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I t really wasn’t fair to show her all of that delicious goodness and not let her touch it. Taste it.

A whimper escaped her. “So. Mean. But I apologize. I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”

“What is?” he asked as he set his shirt aside.

There had to be a God. And he’d made this man. He had a flat stomach, a light smattering of salt and pepper hair on his chest to match his beard. And his shoulders were wide, his biceps thick with muscle.

She wanted to run her tongue down his chest. Lower and lower and . . .

“I don’t know. Everything.”

“Poor girl. We’ve barely been at this for any length of time and already you’re apologizing for everything? You’ve got so much longer to go.”

Nooo.

Then he stood and down went his jeans and boxers.

Hallelujah.

“Well, hellooo, handsome,” she purred.

“Did you just call my dick handsome?” he asked.

“I did. You have a problem with that?”

He tilted his head to the side. “Hmm, seems I don’t.”

Damn right, he didn’t. She couldn’t believe how gorgeous he was. How long and thick his dick was.

“Please. Let me touch you.” She licked her lips.

“Hmm. Nope.”

Damn it!

Why did she keep giving him ways that he could torture her?

He ran his hand up and down his cock.

Oh, he was definitely being mean now. Why did she have to go and fall for a sadist?

“Jealous?” he asked.

“You have no idea,” she replied.

That smile widened. “Good. Look at you, sitting there and waiting. Being my girl. My obedient girl.”

She scowled. “Don’t like that word.”

“No?” He arched an eyebrow.

“Shit. You’re going to remember that, aren’t you?”

“I remember everything, Gem. You’d do well to remember that.”

Then he lowered himself onto his knees and started playing with her again. Kissing down her stomach and along her thighs.

She wriggled and he slapped the inside of her thigh.

“Stay still.”

“I thought that having a man on his knees before me would make me feel more in control. That I’d be in charge,” she grumbled.

“You don’t want to be in charge,” he told her decisively.

“I might!” she countered.

He raised his head to stare down at her. “You don’t.”

Damn it. He was right. She didn’t.

“I might if it meant I got to actually orgasm.”

There went that grin again.

Lord, she could get seriously attached to that smile of his.

Eh, who was she kidding? She already was.

Then he moved his tongue back to her pussy to lightly flick her clit until she swore that she could see stars. Her fingernails pressed into her skin in an effort not to scream in frustration.

“Oh my God! You’re such an asshole!” she cried as he drew back once more.

“Tut-tut, swearing at me will just get you a hotter bottom,” he told her as he spun her around so she was now kneeling on the floor and bent over the sofa.

Grasping hold of her hands, he held them loosely in the small of her back before smacking his hand down on her already tender ass.

“But you don’t care if I swear!”

“Nope. I don’t. Unless you’re calling me names while I’m in charge. That’s another rule.”

“How am I meant to know all these rules?” she cried. It was so unfair.

“Fair enough. Here it goes. No calling yourself names or putting yourself down.”

Slap! Slap!

“No calling me names while I’m in charge.”

Slap! Slap!

No putting yourself in danger.

Smack!

“And no lying.”

Smack! Smack!

“If you’re ever in any sort of trouble, you tell me. Immediately.”

Smack! Smack!

“And if you need something, you tell me. And you can never ask for too much.”

Slap! Slap!

“Wear your coat at night and don’t walk around on your own.”

Smack!

“Got it?”

“Yeah,” she said, panting heavily. “I got it.”

The pain was merging with need. It was a heady mix, making the world around her seem hazy. He ran a finger over her bottom cheek, then into her pussy.

She moaned.

“You got condoms, Gem?”

“Thought that was the kind of thing that you’d carry around in your wallet,” she replied.

“Gem, don’t fuck around with me. You got condoms? I’m clean. Gotta get tested regularly to be part of the club.”

“I’m clean too.” Thank Christ. “But I’m not on any birth control.”

“Then we need condoms. Got any?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. Got them when I moved here.” She’d never had a chance to use them, though.

“Yeah? Where?”

“Bedroom.”

She had barely gotten the word out before he was picking her up and carrying her into her bedroom.

“You’re gonna hurt your back if you keep carrying me around.”

He smacked her ass.

Jesus.

At this rate she wasn’t going to sit for a week! She scowled at him as he set her down on the bed.

“Shut up, Gem.”

“That’s rude.”

“So is telling me I’m too old to carry my girl around.”

Okay. Why did her body go all warm every time he called her his girl? It was bizarre.

And she liked it.

A lot.

“Sorry. Just trying to save your back.”

“You saying I can’t carry around a tiny thing like you?”

“Tiny? Have you seen my ass?”

“Seen it. Touched it. Smacked it. You say anything bad about it, then I’m gonna go back to my apartment, get my bag, and paddle it.”

Right.

“Didn’t say anything bad,” she said hastily. “Just that I’ve got tits and an ass so I’m not exactly small.”

“Happen to fucking love tits and an ass,” he told her. “Condoms?”

She scrambled up to the nightstand and pulled out the box.

“This hasn’t been opened,” he said, taking the box so he could tear off the plastic.

Opal shrugged, not knowing how he wanted her to reply.

“Good,” he said. “Means I don’t have to kill the bastard who slept with you.”

“You can’t kill someone for sleeping with me,” she told him as he rolled the condom onto his fine, fine dick.

Which she really wanted to touch.

“Sure I can. What I can’t do is see his face every day knowing that he touched what belongs to me.”

What belongs to him temporarily.

Stop that!

He crawled over her, pushing her onto her back. She stared up at him.

“Mine,” he growled at her, then his mouth went around her nipple and he sucked.

Hard.

Lord.

She felt that all the way through her body. Her breath grew faster as he moved his mouth to her other nipple.

“All fucking mine.”

And then his dick was entering her. It was a shock, but a welcome one and she moaned.

Loudly.

She was in such trouble right now. Because she was pretty certain that no one else would measure up to Renard.

In any way.

And she was going to be stuck dreaming about the best sex of her life.

With the best man she’d ever met.

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to enjoy every moment while she had him.

A moan left her as he drove in deep.

More.

She needed more.

In and out.

But she couldn’t come like this.

“Need to touch my clit,” she told him.

“No.”

“Please, I need to come.”

“You get to come when I tell you that you can come, Gem.”

Such a bastard.

But she wisely didn’t say it out loud. Then he drew out of her and she whimpered.

Then he spun her around until she was on her knees.

“Hold onto the headboard, Gem. Don’t you let go.”

She held on tight as he re-entered her.

“Please!” she cried.

“I want you to come with me.”

“I need you to touch my clit.”

“I touch your clit and you’re going to go off like a rocket.”

He wasn’t lying. She totally was.

“You come when I do.”

God!

Why was he so frustrating?

“Get there! Please! What’s taking so long?” she wailed.

He stilled, laughing. “Was nearly there and then you made me laugh.”

“Well, I didn’t mean to! This sucks.”

“Never had someone complain that I was taking too long fucking them.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” she snapped as he grabbed hold of her hips and fucked her.

Lord.

It was amazing and she had tears in her eyes by the time he reached around to touch her clit.

He’d been right, though.

As soon as he touched her, she went off. Her scream of release filled the room as she shook her way through her orgasm.

Then he let out a deep moan as he followed her over.

She dropped forward onto her chest as he slid out of her. He ran a hand down her back as he moved to her side. “Got to go take care of this condom, but are you okay, Gem?”

“Can’t feel it.”

“Feel what?”

“Anything? Can’t feel anything. Pretty sure that means I’m dead, right? Must be dead. Death by orgasm. What a way to go.”

Chuckling, he pinched her ass, and she groaned.

“You feel that?”

“Yes,” she grouched.

“You’re not dead yet, Gem. Not for a long while, yeah? Now, wait there while I go get cleaned up.”

Yeah. She’d do just that.

A few minutes later, he returned. Lying on his back, he drew her onto his chest, running his fingers through her hair. Which, considering how much hairspray she had in it, wasn’t easy.

God this was nice.

It was sweet.

“So you do know how to obey,” he murmured.

Oh, that bastard.

She leaned up to glare down at him. He was grinning

“You’re lucky you’re so cute when you smile.”

That smile dropped. “Cute?” There was outrage in his voice. “I’m not cute, Gem. I’m sexy. Or handsome. Or a God.”

“Obey?” she said to him. “Told you I don’t like the word obedience. Obey is the same thing.”

“Sure is. But you just did what you were told, didn’t you?”

“Because you fucked me senseless!”

“Yeah, I did. After punishing your ass.” Rolling her onto her back, he leaned up on one elbow to cup the side of her face. “No more lying, Gem.”

She swallowed heavily. “I’m not sure I can tell you everything.”

“Then don’t tell me,” he said quickly. “But don’t lie, either. Get me?”

“I get you.”

He studied her for a long moment. “It’s good that you get me. Now, I’ve got to go sand the floors in the spare room before I head into work, and I need to know that you’re good.”

She softened. “I’m good. I’m sorry about before.”

“You need something from me, then tell me.”

“Yeah, I’m not really good at asking for help.”

He snorted. “I know that, Gem. Get better.”

Get better?

Really? That was his advice?

“I want to help with the sanding,” she said as he got up and got dressed.

“Nope.”

“Why not? Shouldn’t I learn how to do it in case I want to do the rest of the floors?” It made total sense to her.

“Nope.”

“Okay.” She sat up and glared at him as he got dressed. Damn, her ass hurt. But she pushed that aside. “You have to say more than ‘nope’.”

“I do?”

“Yes. Why can’t I help sand my own floors?”

“Because it’s a man’s job.”

“Renard.”

“Opal.”

They glared at each other.

“You do realize this is the twenty-first century, right?” she asked. “There are no longer men-only jobs.”

“Baby, this is Haven.”

“Yes, so?”

“So in this town, there are very much men-only jobs. And it isn’t about women not being capable. It’s about men wanting to take care of their women by doing shit that they don’t have to. Like taking out the trash. Or shoveling the snow from the driveway. This is a job for a man, you have a man that wants to do it for you, so you say thank you and you get him a soda. Because sanding is thirsty work and your man doesn’t drink alcohol. Which is a bastard, because after sanding all you really want is a beer.”

It all sounded ridiculous.

Yet at the same time, it made sense. And she’d get him the soda, because she understood the craving for a drink after doing a messy job.

“I’ll have your soda waiting.”

“Thank you.”

“But I do have one question.”

“What?” he snapped.

“What’s your stand on staining? Man job or woman?”

He rolled his eyes. “Obviously, that one is gender neutral.”

“Right. Good to know.” She looked around for her clothes before remembering that they were in the kitchen.

“Gem?”

“Yeah?” she said distractedly as she got out some clean underwear.

“Do you need a session?”

She turned to him. “What?”

“At the club. Do you need one?”

She tilted her head to the side. Did she need to go to the club? “I don’t think I need one, but I would like one.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do. My next night off.”

“Really?”

He walked toward her, then cupped her face between his hands. “Don’t look so surprised. I want to give you what you need, what you want. All you have to do is ask.”

He kissed her lightly, then walked away.

All she had to do was ask?

Was this really her life? Her own little place. Friends who cared about her. A man who wanted to give her what she needed.

All she had to do was ask.