Shield's Submissive (4 page)

Erica had long since lost all perception of time and space. Whether or not another person came into the stairwell, she no longer cared. They could watch and get off if they wanted to as long as Mark didn’t stop what he was doing. All she could focus on was the searing need between her legs. Her body writhed above his mouth. Her hips thrust back to jam her closer to the source of her pleasure. God, she just needed something more to reach that peak. Just a little…. Oh God! Two fingers thrust inside her and pushed deep, deeper than he had ever been before. A wave of excruciating pleasure swept up her. She couldn’t hold back the wail of gratification. Mark trembled behind her.

He spun her around, and his fingers, which were coated in his release, slipped between her lips.

“Suck them clean.”

The command unlocked a need trapped inside her. Her lips wrapped eagerly around the offering. When every trace of his cum was consumed, Mark’s lips latched onto hers and his tongue probed deep, sharing the taste of his essence. Long minutes later, they separated, SHIELD’S SUBMISSIVE

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and she leaned her head into his neck. His breathing was rough, his arms gathering her against him in a tight embrace. When they’d both achieved mental and physical balance, they straightened their clothes. Taking her hand, he led her back up the stairs and paused just before the door. He captured her face between his large palms.

“I can’t wait to truly make you mine in every way. I will have you hoarse from screaming so loud and so long. The pleasure we’ll achieve will be beyond anything you’ve ever experienced.”

With that, he placed a tender kiss on her lips then led her through the doorway and back into the office, which was filling with people returning from their lunch hours.

* * * *

As the day progressed, Mark became increasingly glad it was Friday. His mind frequently returned to the episode in the stairwell. On one hand, it had been incredibly stupid and risky. On the other, he’d never experienced anything like it before. He had come so hard he’d actually shot the wall between Erica’s legs. She had responded to his demands like a dream. He craved to explore that further and planned on making the most of the upcoming weekend, testing her limits to see if she continued to react so hotly.

After careful consideration, he decided he would ask Erica to go to his mountain cabin.

It was still early spring, and although the weather could be unpredictable, the forecast called for partly sunny skies on the Front Range. If things went as planned, they would stay plenty warm despite chilly night temperatures in the higher altitudes. Enthusiastic about his prospects, he settled in to finish all his important business before leaving that night.

The sun set outside his office window as he shut down his laptop. He headed for the door and shut off the lights. As he locked up, he looked over his shoulder at Erica’s suite, but didn’t see a light on. Walking around the common area, he searched for her. He knew she was still in the building because her car was parked in the usual space outside, but he was still without success a half hour later. He’d checked her office, the gym, his office, and the conference room. He even went so far as to knock on the ladies room door. Finally giving up, he went to find one of the secretaries to see if they knew where she was. He saw one of them heading into the elevator. He jogged over to catch her before the doors closed.

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“Ann! Wait!”

She glanced through the elevator doors and put her hand out to prevent them from closing.

“Did you want to ride me, Mr. Shield?” She giggled. “Oh…sorry, I meant with me.”

He looked over at the perky blonde. He found her attractive in a general female fashion but had never suggested anything between them. Frankly, he was surprised at her audacity since it was more than apparent what she’d said was no slip of the tongue.

With a stern face, exuding all his partnership power, he replied, “No thank you, Ms.

Branson. I was hoping you could tell me if you’ve seen Ms. Cross. I have some important details to discuss with her and can’t seem to find her.”

“Yeah, I saw her go down into ‘The Pit’ a while ago. I think she was planning on finishing the Marksmen layout,” she said with an air of disappointment.

After thanking her, he headed down to the lower level and came to a stop outside in the hallway when he heard Erica singing enthusiastically. It was impossible to suppress his grin as he recognised the classic rock tune talking about some woman and a one-night stand.

Standing silently, leaning against the door jamb, he watched as Erica danced around in stocking-clad feet and sang to her music. She seemed like a carefree teenager, much different from the professionally composed V.P. he saw on a daily basis. Just as she reached up to grab a print coming off the machine, he walked up behind her, grabbed her around the waist and spun her around. Pulling her face between his hands, he kissed her hard.

The kiss was electric and all consuming. He spared her no mercy and ate at her mouth like it was the most delectable dessert. His tongue aggressively thrust into her mouth only to slowly lick its way back out. Her arms came up around his neck, and her hands speared into his hair. Her nails softly scraped his scalp. The yank on his locks, just short of pain, created an extra sensation that intensified his pleasure. Her movements forced him to be as much her prisoner as she was his.

Separating their lips, Mark spoke roughly into her ear. “Please tell me that’s your final print.”

Erica’s wide eyes were dazed for all of two seconds before she turned around. She grabbed the document and held it out to him.

“Yeah, it is. What do you think?”

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Mark continued to look at her. “It’s perfect.”

Erica rolled her eyes. “You didn’t even look.” She held the print up in front of his face.

“Seriously, tell me what you think of the final layout.”

He forced himself to pay attention to the impressive printout. The combination of graphic design, bold colours and photography was exactly what they’d been trying to achieve.

“It really is perfect. The client will be thrilled come Monday. Now… It’s Friday night, and we have two days before we need to worry about anything else to do with this building.

I want you to come with me to my cabin outside of Estes this weekend. Do you already have any plans?”

The only plans she had were to clean her condo and read the juicy novel she had just picked up. As enticing as that might seem, she did a quick comparison. A vacuum, dust cloth and paperback compared to the hot, hard arms of this man enfolding her?

Hmm… I’ll take the second showcase, Bob.

She shook her head no
.

“Good. Go home and pack an overnight bag then meet me at my house around seven o’clock. I have a few stops to make on the way home.”

The kiss bestowed upon her this time was soft and lingering. His lips sipped at hers, rubbing provocatively. He wrapped his arms closely around her.

“Be ready, Erica. My cabin is nice and secluded. Nobody will hear you as you scream and unravel around me. I’m going to make you burn so hot, baby, we won’t need to light the fireplace to keep us warm.”

And just as she had walked out on him the previous evening, he did so now.

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The clock on Erica’s dash read 7:10 p.m. as she pulled into Mark’s driveway. Sitting behind the wheel in the darkened interior of her car, she took a few moments to gather her courage. Her body still hummed after her and Mark’s explosive encounters earlier, especially in the stairwell. God, what had she been thinking? But, oh my, it had felt incredible, from the first moment she’d realised Mark was stalking her to his command to suck him clean. His forceful demands, both spoken and unspoken, amplified the explosive pleasure throbbing through her blood. She had sensed his general dominating personality in the office—one couldn’t miss it—but had no idea it would extend to his sexual practises. This realisation only made her want him more. She couldn’t wait to find out what he planned next.

For some reason, she was suddenly nervous. She had no experience with the type of sexual dominance Mark epitomized. The few men she’d dated were quiet, professional, and easy going. They’d taken good care of her but had never inspired all-consuming arousal or the desire to submit that Mark so easily unleashed in her.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her door and started up the flagstone pathway. She was just about to ring the doorbell when the front door opened, and her breath was taken away by the sight of him in a thick, off-white, cable-knit sweater that hugged his powerful torso, emphasising his broad shoulders and lean waist. His feet were bare, and a pair of dark blue jeans encased his lean hips and long legs. Her attention was riveted to the soft material across his steel-hard thighs and the bulge nestled against his hip. She felt a blush creep across her cheeks.

Mark watched as Erica looked her fill at his body, and her gaze lingered then widened as a becoming blush spread from her cheeks down her neck. How long they stood there he was uncertain because he was just as entranced with her appearance. She wore low-slung jeans with what appeared to be heeled boots, and a deep, V-necked sweater in what could only be the softest cashmere. The sweater was a dark emerald green, which contrasted perfectly with her eyes. She wore her hair down. The thick, sable-brown strands were always SHIELD’S SUBMISSIVE

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twisted into a knot at the office. Seeing the soft tresses now fall gently down her back to just below her shoulder blades was arresting.

He cleared his throat. “Hi… Come on in.”

“Thanks. I know I’m a few minutes late. I hope it didn’t complicate things.”

“Not at all. I only got home a little bit ago. I stopped off at the grocery to stock up on food for the weekend and was just getting out of the shower when I heard you pull in.”

She stepped inside then reached up to run her fingers through his still damp strands while simultaneously giving him a soft kiss. It was the first time she had initiated contact, and he accepted her soft lips with pleasure. Putting his hands on her waist, he held her closer and angled his head to deepen the caress. A soft groan escaped his throat at how well they fit together. Having been a large man his whole life, he’d often felt the need to restrain himself around women, but Erica was only slightly shorter than him in her high heels. While she outwardly appeared delicate, the curves of her body perfectly contoured to his. Reluctantly, he backed away and leaned his forehead against hers.

“We should go if we want to get to the cabin before too late. Let me get my boots and grab my bag. You’re welcome to make yourself at home.” With another soft nip against her lips, he turned and ran up the stairs.

The front door of Mark’s home opened directly into a large open living room. She glimpsed the kitchen through a wide archway directly in front of her. A set of stairs leading to the second floor lined the wall to her right. Absorbing the atmosphere of Mark’s home, she noticed that the wall colours were mostly neutral but were combined with strong deep hues in the furniture. There was a full-sized, overstuffed leather couch in front of a large flat-panel television. She pictured him watching a game there on the weekends. Walking a little closer, she spied his DVD collection and was curious enough to investigate. She’d always thought one could tell a lot about a person by the movies they collected. He had an impressive collection of drama, action/suspense, and comedies. She smiled when she noticed some old-fashioned flicks, as well. He had Gene Kelly and Humphrey Bogart sitting next to Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. Meandering further into the house, she found a gourmet kitchen, decked out in granite countertops and professional-quality, stainless-steel appliances. What was truly mesmerising, though, was that most of the back side of the house SHIELD’S SUBMISSIVE

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was made of large windows. There were no buildings behind his house, and he had an incredible view of the mountains. It felt like the outdoors had come inside.

Feeling Mark’s presence behind her, she looked over her shoulder. “This is quite a setup you have here. The windows are amazing.”

“I like to cook, so I spend a lot of time in here. You run or swim for relaxation. I prefer preparing and cooking delicious meals.”

Erica turned around, put her arms around his waist and smiled. “Be very careful about saying such things to a woman. She might anticipate years of catering and refuse to let you go peacefully.”

He reached up and brushed his thumbs across her cheeks. “What if I don’t want her to let me go?”

She’d been prepared for Mark’s usual intensity but was unsure how to process this apparent softer side of his personality. So she looked at him but didn’t comment on his surprising statement.

He leaned over and gently kissed her nose. “Come on. I’m anxious to get you naked and trapped at my mercy in the isolated wilderness. You can park your car in my garage while we’re gone.”

Erica felt they were back on more familiar ground and gave Mark a sly come-hither look. “You have to get me naked first. I refuse to capitulate to your whims without a fight—

and I like to fight dirty.”

Mark’s eyes flashed with arousal then she turned towards the front door. As she walked out to her car, she heard Mark whistle as he caught a look at her baby.

“Wow! That’s not the car you normally drive to the office.”

“Yeah, this is my secret addiction. I love classic muscle cars, and the 1971 Corvette Stingray truly embodies that. I finally bought her when I was awarded the V.P. position. This baby has four hundred and twenty-five horses under the hood. It will do zero to sixty in five point nine seconds and has a quarter mile time of twelve seconds flat. She can purr like a contented cat or roar down the road at full throttle.” She laughed at the look of shock on Mark’s face. “You seem surprised. Did you think only men could talk performance cars?”