HazardsDare (25 page)

“You’re welcome, sir,” Taylor replied, almost looking at
him. “I’ll be sure to let my dad know I didn’t screw things up for him.”

“Forget the sir. Can we be friends, Taylor?”

Finally, Taylor looked up. “That’s all you want,
friendship?” The sudden sharpness in her tone surprised Avery. Gabriel blinked.

“Is there reason to think I want something more?”

“No sir, I mean, no, Mr. Krystiyan.”

Gabriel shifted, this time moving into Taylor’s line of
sight.

He was every bit as alpha as Hazard was, but his intensity
was quieter, reminding her of a jungle cat patiently studying the environment
around him to wait out his mate. His movements were sensual, seductive and
predatory, yet he somehow caused her to trust him enough to lower her hand to
her lap to reveal her whole face to him.

Gabriel reached out, offering his hand. “Call me Gabriel.”
She lifted her eyes, looking at him and accepting his greeting with a slight
smile.

His smile deepened as their fingers touched and remained
connected. A slight tug brought her closer to him. Taylor was taller than any
woman Avery knew with one exception, Grace McKay, who was six-three and a
perfect match to her six-seven husband.

But Gabriel was taller than Taylor by at least four or five
inches. Tonight he was dressed in all black, black leather pants, black shirt
and black boots. He’d arrived at Jaxon’s wearing a long black leather coat
reminiscent of Neo in
The Matrix
.

“Nice to meet you, Gabriel, I’m Taylor,” she said, drawing
back first, flushing hotly.

Well, if Avery was a hardcore gambler, she’d lay odds on the
possibility that something more than friendship started in that handshake.

“Anything else I need to know about you, Taylor?” Gabriel
asked, bending his head slightly to look at her at a different angle, the same
angle of her scar.

“Not at the moment,” Taylor answered, expertly turning to
keep Gabriel from focusing on that scar. “It was nice of you to apologize. I am
sorry too.”

“Then we’re friends?” he pressed.

“If you’d like to be,” she said, beginning to relax.

“I’d like that a lot. Now that I know about your dad, tell
me about this,” he urged, gently, compassionately swiping his finger along her
scar.

“Minor surgery, no big deal,” Taylor answered, shrugging him
off.

“What kind of surgery?”

“It’s called Mohs, for basal cell carcinoma,” Taylor
explained. “I’m prone to it. I’m sorry if it’s ugly. In a couple months, it’ll
fade to nothing.”

“I meant no offense,” Gabriel assured. “I’m concerned.
There’s nothing unattractive about you. Nothing, got it?”

“Ah, I’ve heard of the Mohs procedure,” Avery supplied, her
attention on Taylor. “I’m a PT and my boss is a fabulous surgeon. If you need
medical advice for your dad or yourself, let me know. We’ll exchange phone
numbers before the party’s over tonight.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Taylor replied. “No need to worry so
much about me.”

“Why do I have the feeling you’re telling half-truths,
Taylor?” Gabriel asked.

“If you’d like to talk to my plastic surgeon and
dermatologist, I’ll be happy to send you their phone numbers.” Taylor’s
response caused Gabriel to raise his brow. “Admittedly, my skin isn’t as smooth
and perfectly tanned as your guests, Mr. Krystiyan. It’s the price I pay for
childhood sunburn.”

“If I find out that there’s more to that scar than minor
surgery, we’re going to have problems. Know this, you can trust me.” Gabriel
glanced over at Avery. “Trevor’s waiting for you, beautiful. He said to tell
you he has the key.”

Gabriel was a natural-born flirt. He was so unaware of it
that it was endearing and harmless. But choosing that moment to use an
endearment that he’d used several times with his dates caused Taylor to frown
and back away.

“Your dates are waiting too, Mr. Krystiyan. When it’s time
to leave, I’ll be waiting in the game room.”

“They’re just friends of mine,” he stated, even though
Taylor was already heading off to the game room. “Wait! Don’t be mad.”

She stopped and looked back, shaking her head slightly. “I’m
not so sure your dates think that, especially the shortest.”

“We’re not done talking, Taylor.”

“I am,” she declared. “Don’t worry so much. Go have fun with
your friends.”

Taylor rushed onward, disappearing inside the game room.

Avery stayed with Gabriel for a minute. For his part, he
looked tempted to chase, but relented.

“What did I say, Avery?”

“You called me beautiful,” Avery answered. “You also
referred to your dates the same way.”

“It’s a habit around ladies. I find all women incredibly
beautiful, regardless of shape and size. They should know it.”

“Just some advice, if a man calls every female around him
beautiful except you, it stings. Taylor’s sensitive about her scar and she’s
the only one you’ve not complimented here tonight.”

Avery doubted Gabriel was aware that he’d charmed the female
servers during dinner. He had been the consummate gentleman with them, not once
overstepping his bounds, but he’d made a concerted effort to put the servers at
ease.

“I’ll have to remedy that on the drive home,” Gabriel
declared.

“Be sure you do,” Avery advised. “You like her, don’t you,
Gabriel?”

“Yes. She’s beyond beautiful,” he declared, turning to face
Avery straight on. “Didn’t you get the sense that she’s hiding something?”

“If she is, she’s entitled to her secrets until she’s
comfortable enough sharing them with you or not. Her father’s going in for
surgery tomorrow. She’s worried, understandably so.”

“Tomorrow morning, she’s not going to have to wait at the
hospital alone. I’ll be there with her, if she’ll let me.”

“You make her nervous, Gabriel. Hell, you made me nervous
when I first met you. It’s not like you’re Joe Schmoe. Go slowly, okay?”

“I’m a nice guy.”

“Show her the guy you are with me right now, she’ll melt.”

Gabriel grinned. “Thank you, Avery.

“You’re welcome,” she said. “Although I feel like I’m
playing matchmaker.”

“Think I may have found my match,” Gabriel confided,
glancing off toward the game room before escorting Avery back to the great
room.

No sooner than they returned, Gabriel’s dates intercepted
him. Hazard stood up and approached Avery.

“Everything all right?” he asked. “You were gone for a
while.”

“Everything’s fine. Gabriel wanted to apologize to Taylor.”

“He kept looking for her during dinner.”

“He likes her,” Avery commented.

“Yeah, it’s obvious. Amazing how fast it can hit you,” he
said.

“How fast what can hit you?”

Hazard took Avery’s hand, raising it to his lips and bending
low to kiss her knuckles. “Love,” he said, the heat in his amber eyes setting
spark to the need within her that never went dormant. “What are you thinking
about?”

“I think we need to use the key,” she answered.

“Would you like dessert first?”

“I’d rather eat you,” she confessed.

Hazard grinned as if he’d won something special. “Let’s go.”

He hesitated only to flag Jaxon, who nodded at them and
continued conversing with Sawyer, Travis and their dates.

Hazard took Avery’s hand as he fitted the key into the lock
of their chosen hideaway for a little while. As much as he’d like for the two
of them to stay all night, they had to drive back to town.

He preferred not to think about later. Avery was his focus
right now. He wanted to strike another fantasy off her bucket list.

Inside dungeon three, Hazard flipped on the lights and
waited until Avery was inside before locking the door behind her.

“Whoa,” she gasped, awed.

Hazard stayed by the door as she walked around. “Surprised,
baby?”

“To say the least,” she admitted. “I expected dark and
scary. Not red.”

“There are plenty of dark and scary rooms in this house. I
chose this one because it’s perfect for bondage play without being terrifying.”

“Red’s my favorite color,” Avery said. “But you figured that
out all on your own.”

“Your red dress challenge was a big clue,” he replied.

Avery was right. Everything in the room was tricked out in
red. A bondage chair, a table, a pillory, a wooden standing wall with a glory
hole and a queen-size bondage bed were the primary devices, all in
complementing shades of red.

He particularly liked the bed. The red hues of the covers
were inviting, satiny smooth and it was fitted with a rigid bondage frame with
all the bells and whistles needed for a good time without causing harm or
damage to the person bound.

It was all about comfort during bondage and the best parts
were the sex swing attachments that not only lifted the person bound off the
bed, but was attached to bungee cords so that the thing bounced or swayed upon
the giver’s and receiver’s choice.

“Hazard, can we change things up tonight?” She turned and
looked right at him. Her face was flushed. Her eyes were vivid, her lips parted
ever so slightly. She was turned-on.

“What do you have in mind, lover?”

“I’d really like to be in charge this time. I’m looking at
that pillory and would very much enjoy having you at my mercy.”

Because she asked so nicely, he decided to grant her wish.
“I’m not used to giving someone else that kind of control. For you, I’d be
honored to.”

Walking up to her, Hazard went down on one knee. Thankfully,
he’d managed to make his way to the hotel weight room to maintain the exercise
regime during the week. He felt strong. No, superhuman, all because Avery stood
there, her unwavering devotion a sight to see.

“Do what you will,” he granted, offering his hands to her in
sacrifice.

Avery trembled visibly, touching the part of his heart he’d
thought he’d locked away after his marriage.

“Rise and follow,” she instructed.

Hazard did as she said. At the pillory, she pointed and he
walked up the short flight of steps to the base of the old-fashioned
restraining device that he’d sent to Jaxon as a birthday present after he’d
bought it at an auction during a visit to Williamsburg, Virginia.

The pillory was made of wood, with veils of red satin wound
around it that Jax added to match the theme of the rest of the room. Starting
to place his wrists and head into the holes, he looked at Avery.

“Do you want me naked or clothed, Mistress Avery?”

She shook her head. “I’m not your mistress. Despite the fact
that it is you who will be bound this night, we are equals.”

“It’s your call as to what I do with my clothes.”

“For now, loosen your pants, do not remove them.”

Hazard unfastened his belt and unbuttoned his pants, leaving
the rest to Avery. She inclined her head in approval and pointed to the
pillory.

Grateful that she’d let him keep his sweater on to avoid the
weather-roughened wood of the pillory, he stepped up close when she lifted the
top half and he trustingly put his hands through the armholes and his head at the
center.

Avery carefully closed the top, securing it with a scarlet
padlock with the key attached by a red ribbon. It was an authentic pillory, not
one made for tourists or with large enough holes that one could easily slip out
of.

Low in his groin and back, his need throbbed. His erection
had thickened when they neared the room in the first place. Now he was at
full-mast and almost desperate for Avery.

Oddly, something salty-sweet surrounded the pillory. It had
once been used to hold sailors accountable for piracy or pillaging unsuspecting
villages along the Chesapeake Bay and the scent reminded him of saltwater.

“Do you smell that, Hazard?” Avery asked, inspecting the
restraint with avid interest. “It smells like the seashore in here.”

The scent became stronger, thicker. Not frightening in
itself, it felt as if someone had stepped up onto the pillory platform with
him. “I smell it too. Jax says this place is haunted.”

“Morgan would love to get Remy and his team in here to
investigate. How much do you want to bet that if she touched this pillory,
she’d know how many people were trapped here, past and present?”

“She’d know,” he said. “Jax loves ghost-hunter stuff. I’m
just not sure he’d let anyone investigate who he didn’t unconditionally trust.
There are secrets here dating back to the house’s original owner. There are
those made since Jax took over.”

“Tell me he’s never hurt anyone.”

“How a client interprets pain varies and he knows how to
bring out what a sub needs. That might require using whips or instruments that
induce stings, electrical shocks by a violet wand, piercings and knife-play or
something worse. What he’d never do is endanger another soul or cause permanent
damage.”

“Then that seals it. I’m not interested in bringing whips
and chains into our relationship. But I’m good on bondage.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m helpless and hard. I’d say
that means I’m good with bondage as well.”

“I’ve noticed.” Avery’s voice took a seductive dip. The
salt-laced air became stronger, sweeter, enticing both of them.

It sure as hell felt as though someone was watching. While
it should have made him uneasy, being watched by something other than human was
oddly sexy and safe. He sensed no danger or ill will to Avery, which allowed
him to relax and accept his bonds.

Avery left the pillory platform, moved about the room like a
dancer and found an iHome unit with a red-covered iPod in place. Avery fiddled
with it momentarily, something slow, sexy and jazzy with a lot of saxophone
began to play.

Satisfied, she lifted her head, turned and faced him head
on. He wasn’t sure what to expect.

He didn’t expect her to begin swaying to the music, dancing
as if she was imagining that he was in her arms. “Avery, come here,” he called
out.

“Shh, honey, feel the music with me, let it flow through
you,” she urged and kept dancing.

Before his eyes, she transformed into a seductress. One
button at a time, she opened her blouse, removing it to reveal her sexy lace
bra. Letting the blouse drop, she kicked off one shoe, then the next.

Slowly, seductively, she stripped, closing her eyes and
letting the music dominate her movements until all she wore was the bra, garter
belt and stockings. He couldn’t even be sure how she removed her panties so
easily, but her nicely trimmed mons reflected the soft lighting overhead and he
wasn’t going to ask.

At last, Avery came toward him. Her confidence and beauty
were something to admire, to treasure. Not for a moment did he regret falling
in love with her. Not for a moment did he regret taking her up on the red dress
challenge on their first night together.

Aware that he had to find a way to keep this woman for the
rest of his life, he waited until she came up to him, making her way onto the
platform to dance inches from his face.

Desperate, he had to clench his hands, welcoming the bite of
his nails into his palms to avoid breaking his promise to stay bound. As was
the case in every device in every playroom or dungeon within Jaxon’s house, the
pillory was fitted with a fail-safe that would allow the prisoner to escape if
necessary.

He knew where it was. But this was Avery’s show and he loved
watching the sense of empowerment come over her features. She was gorgeous.

“Are you going to break my heart, Trevor Osbourne?” she
asked, surprising him.

“I’m not planning to. I might make mistakes, but
deliberately hurting you is not something I’d ever do.”

“That’s all I can ask and promise in return.”

“You’re thinking about tomorrow,” he said.

“And the fact that you’re leaving, yes.”

“Don’t. There’s no reason to worry about tomorrow or what
will happen when you return home. We will work out a way to be together. Trust
that.”

“I trust you.”

“I love you, baby. Do you know how sexy you are right now?”

“The look in your eyes makes me feel like a woman. I’ve
wanted to feel that way most of my adult life. It wasn’t until I saw you in the
Truth or Dare Club that I realized you were the answer to my prayers.”

“I don’t know if I’m worthy of you, Avery Grant, but I sure
plan to keep you in my life for as long as you want me.”

“That could very well be forever.”

“My comment stands,” he stated, offering a smile.

She smiled back. Her eyes were warm and filled with desire.
To have that desire given to him freely was a gift and a responsibility he’d
never take for granted.

“I love you too,” she said, swaying a little before waltzing
around the pillory until she was momentarily out of his line of sight.

Suddenly, she was squeezing herself between him and the pole
on the T-shaped pillory and shifting to her knees, using the pole as a brace
for her back.

“Avery, what are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m about to do?” she answered, her hands
skimming up his thighs to teasingly stroke his cock before withdrawing his
belt. She flung it aside, the clunk momentarily startling him.

Then she parted the fabric of his fly, shoved down his
underwear and let his cock fall free. Cool, salty air brushed between them,
feeling as if an entity had joined her.

It was weird and exciting all at once. Lost in sensation,
Hazard closed his eyes, letting her have control while hoping their visitor
liked what they saw.

“Someone’s with us, kneeling next to me,” she said. “Do you
feel it?”

“My gut says he’s a sailor. We’d need Morgan to confirm,” he
answered.

“Are you scared?”

“Not at all, I’m in your capable hands. You’ll keep me
safe.”

“Always,” she said.

Her warm hands cupped him, one smoothly caressing his balls,
the other grasping the base of his cock, gripping hard enough to show she meant
business. As she’d already learned that he preferred a strong hand rather than
gentleness, she began pumping him in earnest.

Because he couldn’t really see what she was doing, he let
his other senses take over, enjoying the clever stroke and caress of her hands
and fingers. She wasn’t shy. He didn’t want that anyway.

Instead, she was bold, curious, dragging her hand up and
down his rod with a smooth deliberateness that had him curling his toes inside
his loafers. She knew exactly how to swipe her thumb around his ultrasensitive
crown, especially the delicate underside where all the nerves remaining from
his circumcision congregated.

Using only a pinkie, she tickled the bundle of nerves,
setting off a chain reaction. He wanted to fuck and come, but the way she
shifted her other hand to encircle the base of his cock stemmed the possibility.

“You want to come, don’t you?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Where?” she asked.

“All over you,” he answered.

“How about in me?”

“Are we talking sex without protection?”

“That’s the plan. Unless you think it’s too soon.”

“I can’t get you pregnant and I’m clean. I’d love to shuck
the condom for good.”

“Then you shall be rewarded first,” she said.

“Please.”

“Silence,” she commanded, releasing her strong hold to
cuddle him as she moved to blow hot air all over his cock.

“Fuck!”

“Not yet,” she denied.

Biting his lip to keep from seeking out that fail-safe, he
waited. Finally, her lips brushed against his crown. Her mouth parted, taking
him inside. Warmth, wetness and velvety softness surrounded his cock head, her
tongue flicking expertly where he needed it the most.

Avery swallowed him deeper, sucking strongly, drawing back,
sucking him deep, repeating the process so expertly, he would have fallen to
his knees to beg if he weren’t pilloried.

Knowing she would soon release him to let him fuck her
without a condom was heaven. That kind of trust required commitment. Days ago,
he’d have refused. Now he couldn’t think of a reason why he should.

But thought went south, especially when she began sucking
him with deliberate purpose. Adding in her hand, she stroked him while she
sucked, keeping him rock hard and ready to blow.

Music still played. The lights above seemed far away and the
smell of salt-laced air continued. Hoping their supernatural visitor, if there
really was one with them, was entertained, Hazard could do little more than
grunt and groan and shift his hips.

“Stay still, Hazard,” she warned, having drawn back because
he’d begun fucking her mouth.

“Sorry, your talented mouth is driving me crazy. I want
you.”

“I should make you pay for your insubordination.”

“But you won’t?”

“Because I’m dripping wet, I’m going to release you and take
you to bed. But you must promise that I’m in charge until we leave this room.”

“And if I don’t?”

“There will be no nookie for you at the hotel,” she
answered.

“That would be torture.”

“Yes, for both of us.”

“I promise. You’re in charge until we leave this room.”

“Thank you.” She scooted to the side of the pillory pole and
stood. Quickly, she unlocked the pillory and lifted it, freeing him.