Desert Surrender (3 page)

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attached to her slave ring? It added to the allure of what she was doing, making her wetness flow more freely. If she wasn"t careful, her thighs would feel like she"d been out in the rain.

“There you are.” Clarissa stopped in her tracks. Well, this was one way to stop the flow of wetness forming in her pussy.

“Hello, Henry.” She turned a blank gaze to him. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“Your father"s looking for you. He wants to talk about the Hamptons week. I think he wants the two of us to ride up together, spend some time alone in the car.”

“Don"t get your hopes up, Henry. You"re a nice guy and all that, but it"s not happening.”

Henry smiled like someone indulging a spoiled child. “One of the things your father likes about me is that he knows I"ll be able to tame you. It will be fun.”

Tame me. You and what army?

“It will be”—she paused for effect—“not happening.” She tried to push past him, but he put his hand on her arm.

What’s the harm in talking with him?
She gazed up at the man her father had chosen as her husband. He was handsome enough, with dark hair and dark eyes, but when he touched her there was no spark. Not like what she"d felt when Maddox had touched her. If anything, her nipples felt deflated when Henry touched her.

He put his arm on the small of her back, propelling her in front of him. “He"s over by the dais, waiting for a photographer to arrive.”

“Of course, to mark the donation he made to this charity. What"s this charity again?” The chain rubbed against her clit as she walked. A soft moan escaped her lips.

Damn, that felt good. How good would it feel to go into the bathroom and get herself off, right now? Fantastic, that"s how it would feel. She remembered his final words about keeping her hands off her pussy.

“That school for underprivileged children. I can"t remember where it is or what it"s called.”

Right. Focus, Clarissa, focus on what you’re doing, not what you’re feeling.

She wondered if her father could remember the name of the charity. Probably not.

His sizable donation would get him a photo in the newspaper, along with other donors.

At least the money was going for a good cause. She made a mental note to write a check before she left, then spotted her father talking with a few of his cronies.

Unlike her mother, when he spotted her, he smiled, shaking his head. She was sure it was at her choice of dress. “Hello, dumpling.” Crap, she hated that nickname. It was a constant reminder that he thought she was too fat. Every time he said the word it hurt, and she knew he thought it was a funny way to remind her she was fat. She"d asked him a thousand times to stop, and he"d only laughed, saying it was his pet name for her. Now he pulled her close, kissed her forehead. He always showed affection in public and rarely did it in private.

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“Hello, Father.”

“I"m glad to see you two found each other.” He patted her shoulder, hugging her closer. “I"m sure you have lots to talk about to prepare for our trip. It"s in less than a month, you know.”

Clarissa knew it was no use arguing about this with her father. He would give her the standard, “We"ll discuss it later, dumpling,” when she objected.

“We can take my car,” Henry said. “I have a brand new Beemer. It will be nice to get it out on the road.”

The men laughed, and Clarissa was about to tell Henry he could drive it up his backside for all she cared, when she caught sight of Maddox. He was leaning against a pole, his eyes fixed on her crotch. The coin in her pussy seemed to flare to life, almost as if it could burn her insides. Her clit throbbed, begging for attention.

She shifted her hips, pleasure shooting through her as the coin caught in her folds and the chain pulled on the ring, rubbing it against her clit. Maddox licked his upper lip, then stroked his hand down his fly as if he were adjusting himself.

Oh sweet heavens above, he’s hard
. She shifted again, the movement making her clit ache even more. She wanted to touch him, suck him, have him fill her with every inch of him.

“Dumpling, answer me.” Clarissa turned toward her father, who narrowed his gaze at her.

“I"m sorry, what?”
Don’t think about your throbbing clit
. Just ignore it, and the need will diminish. Right?

“I said, you will go with Henry next Saturday to his firm"s party. Do you hear me?”

“Oh, I heard you.” She nodded at her father.
I heard you. I processed the information.

I let it fly in one ear and out of the other. Screw his damn party.

“Good.” He father planted a kiss on the top of her head just as the cameraman arrived. “Henry, see to it she gets home tonight, will you?”

“Of course, Clay.” Henry"s chest seemed to puff out, and Clarissa wondered if his buttons would pop. Across the way, Maddox shot her a look that made her gasp for breath. Then he glanced at his watch and inclined his head toward the area where they"d been sitting earlier.

Had it been an hour already? No way. Her body tingled when Maddox gave her a slight nod.

She turned to Henry and frowned. “Have a good night.” Before she could walk away, though, he put his hand on her arm, tightening his grip when she tried to pull away.

“I told your father I"d see you home.”

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“I don"t need a babysitter. Thanks anyway.” When he wouldn"t let go, she thought about slapping him but decided it would cause a scene, something she didn"t want tonight. Finally she looked up at him and pasted a sweet smile on her face.

“Listen, I have to pee. If you want to help, then by all means keep hold of my arm.

If not, let me go.” The red spots that appeared on his face made her want to laugh.

“I"ll wait here.”

“Excellent choice.” She hurried away, her heart dropping when she noticed Maddox wasn"t in the same spot where he"d been. The coin seemed to grow heavier as she walked, the feel of it pressed against her folds more erotic. The chain rubbed against her clit, and she thought if she just walked a little faster she would come, right in front of all these people.

She stopped, her breathing just a little more labored than she cared for it to be. She needed sex. Now. If he didn"t give her his cock the minute she saw him, she might die from need.

Where was Maddox? She reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone, checked the clock. Her hour wasn"t up yet. In fact, it had twenty more minutes left on it.

So what exactly was he doing? And where the hell had he gone?

Maddox sat at the table, his gaze glued on Clarissa. It was obvious from the utter look of concentration on her face that she was close to orgasm. Good. He wanted her on edge, wanted her to feel the small claim he"d put on her body. When she moved, she felt it more. It hadn"t meant much when she was standing still, as she had been when she was talking to the two men.

From the fatherly kiss the one had given her, he"d decided he was just that: her father. He"d seen photos of the store owner over the years, but seeing him tonight showed that the publicists were obviously only allowed to use older photos. The man was much older than what Maddox thought he would be.

Of course he guessed Clarissa to be around thirty, and he knew she had two older sisters, one who was his age, thirty-six. Maddox had done his homework, because at one point he"d been tempted to ask Clay Alexander if he wanted to open a boutique in Moonglow. He"d dumped the idea, however, when he"d heard murmurings about how elitist Alexander was. Maddox"s casino wouldn"t be good enough for the Alexander name.

He wondered how the old man would feel when he realized Maddox had set his sights on his youngest daughter. He watched as she scanned the room, then strode toward her friend Anna. He could tell from the way she held her hands, almost clenched into fists, that she was fighting against the pleasure building inside her.

Good. That meant the chain and coin served their purpose, kept her on edge. Of course, thinking about the chain rubbing her clit kept him on edge too. She was the ideal submissive. She just didn"t realize it yet. Her adventurous nature was perfect, and 14

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he couldn"t wait to see how she reacted to her first spanking, her first everything, for that matter.

A smile tugged at his lips as he watched her look around for him, her hands on her generous hips. Her body was just right, luscious and full. Her dark hair would look beautiful when it hung down her naked back; her big brown eyes would seem even larger when she focused on her orgasm, on pleasing both of them.

He glanced at his watch, then dug his cell from his pocket. He dialed a number from memory, then slugged back the rest of his scotch.

“Yes, Master Maddox?”

“Is that the way you answer a business phone?” Maddox shook his head in mock disgust, even though his friend Doyle Forster couldn"t see him. “I hate caller ID. I want to make a purchase.”

“Terrific. Want me to outfit a dungeon for you at your host"s home? Does she have a free room? I"d love to see the look on her face when you start moving stuff in.”

“I have a dungeon at home, and I don"t need one here, thank you very much.

What I want is a selection of books, beginner"s books, delivered to Clarissa Alexander"s house. Do you know where she lives?”

Doyle"s whistle made Maddox laugh. “Shooting high these days, are you? And yes, I know where she lives. Her father owns a lot of property, but it"s well-known she lives in one of his lavish apartments near the park. I"m sure I can find an apartment number. Will tomorrow do?”

“No. Tonight.”

“What? I"ve got a club to run, you know. I don"t have time to fill your special order right now.”

“It"ll take you five minutes to pick out some books, put them in a box, and give them to a flunky to deliver. Five minutes.” He gave instructions on what to write on a card to place inside the box.

“You owe me.” The phone clicked dead, and Maddox put it back in his pocket.

Yes, he owed Doyle for the favor, and he owed Clarissa an orgasm. He would pay her debt right now. And they"d both savor every second of it.

* * * * *

“Come with me.” The commanding tone of his voice was like an aphrodisiac to her already overheated body. Where had he been? She"d looked for him, and when she couldn"t find him, she"d asked Anna and Loren if they"d seen him. When they"d answered no, she"d gone hunting again, only to have him sneak up behind her like this.

“Come where?”

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“No questions, remember?”

Oh yes, she remembered. She also knew wherever they went, he"d better bend her over and give her exactly what she needed. His cock.

“This thing is driving me insane. At first it wasn"t so bad, but now, every step I take inches me closer to coming.”

He didn"t answer, instead leading her toward a door, which he quickly opened and closed behind them. They were in a smaller room, complete with a bar. “How did you find this place?”

“Go to the bar.”

“Say please.” She turned toward him, hoping to see a smile on his face. Instead, he frowned.

“Go to the bar.” The commanding tone was back, and she swallowed hard.

“Fine.” She walked slowly, swinging her hips in an exaggerated manner. The chain rubbed her clit, and she wondered again if it would get her off. “Shall I bend over and lift my skirt?”

“No. Stop when you get there and turn to me.”

She did as he asked, running her fingers along the edge of her neckline, over the swell of her breasts. “Shall I get on my knees?”

“Did you remember the part where I said no questions?”

“That was for the hour. It"s over now, isn"t it? Easiest hour I ever spent.”

“Really? So you didn"t want to come? Didn"t feel the coin or the chain?”

The giggle was back, and she hated it. “Of course I felt it. And I wanted to come, but I was a good girl and didn"t. Do I get a reward?”

“Indeed. Lift your skirt up over your hips.”

“With pleasure.” She pulled the skirt up, holding it with one hand while the other strayed to her pussy.

“No. Hands off.”

Clarissa glanced over at him. He hadn"t moved an inch away from the doorway.

“What?”

“Spread your legs and just stand there, on display for me.” Shock ran through her, and she tried to process what he"d just said. He wasn"t going to touch her? Just look?

“But…”

“Shush, do as I say.” For a split second, she thought about saying no. She"d just worn his coin for an hour, and now he was just going to look at her? Was there something wrong here? Was he setting her up for potential embarrassment? Was someone hiding with a video camera? If something like this made it on the Net, her father would never forgive her. He had enough troubles dealing with photos of her at parties or clubs. If he saw one of her standing in high heels with her dress around her waist, he"d probably die of embarrassment.

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“Maybe this isn"t a good idea.”

He walked toward her slowly, his steps measured. “Don"t you want to come?”

“Yes, but—” She glanced around the room. He stopped in front of her, placed his hand on her hip.

“Lift up your skirt.” His touch felt like fire, even through the dress. All thoughts of pranks ran away, and she focused her gaze on his mouth as she gathered her skirt in her hands and inched it upward. The material rustled against her stockings, the feeling decadent and oh so sexy.

“That"s a good girl.” He stroked her hip, lifting his hand long enough for her skirt to rise above her hip, and then he got down on his haunches, his breath hot against her pussy.