Cardinal's Rule (18 page)

“What about your father?”

She frowned. “What about him? He left my mom when she found out she was pregnant. She

was only seventeen when she had me, he was in his twenties. I have no clue where he is, and I could give a shit.”

* * * *

They talked for hours, until after ten that night. When she yawned, he realized exactly how tired she must be, how stressed from talking about all the old garbage.

Such a strong woman, incredibly so. He stroked her chin. “Let’s go to sleep, love. We have a long day tomorrow and an even longer night.”

Her eyes searched his. “No playing tonight, huh?”

“How about a nice romantic cuddle to save our strength?”

“What happened to breaking in our new bed?”

“I truly need a good night’s sleep. I have a feeling it will get more than a thorough breaking in over the next few days.” He kissed her. “If I have my say, I won’t let you out of it any more than necessary.”

“You don’t have to pretend if you don’t feel it.”

“Have you not heard a word I’ve said to you?” He grabbed her hand and placed it over his cock, which had grown hard. “If I wasn’t interested in you, I wouldn’t have that now, would I?”

She grinned. “Oh, come on, let’s play.”

He bent his mouth to her neck and nipped, more than just a playful tease. “Love, it is all I can do not to fuck you this second, believe me. I already told you I wish to do this properly.” He lifted his face so he could gaze into her eyes. “Besides, I would prefer our very first time to be when he can hear the lovely moans I know you’ll make as I take you and make you mine. I want him to see my face and hear the sounds I’ll make. I want that pain to cut through his soul in a way he won’t soon forget.

Perhaps that will remind him to think before he acts in the interests of others without talking to them about it first. I want to look into his face as I slide my cock inside you and see the pain in his eyes and know he truly understands what he did to us.”

“You don’t have to do this on my account, you know.”

He smiled. “I know. I’m doing it on mine. I have my pride.”

“Aaaaand you’re a sadist.”

“Well, there is that, of course.”

Chapter Ten

Tilly awoke Sunday morning to find Landry propped up on one elbow and staring down at her

with a playful smile.

“What?” she asked.

He shook his head, leaned in, and kissed her. “I mean this in the best way possible, but I cannot believe I am marrying you today.”

“I’m glad you qualified that first.”

“I felt it necessary, to prevent any misunderstandings.” He kissed her again, this time long and slow, gently, his tongue slipping between her lips and tasting. His cheeks felt rough with morning stubble and it wasn’t long before her hand slipped behind his neck to hold him in place.

He rolled on top of her and she enjoyed the feel of his solid weight pressing her body into the mattress. It’d been way too long and she craved his touch. His hard cock rubbed against her thigh through his boxers.

He lifted his head. “You are an amazing woman, Tilly,” he said, his eyes searching hers. “You have a beautiful soul and a limitless heart.”

His mushiness made her a little uncomfortable. She didn’t want to open her heart to him just to get hurt. Her house, bed, and legs? Sure. Not her heart.

Not yet.

But she found it hard to keep it closed.

“Most women,” he continued, “would have told me to go fuck myself.”

“I’m not most women.”

“For that I would thank the heavens if I were a religious man.” From the look in his eyes, she suspected he wanted to say more. She waited him out. “May I ask something?”

She nodded.

“If at the end of our agreement you do consider leaving, would you at least allow me the chance to argue my case or renegotiate for you to stay?”

“Don’t want to lose your shirt?” she quipped, trying to lighten the tone.

His face looked sad. “I have been broke before. I’m more worried about you taking my heart

than my money.”

* * * *

She pondered his comment after he left their bed to go make them coffee. She headed into the

shower. Maybe she wasn’t the only one seeing this as more than “just” a business deal. As stupid as it sounded, she did feel something for him.

Loren pulled strings with the place that did her nails and asked them to take care of them special on a Sunday even though they were normally closed. Landry paid extra for that, of course. She would be on her way there soon to pick up Tilly and take her for the rest of the day. Landry would meet them later at the club with Cris before the wedding.

As Landry stepped into the shower, she turned and their eyes met. Without thinking about it she was in his arms, kissing him, voraciously trying to devour him then and there.

He returned her kiss with equal passion, his cock stiff and pressing against her body. His large hands slid down her wet skin to her ass, holding her still so she wouldn’t wriggle free and sneak his cock between her legs.

“Later, love,” he hoarsely said as he held her. “Please don’t torture me yet. I’m too close to the edge.”

Her hands moved to his back, her fingers tracing his spine, his firm muscles. “Why is this so important to you? Why can’t we do it now and just pretend it’s the first time in front of Cris?”

“There have been enough omissions in my relationship with him and in yours also. A few more

hours of torment are well worth it.” He rubbed his chin in her wet hair. “Believe me, love, you shall be fucked well and hard tonight.”

She wanted to be fucked well and hard right now. She tried to squirm against him, but he

clamped his elbows against his side, trapping her arms around him. “Behave, love,” he playfully chastised.

“Easy for you to say. You didn’t go through a long dry spell.”

A little tension flowed out of his body. “You’re right.” He stepped forward until her back

pressed against the wall. Then he dropped to his knees and looked up at her. “You’re absolutely right. I owe you this.” He pushed her thighs apart and lowered his mouth to her mons. His talented tongue swept along her clit, driving rational thought from her mind.

She held on to his shoulders for support, not realizing how hard she dug her nails into him, her legs trembling as he pressed two fingers inside her. It didn’t take him long to draw a hard, screaming orgasm out of her. Once he did he stood and pulled her into his arms, holding her as she laid her face against his chest and cried in his arms.

“Shh, love, it’s all right.” He gently maneuvered her until they stood under the spray, still holding her, soothing her. “Good?”

“Fuck. Good isn’t even on the same planet as that.”

He chuckled. “At least I know of one way to possibly keep you with me then. I shall make sure you stay well-satisfied in bed.”

She roughly laughed. “How do you know I’ll be any good in bed?”

“If what you did to me was any indication of how good you are, love, I have no doubts I will be more than satisfied.”

* * * *

He finished showering first and returned to the kitchen with a towel wrapped around his hips.

When the doorbell rang a little after eight, it didn’t surprise him. Loren wasn’t due until eight-thirty, but he knew from the time he’d spent with her yesterday that she loved Tilly and after she’d recovered from her initial shock over the news, she was looking forward to the wedding.

Mug of coffee in hand, he walked to the front door and opened it.

Loren immediately walked in. “I know I’m early, but I—” She noticed his towel and blushed.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to get you out of the shower.”

He smiled as he closed the door behind her. “I was already out of the shower. Coffee?”

“Oh. Um, yeah.”

He smiled to himself as he led the way to the kitchen, knowing she studied his body as they

walked.

He heard Tilly call from the bedroom. “Was that the doorbell?”

“Yes, love. Loren’s here.”

“Goddammit!”

He laughed as he sat at the table and crossed his legs. Loren’s blush deepened. “Don’t mind

her,” he said. “She’s a nervous bride.”

Loren’s gaze had firmly fixed on his towel, which he knew was in danger of falling open and

exposing him. He didn’t bother adjusting it.

Tilly bustled into the kitchen, wearing a bathrobe and with a towel wrapped around her damp

hair. “Lor, I knew you’d do this to me, I—” Her mouth snapped shut when she spotted Landry sitting there. “Jesus Christ, would you
please
go put some clothes on! Loren, quit drooling over him.”

Loren had poured herself a mug of coffee. “Dammit, Tilly, you can’t ask me not to look.”

“He’s my fiancé. Let me get a ring on him before you start ogling him.”

Landry stood and pulled Tilly into his arms for a long, deep kiss. “I’m sorry, love. I was in here getting my coffee. Forgive me?”

She looked stunned by his kiss. “Uh huh.”

He smiled at her and gently chucked her on the chin. “I’ll go put on something less revealing.”

He walked out of the kitchen, chuckling all the way to the bedroom.

Behind him, he heard Loren say, “Jesus Christ, Tilly, the guy is fucking haaawwwt!”

“Will you shut
up
!”

He closed the bedroom door before he burst out laughing. It appeared he’d won the hardest

battle—charming Tilly’s protective best friend.

When he emerged a few minutes later, dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt, he also realized Loren must have seen the red claw marks Tilly’s short but lethal nails had left on the back of his shoulders.

He only hoped those marks lasted until after he picked Cris up. What a mindfuck that would be.

Tilly now had her coffee and looked a little more composed. When Landry returned to the

kitchen, she stood. “I’ll get dressed so we can go.”

“Can I have a kiss?”

She rolled her eyes, but she smiled and leaned in for another kiss. Before she pulled away, she nipped his lower lip. “Behave,” she warned him before heading to the bedroom.

He laughed as he watched her leave.

“She’ll be a handful,” Loren warned him from her seat at the table.

He turned to her. “I know. That’s what I’m hoping.”

“This is none of my business. Wait, fuck that, it is my business. She’s my best friend. What the hell will happen with Cris?”

He shrugged and took another sip of coffee. “That’s up to Cris. He’ll sleep in the guest room.

Or on the floor or in the garage if I tell him to. Maybe the backyard, if he does anything to piss her off.

If he doesn’t like it, he knows where the front door is.”

Loren studied him for a moment. “She didn’t exaggerate,” she finally said. “You really are out for blood.” Her expression hardened. “You fucking hurt her, I’ll kill you myself.”

He moved to the table and sat across from her. “Loren,” he softly said, “I’m going to tell you something with the full expectation that you’ll probably repeat it to her. Tilly is very special. Only a moron could miss that. I am many things, but I am not a moron. I already told her this morning that if she does try to leave at the end of our arrangement I will be lobbying very strongly for her to stay.”

She stared at him for a moment before speaking. “And not because of the money.”

He shook his head. “Not because of the money. I also refuse to make the same mistake Cris

made and walk out on her.”

Her face hardened. “I want to fucking strangle that asshole.”

He grinned. “I’m sure that could be arranged. As long as we get Tilly out of the house first so she doesn’t stop you.”

Loren laughed. “She wasn’t kidding that you’re a sadist, was she?”

“No, she wasn’t.”

She leaned in and dropped her voice. “This is between you and me. Are you falling in love with her?”

He didn’t care if she told Tilly or not. He nodded. “I believe I am, yes.”

“So when I ask you today if you’ll love, honor, and cherish her, you’ll mean it, right?”

“With every breath in my body.”

* * * *

The women made it out the door a little after eight-thirty. They’d have breakfast on the way to 

get their nails done. Tilly took her dress with her and would ride to the club with Loren and Ross.

Landry wouldn’t see her again until at the club that evening.

He’d prepared a little surprise for Tilly and hired a limo to drive him and Cris to the club and then bring the three of them home. There they would begin Cris’ torture in earnest.

Tilly had told him he could unpack his things in her bedroom, and had already shuffled a few drawers around to make room. He was surprised to discover she didn’t seem to own a lot of clothes.

There were two distinct personalities in this way as well, what was obviously “Tilly’s” wardrobe and what belonged to “Mistress Cardinal.” Tilly was fond of baggy jeans and shorts, and oversized, comfortable shirts that hid her shape. She owned a few slacks and casual dresses, and a black multi-purpose formal dress, but not very many clothes, truth be told. Mistress Cardinal owned several corsets and fetish dresses, stiletto heeled boots and shoes, but again not very much. There was still a comfortable amount of empty space in her closet when he moved clothes around and pushed them closer to make room for his things.

She’s not a clothes horse, that’s for sure.

After unpacking the clothes he had with him, he wandered the house. She’d given him a cursory tour earlier, but now he had time to explore on his own before retrieving Cris. She loved books. The walls of one room, her office he guessed because of the desk and laptop, were lined floor-to-ceiling with books. She had a small room, probably originally a den, containing exercise equipment. Another room was obviously a dungeon playroom for her clients. And a guest bedroom. With a split floor plan, the master bedroom was situated at the far end of the house from the other rooms, on the other side of the living room. The playroom lay at the opposite end of the house, the last room in the hall. Then the guest room, office, with the exercise room closest to the kitchen and living room areas.