Having Her: Lies We Tell, Book 2 (14 page)

Vin leaned back against the wall, ran a hand through his hair, his heartbeat already accelerated, the vicious twist of desire coiling like a snake in his gut.

Distance. She’d wanted distance. And shit, she was probably right. He probably could have done with a bit of distance himself. Except…he didn’t want distance. He wanted her. On her knees in front of him. Doing whatever he told her to do. Completely his…

Christ, this was fucked up.

The bedroom door shut and Kara came back down the hallway. She’d taken off her tight black dress, ripped stockings, and platform boots. Now she was as he liked to her be—naked. All soft, feminine curves and golden skin, long pink-and-blue striped hair with its blonde roots in a candy-colored shower over her shoulders.

Lust punched him hard in the gut. He loved that contrast to her. All her hard edges and sharp angles stripped away to reveal such incredible softness. Full breasts. Exquisitely curved hips and thighs. Graceful waist. He couldn’t even remember now why he’d wanted all those fit, muscled women when there was Kara. Kara who only ever revealed this side of herself to him.

He pushed himself away from the wall as she came closer, the slave collar held loosely in her hands. Then she stopped right in front of him, purple eyes wide. Uncertainty still lurked in them, the pulse at the base of her throat beating hard.

He knew why she was worried. Why she wanted the collar. It was the same reason he wanted her to wear it: so they didn’t have to be themselves. So he could be the master instead of a man with a mother who was sick. Who had a business he had to work his butt off to keep going. A man constantly working to keep the shit life kept piling on top of him off his back.

But now he wasn’t that man any longer. With Kara he could be the master, the man in complete and utter control. Whose only worry was the pleasure he’d take from his slave girl.

“Give me the collar,” he ordered and held out his hand.

She didn’t look away. Maintained eye contract as she handed him the cheap piece of faux leather, daring him in the same way as he’d dared her in the car. And he knew why—he was changing the rules and she didn’t like it. But that was too bad. Tonight he didn’t want her challenging him. What he wanted was her complete obedience. Her acknowledgement that she was his to possess in any way he wanted.

He closed his fingers around the collar. “You’re defiant, slave,” he murmured. “I’m not sure I like it.”

A spark glowed in her eyes for a second. But then her lashes came down, her gaze averted. “I’m sorry,” she murmured in a thick voice.

“I’m sorry what?”

“I’m sorry…master.”

“That’s better. You’re already up for one lesson tonight, baby. You don’t want to make it any worse. Now turn around.”

She did so without hesitation, her back to him.

Gently he pushed the striped fall of her hair over one bare shoulder then looped the collar around her neck. And as he began to do up the buckle, he leaned forward so his mouth was near her ear. “Remember this, slave,” he murmured. “This collar is a reminder of who you belong to.” He pulled the buckle tight. “Me.”

In the silence of the hallway he heard Kara’s breath catch. “You like that?” He put a hand on the back of her neck, ran it down the elegant curve of her spine in a long possessive stroke, feeling her shiver beneath his palm. “You like belonging to me?”

“Y-yes.” Her voice was a hoarse whisper.

Vin slid an arm around her waist, bringing her hard up against him. The softness of her butt pressing against his groin was like petrol thrown on an open fire, desire flaring inside him, his cock already pushing against the zip of his jeans. The soft warmth of her body and the scent of her was skin was like a drug he didn’t even know he’d been craving.

“You stuttered, slave,” he said softly, brushing his mouth over the vulnerable skin of her neck. “Tell me again how much you like belonging to me.”

Another shiver went through her and she tilted her head slightly, exposing more of the bare curve of her neck in blatant invitation. “I like it.”

“Like what?” He didn’t kiss her again, keeping one arm tight around her waist. But he moved his other hand, spreading his fingers on her stomach so that the tip of his middle finger almost brushed the curls between her thighs. “Say it for me. Say it to your master.”

“I like…” She took a ragged sounding breath. “Having you make the decisions.”

He let his fingers curve lower, gently brushing her curls, feeling the tremble that went through her go through him as well. He wanted this. Had to have it. Her acknowledgement. Her choice. “And who do you belong to?”

Her head fell back against his shoulder, her body arching, pushing against his hand. “You, master,” she said thickly. “I belong to you.”

Satisfaction uncoiled inside him, a primitive feeling that would have felt wrong in any other context. It quieted something in him. The part of him that was always fighting, always watchful, always vigilant. It let him rest.

This moment was his and only his. And so was she.

Vin tightened his arm around her, his palm flat to her stomach, applying pressure to keep her butt hard against his groin. “Yeah,” he said roughly. “You do. Because I’m the only one who can give you what you want. What you need. I’m the only one who knows you, slave. And don’t you ever forget that.”

Kara couldn’t breathe. But it didn’t have anything to do with the collar around her neck. Every sense she had was focused on the hot palm that rested on her stomach. On the fingers that pushed through the curls between her thighs and stopped just short of where she desperately wanted them to go. If she didn’t breathe then perhaps he’d move those fingers down just a little bit more.

She was held tight against him, all that hard, hot male power a wall at her back. The brief spark of anger she’d felt when he’d told her not to put the collar on yet had gone, vanished beneath the weight of her need. The sheer relief of being here with him and knowing she didn’t have to fight. Didn’t have to do anything but let him do whatever he wanted.

I’m the only one who knows you…

Fear twisted inside her, a reflexive fear, pushing through the wall she’d erected between herself and the slave. But it was gone before it had a chance to settle. A slave didn’t have to be afraid of being known by her master because there was no rejection here.

No, there was only ownership. Belonging. And it was such a relief. She didn’t have to hide. Or fight. Didn’t need to defend herself. She only had to be.

This was about more than not having to make choices so she could have sex. This was about giving her absolute trust to another person and feeling safe to do so. She couldn’t allow herself to do it as Kara just yet, but she could do it as the slave.

Because the slave had nothing to lose.

Kara closed her eyes as his fingers twisted in her curls, tugging gently, and she shifted, restless and aching. She wanted more than gentleness. God, she wanted to feel owned. Possessed. “Please…” she said hoarsely. “Please, master. I need…”

“Stop it.” His voice was a growl in her ear. “You were going to do this with another man tonight which means you don’t get to ask for anything.” The heel of his hand slid down a little more, stopping just above her aching clit, pressing down.

She shuddered. God, he’d barely even started touching her and already she was shaking, her body coiled and tight with desire. The combination of his arm holding her, the heat of his body at her back and the hot, spicy scent that was all Vin was an overwhelming mix. “I know,” she forced out. “I’m sorry, master. I’m sorry.”

“I’ve already had your apology. It’s now time for your punishment.”

The word popped like an exploding light bulb in her brain.
Punishment
. She went utterly still, an old familiar feeling crawling through her. Would he…hurt her?

You want him to.

A kind of desperate anticipation caught in her chest but she ignored it. Shoved it away. No, that wasn’t what she wanted here. She was over that now.

“What punishment?”

“You don’t get to ask that either.” He released her suddenly and far, far too soon.

She began to turn, only to be stopped by his hand on the back of her neck, a heavy, sure, dominant grip. “No. Go into the lounge.”

His hand dropped away and instinctively she moved forward through the doorway ahead of her into her little lounge.

“Stop,” Vin ordered from behind her, a darkness in his voice that made her breath catch and her heart race.

She obeyed without thought. Without hesitation.

“On your hands and knees. Stay like that.”

Again she obeyed, sinking down onto the multicolored rug. She stared at the bright threads beneath her, struggling to breathe, every sense focused on the man standing behind her. Shaky excitement and the lazy heat of desire tangling around one another at the thought of what he would do next. What he would say.

A footstep behind her and she wanted to turn to look at him but somehow she knew that wouldn’t be allowed so she stared hard at the floor instead. She seemed to be sensitive to everything, from the corrugations of the rug under her palms and knees, to the faint breeze from some open window across her bare skin, to the ache between her thighs.

No more sound came. No touch. Was he still even there? Had he gone? Was this going to be her punishment? Left naked, on her hands and knees, shaking with need?

The moment drew out, the silence deepening.

Kara’s breathing became ragged. If he’d gone she didn’t know what she’d do. But she wasn’t bloody going to check if he was there. If this was a test then she would pass it.

A hand settled suddenly on the curve of one buttock, stroking. The heat and the abruptness of the touch made her gasp, the sound harsh in the silence of the room.

He hadn’t gone. He was still there.

“I like you waiting for me,” he said softly. “I like you on your hands and knees shaking for me.” That stroking hand slid down to the back of her thigh then up again and she trembled, unable to help herself, a wave of heat prickling all over her skin. Everywhere.

“Yes,” he murmured approvingly. “Now show me how much a good slave wants to belong to her master. And make me believe it.”

She didn’t even think about disobeying. The reflexive fear of rejection had utterly gone because the only thing in her mind was to show him exactly that. She wanted to belong to him with everything in her. For this moment in time there was no one else. No other way to exist but to be his.

Kara crossed her arms on the floor in front of her, pillowing her head on them, widening her stance. Allowing herself to be as open and as accessible as she could.

Please take me. Please. I’m yours. Oh God, please…

She heard the hiss of his breath behind her, the catch that told her just what the sight of her did to him. And then there was his hand stroking her thigh, her hip, the small of her back, the roundness of her butt.

“Good,” Vin said thickly. “That’s what I want. You open and ready for me.” His hand slid between her thighs, tracing lightly over slick flesh. She shuddered, pressing her forehead hard against her folded arms, a whimper escaping her.

His hand settled on her hip, fingers curving around, holding her still. Then he slid a finger into her. She groaned, trembling. Pleasure spiked. She tried to push back against his hand because, fuck it, he wasn’t moving and she so desperately wanted him to move or to move against him. But the fingers at her hip only curled tighter.

“Keep still.” Vin’s voice had deepened into a growl. “This is your punishment, slave. You take what I give you, take all of it.” The finger inside her eased out slowly, then just as slowly, back in. “Without moving or making a sound.” The hand on her hip slid around and over her stomach and down, fingers grazing her swollen clit, sending sparks along her nerve endings. “And maybe, I’ll let you come.”

He couldn’t be serious. How could she do that? When every move of that teasing finger made her want to moan, cry out. Shake apart.

She wanted to protest but more than that she wanted to prove she could take whatever he had to give her. Be a good slave. So she closed her eyes and clamped her mouth shut as the finger inside her moved in a slow, sensual rhythm. As the fingers of his other hand circled her clit lightly. The barest of pressures.

Keeping still was difficult. Stifling the sounds he brought from her agony. The pleasure built and built, inexorable, a force of nature that couldn’t be stopped or contained. Her body shook like the ground underneath her was moving, the blackness behind her eyes leaping with bursts of color. And when he added another finger, delicately stretching her, she thought she would break apart.

“Good, baby. Yeah that’s good.” Vin’s voice was ragged and breathless, and beneath the agonizing pleasure, she felt a kind of deep satisfaction. Because this was what he wanted too. This was for both of them. And by taking it, by being owned by him, he was giving her a little piece of himself in return.

Kara opened her mouth against her arm, biting down as a moan threatened to tear free, determined not to break. But the sharp edge of pain, familiar and bright was too intense, too perfect, and she’d never allowed herself a release like that so she had to be satisfied with clenching her jaw instead. Which didn’t help.