“I just wanted to know where you planned for us to have dinner tonight,” she said in a low voice. “I don’t … I don’t want to go back to where we were supposed to have dinner last night. I don’t think I could handle it. There was a lot of humiliation in last night for me. I don’t want to even remember it. I’d rather just go somewhere else and truly start over again.”The look of love, understanding and self-recrimination all crowding into his eyes made her emotional and she had to swallow hard at the knot forming in her throat.He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead and left them there a long moment. When he pulled away, he framed her face in his hands and stared her directly in the eyes.“I’d never do that to you, my girl. I thought we’d go to a place we’ve never been before. I’ve heard good things about it. I’ve already made a reservation. I placed one online before I got you up this morning. I want a fresh start too. It’ll be a new beginning all the way around.”Reli
When enough time had passed that he could be assured she would be prepared for him, he walked slowly to the bedroom, holding his breath in anticipation of his first glimpse of her. Beautiful. Naked. Kneeling in magnificent submission as she waited for him and his command.His pulse accelerated as he pushed open the already ajar door and then he saw her.His breath left in one long exhalation and he was suddenly unsteady on his feet. He gripped the frame of the door until his knuckles were white as his gaze slowly traversed her beautiful body.She was the picture-perfect image of complete submission. Kneeling on the soft rug in front of the fireplace, her body silhouetted by the light shining from the bathroom, his wife rested, awaiting him. His command. But speech escaped him. He could barely form a coherent thought much less put to words a description that did her any justice.Long flowing hair fell down her back, a section artfully arranged over one shoulder and playing an erotic ga
Another shiver, almost violent in its intensity, quaked through her body, leaving desperate need in its wake. She stumbled precariously, like she was drunk on alcohol, as she weaved her way toward the bed.Ken was with her the entire way, helping to position her to his liking on the bed. She eased down onto her belly, resting her cheek against the soft mattress. She planted both feet firmly on the floor, her toes curling into the sheepskin rug at the foot of the bed. Then he left her, his absence a keenly felt void as she waited for him to return with the bonds that would render her helpless and at his absolute command.She didn’t have long to wait. It was as if he were as impatient as she was to reclaim this part of their relationship. She closed her eyes, relaxing under his patient touch.He pulled one arm up first, ensuring she was comfortable with gentle questions to gauge her reaction. First he looped the rope around her left wrist, testing the strength of the knot before securin
“Nothing’s wrong,” she finally managed to say in a faltering voice. “Everything is right.”He heaved a visible sigh of relief and touched his forehead to hers. “You nearly gave me a heart attack, baby. I thought I’d done something wrong. Or hurt you.”She shook her head as he wiped another trail of tears from her cheek. “I love you so much, Ken. I’ve waited so long for this. It seems like I waited for an eternity. And now we’re back. I’ve missed you—this—so much.”He gathered her more closely in his arms and kissed her tenderly. “You’ve always had me, Karla. I know it doesn’t seem like it. I haven’t acted like it. I haven’t given you what you need—what you deserve. But I swear all of that is going to change starting now. I don’t want to lose you. I can’t envision a future without you.”She snuggled into his arms, tucking her head underneath his chin. “You’ll never lose me, Ken. I don’t want to be without you either. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”He chuckled, the sound rumbling fro
Have an important client meeting at 4:30. I’ll be home no later than 6. I promise. I’ll bring supper. Love my girl.Karla’s heart sank, dread tightening her chest. When she looked up, her friends had worry in their eyes. She forced a bright smile. After all, how long had it been since he just texted her with his plans much less to say he loved her and that he’d bring home dinner. She’d revel in that aspect and set aside her paranoia. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin a perfectly good day when things had gone so well the past two days.“Oh, that was just Ken telling me he was bringing supper home.”She left out the rest because she didn’t want to see knowing looks in their eyes.********AT five minutes after six, Karla was pacing the living room checking her watch. A worried frown tugged at her lips. Surely he wouldn’t be late the very first day back at work after their come-to-Jesus anniversary weekend.She sucked in a deep breath and tried to talk herself down. He had a clien
“So he liked what he saw?” she asked innocently.“Oh yeah. He liked.”A thought occurred to her, one that had her blushing to the roots of her hair. Her entire face was literally on fire.“Ken, tell me you didn’t show him one of those pictures,” she whispered.Those pictures being ones Ken had taken of her in different sexual positions and in various stages of undress. Bound hand and foot. Some naked and spread-eagled, her hands and feet splayed wide and restrained in all directions.They were beautifully erotic, but only intended for Ken. It made her sound like the ultimate hypocrite, being willing to allow another man to touch her. To flog her, mark her, give her pleasure. So why object to Ken ever showing such pictures to another man?Except that to her those pictures were personal and were meant to be shared only between her and her husband. It didn’t have to make sense to anyone but her.Ken’s expression grew serious. He cupped her chin, rubbing his thumb gently down her jawline.
But Karla and Ken were picking up the pieces and both were deeply committed to repairing their fragile relationship. It was all she could ask for. Just for Ken to reevaluate and recommit himself to her. Even her own commitment was being renewed. Stronger. More everlasting this time so that nothing would ever come between them again.The women were enjoying a later than usual lunch the day before Karla and Ken’s upcoming evening at The House and Karla was brimming with hope and optimism. Not that she’d ever look to another man to somehow fill a gap in her marriage to Ken. Just the opposite. The nights at The House had occurred frequently in the first few years of their marriage. It was something they embraced—enjoyed—and it brought them even closer. For some couples such a thing would certainly drive a wedge between them. Jealousy always had the potential to overshadow all else when another person was introduced into a relationship. But she, or rather Ken, had never exhibited any signs
“Oh yes,” Karla said with a radiant smile. “Ken is very aware of what I like, what gives me pleasure. But he likes to surprise me. He never tells me beforehand what to expect. Me not knowing heightens the anticipation. Sometimes the man will bind me to cross bars, arms and legs spread wide. He’ll flog me or use leather. Other times he’ll secure me over a spanking bench and after the man has ‘sufficiently prepared’ me, Ken will take over and f**k me while my skin is still heated from the kiss of the whip.” She could feel the blush working its way up her neck at the blunt way she’d described the scene.Sophia sent a suspicious glance Sandra’s way. “You don’t seem the least bit shocked or appalled. Just what have you and Derrick been up to anyway?”“Oh, much the same,” Sandra said cheerfully. “Only without the other guy, and well, not since we learned I was pregnant.”Sophia shook her head. “Clearly I’m the boring one in this group.”Karla smiled mischievously. “Oh, I don’t know. Tying a
Brandt returned from outside and Lexie shot out the door. Landon attempted to chase her, but Brandt caught him around his midsection with one hand. “Whoa, it’s cold and dark out there. And if Lexie’s runnin’ from you, she’s got good reason, so you need to stay put.”“Goggie!”“How about if we have that bath?”“No!” Landon became as limp as a worm.But Brandt was wise to his tricks. “Nice try, but you’re getting in the tub.”“No! No! No!” echoed down the hallway until the bathroom door shut.Jessie told herself if it’d been really bad news, Brandt would’ve told her instead of allowing Landon to distract him. She tidied up the toys, folded up the blankets, swept the floor. By the time she’d finished, a scrubbed Landon barreled toward her and didn’t stop until he’d hit her knees.“That was a fast bath tonight.”“Up!”She perched him on her hip and he curled into her, nestling his head on front of her shoulder. “I swear when you’re such a sweet-smelling, sweet-acting boy I can almost forg
“Yeah, I do. But it still stings. It pisses me off that he can cut me so deeply so quickly.”“He’s always had that uncanny ability to know just where to put that knife. I’m sorry.”Jessie looked up at him. “Please don’t confront him about this. It’ll just make it worse.”“I won’t. In fact, let’s just forget all about it.” He kissed her cold cheeks. “Because I believe you’n me have a date with the couch, a bowl of popcorn and a whole pile of westerns.”The shadows cleared from her eyes. “Sounds good. I need to change into something more comfortable first.” She started toward the house.“Comfortable? Like what?”“Well, I was thinking my pajamas because I’m freezing my ass off, but I might be convinced to wear something else.”“Like what?”She sent him a come and get it smile over her shoulder. “Like…just my skin.”Immediate erection.He chased her inside, down the hallway and tackled her to the bed. “Great idea. Let’s have intermission first.”“Just make sure you and Landon are bundled
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I have a feeling Santa is coming a lot of times tonight.”“Merry Christmas,” Brandt whispered, nuzzling the back of Jessie’s head.“Merry Christmas to you too.” She yawned. “What time is it?”“Eight.”She groaned and rolled away from his tempting body. “I told you not to wake me up until noon.”“But somebody woke me up, so I wanted to spread the love.”“Landon is up?”“Yep.” Brandt scooted closer. “Which is a shame because I had great plans involving me tasting your sugar plum first thing this morning.” He whapped her on the rump and she yelped. “Get up. I already fed the animals. I made coffee. And a coffee cake.”She whipped around so fast they almost bumped noses. “Excuse me? I must’ve had the covers over my ears. I thought I heard you say you made cake.”Brandt smooched her chin. “I did.”“You? Made…cake?”“I have been cookin’ for myself for years, Jess, so I’m not totally helpless in the kitchen.”“I didn’t say you were. I would’ve expected you to whip u
A while later, Brandt entered the bedroom. She heard his clothes hitting the floor and felt the mattress dip. Then his warm body connected with hers. He wrapped one arm around her waist, one arm stretched under her pillow, tangling their legs together so they were touching from head to toe.As Brandt toyed with her hair, so sweetly, so soothingly, Jessie released some of her tension.“We will figure this out, Jessie,” he said softly.She had figured it out. He just needed to accept it.Later, when he thought she’d fallen asleep, and he whispered, “Don’t make me choose, Jessie, please don’t make me choose,” she feared he already had.They both had.“It’s only for a few hours. I promise.”Jessie scowled at him. “Why do I have to go?”Brandt couldn’t resist kissing her scowling mouth. “Because I don’t wanna leave you alone on Christmas Day. In and out quickly, I promise. Landon will open his gifts from my mom, we’ll eat dinner and then we’re gone.”“Will your dad be there?”Brandt rolled
“I know more than you do. When Samantha lived with Drex, she talked about turning the boy over to his father’s family so she could be free. Most the time she was so wasted she didn’t remember she even had a kid, let alone knowing how to take care of him. Get used to him being around permanently, because she won’t want him back.”“That’s enough.” Brandt didn’t look away from the woman when he spoke to Jessie. “Jess. Go.”A million thoughts spun in her head as she reached the checkout line. Obviously the woman knew Landon. But not as well as she knew Landon’s mother. How much of what she’d said was true? Had Samantha just been biding her time? Brandt hadn’t said anything about his jail visit with Samantha, but Jessie knew the visit had upset him. Had Samantha already told Brandt she didn’t intend to take Landon back?It’d been easy to forget these fears when everything had been going along so smoothly. She cared about Landon, but she had no desire to be the kid’s mother. Because she nev
Brandt looked stricken for half a second, then he laughed softly. “God. You’re killin’ me, woman.Yes. On your knees on the floor.”Jessie slithered down his body purposely letting her hair drift across his groin, his thighs and the tops of his feet, because she knew how ticklish he was.“Playin’ with fire, Jessie.” Brandt sat up and pressed the creases of his knees into the edge of the bed.Setting her hands on his thighs, she bowed her head over him, taking his cock into her mouth completely. Keeping her lips suctioned tight didn’t keep the saliva in her mouth. She used the wetness to move faster, letting it trickle out of her mouth and coat his shaft.“Fuck, I love it when your mouth gets me so wet I can feel it dripping down my balls.”The husky way he dirty talked made the inside of her thighs sticky. Jessie slid her hand down to fondle his sac. So tight. So ready.Then the skin on his shaft seemed to tighten even more.Brandt eased out of her mouth and she looked at him.“Enough
She skirted the coffee table. “Is Landon sleeping?”“Yep. He’s been down about a half hour.”“Good. Then I timed it perfectly.”His eyebrows lifted. “Timed what perfectly?”“This.” She straddled his lap, held his face in her hands and kissed him. She tried to keep it easy, a deep, slow, wet reunion kiss. But the sensation of his full warm lips beneath hers, the glide of his tongue against hers, his taste and his scent made her wild, and she inhaled him in a blazing kiss of pure need.Heady stuff, how he met her kiss for kiss, touch for touch, breath for breath.She moved her lips along the line of his jaw to his ear. “God, Brandt. I’m dying for you. Phone sex was hot, but I want real sex. Lots of it. Right now.” She slid off his lap.Keeping her eyes on his, she circled her fingers around his wrists, tugging him to his feet. While gorging herself on his addictive kisses, she herded him down the hallway to his bedroom. After locking the bedroom door, Jessie jerked Brandt’s shirt off. S
“True. But I’ll climb on a back of a bull as long as I can.” He took another drink of beer. “And the injury is healin’ fine, if my nosy-assed brothers asked you to grill me about it.”“They didn’t.”“Good.” Chase shivered. “I forget how goddamn cold it is here.”“You’re spoiled competing in all those warm climes.”“That’s a fact, which is probably why I’ll end up livin’ someplace down south. Speakin’ of… Did your dad talk to you guys about them starting to legally restructure the ranch?”“No. Should he’ve been?”“According to my dad, Uncle Carson and Uncle Cal, yes.”“Does this have to do with Keely getting a chunk of McKay land as a wedding gift?”“Partially. But a couple of us are opting out of bein’ part of the McKay land trust permanently.”Brandt froze. “What the hell are you talkin’ about?”Chase kicked back and rested his shoulders on the porch support post. “You really had no clue?”“Nope. So who’s opting out?”“Me, for one.”Brandt looked at him curiously. “Why?”“Because I’v
“Mom. Stop.” Brandt tugged her into his arms. “Just stop.” She was absolutely breaking his heart.“No,” Tell said from behind him, “Let her talk if she wants to.”“We’ll listen to anything she has to say,” Dalton added. “She needs to know that.”Brandt hadn’t heard his brothers come up behind them, but he was damn happy they were here.She pushed back from Brandt and wiped her tears. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot over the last month and wanted to talk to you boys yesterday. On Thanksgiving. To let you know how thankful I am for each of you, but…well. You were there. Wasn’t exactly a Norman Rockwell painting, was it?”None of them could look at each other, which was just weird.“Sorry.” She used a lace hankie to wipe her nose. “I didn’t mean to blather like a fool and get so weepy.”A moment of silence passed as they all struggled.“It’s okay, Mom. Tell cries all the damn time. It’s sort of embarrassin’ if you wanna know the truth,”Dalton mock-whispered.Tell probably would’ve