At Her SEAL's Command (SEALs of Roseville, Book One) (8 page)

“Too impersonal.”

She licked her lips and tried in vain to gather her thoughts.

“Did someone hit you, Reya?” he asked, ducking his head so he could catch her gaze.

She shook her head. “No.”

“Tell me the truth.” His voice hardened.

She gave her head another little shake with an eye roll for added measure. “He never hit me, but he loved trying to control me in other ways.”

“Like?”

“He loved to make me wait. I’d wait thirty minutes or more for him to show up, but of course, there was always a comment if I was five minutes late. Words were his weapon, though I’m not even sure he realized he was doing it. But I didn’t appreciate it. I’m not going to ever live like that again.”

“Good. You shouldn’t. You deserve better, Reya.”

Shaking off the melancholy, she pulled her shoulders back and met Dylan’s gaze head on. “I agree.”

After many silent seconds his gaze dropped to her lips.

“I want to kiss you.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said even as her heart was screaming yes and her body shouted ‘take me!’

His gaze snapped back to hers. “Why not?”

“Kissing complicates things.”

“It couldn’t complicate things more than they already are.”

“My boss offered me a job in Switzerland.”

S
o Teo’d been right
about the Switzerland job. Since she hadn’t mentioned it, Dylan’d thought perhaps the offer had fallen through. He’d hoped it had.

“And how long have you known?”

“A week.”

Almost as long as she’d been staying under his roof. So much for complete honesty between them.

His brain quickly calculated the rough distance between here and there as his heart constricted.

“Are you going to take it?”

Why did he feel like everything he'd worked for was suddenly spiraling out of control? He'd fought his way back from a career ending injury, ensuing depression, hadn't given in to the bottle, finally decided to go after what he wanted most and she was going to be halfway around the world.

It wasn’t the end of the world, sure, but he couldn’t help but feel that their time was now and if she was there and he was here…

Except, she hadn't said she was going to take it, not yet. Stop getting ahead of yourself, Harper.

“I don't know. Depends, I guess. It'd only be a five month stretch but there's always potential it could take longer.”

You can't go
, he wanted to say. But he couldn't, not after what she'd told him. He had to be very careful with his demands because he couldn't alienate her. He'd come so far and she was so close.

He took a deep breath and refocused on his mission.
Win the girl. Don't let any obstacles stand in his way.

Her warm brown eyes focused on their joined hands and he reached over with the other to sweep a strand of her hair behind her ear. The gorgeous black locks did strange things to his libido.

“What does it depend on?”

“Do I really need to tell you that?”

“I'm just a dumb jock, Reya. You've gotta help me out.”

She laughed softly and met his gaze again. “You're not dumb and you're more than a jock.”

“Sometimes I feel exactly like that.” Especially where she was concerned. He seemed to lose twenty years of hard won knowledge because she twisted him in knots. Good knots, but he sometimes found it hard to think straight when she was around. Especially since he'd taken her to bed.

Now that he knew exactly what lay beneath those sexy little sundresses...

Maybe Baby was right... he needed to quit messing around and lay his cards on the line.

So he stood. “I need to show you something.”

A flicker of surprise flashed through her eyes and arched her dark brows, but she nodded and stood.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

“Of course.”

“Good.” He led her down the hallway to the bedroom JJ and Baby had helped him update.

“You really have been busy.”

Not in the way he wanted, the fifteen year old in him thought.

“I had help. Baby and JJ came through for me because what the hell do I know about décor?”

Reya smiled. “You guys did good.”

“The room isn't what I wanted to show you.”

“Okay.” She sounded the tiniest bit trepidacious and he knew that feeling well. Showing her what she wanted to know was both risky and possibly the greatest reward.

“I want to show you what it feels like to be bound in ribbons. I want to show you how I have always imagined you.”

Her mouth dropped open.

“Don't be shocked, honey. You've played a starring role in my fantasies for years.”

“But... you were with other people.”

“Doesn't mean I wasn't thinking of you every chance I had.”

“Dylan—”

He stepped closer, crowding her. Her whole body seemed to relax and she tipped her chin up.

“I've always wanted you, but I was never going to make a move when I knew I'd be going off to some hell hole. You already have Teo to worry about—”

“I worried about you too.”

“Exactly. I didn't want to make it worse on you.”

She glanced down at the floor then. He cupped her cheek and forced her gaze up again.

“What is it?”

He watched her chest rise and fall.

“If you hadn't hurt your knee—”

“My contract ended this fall. I wasn't going to reenlist. I'm too old these days. They're training 'em younger and younger.”

He waited for her to say something, to smile but she just stared at him, those eyes sucking him in. The need driving him tightened and he ducked his head to brush a kiss across her lips.

“It took me longer than it should to get my head back together.”

“Why don't you want to be a Dom anymore?” she asked, cocking her head to the right.

It was as if his closeness, the kiss hadn't fazed her. He was rock hard and ready to go. But it didn't surprise him that she wasn't done with her questions.

“I don't need that outlet anymore.”

“That's it? You're out of the SEALs and suddenly you don't need to be in control anymore?”

He bit back a sigh.

“Let's just say I saw things that changed my thoughts on the lifestyle, how women are treated. I was never into the darker stuff but I was conflicted just the same.”

“But it's consensual,” she defended.

“Yes.”

“Tie me up Dylan. Show me that side of you.”

Those words sounded so sweet on her lips, exactly what he needed to hear. That moment brought everything he'd ever thought about her, everything he'd ever wished for into one pinpoint of focus. In the SEALs, they called it the Red Circle.

Reya was his Red Circle.

His breathing shallowed as he skimmed his hands along her waist. Slowly, he unzipped her dress, letting the anticipation make her breathless.

“Did you—when you thought of me,” she seemed to trip over her words.

“Say it,” he whispered against her ear and tugged the thin straps down her shoulders.

“Did you think of me as submissive?”

Truth time. “Yes.”

“Why? I'm not the least bit submissive.” Her stance went from relaxed to inflamed in a heartbeat.

“You are with me. You've always let me lead, deferred to my judgment, you wait on me in the sweetest ways. In the shower the other day, you didn’t second guess me tying you up and offering you pleasure. Submission isn't a bad thing Reya. It doesn't make you lesser. You hold all the power.”

She gave an unladylike snort.

Her disbelief was completely normal and although he'd always taken fully trained subs, he wasn't opposed to showing her what he meant.

“You like showing off for me, don't you honey?”

Her eyes widened and her temper waned.

“You were strutting around in your bath towel a week ago, hoping I'd notice, weren’t you?”

She didn't admit it but he saw the truth in the rapid flutter of her heartbeat. How far could he press her? Could he make her admit everything?

“I like it when you show off your body to me.” He drew his thumbs up her sides, just far enough to get her breasts' attention. They lifted beneath his gaze and he smiled.

“Take your dress off for me. I want to watch.” He kept his tone softer than usual, coaxing her into his bidding.

Without hesitation, she stepped back and let the straps fall. The bodice gave, revealing a sexy nude colored bra that held her breasts up like twin melons on a platter.

His mouth watered and he ached to taste them, to strip the garment away and consume her. But he stood fast, feet shoulder width apart, arms at his sides.

Her thumbs hooked over the summery fabric and pushed it south, revealing her gorgeous caramel colored curves. He held his breath as the dress fell into a heap at her feet. Her underwear was pure decadence; lacy and sheer, the same color as her bra. It was almost as if she was standing there in all her naked glory.

He reached out and trailed a finger from her collar bone to the valley between her breasts. Her breath caught, telling him precisely how into this she was. Probably deeper than she thought.

“Now the bra.” He had to keep things moving because he could easily lounge on the bed and watch her all day. She was a magnet to his metal, and the good Lord knew he had enough shrapnel in him.

Ducking her head so her hair fell down, curling against the tops of her breasts, she reached behind her. He took a step back so he could better enjoy the view. This moment was straight out of his fantasies. Her finding her pleasure in showing herself to him, letting him find her orgasm and send her sailing. He couldn’t wait.

But he had to.

The cups fell away and even though he intimately knew the color, shape and texture of her nipples, he was mesmerized by them again. Twin points, calling his name like a siren from the center of those chocolate, quarter sized discs.

His fingers flexed at his sides and he forced himself to sit on the end of the bed. She dropped the bra next to her dress and stepped out of her flats. He liked how eager she was even if she moved with control and precision.

“And the panties.”

Her eyes met his as she pushed the last scrap of fabric out of the way. He never looked down. He wanted her to know he was all in, with her. This was about her.

He stood and crossed to the new dresser where he’d laid out his favorite set of silks in the top drawer. Black, super soft and long so he could take his time.

She eyed them with curiosity but didn’t say a word. He had a feeling she was really going to like this. Talking her through what he was doing, he began by wrapping her torso in a delicious pattern. The ribbons cinched against her breasts and the contrast was mouthwatering.

His fingertips brushed her skin, leaving a trail of goose flesh in their wake. Her breathing became shallow and he felt her leaning into his touch.

Just as he’d imagined, she was a vision. A shorter ribbon crisscrossed its way down her left leg, ending with a sexy little bow just above her ankle.

“Binding is an art form. I like the way it looks,” he said, repeating the pattern on her right leg. He couldn’t resist leaning in to nip her thigh. A full body shudder quaked through her and he smiled.

“Now hold your arms like this.” He demonstrated the V shape. This part always tested his patience. He preferred binding her wrists lasts so that she could have as much of a sense of control for as long as possible.

He was hyper aware that she had some issues and he had to tread carefully, but every time he looked at her face, asked if she was okay, she seemed one hundred percent on board.

Making short work of the last elaborate pattern, he stood back and almost groaned. Her lower body was completely bare to him and the rest was bound to entice.

“Gorgeous.” The sweet but oh so curious expression on her face brought him around behind her. He turned her toward the full length mirror against the far wall. “See for yourself.”

She was curvy and bound and all his. Unable to wait a second longer, he scooped her into his arms. She cried out his name but didn’t protest as he laid her in the middle of his freshly made bed.

“Mine,” he murmured, following her down and kissing her lips.

S
he moaned
into his mouth and returned kiss for kiss, moving against him. The possessiveness in his tone thrilled her. The ribbons tightened against her nipples as she sucked in a deep breath. He smelled like sea, salt and man and the fragrance went straight to her head.

Dylan severed the kiss. Those shocking blue eyes stared down at her like twin lasers and she felt like a specimen beneath a microscope. He saw everything, every anxious breath, every shuddering sigh.

And then he smiled. It was a smirk actually, one that said he’d snared his prey. But she didn’t feel like a bunny in a trap, she felt like a woman. Beautiful and desired and kept.

“Arms over your head, gorgeous.”

And when he used words like that, she came close to swooning. It was a damn good thing she was lying down because the heat in his gaze nearly melted her.

She did as he asked and he cinched the ends of the ribbon to the headboard.

“Now I know why you got new furniture.”

“Give me a few minutes. I’m sure you’ll approve.”

“I already do,” she said as he slipped down the length of her body.

Crouching over the end of the queen sized bed like a deadly jungle cat, he started at her ankles. A kiss to the inside of each one made her suck in a breath, and then he lifted her right foot and pressed his thumb into her arch. Relaxation and anticipation swept through her simultaneously.

More
, she silently begged.

He gave her more and then-some. A full foot massage times two. When she was a mass of wanton decadence, he tugged his shirt over his head, one handed style that made her girly bits flutter.

All that hard, toned muscle covered in tanned skin. Lord, help her. She barely managed to keep her tongue from rolling out of her mouth like a cartoon. When he bent over and kissed his way up her left shin, she got a closer view of the broad shoulders she’d always admired.

He continued north, nipping and tasting as he went. Anticipation made her breathless. Squirming atop the mattress, she whispered his name.

“Yes?”

He shot her a look that told her she shouldn’t have interrupted him. But this was new to her so she didn’t care. She couldn’t stop the cravings.

“Hurry.”

“Oh, honey… now I’ll have to make you wait.”

She tried to sit up but the ribbon around her wrist held her down. “What?”

“I’m in charge of your pleasure, remember? I’m giving the orders. And since you need me to hurry, it means I need to stretch out—” He kissed her left knee. “Each.” Right knee. “And every.” Left thigh. “Kiss.”

Holy smokes, he was the devil. And that grin? Pure sin. She made a silent vow that when this was over she would make him pay. Make him beg.

“My job is to make you come. What's your job, again?”

He stared up from between her thighs.

“To enjoy?”

“To wait until I tell you to come.”

“You're crazy.”

“About you, yes. But I also know that you've never had an orgasm like the one I'm about to give you.”

Self-assurance rolled off of him in waves and she felt a flush of moisture coat her lower lips.

“Cocky much?”

“Confident, honey. Confident.”

She let her head drop back at the first touch of his tongue. There was no use fighting it. He was, as he said in charge. Honestly, he always had been. It would be silly to try to deny that.

With his hands pushing her thighs farther apart, he licked her slit from top to bottom. The precision of his tongue intrigued her. The tip flicked against her clit with rapid motions, building the need inside her. The flutters stopped just as she started to tense up and a blunt finger slid through her lower lips.

Burrowing deep, filling her channel, he sucked her clit and her hips launched off the mattress.

“Oh!”

She gripped the ribbons in her hands as his finger turned, seeking her G-spot. He found it almost instantly and her hips surged again, driving her against his waiting tongue.

“Oh my God.”

Over and over, he played the two points against each other. As her orgasm started collecting itself, building into what would surely be a screaming good time, he stopped.

Full stop, removed his hands, lips, fingers until he wasn't even touching her. She whimpered and lifted her head.

That smirk was back. Just as she started wondering what he was doing, what he would do next, he puckered his lips and blew a steady stream of air across her clit. Chills raced up her spine.

He kept at it until she squirmed like a cat in a sun spot. When she didn't think she could take the anticipation any longer, he closed his hands around her thighs and pushed them wider.

“Remember, not until I tell you to come.” His voice was thick and deliciously dark. So different from the Dylan she knew and...loved.

She stared at the ceiling, body humming with pleasure and came to terms with what had been in her heart for a long time. After fifteen years of stolen evenings, phone calls and letters, she was hopelessly, recklessly, completely in love with Dylan Harper.

What if he didn't feel the same way? Sure, he'd said he wanted to be with her, but what did he mean by that?

“Reya...” Her name on his lips seduced her from the questions. He grazed her inner thigh with his teeth and another flood of moisture rushed forth.

She tipped her head so she could meet his gaze.

“Ready?”

“Hmm huh.” She nodded for good measure as her core tightened.

He slid a finger deep inside her, curled it forward and sucked on her clit. The pleasure was instantaneous and before she knew what was happening, she was soaring up a mountain.

The harder he sucked, the higher she went. And somehow, she didn't fall over the edge. It built higher and higher until she was panting and begging every other breath.

“Dylan!” Why wasn't she coming? The pleasure bordered on pain and her need for release was so deep she felt tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

Reya lost track of the time, had no idea how long she soared with the eagles. Had no concept of where she was except in bed with Dylan. Miraculous, traitorous Dylan.

His lips left her scorching skin. “Now.”

He flicked his tongue against the little bundle that now centered her universe and the pressure sent her straight over the edge into oblivion. She screamed.

She couldn't believe it, but she screamed. Her voice, so pleasured and sated, bounced off the freshly painted walls as her body tightened like a bow.

When she came back down, her breath came in long, deep, almost sobs. Why couldn't she catch her breath? Was it possible to die from the world’s best orgasm because her heart felt like it was going to explode from beating so quickly?

She had no idea how long it was before everything returned to normal. But one thing was for sure, she loved this new side of Dylan. The one where he controlled her pleasure until she couldn't take it any longer.

Having a partner who knew her so well, watched her for cues and took his responsibility of pleasuring her seriously was like nothing else in the world.

“I could get used to this,” she murmured, and found him resting next to her.

His smile kicked up a notch.

“This?”

“You. Being tied up. That,” she said, nodding toward her still-trembling belly. Ohmygod...
that
.

She felt a resounding flutter behind her belly button.

He laughed softly and kissed the corner of her mouth. “Glad you enjoyed yourself.”

“Are you kidding? That was—” She wracked her brain. “I don't think they've invented a word for that yet.”