“Baby, this is a huge leap forward for us—you. There is no hurry and I don’t want you beating yourself up over this. I’m happy and you’re happy. Nothing else matters. In time you’ll trust me enough to let me make love to you. You’ll trust yourself. Until then, you’ll tie me to the bed each time until you feel confident enough to take the ultimate plunge.”Her lips turned down into a grimace. “I wish I were as confident as you.”“I have enough confidence for both of us,” he said gently. “We will get there, Sophia. Rome wasn’t built in a day. This will and should take time. It’s not something we can take too lightly. You have to absolutely feel safe with me, because if we jump the gun, we can do far more damage by trying to rush things. I’m perfectly content to leave things as they are until you’re ready to take that final step. You don’t have to apologize nor do you have to justify your fears. Not to me. Never to me. I love you and love is about doing whatever it takes to safeguard the
“Then I guess we’ll have to find a way to coexist together, warts and all,” she said cheekily.“Bet your ass,” he growled.She yawned broadly, her eyes looking sleepy and contented.He pulled her into his arms, nestling her head against his shoulder.“Sleep now, baby. I’ll go into work late in the morning so we can have breakfast together.”“That sounds wonderful,” she murmured. “And I’ll cook dinner for us tomorrow when you get home from work.”He kissed her forehead, contentment spreading rapidly through his veins to the very heart and soul of him.He knew they likely had a rough road ahead of them, but optimism was bright in his heart. Sophia was his and he wasn’t letting her go. They’d get through whatever issues they had together.Sophia hummed to herself as she brushed out her hair and applied her makeup. The week had flown by and strangely, she wasn’t looking forward to going into work on Monday. She’d enjoyed her time with James too much. It had been just the two of them the e
He rubbed his groin against her belly so she’d feel just how hard he was. She slid her hands between them, cupping his c**k through the denim of his jeans, and caressed him gently.His moan was guttural, the sound of a male in desperate need. Tonight, come hell or high water, she was going to mount a charge. If she had her way, neither of them would be aching much longer.*********Sophia and James were seated at a table by the window at Cattleman’s and Sophia was munching on an appetizer of nachos when an extremely handsome man walked up to their table.Beside him was a gorgeous woman with brilliant blue eyes and midnight black hair. It was a striking contrast. The couple looked like a million dollars together and it was obvious the man had money.It wasn’t that he looked ostentatious, or he was one of those guys who openly flaunted his wealth. He just had a quiet authority about him and his clothing was designer, very expensive and looked very good on him. Then there was the rock th
“Maybe you should focus more on what I’ve gained,” he pointed out. “Because from where I’m standing, I haven’t given up a damn thing, and I’ve gained far more than I ever dreamed of.”Reassured by the sincerity of his words, she plunged ahead.“So what does go on there?” she asked with more confidence. Knowing didn’t hurt her. It didn’t involve her. It did nothing more than assuage her curiosity over the lifestyle her two best friends lived.“The House is a place for people to indulge themselves in all manner of sexual fantasies. Pretty much everything goes. Within reason, of course. It’s not only about dominance and submission. There are plenty of other fantasies that people delight in. It’s a place where they can freely—and safely—indulge themselves.”“So is it, like, public? I mean do the people who go there act these fantasies out in front of everyone else there?”It was a little mind-boggling to imagine Karla and Sandra doing whatever it was they did for everyone to see, and mayb
He turned his face in to her hand, kissing her palm. “Ah, Sophia, I trust you absolutely. I trust you more than anyone else. I just don’t want to hurt you or bring back painful memories for you.”“You won’t,” she said solemnly. “Not tonight. Tonight I’m here to listen. To be strong for you like you’ve been strong for me.”God, but he loved this woman. The idea of not being with her ripped a hole in his heart. He never wanted to contemplate a life without her. Not now that he had her. She belonged to him, and he’d never willingly let her go.She touched his face again, lightly stroking the curve of his jaw.“I love you. Remember that. Nothing you say will ever change that.”He closed his eyes, wondering how he’d gotten so damn lucky. Who would have ever thought he’d meet his soul mate in a woman with whom sexual dominance wasn’t possible. But then she’d likely never pondered or entertained even for a moment becoming involved with a dominant man, so perhaps they were even.“I hope to he
Her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth as she shifted her weight up. She grasped the base of his dick and suddenly he was engulfed by her heat. Her silky softness was surrounding the head. He’d never felt anything so goddamn perfect in his life.“That’s it,” he encouraged. “Take more of me. Nice and slow.”She began lowering herself down, inch by exquisite inch, gliding like hot velvet, clutching at him like a fist. When she was halfway there, her eyes widened and she glanced down in consternation.“I’m not sure this is going to work,” she said shakily.He smiled, willing himself not to arch up into her. He wanted to bury himself as deeply as he could go, but he forced himself to breathe through the urge and remain still until she was able to accommodate him.“It will work. Touch yourself with your other hand. You need to be a little wetter. You’re so tight, baby. God, you feel so good.”She obeyed, kneeling up astride him as she began to stroke her clit. She made a humming soun
Sophia felt on top of the world Monday morning when she rode to work with James. Optimism, an alien concept to her until now, simmered in her mind.So she hadn’t been able to make love to him without him being tied to the bed. Yet. But they had made love! That was a huge step for her.She was . . . happy. When was the last time she could say that and really mean it? Her old version of happiness was merely a shell, a code word for simply existing. It wasn’t until she got involved with James that she realized just how much of her life was passing her by while she kept her head firmly in the sand.The weekend had been utter bliss. They hadn’t made love again since Friday night, and both seemed reluctant to push too hard and too fast, but the intimacy had grown around them to such an extent that she knew it wouldn’t be long before they took the plunge again.And maybe this time she’d pluck up the courage not to tie him up for the act.She’d been worried about him after he’d confided about
“I do miss him,” she said, a small ache in her chest. “But just like Sandra did, I have to let him go. I can’t stop living my life just because he lost his.”“I’m glad to hear you say that, honey. Clement would have wanted you to be happy first and foremost.”“I know,” she said quietly. “And I’m trying. I’ll get there eventually.”James stuck his head in the door, a slight frown on his face as his gaze swept over Derrick.“Am I missing something? What are you doing in Sophia’s office?”Derrick rolled his eyes. “We were talking. You know, having a conversation? Something coworkers frequently do on the job.”James looked suspiciously at him and Sophia grinned, thrilled with the possessiveness that shone in James’s eyes. It was absurd for him to get touchy over Derrick being in her office. The man was very happily married to her best friend. But still, she didn’t mind that James had obviously staked his claim.“I was telling her that Sandra wants you both to come over this Friday night,”