my breasts.” His eyes flared and snapped to hers, and she deliberately widened them innocently. “Suck my nipples, Anthony.” He was growling now, and she wondered where the Hell this boldness was coming from. She‟d like to blame it on the drink, but she didn‟t think one Cosmopolitan could account for asking a stranger to suck her nipples. She‟d known she had a tiger by the tail, so to speak, so she shouldn‟t have been surprised when he pounced. Somehow she was. * If he‟d written her a script she couldn‟t have used words more perfectly designed to blow his mind. Particularly, he admitted wryly, since his mind was presently residing between his legs. But, fuck, she felt amazing. She tasted amazing. She sounded amazing. And he needed some amazing in his life. Releasing her leg, he rested both forearms on the wall, framing her head, and tangled his hands in the inky fall of her hair. Tugging her head back in a move that wasn‟t quite gentle, he slanted his lips over hers. With a quick twist of his jaw, he opened her mouth with his own, and let his tongue go exploring. She tasted like her drink, and like more. Something sweet and tropical. Her lips were like wet silk under his, and he couldn‟t stop sipping at them, sucking first one then the other into his
mouth for the drag of his teeth. Her hands locked in his hair, anchoring him to her when he would have pulled away. She seemed just as hungry as he was, just as needy for his taste as he was for hers. Most of the women on this level of the club were regulars. Experienced sensation seekers. Jaded. He knew he must have done something really right to have found this little princess. * His kiss was perfect. Just like everything else about him had been. Meri let herself dive into the experience, storing up the memory of his flavor, his texture. The feel of his breath on her cheek. The feel of his body pressed to hers. When he broke the kiss, he didn‟t pull away. Instead he rested his forehead against hers and looked so deeply into her eyes she felt like he was looking into her soul. “Are you going to let me have you, Ariel?” Who? Oh. Hell. That was her. “Are you going to give me those nipples? Your pretty little pussy? Are you going to let me fill you so full of cock you won‟t be able to walk tomorrow?” Okay, that last was overkill, but she had to admit it turned her on. Some little devil answered for her. “I thought you didn‟t ask.” She rested her head back on the wall and gave a slow, full body squirm against him. “I thought you just took what you wanted.” His eyes glittered dangerously. She felt a flicker of fear. Good God, she was about to have sex with a stranger in the corner of a club. “You‟re right.” His voice was as dangerous as his eyes, and with a few quick motions he‟d removed her panties, which disappeared into his pocket, hiked up her skirt, and dragged up her top to bare her breasts to his voracious gaze. Dipping his head to her nipples, he murmured, “Undo my pants and take out my cock. I‟m busy,” and promptly sucked one beaded nipple into his mouth. She cried out, and her hands clenched in his hair at the sensation. He moved from one nipple to the other, never giving her time to adjust to the sensation. Never giving her time to anticipate him. After several long minutes he raised his head. She whimpered and tried to direct him back to her breasts, but he wouldn‟t be dissuaded.
“Undo my pants,” he spoke very deliberately this time. “And take out my cock. Now.” He stared into her glazed eyes, waiting for her to obey. It took a moment to make sense of his words, but when she did, she reached down and began to fumble with the buttons at his waistband. His pants were snug, and the bulge of his cock made them even snugger, but eventually she wrestled them open. His cock, huge and hot, all but leapt into her hands. Mindlessly, completely enthralled, Meri stroked it, tracing each ridge and vein until she made a discovery. Oh. My. God. He was pierced! Just the idea of it made her pussy clench, and she found herself compulsively playing with it, tugging lightly at the gold bar until he began thrusting shallowly in her hands. * Her hands on his dick were Heaven. Nirvana. Absolute Bliss. Tony thought he could die now, her taste in his mouth and her touch on his body, and never regret a single thing. Reaching down, he fumbled a condom from his back pocket. He knew in about another ten seconds he was going to be inside her, ready or not. He reached down to gently disengage her hands, and quickly rolled the protection into place. Then he let his eyes cruise her body, taking in the sheen of moisture on her thighs, the sleek curls over her pussy, her pale tummy, which was heaving with each breath. “Offer me your nipples.” He didn‟t know how he was going to last, but he absolutely had to taste those ripe raspberries again. Again there was no hesitation. She reached up, cupped her small breasts in her hands and lifted them toward him. He rewarded her obedience by leaning down and drawing his tongue over one quivering tip. Slowly, methodically, he licked at each nipple, painting designs of sensation over the delicate flesh until they were so red and swollen they looked painful. She writhed in his arms, pressing upward, trying to coax him into the deep suction she prayed would bring her relief. “Remember, Ariel,” he rumbled. “If you want something, you must ask.” * Meri was so turned on she didn‟t even know what to ask for. His mouth? His hands? His gorgeous cock? She wanted them all, and she wanted them now. “Please,” she panted, and he smiled at the word. “Please, I need you to…” Her words trailed off as he drew his tongue over her nipple yet again. “You need me to what?” The music seemed louder, a cacophony of noise that bled into the static in her head.
“Fuck me,” she finally cried. “I need you to fuck me.” His smile turned wicked. “What do you do if you need something from me?” She looked at him in complete disbelief. Her juices were running down her thighs, they were in a corner in a club full of dancers, his cock felt about the size of a submarine, and he was waiting until she askedpolitely ? She gritted her teeth, tried to catch her breath, and gave in. Sort of. “Please fuck me, Anthony.” She was using Karen-voice again, and she hoped it would work. “Please take your great big cock, and stuff it so deep inside me I can‟t walk tomorrow.” She hid a smirk as her repetition of his words seemed to turn him on as much as they had her. “Please pin me to this wall and make me come until I scream.” Apparently she was polite enough. Anthony grabbed her thighs, pulled them apart and lifted her in one smooth motion. Then he set the tip of his cock to her narrow entrance and surged in with one long, powerful stroke. She felt his cock forging in, inch by inch. His diabolical little metal bar dragged against her sensitive tissues while his blunt erection stretched and parted tight, neglected flesh with a pleasure bordering on pain. She could feel every huge, pounding inch as he possessed her. Owned her. In that moment, she couldn‟t imagine ever being without him inside her. It felt too damn good. He braced her shoulders against the wall and pulled her lower body to his, giving himself room to work. Holding her by the hips, he began to thrust in a slow, deep rhythm that rapidly had both of them breathing fast. Meri knew if he‟d just move a little faster, just thrust a little harder, just touch her clit, she‟d come like she‟d never done before. Like the women did in her romance novels. “Anthony,” she moaned. He kept up his rhythm. Slow and deep. “Anthony, please.” This time he looked up. His eyes were wild, and the muscles of his neck and shoulders were corded with the strain of holding back. “If you want something,” each word was a gasp between thrusts. “You know what you have to do.” She was too far gone to try female tricks to manipulate him. All she could do was beg.
“Please, go faster. Anthony, please, I need to come.” He sped up immediately, and her voice rose to a low scream of pleasure. “Please touch me, make me come, God, Anthony, please.” * He felt the very second the orgasm took her. The tiny, strong muscles of her pussy began to ripple around his cock, drawing him in deeper and triggering his own explosion. Everything about her orgasm, from the clutch of her pussy to her incoherent begging, tripped his trigger. It felt like he came for hours. And when he was done, she was still shuddering around him. * When they were both finally still, he pressed her to the wall for one last, lingering kiss. “You taste like summer,” the words were so low, she didn‟t think he‟d meant her to hear them. He began to pull away, and she suddenly wasn‟t quite ready to let him go. “Please hold me, Anthony.” The words were entirely her. No baby talk, no Karen-voice, nothing but Meredith asking for what she needed. She marveled at her courage. None of the men in her life gave her what she needed simply because she asked. Even Marcus only gave so much before becoming disgusted at her “silly female emotions.” Anthony responded to her request by sinking back down against her. Sheltering her from the room, she felt him fumble with the condom before he stretched out one arm and dropped it in a nearby trash container.Convenient, she thought. Then, still holding her with one hand, he began to straighten her clothing with the other, pausing to pet her still-quivering flesh from time to time as he smoothed the sequined fabric into place. When he finally did let go, he didn‟t go far, only stepping back enough to fasten his pants, and a few of the buttons on his shirt. He held out his hand, and she started to take a step forward, only to wobble wildly as she discovered her legs weren‟t quite up to supporting her. To her horror, a giggle escaped. He grinned in response. “Well, Princess, you might be able to walk tomorrow, but it looks like you‟re wrecked for tonight.” His grin was so devilish and pleased she couldn‟t help but return the smile, and then burst into laughter as she collapsed back against the wall. “Wait here,” he instructed when their hilarity had calmed a bit. “I‟ll bring us back fresh drinks.” He sent her a wink. “After that, I definitely need one.” She caught him before he could walk away. “Make mine a lemon-drop martini.” When he raised his brows she added, “I‟m not really fond of Cosmopolitans.”
He gave a little salute, and forged into the crowd. It parted before him like theRed Sea . He was dark and imposing, and looked every bit as good going as he did coming. She noticed several other women checking out his very fine ass, and would have been insanely jealous if she hadn‟t still been able to feel his imprint in her throbbing passage. Suddenly, a movement to the side caught her attention. A very familiar dark head was weaving through the crowd in her direction, followed closely by an equally familiar blonde head. “Oh, Hell.” Oh, disaster was more like it. Marcus was here, and from all appearances not very happy to see she was here, too. Marc‟s best friend Daniel followed closely behind him, as always, and he didn‟t look any too thrilled to see her, either. She sent a wistful gaze at her dark knight‟s back before the two men descended on her. “What thefuck are you doing here?” Marcus grabbed her arm, propelling her in the direction of the exit without waiting for her to answer. When she tripped and nearly hit the floor, Daniel moved up on her other side, catching her against him. “Marc, slow down.” Her brother shot his friend an evil look, but did moderate his pace. A little. “When you said you were going to drag her out of here, I didn‟t think you meant literally.” “Fine. I‟m going slow.” Marcus sounded anything but fine, and his version of slow was somewhere around warp speed. “Now, I‟ll ask again, what thefuck are you doing here? Do you know what kind of place this is? What happens here? Shit, Meri, do you know what you were inviting leaning up against the wall like that?” He looked painfully uneasy at the smile she shot him. “Oh, yeah. I know exactly what I was inviting.” That did not mollify him. “Look, Meredith, I‟ve got too much shit piling up on me right now to worry about digging you out, too.” His voice was still gruff and angry, and his anger sparked her own. “Who asked you to?” She tugged at her arm. He didn‟t free her, but he did stop and look at her for the first time. She flushed a little, knowing he would recognize the sex clinging to her like a fog, but for once she didn‟t really care. “Marcus, all I do is work. Work, and try not to screw anything up.” * Marcus winced, recognizing their father‟s voice in her words.
“Just once,” her eyes went liquid, “just for one night, I wanted to be like you and Matt. I wanted to have fun, and not worry about who I might disappoint.” Her mouth, which was alarmingly puffy and pouty looking, turned down. “I guess it never occurred to me my being here would disappoint you, of all people.” Daniel shot him a telling look, and Marcus swore viciously. The last thing he needed now was for his baby sister to get tangled up in this mess. Not when Karen was on the warpath, threatening to expose all the kinky little details of their marriage to the press. “Well, I am disappointed.” It killed him to hurt her, but he told himself he did it for her own protection. “You aren‟t some cheap little whore, and it disappoints me to see you act like one.” * At her brother‟s words, she felt every bit of blood drain out of her face, and her knees go weak. Was that what he thought of her? Was that what she was? A whore? So great was her shock, she missed the furious, whispered conversation between Marcus and his best friend. She was barely aware when Daniel led her out of the club and helped her into his Aston Martin. All the good feelings, the power and exhilaration of the night had drained away under Marcus‟ disapproval, leaving her cold and sticky, and feeling vaguely dirty. “He didn‟t mean it, Mer.” Daniel‟s voice was soothing, like being wrapped in velvet. “It‟s this business with that viper he married.” She flicked him a look. “What business?” “Oh, Hell. He hasn‟t told any of you?” When she shook her head, he continued. “Well, he‟s been staying at my place for the last three days.” She looked at him in shock. “The Viper pushed even Marcus the Great too far on their anniversary, and he walked out. It‟s why he‟s being a total ass and overreacting all over you.” He reached over and gave her knee a comforting squeeze. “He‟s just misdirecting his anger at his soon-to-be ex-wife.” They drove in silence for a long time, until Daniel whipped the car up the long, winding driveway leading to theWorthingtonMansion . When he pulled up to the front door, he leaned over and gave Meri a quick kiss on the cheek. “Marc and I drove to the club together, so he‟ll probably drive your car home tonight. At any rate, if he doesn‟t bring it back here tonight, I‟ll make sure one of us picks you up for work in the morning.” She sent him a sad smile. “Make sure it‟s you, okay?” She closed her eyes wearily. “I don‟t think I‟m up for having him take his mad out on me again so soon.” Daniel nodded, and stood by the car watching as she climbed the stairs to the door. Giving him a
little wave, she slipped through the door into the dark house. Chapter 2 The bellowing woke her. Rolling over to look at the clock, Meri winced as muscles unused to a workout like they‟d received the night before protested. She smiled a little bit and thought her dark knight hadn‟t been bragging after all—she very well might not be able to walk today. Squinting at the clock, she was reassured that the bellowing didn‟t have anything to do with her. This time. It was only five-thirty, so she wasn‟t running late. He had nothing to be upset with her about … so far. Groaning softly, she staggered into the shower where she let the hot water pound the worst of the aches and pains from her body. After winding her still-damp hair into a neat knot at the nape of her neck, she regretfully passed up a comfy blue warm-up suit in favor of a pair of gray tweed pants and a plum colored sweater. She could just hear the Old Man if she were to appear in casual clothes.A professional always dresses as such. I don’t care if you own the business, which you don’t, girl. A professional always dresses the part. She rarely wore make-up anyway, but today it was especially unnecessary. Her cheeks held a flush and her lips were fuller and redder than usual. She looked … well pleasured. And if she could just avoid the Old Man, and manage to not think about Marcus, she might hold on to some of that fragile pleasure. She took the stairs two at a time, hoping to make it past the dining room without attracting any attention. It was nearly seven now, and the Old Man should be on his way to work, but it always paid to be careful. All of her caution was for naught, though, as she swung around the corner to the foyer and found him, in a full rage, waiting by the door. “What do you know about this … this …perversion ?!?” He thundered the words at her, waving a rolled up newspaper, making her flinch reflexively. “What are you talking about, sir?” She flinched again when he smacked her across the cheek with the paper before shoving it into her hand. Touching her smarting face, she shook open the paper and froze. The headline was bad enough: “Millionaire Dom Doesn‟t Play Nice.” But the picture is what turned her blood to ice. There, in all their dark and grainy glory were her, Marcus and Daniel. At the club. In what appeared to be a very compromising situation. Daniel had one arm wrapped around her waist, while Marcus propelled her across the floor by the arm. The caption, “Worthington, joined as usual by friend and colleague Daniel Ellis, leads another conquest astray,” brought bile to her throat. Thank God for the poor quality of the picture, and the fact her back was to the camera. “I‟m talking about your brother,” her father‟s hissed words broke her paralysis. “I‟m talking about the fact he likes to tie his women up.” He grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into the
same place Marcus had bruised the night before. “I‟m talking about the fact he tied up Karen, and now she‟s broadcasting it all over the fucking state!” His voice had raised to a shriek, and his face turned an alarming purple as he shook her like a rag-doll. “He should have known better than to treat Karen like that. She is a woman of worth, and you don‟t treat a woman of worth like a common whore.” “Sir,” she broke in, “Sir, you‟ve got to calm down. You‟ll make yourself sick.” Her words only seemed to inflame the man more. “I‟ll make myself sick? Oh, no, my children do that for me. My youngest, a complete immoral slacker. And you. A woman. Useless! And now, my first born. My hope for the future!” He shook her relentlessly, screaming in his rage, spittle spraying with each word. “A pervert! And it‟s not bad enough he‟s a pervert, but he had to let the whole world know!” Finally the Old Man released her, and she staggered, catching herself against the wall as he continued. “And what does my son say to me when I call him on his deviancy … and his stupidity?” His whole body was trembling, now, and Meredith was frozen with fear. “Mind my own damned business is what he tells me!” He paused, clutching at his shoulder, before advancing on her again. “Heis my business! He‟s the public face of my family business.” He struck unexpectedly, like a snake, backhanding her across the cheek, knocking her to the floor. Meri pushed herself up against the wall, shaking her head and blinking away stars. She forced herself to focus, ready to defend against another blow, when he fell silent, and an odd look contorted his face. “My son,” he whispered. “My only child.” Slowly, like a balloon with the air let out, his legs began to fold under him. “My only heir, dead to me.” With his final word, Stirling Worthington hit the floor. Before Meredith‟s horrified eyes, he began to convulse. She leaned there against the wall with one hand pressed to her rapidly swelling cheek, horrified, until the maid walked through, and with a scream of shock, called 911. **** Meredith stood by the grave, staring into space. She couldn‟t seem to bring her eyes into focus on the flowers, or the casket, or the yawning pit her father would spend eternity in. At some level she found it fitting: They would put his earthly body in a cold, dark pit. A place that mirrored his shriveled-up heart. A place that mirrored the Hell his soul was undoubtedly in at this very moment. She could feel countless eyes on her, crawling over her like so many bugs. She imagined they were taking in her pale, un-made-up face, severely pulled back hair, and most of all, the livid, swollen bruise covering her right cheek.
In the confusion ofStirling ‟s massive heart attack, she hadn‟t even thought to put ice on the place he‟d hit her, and by the time it even remotely occurred to her, the damage was done. There would be no hidingthis mark. Even her most opaque, theatre quality concealer couldn‟t entirely hide the greenish-purple of the bruise, or the swelling. To Hell with it, and withStirling , too, she thought. All these people were here to pay respects to the man. To recognize all he‟d done. Well, let them recognizeeverything he‟d done. Of course, in her defiance she hadn‟t taken into consideration the way people would stare. Or the way she would react. With every look, with every hushed whisper that was abruptly cut off when she drifted too close, Meri wondered what they were saying about her. Were they commenting on her marked face, or were they recognizing her from the devastating newspaper story? Of course she‟d seen the looks they were giving Marcus. How could she miss them? Several prominent citizens had very blatantly refused to go to him and pay their respects, turning instead to her or Matthew as they cut Marcus dead. Now, standing across the grave site from him, she felt Marcus‟ eyes on her most of all. She‟d seen his gaze snap to her damaged face at the hospital, and ignored his furious questions. Four days later, she was still unable to deal with the discussion he obviously wanted to have. If she‟d been able to talk about it, she thought she‟d like to say, Too little too late, big brother. Where were you the first time he hit me? Or the fifth? Or the fiftieth? Why all the concern now, when he can never hurt me again?And what a lie that was. The Old Man was hurting her with every breath she took. **** Much later that night, after the media dispersed and the guests were gone, Meri stood in front of the bathroom mirror. The news clipping sat on the counter beside her, and her eyes flicked from the picture to her reflection. She was not that girl anymore. She realized now allowing herself that kind of freedom, that kind of recklessness, was only asking for trouble. Meri Worthington had been a child. It was time for her to grow up. Taking a pair of large scissors from the counter, she lifted a thick hank of waist-length hair. Staring blindly into her own eyes, she hacked at it with the scissors. It was a long time before she stopped cutting. Chapter 3 Five Years Later Meredith Worthington placed the phone very carefully in its cradle. Taking a slow, deep breath, she concentrated on not letting any of the turmoil she felt inside show in her expression or body language. It didn‟t matter she was alone in the room. She knew, from bitter experience, even the
most private moments could be splashed across the media for the world to see. It wasn‟t that she hated her brother. In fact, entirely the opposite was true. Marcus had always been the rock she had clung to through her lonely childhood and her tempestuous adolescence. That had made his very public exposure as a sexual Dom even more difficult for Meredith to accept. Particularly coming as it had on the heels of his condemnation of her own brief foray into the world of sexual pleasure. One night he was accusing her of acting like a cheap whore, the next his own sexual practices—the ménages, the bondage—were splashed across every paper inMichigan . The betrayal was excruciating. As if it weren‟t enough to learn her perfect older brother had feet of clay, the resulting media furor had devastated the only other constants in her life: her father and the company. Meredith knew the local, and even national, media kept an eye on them all now: Marcus, Meredith, and their younger, playboy brother Matthew. **** A short time later Meredith picked her way through the entrance of theRiverfrontConvention Center , stepping carefully over a litter of beams and cement blocks. The Worthington Group had purchased the run-down and failing building just over a year ago, and construction to totally renovate and restore the property was still in the beginning stages. Glancing around, she realized all the workers she saw were sitting around socializing. Frowning, she checked her watch and chuffed out a sigh when she realized it was smack in the middle of lunch time. Remembering her appointment with her brother, Meredith determined to complete the walkthrough on her own, recording her thoughts in the small notepad which lived in her briefcase. There was something exhilarating about watching the transformation taking place in the building. Meredith found herself smiling as she wound her way further into the building. It was almost like seeing a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. Walking through the maze of half-constructed rooms, Meredith soon lost track of where she was. She thought she was near the back of the building, close to the banks of theDetroitRiver , when she found a nearly completed room containing what looked like a closet. Curious, she wandered over and tried the door. It was locked.Odd , she thought.Why would anyone bother to lock a door in an all-but-open building filled with millions of dollars worth of tools and supplies? She rattled the knob again, and was about to begin searching for a paper clip or something to jimmy the door, when a noise caught her attention. A scuffle. A soft thud. A low moan? Suddenly quite sure there was an injured construction worker just around the corner, Meredith quickly and quietly moved in the direction the noise was coming from. Rounding a particularly wide beam, she froze, completely arrested by the sight that met her eyes. The men were both beautiful, tanned and muscled in the way of manual laborers. One dark, one golden, they seemed two parts of a single whole. The dark one paused to yank off his yellow
helmet, letting it drop to the ground as he tossed inky hair out of his eyes. The fair one laughed softly, shifting against the wall he leaned against. “Decided not to have „safe‟ sex, did we?” His voice was light, and it seemed to hum in the air. “Fuck safe,” the dark one‟s voice was a rumble which, to her horror, Meredith could feel low in her belly. Unconsciously she pressed her palm flat over her lower abdomen, as though she could subdue the sensations gathering there. “Show it to me,” the dark one‟s voice held an irresistible command, and his golden companion gave a slow, taunting smile, before beginning to oh-so-slowly unbutton his sleeveless denim shirt. Meredith knew she should walk away. Everything in her cried to escape,now , but her body seemed paralyzed as the gorgeous blond finished opening his shirt, baring a smooth, sleek, sunkissed chest, before moving on to the snap of his jeans, where he paused, sending his companion a raised eyebrow and a naughty smile. “Show me now,” Lucifer himself couldn‟t have had a deeper, more compelling voice. It obviously affected the blond every bit as much as it was affecting Meredith. Before her eyes she watched his erection, already impressive, grow to even greater length and width under his worn jeans. “What will you give me if I do?” Blondie‟s eyes were filled with laughter as he continued to run long, strong fingers up and down his denim-clad cock. “I‟ll give you this nice, big dick. Down your throat, up your ass. I‟ll give you every inch of it.” Meredith noted he wasn‟t boasting. The dick in question tented his jeans, huge and threatening. “Ooh,” the blond didn‟t seem nearly as intimidated as Meredith was. “Let‟s see your big dick. Let‟s see if it‟s worth giving you what you want.” Meredith held her breath as the dark one reached down and began popping the buttons on his fly. His penis, engorged and ruddy, strained for release. Finally free, it bobbed gently before he reached down, grasped the base, and began to slowly pull his hand along the length. Granted, it had been a while, but Meredith didn‟t think she‟d ever seen a bigger cock. “So, are you going to show me?” His voice rumbled through her body, tingling nerves she‟d rather forget existed. “Or am I gonna have this party all by myself?” He continued his slow, rough strokes, pausing only to lift heavy balls free of the constricting material. “I have a better idea.” Blondie stepped up, flush against his taller lover, lifting his head to whisper against his lips. Without once breaking eye contact, he slid to his knees and, in one smooth movement, took that throbbing, gorgeous cock in his mouth, balls deep.
Thank God they were distracted. There was no way for Meredith to contain her gasp. She was disgusted, she lectured herself. Not because they were the same sex, but because they would do this … this private thing in public. She must be disgusted. It was the only reason her stomach was fluttering. The only reason she was breathing fast. She was clenching her thighs preparing to leave, not to ease any ache between them. Blondie pulled off the dark man‟s cock, pausing to lick at the head, and slide one hand languidly along its length. His dark companion stroked Blondie‟s cheek before fisting his hand in his mop of golden hair, tipping up his face. “Suck my dick,” he rumbled. “Suck it all the way down your throat. If you do it right, maybe I‟ll let you have it up the ass before we‟re done.” Somehow the threat, or was it a promise, which should have left Meredith appalled, only made her more restless. More fidgety. Apparently the blond felt the same, as he immediately fell upon his dark lover‟s cock, twisting his head in a circular movement that worked the head relentlessly. The dark one‟s hand, still fisted in his hair, kept his head tipped back so their eyes remained locked together. Bracing himself on wide-spread knees, the blond continued sucking, complete with slurping sounds and low murmurs of enjoyment, and reached down to release his own raging erection. Soon he was jerking his hand along his own flesh in time with his mouth on his companion‟s. Meredith watched, hypnotized, as his hips began to move in tempo with his hand and mouth. She was utterly unaware of her own hand, pulsing against her abdomen in time with his strokes. Abruptly the dark one pulled the blond off his cock, leaving it shining with moisture. Using the hand he‟d kept wound in the blond‟s hair, he levered him to his feet. With his free hand he grasped the other man‟s cock, pressing the side of his fist against the golden curls at its base before dragging it up along the length in a firm stroke. Their mouths were a breath apart, panting, but to Meredith‟s confused surprise, they didn‟t kiss. There was no tenderness between the two. Just raw sexuality transmitting itself across the echoing workspace, through steel beams, and straight to Meredith‟s clenching pussy. Oh, fuck. Now she‟d gone and done it. Once she acknowledged the burning between her thighs, Meredith couldn‟t ignore or deny it. Relentlessly she removed her hand from her stomach, where it had begun creeping lower and lower, and crossed both arms over her breasts. This wasn‟t much better, as the pressure of her arms compressed her nipples, which were shockingly hard and sensitive under her tailored cotton blouse. The dark one released his partner‟s cock and, in a fast and rough motion, spun him to face the wall. With quick, efficient movements he yanked down the other man‟s jeans and slid to his knees, parting his ass-cheeks as he went. The blond braced on the wall, hands spread, fingers claws of pleasure as the dark one blew his warm breath against his sensitive anus. He ground his cock against the wall, before arching into the other‟s mouth as his dark head bent closer, and his tongue slid out to taunt and tease the little opening. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck me,” his light, tenor voice had deepened, become rougher. “Fuck me
now, Tim, before I come all over this fucking wall without you.” The dark one, Tim, seemed perfectly happy where he was, tongue digging into Blondie‟s asshole. After several moments, Meredith realized his hands were moving again. Expecting to see himself palming his own erection, instead Meredith watched, fascinated, as he brought a small tube of lube out of one of his cargo pockets. He quickly squirted a line of lube down his finger, and then slowly began to work it into Blondie‟s anus. First one finger. More lube. Another finger. More lube. A twisting, scissoring motion that had Blondie writhing and grinding against the wall. More lube. Finally he pulled back and, with another quick dip into his cargo pocket, produced a condom. After slowly rolling it down his length, taking time, it seemed, to explore and caress every inch along the way, he quickly lubed himself and placed the wide, mushroomed head against the bud of Blondie‟s asshole. “Put it in, put it in, put it in,” the blond was chanting now, pushing his butt back against Tim‟s groin. Tim smiled, dark and dangerous. “You want me to fuck your ass? You want my dick shoved up your tight little asshole?” Blondie moaned, and pushed harder, his anus centered over Tim‟s cock, seeming to suck at the head. Tim‟s head dropped back, damp hair falling into his eyes, as that hungry little asshole seemed to nip at his cock. With a series of quick, jabbing motions, he began to work his cock in, shifting from side to side to force the engorged head through the tight ring of muscles just at the entrance. Now both men groaned. The blond, beautiful in his ecstasy, leaned back into the dark angel behind him. Tim‟s hips swiveled like a well-oiled machine, dragging his enormous erection out, pulling long moans of pleasure from his golden lover, then back in, turning moans into breathless grunts of pleasure. His hands had been braced on Blondie‟s shoulders, holding him steady for his relentless thrusting, but now they began to wander. With quick, rough movements he dragged his hands over Blondie‟s chest, stopping only to pinch at his tight little nipples, a pinch Meredith felt in her own breasts, sending a hot wire of lust to her core. The blond leaned forward, bracing his hands back against the wall, pushing his ass into Tim‟s thrusts, and Tim took full advantage. With a strike as quick as a snake, Tim grabbed the other man‟s bobbing cock, smearing left-over lube down its length. Blondie made a choking sound, his hips jerked wildly, and then he settled into Tim‟s rhythm. Tim‟s cock slowly slid iiinnn on the up-stroke, and oouuuttt on the downstroke. Meredith was panting. She could feel her womb pulsing, grasping for Tim‟s beautiful, big cock. Unconsciously she rubbed her thumb over her palm. She could feel Blonde‟s cock in her hand, growing bigger and hotter with each stroke. Both men were moving faster now, panting and filling the air with half-grunted profanity. Meredith jolted when Tim suddenly released Blondie‟s cock, slamming his hands into the wall on
either side of the other man‟s. His hips lost their steady, oiled rhythm, instead jerking wildly, and a long, low growl worked its way from his chest into the air. Blondie‟s ass continued to work against Tim‟s hips, grinding and squeezing his cock, sucking out every drop of pleasure. When Tim at last fell still, he dropped his head against his partner‟s back, sucking in great gasps of air. “Don‟t pull out yet,” the blond was gasping, hips still writhing, cock enormous and throbbing. “Fuck, don‟t pull out yet. Make me come.” Tim obligingly grabbed the tube of lube from his pocket and squirted a puddle into his palm. Rubbing both hands together to spread the silky substance, he reached around and grasped Blondie‟s cock with one hand, engulfing the man‟s heavy, swaying balls with the other. He began a twisting, pulling motion that had Blondie‟s eyes rolling back in his skull and Meredith‟s breath catching. With each pull, he used a slow, wanking tug on the blond‟s balls, working in counterpoint. With each pull, Blondie gasped out encouragement. “Fuck, yeah. Harder. Squeeze my dick.” With each word the blond‟s voice dropped, until the last was a hiss. “I‟m fucking coming.” Suddenly, incongruously, Meredith felt heat at her back. It was as if she were Blondie, feeling Tim pressed against her. Mesmerized, Meredith watched as his hips jerked, his cock twitched in Tim‟s grasp, and what looked like a gallon of come spattered on the floor at his feet. Arms wrapped around herself, Meredith gasped right along with them, not in relief but in an agony of arousal. Gradually she realized the heat she was feeling wasn‟t her own imagination‟s contribution to the erotic scene that had played out before her eyes. Turning with a gasp, Meredith locked eyes with the single most beautiful man she‟d ever seen. At his slow, suggestive smile, she felt scalding heat climb her cheeks. He was so familiar to her, but in her sensual fog, she couldn‟t place him, not right this second. Not when her brain was weirdly connected to the pulsing ache in her pussy, when her heart boomed so loudly she could barely hear her own thoughts. She hadn‟t seen him atWorthington . She‟d have remembered his face, his body. When he shot a glance over her shoulder before directing a pointed look at her achingly hard nipples, Meredith did the only thing possible. She fled. * When one of his workers told Tony that Tim and Stephen had decided to enjoy a little “afternoon delight” during lunch, Tony had headed out to break up their party. Wouldn‟t due to soil the work-site with condoms and come, and even more, it wouldn‟t due for the boss to catch a glimpse of them fucking on the job. The last thing he‟d expected to find was a stunning, and stunned, woman watching the show. Her arousal had been a living, breathing thing; a shroud over her tall, slim form. While she watched his workers, looking a bit like a fawn caught in the headlights, he watched her. Watched her clutch at herself, as if she could press away the sensations obviously overwhelming her.
With each little pant, every faint gasp that passed those pale, plump lips, he worked his way silently closer, until he stood so close she couldn‟t help but feel his heat. Hell, with one little sway of her tempting ass, she‟d be feeling a lot more than just heat. When she spun to face him, eyes filled with heat and horror, it was all he could do to keep his hands to himself. The flash of recognition was instant and devastating. His Princess. Finally. Her full, unpainted lips parted on a sharp inhalation, and all he could do was imagine them wrapped around his dick. Her hands flew to her throat, and he pictured them slowly releasing each button, revealing small, firm breasts. Fuck, but she made a pretty picture, all hot and bothered and embarrassed as hell. She was every bit as beautiful and alluring as she‟d been the last time he‟d had her this close. A lot of things had changed in five years, but not her ability to make him hard as a rock with just a look from those shimmering eyes. Just as he went to take that one step forward, those silvery eyes widened, and his little fantasy fuck darted around him, fleeing the scene of the crime. Frustrated and pissed, Tony walked into the cleared area where Tim was rolling off his used condom and Stephen was scuffing at the cum stain on the floor. Happy to have a target for his sexually fueled anger, he was gruffer than usual when he addressed his languorous and unabashed workers. “I don‟t care who you fuck, but you don‟t do it on my time or in my fucking building.” When neither man looked particularly repentant he continued. “You had a fucking audience, you morons. You‟re just lucky it wasn‟tWorthington . He‟s due for an inspection today, and if it had been him to see the two of you, your assesand mine would be out of a damn good job.” Seeing by their uncomfortable fidgeting he‟d made his point, Tony stomped off, sending back “and clean this fucking mess up. No litter,” he sent a pointed look at the condom wrapper at Tim‟s feet, “and no fuckingstains !” With a final look over his shoulder he added, “and put your damn hats on,” then left them to clean up after themselves. * Meredith returned to the office in a dither. There was no other word for it. She was hot and bothered, disgusted with herself for it, and burning with humiliation because she‟d been caught in such a vulnerable moment. And caught by any woman‟s walking wet dream. Hell, caught by her very own private wet dream for the last five years. She‟d recognized him about two seconds after fleeing, and heat of another kind had washed through her. Anthony. As big and beautiful and tempting now as he‟d been that night at Velvet Ice. Resolutely she put his image out of her mind. She wouldn‟t think about those knowing, melted chocolate eyes, or the way his dark hair curled around his neck under the yellow hard-hat. She wouldn‟t imagine those muscular, tanned arms, or his broad, sweat-sheened chest. And she for damn sure wouldn‟t remember the heavy, hard bulge between those thick thighs, and how it felt inside her.
She wouldn‟t acknowledge the yearning inside, a longing that went far beyond the physical. What would it be like to, for once, surrender her control? To let someone else be the responsible one, and to just feel? It was a heady thought, and terrifying. Every man she‟d trusted had somehow let her down. Meredith was beginning to believe the ability to trust had been crushed out of her along with the ability to love. Oh, God, what if he‟d recognized her? She could see the headline now: Millionaire Dom‟s Voyeur Sister. A soft chime sounded, and Meredith looked down at her PDA, relieved by the distraction. “Well, hell.” The meeting with Marcus. After making a quick detour by the ladies room, where she splashed her face and pulse points with icy water and gathered her composure, she marched down the hall to her brother‟s office. Carrie wasn‟t at her desk, so Meredith sailed on in, only to be brought up short by the sight of her brother and his assistant standing a little too close, and looking a little too intense. Carrie‟s lips were red and swollen, and Marcus seemed entirely too relaxed for two o‟clock on a Friday. Coming on the heels of her own recent sexual humiliation, it was just too much. “Have you lost your mind?” she snapped, enraged he would open them up to public ridicule once again, but even more enraged that she had done the same a mere hour before. “You must have lost your mind. Tell me this is a joke. It‟s not enough you‟re the most notorious Dom in the greaterDetroit area, but now you‟re banging your secretary? Jesus, Marcus,” Meredith thought regretfully of sweet, efficient Carrie, who always had a smile or a kind word. “You‟re going to ruin her.” Marcus looked at his watch, the very picture of unconcern. “Carrie is no longer an employee at The Worthington Group.” As if that made it any better. One word pulsed in Meredith‟s brain like a neon sign: LAWSUIT. Unaware of her mental digression, Marcus continued. “Now, I need you to take the six o‟clock meeting I had scheduled with Renatto Construction. I‟m leaving in an hour and will be busy all weekend.” And she just bet she knew what he‟d be busy doing. Or who. She cut her eyes to the young woman standing uncertainly by the door in time to catch her flush. Meredith pointed her finger at Marcus, her silvery eyes narrowed, “You listen here, brother. If you think for a minute I am going to go through another scandal like the one you and Karen brought down on this family you are mistaken.” She could all but see the flash of guilt in his eyes at the reminder of those early days after the scandal broke. AfterStirling ‟s death. She‟d never allowed him to talk to her about the abuse. Never even let him apologize for his harsh words the night he‟d removed her from the club and sent her home with Daniel. Again she thought,Too little, too late, Big Brother . “Play your little games on your own time, Marc.” She didn‟t bother to say anything more. Marcus did what Marcus wanted, and to hell with anyone caught in the crossfire. When she finished speaking, he walked over to her, putting his arm around her and walking her
to the door, “Meredith, you worry too much.” The affection, so rare since the mess with Karen, tore at her heart. “Marcus, you don‟t worry enough.” Marcus kissed her gently on the cheek, and she felt her heart crack a bit. “One day, little sister, a man is going to sneak into that well-guarded heart of yours and bring you to your knees. Then what will you do?” Shaking her head vigorously and resolutely putting her tantalizing construction worker out of her mind, Meredith replied, “Oh, Marcus. In order for that to happen, I‟d have to have a heart.” Turning her head, she stalked back out the way she had come, trying not to think about the three men who‟d nearly brought her to her knees mere hours ago. **** The afternoon dragged, an endless round of mind-numbing meetings and conference calls, and Meredith was relieved. By immersing herself utterly in the mundane, she slowly put the afternoon‟s adventure out of her mind. By the time her secretary buzzed her for her six o‟clock appointment with the contractor, Meredith was feeling almost normal. Almost. * Tony Renatto was looking forward to this appointment. Sex-fiend workers aside, construction on the Convention Center was on time and nearly on budget. Tony knew Marcus Worthington was a tough employer, but he‟d also struck Tony as a fair one, and one who was intimately familiar with every facet of his business. Working for the Worthington Group had been a pleasure, and Tony was proud to know his company was doing a superlative job for them. When he arrived on the top floor of their downtown office, he had to suppress a whistle of appreciation for the space. Not only was it architecturally interesting, it was decorated with a tasteful luxury that struck him every time he passed through the doors. To his surprise, the attentive young man at the reception desk did not direct him to Marcus‟ office. Instead, he confided, “Mr. Worthington had an emergency and had to leave the building. You‟ll be meeting withMs.Worthington . She‟s across the hall and two doors down.” Tony almost rubbed his hands together in glee. Finally, after five years of hard work, he was in the position he‟d been fighting for. Face-to-face with Meredith Worthington, his icy little Fairy Princess, and on equal footing this time. Thanking the young man, Trey, according to his nametag, Tony headed down the softly lit hall. No buzzing fluorescents for theWorthington ‟s. Their ambient lighting played up the artwork on the walls, and had the added benefit of not giving anyone stuck under them for too long a raging headache. When he arrived at the correct door, discreetly labeled with a brushed brass plaque, Tony took a moment to straighten the blazer he wore over his jeans and button-down shirt.
For five years he‟d worked for this moment, building his company and reputation across the state. Bidding on everyWorthington contract to come his way. Hoarding his money and reputation until he had something worth offering her. He‟d studied her. Followed each news story mentioning her. He‟d about dragged old Stirling Worthington out of the grave when he‟d seen the pictures of her blank eyes and bruised face at the funeral. He‟d celebrated with her when she‟d earned first her Master‟s, and then her PhD in Business Management. He knew every charity she supported, what restaurants she enjoyed, and the long hours she worked. Tony smiled in anticipation. Straightening his posture, he knocked. * Meredith hadn‟t really given any thought to her meeting with the contractor. She‟d collected the data and scanned his reports, but beyond that she didn‟t really have any expectations. So when the door opened to her soft “enter,” she was utterly unprepared for the sight that met her eyes. Him. Standing there, big as life, was her walking wet dream. And damn, but he cleaned up well. While he still wore jeans that rode low on his hips and lovingly cupped some of his more noticeable attributes, he‟d replaced the sleeveless t-shirt with a white dress-shirt and black jacket. He looked well put together in a rugged, virile sort of way. Meredith controlled her urge to fidget as Tony Rennato, and it could be no one else, sauntered into the room. As a slow, wicked smile slid across his face she searched frantically for just the right way to handle the situation. Finally, at a loss, Meredith decided to do what she did best: ignore it. * Tony felt like the luckiest man on Earth when he walked into Meredith‟s office. He‟d tried not to get his hopes up. After so many years of planning, it was almost impossible tonot get his hopes up, but this was too important to screw up. Now here she was, every bit as wide eyed and dewy, and looking almost as panicked as she had at the construction site. He knew he needed to make some sort of gesture to put her at ease, but he couldn‟t quite stop the smile of anticipation stealing across his face, and he couldn‟t quite deny himself the pleasure of watching her squirm. Tony had always found the sight of a powerful woman, laid low by her vulnerability to a man, completely irresistible. He planned to be the one to lay her low. He couldn‟t wait. *
Meredith pulled herself together with a stern reminder that here, in her office, she was in control. More, Tony Renatto was her employee. Ultimately, this entire situation was in her control. Keeping those facts in mind, she braced herself and began the meeting as she would any other. She rose and offered her hand. Oh, big mistake! He quickly crossed the room and enveloped her hand in his. Meredith was used to dealing with powerful men, but powerful in a very white-collar way. Even her brothers, who were prime specimens of male power, beauty and fitness, were ultimately businessmen. Their handshakes were firm, but their hands were smooth. Tony Renatto‟s hand was not smooth. It was large, dwarfing her own slim fingers, and rough with calluses and scars from his work. His grasp was firm and warm, and he held her hand just a little too long before releasing it. And the minute he touched her, she flew back in time. Velvet Ice. Her memory happily supplied the details of his hands on her skin, rasping against her thighs, and higher. His mouth on her breasts. His cock with the naughty little bar-ring inside her. All she could do was hope he didn‟t remember their first meeting, too. Dragging her attention away from the tingles radiating from her hand to her nipples—and thank God for lined bras—Meredith forced herself to focus again on business.Itis your office. You have the control . “Mr. Renatto.” To her relief her voice was relatively level. “Thank you for coming in.” He sat in the chair she‟d indicated, and she very deliberately did not look at the full bulge between his sprawled thighs. “I‟m sorry my brother isn‟t available to meet with you,”sorrier than he’d ever know , “but he was called away unexpectedly,”the low-life, pervert, bastard ! Tony smiled. “I‟m more than happy to sit down with you. I‟ve been on this project for almost six months. I‟m amazed we haven‟t run into each other before today.” Meredith felt her cheeks flame, the curse of fair skin, and forced herself to ignore his oblique reference to their earlier “run-in.” “Well,” she cleared her throat and strove for a strictly professional tone as she flipped open the folder containing the reports from Renatto Construction. “I see you‟re on schedule as far as our first set of construction deadlines. I assume there‟s nothing that‟s going to change this,” the last was phrased as a statement, but her question was clear. “Construction has gone amazingly smoothly so far,” Tony replied. He didn‟t seem offended in the least by her implication, which was logical. Fortunes had been made and lost on the quality of a construction company, and while what Meredith had witnessed earlier in the day had been
hotter than hell, it wasn‟t particularly reassuring from a business stand-point. “We‟ve got a great supplier, and my foreman doesn‟t believe in cutting corners, so I don‟t foresee any problems.” Meredith gave a brisk nod. “And tell me about our budget.” While the reports showed construction was slightly over budget, she knew the overage was minimal. “Well,” She could swear he was suppressing a hint of amusement at her questions, which made her want to be even more formal and businesslike. “As I said, we aren‟t cutting corners, which accounts for our overages so far. Barring any sudden rise in the cost of materials, I don‟t see any reason for us to go any further over budget than we already are.” Nodding, Meredith let her eyes flicker up to meet his before focusing back on the folder in front of her. “Now, if you could, I‟d like to go over the timeline for Phase Two of construction.” It took a superhuman effort, but Meredith managed to keep her attention on Tony‟s words. It was much more tempting to focus in on his voice, which was deep and faintly accented, or even worse, to focus on his lips, which were full and sculpted and looked utterly luscious. Tony was detailed and easy to understand, and Meredith was reasonably bright, so it didn‟t take long for them to get through the construction timeline. It was with a deep sense of relief that Meredith thanked Tony for his time, and rose to shake his hand again. Only the knowledge he would soon be out of her sight and far, far away allowed her to subdue her reaction to his touch this second time.God, he smelled good. Relieved and a bit disappointed, Meredith watched him walk to the door, only to feel her jaw drop in shock as he flipped the lock and turned back to face her. Chapter 4 “We took care ofWorthington ‟s business,” he rumbled. The wicked gleam in those dreamy brown eyes filled her with burning panic. Itmust be panic, it certainly couldn‟t be desire. “Now it‟s time to take care of our personal business.” His eyes caught hers and wouldn‟t let go. For the second time today—the second time in years—Meredith found herself snared, completely unable to break the connection between them. “We,” she paused to clear her throat, which was suddenly and inexplicably dry, “we don‟t have any personal business. You‟re contracted to my company. That‟s all the business we have.” Maybe if she said it forcefully enough they would both believe it. “Now Bambie, we both know that‟s just not true.” One corner of his bitable, sculpted mouth kicked up. “We started something this afternoon, and it‟s way overdue to be finished.” Meredith stood behind her desk, fingers clenched white on the rich wood as Tony turned from the door. He was stalking her, and Meredith tried to hold her ground, but with each of his steps she felt her resolution falter. His eyes, locked on hers, brought back the ache that had filled her body at the construction site. She could feel the phantom of his heat against her skin, and unwillingly she longed to feel the real thing.
“My name,” instead of coming out strong and decisive, her voice was low and strained, “is not Bambie. I am not some bimbo you can enjoy a quick slap and tickle with, and then move on. I don‟t have the luxury of „personal business‟.” * Her eyes were like wide silver pools, yearning and vulnerable. Tony could all but feel her conflict, and while he understood it, he couldn‟t allow it to continue. To control her. To control them. He slanted her a smile he knew was a little bit dark, and a lot wicked. “Oh, I know your name, Ms. Worthington. I also know how little it suits you. You‟re all big eyes and trembling lips. You‟re like a little fawn, everything‟s all new and scary, and you want to experience it all so bad. You‟re just waiting for the one who can make it happen for you. You know I can do it, don‟t you Princess?” With each word he‟d moved a bit closer, until he could hear the faint rasp of her breath, and catch her scent. She smelled … expensive. Doubtless like some French perfume that cost more per ounce than his car payment. She smelled like Heaven. Flowers and the spice of warm, aroused woman. She smelled … edible. And he was more than ready to take a bite. * “No.” She had to force each word out. Something had broken in her at the construction site this morning. Some crucial bond that had kept her separate and safe for five long years. Now she felt like all her defenses were crumbling around her, like she was spinning out of control. It felt far too much like when she‟d waited for a crumb of her father‟s attention, or when she‟d hidden from the media frenzy after Marcus‟ divorce. It terrified her, and yet she couldn‟t seem to stop it. “I don‟t have the luxury of experiencing everything. I have a business. I have responsibilities. There is no room for anything else. Thereis nothing else.” “Princess, your lips say one thing, but your eyes and body say another.” He prowled closer still, and Meredith finally broke and ran. As she moved swiftly from behind her desk to stand behind the low leather couch that backed up to the wall across from the window, Tony kept pace with her, slowly gaining ground. “Don‟t do this,” she could hear the panic growing in her voice. Growing at the same rate as the heat in her belly at the look in his melting brown eyes. To her dismay she realized her panic had less to do with him than it did with her own reactions. Deep down she knew if she gave in to him, to her own desires, she would never find her control again, and she would lose her grip on everything that defined her. * It was clear to Tony that unless he did something drastic, Meredith would shut down completely. He wouldn‟t, couldn‟t let that happen.
With a quick, totally unexpected move, he rounded the couch and pressed her against the wall, catching the hands she raised to push him away in one of his. With a gentleness that belied his abrupt capture, he rested his forehead against hers. “Don‟t be so scared,” he murmured. The desperation in her eyes haunted him, and he knew the only way to erase it was to free her from her self-imposed prison. “I won‟t let anything bad happen to you.” She didn‟t look reassured, but she did stop her frantic squirming. “Just trust me, Princess.” She shook her head, eyes wide. “Just a little,” he was whispering against her lips now, and they were soft as satin. As she shook her head, the motion slowed until it was a dreamy drag of mouth over mouth. He couldn‟t contain his low purr of approval. “Just with this,” and his lips finally took hers. * Meredith was awash in sensation. The wall pressed cool against her back, while Tony‟s body blanketed her in heat. His scent, musk and man, filled her head, leaving her dizzy and confused. His voice was a low rumble vibrating from his chest to hers. And his mouth. God, his mouth. It was like silk and velvet, warm and slow on hers. With brief licks and tiny bites his mouth gentled hers, seducing a response, and she was helpless to resist. “Mmm. You taste so good,” his words buzzed against her, sending sparkles of sensation through her. With a last nip at her lower lip he moved on, feathering kisses over her jaw before moving on to breathe warm caresses against the sensitive skin of her neck. “You taste like fresh water in the desert, and warm spicy nights.” His hot words and hotter lips wove a spell around her. And in spite of herself, she didn‟t want to escape. Caught up in his light touches and soft words, Meredith didn‟t immediately notice what his free hand was up to. It was only when a cool draft wafted over her abdomen that she realized he‟d been methodically plucking her buttons open, one by one. Before she could do more than tense in protest, his lips surrounded hers again, sucking them into his mouth before focusing on first the top and then the bottom. The sensations streaking through her were electric and totally distracted her from the hand now stroking down her thigh to begin inching her skirt upward in a slow, inevitable slide. Tony hooked her thigh lightly around his, freeing up his hand while still keeping her skirt at crotch level. Once again free to move, he stroked a heated path up her tummy before tracing the outline of her bra. This time Meredith didn‟t protest. She was too caught up in the sensations he was causing to riot along her nerve endings. His fingers were rough, a working man‟s hands, but gentle at the same time, taming her like the wild fawn he‟d named her for. * God,she is delicious . For all her bristles and denials, her skin was like satin, and her mouth like hot, wet silk. Meredith Worthington was a cauldron waiting to boil over. All she needed was the right man to break her formidable control. The right man to show her the pleasure that could only be found by giving over completely. And Tony intended to be that man.
She was so closed, so hard to read. He couldn‟t imagine she didn‟t recognize him, not when he‟d spent five long years planning for the day he‟d claim her for his own. But if she did remember him, she wasn‟t letting on. Not by word or deed. Suddenly, he had to know for sure. “Let me touch you,Ariel. ” * Hearing that name, Meredith froze from the inside out. Oh, no, no, no. This couldn‟t be happening. She‟d walked away from this sort of adventure five years ago, and if there‟d been moments of regret, all she had to do was look at the yellowed newspaper clipping in her dresser drawer to remember why. But if that were true, then why didn‟t she pull away from the man who held her so forcefully? Held her as if she were as necessary to him as the air he breathed. In spite of her confusion, her senses were swimming. Her hormones crying. She tried to stay strong, but even her wall of ice wasn‟t proof against the fire of his touch. * Moving with slow intent, Tony slid his hand under her loose cotton blouse along her rib cage to stroke up her spine. With one practiced motion he undid the clip of her bra, and made a low sound of enjoyment when her breasts fell loose against his chest. When he pushed the bra up, baring her breasts, he had to fight for breath. Her breasts were creamy white and smooth, pale as the rest of her skin. Her nipples were long and tight, a rosy pink that went well with her ivory skin, but seemed at odds with her black, black hair. She was like strawberries and cream, and she was just waiting to be savored and enjoyed. Unable to resist for one moment more, Tony leaned down and stroked his tongue lightly against her beaded nipple, smiling darkly as she arched into the caress. * His tongue was like velvet. She‟d known that from his kisses, but the sensation of it on her skin was a revelation. Meredith knew she would be embarrassed later, even enraged with him and with herself. But now? Now all she knew was the press of his hips against hers, the cool slickness of the wall supporting her, his hand cupping her breast like an offering and his mouth tormenting her inflamed flesh. He nipped lightly at her breast, the same way he‟d nipped at her lips and throat. Pleasure sparked and she found herself involuntarily tightening her leg around his hip, needing a closer contact. “I‟m going to let go of your hands,” his voice was an intimate rasp, “and you aren‟t going to fight me.” Incoherently she nodded, anything to keep the sensations coming.
Slowly he released her hands, eyes locked to hers as if expecting a struggle. When she merely slid them down to rest on his shoulders, he gave an approving nod and turned his attention back to her waiting breasts. Each draw of his mouth seemed to send a bolt of electricity from nipple to clit, and Meredith was helpless to do anything but writhe in the fire. Finally she raised her hands to wind shaking fingers through his hair, scraping her nails lightly over his scalp and drawing his mouth back to hers. “Huh-uh,” his voice was a rumble as he deliberately moved her hands back to the wall behind her. “I didn‟t give you permission to move.” He pressed her wrists to the hard surface before adding, “If you want something, you must ask for it.” The tiny part of her brain that was still coherent was screaming warnings Meredith couldn‟t quite heed. Those words, which had echoed through her fantasies, pushed her beyond all control. She was arching now, dragging her sex over his and savoring the sensations spearing through her. With each grinding pressure, with each eager pull of his lips, Meredith came closer to a release more cataclysmic than any she‟d ever experienced. “Please,” she whimpered. He gave a dark smile and lowered his head so his words drifted over her sizzling flesh. “Please, what?” She hesitated. This felt like a point of no return. If she gave in and followed his rules, Meredith knew she‟d be making a conscious choice to submit to him. And she was afraid that once she submitted, there would be no turning back. “Please, Anthony…” His name had barely left her lips before his mouth was on her, as if starved for the taste of her sweet skin. Even as conscious thought began to fade, she realized his attention was a reward…for asking, and for using his full name. When Tony lifted his mouth from her swollen breasts to gaze hungrily at her nipples, she found herself arching her back, thrusting closer to his mouth, trying to lure his lips back to her yearning flesh. Instead he dropped a brief kiss on her lips, her jaw, the exact spot where her neck met her shoulder. * “You will not move.” Tony looked deeply into her eyes. Their silver color seemed to glow, like molten metal. “Acknowledge,” he allowed a bite of authority to color his words. “You will not move.” He waited for her nod, and then slowly dropped to his knees before her. Tony couldn‟t suppress a low sound of enjoyment as he slid his hands up Meredith‟s long, long legs. The fragile webbing of her stockings snagged on his rough skin, emphasizing her femininity. With a slow, steady stroke he slid his hands under her skirt, letting it catch on his arms until it was rucked up around her waist. Her fingers clenched, flexing against the wall as he
pushed her skirt still higher and leaned in to rub his cheek over the soft skin of her belly. His head filled with her unique scent, spicy and warm. Smiling against her silky skin, he hooked his fingers into her stockings and panties, and drew them down to pool around her ankles, dropping to his knees at her feet as he did so. Gently, one foot at a time, he removed her sensible black pumps, helping her step free. Before she had time to realize what he was doing, what she was letting him do, Tony lifted her leg, draping one thigh over his shoulder, and began to feast. * He kissed her pussy the same way he kissed her mouth, nibbling and sucking. He ran his tongue lovingly through each curve, gifting her with sharp, sucking kisses on the fragile skin between her silken folds. When his tongue slid like a velvet lash into her weeping opening, Meredith pounded tight fists against the wall, feeling like the small pain was the only thing keeping her from falling to pieces. Nothing had ever felt so good, so amazing. His tongue flickered against her convulsing passage before sweeping up to flutter over her aching clit. As her hips pumped utterly out of her control, he continued to torment the apex of her pleasure and slowly began to work one thick finger into her narrow opening. When he added a second finger, Meredith arched and shuddered into her climax. * Tony felt her silken sheath contracting on his fingers, and practically shot in his pants. She came in silence, and he found himself filled with a burning desire to make her gasp, to moan, to scream out her pleasure. Before she could come down he latched on to the little bud of flesh that tempted him so unmercifully. With just a few hard sucks and a few flutters of his fingers, he felt the tension in her body ramp up again until she was straining against his mouth and clutching at him all over again. * “I didn‟t give you permission to come.” His voice rumbled against her wet flesh, sending aftershocks of sensation through her body. It felt so good, so right, it took her several seconds to understand what he‟d said. “Permission?” Her voice was lower, huskier than usual, but it was completely level. She stiffened, jerking her leg from his shoulder and smacking at him until she could slide from in between him and the wall. “Permission?” Okay, she admitted, maybe her voice wasn‟t completely level, but for God‟s sake… Who was this man to come into her office, assault her—no matter how much she might have liked it—and then say she needed permission to orgasm?
“Look, Mr. Renatto,” he rose to his feet as she stalked back to her desk. Meredith studiously ignored the pulsing erection readily visible behind his button fly. “Your company has done an admirable job so far on the Convention Center. That is the only reason you still have the contract.” She sat, refusing to acknowledge the sensation of her skirt on her bare butt. “I have some serious concerns about your crew,” she refused to remember the sights and sounds of their rough carnality, “and after today, I have some concerns about you, too.” She stopped for breath, satisfied she had once again brought the situation under control. Okay, so she‟d had a lapse in judgment. It had been a stressful day. First walking into the live sex show at the job site, then walking in on Marcus and Carrie and their afterglow. Then facing her greatest fantasy, and feeling his lips on her. His hands stroking. The whip of his voice… Oh, God, better not go there. Tony returned to his chair. He met her eyes squarely. She‟d noticed that about him: he always looked her in the eye. When he was sure he had her attention, he leaned forward to speak. “If you‟d had concerns about the crew, you wouldn‟t have stood there creaming those lacy little panties while they fucked.” She knew she flinched at the crude language, but he didn‟t seem to notice. “If you had concerns about me, you wouldn‟t have let me bury my tongue in your hot little pussy and drink down all your sweet cream.” A tide of red washed over her face, and that too was ignored. “If you‟re scared, Ms. Worthington, just say so. I won‟t give you more than you can take.” Meredith felt her eyes widen. This was not how she‟d expected the conversation to go. “Your job is to trust me.” Not in a million years, she thought. “My job is to give you what you need.” It was a tempting thought, far too tempting. But she was very much afraid no one could give her what she truly needed. **** The phone‟s shrill ring jerked Meredith from a sound sleep. She flailed around, momentarily disoriented, before grabbing the offending receiver and answering. “Ms. Worthington?” She didn‟t recognize the male voice on the other end of the line. “This is Bill Murphy, at the Convention Center site. We‟ve had some trouble here over night, and the insurance company is on the way out. They need someone from Central Office here, and Mr. Worthington was unavailable.” By the time he finished speaking, Meredith was out of bed and pulling trousers and blouse from the closet. The idea something might be wrong at the building site put a lump in her stomach. Marcus had gone off the deep end and once again he‟d done it just in time to jeopardize the business. She froze at a sudden, sickening thought. “Was anybody hurt?” She was sure Tony Renatto was fine. She wasn‟t asking because of him. Really. “Oh, yeah,” the caller sounded taken aback by her question. She knew she had a reputation as an
ice queen, but did he really think she didn‟t care if people were injured while working on her project? The idea hurt, and that surprised her. “No,” he added, “no injuries. Uh,” he stuttered a bit, and seemed to stop and listen to someone nearby. “Right, you just need to get down here, as soon as possible.” “I‟m on my way,” she replied, voice grim. * Tony slapped his foreman on the back. “Excellent job, Bill.” The man smiled doubtfully. “She sounded pretty pissed,” he commented. “She‟s not gonna fire me for lying to her, is she?” Tony hid a smile. Bill Murphy was an incredible foreman, totally in control and command of everything that happened on his job site. But faced with a woman, especially the woman who signed his paycheck, Bill became a stuttering middle-schooler. “Bill, if she gets pissed at anyone, it‟ll be me. Don‟t worry, you‟ll be long gone before she gets here.” The other man nodded and seemed quite happy to immediately be on his way. Tony was just as happy to see him go—he had preparations to make. Whistling a jaunty tune, he opened a duffle bag and began removing things. The first items out were the leather straps. Chapter 5 The first thing Meredith noticed was the lack of emergency vehicles. Actually, the lack of any vehicles. Frowning, she picked her way over various beams and tools, looking for the trouble that would require the presence of insurance agents and the owners of the property. Nothing. She moved further into the building, listening intently. There. A soft scrape sounded in the distance. As she followed the noise she rolled her eyes at herself.If I were in some slasher film, this is the part where the evil killer would creep out behind meand cut me to ribbons . She sighed.And it would serve me right for wandering around in here all alone. Pulling out her cell phone, she considered for a moment who she might call. Marcus was probably still busily poking at poor Carrie, so he was obviously not going to be any help. It was before noon, so she didn‟t imagine Matthew had dragged his sorry butt out of bed yet. With a sense of dawning depression, Meredith realized she didn‟t have any friends who were close enough to bother this early in the morning. She put the phone away without bothering to flip it open. Well, she knew better than to count on anyone anyway. The noise got louder as she rounded a corner, then it stopped suddenly. With a growing sense of discomfort, Meredith recognized the area where she‟d witnessed yesterday‟s carnal lunch
interlude. Just as she was about to turn and head for the exit, someone grabbed her from behind, capturing both wrists in one hand and quickly binding them in front of her with some sort of plastic zip tie. Shock rendered her momentarily immobile, but it wore off quickly, and with it her silence. Drawing a deep, gasping breath, Meredith screamed for all she was worth. Screamed like she hadn‟t since she was a child, ducking the blows her father gifted her with when he noticed her existence. Thrashing and kicking, she knew she got in a few good hits when her captor grunted behind her and wrapped his body around her more securely. Something about the large, hard body felt so right, so familiar it shocked her out of her panic. Writhing wildly, she managed to turn her head enough to see his face. He wore a black leather mask. It covered his whole face, almost like a wrestler‟s costume, with narrow slits at his eyes, nose and mouth. Below it, his chest was bare, exposing whorls of silky black chest hair and daunting looking muscles. The goth-bondage-serial-killer look was finished off with black leather pants dripping with silver zippers and chains, and black biker boots. “Hush, Princess.” If she hadn‟t recognized his voice, the endearment would have done it. “I will never hurt you,” he slid one gloved finger down her cheek, and she turned her head and snapped at it viciously. He just chuckled deeply, the sound vibrating through her body where he had it pressed against him. “Aren‟t you just the feisty little thing?” He breathed hotly in her ear. “How anybody ever mistook you for an Ice Princess…” he trailed away with a smile as she bared her teeth at his glowing brown eyes, which were just visible through two narrow openings in his mask. “Your safe word is frost,” she went stiff at the mention of a safe word. Those were for the kind of sex Marcus had. What did Anthony intend to do to her? “If at any time things get too intense, too scary, you say frost, and I‟ll stop. No arguments. No hesitations.” He tipped her chin up and met her eyes somberly. “If you use the word, I‟ll stop and we‟ll talk it out.” Her body sang with adrenaline, and she felt a surge of rage began to emerge. Damn it. She was a powerful executive at the Fortune 500 company bearing her name. She was a good person, kind to animals and small children. She never got in trouble, never caused waves. Now, in less than twenty-four hours she‟d been turned on by witnessing gay sex, definitely not something to fit in her conservative image; she‟d lost track of her sex-fiend brother … and his secretary; she‟d had the most incredible orgasm of her life at the hands and mouth of an employee who also happened to be her one secret fantasy; and now, she was being abducted by that very same employee, dressed as a totally sexy goth-bondage-sicko who planned to do only God knew what to her. Even more horrifying, beneath the anger was a kernel of something entirely different. Something soft and hot glowed in the pit of her belly. * The Meredith Worthington who entered the job site Saturday morning was a very different woman than the one who‟d entered the previous afternoon. Obviously she‟d dressed in a hurry. Her khaki capris and black sleeveless top matched well enough, but her black hair stood up in tousled spikes around her elfin face, and she wore no make-up. Somehow her mussed hair and
innocent face made her even more irresistible to Tony, and he felt his cock grow in response. Her panic had been so genuine and so obvious he‟d had to give her some reassurance. His whispered words hadn‟t been a part of the plan, but in the face of her fear he‟d realized a woman with his Princess‟s need for control would never be able to handle a blind abduction without something to hold on to. And she‟d needed a safe word. He‟d felt the tension relax just slightly when he‟d given it to her. Moving around in front of her, he took her bound hands and lifted them over her head. He quickly attached them to a hook screwed into one of the exposed beams of the unfinished ceiling, and then stood back to admire his work. She stood, not quite on tiptoe, stretched out for his enjoyment. The position made her top ride up, and her pants ride down, exposing a slice of creamy white belly. Bending, he licked a warm path across her bare skin, eliciting a shriek of rage as she began kicking and struggling again. She was perfect. “You won‟t get away with this!” Her smooth, modulated voice had given way to a snarl. “You will get caught, and I will personally make sure you spend the rest of your short and miserable life in jail.” He didn‟t respond, other than to wander around behind her, trailing his rough fingers over her bare flesh. She wasn‟t saying no, and she wasn‟t using the safe word. “You‟ll be some convict named Guido‟s bitch, and every time he bends you over, you‟ll think of me.” The longer he remained silent, the less confident her voice became, until she finally trailed off entirely. He was almost sorry when she stopped. He much preferred this passionate, feisty Meredith to the pale ghost he‟d met with in her office. This woman had fire, though she‟d buried it deep, and he intended to throw gasoline on it. Once she‟d gone silent, Tony reached into his back pocket and pulled out a length of black satin. He drew the cloth over her cheek, her collarbone, and then in one practiced movement wrapped it around her eyes, tying it tight in the back. Then he stood back, well out of the reach of her kicking feet, until she‟d calmed again. Well, he mused, he had wanted to make her scream herself raw. This just wasn‟t exactly how he‟d planned it. * Meredith stood breathing raggedly, little whimpers coming on the heels of each exhalation. She felt too drained to fight, too confused to know if she really wanted to fight. He‟d bound her, blindfolded her, trussed her up like a fricking Thanksgiving turkey, but his touch had been strangely tender. The heat he radiated threatened to melt the ice she‟d encased her emotions in. And he smelled so good. He dropped to his knees and lifted the hem of her shirt. She went stiff, but didn‟t fight as he rubbed the leather of his mask over her midriff in an oddly affectionate gesture, sending little chills over her skin. When he popped the button of her pants she couldn‟t hold back a small cry. Softly, tentatively she asked, “Are you going to hurt me?” And then was ashamed of herself for
giving him so much power. His answer was to peel her pants and panties off with one smooth movement, pausing only to remove her leather sandals when they got in the way. His hands on her legs were gentle, and she felt a tiny bit more of her fear recede. Standing, he pulled the hem of her top along with him until it was dragged up her arms, and tucked it behind her neck, exposing her for his pleasure. He made a small sound and traced one finger over the patterned lace of her bra before popping the front clasp open and setting her breasts free. Now entirely bare to his gaze, Meredith could do nothing but wait for his next move. * God she was lovely. He‟d known she would be. Had even seen bits and pieces of her. But this, her bare and stretched out in his bonds, was beyond anything he could have imagined. Her skin was milky white and free of blemish. Her ass rounded and firm. He pictured her white, white ass flushed pink from his hand … from his flogger … and felt his cock surge so hard it all but busted his zipper. He wanted to dominate her completely. To own her pleasure. But he knew, this first time at least, he had to go carefully. She had too many barriers, too many fears. They were like a mine field he had to pick through to find the warm, passionate woman they guarded. If he could just get her to trust him enough, he could give her everything. Everything her body could take. And in pleasuring her, his own fulfillment would be shattering. * He wasn‟t touching her, but she knew he was there. She could feel his heat, and his enticing scent, musk and man, surrounded her. A rustle, a soft plop, and his lips touched her shoulder. When she felt rough skin and silky hair brush across the back of her neck she realized he‟d removed the mask. She wasn‟t sure what to expect, but he began stroking her … with his tongue. It was as if she were his favorite candy; he licked light paths up her neck and down her spine, graceful wings over her shoulder blades. She heard his knees hit the ground again, and then he was tracing his tongue along the lower curve of her buttocks before lightly biting at the firm globes. She knew she should be afraid, angry, fighting him, but instead she felt flushed with languorous pleasure. When he licked the back of each knee, she whimpered again, but not in distress. What he was doing felt so good, and tied as she was, she was utterly at his mercy. And somehow the fact that no matter what, this was one situation she just couldn‟t control, left her almost lightheaded with relief. He moved around her again, kneeling at her feet. She felt the brush of his hair on her belly a moment before his tongue found her navel, flicking nerve endings to life. He trailed the damp caress down until he tickled the neatly trimmed thatch of curls guarding her most secret flesh. He gave a soft grunt when he discovered the moisture there, enough moisture to pearl on the delicate whorls of hair.
Instead of burying his tongue in her pussy which, she admitted in the privacy of her mind, is what she wanted him to do, he stood to lap at her nipples. Hands spread wide over her back, he pressed her into his mouth, sucking one nipple greedily into his mouth, and then the other. Bringing his hands around, he cupped her breasts, kneading in time with his suction. His caresses were rough, almost painful, and they filled her with heat. She felt her nipples elongate into his mouth, her breasts swell into his palms. Her pussy pulsed and dripped with moisture. With a sudden sense of bemusement she realized that this is what Marcus did. He tied his women up, and in pleasuring them he found his own satisfaction. She could almost understand how he‟d need this. Marcus was about as alpha as a man could get, and he‟d always found his greatest satisfaction in taking care of others. She could see that carrying into his sexual life—the need to take care of his partner. It was more difficult to reconcile her willingness to let this virtual stranger, a man whose hands were so tender and so familiar, take care of her. If anything, Meredith would have assumed she would need to be the dominant partner. The one making the decisions. The one in control. Why, then, was she savoring every moment this man kept her bound and helpless to his hands and mouth? What did it say about her that, instead of being the caretaker, she was being taken care of? Thankfully, Tony chose that moment to distract her by beginning to lick and suck at her neck. The contact was shockingly arousing, and she found herself tilting her head to give him better access, and arching into his mouth. After several heated minutes of warm, wet kisses, he nipped at the point where her shoulder met her neck, causing her to jump and gasp. Gathering what was left of her wits she choked out, “Unless you plan to murder me when you‟re done, could you please not leave any hickeys where someone could see them on Monday?” His laughter huffed against her skin, and she felt oddly pleased she‟d caused it. * God, she was delicious, luscious, edible beyond words. She was so strong, so resilient, and at some level he knew she recognized his place in her life because she was so responsive. With one last lingering lick over her arching neck, Tony brought his lips to hers, sucking her lower lip between his own, toying with it with teeth and tongue. “Tony…” her voice was sharp with irritation. He could well imagine her shredding impertinent employees with her icy tone of voice. “Why the hell are you doing this? No,” she added before he could respond, “don‟t answer.” She gritted her teeth so hard he expected to see them crack. “Let me go, Tony. If you let me go now, we can both walk away and it‟ll be like this never happened.” “Beautiful Ariel, my little Princess,” he kept his voice soft, caressing. “You know you can‟t pretend this never happened. And even if you could, I could never pretend I don‟t know the taste of your lips, your nipples, your…” he stroked one finger through her lush wetness, “amazingly sweet little pussy. And I wouldn‟t want to.”
She moaned in response, and Tony brought his face next to hers, caressing her cheek with his own. “Remember the rules, Princess. You must ask for what you want. If you can‟t take what I‟m giving, then say the safe word.” Her head fell to his shoulder as she whispered, “Why, Tony? Why are you doing this to me?” He could tell she was terrified, her body trembling, her control slipping. These were uncharted waters for her. It was up to him to help her find her way. “Princess,” his voice was a low purr against her skin. “Have you forgotten the rules already?” He allowed his hand to squeeze one firm ass cheek warningly. Meredith tensed, refusing to open her mouth. Tony was a patient man. His fingers tiptoed lightly across the bare flesh of her spine. She arched into his touch, silently asking for more, but he kept it light. His breath whispered along her shoulders, her slim muscles bunching under her growing need. “Fine,” she finally exploded, her voice fire and ice. “Why,Anthony? Why the hell are you doing this to me?” Her voice was like venom. Good, he thought with satisfaction, at least it was an honest reaction, not a cold calculated, practiced line. And at least she didn‟t sound afraid anymore. “Princess, I‟m doing this because it‟s what you want.” “It‟s what I…” Her tirade was cut off as Tony‟s hand connected with her ass. The smack wasn‟t hard, it was merely to gain her attention and cut off her impending tirade. Her yelp of surprise gave Tony a reason to nip her ear. “You have been in charge for so long, I know you‟re tired, Princess. I see it. It‟s in your eyes.” He watched her swallow at his words and continued to press her. “Give yourself over to me. Now, in this moment, let me give you what you really crave.” Tony ran his tongue over the pulse in her neck. Her breath hitched, and he smiled as he bit down a little harder, careful to not leave a mark. He would honor her request and save that particular pleasure for more private parts of her body. “I promise to take care of you, Meredith.” His hands slid up her ribcage. She was swaying back and forth, into and away from his touch. Her inner war played out across her stunning face. “I will take you where you‟ve always dreamed of going, but could never go on your own. Say the words I need to hear, Princess, and the world is yours.” Unable to resist, he leaned in, nipping her bottom lip and stroking it with his tongue.
* He was seducing her with his words, making her want nothing more than to give over to him. And suddenly she realized she could. She could let him touch her, let herself lose control completely. She could do this because he‟d tied her up. She had no choice. She could walk away afterward without a single regret or backward glance because it wasn‟t her fault. The realization was freeing, and she didn‟t fight when he slid his hands down the length of her torso to curl around her ass cheeks. When one long, rough finger probed from behind before slipping into her creamy sheath, she moaned out loud, but not in protest. “Yes.” Meredith couldn‟t bring her voice to above a whisper. She was holding back tears. Could she trust this man? Her head told her no. Hell, no! But her soul, her weary, battle-scarred soul, wanted to, and in the end she gave in to the most wounded part of herself. Her spirit needed healing, even if only for a few hours. “Please, Anthony, give me what I need.” She heard his growl as he ripped off the blindfold. His dark eyes delved into hers, and she knew he was looking for any sign of doubt. Oh, she had plenty of doubts. Most of her life was lived with doubt. But not this moment. In this moment, Meredith found herself completely sure of one thing. She wanted this man, and she was going to let him take her. She lowered her eyes. “Anthony, please,” she gave over completely, “don‟t make me beg.” He was on her lightening fast, locking his mouth to hers in a kiss so scorching it knocked the breath from her lungs. When he pulled back, Meredith moaned from the disappointment. Tony stood back from her, cupping her cheek with the palm of his hand, running his thumb across her swollen lips. His jovial expression was gone, in its place a serious mask. The look he gave her shot a secret kind of thrill down her spine. “You‟ve given yourself to me, Princess. Body, mind and heart.” She shivered as he walked over to a black bag on the floor. Bending over and giving her a delicious view of his round, tight ass in the black leathers, he retrieved a set of leather straps from the bag. Meredith felt the sweat break out on the nape of her neck. She hadn‟t noticed how warm the room was until just now. He eased back to her, going to his knees. “Spread your legs for me, Princess.” She started to raise her eyebrow but the blaze in those brown eyes stopped her. Slowly she moved her legs apart. Tony gripped one ankle and wrapped a leather strap around it. Securing it
tightly but not uncomfortably, he pulled her leg out more to her side and tied the loose end to another hook, this one screwed into the floor. He repeated the procedure with her other leg, so she was wide open and exposed, and very uncertain. This was so far out of her comfort zone that the safe word popped into her head, but pride made her hold it back. Tony stood up, going over to the bag again. This time he brought it back and plopped it down in front of her. Leaning over, he pulled out a thin gold chain. Meredith felt herself freeze as she recognized what was on both ends of the chain. Tony rose, and she knew her horror was written clearly on her face. “Oh, Princess. You have to trust I won‟t hurt you. I would never harm you.” He leaned in and brushed his mouth over her forehead. Gripping the back of her neck, he tugged her head up to look at him. “Meredith, there is a difference. Men who hurt their women, whether it‟s a wife or a daughter, are the worst sorts of cowards. They‟re beneath contempt. What we share and what you‟ve experienced in your past aren‟t remotely the same.” Meredith‟s jaw dropped in shock.How the hell does he know ? And then she deliberately stiffened her spine. She would not be pitied. She‟d survived the past. It was over. Suddenly, to her increased horror, a stray tear managed to slip out. Tony‟s warm tongue licked it away, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. “Princess, I‟m going to show you. Remember you always have an out. I am a man of my word. If you say the word, I‟ll stop.” Meredith eyed the delicate chain. True, she was scared, but her body had gone soft. The idea of him putting the thing on her made her thighs throb, her nipples stand at attention. Her body was telling her to trust him, to take what he offered. “I‟m going to suck you now, Princess.” He wasn‟t asking permission, he just leaned down and wrapped his lips around one stiff peak. Meredith‟s head lolled back. He was much rougher than before, biting and nipping before soothing with his tongue. He played with her until her entire breast was swollen, begging for something more. Meredith knew what the more was. She wanted him to clamp her, wanted to feel the bite of pain. He reached up one hand and palmed her neglected breast. He spent seemingly endless amounts of time playing with her, pulling at her nipple, pinching it between his finger and thumb, manipulating her supple flesh. Her pussy wept with arousal; she wanted him so deep inside her she‟d forget her own name. He stood up and, clasping one breast like an offering, he kissed her nipple almost reverently and placed the clamp on. As he let go and the clamp bit into her Meredith cried out. It hurt, but as the
seconds ticked by the pain subsided, leaving her with a heady kind of need. He quickly clamped her other nipple, then soothed both, licking the very tips with his tongue. Tony moved back a few feet. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her. “Fuck, but you‟re beautiful, Princess. Tied and wet and ready for me.” Meredith‟s chest heaved at his words. He was the most seductive man in the world. She wanted to giggle as she realized he was smoother even than Daniel Ellis, and that was saying something. “Tell me, Meredith. Tell me how you‟re feeling.” * Tony watched her hesitate at his question; it made her uncomfortable. That was good; he wanted her to be uncomfortable. Off balance. He wasn‟t giving her the chance to think about any of this. The more she talked about how she felt, the easier getting through to her would be. He stalked back up to her, hooking a finger under the chain now suspended between her breasts. He tugged lightly, pulling her nipples away from her body. Her whimpers became sharp cries. He smiled. She would be screaming his name before he was though with her. God help him if she ever found out she had the power to bring him to his knees. “Tell me! What does your body feel right now?” Easier to keep her concentrating on the physical, not the emotional where her real pain was housed. “Empty. I feel empty.” When she stopped, he demanded, “More!” He tugged a little harder on the chain. She moaned and his cock jumped. He would never tire of her voice. He‟d bet she never even realized how sexy and smoky it became when she was aroused. “I ache, all over, but especially between my legs.” He pushed his finger just inside her slit, running it slightly up and down. “Right here? Is this where you ache?” She nodded her head and he stopped his hand. “Tell me, Princess.” “Yes, Anthony, yes, right there. Please…” “Please what?” “Please don‟t stop touching me.” Her voice was breathless and Tony increased the pace of his finger. He knew her pussy so well; hell, he‟d never forgotten the feel of it against his hand. She clasped him so tight, a perfect fit.
Her cries became little mews as he pushed his middle finger deep into her channel. Her silver eyes opened wide as he plunged into her, grinding the heel of his palm against her clit. He pulled out his middle finger and replaced it with his first finger. His wet middle finger explored beyond her wet entrance. He tapped at her tight rear opening. * Meredith couldn‟t help but to squeeze her butt together as Tony probed her rear entry. She had never, ever considered letting someone touch her there, let alone do more than touch. Without removing his hungry finger, he bent down and retrieved a tube from his bag. She watched in anticipation and apprehension as he removed his hand from her and spread the clear lube all over his fingers. “Don‟t close yourself to me, Princess,” he whispered, holding her face with one hand, while he brought his other back between her thighs. He plunged his thick finger back into her pussy, the extra lube making it that much easier to slide through her clenching muscles. Her greedy cunt grabbed his finger, pulling it deeper. She stiffened again as she felt his middle finger beginning to probe her anus. “Open, Meredith.” He commanded though clenched teeth, his face directly in front of hers. “Anthony…” his name with a hushed whisper. She felt like she was telling him her deepest, darkest secret. “I‟m so afraid.” “I will know every part of you, Princess. You will never hide anything from me.” His eyes delved into hers, and beneath the seething passion she glimpsed such a well of emotion it destroyed all her barriers. “I keep telling you, I willnever hurt you. Never.” He leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. “I won‟t stop proving myself to you, Princess,” he was whispering now, too, right against her lips. “And one day you‟ll trust me enough to believe me.” She clamped her lower lip between her teeth as his finger breached the tight ring of muscles. “Just relax, bear down and breathe through it, Meredith.” Meredith relaxed her back, letting him slide his wicked finger in and out of her ass, his palm digging into her clit. The finger deep inside her pussy bent toward the front of her body. He pushed and pulled and scraped her insides, until she felt something new. She couldn‟t hold back the cry as he seemed to recognize what he‟d found and explored it thoroughly. Oh God, was this her G-spot? No, couldn‟t be, she‟d read it was nothing more than a myth. But this was fucking real, this pleasure exquisite, mind-blowing. Tony‟s hand moved in and out of both entrances in earnest, now. His other hand went from her face to the chain holding the clamps. He tugged hard this time, and jerked a sharp cry out of her. She didn‟t recognize her own voice as lightning seemed to zig-zag throughout her body.
“Oh God, Oh God,” she chanted, completely out of control. Tony chuckled, but it sounded tight and strained. “Ask me, Princess. Ask me for what you need. Hurry, before I have to punish you.” “Please, Anthony, I need to come. God, please let me come.” Meredith didn‟t care if she sounded desperate. The absolute truth was, shewas desperate. “Princess,” he purred against her neck. “That‟s perfect. I want you to come hard for me. Show me how good it feels.” Tony tugged harder on the chain while plunging both fingers into her body as deeply as he could. She rose up on tiptoes as her legs began shaking. The orgasm started all the way at the top of her head and shot like a cannon down to her toes. Her screams echoed off the bare walls. * “Dammit!” Tony shouted as he watched his Fairy Princess explode all over his hand. He‟d been right; she was fire, a torrent of heat and light. His control snapped. Fuck, no woman had ever done this to him. He prided himself on his patience and ability to wait out anyone. It‟s why he was so successful in bidding on contracts. And what made him such a good Dom. But this one fragile, uptight, totally ethereal creature in front of him utterly destroyed him. Made him forget everything he‟d ever striven for. He came from a long line of romantics, had grown up on stories of true love conquering all. The first moment he‟d seen her, Tony had known he would give up everything for this woman. The little devil living in his head laughed.And can you say she will do the same? He ignored the voice as he stepped behind Meredith, his shaky hands traveling down her spine. Retrieving the condom from his front pocket he only managed to shove the pants down to his knees before clumsily rolling it into place. Placing the tip of his cock at her entrance, he wrapped one hand around her neck, gently pulling her back to him. “Tell me what you need, Princess.” His voice was a harsh whisper. He wanted her to beg him, dammit. He wanted her on her knees. Aching, wanting, needing what only he could provide. He was angry, he realized, angry at her fucking family for damaging her so, angry at Meredith for not recognizing what she was to him, and angry at himself for becoming so lost in this woman. “Anthony, I need … I need … Oh God, Anthony, I need you.” “Christ,” he whispered as he pushed himself inside of her, relishing the clasp of her wet walls as he delved deeper. She was just as tight as she‟d been five years ago, just as hot. Tony leaned back and pumped into her, steadily picking up his pace. He grabbed her hips hard. Her small moan
didn‟t deter him. In fact, it spurred him on even more. If it were possible, he‟d fuck her ghosts away. Make her forget a past no child should have, prove to her she was worth far more than that fucking company she was obsessed with. Tony wrapped both his hands around her ribcage, tilting her forward a bit. His right hand slid down to tap at her pussy, spanking it with a sharp rap then smoothing over it and rubbing her clit. He did it again and again, basking in her cries, until her mound was as hot on the outside as it was on the inside. He bit her nape and sucked hard, not caring she would have to wear a high collar to cover up his mark. Hell, hewanted her to wear his mark, to show the world she fucking belonged to him. He thrust furiously, amazed when her body softened even more, when she became even slicker, easier to slide in and out of. Once he‟d broken through those barriers, he‟d freed a strong willed woman whose appetites matched his own. He‟d unleashed a Goddess in Gucci. His legs tightened as his balls went flat against his body. His cock increased in length and girth. Tony pinched her clit and tugged at the clamps. “Now, Meredith. Come for me now!” She threw her head back, grinding it against his chest and let loose the most amazing, most beautiful scream he‟d ever heard. Her inner muscles clenched him again and again, until he finally had to give in, pumping into her over and over until finally he was empty. Chapter 6 The silence was deafening, broken only by their ragged breaths. Tony held her tightly to his chest, kissing her gently, rubbing her hips. His thumbprints were already showing up against her milky flesh. A small tinge of regret filled him; he hadn‟t meant to bruise her. She pushed him to a place he‟d only ever read about: A perfect state of nirvana, where two bodies truly became one. Where the pleasure of one extended directly into the other. He‟d felt every quiver, every muscle clench that trembled through Meredith. He‟d thought this other space was a fable, or at best a place his subs escaped to when the pleasure got too intense. Hell, nothing about this experience had gone as planned. Instead of Dominating Meredith, he felt like he‟d been vanquished. His Princess. His woman. Reluctantly he released her, steadying her when her legs threatened to buckle. Kneeling at her feet, he released her legs from the straps. He didn‟t try to meet her eyes. He wasn‟t sure if he was ready for such intimacy yet, and he imagined she sure as hell wasn‟t ready either. Standing, he lowered her hands from the hook, sliced the zip tie open with his small pocketknife and freed her hands. Finally looking into her face, Tony ducked an instant too late to avoid the fist that connected with his chin, sending him in an ignominious sprawl on the floor. Flexing his jaw a bit, he looked appreciatively at the delicate little princess who‟d just knocked him on his ass.
She stood over him, glorious in her nudity, looking defiant and appalled all at once. The combination was so adorable and, he acknowledged, his behavior had been so reprehensible, he couldn‟t dig up any irritation with her. He‟d deserved the shot, and she‟d needed to give it. Clearly his Princess had never been allowed to defend herself, and Tony was determined not to become another in a long list of men who abused, neglected, and just generally walked all over her. Still, he couldn‟t let her get the wrong impression. Drawing his face into stern lines that made a light of apprehension glow in her eyes, he climbed to his feet. “I‟ll give you that one,” he rumbled in his most threatening voice, “because I scared you.” Her lush little mouth trembled, then firmed and she lifted her chin. He allowed the faintest hint of a smile to quirk the corner of his mouth. “And because the only time I insist you submit to me completely is when we‟re having sex.” Those gleaming silver eyes narrowed. “Outside the bedroom,” he cast an amused glance around them, “or the construction site,” he grinned at her lady-like little growl, “I want your fire. I want you to express your opinions, to put me in my place. A confident, powerful woman is wicked sexy, sweetheart.” She faced him, still silent, and her eyes searched his. It tore at his heart how she so obviously wanted to believe him, and was so obviously afraid to. Then and there Tony vowed that wherever this little adventure might go, Meredith Worthington would never have reason to regret putting her trust in him. * He produced a black button-down shirt from the backpack he‟d stashed around a corner and, after packing up his straps and clamps, he insisted in taking her home to feed her. She was stunned and a little bemused to realize it was long after noon by the time she was cleaned up and dressed. He‟d spent literally hours tormenting her into orgasm after orgasm, until her body was one giant, trembling throb. She was still wobbly on her feet when he helped her into his Ford F150, a sensation she remembered well from their night at Velvet Ice. She wondered if she‟d feel him just as strongly tomorrow as she had the day after all those years ago. His house wasn‟t at all what she would have expected, if she‟d ever thought about it. Unlike her condo, which was done in pale, sophisticated elegance, Tony‟s house was a real home, filled with pictures and clutter. The wall above the fireplace held a large oil painting of the Tuscan countryside. When she paused to gaze admiringly at it, Tony commented casually his youngest sister, Theresa, had
painted it for him as a housewarming gift after they‟d spent the winter touringItaly one year. Meredith blinked at the idea of taking a vacation with one of her brothers. Even BK, Before Karen, it would never have entered her mind. His living room was furnished in oversized, overstuffed chairs and sofas that seemed to lure the weary body to sit and relax. Each piece of furniture was draped with hand-knitted afghans, which Tony explained had been knitted by his mother, aunts, and his Nona, the family matriarch. He paused to stroke one lovingly, and added, “My Nona, my Grandma, she doesn‟t like to think of her bambinos out on their own. So she makes us lots of blankets, to keep us safe and warm.” Meredith hadn‟t known either of her grandmothers. Or even her mother, for that matter. He led her into the kitchen, and seated her at a large, gorgeous butcher-block table. Before her amazed eyes, he began dragging ingredients from the refrigerator and cupboards, and assembling a meal of huge sandwiches and soup which was obviously homemade. “I suppose Nona contributed this, too,” Meredith commented as she spooned the spicy sausageand-potato filled stew into her mouth. “Nope,” Tony surprised her once again. “I made this myself.” He sent her a devilish wink. “I had to keep busy somehow while I was making my evil plans to ravish you.” Meredith knew that just a few hours before, she‟d have flayed him in his seat for making fun of her. Now she just rolled her eyes at his teasing, and took another bite of soup. It was truly exceptional. * Tony loved the way she looked in his house. Hell, he loved the way she lookedat his house, as if she‟d never seen family mementos before and each one was a precious treasure. But then, he thought, remembering her father, she probably hadn‟t ever seen family mementos before. The realization just made him more determined to make her a part of his own family. She was beginning to relax with him, and he found her dry humor delightful. She was smart, but she was also quick, and a quick wit was sexy as hell. “So,” she drawled, sliding her spoon into her mouth upside down, and sucking a last drop of broth between those delectable lips. “Now that you‟ve abducted me, what do you intend to do with me?” Her face was calm, her lips even tilted a little, but he could see a faint glimmer of apprehension swimming deep in her eyes. He sighed a bit, and reminded himself he was a patient man, and had known from the beginning this seduction would take time. “Well,” he removed the spoon from her hand and scooped up a stray bit of potato from her bowl onto his finger. “I thought I‟d spend the day fucking you,” he popped his soup-glazed finger between her lips before she could protest, “and maybe even making love to you.” Her eyes narrowed on him, but her lips closed over his finger, sucking lightly. Her eyes might be narrowed, but his nearly crossed at the sensation of Meredith‟s soft little tongue licking over him like a flame.
When he finally drew his hand free, an act of self-defense, she tilted her head and regarded him warily. “So,” her voice had taken on a smoky quality again. The one that shot his cock harder than a Louisville Slugger. “Do I have any say in this plan of yours?” Tony had to take a minute and remind himself who the Dom here was. All she had to do was run her tongue over her pouty lower lip, and he was ready to fall at her feet. “Well?” He realized he‟d been silent too long, caught up in the sight, the sound, and the scent of her. Finally in his home, where she belonged. “Yeah,” he rasped, once he remembered the question. “You have a choice.” His voice was a little firmer, now. “You get to decide if I fuck you first,” he leaned over the table so his last words were whispered against her lips. “Or if we make love.” He watched the shadows in her eyes, and for a moment he allowed himself to hope. And when she whispered back, “Then, fuck me, Anthony. Please,” he told himself he wasn‟t disappointed. After all, it had been a win-win situation, right? * The phone woke her. Not her land-line. No, this was the obnoxious, demanding ring of her cell phone, informing her that big brother was commanding her attention. Meredith started to sit up, and felt a flash of panic when she couldn‟t move. The panic was quickly replaced by a warm, melty feeling when she realized the reason she couldn‟t move was the six feet and some odd inches of gorgeous, toned man draped over her. Opening her eyes, she took in the sight of him. He slept sprawled on his stomach, one arm draped over her waist, one leg slung over her thighs. It almost looked like he was afraid she‟d sneak out in the night. Well, she had to admit, it might have been a distinct possibility. That is, if she‟d been able to move by the time he was through with her. Somewhere in the darkest hours of the night, he‟d tied her up again, torturing her with soft licks and caresses, and then stunning her with sharp smacks leaving her skin hot and red. He‟d licked away the sting, inflaming her beyond all control. He‟d been fiercely dominant and had used her body until she was exhausted and as limp as an overcooked spaghetti noodle. Damn, she could feel him all over her. The tenderness on her breasts and thighs, reminders of his afternoon beard. The swollen sensitivity of her mouth and nipples, testament to his rough sucking kisses. The almost painful sensitivity between her legs, a throbbing memento of his rough and repeated possession. He‟d claimed his plan for the day was to fuck her, and that‟s what he‟d done. Endlessly.
Meredith heaved a sigh when she realized instead of leaving a message, Marcus was just hitting re-dial, waiting for her to pick up. Dammit. He was having his little fling with Carrie this weekend. Couldn‟t he leave her alone? Of course, he had no reason to expect he was interrupting anything. Hell, it had been five years since there‟d been anything to interrupt! Making a frustrated face, Meredith leaned as far off the bed as she could without falling, and snagged her purse from a nearby chair. The phone began its infernal wailing again as she dragged it free. She felt Tony stir against her as she snapped it open. “Yes, Marcus.” Odd, she thought, how her voice didn‟t sound any different. “Meredith. Where the fuck have you been?” She raised her eyebrows and looked down at the phone. That most certainly did not sound like her older brother. “It‟s,” she paused to look at the blinking red numbers on the clock-radio next to the bed, “tenfifteen on Sunday morning. I believe you informed me you‟d be unreachable all weekend.” She glanced over at the man who was currently attempting to burrow into the spot where her shoulder met her neck. “I expected you‟d be too busy to call.” “Meredith, stop being such a fucking ice-bitch and listen to me.” Now her brows flew up, and her eyes widened. Marcus hadn‟t raised his voice to her since the night he‟d all but called her a whore outside of Velvet Ice. Later she might note the irony that she‟d been reeling from the sensation of Tony‟s body in hers then, too. Now, she felt her whole body go stiff, and felt Tony‟s grumbled argument when she started pushing her way out of his arms. “Marcus,” she kept her voice level because if she didn‟t, she might just begin screaming at him. The rage seemed to come from nowhere, but she knew it had been inside her all along, just waiting for the fuse to be lit. “I know you think you have a good reason to attack me, but trust me, big brother, you don‟t ever want to go there again.” The phone was silent for a moment, except for his ragged breathing. “Call Matt and tell him to get his ass into the office tomorrow. I won‟t be there.” He wasn‟t yelling, but his voice was raw, and Meredith felt her anxiety growing. Marcus didn‟t yell at her, and he didn‟t call her names. And he never skipped work because of something in his personal life. She felt a little of her anger crack under the weight of her concern. “Marc,” she let the ice melt from her voice. “Tell me what‟s going on.” Now her brother, the quintessential alpha male and Dom most famous for his control in the entire Metro-Detroit area did yell. “Just tell Matty to get the fuck to work tomorrow.” There was a loud click, and Meredith found herself staring at her phone blankly. “Shit,” she yanked at the restraining sheets and fought free of Tony‟s all-too-appealing bed as
she hit the speed dial for Marcus‟ cell phone. “Shit,” she snarled with even more feeling when it flipped directly to voice mail. “Come on, you big bastard,” she muttered as she dialed his house phone. Tony had risen now, too, and had come to stand behind her. He laid gentle hands on her shoulders, but she smacked them away and reached for her clothes, swearing as Marcus‟ house phone went to voice mail, too. * Tony didn‟t know what had happened, but he knew one minute his bed had been full of warm, willing woman, and the next he‟d been facing a pissed-off hell cat. And he wanted to know who was responsible for the change. When Meredith started poking at buttons on her cell phone for a third time, he snatched it from her hand and flipped it shut. Ducking her claws, he held it out of her reach and caught her chin with his free hand, forcing her to meet his eyes. Her eyes were silver ice, so cold they burned. He felt a sinking dread in the pit of his stomach. Whatever had happened, it had undone most of the progress he‟d made last night. “Give it back.” Her words were low and lethal. He just shook his head, and to his surprise her icy mask cracked just a tiny bit. “Tony, Anthony, please. I have to call Matt. We have to find Marcus.” He tried to focus on the fact she‟d asked for what she wanted, when what he wanted to do was scream out his outrage at how she‟d use his full name, the name she used when they made love, to get what she wanted. How she thought she had to use that name to get what she wanted. “Tell me what‟s going on,” he gritted out, frustrated and pissed beyond all words. “And then I‟ll give you your phone.” “Fine,” she snapped. She took advantage of the moments her explanation took to yank on her clothes and run distracted fingers through her hair. “I need to call Matt,” she concluded, and he reluctantly surrendered her phone. She refused to meet his eyes as she hit yet another number on speed dial, and added “and I need to get to my car.” His refusal was instinctive and instant. He‟d claimed her, and now she was pulling away. The animal in him, the part that hadn‟t progressed much beyond the primordial ooze, was roaring at him to keep her, bind her, never let her go. The reasoning man had a bloody battle on his hands, trying to consider what his woman needed from him. In the end, he knew he had to let her go. Forcing her to stay would undo every bit of trust he‟d built over the last twenty-four hours, and if something really was wrong with her brother, she‟d never forgive him. Resigned, he pulled on his jeans and a t-shirt while he listened to her on the phone with the other brother.
“I don‟t know what‟s wrong, Matt. I just know he yelled at me, and he‟s not answering either of his phones.” By the time Meredith was telling Matt she‟d wait for his call, Tony was leading her downstairs and boosting her into his truck. She didn‟t look at him, or even speak until they pulled into the construction site and he parked next to her Saab. She started to climb out of the truck without a word, and he caught her arm, compelling her eyes with his. “We aren‟t anywhere near through, Princess.” He hated the grit in his voice, but he was desperate to keep her. “We have to be through, Tony.” She laid one slim, soft hand on his bristly cheek. “I can‟t afford you.” Slipping free of his grasp she slid out of the truck. She was already on the phone again as she pulled out of the parking lot, taking a good portion of his heart with her. He didn‟t know how long he sat there, staring blankly into the construction site when he saw the shadow flicker in his peripheral vision, but he seized on the distraction like the lifeline it was. **** Meredith sat at Marcus‟ desk, hands pressed to the polished mahogany, and stared blankly around the room.Worthington had always been her solace, her tower of comfort when life got too overwhelming or scary. Today, theWorthington magic was absent. She thought about Marcus, his need for control, his relentless dedication to the company. Pulling this sort of disappearing act was so incredibly out of character for him that she didn‟t know what to think. Dropping her head back onto the rich leather chair, she closed her eyes. Matthew hadn‟t been able to find him, only an unlocked door and a mess of food flung around the kitchen. Meredith didn‟t know what to think, what to do. All she could do was hope Marcus was okay. That he was safe, and Matthew would find some clue to where he‟d gone. Trying to distract herself from her worry, she let her thoughts wander to Tony. Unfortunately, that subject was every bit as troubling. She tried to focus on the foolishness of getting involved, if that‟s what they were even doing, with him. There were so many stumbling blocks. He was an employee of her family‟s company. He engaged in sexual practices she‟d spent the last five years condemning. He brought out emotions and impulses in her that left her both exhilarated and terrified. But, God, for every negative, her traitorous body and fragile heart came up with a positive. He was ambitious and driven. He made her body sing in ways no other man ever had. He made her smile, and fight, and feel alive for the first time in five long, barren years.
Huffing out a sigh, Meredith ran shaky fingers through her spiky hair. She felt totally helpless. There was nothing she could do about Marcus, and there was nothing she could bring herself to do about Tony. She hadn‟t been kidding when she‟d told him she couldn‟t afford him. He shattered her control, and without it Meredith didn‟t think she would be strong enough to survive. Shaking her head in self-mockery, she booted up Marcus‟ computer, pulled up a file, and went to work. At least this was something she could control. * Tony wasn‟t sure how long he stood in the doorway watching the sunlight slanting through the window, bathing her in a golden glow. He just knew the sight of her, eyes locked on the computer screen while slender fingers flew over the keyboard, made his heart soft and his dick hard. It had caused him actual physical pain to watch the relaxation and enjoyment drain out of her when she‟d answered the phone. He‟d given her time to regroup, to do what she needed to do for her family and for the business. Now it was time for him to do what he needed to do. And he needed to take care of her. Leaning against the doorframe, he deliberately cleared his throat, and winced a little when she jumped violently. Silver eyes flew to meet his, but instead of relaxing when she recognized him, her shoulders seemed to tighten up even more. * “How did you find me?” Meredith knew her voice was thin and tight, but she couldn‟t help it. Just when she‟d managed to put him out of her mind, find blissful numbness, he appeared like a fantasy in the doorway. “Where else would you be?” He didn‟t leave the doorway. It was as if he could sense her discomfort, and was trying to put her at ease. Then his words sank in. He barely knew her, had only spent a handful of hours with her—and very few of those were spent talking—and yet he‟d known just where to find her. She doubted anyone but Marcus would have known so automatically. “Well, you‟re here, you might as well come in and sit down.” She indicated the wide leather couch that was slanted to face the window, giving a breathtaking view of theAmbassadorBridge and theDetroitRiver . She knew she didn‟t sound particularly gracious, but his presence touched her deep inside. She just didn‟t know how to express it. “Only if you‟ll come sit with me.” He walked to the desk and extended one large, rough hand. “I know good and well you‟ve been hunched over that computer for hours,” she cut her eyes away wondering again how he knew her so well, “and you‟re as tight as a guitar string.” Slowly she reached out and took his hand, allowing him to pull her from her seat. She let him lead her to the couch, the whole time wondering what on earth she was doing. Hadn‟t she decided being with him was a bad idea? Hadn‟t she decided the emotions and impulses he called up in her
were too dangerous to pursue? All of this was true, but somehow she found herself seated sideways on the couch while he knelt behind her. She cast a questioning look over her shoulder, and met his eyes and reassuring smile. Gently he directed her face forward again, and laid those huge, hard hands on her shoulders. She expected a caress, for him to slide those hands around and begin working on her buttons, but what he did was so much better. So much more destructive to her walls of ice. Tony began to knead her shoulders, at first softly but then as her breath drifted out in a sigh, with more force. He spread his hands around the base of her neck, feathering his fingers down and over her collarbone while his thumbs massaged a path up her nape, leaving tingles in their wake. When she gave a low moan and let her head sink forward he rewarded her by drawing his knuckles firmly down her spine. She felt every muscle of her back unwind just a little, and then a little more as his fingers began a deep, kneading walk up her back. His hands were so big, her back so narrow, that when he spread his fingers, they wrapped around her ribcage. When he reached her shoulders again, he spent long moments working the remaining tension from them before sending his hands on a deep, squeezing journey down her arms. He even massaged her fingers. Meredith felt her eyes sting and fought the tears viciously. It was just that no one had ever taken such care of her. No one had ever touched her without an ulterior motive before. Finally, with her eyes closed to hide the emotion and hold back any wayward tears, she laid her hands over his where they rested on her shoulders. “Thank you.” Her words came out as a whisper, mostly because she was afraid if she tried to speak out loud, the words would come out as a sob. He cupped her face in one hand and turned her head so their eyes met. “No,” he brushed a thumb tenderly over her lower lip. “Thank you for not shutting me out.” He didn‟t give her a chance to answer, which was just as well because she had no clue what she would have said. Instead, he lowered his lips to hers in a kiss so filled with tenderness, so filled with compassion, it melted her heart. Moving her easily, but as gently as if she were the finest, most fragile crystal, Tony shifted until he was lying along the couch, and she was stretched out over him. She waited for the come-on. For the sex. His erection dug into her middle, and it was clear from the tenseness of his body he was more than ready. And while a part of her yearned for it, another part was disappointed. They‟d shared such a beautiful moment, and the idea of sex now just seemed to tarnish it. But Tony surprised her again. When she lifted her face to look at him inquiringly, he just pressed her cheek back to his chest, kissed the top of her head, and murmured, “Try to sleep for a little while. You didn‟t get nearly enough last night, and it‟s been a rough day.”
And though she would never have thought it possible, she slept. * Tony sat in the big leather chair and watched her sleep. She‟d obviously been exhausted, pale with huge bruises under her eyes. She‟d been sleeping now for almost three hours as the sun set over the water, flooding the office with fiery golden light. He‟d used the time to consider what he‟d found at the construction site, which hadn‟t done anything to improve his mood. The shadow had been a person, of course, though he couldn‟t identify who. He‟d tracked the person into the building‟s shell, and then out again, losing the intruder when he climbed into a ratty, mud-caked little sedan. He hadn‟t really been surprised, then, when he‟d found the drugs stashed in one of the few finished rooms in the building. What he‟d been was enraged. Enraged someone would use his company to distribute this filth. More, they‟d use a job he was doing for Meredith‟s family. He‟d called in a favor, and contacted Dorian Jenner, an acquaintance from the club who happened to be a narcotics cop. Jenner and his brother Morgan were two of the most successful and least-known undercover cops inDetroit ‟s many task forces. Once the man had agreed to investigate Tony‟s suspicions, Tony had known he could relax and dedicate all his attention to caring for his woman. His woman who, at this very moment, was blinking herself awake. * Meredith woke feeling warm and soft and confused, like her brain was wrapped in cotton. Squinting in the dim light, she pushed up on the deep leather couch and looked around in vague confusion. Suddenly the day came back in a rush. Waking in Tony‟s bed, Marc‟s terrifying and out of character phone call, Tony‟s tender care of her… As the flood of memories ended, Meredith shot her eyes around the room again, locking on Tony where he sat in Marc‟s impressive leather desk chair. He was slouched low on his spine, legs splayed to display the growing bulge between, hands steepled over his abdomen. The corner of his mouth kicked up in a quirky half smile, and his warm, chocolaty eyes were fixed on her. Meredith was torn. She needed to regain her composure, her control. But she wanted nothing more than to crawl into his lap and let him hold her some more. If Tony was aware of her turmoil, he wasn‟t letting on. He sat silently, still smiling a little smile, watching her like a tiger about to pounce. She wished hewould pounce. It would take the decision out of her hands, and give her what she wanted without guilt or regret. * Tony felt his smile widen a bit. His Princess would be mortified if she knew how transparent she
was. Her thoughts might as well have been tattooed on her forehead for the world to see. He wanted to rescue her, to give her what she wanted, but he knew by taking the decision away from her, he‟d lose whatever progress he‟d made. There would be time enough for overwhelming her later, once she‟d admitted she was his. Finally, when the tension had stretched to the breaking point, he relented and put her out of her misery. When he stood, her eyes widened, and damned if he didn‟t see anticipation simmering beneath the unease. Shaking his head at them both, he offered her his hand. To his satisfaction, she took it without hesitation and let him draw her up off the couch. Pressing a teasing kiss to the tip of her nose, he finally spoke. “You‟re beautiful when you sleep.” She gave a ladylike snort of disagreement and he grinned. “You are. You look like an innocent little girl.” She looked up, meeting his eyes. To his delight her eyes were filled with dry humor. “How attractive,” was her wry comment. “It is,” he insisted, pulling her closer with the hand he still held. He lifted his free hand and smoothed her spiky hair. “I kept thinking of all the ways to corrupt that innocence.” He laughed a little when her eyes widened, and hugged her. Her body went stiff for a moment, not in rejection but in surprise. It made him ache for her a little bit. No woman, let alone one as responsive as Meredith, should be so unaccustomed to affection. Then she relaxed into him, her body melting into his. They both sighed at the sensation, and he felt a thrill of victory when her arms slowly crept around his back. She didn‟t see his triumphant smile as he held her tighter. * Meredith couldn‟t remember the last time she‟d been held. Maybe her mother before she‟d died? And now Tony had held her twice in one day, seemingly with no ulterior motive. True, she could feel the erection pulsing behind the fly of his jeans, but he seemed disinclined to do anything about it, content to hug her close. She closed her eyes and buried her face in the hollow of his throat. Who knew when she‟d find such comfort again? She was determined to soak in every last moment. She stifled her disappointment when he finally pulled back. Disappointment which quickly evaporated at the look on his face. His eyes glowed with fire and possession, raking over her face with heavy lidded sensuality. Here it comes, she thought waiting for his flushed mouth to swoop down and take her own. The sex would be the price of the cuddling, and really, she had nothing to complain about on that score. After all, she knew she‟d enjoy it. But he didn‟t kiss her. Instead he drew back and took her hand again. “Come on,” his voice was a little rough, but he gave no indication he was about to pounce as he led her to the office door. She looked at him in confusion, but let him guide her out of the office and out of the building. “You must be starving.” He finally spoke as he boosted her into the seat of his truck. She spared a thought for her car, sitting forlornly in the parking garage, and then let him close the door.
“I didn‟t mean to sleep so long,” she commented when he joined her in the cab. She rolled her eyes a bit. “I didn‟t mean to sleep at all.” He shook his head. “You needed it,” he responded firmly. “You got almost no sleep last night,” she flushed at the reminder and was grateful his attention was occupied with navigating the parking structure, “and then had a pretty stressful morning.” He shot her a look, frowning at her troubled expression. “Did your brother turn up?” He actually sounded concerned, and even reached out to lay a large, warm hand over her knotted fists. She shook her head. “No,” she responded. “Matthew, my other brother, went to his house and found a big mess.” He raised his brows questioningly and she continued. “Bagels and coffee flung around the kitchen.” She sighed. “But no sign of Marcus.” She shook her head again. “He was spending the weekend with his assistant,” she could hear her voice becoming colder, sharper. “No wait, his ex-assistant. It‟s why I took the meeting with you yesterday. He couldn‟t wait until after five to get her home and tie her up.” She made a low sound of frustration. She didn‟t understand what was happening with her brother. More, she didn‟t understand what was happening with her. Why was she spilling family business to this virtual stranger? “It really bothers you, him tying her up?” Tony‟s voice was soft, non-judgmental. “Yes,” she snapped automatically. When he raised his eyebrow in her direction she answered more calmly, “No. God, I don‟t know anymore.” He stroked his hand over hers soothingly, and she gave a slow sigh of defeat. “Marcus doesn‟t lose control,” she continued. “I don‟t know what set him off, when he‟ll be back,” she closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the headrest. “I just know I get to hold things together. Again.” * Tony hated the defeat and confusion in her voice. Under her anger, he could hear the fear, and it made him want to find her all-powerful big brother and kick his inconsiderate ass. Instead he held her hand and drove. He couldn‟t fix her family, but he could share his with her. Sometime in the midst of their embrace before leaving the office, he‟d decided his Princess needed a healthy dose of affection. And he knew just where she could get it. Thankfully, she kept her eyes closed as he drove, so she didn‟t realize they weren‟t going home. Since she didn‟t realize, she didn‟t argue. Tony took a breath as he pulled up in front of his grandmother‟s house. The street was already lined with cars belonging to various family members, and he glanced at the dashboard clock. They were a little late, but dinner wouldn‟t have
started yet. Now he just had to get her inside. Chapter 7 Meredith opened her eyes to the sound of Tony‟s door closing, and looked around in confusion. They weren‟t at her condo. They weren‟t even at his house. She wasn‟t sure exactly where they were, but she had the sinking sensation she was about to find out. When Tony opened her door, she sent him a narrow look. “Where are we?” The residential street was attractive, obviously upper middle class. The selection of cars congregated around the house they headed for ranged from Tony‟s “man-truck,” to an elegant Audi, with a couple of SUVs thrown in for good measure. When Tony didn‟t immediately answer, and didn‟t quite meet her eyes, Meredith‟s unease grew. “Tony,” she tugged him to a stop in the driveway. She glanced up and saw a little face topped with curly dark hair appear in the window, then disappear just as quickly. “Where are we, and what are we doing here?” Tony finally met her eyes and gave her a sheepish smile. “We‟re at my Nona‟s house.” He caught her questioning look and explained, “My grandmother‟s house.” Her eyes widened in horror, but he forged on. “We‟re here for Sunday dinner.” “And who,” her voice was faint. His announcement had punched the air out of her. “Who do all those cars belong to?” Oh God, she prayed, please don‟t let him have brought me home to meet the family. She hadn‟t even decided on an affair with the man, so she certainly wasn‟t ready to meet his Nona! But deep down she realized that wasn‟t true. She was already neck-deep in an affair with Tony. She was even honored he‟d take her to meet his family. She was also terrified. Terrified they wouldn‟t like her, or worse, when he saw her with them, how awkward she was sure to be, he‟d realize his pursuit of her had been a mistake from the beginning. “Hey,” he tipped her chin up and met her eyes. His look was warm and reassuring. “They don‟t bite. They‟re a little loud,” he glanced up at the window where the curly-haired child had been joined by three dark-haired women of varying ages. “And a lot nosy,” he grimaced as they all waved energetically at him. “But they‟re pretty wonderful. And since you‟re pretty wonderful, too,” she felt her eyes widen, and he grinned, “you‟re bound to hit it off.” “But…” She never got to finish her protest because he dipped his head and sealed her lips with his. And in spite of her turmoil about the day, her brother, and the fact his family was watching, she found herself melting into the kiss. She was bemused and a little flushed when he led her through the attached garage and to the door. Her bemusement quickly turned to sensory overload as he opened the door and ushered her into controlled chaos.
A dark-haired whirlwind launched herself into Tony‟s arms before he‟d even stepped into the entryway. As he caught the child, Meredith recognized her as the curly-haired moppet who‟d been watching them through the window. “Unca Tony!” She couldn‟t have been more than three or four, Meredith guessed, though her experience with children was severely limited. Up close, the little girl resembled Tony, sharing his melted chocolate eyes and engaging dimples. “Hey, Squirt,” he shifted the child to one arm, and reached out to tug Meredith into the house behind him with his free hand. “Who she?” Big brown eyes peered at Meredith over Tony‟s shoulder and a pudgy finger pointed in her direction. “Don‟t point, cara, it‟s rude.” A lovely, equally dark-haired woman stepped apart from the crowd of similarly dark-haired people watching them curiously. Leaning around the little girl, she wrapped her arms around Tony and kissed both of his cheeks, beaming at him, before turning to scrutinize Meredith. “Welcome to our home,” she finally said, stepping forward and extending her hands. Meredith blinked before accepting them, and found herself drawn into a light hug, as the woman placed a light kiss on each cheek. “I am Sophia, this one‟s,” she sent Tony an exasperated look, “big sister. And the little imp in his arms,” Sophia turned to tap a gentle finger on the child‟s nose, causing the little girl to giggle, “the one with no manners? She is my daughter Josie.” Sophia turned again to her brother, without releasing Meredith‟s hands. Meredith began to feel a bit panicked. She needed those hands. She couldn‟t type without them, and if she couldn‟t type, how could she work? Meredith drew a breath and forced herself to calm down before she gave in to hysteria. “Although it would seem my bambina comes by her lack of manners honestly.” Sophia glared at Tony. The expression only made her look lovelier, like a painting of a ticked-off Madonna. “Are you going to introduce your friend, Tonio, or just stand there grinning like an imbecile?” Tony grinned and, to Meredith‟s profound relief, retrieved her hand from Sophia. Glancing at Meredith, he must have seen her stress because he pulled her closer and clasped his hand loosely around the back of her neck. “Well, as you know,” he addressed Meredith, “this is my big sister. She‟s a pain in my…” Sophia gave a light growl completely at odds with her elegant, serene appearance, “neck,” he concluded before turning to his sister. “Sophie, this is Meredith Worthington, my friend.” To Meredith‟s surprise and relief, he didn‟t put any emphasis or suggestive inflection on his words. Hearing him call her his friend sent a
little trickle of warmth through her, and she felt her smile become a bit more genuine. “She is in need of a good, home-cooked meal,” he continued, “and a little TLC.” Tony placed a noisy kiss on Josie‟s cheek, and set her on the ground. Turning, he led Meredith further into the crowd. Sophia stepped up to her other side, and leaned close to be heard above the noise of the group. “Don‟t worry about remembering names just yet. There are far too many of us,” she grinned and flashed what Meredith was beginning to think of as the Renatto dimples, “and we all look alike.” * Tony led Meredith to a small grouping of chairs and plopped down at one end of an overstuffed couch. Meredith let him tug her down next to him, but he noticed she remained perched on the edge of her seat. Like someone about to run for her life. Giving a little jerk to the hand he still held, he toppled her over so she landed pressed up against his side. She scrambled to catch her balance, but gave in and relaxed against him much more easily than he‟d expected. Looking down, he grinned a bit at her wide eyes and dazed expression. She was watching his family like an anthropologist might watch a new civilization. Her eyes flicked from one person to another, taking in the teasing, the joking, the affectionate interactions that made up the extended Rennato family. When his cousin Frankie teasingly shoved Tony‟s younger sister Theresa, Meredith flinched. Tony gathered her closer, choking down murderous thoughts about her father, and held her until Theresa smacked Frankie on the back of the head. When the young man just laughed, Meredith drew a breath and relaxed again. “Antonio!” The voice coming from the kitchen was warm and robust and faintly accented. The woman it came from was tiny and birdlike, and ruled over her family with an iron hand sheathed in a velvet glove. “How is it you have been in my house for more than five minutes, and have not come to give your Nona a kiss?” Tony‟s grandmother glided through the throng of Rennatos, cutting a path cleanly to where Tony and Meredith sat on the couch. Tony sprang to his feet, and took Meredith‟s hand as she jumped to join him. Once she was securely standing, he released her and scooped his grandmother into his arms, swinging her around in an exuberant hug. “Nona, I am a bad, disrespectful grandson,” he winked at her, and then at Meredith, and Nona‟s stern expression began to crack. “Will you forgive me,” he set her gently on the floor and dropped to one knee, lifting her tiny hand to his heart, “if I introduce you to my guest?” *
Nona‟s sharp black eyes raked over Meredith, leaving her feeling completely exposed. Not that her look was unkind. It was just speculative. It suddenly came to Meredith Nona was looking at her with the same expression Marcus often wore when sizing up a new business associate. Pasting on her best “company” smile, Meredith extended her hand. “It‟s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Rennato.” The older woman had a surprisingly strong grip, and those assessing eyes never left Meredith‟s face. “And thank you so much for allowing me into your home.” Meredith felt her smile getting brittle around the edges as the other woman continued to scrutinize her. Unconsciously, she reached for Tony‟s hand, and was absurdly comforted by its rough warmth as it wrapped around hers. “Nona,” Tony scolded teasingly, “you will frighten my friend away with those eagle eyes!” “Well,” Nona sniffed, “you have yet to introduce her, so what should an old woman say?” Meredith thought she might detect a hint of a twinkle in those sharp black eyes, but was afraid to count on it. Next to her Tony heaved a long-suffering sigh. Moving his hand up her arm to wrap loosely around her nape, he introduced Meredith to his grandmother. “Nona, I‟d like to present my friend, Meredith Worthington.” Nona‟s eyebrows raised a bit. “Princess,” those eyebrows rose even more at Tony‟s use of his nickname for Meredith, and she felt herself color. “This is my Nona, my grandmother, Violetta Vincenzo Rennato. She rules this little kingdom.” Finally Nona‟s lightly lined face broke into a smile. Meredith caught her breath. The woman immediately lost twenty years, radiating joy and vitality. And those darn Rennato dimples. “You have such a lovely smile!” The words were out before she realized it, and Meredith flushed even darker. She was not one given to outbursts, nor was she given to casual compliments. She‟d simply been bowled over by the warmth glowing in the older woman‟s eyes. Nona turned that radiant smile on her, and Meredith felt strangely pleased. “You will call me Nona,” she instructed Meredith before turning to Tony. “I like her, Antonio. Perhaps I will forgive your rudeness after all.” She turned toward the kitchen, and then back to Tony, snapping her fingers. “You will come now and set the table.” That said, she sailed through the crowd like Moses parting theRed Sea , leaving Meredith standing next to Tony with her mouth hanging open in a most undignified manner. “Wow,” marveled a conspicuously blond man who seemed to be attached to one of the exotically beautiful women filling the room. “Tia and I had been married for over a year before she let me call her Nona. She still hasn‟t decided if she likes me.” The rest of the family laughed, and Tony pulled Meredith in for a brief hug. “I‟ve got my orders, Princess, and if I want to stay in her good graces, my butt better get to setting the table.”
Meredith sent him a mildly panicked look when he left her side. “I‟ll help you,” she quickly offered, but he waved her back before she could follow him. “No, no. You‟re company. Let Reesa here,” he indicated a beautiful young woman with melting brown eyes, “get you a glass of wine, and get to know everyone.” With a grin, he vanished into the kitchen, leaving Meredith stranded in a sea of strangers. **** Sophia took pity on her and guided her back to the couch. She‟d no sooner sat down than Josie bounced onto her lap. Wrapping sticky fingers around Meredith‟s neck, the little girl looked into her eyes and asked, “Are you Unca Tony‟s girlfriend?” Meredith noticed the room grew suddenly quiet, as if they were all waiting for her response. Hell, they undoubtedlywere waiting for her response. And she quite honestly didn‟t know what to say. One didn‟t tell a three-year-old they were her uncle‟s lover. If that was even what she was to him. Once again Sophia came to her rescue, telling her daughter, “Miss Meredith is Uncle Tony‟s friend. Like cousin Luca is your friend.” Picking up on Sophia‟s thread Meredith added, “I‟ve had a very bad day, and your Uncle Tony decided I needed something nice to happen to me.” “We‟re something nice?” The little girl‟s eyes lit up at the idea, and Meredith found herself gathering the child closer. “You are something very nice,” she assured her, surprised to find she meant it. “Ah,” commented Theresa, who arrived just then with Meredith‟s drink. “But you haven‟t met me yet.” The woman grinned as she handed Meredith her glass. “By the time I‟m done with you, you might not think we‟re all so nice.” Sophia smacked at her sister and turned to Meredith. “Don‟t let Reesa scare you. She‟s the youngest, and a bit of a brat.” Theresa pouted prettily. “She does have a point, though.” Another beautiful, voluptuous woman pulled up a chair. She held a dark-haired baby against her shoulder casually, and looked utterly happy and secure. “Now that Tony‟s out of the way, we have every intention of grilling you like a juicy steak.” Sophia rolled her eyes and Theresa laughed merrily. Meredith clutched Josie closer, rather like a shield, and felt sick to her stomach. **** Dinner was a boisterous affair, with people talking at the same time, children making their way
around the table begging the choicest bites of food, and at one point dinner rolls flew across the table. Nona, of course, put a quick stop to the impromptu food fight, but not before Meredith had time to wonder at the party atmosphere. Family meals in theWorthington household had consisted of her, Marcus and Matt eating informally but quietly in the small dining room, or joining their father to eat silently in the big dining room. Meredith didn‟t remember there ever being laughter at the dinner table. Slowly, hesitantly, she found herself joining in the conversation. For all their teasing, the Rennato women were sharp and well informed on topics from politics to art. Theresa in particular was an expert in the area of art. She worked as a graphic designer, she explained animatedly, but her first love was oil painting. “Oh,” Meredith realized, “you painted the amazing picture over your brother‟s fireplace.” She immediately regretted her comment as the surrounding family members looked quickly at her. “Sooo,” Tony‟s cousin Marisol, she of the placid baby, drawled. “Tonio has taken you to his home.” She sent a significant look to the other women at the table. “Very interesting. Tony doesn‟t bring women home.” To Meredith‟s relief Tony broke in. “Mare, leave her alone.” He lifted Meredith‟s hand and pressed a brief kiss into her palm. “You‟ll scare her away.” Taking in Meredith‟s hunted expression he gave a wry smile. “If you haven‟t already.” “Nona,” a girl of fourteen or fifteen interrupted the moment. “Tell us the story again of how you met Papa. And how he gave you the ring.” She gave a dreamy sigh. “It‟s so romantic.” Before Nona could answer, a boy who looked only slightly younger than the girl who‟d made the request affected a high-pitched voice. “It‟s sooooo romantic.” He made a gagging motion, which he quickly ceased as Nona‟s black eyes zeroed in on him and his father gave him a quick cuff to the back of his head. Nona shot Meredith a speculative look, and nodded decisively. Turning to the young girl who‟d made the request, she began. “I was born inSicily , to a very wealthy family. I was the Vincenzo Princessa. The only daughter after six sons.” Meredith found herself pulled into Nona‟s story, caught up in the older woman‟s rich voice. “Oh,” Nona continued, “and I was spoiled. My Papa and brothers gave me anything I wanted. I had only to mention something, and it was mine. But I was protected, too. Much more than a girl of seventeen wishes to be protected.” Nona sent her great-granddaughter a twinkling look. “So,” she said, “one day I walked home from confession with my brother Marco. Now, Marco had some friends in the city who he liked to go with to dance and gamble. On the way home this
particular day, Marco stopped to see his friends. I was so very bored, they were talking money and sports—nothing a girl of seventeen is interested in. So I wandered outside. “We had stopped near a park filled with children and artists and laughter, which was much more inviting than my brother and his friends. I decided to walk in the park a while, even though I knew Marco would be angry with me for going off alone. “I went to a bush covered with the most beautiful lavender flowers,” Nona‟s eyes misted over and her smile grew dreamy. “Lilacs. They were so lovely, and smelled so sweet, I couldn‟t resist breaking a branch of them off to carry with me. “I was sitting on a bench, enjoying the sunshine and my flowers, when the most beautiful young man approached me.” “That was Papa!” The teenager‟s eyes sparkled as she continued. “And he‟d been watching you in the park, and you were so beautiful he had to meet you.” “You are right,” Nona agreed. “Your Papa was an artist. He was painting in the park that day, and when he saw me, he insisted he must paint me. I was very shy,” she paused and adopted an injured air when her children and grandchildren laughed in disbelief. “I was very shy,” she repeated firmly, “and it took him a long time to convince me to pose. “Of course, by the time I‟d agreed, Marco was looking for me, and I had to leave quickly. My brother would have been very upset to see me talking to a man not of my family.” She gave a naughty smile. “Especially one as good looking as my Matteo. “So, for the next several weeks I made sure Marco was the one who took me to confession. Soon I felt the need to go to confession twice a week, and then three times. My mother was so proud. She was thrilled to have such a devout daughter.” Nona laughed softly. “Ah, but she would have been horrified to know the truth. For every day after confession, Marco stopped to gamble with his friends. And while he was gambling, I met with my Matteo in the park and he painted me. “It was a lovely portrait. He put me in front of the lilac bush and painted me in a lavender dress…” Nona sighed. “When the portrait was done, I still found reasons to go to the park, and to be with Matteo.” Nona sighed reminiscently. “It was such a beautiful summer. And I was young and in love. My portrait was long done when Marco discovered my true reason for coming to confession so often. “He‟d been losing at dice, and so he decided to leave his friends earlier than usual. He came into the park at the worst possible time. My Matteo was kissing me, for the very first time. “Of course Marco was enraged. He dragged me home and told my Papa what he had seen. I was confined to my room for weeks.” The entire table full of Rennatos was listening intently, spellbound by Nona‟s expressive face
and melodious voice. “It was almost a month later when I was next allowed to go to confession without my mother or father as escort. When I went into the confessional, the window opened quickly, but it was not the priest. “No, my Matteo had been watching for me for weeks, and he had convinced the good father to allow him to slip into the confessional and speak to me. “For the first time Matteo told me he loved me,” Nona smiled at her audience as the girls and even some of the women sighed in appreciation, “and he gave me this ring.” The matriarch held up her left hand to display a beautiful golden ring in the shape of a flower with exquisite diamond petals. “When he gave it to me, the petals were only crystals, for he could afford no better. He told me he had gone to my father and asked for permission to court me, but my father refused him because he was a poor artist, not nearly good enough for a Vincenzo princess. “Matteo gave me this ring and asked me to wait for him. He would work hard to become successful, to be worthy of me. I told him he was the most worthy man I knew, that I would run away with him today if he wanted me to, but Matteo said he had too much respect for me. He would never shame me in such a way.” Nona picked up her glass of wine. The deep red liquid glimmered in the light of the chandelier hanging above the table. She looked at Tony and then at Meredith for a long, intense moment before finishing her story. “It took him almost five years, but my Matteo finally earned enough money and prestige that even my father could not deny him. He came for me on my twenty-second birthday, and took this ring, which I‟d worn on a chain for all those long years, and slipped it on my finger.” The group seemed to sigh with appreciation. Nona directed her eyes to Meredith, and seemed to speak directly to her. “Rennato men take one look at the woman who will own their soul, and know it. It may take them years to make her their own, but once they do, they never let her go.” Meredith squirmed under the woman‟s sharp regard. Surely she wasn‟t speaking to her! “I had almost fifty glorious years with my Matteo before death took him from me, and I know one day we will be together again. Now I have his ring as a reminder of how true love is worth waiting for.” * Meredith was quiet as the meal ended. She wore a bemused expression on her face. Tony hated to leave her alone, but Nona once again commanded his help in clearing the table. Once the dishes were gathered and soaking in a sink full of bubbles, Nona turned to face him. “She is the one, no?” There was no doubt in Nona‟s eyes as they met his.
Tony didn‟t even try to deny it. “She is.” “And you‟ve been waiting for her for years, building your business, working to become worthy of her.” Again, it was not really a question. Tony just nodded. “Who is she, that she would find you unworthy?” Nona‟s voice took on an edge of ice. Tony hastened to explain. “She didn‟t know I wanted her for more than one night.” He flushed a bit under Nona‟s unhappy look. “She didn‟t know she owned my soul. I‟ve been working, biding my time. She didn‟t know she was waiting for me.” Nona nodded, her expression softening. “And does she know now?” “She‟s so afraid, Nona. I don‟t want to drive her away by asking for too much, too soon.” Tony knew his frustration was plain in his eyes, but Nona merely looked thoughtful. “You are right, in that. She‟s wounded, your woman. She will need much care, much affection, before she will trust you with her heart.” She gave another of her decisive nods, and reached to slip the diamond from her finger. “Your Papa gave this to me the day he confessed his love, and it has never left my possession since.” She pressed the ring into his palm and closed his fingers around it gently. Tony‟s eyes widened in disbelief. “Of all my grandchildren, you are the first to give up your soul to your woman at first sight. You are the most like my Matteo.” She pressed his clasped fist to her heart. “I love all my grandchildren, Tonio. But you are special to me. When your woman is ready, you will give her this ring. And then you will have many happy years together.” Tony knew it wasn‟t at all macho, but at his Nona‟s words, he felt his eyes fill with tears. He took the tiny woman into his arms and hugged her tightly to him. “You honor me.” His voice was husky with emotion. “You honor the woman who owns my heart.” He held her tighter, then pulled away to meet her eyes. They were suspiciously bright, too. “I am very lucky to have such an amazing Nona, such an amazing Papa. I thank God every day for my family.” Giving her a soft kiss on each cheek, Tony concluded, “I love you very much.” Nona seemed to sniff back her own emotion, and reached up to pat his cheeks. “Pfft. You will make an old woman cry.” She pulled completely away and made shooing motions with her hands. “Now go and find your woman before your sisters and cousins frighten her to death with their questions.” * Meredith was much less stressed than she expected when Tony retrieved her from the bevy of Rennato women a short time later. She‟d rather enjoyed them when they weren‟t grilling her about her intentions for their beloved Tony.
Tony himself seemed somewhat bemused when he joined them, sitting next to her and taking her hand in his. When he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple, the Rennato women exchanged knowing glances, making Meredith squirm. She just wasn‟t sure if she was squirming with embarrassment or with pleasure. Eventually Tony rose and led Meredith to another room, one empty of family. It appeared to be a small library, filled with books of all kinds, from the classics to science fiction and romance. There were even two leather wing-backed chairs and a small gas fireplace. Tony stopped before the fireplace, and Meredith followed his gaze to the portrait sitting propped on the mantle. It was a stunningly beautiful girl, a branch of lilacs pressed to her cheek. Her smile was mysterious, her eyes full of mischief. “Oh,” she breathed. “She was so lovely.” She couldn‟t take her eyes off the portrait. “Sheis so lovely.” She didn‟t look away, but she could almost feel Tony‟s smile. “He must have loved her so much. You can see it in every brushstroke.” Tony pulled her around to face him, and lowered his head until his forehead rested against hers. “He did love her. And he spent every day of the rest of his life showing her.” He let his gaze meet hers, and the intimacy was so overwhelming she had to close her eyes. “When a Rennato man meets the woman who will own his soul,” he repeated Nona‟s words softly, “he knows it with one look. And once he makes her his own, he never lets her go.” Before Meredith could even begin to form a response, his lips were on hers in a kiss so filled with tenderness it brought tears to her eyes. Chapter 8 It was Monday afternoon before Meredith remembered the locked door in the unfinished room at the construction site. She frowned a bit. It was unlike her to forget something business related. She didn‟t like to think her absorption with Tony was the cause, so she decided to blame it on her concern for Marcus. And shewas concerned. He wasn‟t at his house. He wasn‟t answering his cell—but then how could he when it was so many pieces of broken plastic on the kitchen floor? Matthew had spoken to Daniel last night, and though there had been something odd in her younger brother‟s voice when he called, he‟d claimed the other man had no news about Marcus‟ whereabouts. Now, with no projects urgently needing her attention, Meredith found herself looking for a distraction. The locked door would do just fine, she decided. She reached for the phone, intending to call Tony and ask him about it, but then lowered her hand. No, she decided. Questions like this were best asked in person. As she briskly informed Trey she‟d be back in an hour‟s time, Meredith reminded herself thatWorthington was everything. That was why she had to go to the site herself. It had nothing to do with the soft kiss Tony had placed on her lips before delivering her to her car last night. Or the
way he followed her home, waiting until she was safely locked inside her condo before driving away with a parting blink of his lights. And it certainly had nothing to do with the fact she‟d wakened in the night reaching for him or the depths of her disappointment when she‟d realized she was alone. * Tony leaned against a stack of lumber as he went over what he‟d found at the site with Dorian Jenner. The cop paid careful attention, writing down everything in a small note book. “Have you told any of the Worthingtons about this?” Jenner asked. Tony trusted the man; they were both members at Velvet Ice, and from what he‟d seen, the cop was a pretty stand-up guy. He knew Jenner could keep his mouth shut, and trusted him to be discreet. At any rate, he felt able to approach him comfortably. “Not yet,” he answered. “Marcus is M.I.A.” Jenner looked up, “You think it has anything to do with this?” Tony shook his head. “No, from what I‟ve gathered it‟s more of a personal nature. You know Marcus, do you think he‟s aware of something funny going on?” “Marc‟s a stand-up guy. If he knew something wasn‟t right he would have been the first person to contact the department.” He looked back at his notepad a moment, then up at Tony. “Marcus isn‟t the onlyWorthington you could have taken this to.” “I‟d rather not have Meredith involved in this.” Jenner raised a speculative brow, and Tony added, “She‟s had to deal with enough shit for that brother of hers. She doesn‟t need this now.” The officer looked critically at Tony, his dark gaze deep and penetrating, “You and theWorthington sister.” He whistled. “Man, I hope you know what you‟re getting yourself into with this one.” Tony only smiled. “You don‟t know her, Jenner. Don‟t have a clue.” Dorian folded his arms across his chest. “And you do.” “I do. But we aren‟t here about my private business,” he said, well aware Meredith would be mortified if she knew he was discussing her this way. “I just needed to know why you don‟t want her informed,” Jenner changed the subject obligingly. “The Lu is going to want cooperation from someone in charge.” Tony cringed at the thought. As selfish as it was, the last thing he wanted was this coming between him and Meredith right now. “Just give it this week. If Marcus hasn‟t returned, then we‟ll talk to Meredith.”
**** “Talk to Meredith about what?” Tony spun as her voice cut through the empty building. Her heels echoed on the concrete floor. She looked so out of place in her navy blue business suit he had to smile. “Nothing, really. Dorian here was just asking me about a lumber order due at the end of this week.” Meredith wasn‟t buying it; Tony recognized the cool suspicion in her face, and he hated it. He didn‟t want to be another in the long line of men who‟d betrayed her. With flawless timing, Jenner interrupted their stare-down. The cop stepped forward, holding out a hand. “Dorian Jones, ma‟am. I‟m the interior-construction foreman.” * Meredith accepted the tall man‟s hand. His grip was warm and firm. “I don‟t remember seeing you on site before.” “That‟s because I was working up north on another project. Once this place was ready for interior work Tony called and asked me to come down and get to work. Seems he‟s been busy elsewhere.” He broke out in a goofy smile. Meredith tried to ignore the clutch in the pit of her stomach. Had her affair with Tony hit the gossip circuit already? The new foreman was studying her with piercing brown eyes, his expression completely at odds with his silly smile. It niggled at something deep in her subconscious, but she couldn‟t focus past the sick idea of everyone on the site talking about what she and Tony had done here Saturday morning. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself. Tony looked like he wanted to fall through the floor. He obviously wasn‟t comfortable being teased by this man. Or he knew how uncomfortable she was with the situation. Whatever the reason, there was some comfort in seeing him out of sorts considering how badly off balance he‟d kept her for the last three days. Meredith ruthlessly reminded herself what she‟d come to the site for in the first place.Something was going on at this construction site, her construction site, and the tail end of Tony and Dorian‟s conversation hadn‟t eased her suspicions in the least. She stepped back from Jones and said, “Yes, well, I hope everything is under control here, inside and out. I would hate for something unexpected to pop up and delay us,” and waited for Tony or Dorian to flinch. Neither did. Dorian laughed. “Me too. This place is going to be beautiful when it‟s finished.” She looked around. “I agree. Our best renovation to date. It‟s just the thing the city needs.”
There was a lull in the conversation. Meredith waited for Tony and Dorian to resume their earlier discussion. The nagging sensation that had prompted her to come to the site grew as both men stood silently. The new foreman glanced down at the little notebook he carried. “Well boss, I‟m going to get started on the list you gave me.” He grinned again at Meredith and dipped his head in a gallant bow. “It was truly a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Worthington.” Meredith watched the fine view he presented as he walked away, not sure what to be more disturbed about, the idea her relationship with Tony was public knowledge, the idea there were some sort of nefarious going-on‟s at Worthington, or the idea Tony was keeping something from her. Clearing her throat, she turned to face him. “I came down here because there‟s something I need to talk to you about.” “Have you heard from your brother?” He immediately gathered both her hands in his, giving her a look of deep concern that helped loosen the knot of tension pulsing in her belly. “No.” Because it was Tony, her voice wasn‟t nearly as flat as it would normally have been. “Nothing at all. This is about business. About the construction site.” He used his grip on her hands to pull her into a brief hug. She appreciated the way he managed to comfort her without obvious public displays. His brief hug did her more good than hours of work and avoidance, without making her the object of open speculation. “I need to get Jones up to speed right now,” he commented, beginning to guide her back to her car. “How about we have dinner at my place? We can talk then.” He looked at his watch, “Can you leave in about an hour?” Meredith inhaled. It was clear she wouldn‟t be getting any answers with Dorian Jones around. Glancing at her own watch she chuffed out a disbelieving breath. “It‟s four o‟clock. I won‟t be able to get away for at least two more hours.” She considered the pile of work on her desk. And on Marcus‟. “More like three, really.” Tony shook his head and laid his hand on the small of her back as he walked with her toward her car. “Isn‟t your other brother there? Why can‟t he take up some of the slack?” She gave a small sigh. “Matthew is beautiful, and frighteningly smart, but he turns all his potential to the pursuit of the next big thrill. I‟d be afraid to trust him with anything crucial.” He gave her an odd look, opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, then seemed to change his mind. “What?” It came out more defensive than she‟d have liked, but less defensive than she felt. He shook his head. “Have either of you ever given him the chance to do anything crucial?”
She snorted derisively. “The company‟s been here his entire life. All he had to do was show up. God knows Old Stirling would have been overjoyed to install him in a corner office and sign over half the company to him.” The wordsinstead of me may have remained unspoken, but they were still deafening. * Tony knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but he also knew his woman had a shit-load of poison stored up in her heart, and she needed to get rid of it if they had a chance in Hell of making anything between them stick. “Well,” he chose his words carefully, “I suppose playing the part of a complete himbo was a pretty satisfying way to give the old man the bird, so to speak.” She shot him a sharp glance, but she didn‟t look angry. More surprised. “But, after years of acting the fool, it would probably be pretty hard to suddenly expect anyone to take him seriously.” He kept his voice musing. He could tell her attention, and her formidable intelligence, were focused on him like a laser beam. “Especially when you and Marcus so obviously had everything completely under control. I know from the outside looking in it seems like there‟s no need,” he stopped thoughtfully and corrected himself, “noroom for anyone besides you and Marcus at the head ofWorthington .” They‟d reached her car, and he gently crowded her up against it, bracing one forearm against the hood to cage her in with his body. Leaning into her he murmured suggestively against the shell of her ear, “If you gave baby-brother some responsibility, you could leave in an hour and spend the evening with me.” He couldn‟t resist flicking his tongue out, tickling the soft skin of her neck. Her troubled, thoughtful expression melted into arousal. Tony was relieved. The conversation and the flirtation had served a trio of needs: she was considering the damage her father had done to her relationship with her younger brother, she was allowing a minor public display of affection, and she wasn‟t asking about abnormalities at the construction site any more. Dragging in a deep breath she tried to push him back. “I‟ll compromise.” He grinned and allowed her to fend him off. So much for the PDA. Still, the fact she‟d allowed it at all was progress. “I‟ll talk to Matty, and leave at six.” He nodded, recognizing it was a huge concession on her part. “And you‟ll come directly to my house for dinner.” He caught her gaze with his, and the confusion and vulnerability he saw there twisted his guts in knots. She finally nodded, and turned to open the car door. Suddenly he couldn‟t let her go without touching her one more time. Tony grabbed her wrist and tugged her into his body, dipping his head to capture her lips in a scorching kiss. She was stiff in his arms and he knew she was totally aware they were on display to anyone who happened to glance in their direction. Tony didn‟t give her the option to refuse him. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, tasting her thoroughly. After a moment, she melted into him.
When he pulled back, he bit her bottom lip hard enough to make her gasp. Hard enough to make a mark, he realized with deep satisfaction. He liked the idea that everyone to see her this afternoon would see her red, swollen lips and know she‟d been kissed. By him. * She climbed into her car and drove away with shaking hands, and no answers to her questions. Just a burning need to feel his body locked endlessly deep inside of hers again. She spent a troubled afternoon, her mind jumping from one problem to the next. Marcus‟ disappearance, and Carrie‟s too, apparently. No one had been able to reach the former Executive Assistant, either. The idea Matthew might have felt unwanted, unneeded, atWorthington . The idea she might have subconsciously wanted him to feel that way. She hadn‟t ever consciously thought it, didn‟t want to admit it, but it felt right—the idea she‟d wanted Matthew to stay far, far away from the company, that she hadn‟t wanted to give up any tiny bit of the one place she felt safe. It didn‟t paint a very flattering picture of her, and she hated the fact she‟d been so petty. Matt was just as muchStirling ‟s victim as she was. She didn‟t like the idea she might be making him her victim as well. Meredith gritted her teeth. She was thinking in circles, and there wasn‟t anything she could do about Matthew right now. He appeared to be working well with Daniel, and she trusted the older man to guide him through the more complex steps of choosing the building site for their newest renovation in the northern part of the state. As if worrying about Marcus and Matthew wasn‟t enough, there was the mystery of the construction site. Something was going on there; she could feel it in her bones. And she was sure Tony knew something he wasn‟t telling her. She wondered just how damaging that something would end up being. * Tony loved cooking for her. Well, heating up his Nona‟s ziti hardly counted as cooking, but it was one more way to take care of her, to show her she was important to him. Now if he could just keep her from pressing him further about what she overheard of his conversation with Jenner. He hated keeping this from her; he knew how importantWorthington was to her, how personally she would take this offense. He also knew once the information came out, he‟d have some quick talking to do. To him, telling her wasn‟t an option. Keeping his silence was just another way of taking care of her. She was his woman, and Renatto men protected what was theirs. Unfortunately, he doubted she‟d share the sentiment. He‟d wait until Marcus returned; if he didn‟t come back by the end of the week, then he‟d go to the youngestWorthington . It would piss his Princess off to be excluded, but any situation involving drugs could go from sugar to shit in the blink of an eye, and he wasn‟t about to expose her to even a hint of danger.
Jenner hadn‟t recognized the stamp on each pill. The small pink tablets were placed three per tiny bag, and then bundled by tens inside a larger one. The cop had sent a sample of the drugs to the lab to see if they could identify the composition of the pills. The type of drug might give them a lead. Jenner‟s cover as the one in charge of the building‟s interior was perfect. It gave him a built-in reason for constantly poking around inside the building. Tony had given him a list of the people currently employed at the site, making notes on background and personality for each. The cop was doing background checks, and had the investigation well underway. Meredith shifted in her chair, drawing his attention back to her. Damn, but was she beautiful. She hadn‟t followed his directions, and had stopped home before coming to his house. She‟d changed into slim-fitting linen pants, and a silk t-shirt. It was as informal as he‟d ever seen her, and he felt a deep charge of satisfaction that she was comfortable enough with him to shed her corporate armor. He‟d have to punish her for her disobedience of course. But not too much. Not when she was coming along so well. He reached across the table. “I miss all your long dark hair.” He brushed the short spikes out of her eyes. “Why did you cut it off?” Her expression became wary, like it always did when faced with personal questions. He waited patiently for her to answer. Tony had discovered this was the best way to get information out of her. He never demanded, just asked and waited for her to reply. He knew she was waiting for an excuse to deny him something, anything, even if it was a small bit of information about herself. She was like a fine piece of china held together with nothing more than child‟s glue. Her life up until now had been defined by her ability to take on the world around her. Not anymore. She had him now, even if she didn‟t fully realize it. Tony was going to prove to her he was here for her. No matter what. He wasn‟t going to judge her if she had a weak moment. No, he was going to hold her and support her through her problems. He played with her long fingers while she looked at him, her silver eyes cloudy as she finally spoke. “That night was a mess.” He knew she meant the first night they‟d shared. “I was rebelling, I guess.” Her smile was sad. “Marcus set me straight, though.” Something hard and dark shifted in her eyes, and Tony found another sin to lay at the feet of her arrogant brother. He knew he‟d never forget the sight of Marcus dragging her out of Velvet Ice while he stood helpless, restrained by Brady Ryder, the club‟s owner. She continued, pulling him from his angry musings. “Then there was my father…” She trailed off for a moment. “I needed a new start.” Her eyes took on a far-off look. “When I cut my hair, I let go of the past and all the expectations I‟d ever held.” He understood what she was really saying. She‟d tried to let go of that night, of any desire to free the passionate, fiery woman she kept bound so tightly inside, but he also understood she hadn‟t
been able to do it. It was in her eyes every time he reached for her. The same desire, the same yearning need he‟d felt in her five years ago. “After what happened with Marcus, his divorce,Stirling ‟s death, I wasn‟t the same person. It seemed like the outside should reflect the changes on the inside.” He spoke quietly, his heart breaking for her. “So cutting your hair was symbolic of your new start.” She started a bit, like she‟d forgotten he was there. Her eyes cleared and his serious Meredith was back. “So, I wanted to discuss something odd I noticed at the construction site with you.” Tony stood up and cleared their dishes. “What did you want to talk about?” When she stood up and helped him load the dishes into the washer, he smiled; she probably didn‟t even realize she was automatically helping him with the domestic work. She placed her hands on the sink. “Something‟s going on there. Something not quite right.” Tony raised his brow. Damn, she missed nothing. “Like what, Princess?” He asked, letting his hand brush her face, not to distract her, but because he couldn‟t bear not touching her. She blinked, sidetracked by the contact of his hand. “I can‟t put my finger on what it is specifically, but the other day I found a locked door. Then I could swear I heard someone leaving. Call it a hunch, but something just isn‟t right.” Tony put both of his hands on her shoulders, “I can assure you, Meredith, if something was going on, I would know.” The look she gave him said she wasn‟t remotely satisfied with his answer, so Tony shushed her the only way he knew how; he kissed her. A long, hot, lingering kiss that made her moan. Still kissing her he backed her into the living room. Hitting the button on the stereo, he smiled as mellow R and B flooded the room. He loved his surround sound. The music was soft enough for Meredith to hear his instructions, but loud enough so it didn‟t afford her the opportunity to continue her line of questioning. * Meredith knew she was being maneuvered, and she knew later she‟d be pissed, but right now she could only let herself be swept up in his kiss. She tried to pull away, but he held her head in place with one hand, while his other delved under her waistband and moved between her thighs. His moan echoed hers as he drove two thick fingers into her. His voice was ragged, his accent making an appearance as he murmured, “You‟re so wet for me. So beautifully wet.” His words vibrated against her damp lips, sending shivers of pleasure over her body.
Gradually, without her realizing it, he guided her fully into the room. Finally breaking the kiss, he drew back to lock his gaze on her swollen lips. The fire in his eyes left her chest heaving with unfulfilled desire. She moved forward, trying to catch his mouth again, but he pulled back. “Huh-uh,” he murmured. “Ask first. And ask the right way.” It was maddening. He avoided her questions, he worked her into a frenzy, then he made her beg. Her head snapped forward and she caught his bottom lip between sharp teeth with a low growl. Meredith didn‟t like the look of his smile when he pulled away. “Oh, Princess, you are so bad.” He stroked a gentle hand down the line of her throat. “I‟m going to enjoy punishing you so much.” Stepping away from her entirely, he spoke sharply, startling her into instant compliance. “Strip. Now.” Her trembling fingers flew to the button of her pants. “Oh, no, Princess. Do it slowly. Make me enjoy it. Start at the top.” Meredith was sure she‟d felt more awkward in her life, more self-conscious, but she couldn‟t remember when. Slowly she pulled her silky shirt free of her waistband. Inch by inch she drew it up, exposing pale skin roughened with chill bumps. She was the farthest thing from cold; it was all nerves. “Eyes on mine,” he snapped, and she jerked up to meet his gaze. The smoldering intensity in his eyes warmed her. She was still painfully shy, but his obvious arousal stoked a fire in her belly much stronger than her fear. Tony‟s eyes traced every movement of her fingers, visually devouring her breasts, her belly, the curve of her waist. She felt his eyes like a touch, warming and steadying her. With trembling fingers she unclipped her bra. Her nipples hardened painfully under the stroke of his gaze. Her entire body was shaking, breath jerking unevenly as she slid her panties down the curve of her hips. “Give them to me,” he extended one hand, and she hesitantly handed him her damp panties. She almost fell over when he lifted them to his face, burying his nose in the fragrant lace. “You smell so delicious, Princess. Like spices and sugar. Like everything good.” He tucked the panties in his pocket. “Touch yourself.” Meredith looked at him pleadingly, and he relented a bit. “Touch your breasts. Squeeze those pretty pink nipples. Pretend it‟s me.” She gave an uncertain nod, and lifted her hands to cup the delicate swells of her breasts. It was so different touching herself in front of him than it was when she was alone. As she plucked at her tingling nipples, fire streaked straight to her clit. Tony just smiled in satisfaction and
motioned her hands lower. “Touch your pretty pussy. Tell me how wet it is.” One hand slid down her belly, while the other continued to cup her breast. Slowly she slipped two fingers between swollen lips, biting her lip at the jolt of pleasure that shook her. “How does it feel, Princess?” His voice was almost a whisper, but was relentless for all its softness. “So wet. So hot.” Her voice was broken, her breath ragged. “I‟m burning up for you.” He gave her a long look. “Burning up, what?” Her answer was instinctive. “Anthony. I‟m burning up for you, Anthony.” “That is so good, baby. So sweet.” He leaned in to press an approving kiss to her forehead. Stepping back he directed, “Sit down on the couch.” She sat, perching on the edge. “That is perfect. You‟re perfect.” His approval warmed her. “Now spread your legs wide. Show me your beautiful, wet pussy. Put your hands on the couch next to you. Beautiful. Now don‟t move.” Meredith sat, completely exposed to his burning gaze. Keeping his eyes locked to hers, Tony lifted his hands to the buttons of his shirt. One by one he slid them loose, baring the golden curves of his chest, the copper disks of his nipples, the ridged planes of his abdomen. Each inch of bare, burnished flesh called out to her. Her fingers ached with the need to trace the rigid tips of his nipples, the light scatter of fine black hair across his chest, the silky line of hair leading from his navel on a southerly journey of discovery. When his hand dropped to the button of his jeans, Meredith thought her heart would explode. He stopped with the top button, taunting her with the strain of his swollen cock against his fly. Observing her glazing eyes and drooping lips, Tony sent her a naughty grin, like a young boy who‟d stolen a cookie from the cookie jar. “See something you like, baby?” As if he didn‟t know full well she was crazy to get her hands and mouth on him. She didn‟t realize her hands had left the couch, reaching for his mouthwatering, golden body until he snapped, “Hands down!” Her hands slapped back down to the seat of the couch, and she widened her thighs still more for good measure. “That‟s better, Princess. I‟ll only have to punish you a little.” He gave her a sleepy smile and dragged his hand along the swollen length of his cock. “You‟re really racking them up, baby. I can hardly wait until your gorgeous ass is glowing pink.” Letting his gaze rest on her white knuckles, clenched on the edge of the couch, his gaze softened. “What do you need, Princess? Just ask and it‟s yours.”
She didn‟t know which of them was more surprised when she answered without hesitating. “You. Please, Anthony, I need to touch you.” His smile was feral, and somehow it warmed her clear through. “I need you to touch me,” she concluded. To her enormous relief, he didn‟t make her squirm. Holding one broad hand out, he lifted her from the couch and drew her to stand in front of him. * Tony slid his hands down her back, cupping her firm behind and pulling her tight against him, dipping his head to catch her mouth with his. When she moaned into his mouth and kissed him back, he could have shouted in triumph. His woman, coming to him willingly. He coasted his hands over her shoulders, cupping her breasts to squeeze them lightly. When she swayed into his touch, he caught her nipples between his fingers and thumbs, pinching sharply. She tried to break the kiss, gasping, but he moved his hands, holding her head in place with one hand while his other moved between her thighs. She was beautifully wet as his fingers slipped through her delicate folds. When he traced the outline of her clitoris, her moan vibrated against his lips. She cried out as he drove two thick fingers into her, and he had to fight to keep from crying out, too. She was so tight. So wet. So hot and ready for him. He worked those fingers back and forth, his palm grinding her clit, and reveled in each little cry, drank down every urgent whimper. He broke the kiss only long enough to catch a breath before diving back into her mouth. She tasted of sweet Italian spices, and a sweetness all her own. He knew he‟d never get enough of those lips. He dipped his head, sipped and licked into her, and the entire time his fingers kept up their seek and destroy mission between her legs, the entire time her hips moved back and forth against his hand. He felt her tremble, her legs shake, and slid his hand free to steady her. Finally he relinquished her mouth, pulling back enough to look at her swollen, red lips. Her chest heaved as she tried desperately to catch her breath. Her eyes were molten with unfulfilled desire. He‟d known she was coming, had anticipated the need to distract her, and had prepared the living room accordingly. Lifting his hands he ran his fingers through her hair, smoothing the feathery black strands away from her face before sliding his hands over her shoulders and down her arms, finally stopping to cuff her wrists loosely in his hands. “Hands behind your back, Princess,” he commanded. She did as he asked the first time and he was pleased. Tony walked to the basket he‟d set on the low cherry wood table in front of the couch and retrieved a set of velvet-lined black leather cuffs. To his great satisfaction, she stood quietly where he‟d left her, hands clasped loosely behind her back. The only sign of apprehension she showed was in her wide, haunted eyes. Tony clenched his fist around the black leather cuffs, which were held together in the middle by a short silver chain. He needed to teach her a lesson. She had to know she could trust him, to really believe it on a deep, instinctive level. And, he thought, maybe if she trusted him with her
body, then she would be able to trust him with her heart. Carefully he placed one cuff on each delicate wrist, meticulously tightening them until he heard her hiss. “Is that a pain sound, Princess? If it hurts, you need to tell me,” he stroked the skin around the cuffs. “I want you stirred up, not hurting.” He didn‟t stop to examine his relief when she hesitantly shook her head no. “Remember baby, we can stop at any time.” He placed a small object in her hand. “What‟s this,” she asked. Tony walked around to face her. “It‟s a panic button. If things get too intense for you, you press it and it‟ll make a noise loud enough to catch my attention.” He pressed the button, demonstrating, and a sharp whistle pierced the silence. She looked at it, then at him. “If you need to stop,” he reminded her, “then we stop and talk about it.” He wasn‟t willing to promise to let it go entirely. His Princess was so tightly wound she might just panic before she hit a wall. He reserved the right to talk her through it. Still looking puzzled, she asked, “Isn‟t it easier to just tell you?” Tony ran a finger down her cheek. “Normally it would be, but you won‟t be talking.” The confusion didn‟t leave her face until he reached back into the basket behind her. The ball gag wasn‟t particularly large; he didn‟t want to scare her or make her truly uncomfortable. “I don‟t know if I can do this, Tony.” Her voice was low and urgent, and she‟d said just the wrong thing. Tony grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her in for a bruising kiss. When he felt her lips soften he pulled back. “What did you just call me?” Tony suppressed a little wince when she flinched at his hard words. He felt even guiltier when she raised apprehensive eyes to meet his. “Anthony, you aren‟t really going to gag me, are you?” “Yes, Meredith, I really am. Youcan do this. I know you can.” He was careful to keep his own doubts off his face. “You know what to do if you want to stop.” He ran a taunting finger over one painfully hard nipple and gave her a mischievous smile when she shuddered in reaction. “Say the word. Press the button. Go ahead, I dare you.” When she remained still, Tony dipped his head to take her mouth again, more gently this time. When he finally pulled away, he reached up to cup her cheeks in his hands, his thumbs gently urging her mouth open. He carefully eased the ball gag into her mouth, stepping behind her to
fasten the satin ribbon to hold it steady, tying it securely around the back of her head. Snug but not painful. Unable to resist, he trailed his fingers down her spine, savoring her silky skin, the shivers of reaction rippling through her. “Spread your thighs, Princess,” he instructed, shifting back in front of her. When she did, he dropped to his knees and slid a thick metal bar between her feet, latching it around her ankles with black leather cuffs. The bar held her legs wide open for his touch. The cuffs confined her hands behind her back, offering her breasts as a visual feast. Tony knelt at her feet, letting his gaze stroke up her body. He knew he‟d never seen anything more beautiful, more perfect, than Meredith was in this moment. She was glorious in her nudity, his bindings on her pale skin seemed to underscore the trust he needed so desperately from her. He knew he was in the position of a supplicant, and that‟s exactly how he felt. Like he was at her feet begging for her to trust him, to just let go. He could see the dawning awareness of her own power in her eyes. They‟d never put it in words, never discussed the rules of the game, but his Princess was realizing the most profound reality of a Dominant/submissive relationship: as the submissive, she held all the power. Pressing a kiss to the soft skin just above her neatly trimmed pubic hair, Tony slid around to kneel behind her. He wrapped his hands around her hips, letting his thumbs point like an arrow toward the tempting crevasse between her soft, round cheeks. Laying his lips between her shoulder blades, he began to kiss his way down her spine; slow, sucking kisses he knew sent sparks along sensitive nerve endings. Working around her bound arms, he marked her, leaving small pink love bites on her ivory skin. Scraping his teeth lightly against the small of her back, he absorbed her shudder of pleasure. When her head dropped back in enjoyment, he placed his tongue at the top of her ass, sliding it down between her cheeks and rimming her tight little petal before she could guess his intent. She yelped against the gag, but pushed back against his tongue as he continued to lave her most intimate parts. He drew back from her when her legs began to sway and returned to the front, kneeling between her long legs. He looked up at her and smiled. She was stunning in her passion, her silver eyes misty with desire. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he took his first finger and dragged it through the trimmed curls on her mound. She made a soft sound against the gag as he slid the digit deeper, and he joined her, moaning his pleasure as her honey coated his finger. Sliding free, he ran his creamy finger over her belly, leaving a damp trail on her satiny skin. Then, never taking his eyes from hers, he leaned forward to lick the sweetness away. “Princess,” he rasped, “you taste so damn good. I could spend hours just eating this beautiful pussy.” He looked up at her, cocking his eyebrow. “Would you like that, Meredith? My tongue buried deeply within you. Pulling orgasm after orgasm out of this hot body?” She stood absolutely still except for the shivers that shook her body, so Tony continued.
“Answer me, baby, so I can go down between these beautiful thighs of yours.” He brushed his fingers lightly along her inner thighs, and she whimpered again from behind the gag. “Remember, when you want something,” he let one finger trace her outer lip, spreading her rich cream along the sensitive flesh, “when youneed something, you have to ask.” Wide-eyed and trembling, she held his gaze and slowly nodded her head. Tony breathed a hot puff of air between her legs, an exhale of relief, before diving in. Carefully he spread her outer lips, impatient to get to the dewy essence housed deeper. He ran his tongue along her inner labia over and over, long steady stokes, his mouth watering at the nectar of her taste. Meredith‟s breath was choppy, but she was silent behind her gag. The room filled with the sound of his feasting, the scent of her passion, as he continued to lick and suck her pussy. Latching onto her clit, he sucked it into his mouth, intensifying the pressure until her composure broke. She began to scream into the gag, letting herself go in a way she never had before. Tony knew instinctively that with the gag to muffle her, Meredith would feel free to let loose, to cry out her pleasure. He hoped eventually she would feel free with him with no apparatus to hide behind. “You taste so fucking good,” he murmured against her pulsing flesh. “I never want to be without your taste in my mouth.” He pulled away and cupped one big hand over her pussy. “This is mine,” there was a whip of command in his voice, one he couldn‟t suppress. Sliding two fingers deeply into her clutching depths, he decided she was more than ready for the next step in her seduction. In fact, he thought if he waited much longer, she would come whether he‟d given her permission or not, and while he relished the idea of punishing her, he knew she wasn‟t quite ready yet. Tony lifted up on his knees so he could press his cheek against her ribs, rubbing over the skin between her breasts, caressing her with his face, his lips, his hair. Steadying her with one hand at the base of her spine, he reached around her to the basket on the table and removed a large, phallic shaped vibrator. She eyed the flesh-colored device with interest as he sank down again to sit on his heels. He could feel her eyes on him, but he kept his attention focused on what he was doing, stroking through her drenched folds, opening her until he could work the head of the vibrator into her channel. Her moan started low, but quickly rose in volume as he slid the device all the way into her. When it was fully inside, filling her to overflowing, he attacked her hot little cherry again with greedy lips, and turned the vibrator on low. Famished, he sucked hungrily at her clit. Every time he increased the pressure on her clit, he increased the speed of the vibrator. Letting his eyes roll up the length of her body, he savored the sight of her breasts, swollen and flushed. Moving his gaze further up, he encountered her seething silver eyes. She‟d sunk her teeth deeply into the ball gag, her face was red with effort, and her expression was nearly panicked.
She was perfect. “Oh, my sweet, good girl,” he was beyond proud of her. “You‟re waiting for me, aren‟t you?” He could hardly believe she‟d remembered, that she‟d been willing to follow his rules even when he didn‟t remind her to. “You can come, Princess,” he whispered before surrounding her clit and lightly nipping at it. She exploded before the words had finished vibrating against her flesh. The force of it sent her stumbling back. Tony caught her around the waist, steadying her. “God, Princess, you‟re so fucking beautiful when you come all over my mouth, my lips, my tongue.” He slid the vibrator free and ran his hands up her sides, pausing to plump her breasts, squeezing gently and leaning in to suck at the taut buds of her nipples. “I‟m going to clamp you again, love,” he mumbled around her flesh. “I love the look of these firm little raspberries with my clamps on them.” He reached around her again, this time lifting a black velvet pouch from the basket. Opening the pouch, he let two silver clamps tumble into his hand. He held one up for her to see, and was pleased to see no fear in her eyes, nothing but anxious arousal. The jewelry was silver, and had white velvet lining the inner surfaces of the clamps. Again, his goal was to keep her stirred up, not in pain. Dangling from each clamp was a clear, teardrop shaped crystal. Meredith Worthington was known as an Ice Princess, so he would adorn her with icy jewels as he brought her body to a white-hot fire. While her eyes were caught on the nipple clamps, he leaned in and drew one nipple deeply into his mouth, sucking strongly until she was arching into him, straining so hard he had to steady her again to keep her from collapsing against him. When her whimpers of pleasure turned to low screams, he drew back and pinched her nipple between firm fingers. Drawing it taut, pulling firmly away from her body, he positioned the first clamp just so, and allowed it to close on her waiting nipple. Her shriek of reaction was even more than the gag could muffle, and sent a bolt of scalding arousal straight to his balls. Pressing one hand against the base of his pounding cock, clamping down on himself through his jeans, Tony quickly set to work on her neglected nipple, savoring her uninhibited reaction as he clamped that one, too. Moving behind her, he sat on the low coffee table and turned her, pulling her over his knees. He played his fingers over the backs of her thighs, her hips, the panic button clutched tightly in her fist. Her inner thighs were glazed with her honey and the moisture from his mouth. He grabbed the vibe, turning it back on and running it up and down the backs of her thighs. When she sighed and relaxed slightly against his thighs, he ran it along her ass and down to her slick opening. He moved it in and out slowly, letting the motion slick her up even more. When her hips began rising to meet him he plunged the vibe deeply into her. Reaching once again into his basket of toys, he drew out a paddle. One side was covered with smooth leather, the other with silky fur. He turned her head to face him, showing her the paddle before running the furred side over her quivering ass. “I need you to let go, Princess.” She stilled, no longer moving. “Meredith, just for tonight, I need
you to let go and let me please you.” * The soft fur was silky against her skin. The weight of the panic button heavy in her hand. Let go? Meredith hadn‟t let go in five long years. There had been no one she could trust enough to allow herself the vulnerability. The vibrator ratcheted up a notch, while Tony massaged her cheeks, sliding his wayward finger between them and pressing against her nether hole. She involuntarily squeezed her ass together. She felt his lips press into her back, licking along her spine. He kept rubbing his finger back and forth. She wished she could talk to him, to tell him she didn‟t know how to let go. She wanted to explain, for the first time ever, how the ability to let go, to trust that deeply, had been seared out of her by pain and betrayal. She wished he had followed her out of Velvet Ice five years ago, had claimed her and kept her then. Maybe if he had, she could give him what they both needed now. And, as always, he seemed to understand where her head was, what she needed at this exact moment. “Shh … baby. It‟ll be okay, I promise. Just let me take care of you. I won‟t hurt you, Meredith.” He folded her hands more securely around the panic button. Tony had never judged her. He hadn‟t pushed her beyond what she could give. He‟d always given her a way out. Taking a deep breath, Meredith pressed her cheek into his thigh, felt the material of his jeans go damp with her tears. She hadn‟t even realized she was crying. Rubbing her face against him like a puppy seeking comfort, she stepped off the cliff. She nodded her head. Yes. Even though she was expecting it, the first solid thwack of the cool leather against her bottom still managed to catch her by surprise. The sting lasted only a second, and was followed by the most delicious warmth as he ran his hand gently over her flushed bottom. Another smack to her ass, followed closely by three more. Each time his hand would soothe the heated flesh. “Your ass is so beautiful,” he leaned in and stroked his lips over her painfully sensitive skin. “And even more beautiful when it‟s red from my paddle.” He cupped her cheek firmly in his palm, the slight flexing of his hand sent jagged streaks of electricity stinging over both cheeks. Releasing his hold on her, he lifted the paddle again, but didn‟t use it immediately. Instead he waited, and the anticipation was almost as excruciating as the contact of the paddle. When he finally struck, it was faster, harder than before. He let loose a flurry of blows heating her bottom to the fine line between pleasure and pain. He layered the marks, one over another, until she was shrieking against her gag, sure that with just one more blow she‟d have to give in, have to use the panic button or explode into an orgasm that just might destroy her. Just when she knew she couldn‟t take it anymore, he stopped, stood and maneuvered her to lay face-down on the coffee table.
“My perfect, beautiful Princess,” he whispered, and the deep vibration of his voice made the wall of ice around her heart tremble. Her heart aching, her ass on fire, Meredith didn‟t even try to control the tears. He‟d wanted her to let go. Well, he‟d gotten his wish. She‟d never felt this out of control, not even their first night so many years ago. She felt the keening cry ripple from her core as he dropped to his knees beside her and lowered his head. Slowly, deliberately, he traced his tongue over each mark on her creamy skin. The pain, the pleasure sent her into a state of frantic, confused arousal. Already she needed to come again. Just from his paddle, and the hot, wet lash of his tongue on her burning flesh. She didn‟t know how long he ministered to her abused flesh. Time lost all meaning. There was nothing but the moment, the man, and the scalding pleasure. Eventually, he delved between her cheeks, spreading them open as he toyed with the dark bud there. “Relax for me, Princess.” His voice was rough, guttural, and she suddenly realized he hadn‟t come. He‟d brought her up and through the most cataclysmic orgasm of her life, and had totally destroyed her inner guards and protections without taking his own pleasure. A wide finger probed at her nether opening, slick and cool with lube. “Relax,” he repeated, and though his voice was gentle the command was still there. Meredith closed her eyes tightly for a moment. He‟d pushed her past so many barriers already tonight, she felt like she‟d been stripped bare all the way to her soul. The question was, could she give him even more? Finally, with a deep breath, Meredith very deliberately blew out and relaxed her anal muscles around Tony‟s invading finger, letting him slide easily through the tough rings of muscle until she felt overwhelmingly full. “Christ, Meredith,” he choked out as she clenched around him. Slowly, thoroughly, he worked in another finger, lubing her liberally as he stimulated nerves she‟d never even known she had. When she was rising to meet him, trying to draw those wicked fingers deeper, he drew back and placed a small, slim object against her ass. Before she had time to adjust to the change, he‟d worked it gently through the tight rings of muscle until the almost overwhelming burn gave way to scalding pleasure. She jerked when Tony pulled the vibrator out of her convulsing pussy and placed it directly against her clit. The paddle came down again, even harder this time. Meredith moaned and tried to widen her legs a bit. She couldn‟t stop twisting, screaming into the gag. Tony slid two thick fingers inside of her, and she all but shot into the air. Her vaginal walls clung to his fingers as he wiggled and maneuvered inside of her until he rubbed up against the spot that felt so damn good it made her scream. He rubbed his fingers against that spot, while the vibe hummed against her clit and the paddle heated her ass to blistering. “Come for me.” The deep whisper shot through her like lightning, and out of nowhere a storm crashed over Meredith. Wilder than a tsunami, more intense than anything she had ever felt. Her
pussy clenched, her clit tightened, every muscle in her body convulsed as her orgasm ripped through her. She screamed, her throat hoarse, and felt a rush of liquid fire pouring from deep within her. Her head was spinning by the time her body stopped quaking. Tony was rubbing her back. “So beautiful, Meredith. Perfect, my perfect Princess.” His voice was ragged, and his hands shook. Suddenly Meredith felt almost giddy with the power she held over this man. She might be the one bound, but she had him trembling for her. After a long moment, the cuffs and clamps were released, the gag removed. Tony scooped her up, carrying her to his bed, where he wrapped her within the circle of his arms. She felt his cock burning against her hip through his jeans, but when she shifted to touch it, he caught her hand and hushed her with a kiss. “We‟ll get there, Princess. We have the whole night.” Chapter 9 Meredith didn‟t sleep long. Rest wasn‟t her strong suit under normal circumstances, and even though Tony had exhausted her with pleasure, she couldn‟t get over the fact he‟d satisfied her— repeatedly—without taking any satisfaction of his own. She shifted on the bed until she could let her eyes wander the length of his body. He was breathing slow and easy. He was also deliciously nude. She took a moment to admire the long sleek plains of his body, the thick, corded muscles lacing his arms and thighs. He had a construction worker‟s toned, tight body. He was a walking advertisement for how manual labor could do a body good. And not justhis body, she thought wryly as she shifted and felt tender muscles twinge. He‟d done her body a world of good, too. As she allowed her hungry gaze to follow the silky line of black hair down his chest and belly to his pubic area, her mouth began to water. A rush of warmth washed over her and Meredith was filled with a strange tenderness for the man before her. No one had ever taken such care with her, such careof her, and she had a sudden and surprising need to give back to him. He shifted around a bit and muttered something indistinguishable while she held her breath waiting to see if he‟d wake up. After a moment he settled back into deep sleep, his hands under his head, legs stretched out and cock standing at half staff, the naughty little golden bar piercing it glinting in the dim light. He looked like a sacrificial buffet. And she was starving. The temperature in the room went up about ten degrees as Meredith silently rose to her knees and straddled Tony‟s legs. She knew he‟d take control when he woke, so she was careful not to press her weight against him when she bent over, letting her tongue graze the dark head of his cock. Licking it slowly, she savored his musk, his slightly bitter flavor. Liquid beaded quickly over the head. With every swirling lick, more welled up like a fountain of life under her lips.
Tony tossed his head restlessly in his sleep, moaning softly as Meredith traced her tongue along the thick vein running along the bottom of his cock. Unable to resist, she caught at his piercing, tugging lightly with her teeth. He grew with every touch of her lips, and with each pulse and stretch she felt her power and arousal growing. The way he‟d allowed her to come over and over without taking his own pleasure gave Meredith a feeling she wasn‟t used to. Tony was taking care of her, not putting his wants and needs before hers. He wanted her fulfilled. She didn‟t think anyone had ever put her needs first. And the things he‟d done to her. Dark, forbidden things she never would have imagined. But somehow he knew. On some instinctual level, Tony Renatto knew what her body required. Now it was time to return the favor. She couldn‟t control the need to take him deeply in her mouth and make him feel as good as he‟d made her feel only a short time ago. She didn‟t even want to control it. With her mouth wet, her tongue throbbing to taste even more of him, Meredith wrapped her slim fingers around the thick base of his heavy cock, and wrapped her mouth snugly around the tip, drawing him slowly inside. * Something kept trying to pull Tony out of the greatest fucking dream he‟d ever had. His Princess, on her knees and sucking the life out of him. His hands were in her short dark hair, urging her to take him further, deeper. He wanted to feel her swallow him whole. His legs opened wide as her delicate little tongue slid around his heavy sac, pulling each ball into her mouth and swirling it with her tongue. Letting go, she moved further between his legs, licking his perineum, Tony‟s eyes sprang open. This was no dream. His Princess, his Meredith was really between his thighs, feasting on his hard body. Her tongue flickered over the secret place he‟d tasted on her earlier. His back arched off the bed as his hands dug deeper into her hair to hold her tighter against his body. “Dammit woman, you‟re killing me here.” He watched fascinated as she licked both of her palms. She wrapped her hands around his dick and stroked him up and down while she sucked his balls back into her wicked, wicked mouth. His entire body was strung tight as a bow as she worked magic with that amazing mouth of hers. He tugged on her hair and pulled her lips up to the throbbing crest of his cock. She smiled, her pretty silver eyes gleaming at him as she took just the head in and sucked hard. It felt like she was drawing his soul out through his cock as well as his pre-cum. If he let her continue, Tony knew he was going to shoot down her throat. He didn‟t want to lose control tonight. Tonight wasn‟t about his pleasure, but about her. It was about marking her, seeing her obey him. Tonight was about Meredith trusting him.
Lightening fast he pulled her off of him, pushing her back against the bed and flipping her to her stomach. Reaching blindly for the cuffs, he restrained her. “No, please, let me…” she whispered, breathless with desire. He loved the smoky quality to her voice when she was turned on, but he couldn‟t hear her voice now. It would weaken him, and he wasn‟t about to be weak with her this night. Not when she was still so closed off to him. Grabbing the ball gag, Tony again slipped it between her lips. This time she opened for it immediately, and he tied it securely around her head. When she moaned against the resilient rubber, Tony ignored her, running his hands along the smooth curve of her perfect ass. He squeezed the round cheeks and bent down, sinking his teeth into large bits of her flesh. She squeaked, but after his teeth stung her already reddened skin, he went back and soothed the marks he left with his tongue. He sucked hard where her buttocks met her thighs on both sides and smiled with pure male satisfaction as two purple marks showed up on her skin. She bore his marks and he loved it. “Pull up now,” he commanded. “On your knees, Princess.” He steadied her with his hands on her hips as she obeyed, giving her a sharp rap of warning on one rosy cheek when she sent him a smoldering look over her shoulder. She looked so amazing. Elegant and raunchy all at the same time. He had to stop and just stare, just bask in the sexuality pouring off of her and onto him. Finally he shook himself and moved from the bed to the deep wooden chest where he kept his toys. Opening the cap on a small bottle of lubricant, Tony drizzled a liberal amount on Meredith‟s lower back. She shivered as the cool liquid filled in the two dimples just above her ass. “You know Princess, I never gave you permission to suck me.” He kept his voice neutral, biting back a smile as she whipped her head around to look at him incredulously and make a disbelieving noise against the gag. Giving her a little smack to direct her attention forward again, he set back to work, running his hand over her behind, spreading lube on each of her cheeks, coating her in soft slickness. His finger slid through the lube, pushing it into her anus. Meredith clamped her ass tight against the invasion. Tony spanked her bottom, once, twice, three times. “Open for me.” As he spoke he allowed a finger to move to her slit and rub the outer lips. She relaxed into his caress. Once again his finger returned to the puckered flower in her ass. Every time she tried to clamp down, he spanked her soundly, saying nothing. “You know you can do this. You know how good it feels,” he reminded her. It was vital she do this willingly. If she was his, she would give in. “Do you want the panic button, Meredith?” he asked when she continued to resist. His voice was like ice, and she shivered against him in reaction. She took a minute to think about it, and Tony considered it a good thing. If she thought it through, he‟d know she meant it when she gave over to him. Equally important, she wouldn‟t be able to rationalize later that he‟d pressured or overwhelmed her into something she didn‟t really want. He felt like pounding his chest like
Tarzan when she finally met his eyes and shook her head no. Without a flicker in his expression to let on how he‟d doubted her capitulation, Tony continued to play with her slick front entrance and lube her back one. It took patience and long, luxurious minutes of petting and soothing her, but eventually Meredith relaxed completely. Her giving in was every bit as complete as her resistance had been, and it was intoxicating. Dipping his finger in a small puddle of lube collecting in the small of her back, he oiled her secret opening over and over, until he was able to easily slip his finger in. She started at the sensation, and tightened up again. “Baby, it‟s going to burn for a second, but I promise you, if you can just relax and take it, the pleasure will be like nothing you‟ve ever experienced.” His voice was ragged, his words urgent. His cock was screaming at him to take hernow , fuck her now, get into her so deep and so hard she wouldn‟t be able to walk out of here by herself. Wouldn‟t be able to walk away from him, ever. But he continued his slow punishment of her body, drawing out every caress of his hands on and inside her yearning body. When the tight ring of muscles finally relaxed around his probing finger, he massaged her clit with the other hand. He knew when the burn eased into dark pleasure by the way she jerked against him, grinding herself against his hands. “That‟s it, Princess. Feels good being so full, doesn‟t it? Imagine how it‟ll feel when I take you here with my cock.” She jerked against him, pleasure or panic, he wasn‟t sure. “Have no doubt, baby, I will have you here one day.” The tensing of her back was definitely panic, so he relented and reassured her, “But not today.” Her tense body visibly relaxed after this promise. He wanted to smile. His poor Princess had no clue. This was only the beginning of the things he was going to show her, going to let her experience. Her movements grew more frenzied, her cries more frantic, and he knew she was close, so he pulled his hands away. She cried out in anger and frustration. Tony spanked her harder this time, and then when her ass was hot and pink, he lazily licked at it. Squirting more lube directly on her dark petal, he grabbed the small silver egg he‟d placed on the bed and set it against her opening. He gently pushed the small, oval shaped vibrator until she opened up and swallowed the device. He was shaking nearly as much as she was with barely controlled lust as he turned the egg and set it vibrating in her silky depths. Her back arched and she screamed, and Tony‟s control snapped. Quickly he moved between her thighs. Widening her stance, he set the head of his cock against her entrance and speared into her in one smooth move. The egg vibrated inside of her, adding its maddening massage to the lure of her clenching muscles. Wrapping himself around her, one arm around her hips locking her against him, he began to thrust. Pushing all the way in. Pulling out all the way to the tip, and then shoving back hard. Setting his teeth against the delicate skin of her shoulder, he set to work claiming his woman.
* Meredith was totally lost in the dark sensations streaking through her body. Tony slid his arms around her, surrounding her in his heat, cupping her nipples, which were still tender from those sanity stealing clamps, with rough, hard and demanding hands. Hands almost as rough, hard and demanding as his cock pounding into her. Each thrust was like a jolt of electricity ripping through her. The naughty little bar-bell piercing his cock dragged over super-sensitized tissues, dragging scream after scream from her abused throat. She needed it harder, faster. She needed him imprinted on every inch of her body, and she needed to come. Once again he seemed to read her mind, or maybe he was reading her body. At any rate, he took his hands from her straining nipples and slid them up to hook around her shoulders. Using his grip on her shoulders, he pinned her as he moved harder and faster through her tender walls. Evidently even holding her so firmly wasn‟t enough for him, or for her, and he let one hand go long enough to wrap his fingers in the short hair at her nape. He pulled her head roughly back and bent down, whispering his thoughts. “Meredith,” his voice was raw, sex incarnate, “you feel so fucking perfect. Your body was made to take my cock.” He bit her neck, hard. He was wild, seemed barely in control of himself, but Meredith wasn‟t afraid. In fact, she felt a heady kind of thrill at the power her body held over him.She had shaken him loose from his impenetrable control.She had driven him to pound into her, to tunnel through her and make her cry out for more. It washer body pushing him further and further beyond the limits of sanity. “Baby, you‟re driving me crazy,” his words were guttural, almost bestial. “First with your mouth, now with your fine pussy.” His voice was hoarse from holding back. Meredith pushed back against him. She was delirious with hunger, incoherent with the overload of sensation. The egg in her ass vibrating, Tony‟s body slamming into hers. The sound of his voice as he ground out the words she‟d unknowingly longed to hear. “You‟re mine Meredith Worthington. You aremine .” * Tony drove himself as deeply into his woman as possible. He wanted to stay like this forever. Buried balls deep, holding her tightly. He wanted to hold her and protect her, and to tell her so much more, but Tony was no fool. She wasn‟t ready to hear him yet. His Princess would turn tail and run if he confessed his heart to her so soon. Instead, he fucked her with all he had to give. His orgasm was building; he was dangerously close to losing it. He let go of her arm and slipped his finger to her clit.
“Come with me, Princess. I want to feel you tight around me when I come in you.” He licked her earlobe and she tipped her head back and screamed, biting viciously into the gag as her body tightened up, clutching violently at his driving cock. Her climax caught him, dragging him after her as her silken walls closed in on his dick, his hot semen poured from his body and into hers. The orgasm seemed never ending. She ground back against him, he pumped into her; over and over, each movement spurring an equally frantic reaction until finally she had wrung every bit of cum he had out of him. Tony‟s sweat-slicked body fell to the bed. He clumsily removed her cuffs and then her gag before pulling her down against him, spooning her into the curve of his exhausted body. * She‟d never really belonged to anyone before. All her life she‟d felt like an outsider, always looking in. Always hoping to have a taste of warmth. Could Tony be the one to give her that? The idea was exhilarating and terrifying all at once. With Tony she didn‟t feel like she had to be either-or. With the Old Man it had been you are either a company drone, or you are useless. You are either a male, or you are a waste of DNA. With Marcus it was you are either a lady, or a whore. You are either the way I want you to be, or I‟ll walk away from you. Tony didn‟t set limits or conditions. He seemed just as turned on by the driven executive as he was by the passionate submissive. He asked nothing of her except that she trust him not to hurt her. He respected her, and didn‟t see her femininity as a weakness. Maybe, though she was afraid to even think it, just maybe with Tony she really could let her guard down and trust he wouldn‟t hurt her. With these thoughts tumbling around in her confused, sex-drugged mind, she nestled deeper into his arms. **** They slept for a while, and it was deep into the night when Meredith woke to the feeling of a warm, damp cloth being drawn over her body. The heat was delicious, and it was heavenly to have the lingering stickiness stroked away. When Tony settled back into the bed and tugged her over himself like a living blanket, Meredith gave in without a fight and let herself sink into his embrace. After a while, Meredith‟s mind clicked back on and she was able to form coherent thoughts. And the first thought in her mind was how Tony had evaded her questions about the construction site. Tipping her head back to look up at him, she organized her thoughts before murmuring, “So, when are you going to tell me what‟s going on at the site?” His expression never changed, and if she hadn‟t been draped all over him, she wouldn‟t have noticed the minute tensing of his long,
lean body. “I already did tell you,” his voice was soft and sleepy, but his eyes were wide awake. “There‟s nothing going on there you need to worry about.” She didn‟t know how, and she didn‟t know why, but she did know he was lying to her. “You insist on my trusting you, Anthony.” She felt him catch his breath at her use of his full name. “But trust has to go both ways.” Lifting one hand she cupped his jaw and turned his face down toward hers. “You can‟t just bulldoze all my walls and then not let me past yours.” She thought she saw conflict in his eyes for one long moment, before he lowered his lips to hers, and made sure she didn‟t think at all. **** The next time she woke, she slid from the bed and gathered her scattered clothing. Moving silently into the living room, she dressed quickly and dug through her purse for her keys. Once she‟d slid behind the wheel, she just sat, considering things. Tony didn‟t fool her. It was obvious he wanted her distracted from what was happening at the construction site. She truly believed what she‟d told him, trust had to be a two-way street. She‟d opened up to him, given him more than she‟d given anyone, ever, but when push came to shove he resorted to diversion and distraction to avoid her questions. Something was going on at the Convention Center site. There was no more denying it. She didn‟t believe Tony was involved in whatever it was, but he knew something and by refusing to share it with her, he was disrespecting her as his employer, as a business woman, and ashis woman. The knowledge confused her, made her weary. She didn‟t know what to do about it, what she could do about it, but she did know she couldn‟t share a bed with a man who didn‟t trust her, or respect her. No matter how much she might be coming to care about him. **** On Tuesday morning Meredith dealt with her lingering hurt and confusion in the way she always dealt with uncomfortable feelings. She buried herself in her work.Worthington was the one place she‟d always felt safe, in control. Now she feared something might be threatening her fortress. Something happening at the construction site. She could feel her body tensing. She wished she were at the gym where she could punch the heavy bag until her knuckles hurt. It was something she often did to release pent-up anger, frustration, or hurt. She would hit the bag over and over until her arms were exhausted, refusing to rise up anymore. It was a satisfying catharsis, and more productive than what she‟d done to cope when the Old Man had died. Besides, there was only so much hair she could cut off before she ended up bald. There was a light rapping at the door before Trey, the Office Manager, popped his head into the
room. Meredith waved him in wearily. “Someone got a package.” He presented her with a large black box, tied with a red bow. “My, my, Ms. Worthington seems to have an admirer.” Meredith cringed at his sing-song voice as Trey stood expectantly by her desk. She gave him a dry look. As if she would open a mysterious package in front of him. Trey was adorable, so adorable he sometimes gave Meredith a toothache, like too much sugar would. But, adorable or not, Trey was also the office gossip. He was never vicious, but he did love to speculate on the romances of the employees, turning life at The Worthington Group into his own personal soap opera. He amused most of the staff, and Meredith was usually one of those who found him endearing. Today wasnot one of those days. With a pointed look at the door, she shooed him from the room before directing her attention to the box on her desk. She recognized the bold script across the envelope attached to the box immediately. With hands that weren‟t quite steady, she removed the letter inside the envelope. Princess, You may be able to run, but we both know you can’t hide. What’s more, we both know you don’t really want to do either. Put the dress on. Be ready at eight. I’ll come for you at your condo, and you will be ready and waiting. Don’t disappoint me, Princess. Not again. Anthony He was angry at the way she‟d snuck out while he slept. She‟d expected it, but she hadn‟t expected how much it would bother her. Tossing the note on her desk, she carefully slid the red silk ribbon from the box. Flipping off the lid, Meredith peeled back the delicate white tissue paper, then stared blankly into the box for a moment. Reaching inside she lifted out a silver metallic dress. She held it up against her body. The fabric was decadent, the halter-styled neckline would dip low, exposing the inner curves of her breasts, while leaving her back bare. Staring at the glittering material, she realized Tony had almost exactly replicated what she‟d been wearing the night they first met. Where in the world had he found a dress like this? Her face burned as she prayed he hadn‟t sent one of his sisters out to purchase the sexy-as-hell garment. Gently laying the dress on her desk, Meredith reached back inside the box and pulled out a scrap of lace she assumed were panties. As she held up the bit of fabric she raised one eyebrow. They were missing the crotch. Had he lost his mind? Garters and silky black hose followed. Only one gift remained, and it was spectacular. Meredith had a thing for sexy shoes, probably
because her father had never allowed her to wear any, and Tony had sent her an exquisite pair of Jimmy Choos. Black four-inch open-toe heels with long black straps that would wind around her ankles and up her legs. Her stomach clenched as her eyes roved over the clothing. His taste was amazing. Sexy without being trashy. She would look like his woman, his lover, but not his whore. Meredith sighed when she realized that even five years later Marcus‟ words could cut her to the quick. **** She was distracted all day, her mind on six-plus feet of walking sex. She was unusually quiet at the weekly board meeting, for once allowing Matthew to take the lead. She was pleasantly surprised at his preparation, his professionalism. She had to wonder if Tony had been right. Had she and Marcus pushed their younger sibling out of the way when he could have been a valuable contributor all along? There was still no word from her older brother, and the board members were getting antsy. There was only so long they‟d buy the explanation he‟d taken a short vacation. Marcus hadn‟t missed more than a random day of work in the last fifteen years. Now missing two in a row with no warning or advanced planning wasn‟t something easily explained away to the staff and stockholders. It was after six when she was able to escape, and she drove home in a frazzled rush. If she hurried, she just had time to shower, to shave and pluck and smooth her skin until it felt like warm velvet. She played with her hair and make-up, starting over more than once because she‟d lost the knack. It had been years, five years to be exact, since Meredith had bothered with anything more than mascara and sheer lipstick. At eight o‟clock, she was dusting her shoulders with the silver glitter Tony had thoughtfully provided when the doorbell rang. She stared at it as if expecting it to swing open and admit an alien from outer space. Her hands began to shake as the reality of what she was doing suddenly hit her. She was giving in to this man who‟d burrowed into her soul. This man who commanded her trust and obedience. This man who refused to give her his trust in return. The pleasure when she opened the door to face him was bittersweet. He was gorgeous, wrapped in black leather from waist to heel, a black silk shirt partially open over his bronzed chest. His eyes burned over her, radiating faint satisfaction when he registered that she‟d dressed for him. The generous line of his mouth was hard, though, and Meredith knew he‟d not forgotten, or forgiven, her desertion last night. “My dark knight,” she murmured, and flushed when he raised a brow and quirked one corner of his hard, edible mouth. “That‟s how I thought of you that night,” she explained, “all black leather and sex appeal.” She rolled her eyes a little and gave him a wry smile. “I didn‟t stand a chance.”
He returned her smile, but his didn‟t really reach his eyes. Without speaking he offered her his arm and led her to his truck. When it became obvious that in her short skirt and deadly heels Meredith wouldn‟t be able to climb up with any sort of grace, he grasped her around the waist and lifted her up. Standing between her legs, his eyes were level with hers. He cupped her cheek with one hand and said, “We‟ve started a new chapter, haven‟t we?” And while she didn‟t know exactly what it meant, she knew it was true. **** Meredith went very still when Tony pulled his big truck up to the valet service at Velvet Ice. Her pulse pounded against the skin of her throat, and he could almost see the memories wash over her face. Her first experience with Tony, Marcus dragging her out of the club, her father‟s brutalization and death. It was time for some more truth between them, and he turned to face her, crowding her against the passenger door and demanding her attention return to him, to the here and now. “I tried to follow you out that night,” he told her. “The owner, that big tattooed bastard, stopped me.” He shook his head at the shock in her eyes. “He told me who you were, who it was removing you from the premises.” He looked off into space for a moment, seeing the past. “I had nothing to offer you, and he was your brother, for fuck‟s sake, so I let you go.” He ignored her half-voiced protest. “When I saw you in the paper, all pale and bruised, I came closer to murder than a man should ever be.” He could see the questions in her eyes, but they were for later. Now his woman had another lesson coming. One in obedience. One in trust. Tony wondered with an almost physical pain if she would ever allow herself to fully trust him. Chapter 10 When they‟d pulled up in front of Velvet Ice, Meredith‟s first instinct had been to ask Tony to take her somewhere else, anywhere else. Just the sight of the purple neon sign was enough to send her back in time and stir up memories best left alone. But then he began to speak, and his words soothed hurts she hadn‟t even known she had. Somehow, even five years too late, knowing he‟d tried to follow her mattered. She understood why he was telling her this now. Once again it came down to trust. Hers and his. They still had a long way to go in that department. Maybe too far. But for the moment, his brown eyes simmered with barely controlled hunger, and she wanted to feel him wrapped around her on the dance floor like he had done all those years ago on that ill-fated night when she had dared to test the waters. **** The club wasn‟t overly crowded since it was a weeknight, but there were still plenty of people.
Tony‟s hand was hot against her lower back as he escorted her past the bouncer at the entrance. He flashed a coin of some kind and the man opened the ropes with a smile and a nod. They bypassed the regular dance floor. Blaring techno music surrounded them at a bruising volume, and bodies writhed and swayed against each other under the mirrored lights. Tony led her to the side of the dance floor where they climbed a spiral staircase. A giant bald guy covered with tattoos and bad attitude blocked the head of the stairs. Looking from Meredith to Tony, he quirked an eyebrow and murmured, “It‟s deja vu all over again.” Tony gave him a bland look and produced the coin again. Big, Bad and Bald nodded and bared his teeth in what might have been meant to be a smile, and moved aside to let them through. Could the night get any more surreal? Tony led Meredith to a small table near the second-level dance floor and seated her. “I‟ll get us a drink,” he clipped out, and walked away without bothering to ask her preference. Torn between amusement and irritation, she wondered if she should expect a Cosmopolitan or a Lemon Drop Martini. The way the night was going, a straight shot of whiskey, make that a double, was sounding more appropriate. She scanned the crowd on the dance floor, being very careful not to look too deeply into shadowed corners, before looking back at the bar. Tony had braced his elbows on the bar and propped one boot against the foot rail. The view was tantalizing, the tail of his shirt just high enough that his hard, leather-encased ass was on perfect display. And, Meredith noted, she wasn‟t the only woman looking. It took her a minute to get far enough beyond her jealousy, and then her irritation at being jealous in the first place, to notice he was in deep conversation with another man. It took a minute more for her to recognize the man, who leaned back against the bar on braced elbows, as Dorian Jones, Tony‟s new interior guy. They looked serious. Jones shook his head, and Tony dragged a hand through his hair, looking tired and angry. After a moment, he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes touching briefly on her. Jones‟ gaze followed his, and a slow smile spread over the other man‟s face. Shaking his head with obvious amusement, he said something to make Tony smile, and then reached into the front pocket of his way-too-tight jeans and produced another of those coins. Clapping Tony on the shoulder, he handed the coin over, shot Meredith a brief salute, and strolled over to talk to Big, Bad and Bald. Meredith‟s stomach began to churn. This was Marcus‟ haunt, and Meredith knew good and well the kind of sex Marcus liked. Images from numerous news stories flashed through her brain. She knew Marcus favored ménage‟s, was this that kind of club? She also knew he engaged in bondage and Domination, and there were clubs for that, too. Fear, deep-rooted fear, took hold of Meredith. She had more or less agreed to submit to Tony. She had even reveled in his Domination, his punishment. But she knew she couldn‟t bear to be shared. And isn‟t that what happened at “those” sorts of clubs?
She didn‟t want to believe he would do that to her, not when he‟d read her every need so perfectly up until now. But the evidence was damning. He slid the token in his hip pocket, and picked up their drinks from the bartender. Then he strode over to Jones and the bald guy and had a quick, intense conversation involving a lot of head shaking by the bald guy and several meaningful looks back toward her at the table. Her nerve broke. Once all three men were looking away, Meredith slipped out of her seat and began winding her way through the crowd toward the second exit on the other side of the dance floor. Dodging roaming hands, she didn‟t dare take a full breath until she reached the stairs. Before her foot could reach the first step, strong arms wrapped around her waist, turning and carrying her away from her escape. She kicked back, hearing a deep grunt as her heel made contact. Tony put her down in a dark corner, pinning her to the wall. “You‟re making a habit of sneaking out on me, Princess.” Was it hurt she saw flicking through his brown eyes? Good, she thought. She shouldn‟t be the only one. “You know, maybe five years ago I was naïve enough not to know what sort of place this is,” she hissed out, “but I do now.” She sent a venomous look toward the two men watching them interestedly from across the room. “Contrary to what my brother thinks,” she gritted out, “or what you think, I am not a whore,” she was mortified when her voice broke, “and I won‟t let you treat me like one.” “Dammit, I have never treated you like a whore,” the momentary hurt had been replaced by rage. “And damn you for even suggesting it.” He gave her a little shake. “I have only ever treated you like my woman, and to Hell with your brother or anyone else who thinks there‟s anything wrong or dirty about what we do.” His eyes, when they met hers, were nearly black with emotion. “Now what the Hell did I do to suggest to you I thought you were anything other than my beautiful, aggravating-as-Hell woman?” It was hard to meet his eyes, but she forced herself. “What were you and Jones talking about over by the bar?” He frowned at her seeming non-sequiter, and she continued, “What did the two of you need to discuss with Baldy over there?” Comprehension was dawning slowly in his eyes, and it was obvious he didn‟t like where she was heading with her questions. “And what do those coins you all keep flashing mean?” * Disappointment was too mild a word for what he was feeling. Every time he thought he‟d made a step, a chink in her armor, she closed up tighter than ever. He wanted to blame it all on her father and brother, but dammit, didn‟t there come a point when she had to judge him on his own actions? “You belong tome ,” he growled. “I would never share you.”
“Well, what am I supposed to think?” Her voice was sharp, but there was regret in her eyes. Somehow, it didn‟t make him feel any better. “You‟re obviously pissed already, you stalk off and have a little conference with Slick and Scary over there, and keep sending significant glances my way.” She shook her head and tried to pull away. “I‟ll tell you what you‟re supposed to think,” he raged at her. “You‟re supposed to think about how you trust me. How you know I‟d never hurt you. You‟re supposed to think about how I‟m fucking killing myself here trying to erase all the bad memories by making new ones.” Leaning in, he ground his forehead against the wall by her ear. “God, Princess. I don‟t know what else to do.” All the anger seemed to rush out of him with his sigh. Wriggling one hand free, she laid her palm along his jaw, turning his face to hers. Her eyes were huge and swimming with tears. When she spoke, her voice was so low he could barely hear it above the music. “I don‟t know myself when I‟m with you, Tony.” She blinked, and one lone tear slid down her cheek. “Anthony. You terrify me.” Even though he was afraid to hope, afraid she‟d slap him down yet again, he melted under her tears. “Will you stay here with me tonight? Just us, no one else, no ghosts in the room. Will you trust me, even if it‟s only with your body?” She nodded silently, and he took her hand, leading her to another set of stairs. He flashed the token Jones had handed him, and the burly guy guarding the landing stepped aside. Meredith didn‟t look at the man as they passed; it was all she could do to keep up with Tony‟s long strides. He tugged her down a long hallway, passing several blue doors. He finally stopped in front of one. Taking his token he pushed it against a red light on the door and she heard the lock click open. * The room he led her into was small and dimly lit. The walls were painted a deep crimson, with the exception of one wall entirely shrouded with a long black velvet drape. “Explore,” he encouraged her, motioning her toward a large cabinet dominating the wall across from the curtain. Meredith cautiously ventured closer, catching her breath when he swung open the doors to expose rows of hanging ropes and floggers, trays of sealed dildos and vibrators, drawers filled with neatly stored masks, clamps, gags, and other implements she couldn‟t even begin to identify. “What are you going to do to me?” Could that frightened, tentative voice actually belong to her? “I will tell you this once, because you‟re afraid,” he reached out and ran one finger down her
cheek. “But you must learn that you do not question me. Not in here.” Tony moved behind her, wrapping one strong arm around her waist and criss-crossing the other between her breasts, so he could cup her jaw in his hand. Turning her cheek into his chest, he leaned down to murmur in her ear. “This is Dorian‟s room; it‟s a very special room because Dorian has very special tastes.” She fought hard not to tense at the mention of the other man. Tony had promised he wouldn‟t share her. She had to believe him. He continued, “Behind the curtain is a two-way mirror. I am going to bind you and place you in front of that mirror. I will cover your face enough that anyone on the other side won‟t be able to recognize you, but they will be able to see you.” Meredith thought she might hyperventilate. “I can‟t,” she gasped. “Anthony please, don‟t make me…” “But Princess,” he purred in her ear, “how could I deny them the chance to see you, all beautiful and bare? You‟ll make them crazy, they‟ll go wild needing to fuck you. But they can‟t.” He spun her to face him, eyes burning into hers. “You are mine. They can look, but they can never touch what belongs to me. “Now,” his voice was tender, his grip unbreakable, “we have to prepare you for our audience.” To her surprise, he didn‟t strip her. Instead he bound her hands behind her back at the wrists, then again just above the elbows, so her shoulders pulled back and her breasts jutted against the silver metallic fabric of her dress. It was easy from there for him to pull the low-cut halter down, baring her breasts and framing them with the silver material. Once he‟d arranged her breasts to his satisfaction, he dropped to his knees at her feet. Meredith had a brief flash of the many times he‟d knelt before her like this, and in spite of her apprehension, she felt a flush of moisture wash through her pussy. His hands weren‟t quite steady when he stroked up her thighs, carrying her short skirt along with them. She caught her breath when he laid his cheek against her smooth belly, rubbing back and forth, prickling her skin with newly grown stubble, and soothing with the silken brush of his hair. With a low hum of satisfaction, he buried his nose against the damp lace of her panties, nuzzling the fabric to the side and letting his tongue snake in to glance over her saturated flesh, scooping at the honey he found there. “You always taste so sweet, Princess,” he muttered against her skin. “Like the sweetest sugar syrup.” He gave a final lick, then drew away. Meredith couldn‟t suppress her whimper of disappointment, and he shook his head at her with a naughty smile. Quick as a flash he darted in and nipped sharply at her inner thigh, leaving a deep red mark. “Huh-uh. No noise, Princess. This is my show.” Tony reached behind him and retrieved a metal bar, which Meredith recognized from his house.
She felt a little tingle shiver through her pussy at the memory of that bar holding her legs open and vulnerable to him. Instead of fastening the bar between her ankles, Tony wrapped two wide leather straps around her thighs, just above her knees. He took his time fastening the silver buckles, and then sat back to take in the picture she made, silver fabric, white skin and black leather. “You are so fucking beautiful,” he rasped, and when his eyes met hers, she felt beautiful. Once he‟d looked his fill, Tony fastened the silver bar to the straps on her thighs, forcing her legs wide, and tilting her hips forward. Taking a large silver clamp, he lifted her skirt and secured it so it fell down the sides of her legs, but left her pussy bare. Once he was certain she was steady on her feet, Tony reached into his hip pocket and removed a familiar black bag. Out came the exquisite silver and crystal nipple clamps. Leaning in he caught first one rigid nipple, and then the other in his mouth, alternating between the two until she was rocking helplessly into his caress. When her moans took on a frantic tone, he lifted his mouth and began to pull lightly at her nipples, preparing them for the pressure of the clamps. When he finally attached them to her aching nipples, Meredith jerked and clenched every muscle in her body to stop from coming then and there. “Good girl,” he murmured, as if he knew how close to the ragged edge of control she was. Leaning back in, he flicked his tongue around her nipples, rimming the flushed areola until she moaned and then tormenting the sensitive tips. The sensations were unbearable, the pressure building in her chest, lightning shooting from nipples to clit. He didn‟t stop the diabolical licks and nips until her entire body was tense, a graceful bow, jerking lightly in reaction. Seemingly satisfied, Tony turned again and walked to the toy chest against the wall. As she watched apprehensively, he sorted through several drawers before finally settling on a swath of black fabric. “Just one more thing, and we‟ll be ready to begin.” His voice was low and silky, another caress to her senses. And oh bleeding Hell, they hadn‟t begun yet? When he returned to face her, she saw he was holding a black velvet half-hood, traced with lines of silver flared from the eye-holes like fairy wings. He slid the soft material gently over her head, pulling it down until it covered her face to just above her lips. With precise movements he smoothed it over her nose, making sure her airway was free. Once the hood was secure, he spent long moments smoothing his fingers over the black velvet, tracing the silver embroidery and stroking her face through the lush fabric. The sensory overload, the bar, the mask, the nipple clamps, sent her flying. It wasn‟t orgasm, it was something other, something more. Every inch of her skin, every atom of her being, was electrified. The feel of her breath over her lips was almost painfully arousing. His eyes on her were a physical touch. “What‟s your safe word?” She heard his voice, but couldn‟t make sense of the words. All that
existed was a pleasure bordering on pain. “Meredith,” his voice was sharper now, and he took her chin firmly between thumb and forefinger to direct her glazed eyes to his. “Come back to me, Princess. It‟s not time to go flying yet.” Slowly she blinked back to reality, only to drown in his eyes. The coolness and distance she‟d seen there all night had finally melted, and she thought she could just float there forever. “Your safe word,” he repeated. “Say it for me.” “Frost,” her voice was distant, husky. “If anything hurts,” his luscious mouth kicked up at one corner, “I mean hurts in a bad way, you say frost. If you get scared and need to talk something out, you say frost. I want you to use it if you need it, Princess, but don‟t abuse it.” He stroked his thumb over her mouth, grunting in reaction as she instinctively drew it between her teeth to wash over it with her tongue. “Don‟t abuse it, baby, because tonight I‟m on the edge, and if you use it tonight, everything stops.” He drew a deep, shaky breath and withdrew his thumb from her sucking lips. “Acknowledge.” “If I say frost, everything stops,” she repeated back and received his satisfied nod in return. “Excellent, Princess.” He dropped a tender kiss on her lips, and turned her to face the curtained wall. Carefully he guided her to her knees before dropping to his own to adjust her position. With deft movements, he twisted the lace of her panties, making almost a rope of it. He spread the split where the crotch should have been, and pulled it tight to frame her clit. When he was done he had, in effect, bound her pussy with the lace of her panties, squeezing her clit and running it up to press the tender bud of her anus. He left her gasping, and walked to the side of the wall where the cord for the drape hung. Fingering the rope, he just looked at her. The bulge between his legs was huge and throbbing. The pulsing in her pussy kept time with his heartbeat. She was a breath away from that other place again, the place where there was only sweet, free sensation. “I‟m going to open the curtain now, Princess. The people in the next room will be able to see you, just as you can see them. Don‟t close your eyes,” he instructed. “I want you to see them, to see them wanting you.” She felt like she was about to hyperventilate. Her breath jerked in her chest, and she let out sharp whimpers with each exhale. Utterly attuned to her, Tony paused and came to kneel before her. Looking into those melting brown eyes, she felt her breathing even out and her anxiety recede. “Is it too much,” he asked softly. “Do you need to say something to me?” And because he gave her the out, she was able to slowly shake her head and whisper, “I want to do what pleases you, Anthony.”
* Tony wanted to roar out his triumph, or come on the spot at her words. He was angry, so angry, and hurt, and he knew he was pushing her far beyond where she thought she was ready to go. But she‟d surprised him, surprised, he thought, them both. She‟d gone flying, hitting nirvana, the place where the body was pure sensation, pure fire. And she‟d done it with nothing more than the force of his words. It was a heady thing, the most powerful aphrodisiac he‟d ever experienced. Now he posed her carefully in the center of the two-way mirror, and moved again to pull the curtain. He knew what to expect, so he didn‟t bother to look at the tableau in the other room. He was more interested in Meredith‟s reaction. He wasn‟t disappointed. Her eyes locked immediately on the slave who knelt facing her on the other side of the glass. The young man, for the slave was indeed male, was bound in a classic hog-tie position which left him deliciously exposed. Meredith‟s gasp was audible as she took in the man‟s helplessness, the leather straps binding him, the cock-and-balls harness holding him under control. With a dark smile, Tony hit a switch and suddenly the ragged cadence of the slave‟s breathing filled the room. To his amusement, it wasn‟t long before Meredith was breathing in time with the other man. “Patrick,” the voice was rich and feminine. The other slaved tensed at the sound. “Patrick, I don‟t think your cock is hard for me.” The Domme sauntered into view, wrapped from head to toe in red latex. “Don‟t you desire me, Patrick?” Patrick shuddered as she flicked the tip of a riding crop over the tip of his erection. “Answer me,” the command was sharp and obvious. “I desire nothing but you, Mistress.” The slave‟s voice was rough, as though he‟d been screaming. “I desire nothing but your pleasure.” “That‟s good, Patrick,” her voice stayed silky as she flicked the crop over his nipples. She smiled when he jerked in reaction. “Right now it pleases me for you to show Master A‟s possession how a true submissive behaves.” She ran fingers sheathed in red latex through his hair and he grunted when the material caught in the silky strands. Tony looked at Meredith and wished he could see her expression. She kept her eyes fixed on the window, her breath jerked raggedly in her chest, and her lips had taken on a full, sultry cast. Letting his eyes meet those of the Domme, Tony gave a small smile, and motioned for her to proceed. *
It was just as well Anthony had ordered her not to speak, because Meredith didn‟t think she could force a sound past the lump in her throat if she tried. The scene before her was out of her nightmares, out of her darkest fantasies. The slave, she couldn‟t think of him as anything else, was beautiful and young. His muscles rippled from chest to groin, and his hairless skin gleamed with a sheen of oil. In spite of his Mistress‟ complaint, his cock was swollen and angry, thrusting out demandingly from his silky smooth groin. His desire and distress were obvious; she could feel them stealing through the glass separating them. “Show me your devotion, Patrick.” The Domme had stooped to do something to the young man‟s bindings, and now she moved to stand with her back to the window, giving Meredith a clear view of round, firm buttocks in red latex. Standing with her legs spread and hands on her hips, the woman looked powerful, strong. When she spoke, her slave slowly lowered himself, leaning a bit to the side to keep from overbalancing, and pressed trembling lips to her thigh, knee, and then the top of her shoe. Sliding the crop under his chin, she guided him back to his kneeling position, and then used the device to pat his cheek. Meredith could all but feel the sting on her own face. The slave looked dazed, grateful, aroused beyond endurance. Even harnessed as it was, his cock slowly drizzled pre-cum. The Domme refastened his bindings and guided Patrick around, so he was in profile to the window. Pulling up a chair, she sat with her legs spread wide to reveal a slit in her bodysuit. Meredith could see the glossy folds of her pussy, and so could Patrick, who let loose an agonized moan and swayed forward involuntarily. “Oh, Patrick. You know better .” The Domme shook her head, seemingly disappointed. “Not until I command you.” She tapped his chin firmly, snapping his mouth closed with a click. She stood, and Meredith moaned along with the slave when she rubbed her juicy pussy over his chin before stepping to the side and around behind him. “We must give Master A‟s pretty little toy a pretty show, mustn‟t we, my love?” As she spoke, she plucked an enormous dildo from the bed on the far side of the room. Holding it up so both Patrick and Meredith could see it clearly, she murmured, “Solid marble. It will warm with your body temperature.” Sauntering back to kneel behind her slave, the Domme very theatrically drizzled lube up and down the length of the dildo. Then, leaning forward to rest her forehead between Patrick‟ sweaty shoulder blades, she squeezed a trail of lube over her fingers. He jerked when she slid two fingers roughly into his anus, and Meredith jerked, too, because Tony had slid up behind her while she was captivated with the scene in the other room, and as the Domme slid her fingers into her slave‟s tight opening, Tony pulled her panties roughly against her clit and pressed one broad finger to her own dark bud.
Her head fell back, and a raw cry was torn out of her. Distantly she was aware of the slave, his attention flickering to her as he seemed to drink in her pleasure. “Shhh,” Tony whispered against the tingling skin where her neck met her shoulder. “Imagine what he‟s feeling.” His invading finger pressed deeper, and Meredith whimpered at the burn. In the meantime, the Domme had removed her fingers and began working the dildo into her slave‟s slick hole. He moaned and groaned and rocked back into the large tool, and she fastened one hand in his hair to hold him steady. When the marble cock was fully seated, the slave swayed, a keening cry trembling from his throat. “My poor, disobedient love.” The Domme‟s words were tender, but her hands were rough. “You know you are supposed to be still and silent. You are an example, the model of a perfect slave. Now you will have to be punished.” She wrapped his bound hands around the base of the dildo. “Hold this in. Do not let it slide out. Do not move it.” She pulled at his hair, stretching his head back so she could meet his eyes. “No one fucks you but me, love.” It was getting harder and harder for Meredith to focus. Tony had slid his wide, thick finger deep into her resistant anus, and was slowly twisting it, sending showers of burning sparks over her nerve endings. “Have you ever seen a man get fucked?” He continued to whisper, not breaking the spell of the Domme over her slave. “Oh,” he breathed into her neck. “I remember you have.” Meredith shuddered at the reminder of the scene at the construction site. “But have you ever seen a man get fucked by a woman?” His finger continued to rotate. His free hand slid around to tug at the nipple clamps. Her sharp moan made an oddly compelling harmony with the cries of the slave. “Mistress Anne is going to fuck her slave so good, so hard.” Meredith cried out again as Tony slid his hand down to chafe the lace of her panties over her swollen clit. Indeed, Mistress Anne was making a good show of it. As Patrick clutched the dildo, straining to stay perfectly still, his Mistress stepped around in front of him. Sliding her gloved fingers through the juices of her pussy, she held them up to Patrick‟ lips. He obediently, eagerly took them into his mouth, sucking the cream greedily from her fingers. “Tell me how I taste, Patrick,” his Mistress purred. “Like honey,” he gasped, twitching against the pressure of the dildo. “Like sweet cream and sugar.” “Very good, love.” His mistress raised one foot to the chair she‟d previously occupied and swiveled her leg to the side, exposing her pussy, which was just as bare and flushed as her slave‟s cock. Flicking the crop over his cock again, she conceded, “You may lick me, Patrick,” and the young man lunged at her, slurping into her cunt as if she were sweet fruit and he‟d been fasting for weeks. “Mmmmm,” her moan was luxurious, and Meredith felt like joining her as Tony slid two fingers
into her clenching sheath. She could feel them run over the length of the finger still up her rear entrance, and the sensation was indescribable. Slowly the finger in her ass withdrew, and she whimpered in distress at the loss. Tony gave a low chuckle and rasped, “Don‟t worry, Princess. We‟re nowhere near through,” and then the finger returned, coated with slick lube. First one finger, then a second, and finally a third burrowed into her clutching anus. The Mistress moaned low and long, the slave devoured her with wet, hungry noises, Anthony delved into her, front and back, and Meredith flew. She didn‟t come. There wasn‟t enough direct stimulation to her clit or her g-spot to come. But she slid back into that space of total sensation. Her skin was a sex organ, every millimeter on fire. Tony let her go for a few minutes, but then relentlessly brought her back to earth. “Oh no, Princess. The show‟s not over.” He raised the fingers that had been in her pussy to her mouth, and while the Mistress watched he painted her lips with her own honey. “Not over for you, or for them.” The smile on the other woman‟s face sent a shard of panic down her spine. * Tony held back a feral smile. Anne was putting on quite a show. His Princess was so wet they could drown, and so hot she might just spontaneously combust. And poor Patrick was going to be raw for a good week. He‟d wanted Anne and Patrick for several reasons. First, because Anne was a superior Domme. She had a talent for pushing her slaves to the absolute edge of what they could endure, and then sending them into a climax almost painful in its intensity. He‟d also chosen Anne because she didn‟t have an exclusive slave. She always came to Velvet Ice with a different submissive, and her lack of emotional attachment showed. Tony wanted Meredith to see the difference between what was between them and what was between Anne and whichever slave she was working tonight. Finally, he‟d wanted Meredith to see a female Dom, a Domme. He knew Meredith had a difficult time picturing herself as a submissive, and it was one of the stumbling blocks to her giving over her trust. Tony thought if she saw a Domme at work, she might discover there was no Domme in her, and it would help her to accept the submissive in her nature. Anne pushed Patrick back roughly and without coming. The motion jostled the marble cock in him and he gave a sharp, distressed cry. Placing the crop under his chin to tip his head back, Anne dragged one finger through the moisture glistening on his cheeks and chin from his feast, and asked “Pain, or pleasure?” “It‟s both, Mistress. If it pleases you, it‟s both.” “It doesn‟t please me to damage you,” she snapped, and Tony knew she‟d stop in an instant if her slave was in real pain, the bad kind.
“I‟m not damaged, Mistress,” the slave gasped. “It hurts, but the pain just makes the pleasure deeper.” Anne‟s smile was feline and frightening. “Very good, love. A perfect answer,” she purred. “Now, let‟s show Master A‟s little toy how a good slave takes his punishment for his Mistress‟ pleasure.” The slave gave a small whimper, and Tony braced himself and Meredith for what would come next. * Somehow, the Domme managed to position herself so Meredith got a perfect view as the crop made contact with her slave‟s chest. “She‟ll keep the blows light at first,” Tony explained softly as the slave whimpered. “She‟ll want to warm him up. If she slashed away at him cold, the pleasure wouldn‟t outweigh the pain.” Mistress Anne was working the crop slowly and methodically over Patrick‟ torso, and the slave swayed under the blows like a willow in the wind. Meredith watched, and Anthony continued to prepare her ass for his possession. After several minutes of light, deliberate whipping, Patrick‟s gleaming skin was flushed a rich, rosy red. Mistress Anne paused and knelt beside him. Leaning over, she flickered her tongue lightly over his nipples, then bit down hard, causing the slave to hiss in an agony of pleasure. Satisfied, she settled back on her heels, thighs open wide for her slave‟s famished eyes, and began to work another layer of lashes over his heaving chest. “Now she‟ll begin to mark him,” Tony whispered, rotating his fingers maddeningly in her anus, drawing long, high, cries from her throat. And that‟s exactly what the Domme did. Still slow, still methodical, almost impersonally, the woman layered lash upon lash until a pattern of small, triangle-shaped marks formed on the slave‟s chest, abdomen, thighs. His face had gone red, and a glaze of sweat and tears joined the honey of his Mistress, sheening his beautiful face. His hips began to pulse, his cock in its harness swayed with each blow. Meredith was afraid, cock ring or not, Patrick was going to come, and soon. She couldn‟t even begin to fathom what his punishment might be. She was so caught up in the scene playing out in front of her she almost didn‟t notice when Tony withdrew from her. Almost. When her head whipped to the side to catch sight of him, he tapped her lower lip with a finger that tasted of her, and directed her to look forward. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated on the Mistress and her slave, and tried not to wonder what her own Dom was up to now. *
He was gone less than a minute, and when he returned, so did her nerves. Working silently, he quickly fastened a harness around her waist, threading two straps between her legs to clip to the back of the harness. Mistress Anne was still working her slave, and he looked about to break. His eyes, wide and glazed with tears, locked on Meredith, on Tony‟s hands on Meredith, and Meredith suddenly realized that even now Tony was touching her with tenderness. A tenderness clearly missing from the Domme‟s treatment of her slave. All at once the Domme looked up, and Meredith could tell her eyes met Tony‟s. Giving a sharp nod, the woman stepped back from her slave and moved around behind him. Then Meredith lost all sense of what was happening in the other room, because Tony was working a previously unseen dildo into her spasming pussy, securing it in place with the harness, and pressing warm, wet kisses over her neck and shoulders as she screamed against the pleasure. When her screams had subsided to raw whimpers, Tony cupped a palm over her pussy and whispered, “Is this mine?” When she sobbed and nodded against his chest, he said “Not good enough. Tell me.” “Yours,” she screamed, eyes locked with those of the slave who watched each movement with desperate greed. “My what,” he was relentless. “Your pussy,” she sobbed. His hand moved to her face, cupping her mouth. “My what,” his voice was nearly as raw as hers. “Your mouth.” His hand moved to her bottom, fingers probing the dark crevasse. “My what,” he was practically growling. “Your ass, your pussy, your mouth,” she couldn‟t stop; she could feel herself preparing to fly and clung frantically to reality. “It‟s all yours, Anthony. Every bit of me is yours.” The black velvet of the mask stuck to her face, glued there by the moisture of her tears. “I‟m going to fuck my ass now, Princess.” She felt something hard and slick and significantly larger than his fingers pressing against her puckered entrance. The pressure dragged a raw, primal cry from her, and Tony paused and grunted, “You are so tight, so hot.” He pressed harder against her protesting opening, and she cried out again, and even she couldn‟t have said if it was from the pleasure or the pain.
“Is it too hot, Princess? Do you need to ask for something cooler?” Even in her delirium, she recognized once again he was offering her an out. It was enough to ground her, and staring into the eyes of the slave who faced her, she took a deep breath and rasped out, “No, not too hot. Anthony, please, tell me how to do this.” His hand stroked over her head so tenderly it renewed her tears. Patrick followed the motion with a look of hopeless longing, and Meredith cried even harder. “You are so beautiful,” Tony praised her, “so perfect when you surrender to me. My most beloved,” he wrapped one brawny arm around her, drawing her into the warmth of his body. “Don‟t you see what we could have if you‟d just give yourself to me?” Pressing his cock more firmly against her dark flower, he hardened his voice and began to instruct her. “Take a deep breath, and when you blow out I want you to relax completely. Bear down on me, push against my entrance.” She struggled to follow his directions and wailed aloud as he burrowed into her, inch by inch. “Oh, fuck Princess. You‟ll burn me alive.” He dug further in, and there was a sudden give, and he was all the way inside, that maddening little bar-bell dragging over painfully sensitive tissues. “So fucking tight, so fucking mine,” he pulsed against her, and the pain bloomed, burned, transformed into a dark pleasure she knew would ultimately consume her. When Tony settled into a slow, driving rhythm, the Domme, who‟d been watching them with interest, dropped to her knees behind her slave. Moving in tandem with Tony, she grasped the marble cock impaling Patrick, and began a slow thrust and retreat that had the slave quickly moaning and jerking into each penetration. “Watch him watch you,” Tony growled into her neck, his voice so thick she almost couldn‟t understand him. “You are the most beautiful, the hottest thing he‟s ever seen. Watching you, he wants to feel what I‟m feeling. Your wet, tight little pussy.” He jolted the dildo inside her, and she caught her breath. Just a move more and she‟d be done, gone, over the rainbow. “He wants to be in this scalding little ass,” and with each thrust, Meredith flew higher. “But he won‟t ever be,” the slave was watching, listening to every word, and he looked as desperate for satisfaction as Meredith felt. “He never will because this pussy,” he jerked at the dildo and Meredith shrieked, “this ass,” he plunged deeper still, balls deep, “is mine.” It was all piling up on her again. Mistress Anne, fucking Patrick brutally. The slave, eyes locked to her, face contorted with lust and desire. Tony powering into her soul by way of her body. Her moans were constant; the tears were a river, cleansing her of fear and pain. And Tony knew, as he always seemed to do, exactly what she needed. “Ask for it, Princess,” he sounded almost as frantic as she felt. “Let me come,” her voice was raw, barely audible.
“That‟s not asking, sweet, and not the way I‟ve taught you.” And he continued relentlessly pounding into her, stimulating nerve endings she hadn‟t known existed. “Please, Anthony, please let me come,” she was crying now, shamelessly. “Please come inside me, give me you.” “Fuck, Meredith,” the words tore out of him, and his hips slammed against her ass. “Come, baby, come for me now.” It hit her like a flash flood, a bomb blast, lifting her and sending her flying. As she began to convulse, clenching against the dildo, writhing on Tony‟s cock, the Domme flicked a hand down and released the cock harness on her slave. As Meredith screamed and shuddered, as Tony arched into her with a shout of his own, the slave‟s eyes widened and he let loose a primal scream which seemed to hold all the yearning in the world and began to shoot onto the floor, onto the glass of the window, long pearly ropes of cum. And then Meredith didn‟t see anything. Her eyes were closed, she thought, but she was surrounded, saturated with a brilliant white light. Chapter 11 Tony was vaguely aware of Anne releasing her slave from his bonds as he slumped, boneless over Meredith‟s wilted body. The young man looked up at him through tear-spiked lashes, and whispered in a broken voice, “Is she your only?” Suppressing a flicker of pity, he met the boy‟s eyes and nodded. After she‟d guided him to the door leading to a small wash area, Anne turned to Tony and said wryly, “That‟s the last time I do this with you. You‟ll steal all the good slaves!” “No worries,” he responded, wishing she would just go. He didn‟t need her to speak and devalue what he‟d just shared with Meredith. “I‟m not looking for a slave.” He slowly pulled out, groaning as her still-twitching muscles caressed him all the way. “I‟m looking to own her as much as she owns me.” Ignoring her raised eyebrows, Tony sent the Domme a tired smile and closed the curtain in her face. * When Meredith woke, she wasn‟t entirely sure where she was. Her whole body felt raw, achy. Slowly she became aware of a warm cloth stroking slowly down her throat, over her breasts to rasp over swollen and tender nipples. The cloth disappeared, and then returned re-heated to move further south. It passed gently through the folds of her labia, soothing irritated, abused flesh. Eventually she realized she was naked, stretched out on a soft mattress covered with a fluffy silken covering.
“Welcome back,” Tony murmured roughly, and she wondered how he‟d known she was awake. “Hmmm. Where was I?” she asked, and hardly recognized her raspy voice. “And where am I now?” He‟d finished bathing her, and she heard the cloth land in a basin of water with a soft plop. Shifting her to her side, and petting her when her muscles protested and she groaned, he slid into the bed behind her, drawing her back to spoon against him. “You‟re with me, Meredith.” Surrounded by his warmth, caressed by Tony‟s richly accented voice, she thought that just might be answer enough. “Right at this second, you are completely with me.” He petted her hair, smoothing the damp strands away from her face. “Can you sleep a while?” Her automatic response was no, but she checked herself before she said it. Taking a quick physical inventory, she realized if he stayed wrapped around her, keeping her safe and warm, she could finally rest. “Yeah,” she murmured. Without opening her eyes, she found his hand and lifted it to her lips. She pressed her lips to his knuckles, then rubbed her cheek against his palm, and wondered at how he caught his breath with the action. “If you stay with me, I can rest a while.” * Tony didn‟t want to sleep. He wanted to savor every moment of holding his woman. Her surrender, her trust was so precious and so fleeting he didn‟t want to waste a second in sleep. She wrecked him. Absolutely destroyed him. He‟d known from the beginning he was hers. Known from the get-go winning her would be an uphill battle. He‟d even known he‟d be fighting the ghosts of her past in order to win her. He just hadn‟t anticipated the depth of her hurt, the extent of her wounds. And he could never have planned for how her rejections wounded him. When she‟d left him, like a thief in the night, the hurt had been paralyzing. It was even worse when he realized why she‟d left. In his need to protect her, he was feeding into her belief that men could not be trusted. She felt he was holding back, and had no reason to trust he‟d never hold back on the important stuff. Even understanding her hurt, he couldn‟t tell her about the drugs. He couldn‟t expose her to the threat, to that kind of danger. The very idea made his chest tight, and his stomach churn. She was his. His to protect. His to pleasure. Putting her in harm‟s way was as likely as cutting off his right arm. * Meredith had no idea how long she‟d slept, but she woke feeling weak, like someone who‟d
weathered a serious illness and had just come out the other side. Tony‟s arms were still wrapped around her, and the feeling of security it gave her was unfamiliar and scary. It would be all too easy to come to depend on his strength, and the idea of depending on anyone terrified her. She felt when he realized she was awake in the slight tensing of his arms, like he was afraid she‟d try to pull away. She felt his deep breath as he deliberately relaxed, and the warmth of his lips on her shoulder. “They aren‟t like us,” she finally said, surprised again at the raspy sound of her voice. “No,” he agreed quietly. “They aren‟t.” Now that her mind was functioning, she tried to puzzle it out. “She didn‟t care about him at all, did she? His orgasm was more of a punishment than a reward.” Tony murmured his agreement, so she continued. “And she never came.” Tony sighed against her neck and explained, “Mistress Anne is a lifestyler. She lives her entire life as a Domme; it‟s not just about sex for her. She doesn‟t have a relationship with Patrick, or with any of her slaves. She‟s looking for release, and for her it doesn‟t come from orgasm, it comes from utterly breaking someone else until they have nothing left but their trust for her.” “That‟s what you want from me,” Meredith mused, “and at the same time it‟s not. It‟s hard for me to understand the difference.” She could tell from the way he went carefully still, and his voice went deliberately neutral, she‟d hurt him again. The knowledge hurt her. She really wasn‟t trying to push him away this time. This time she was truly trying to understand what was happening between them. “Please, Anthony.” He tensed a bit at her use of his full name, and she regretted hurting him, “I‟m not arguing, or accusing. I know you can explain this to me, and I need to understand.” He sighed again, and rolled her over to face him. His face was so beautiful in the dim light. His eyes dark, liquid pools. “For Anne, working a slave is about power. Her power. And you‟re right, it‟s nothing like what we do together.” He paused and stroked his fingers through her hair, seeming to think about his words carefully. “I‟m not looking for a slave, or even a submissive 24/7. I don‟t dominate you to control you, or to steal your power. I dominate you because it‟s the way I can best cherish you. For a Domme like Anne, it‟s about power. For me, with you, it‟s about giving and receiving. “You have as much power, more even, than I do when we make love.” He smiled at her startled expression. “Hard to reconcile, isn‟t it? Straps and gags and masks, how can that be making love?” He cupped her face in his palms, intent. “But it is. Everything we do, every touch, is making love because of what is in here,” he placed his hand on her forehead, “and in here,” his hand moved to shelter her heart. “God,” she groaned. “You overwhelm me. You bulldoze me.” She shook her head helplessly,
enchanted by the idea that this remarkable, generous man might really love her, but unable to move around her realistic views to believe it. “How can you love me?” Her question was disturbingly plaintive. “You don‟t know me, Tony.” He started to protest, and she laid her fingers over his lips. “You don‟t. You know the news stories, you know my body, but how can you know my mind and heart?” She forced herself to meet his eyes. The pain there mirrored the pain she knew he could see in her own. “Let me tell you what I know,” he insisted gruffly. “You‟re right, I do know your body. I know how sweet you taste, and how perfectly you melt over me and match me. And I know the news stories, enough that if your father weren‟t already dead, I‟d kill him myself.” She felt a warm little glow kindle somewhere around where her heart used to be. “But I know so much more,” he continued. “I know your ambition; I know you‟re driven to succeed not only for yourself, but for those who depend on you. I know you‟re loyal to the bitter end, and try to be objective, even when it hurts. I know your sense of humor, and the sense of the ridiculous you try so hard to keep hidden. I know you‟re scary smart, and a force to be reckoned with, and that‟s wicked sexy. I know you‟ve been betrayed and wounded, and think you‟ve forgotten how to trust, and I know for brief instants you‟ve trusted me completely.” He pressed his forehead to hers, letting his eyes burn a path to her soul. “Iknow you Meredith. And I love what I know.” “I can‟t…” in the face of his utter emotional surrender, it was hard to find words. “I want to believe you.” “Then believe.” “I want what you‟re offering me, so much.” “It‟s yours, I‟m yours for the taking.” “You say you know me,” she pressed her fingers to his lips again to still his protest. “Maybe you do know me. But Tony, I don‟t know you, not that way.” She saw the frustration kindle in those beautiful, melted chocolate eyes, and tried to find the words to make him understand. “You said you‟d been preparing for me, planning for five years. I‟ve had less than five days. My life, my family is public. Yours is a mystery to me. You know what made me who I am. I know you‟ve got a remarkable Grandmother, but I don‟t know your parents, your childhood. “I know you say you belong to me and you need my trust, but at the same time I know you‟re keeping secrets.” Tony was silent for a while, long enough for Meredith to fear she‟d ruined everything. It was a surprisingly painful thought. She felt so close to him, so vulnerable. The idea by opening up she might have pushed him away was heartbreaking.
* Tony needed a minute. He had to wade through the stew of emotions her words had stirred up. It was maddening to him she couldn‟t just fall into his open arms, full of love and trust. But every word she‟d said had been true. He‟d known it all along, but for the first time he really understood. “You need time, huh?” She nodded, and the apprehension on her face tore at him. He never wanted to put that look in her eyes. “Okay, then. We‟ll take some time. You‟re right, you do need to catch up. To get to know me. So we‟ll do that.” His reward was more than he could have hoped for. A slow, delighted smile dawned on her face; her eyes glowed with pleasure and relief. Moving impulsively for maybe the first time, she slid into his arms, holding him tight. “Thank you,” she whispered into his neck in between light, butterfly kisses. “I want this so much. Thank you for giving us this chance.” **** Wednesday morning started a cautious truce between them. Tony had agreed Meredith might need time to get to know him, to trust his intentions, and he set about proving himself with a vengeance. He showed up at her condo with bagels and a photo album, and over breakfast he gave her a visual tour of his childhood. Before they left for work, she knew all his sisters, his parents, and his childhood dog, a mutt named Bubba. He spent the morning at the construction site, but managed to call, “just checking in,” several times, prompting Trey to wander past her office singing “Mr. Rennatto and Ms. Worthington, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Meredith was not amused. At six-thirty Tony staged an abduction, whisking her out of the office before she knew what hit her. He announced that he was going to introduce her to a cultural icon, and took her through the McDonald‟s drive-through window. Over greasy hamburgers, and crisp, salty French fries, they watched one of Tony‟s nieces play soccer. Surrounded by various and sundry Rennattos, Meredith gained still more insight into her mischievous lover. He treated his family with easy affection, and was quick to delve into any problems they might mention, stepping in to fix what he could, and offering support when there was nothing concrete he could do. It was becoming clear to Meredith Tony was a caretaker. She felt stupid for taking so long to realize it, but she‟d never experienced that sort of generosity of spirit before. It was equally clear Tony was determined to take care of those he loved whether they wanted him to or not, as evidenced by a younger cousin who finally ended a discussion with Tony by throwing up his hands and saying, “Dude, can‟t you just let me deal with it?”
Thursday began much the same, the one difference being it bothered Meredith when she woke alone. Tony hadn‟t pressed to spend the night, nor had he initiated any Domination/submission games since Tuesday night‟s blow out. Only thirty-six hours, and Meredith missed both, desperately. They started the day with muffins and gourmet coffee, and Tony spent the breakfast hour showing her his high-school yearbooks. He‟d even brought over his letter-jacket, which he draped around her shoulders when she stepped out into the cool summer morning. She smiled a little bit. She‟d never worn a boy‟s letter jacket before. She was still smiling when she snuck past Trey on the way to her office. When seven o‟clock came, so did Tony, bearing pizza and a selection of DVDs varied enough to make a video store proud. He used pepperoni to lure her into Marcus‟ office, where he served her pizza and wine while they snuggled on the couch and watched the beginning of a comedy on Marcus‟ plasma screen TV. Somewhere between her second slice of pizza and her third glass of wine, Meredith discovered Marcus‟ office did, indeed, possess some sort of magic. It was the only room in the building where all threeWorthington siblings had had sex. The only fly in the ointment was his absolute refusal to discuss any irregularities at the construction site. He had numerous, private meetings with Dorian Jones. Meetings he wouldn‟t allow her to sit in on, even though they ostensibly involved the timetable for finishing the interiors of the building. He was more than willing to discuss budget, construction matters, even his crew, but the minute she mentioned locked doors or hinky feelings, he suddenly had an urgent appointment, or an irresistible need to kiss her senseless. She wanted, desperately, to trust him. But she needed him to trust her, too. For too many yearsWorthington was all she‟d had to cling to. Now, knowing it faced some threat, but not knowing what the threat was, caused her to doubt everything. And knowing Tony was somehow involved caused her to doubt him. She couldn‟t, wouldn‟t fall in love with a man who kept secrets from her. **** Friday afternoon found Meredith sitting at her desk, head in hands, with a mind full of confusion. Marcus was home, and he‟d brought Carrie with him. As his fiancée. Meredith knew she should be thrilled. Shewas thrilled. But at the same time, she felt more isolated than ever. Once again her brother seemed to have fallen into the pot of gold, while Meredith struggled just to keep her head above water. So she was almost relieved when Trey buzzed her. Anything to get her out of her own head. “Yes, Trey?” God, even she could tell she sounded tired. “I didn‟t want to interrupt, Ms. W., but there‟s a call for Mr. Renatto.” From the sound of his voice, Trey was more than happy to interrupt. But Meredith was confused. “And you‟re telling me this why?”
“Well, I thought it might be important, so I wanted to let him know.” The only way Trey would think buzzing Meredith would get a message through to Tony was if… “Trey, when did you see Mr. Renatto come in?” The tiredness in her voice was gone, replaced with a level tone anyone in the office would readily recognize. Trey might be silly, but he wasn‟t stupid. “Um, not long. Maybe ten or fifteen minutes.” She could practically hear the young man scrambling for an explanation that would placate her. “I told him Mr. Worthington was back. He, uh, must have stopped in to say hi before coming to see you.” Meredith tried not to be infuriated, or embarrassed because Trey felt the need to reassure her about Tony‟s behavior. She tried even harder not to be infuriated, or hurt, because she needed the reassurance. “I‟m sure that‟s it,” she said, forcing her voice to thaw a few degrees. “I‟ll buzz him in Mr. W‟s office,” Trey hastily offered, but Meredith had had enough of evasions. “Oh, no, Trey. I‟ll just wander down there and give him the message myself.” She stood, then added, “You might want to get the contact info on Mr. Renatto‟s caller. It might be a minute before he‟s available for the phone.” She was deceptively gentle when she hung up. * Tony did the best he could to ignore the churning in his stomach as he sat in front of Marcus Worthington‟s massive desk. Dorian Jenner, aka Dorian Jones, sat next to him holding his little notebook. He‟d just finished detailing his findings at the construction site, and the news was grim.Worthington himself had stood halfway through Jenner‟s recitation, and now stared out at theDetroitRiver . None of the men noticed when the office door slid silently open. “What does Meredith have to say about the situation?”Worthington ‟s voice was soft and, Tony thought, deadly. Jones threw him a speaking glance, and answered, “We haven‟t informed her of the situation yet.” Worthingtonturned around and raked each man with a look that seemed to weigh and measure them in seconds. “But she knows something is going on.” His gaze lit on Jones. “My sister is many things, but stupid isn‟t one of them. So how have you been fielding her questions?”
“Mr. Renatto has been the one to deal directly with Ms. Worthington.” Tony thought he heard relief in Jenner‟s comment, and tried not to feel like a Christian thrown to the lions as the full force ofWorthington ‟s silver gaze locked on him. “She knows something is going on,” he confirmed. “And I‟ve avoided her questions.” “Why would you do that? Clearly one of the family, one of the owners of the company, should have been notified the minute you had a suspicion of illegal activities on our project.” The other man looked pissed, and Tony knew he had to tread carefully. “Mr. Worthington,” he spoke slowly, gathering his thoughts. He didn‟t like to do it, didn‟t want to announce his relationship with Meredith under these circumstances, but he had to believe his woman‟s brother would want her protected. “I opted not to tell Meredith,” the other man‟s eyes flashed at his easy use of her first name, but Tony ignored it and soldiered on, “because it promised to be an ugly situation. Things get dangerous when drugs are involved, and I knew there‟d been someone at the site. Meredith would have jumped right into the thick of things, and I won‟t see her hurt.” Worthington‟s brows lifted consideringly. “You‟re a contractor.Ms.Worthington ,” Tony didn‟t miss the emphasis on her name, “owns one third of the company. It‟s not your place to decide what she can or can‟t handle. And I promise you,” now Tony couldn‟t miss the grim knowledge in the other man‟s voice, “Meredith has handled her share of ugly situations.” Tony found the other man‟s refusal to protect his sister unacceptable. “All the more reason to spare her this one.Meredith, ” it was his turn to emphasize her name, “has had to handle her share and more of ugly situations.”Worthington ‟s eyes flared with memory, and maybe guilt. “I would think all of the men in her life would want to protect her from a situation that promised to be, not only ugly, but dangerous as well.” Worthington‟s silver eyes, so like Meredith‟s, went icy. He strode to his desk and hit the intercom button. “Ms. Warren,” he addressed the temp who sat at Carrie‟s desk, “please ask my sister to come down here.” Before Ms. Warren could answer, Meredith stepped fully into the room. “I‟m here,” her voice was utterly emotionless, but her eyes were tormented. Meeting them, Tony felt the churning in his stomach twist into a greasy knot. * Meredith had stood in the doorway listening with growing horror as Dorian Jones, or Jenner, or whatever his name was, described the quantity and type of drugs being housed on the construction site,her construction site. The fact Tony had known all of this and had kept it from her was like a kick to the chest. Her heart literally, physically hurt from the knowledge. It was odd to hear Marcus discuss her. She thought she was touched at his faith in her abilities.
She certainly appreciated it when he stated categorically that she wasn‟t stupid. But the fact he had to make that sort of statement to Tony, to the man who claimed to respect her so, was like salt in an open wound. Dragging her composure around her like armor, she stepped into the room when Marcus sent for her. Tony‟s eyes flew to hers, and the combination of dominance and apprehension there only helped to solidify her withdrawal. He‟d known what he was doing was wrong. He‟d done it anyway. “How much did you hear?” Marcus stepped around his desk and approached her, guiding her into the room. “Enough.” Her eyes cut to the two men in front of Marcus‟ desk. They‟d both come to their feet when she‟d entered the room. “You had no right to keep this from me,” her eyes raked them both. “Worthingtonis my company. You had a legal obligation to inform me of any illegal activities in my company.” Jones, no she reminded herself, Jenner, took point. “Ms. Worthington, Mr. Renatto called in the police the minute he had suspicions. We only began investigating early this week. We needed to verify there was, in fact, something to report before we brought it to you.” “Yes. I heard. And as you know, Mr. Renatto had a legal obligation to inform myself, or one of my brothers the minute he had suspicions. He should have met with me even before he called in the police.” She didn‟t let her eyes meet Tony‟s. She‟d never be able to keep her composure. She wasn‟t sure what would be worse, the threatening tears, or the primal scream of rage clawing for escape. She only knew she couldn‟t afford either of them. “Meredith,” his voice, Tony‟s beautiful voice, was low and urgent. “Princess, I didn‟t want this to touch you.” She flinched at the use of his pet name for her, then flinched again at Marcus‟ speculative look. “You had no right to decide for me.” It hurt, God it hurt, but she was rebuilding the wall of ice bit by bit. “I have every right!” Her retreat was infuriating him. If she‟d stopped to think about it, she‟d have realized he wouldn‟t allow her to shut him out quietly. Maybe in some buried corner of her heart she‟d even wanted him to fight for her. “You belong to me,” he continued heatedly. “Mine to pleasure,” he was right in front of her now, eyes burning into hers. “Mine to protect.” He wrapped his hand around her nape, a familiar, painfully intimate gesture that almost cracked her resolve. “Just plain mine.” * Tony felt sick at the look in his Princess‟ silver eyes as she stepped into the room. They reflected anger, but what ripped at him was the betrayal there. He had to make her understand but, in the face of her hurt, he didn‟t know how he‟d do it.
It didn‟t help that, on some level, she was right. Legally he should have informed the owner immediately when he suspected illegal activities. And if Marcus had been there, or if this had been any other company, he would have done so. But this wasn‟t any other company, and Meredith wasn‟t any other business executive. “You belong to me.” God, she had to know it. She‟d submitted to him utterly, given herself completely. “Mine to pleasure. Mine to protect.” And for him that said it all. She was his woman, and his claim trumped any legal or ethical obligations. He knew she could see it in his eyes when she stepped deliberately back. Her shields were all in place. She was every bit the ice princess she‟d been at their first meeting. More, even, because now she wasn‟t flustered. Now she was enraged, an icy rage, sealing her off from him more fully than ever before. “I don‟t belong to anyone, Anthony.” Her chin was up, and she didn‟t meet anyone‟s eyes. “And the days when I needed protection are long past.” She took another step back, and directed her gaze in her brother‟s general direction. “Can I count on you to brief me on the situation after your meeting?” “Meredith,”Worthington ‟s voice was firm, but gentle. “I think you should stay. You‟re an integral part of the leadership structure here. This concerns you every bit as much as it concerns me.” “You‟re right. It does.” She‟d stepped further away, and Tony fought a panicky urge to grab her, to drag her away and remind her that, despite her words to the contrary, she did belong to him. Body and soul. “However,” she continued, “I don‟t think now is the best time for me to be updated on the situation.” She was at the door now, hand grasping the knob. “Finish your meeting. You can brief Matthew and me later.” And she was gone, slipping through the door like a ghost. He didn‟t hesitate. He followed her, ignoringWorthington ‟s barked “Renatto,” and Jenner‟s muffled curse. She was moving fast, was nearly to her office before he caught her, shackling her wrist with his hand and pulling her to a stop. “We‟re going to talk about this,” he heard the command in his voice, deliberately let his words crack like a whip. Her eyes widened. “Too little, too late, Renatto. I‟ve wanted to talk about this all week, and you shut me out. The time for talk is long past.” She wouldn‟t meet his eyes. “It was last Tuesday night.” “I‟m not referring to the drugs,” he muttered harshly. “We‟re going to talk about us.” Noting Trey‟s avid stare, and knowing how Meredith loathed being the object of gossip, he tugged her into her office. *
“You need to take your hands off of me.” Meredith heard the ice coating her words with grim satisfaction. “Not until you hear me.” Tony grasped both of her arms, holding her pinned in front of him. “I am not your father,” he gave her a little shake, “not your brother. I‟m the man who loves you beyond all reason, and I‟m sick of being punished for their sins. I‟m the man who would do anything, including keeping you out of the loop, to keep you safe. I‟m sorry you‟re hurt, but I‟m not sorry I protected you.” She refused to meet his eyes, and he gave her another little shake. “And I would do it again to keep you safe, to spare you pain.” “You think you‟ve spared me pain? Tony, at every turn you‟ve demanded my trust, my unconditional surrender. And at every turn I‟ve felt you deceiving me.” Now she did meet his eyes. He would, by God, understand her. “What you‟ve done is worse than anything my father or Marcus could ever have dreamed of doing.” He moved to protest, but she cut him off. “My father never respected me, but then he never pretended to. I knew what to expect from him. I knew where I stood with him. And Marcus, well, he fell in line with the Old Man.” She shook her head, remembering. “He let me into the company, he trusted my judgment as a professional, but he never pretended to respect me as a person. As a woman. But you, you came to me with your pretty stories about making yourself worthy, about working to be with me, and your promises, and your family. You claimed to care about me, to respect me,” He cut her off. “I do respect you.” “Don‟t lie to me,” she hissed, “not anymore. You pretended to respect me, but all the while you were lying to me, working behind my back, hiding problems in my company from me.” There were no tears in her eyes, not any longer. They‟d frozen right along with her heart. “You, more than anyone, know what this company means to me, and yet you kept me ignorant when it was jeopardized. You betrayed me. You don‟t love me, Tony. Love doesn‟t betray.” * Her words were like a dagger, cutting out his heart. Her eyes, those beautiful silver eyes, were empty and frozen and looking into them he could see every bit of the betrayal she believed he‟d done. “You‟re wrong.” He fought to keep his voice even. His Princess wouldn‟t respond to his temper, and losing control of it would only make matters worse. “I never betrayed you. I protected you.” She didn‟t give, not an inch. “You gave yourself to me, and when you did, you gave me the right to take care of you.” “I don‟t need your protection.” “I beg to differ.”
“I don‟t need your protection,” she repeated. “I don‟t need your so-called love either. I‟ve managed just fine for the last twenty-nine years without it. I don‟t belong to you, and I will not be with a man I can‟t trust and who doesn‟t trust me.” In her eyes, he could see she meant every word. His Princess had been damaged, maybe damaged beyond repair. She would not, could not, look at things from his perspective. She believed he‟d betrayed her, and that was the one thing she couldn‟t forgive. He could love her with his entire soul, and would until his last breath, but he couldn‟t heal her. She had to do that herself. And he couldn‟t keep banging his head against her wall of ice. It just hurt them both. So Tony did something he never thought he‟d do. He gave up. “Meredith, I love you. You captured my heart five years ago, and have held it ever since. I could not, can not, stand by and see you in danger.” He waved away her attempt to interrupt. “I say you belong to me, and I believe it. Just as I belong to you, heart, body and soul. I always will. But I understand now that loving you isn‟t enough.” “You don‟t know me,” she started, but Tony held up his hand to stop her. “I do know you, and that‟s why I‟m going to end this before we hurt each other beyond recovery.” He cupped her chin in one hand and brushed his lips lightly over hers. She was utterly still, and her eyes reflected anger and fear. Resting his forehead against hers he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before releasing her and stepping back. His voice was ragged as he whispered, “Frost.” She didn‟t try to stop him when he walked out the door. But then he hadn‟t expected her to. **** He wanted nothing more than to go to the site and bury himself in work, but when he found Marcus Worthington waiting at the reception desk Tony resigned himself to another messy confrontation. Wordlessly he followed the other man into his office. AsWorthington closed the door, Tony took a deep breath and prepared for battle. “Care to explain exactly what is going on between you and my sister?”Worthington ‟s voice held the commanding tone of a Dom. “Not particularly,” Tony responded, completely unimpressed. “Let me rephrase, then,” the other man said. “What the hell is going on between you and my
sister?” Tony sighed, and faced Marcus. “Right now? Nothing. Five years ago, and again during your little vacation? I claimed her.” Worthington‟s eyes narrowed, and Tony knew he was picturing him at the club, the women he‟d dominated over the last five years. “Listen, Renatto. My sister isn‟t one of your submissives, to be used and discarded. She‟s not one of the club groupies who can handle the kind of relationships men like us offer.” Tony saw red. “You‟re right. Meredith isn‟t one of my submissives. She‟s my woman. And as for being a „club groupie,‟ is that how you look at your woman?”Worthington didn‟t have to answer out loud. The offended rage in his eyes was enough of an answer. “All right, then,” Tony pressed. “You don‟t look at your woman as some kind of whore because she loves what you give her.”Worthington gave a low growl, but Tony wasn‟t finished. “But you‟re perfectly willing to label your sister as such for needing the same thing from me.” “I‟venever thought of Meredith as a whore,” Marcus started heatedly, but Tony interrupted. “We both know that‟s not true. You dragged her out of Velvet Ice five years ago when she was still trembling from my touch.” “You took her up against a wall. You stole her innocence.”Worthington ‟s voice rose with each word, but Tony didn‟t back down a whit. “Youstole her innocence. You took a beautiful, generous woman with an untapped well of love, and you made her feel dirty. You may not have said it in so many words, but you made her feel like a whore, and she still carries that inside.” Tony advanced on the other man, not stopping until they were nose to nose. “You asked what the hell is going on between your sister and me? I‟ll tell you what. I‟ve spent the last week trying to undo just a little of the damage you‟ve done to her. Just enough so she would trust me enough, open up enough, to let me make her happy. “But today I realized it‟s never going to happen. Your father hurt her, but you broke her.” He fully expected the other man to take a swing at him, and he would have welcomed the fight. Instead,Worthington drew a ragged, painful breath and turned to stare out the window. “The Old Man was incapable of love, was cold with all of us,” he said after a while. “But most of all with Meri. She was a female, which meant she was weak. I didn‟t know he hit her. She covered that up until the last time.” He rubbed a hand over his face, pinched the bridge of his nose. “Now I wonder if she was testing me. I was her big brother. Her protector. She might have been waiting for me to care enough to see past her disguises. “I didn‟t know he was hitting her, but I did know he hurt her heart every day. I was living my
own life, had the job, a new wife. I didn‟t take the time to protect her. And then things with Karen went to shit, and there was Meri, my sweet, innocent baby sister getting involved in the same lifestyle that had destroyed my marriage.” He turned and met Tony‟s eyes. “I thought I was protecting her. I overreacted, and hurt her, but I was trying to protect her. ThenStirling died, and I opened my eyes, but it was too late. My sister, my Meri, was gone as surely as if she‟d died along with our father. And she‟s never let me apologize. Never let me close enough to try to fix any of it.” There was a fragile sort of hope inWorthington ‟s eyes as they stayed locked on his. “But she let you get close.” When Tony made a move to disagree Marcus insisted. “She did. You got close enough to hurt her. That‟s more than anyone else has done in the last five years. “Do you love my sister, Renatto?” “She‟s the very breath in my body.” “Then don‟t give up on her. Don‟t let her go. She needs you.” The words caught in his throat, but they had to be said. “I have to let her go. You, of all people, know I can‟t force her trust. She has so much pain inside, so many places and people she needs to make peace with. Until she does, she can‟t give over to me. And she doesn‟t want me, doesn‟t want us, enough to do it.” * When Tony pulled up in front of his Grandmother‟s house, he didn‟t even bother to go to the door. On a sunny summer day there was only one place his Nona would be. Sure enough, when he wandered around to the back of the house he found her sitting on a stone bench beneath her beloved lilacs. He went to her as he had when he was a boy, beaten and wounded, to sit at her feet. Neither spoke, though after a while she dropped one hand to stroke his hair. Eventually the peace of the sun and the flowers worked their magic on the tension knotting his shoulders, and he leaned back against the bench with a long sigh. “Why are women so difficult?” Tony let his frustration show in his voice, and received a quick tug to his hair for his pains. “Why are men so impatient?” Nona answered serenely. “So what has your woman done to make you so impatient?” “You waited for Papa,” he said instead of answering. “For five years you waited, and when he came for you, you were ready. You gave yourself to him with your whole heart, holding nothing back.” “Caro, your Meredith is not like me.” He snorted out an amused agreement and she rapped the
top of his head with her knuckles before continuing. “For one thing, I came from a family filled with love. Your Meredith comes from a family filled with fear and judgment. It must be very difficult for her to accept that anyone could love her unconditionally.” Tony threw her a troubled look as she continued. “For another thing, I knew my Matteo was coming for me. He told me, and for the whole of the five years we were separated, he sent me letters, poems, flowers… We were apart, but never once did I doubt he was working for me and for our future. You‟ve already told me your Meredith did not know she was waiting for you. Bambino, you must give her time to catch up with you! You can not undo in five days the damage of five years.” He turned troubled eyes to her ageless face. “I don‟t understand why she can‟t even give me an inch. I‟m not asking her to run to my arms, just to trust me. To let me care for her. To protect her.” He trailed off when Nona raised a brow in understanding. “So, you‟ve been trying to protect your woman?” He nodded, knowing he looked self-righteous, but dammit, hewas self-righteous. It was his place to protect his woman. Nona nodded sagely. “And did this protection involve keeping things from her?” “Only things that could put her in danger,” he argued. “Only things that could put her in harm‟s way.” He could hear himself losing his forceful edge. “Only things that were corrupt and should never touch her. She‟s had so much pain, Nona. Was I so wrong to try to spare her more pain?” Nona drew him up to sit by her on the bench. Cupping her hands over his cheeks, she looked at him with eyes filled with compassion. “Oh, my Tonio. It is never wrong to try and spare the ones you love pain. But there is some pain in this life one must face. And you can not sacrifice trust on the altar of protection. How can she trust you to protect her heart when she can not trust you to tell her the truth?” “I‟m afraid between the two of us we‟ve destroyed any trust that was there, Nona.” Drawing the older woman into his arms, Tony laid his cheek against the top of her head. “What if she can never trust me?” Nona made soft, comforting sounds. “What if she can never love me?” In her beautiful lilac garden, Nona held her grandson and wept the tears he could not weep. * She was spending, Meredith reflected, an awful lot of time lately sitting at her desk with her head in her hands. In the week since her confrontation with Tony, Marcus had resumed his role as head of the company with a vengeance. They had agreed Matthew had done an amazing job setting up the offer for their newest property development, and had set about designing a position of actual responsibility at the company. Her baby brother was thriving, both professionally and personally, if Trey‟s stories about his pretty new girlfriend were to be believed. Of course, if all of Trey‟s stories were to be believed, Daniel Ellis had just as much to do with Matt‟s current happiness as the sweet young Shannon Whitney. Meredith groaned, and rubbed at the spot between her eyes where it felt like an ice-pick was
lodged. Too much information she just didn‟t want to know. Besides, watching Matt and Shannon, and Marcus and Carrie, filled Meredith with such a yawning emptiness she was nearly paralyzed by it. She had to believe in love, how could she not when faced with the evidence, but she knew love wasn‟t for her. While she was enjoying the more comfortable relationship developing with her younger brother, she did not like the direction her relationship with Marcus was taking. After five years of letting her put him off, Marcus seemed to have had enough. He‟d pressured her into family dinners twice during the week. Once with him, Carrie, Matthew and his girlfriend. Once with just him and Carrie. While the meals were nowhere near as boisterous as her dinner with the Renatto family, the conversation had been warm and playful. Nothing like the family dinners of her childhood. Worse, Marcus refused to allow her to stay reserved. He‟d started teasing her, like when she was a teenager. He‟d become affectionate, tugging at her hair and tweaking her nose. He didn‟t let her remain distant, and this new warmth hurt almost unbearably when it butted up against five years of hurt. She tried to stay focused on the job, but even there she couldn‟t escape the memories of Tony or her conflicted feelings toward her brother. Work was inundated with the details of the drug investigation. The police had decided to keep Jenner undercover at the construction site. Rather than shutting down the operation immediately, which would have been Meredith‟s preference, they‟d decided to set up some sort of sting, sacrificing the small-time dealers to cut off the head of the beast. With every meeting, every decision, she thought of Tony. And every night as she lay alone and aching in her bed, she craved Anthony with a hunger that left no room for anger, or hurt, or fear. So, when Marcus entered her office Friday afternoon and shut the door, she was ready for a distraction and spoiling for a fight. **** “We need to talk, Meri.” Meredith wasn‟t sure she liked his reversion to her childhood nickname. Meri‟d died five years ago, when she‟d cut off her hair. “Marc, I‟m tired and bitchy, and really not up for the emotional gymnastics you‟ve been engaging me in this week.” Maybe honesty would get him to back off. “Well, we‟ve put this off for far too long already, so you‟re just going to have to get up for it.” Okay. Or maybe not. “Five years ago Karen completely emasculated me. She took my feelings for her, my need to care for her and have her belong to me absolutely, and twisted them for her own purposes.” His sigh revealed his self disgust.
“She made me question everything, including the rightness of my sexual preferences.” Meredith didn‟t even try to hide her wince at his plain speaking. “Please, Marcus, I am asking you not to do this. Not now. Not when it‟s too little, too late.” He just shook his head and persisted. “She made what we did in bed dirty, and I let that dirt rub off on you.” Marcus moved around her desk, and did something that froze her protests on her lips. Her omnipotent older brother got on his knees before her, taking her hands in his. “I said horrible things, unforgivable things to you the night I found you at Velvet Ice. I slashed at you because of my own pain, and then I sent you home to let the Old Man finish the job. “You never let me get close enough again to apologize, and I let you keep me away. I was wrong five years ago when I shamed you, and I‟ve been wrong every day since then when I let you push me away.” Meredith was speechless. She‟d never have believed Marcus had it in him to apologize. Not to her. “I love you, Meri. And I hate I didn‟t protect you. I hate whatStirling took from you, but I hate what I did even more. I know we can‟t ever undo the past, but I‟m asking you to forgive me. Let us build something new, something real. I want to be more than a casual acquaintance and business partner.” “It‟s in the past, Marc,” she finally forced out. “If you need my forgiveness, you‟ve got it. As for the rest, I just don‟t know. I don‟t know what I have in me to give.” “I‟ll take that for a start. But Meri, I do know what you have to give. So much love. And so much of it is for Tony Renatto.” Meredith felt herself freeze at the mention of Tony‟s name. “Marcus, you are my brother, and we had twenty-four decent years before our … troubles. For those years I‟m willing to try. But Tony Renatto and I don‟t have that history, and I won‟t love a man who would betray me.” Marcus stood and led her to the corner couch. Sitting down next to her, he kept his grip on her hand. She wasn‟t sure if she felt reassured or trapped. “Men like Renatto and me,” he began hesitantly, “well, obviously we feel the need to be in control.” She watched, fascinated, as a dull flush crept up his neck. “God, this is not a conversation I ever wanted to have with my sister,” he muttered. “It‟s not about making our women slaves, no matter what anyone says. It‟s about having their absolute trust. It‟s about taking such good care of them they never want for anything. It‟s about doing everything in our power to make their lives as close to perfect as possible.” He looked up, let his eyes glance off hers and focused back in on their linked hands. “A man like Tony Renatto could never knowingly expose his submissive to hurt or danger. And, Meredith,
you aren‟t just a submissive to him. You‟re his heart. “He saw the damage we‟d done to you,Stirling and I, and he had to try and heal it. And when he discovered the drugs at the site, all he saw was yet another thing that would hurt you. His gut instinct was to protect you. He couldn‟t do anything else.” “He lied to me, Marcus. He used my body and my feelings against me to keep me from questioning him.” Now she was the one flushing with embarrassment. “Meredith, he‟s a sexual Dom. As much as it pains me to even think about, that is who he is and what he needs to be to you. Yes, he lied to you. He evaded your questions. But he didn‟t betray you. His motives were pure, and he tried to protect you out of love. It‟s a long road back to trusting him completely, I know. But youcan trust him. Youneed to trust him, because he‟s the one man in all the world who can make you whole if you‟ll just let him.” **** It was so hard to reconcile, she thought later. He‟d lied to her. But he‟d done it out of love. Meredith could finally admit, if only to herself, how some part of her had just been waiting for his betrayal, looking for a reason to run from the feelings he‟d awakened in her. Could she get past, his lie and her own fear, and learn to trust him, to really trust him this time with her heart? She thought of the last five, empty years. She‟d felt more joy, more anger, more contentment in her week with Tony than in the entire five years preceding it. She considered the future. Could she bear to face a lifetime of such emptiness? Could she watch her brothers with their healthy, happy relationships, and then go home to her empty condo every night? No, she couldn‟t. She didn‟t want to. She wanted the life he‟d offered her. The family. The love. The only questions that remained were: did she have the courage to go to him? And if she did, would he still want her? She picked up her phone and buzzed Trey. “I‟ll be leaving early today,” she said. Her voice was trembling, but for once the office manager didn‟t comment on it. “Would you please tell my brothers?” “Of course, Ms. W.” Trey‟s voice was unaccustomedly solemn. “And would you tell Marcus I‟ll be unavailable this weekend?” “Absolutely, Ms. W.” He paused a moment, then added, “And good luck, Ma‟am.” Oh God, she thought. What do I do now? Chapter 12 It had been a bitch of a day, following a bitch of a week, and Tony wanted nothing more than to
lock himself in his house with a decent bottle of whiskey and just not think. Unfortunately, in the psychic manner of close families everywhere, he‟d had a never-ending stream of sisters and cousins bringing food and sympathy since he‟d ended things with Meredith. He finally understood, Tony thought wryly, why his family didn‟t always welcome his well-intentioned help. After his visit to Nona, he‟d wanted to nurse some faint hope that maybe by letting her go, he‟d see his Princess return to him. Maybe, by some miracle, she‟d find a way to understand what he‟d done, and why he‟d done it. It was beyond his ability to comprehend a lifetime without her, but as the days turned into a week, Tony had felt the last of his hope dying. To his pleased surprise, there were no cars in his driveway or along the curb in front of his house. He might just be able to get his drunk on, after all, with no family interference. Opening the door he scowled in irritation. The slow groove of Marvin Gaye filled the room. The smell of vanilla and light musk wafted through the air. Clearly one of the cousins was here, sans car. He kicked off his work boots and charged around the corner, ready for battle, and froze. His mind had to be playing some kind of sick game with him. Meredith was naked except for a pair of leather boots that ended mid-thigh and a black velvet half-mask similar to the one he‟d made her wear at Velvet Ice. She was kneeling with her head down and hands behind her back, loosely wrapped with black, silken cord. Her skin glowed alabaster against the black of her boots, her hair, the mask. Her neatly trimmed pubic hair formed an emphatic arrow pointing his way to paradise. Damn but she looked stunning. Almost everything in Tony urged him to run to her, crush her in his arms and kiss her until the end of time, but he didn‟t. He couldn‟t. He‟d spent a week waiting for her, praying for just a glimpse of her; but she‟d managed to avoid him at theWorthington offices, and hadn‟t come to the site at all. Meredith had managed to cut a hole in his heart, and to wound his soul. Losing her had changed him and now, seeing her kneeling before him, he was torn. She‟d set him reeling. His mind was at war with his heart. Part of him wanted to hold her and never let her go; the other part, his vulnerable, wounded heart, wanted to tell her to get the hell out so he could go about forgetting her. He gave a rough sigh. Like that was ever gonna happen. “Meredith, why are you here?” He asked, his voice low and in control. He had to remain in complete control. She didn‟t move, didn‟t even shift. “I‟ve missed you.” Tony grunted.Wrong answer, Princess. He walked to her, stopping directly in front of her. “You miss me? What did you miss, Meredith?” Her head tilted further downward, and he thought he saw her full, vulnerable lower lip tremble. “You, I missed you.”
Tony frowned. She still wasn‟t willing to give him even the smallest concession, not even a hint about her feelings. He knew she loved what he did to her body, but dammit, he needed to know she lovedhim , the whole package. He wanted to shake her, to force her to give him what he needed, because now it was no longer a matter of Tony trying to heal her. She needed to help heal his heart, his broken spirit. Tony had spelled it out to her, he loved her, he needed to protect her, and dammit there would be times when she needed protection, whether she wanted it or not. He didn‟t care if she disagreed with him about it. Hell he liked that about her, how she would take up for herself. He even admitted he would have to compromise sometimes. But the betrayals in her past had twisted his act of love and protection into a dirty thing, had made her compare him to her father and her brother, and that was one thing Tony couldn‟t abide by. His anger seeped into him like a second skin. He rubbed his thumb along her trembling lower lip. “Is this what you miss, Meredith? My touch? Do you miss the way I can make your body feel?” “Yes, I missed your body, Anthony,” her voice seemed so small. She started to say more, but Tony couldn‟t bear to hear it. He was hard and aching, and if Meredith wanted his body, then who was he to deny her? He unbuttoned his worn jeans, pulling his cock out. “Did you miss my cock, Meredith? Have you been lying in bed aching for me to let you come?” He watched her swallow hard. A small frown took residence between those raven-wing brows. “I did, Anthony. I can‟t come without you.” Tony refused to think; if he did he was afraid he‟d hurt them both. Instead, he reached down and wrapped his hand around her nape. Pulling her head forward, he rubbed his plump cock-head along those lush, lush lips. “Open for me then, Princess. Show me how much you missed my cock.” His anger was a palpable thing; it flowed off him in waves as she slid her tongue out and swiped at his weeping head. He shuddered at the familiar brush of her lips. He‟d missed her so much, her touch, her taste, the way she looked when she was begging for orgasm. She pulled him deeper, running her wicked tongue along the thick vein on the underside of his shaft, tugging at his piercing with gentle teeth. Tony tried to be still, tried to drown the emotion in the hot, wet depths of her mouth. But Meredith wasn‟t some anonymous female there to sate his need. Abruptly the anger became too much for him, and he pulled out of her mouth. Stepping back he forced his cock back into his pants. Reaching down, he pulled the mask off her face. “Meredith, go home. We said everything we had to say last Friday in your office. You won‟t trust me, and I won‟t fight the ghosts of your past anymore.” He turned his back on her and walked into the kitchen. He leaned wearily against the counter, rubbing a hand over his burning eyes before taking the bottle of Jack from the cupboard. Not bothering to search for a shot glass,
he opened the liquor and took a long drink. It burned like fire as it slid down his throat. There was no noise from the other room, the front door hadn‟t opened and closed. She was still here. Fuck, how much was he supposed to endure? He put the bottle down and went back into the living room. She hadn‟t moved. She knelt, still as an ivory statue. The perfect sacrifice. The perfect submissive. Guilt and pain ripped at his guts as she posed there. She didn‟t look at him, didn‟t raise her eyes from the floor. It was more than he could stand. He went to his knees in front of her. Grabbing her shoulders, he shuddered at the feel of her silken skin, and felt her shudder in return. “What the hell do you want from me, Meredith? Goddammit, tell me.” She finally looked up at him, her silver eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I surrender, Anthony. I surrender.” There was more, he could see it in her face. “Surrender‟s not enough. I had your surrender, Princess. I need more.” His tongue felt thick, had to fight to get the words out. He let go of her arms and waited. The emotions passing over her face were so clear, fear and doubt. “For so long I‟ve been sleepwalking through my life, caught in an ugly nightmare I can‟t wake up from.” A single tear fell from those silvery depths and for the first time Tony felt a glimmer of hope. “I let the hurt from the past shape the present. I let my fear control me. I was so afraid, Tony. I‟m still afraid. I‟m afraid to trust myself. I‟m afraid to be hurt again.” Her eyes fell, locking on the floor. “But worst of all, I am afraid it‟s too late. I don‟t want it to be too late.” He reached up to cup her cheek, and her eyes rose to meet his. “Why, Princess? Why don‟t you want it to be too late?” Tony knew he was pushing, but he had to hear the actual words from her mouth. He wouldn‟t survive losing her again. “I don‟t want it to be too late because I love you, Anthony. I love that you comforted me even when I didn‟t know I needed to be comforted, that you forced me to open my eyes and my heart. You woke me up and burrowed your way into my soul. All week I tried to dig you out.” She gave him a sad smile. “I tried to rebuild those walls of ice, to push your memory away.” She turned her cheek into his hand, kissing his rough palm. “And then I realized why I couldn‟t do it. I don‟twant to push you away. I want you in my life.” He spoke again, still afraid to give in to hope. “I‟m a package deal, Princess. You can‟t just take the parts of me you pick and choose.” Her smile dawned as slow and magnificent as the sunrise. “I want it all: Tony, Anthony, the
lover and the Dom. I‟m even willing to work with the protector,” she raised one sculpted eyebrow, “within reason. Because I‟m a package deal too.” * Meredith tried not to let her nerves get the best of her as she waited for Tony‟s response. His face was pale, and the circles under his eyes matched her own. His breathing had increased, but he remained silent. Panic and embarrassment tried to take hold. Was she too late? Had she really broken what was between them beyond repair? Then it happened: The corner of his mouth crooked up into the intimate smile that warmed her from the inside out. Grabbing her upper arms, he crushed her to him, swooping down to devour her mouth with his in a kiss that stole her breath and her reason. Without breaking the kiss, he fumbled behind her, unwinding the black silk cord she‟d symbolically wrapped around her wrists. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, trying to press herself through his skin, to make them one body. His tongue delved deeply into her mouth, declaring ownership. Meredith sighed into his embrace. Joy and relief and arousal left her pliant, melting into his arms. Scooping her into his arms, Tony stood and moved to the couch. He sank down heavily, and Meredith straddled his thighs, glorying in the rasp of denim against her skin. Sending his mouth cruising down her neck, he muttered, “Meri, baby, what am I going to do with you?” “Love me, Tony. Just love me,” she whispered into his silky hair. Tony placed his hands on her face, held her close to him. “Meredith Worthington, I have loved you since the moment I first saw you, and will continue to love you until the day I die.” The time for words was over then, as his hands found her nipples. Slowly he stroked around them, pinching them lightly, taking his time as his fingers mapped her skin. His mouth teased her lips, opening them to his explorations. Meri rubbed herself against his pants, making the denim wet with her arousal. Needing to feel him, she reached down and unbuttoned his jeans, pulling him out and swirling her fingers around his crown. He grunted in response and his hips jerked up against her. Tony gripped her hips in hard, desperate hands. “Ride me, Princess. This time I want you to take me. I want to look in your eyes when you come apart around me, when I come inside you.” Her heart overflowed, and Meredith felt tears tracking down her cheeks. It was like a dam had burst and all the love and trust she‟d suppressed for so long came rushing out all at once, overwhelming her. “Guide me into you, Princess. Ride me, baby. Show me how much you belong to me.”
She grasped his cock, flicking her nails lightly over the gold bar-bell that gave her such pleasure and tracing lightly over the thick veins decorating its length, enchanted by his size, his strength, then guided him to her slick entrance. Slowly, so damn slowly, she lowered herself on him. Inch by inch she worked her tight pussy down his length, never taking her eyes from his. “Princess, you can‟t ever shut me out again. I won‟t survive it. You own me. All of me.” The words were forced out between gritted teeth as a grimace of pleasure stole across his beloved features. “And you own me, Tony,” she rushed to reassure him. “All of me.” She stopped when he was seated fully within her, stretching her almost to the point of pain. A dark, delicious pain. He‟d never felt so deep, so thick inside her as he did at this moment. He filled all the empty spots, not only with his amazing cock, but with his amazing spirit. His fingers squeezed her hips, and Meri began to move, slow small circles that had him panting for more. She liked this teasing, this slow dance between them. “More,” he groaned though clenched teeth. Meri leaned down, licked his lips, his chin, nipped at his earlobe. She eased over him, rising and falling, all the while waiting for him to throw her to the floor and take control, but he never did. Instead, he petted her body, showering her with gentle caresses unlike any touch he‟d given her before. The going was slow and easy. Their breaths mingled, they began to slide against each other, sheened with sweat from the strain of keeping it slow. Tony squeezed her ass, growling out his hunger and frustration, and Meri increased her motions as electricity sparked over her skin. His eyes were intense, expressive, telling her over and over of his devotion, his adoration without a word ever slipping from his beautiful mouth. “Touch yourself, baby,” he whispered, putting his hand in the middle of her chest and pushing her back slightly. Meri slipped two fingers into his mouth. He moaned as he sucked them deeply. They glistened with moisture when she slid them out of his mouth and guided them between her labia. “I want to watch you make yourself come apart.” His eyes stroked her like a physical touch, and Meredith arched back, exaggerating the movements of her hips as she manipulated the hard little bud of her clit. Tony groaned at the sight and jerked against her. Seeing him so close to losing control shot through her like a fire, and she ground down against him, increasing the speed as her fingers teased her clit. All the time he let her lead them, kissing her tenderly, stroking her gently, and never stealing control from her. The storm started in her womb, the quivers hitting her legs, but she couldn‟t let go. “Tony,” her voice was a breathless plea, “Anthony, I need to come.” “Baby, yes,” his voice was a raw groan, his face contorted with pleasure. “God, you‟re so tight around me, like a hot, silky fist.” His hips rose to meet her, his body a beautiful golden arc beneath her. “I‟m so ready to explode, Princess. Come for me now.” Those four words, words he‟d spoken to her so many times before, sent her over the edge and spiraling out of control. She could feel herself convulsing around him, trying to draw him even further in. He pushed up once,
twice, hard up into her and she felt his release, shooting into her depths like liquid fire, her name a sharp cry filling the air around them as they floated back to Earth. She collapsed against him, gasping and laying her forehead against his. Clasping her nape with one hand he shifted to give her a hard, satisfied kiss. “Can‟t believe you‟re here,” he grinned at her. She laughed, amazed at how natural it felt to laugh in his arms. “WeWorthington ‟s are on the stubborn side. It might take a while for us to see reason, but once we do we‟re pretty relentless.” She rolled her eyes. “I can really sympathize with what Carrie went through with Marcus.” Tony sobered for a moment. “Oh, man. I‟m going to have to deal with your brother after corrupting his baby sister.” He gave a moan of mock despair at the thought. “Well, actually,” she traced a languid fingernail around his nipple and smiled when he caught his breath. “Marcus is partially responsible for my being here today.” She smiled at Tony‟s raised eyebrow and continued. “He‟s very much like you, deep down. He just never had the chance to learn you don‟t always have to Master someone to show you care for them. Carrie‟s been good for him. She‟s teaching him being gentle doesn‟t mean being weak.” When Tony just shook his head and snorted out a laugh, she used her trailing finger to poke him. “Macho jerk,” she teased. “Talking to him I realized something, though. You and Marcus hurt me in the same way, and for the same reason.” Tony nodded, serious now. “We tried to protect you.” He rubbed his hands slowly over her back, soothing her as they picked through the minefields littering this conversation. “You tried to protect me.” Meredith rested her hand over his heart, taking strength from its steady beat. “I understand now Marcus didn‟t know any differently, he was damaged by the Old Man, too.” She couldn‟t stop touching him, it seemed like every touch filled her with energy, serenity. “And I understand why you did what you did, too. But Tony, you‟ve got to understand I‟m not a child, and while I love having you Dominate me, I‟m not your slave. I‟ve spent twentynine years thinking for myself and making my own decisions. When you arbitrarily keep things from me in the name of protecting me, whatever your motives, I‟ll still feel like you don‟t respect me.” “Meri, I never meant to hurt you, I did what I did because I love you, not because I doubt your ability to take care of yourself or any situation you may find yourself in. The truth is, if anything ever happened to you I wouldn‟t survive it, Princess.” His words made her all gooey inside, and she leaned down to give him a lingering kiss. It was a struggle not to get lost in his touch, his taste, but she knew this conversation was too important to let slide. “I know, just like I know I wouldn‟t survive losing you. You are going to have to accept that it‟s not going to be easy for me to just stand by passively whenever you think I need to be protected. My independence is important to me. If I fight you over it, it‟s not because I don‟t love you, and
not because I don‟t trust you. I just need to know you will always be honest with me. We can work anything out if we don‟t keep secrets from each other.” She smiled and rubbed the tip of her nose against his. “We‟re going to have to learn to compromise. And you‟re going to have to realize sometimesI will feel the need to protectyou .” Tony laughed, a hearty laugh sending shivers all along Meredith‟s body. “I‟ll remember that Princess. I can‟t promise I won‟t overstep now and then. It‟s in my nature to protect what‟s mine.” His hands coasted up her back and then down her arms, leaving heat in their wake. “But I will never again do something I know you could see as a betrayal. I guess we‟ll just have to hash it out one situation at a time.” His hand slid to her thigh, gliding down to the top of her boot. Stroking the gleaming black leather, he sent her a pained, hopeful look. “Can we be done talking for now? „Cause, Princess these boots are killing me. Those spikes make you almost as tall as I am.” Meri felt him growing hard against her belly. “Killing you, huh?” She ran her tongue slowly along her bottom lip. “I certainly don‟t want you dead. I want you very … much … alive.” Each word was punctuated with a slow glide of her hips over his. Tony closed his eyes and let his head fall back on the couch. “I want to make love to you again, Princess.” Meredith reached down and grasped his dick, squeezing it teasingly. “Tony, I love how we make love,” this time she leaned in to run her tongue over his bottom lip, and smiled wickedly when she felt him jump. “But right now, I need something else from you.” He ground his cock against her with short, needy movements. “What do you need, baby? All you ever have to do is ask, and it‟s yours.” Meri felt wicked, wicked and wanton and ready for her man to master her. “Anthony, please,” she let her voice go soft and breathy. “I need you to fuck me.” All thought left her as his eyes grew dark and carnal hunger flashed between them. With a dark, intent smile Tony rose and stood Meri on the high-heeled boots. “Walk for me, Princess,” he instructed firmly, the whip of command once more in his voice. “Walk up those stairs, and I want to see you walk like you mean it.” Meri gave him a feline smile as she turned away from him and led the way to his bedroom, enjoying the feel of his eyes on the soft sway of her hips. Her journey had been hellish. There were old hurts and scars that might never entirely fade, but with Tony at her side she felt alive for the first time in her life. Meredith‟s awakening had given her the love of her life and a future she never dared dream of. Chapter 13 The Wedding
Meredith stood at the altar next to Cassandra Anderson, Carrie‟s sister, and watched the bride float down the aisle. Carrie was so beautiful, and so obviously in love with Marcus. Looking over at her brother Meredith had to admit he was obviously just as much in love with his new bride. The emotion glowed from his silvery eyes and softened his features. Love had made him stronger, but more flexible. With some surprise Meredith realized that for the first time in years, she liked her brother. She spared a glance for her younger brother as well. Matt looked amazing, gorgeous and strong. Letting her gaze drift to the right, she zeroed in on Daniel Ellis, the final member of the wedding party. An odd series of looks was flashing between Daniel, Matt, and Matt‟s girlfriend, Shannon. If she didn‟t know better… Then Daniel laid a possessive hand on Matthew‟s shoulder, andShannon ‟s eyes misted up, and Meredith decided that what she didn‟t know wouldn‟t hurt her. Finally she let her gaze wander over the small crowd assembled in the Martha Mary Chapel, and met a pair of melted chocolate eyes. Anthony. His very presence filled her with such a sense of peace. Being with him had given her the first taste of pure joy in her life. With him, she was stronger than ever before. More importantly, with him she felt safe allowing herself to be weak. He filled her heart with such love she didn‟t know if she could hold it all, and with every word, with every deed, he let her know he felt the same. He held her eyes all through the vows, and in her soul she spoke them to him even as her brother bound himself forever to the love of his life. When Marcus stooped to kiss the bride, Meredith found herself welling up, and wrinkled her nose as Tony shook his head in amusement. The man loved to see her emotions come leaking out. He took great pride in having been the one to finally heat her out of her emotional deep-freeze. Marc and Carrie began their rush down the aisle, laughing at the rain of flower petals and birdseed showering them. Smiling, Meri took Matt‟s arm to follow them out. Tony met her eyes as she swept past, and the look he sent her made her flush. Her man was ready for the night ahead. * Tony had watched Meredith like a predator through the entire ceremony, through the photos, through the toasts. Now, he thought, he‟d come to the end of his patience. He‟d been looking but not touching for hours, and that particular torture was going to have to come to an end. Finally the bridal party finished their formal dances, and Tony was able to snatch Meri from her younger brother‟s arms and bind her firmly in his own. His whole body seemed to sigh with relief as he held her tight.
She tipped her head up to meet his eyes, and his heart swelled at the happiness he read in her face. Just a few short months ago her eyes had been so cold, so bleak. Now they radiated warmth, and not just for him. His Princess had made peace with her past, with her family, and with herself. He was just the lucky bastard who got to reap the benefits. “You know the moment I saw you in line at the club, I knew you were mine.” It wasn‟t a question. He‟d told her in no uncertain terms how long he‟d waited for her. “And you know since that very same moment, I‟ve been yours.” No surprise there, either. She nodded and her remarkable eyes misted up again. Making a low sound of satisfaction, he nodded and stopped dancing. They were near the stage, and with a pre-arranged signal, Tony caught the wedding singer‟s attention. The woman brought the smoky love song she was singing to a quick close before addressing the friends and family gathered around the dance floor. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she rasped in her melodious, sexy voice. “My good friend Tony has asked for us to share a moment of time with him.” Tony watched Meredith‟s eyes grow wide and faintly frantic as the redhead on stage leaned over and handed him the microphone. * Tony gave her a reassuring smile as he took the mic. She placed one hand over her racing heart as he met her eyes and dropped to one knee. Peripherally she was aware of a soft sigh rippling through the female half of the guests. He knelt there at her feet as he had so many times before. To give her pleasure. To bind her for his pleasure. To hold and comfort her. Now he knelt before her, and his eyes were so filled with love she could barely comprehend it. Eyes locked to hers, he lifted the microphone and began to speak. “Meredith Worthington, I love you with every bit of my heart and soul.” His voice was raspy with emotion, his accent more pronounced than usual. This time she joined in with the feminine sigh of appreciation rippling through the reception. “I‟ve belonged to you for the last five years, and I‟ll belong to you for the next five hundred.” She blinked as her eyes began to burn, and forced herself to focus as he continued. “I intend to be there every morning to kiss you awake, and every night to soothe you to sleep. I intend to be the father of your children, and to start a big, messy, loving family with you. I intend to sit with you and hold our grandchildren some day.” Every word was like a gold coin dropped at her feet. He filled her heart so full she couldn‟t even remember the pain and emptiness from before. Unable to remain separated from him a second longer, she lay one hand along his cheek.
He laid his own over it and held it in place as he turned his head to press a soft kiss into her palm. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small gold box and flipped it open with one hand. She recognized Nona‟s ring immediately. She‟d known where he was going with this from the second he hit the floor in front of her, but seeing Nona‟s ring, knowing he had his family‟s blessing, made it so much more real. He‟d already made her a part of a big, messy, loving family. Just one of the precious gifts he‟d given her. “I‟m going to marry you, Princess. I‟ve claimed you in private,” she tried to ignore the flood of red infusing her cheeks at his words, “I‟ve claimed you in public,” he gestured to the reception guests who were all avidly taking in the scene being played out on the dance floor, “and I intend to claim you before God the first chance I get.” With that, he slid Nona‟s ring on her finger. Somehow she wasn‟t surprised it fit perfectly. **** Later, as she lay sprawled across his chest and gazed at her ring, she commented, “You never actually asked me, you know.” His laughter bounced her up and down before he replied, “I know. And I don‟t plan to.” Grabbing her hand before she could pinch him, he added, “Some times you just need to follow directions, Princess,” and rolled her beneath him. **** Still later, as she lay under him panting and gazing once again at her ring, she murmured, “What if I‟d said no?” He didn‟t have the energy to laugh, so he just grinned at her from under a thatch of damp hair. “Oh, you may have been able to say no to me,” he pressed a soft kiss to her lips, and then to her finger, just where the ring nestled against her knuckle. “But,” he continued, “you could never say no to Nona.” Her soft laughter joined his satisfied chuckle, and the sound lulled her off to sleep. The End About the Author: Visit http://violetsummers.com Meet LSB Authors At The House Of Sin Lsbooks.NET
We invite you to visit Liquid Silver Books LSbooks.com for other exciting erotic romances. 2007: Terran Realm Urban fantasy world: TerranRealm.com Featured Series: The Zodiac Series: 12 books, 24 stories and authors Two hot stories for each sign, 12 signs The Coven of the Wolf by Rae Morgan Benevolent lusty witches keep evil forces at bay Fallen: by Tiffany Aaron Fallen angels in hot flight to redeem their wings The Max Series by JB Skully Meet Max, her not-absent dead husband, sexy detective Witt, his mother… And many, many more!
About this Title This eBook was created using ReaderWorks®Publisher 2.0, produced by OverDrive, Inc.
For more information about ReaderWorks, please visit us on the Web atwww.overdrive.com/readerworks
