Daye, Lavender - Bound By Trust (Siren Publishing Allure) Read online

  Fear and anticipation swirled though her body as she attempted to put on the next dress. Again, Hunter stepped in to assist by gathering the dress from neckline to hem.

  “Arms up,” he told her, his tone soft but demanding.

  He dropped the dress down her body, holding the straps that were meant to cover her shoulders in his hands and placing them between her head and hands. Kerri tugged at the fabric bunched up under her arms and pulled it down her torso, twisting the varying strips of material to arrange it over her curves.

  Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough fabric to cover all of her. Every stitch of the garment was an elastic mesh that clung to her body, molding to her like a second skin. The tan fabric was barely a shade darker than her natural coloring, an elaborate mixture of vertical and horizontal strips that barely covered her essentials. She’d be lucky to hide a thong under this one.

  Kerri tugged at the band crossing her breasts, trying unsuccessfully to cover as much as possible. She was still wearing her bra, but it wouldn’t be possible to wear it in public with this dress.

  “This is ridiculous. Help me get out of this thing, Hunter.” The silence that followed had her head snapping up to meet his sharp eyes.

  “It’s perfect for you, Kerri. Maybe you should wear it home. Don’t you agree, Richard?” Hunter tipped his head to the man standing in the doorway. He was as blond as Hunter was dark, with cropped golden hair, blue eyes, the sparkle of a diamond stud in one ear, and he had the swagger of a man in charge of his life in every way possible.

  “She’s stunning, Hunter. Wherever did you find her?”

  Kerri waited, barely breathing while she tried to decide what to do, how to respond. Focused on Hunter, she looked for some signal of what he expected of her.

  “Come here.” He raised his hand to her, and she moved to stand in front of his chair. A tug on her hand had her sinking to her knees in front of him.

  “I didn’t know you’d taken on a new sub.”

  Kerri struggled to keep her head down as she listened to the conversation, fighting the need to cover herself.

  Hunter chuckled, and she clenched her fist where it lay in her lap. “I just started her training. She’ll be ready soon.”

  “May I?” The other man’s amused tone irritated her, and she wondered what exactly he was asking of Hunter.

  “Of course,” Hunter replied.

  Kerri’s stomach tightened as the man’s hand rested on the crown of her head then slid down her hair to her shoulder.

  “You’re welcome to use the club’s private rooms if you need the space for training. I have an extensive collection of equipment available, as you know.” He squeezed the top of her arm before squatting beside her.

  Kerri held her breath as his left hand stroked her breast, teasing the nipple as he spoke to Hunter.

  “I’d be interested in sharing her when you feel she’s ready. Let me know.”

  He pinched her nipple before rising to his feet. “She’s a beauty. And she didn’t appreciate my touch. Breaking her will be a rare pleasure.”

  Hunter stood and faced the man. “We’ll talk later. Thanks for the offer. I may take you up on it.”

  Richard clapped one hand against Hunter’s shoulder and shook his hand. “I’ll leave you to your work. Let me know if I can help in any way.”

  The door closed, and Kerri sank to the floor, her back bowed, head pressed to the rough carpet.

  Chapter 5

  Hunter dropped to a crouch next to Kerri, his hand hovering while he tried to decide what to do. He wanted to comfort her, hold her, but he wasn’t sure if she’d assumed this position out of fear or anger. He’d seen her clenched fist when Richard Menton’s hands were on her. Knowing what Kerri was dealing with would help him respond without making it worse.

  A stifled sob had him slipping an arm under her body and pulling her against his chest. Summoning the softest voice he could muster, he soothed, “It’s okay, pretty girl. He’s gone and you’re fine. You did great, sweetheart.”

  She burrowed into his chest, body trembling against him as he stood. With so much bare skin to touch, he couldn’t manage to keep his hands still. Hunter stroked, pressed, molded his palms to her slight curves. Watching her change clothes had been agony as his body responded without permission of his common sense. The smooth sensual shape of her form coupled with her careful self-assurance had him harder than a hammer. He had no right lusting after her but couldn’t seem to keep his hormones in check. The need to bury himself inside her warred with rational thought while she’d changed clothes.

  But the minute Richard Menton had opened the dressing room door, all Hunter could feel was the urge to protect her. Menton was the owner of Velvet Glove, along with a few other likewise slanted clubs, and the man was known as a hard master in the dom/sub community.

  They’d been friends and business partners for years, but the thought of him touching Kerri again had Hunter seeing red. Squeezing his eyes shut, he fought for focus. Yes, she was young and innocent of the lifestyle, but if Kerri truly planned to spend time inside Velvet Glove with him, he needed to be sure she could handle the experience. Being her protector wasn’t a job he wanted to take, but for some reason he couldn’t shake the need to do just that.

  Today’s encounter, along with Hunter’s declaration of ownership, was more than enough to convince Richard that Kerri was out of reach. Even with his wealth and standing in the BDSM community, the man wouldn’t touch another man’s possession without permission.

  Hunter pulled her closer, cuddling her against his chest. One hand stroked the riot of curls that cascaded down her back as he dropped his chin, putting his face that much closer to her. She was so small, fragile in this position against his taller frame. The rumpled curls from the top of her head tickled his nose, and he inhaled, dragging in the scent of lavender.

  “Kerri, I’m sorry. I had no idea he’d be here.”

  It was a lie, but a small one. He’d wanted to see how Kerri would react in an openly BDSM situation. And she’d been a rock. She’d stayed in character even with Richard’s hands on her.

  Would he tell her she’d passed the test? No.

  Her head tipped, her face lifting to his gaze. Hunter sucked in a breath at what he saw in her eyes. Fear, yes, but a desperate need pulsed beneath half-lidded eyes.

  She was aroused.

  “Kerri?” He almost flinched at the sound of his own voice, the desire pushing through his effort to subdue it.

  Her lips parted on a soft moan, and he gave in to temptation. Covering her open mouth with his, Hunter plunged his tongue into the hot cavern she offered. The taste of her drove him wild, the tentative touch of her tongue rubbing against his sending an electric pulse straight to his cock. Bending his knees, he filled his hands with her ass and lifted her fully against him, easily positioning his cock in the notch of her thighs. A quick pivot had Kerri’s back pressed against the wall, and every inch of skin bared by the next-to-nothing dress pressed against Hunter.

  He pulled back, raking his teeth across her swollen lower lip while she squirmed against him. Kerri’s mouth followed his, stretching her neck to reach for another kiss as he moved out of range.

  “Tell me,” he demanded at her mewl of need. “Tell me, Kerri. Tell me what you want.”

  “Please, don’t stop,” she whispered, her eyes still half closed, her mouth wet from his rough kiss. Fire surged through his blood with the knowledge that the same desire flooded her senses. His mouth sipped at hers, teasing her with quick tastes as he licked, nipped, and lapped at her while she writhed against his body, her hunger growing. Again, she whispered, “Please.”

  Hunter tipped his hips to press his burning erection against the tender bundle of nerves hiding under her silky pink panties and absorbed her flinch, her unconscious bump and grind against his crotch. He wouldn’t take her here. Not in the dressing room where anyone could watch, could hear.

  He wanted her screams of pleasure to be on
ly for his ears.

  Shifting to the side, he skimmed his open mouth down the column of her throat, her whimpers of desire whispering across his senses. Every nerve in his body urged him to spread her legs and thrust fully into her.

  He resisted.

  She trembled in his arms, passion, need, overwhelming her senses.

  Hips holding her in place, Hunter bent to ease the strap crossing her left breast down enough to expose the tight bead of her engorged nipple. A quick swipe of his tongue granted him a rough moan. But when he latched on and began to suckle in earnest, the moan became a ragged groan. Fingernails pierced his scalp as Kerri held him to her, and when he bit down on the delicious berry in his mouth, Kerri buried her face in his shoulder and shuddered in his arms, panting through her release.

  Fuck. That couldn’t have been an orgasm. Mouth stilling, Hunter processed his surprise at her unbelievable responsiveness. He’d never been with a woman so easily taken over the edge. His urge to possess her notched up a few more pegs on the scale, hot lust merging with his desire to be inside her the next time she climaxed. He had to get her out of this place first.

  Stroking her with his tongue, gentling her through the moment, Hunter eased her into the chair and crouched in front of her. Pushing a few golden locks behind her ear, he soothed her. “Sh, it’s okay. Catch your breath, sweetheart.”

  Her face flamed, and the scattering of freckles across her nose became more prominent. Hunter emotionally set aside his throbbing erection to deal with Kerri’s raging embarrassment.

  “Oh, God,” she whispered, her hands flying to cover her face.

  Hunter grasped her wrists with gentle fingers and pried her hands away. “Don’t.” His tone was firm, demanding. “Don’t hide from me. You’re beautiful. Don’t ever hide who you are.”

  “But I—”

  “Yes, I know, sweetheart, and I can’t wait for the next one,” he said, allowing a grin to replace his usual somber expression. “But we need to get out of this shop.”

  Kerri gasped, remembering their circumstances, and he grabbed her hands before she could cover her breasts.

  “Change back into your street clothes, and we’ll go.”

  He stood and tugged her to her feet, then reached for the hem of the strap dress. “This is definitely a keeper.” Ignoring her protests, he helped her out of it and added it to the pile of clothes. He fought to hide his grin at the blur of movement when she dressed. He’d already seen plenty, and those images were forever burned into his brain.

  Lifting several pieces out of the pile, he grabbed her hand and led her to the register. As the cashier scanned the tags, Hunter stepped to the side and picked up a few items that would come in handy when they got back to his place. He enjoyed the flush that returned to Kerri’s face when he added them to the clothes he’d chosen.

  * * * *

  Kerri tried to sit as close to the car door as possible during the return trip, which wasn’t much different than sitting regularly since she was confined by the seatbelt. But it was a big truck, and she tried to make every inch count. Mortified by her behavior in the dressing room, she turned to the dark landscape flying past the car window. But there was nothing to see except the memory of her face in the mirror as Hunter had eaten her alive.

  That image was all she could see, even with her eyes closed. Her face, but not the face she saw every day in the mirror. Definitely not that face. It had been transformed. Her, but not her. That woman was flushed, hair wild about her head as it rested against the wall. That woman was wrapped around a man, holding him to her. That woman was wanton and aroused and being consumed by the man she held close.

  She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to decide what to do next. They were about halfway to his house, so she had about fifteen minutes to come up with a plan of action. Her purse was still in his kitchen, but she could go in, grab it, and go straight back to her car.

  Or she could go inside and let him seduce her right into bed and another orgasm like the one from the dressing room.

  Hell, that had never happened to her before.

  She’d had her share of relationships, not as many as some of her friends, but a few, and she’d come on occasion, usually after a long workup. But never so quickly, and never so thoroughly.

  Would it become an addiction? she wondered, glancing at Hunter as he flew down the road. He seemed anxious to get back to his house, and she wondered what he would expect when they arrived. While she’d been taken care of, he’d been left hanging, or standing, she supposed would be the better term.

  A voice in her head urged her to take care of his needs, knowing that in the process she’d most likely get another orgasm. But worry crept in and held her back. He might not want her. Maybe what happened had been a momentary loss of judgment on his part and he’d decided to walk away.

  Then they were pulling into his garage. She’d been so lost in her thoughts, she’d completely missed the security gate. The garage door slid shut behind them, and he was opening the truck door to help her out. His face was harsh, tight, controlled, and she wasn’t sure if he was angry or horny. She’d never seen that particular expression on his face.

  Hunter held her close to his side until they reached the kitchen, and then he settled her into a padded chair and stepped across the room to open a high cabinet. In seconds, he was placing a small glass of wine in her hand.

  “Sip it, Kerri. You’ll feel better after you’ve had something to eat.”

  He began to move around the kitchen, pulling out pots and pans, filling one with water, the other with a thin stream of olive oil. She sipped the wine, a delicate-tasting blush-colored liquid that felt like silk against her tongue, and watched him put together a meal. Kerri soaked in the soft lighting, the aroma of the food wafting through the room, and began to relax as the effects of the wine seeped over her ragged nerves.

  And she realized he was taking care of her again. Could any man be bad for a woman if he consistently took care of her when she needed him? Kerri hoped he would continue to be good for her. She wanted badly for him to be good to her.

  Hunter set two plates on the table and leaned in to brush his mouth across hers. “Feeling a little better?” he asked, lifting a few stray locks of hair and settling them behind her ear.

  “Yes. Sorry I freaked on you,” she said, meeting his darkening eyes. They’d been warm brown with green flecks while they were shopping, but ever since she’d fallen apart, those hazel eyes she’d dreamed about had morphed into rich chocolate, the green receding in the face of all the heat they’d generated in the dressing room.

  “Don’t be sorry.” He caught her hand in his and squeezed. “You surprised me. That doesn’t happen often.”

  Kerri felt the blood rise in her face and turned away, letting her hair curtain her expression. “This looks terrific,” she said, ignoring his chuckle while picking up her fork. Pasta in a creamy red sauce filled the center of the plate, thin strips of chicken spread on top of the sauce.

  “Not fancy, but reasonably healthy. Do you need more wine?” Hunter set two glasses of ice water on the table then sat when she shook her head. While the wine had calmed her nerves, she had no desire to get drunk. When they did actually have sex, she wanted to be aware of every minute in his arms, in his bed.

  They ate in silence for a few minutes, giving her a chance to think about what might happen from here. There were questions, answers that she needed from him that would influence her decision. Hell, who was she kidding? She wanted him. She actually ached in places she didn’t know could hurt, all because she wanted to feel his hands on her again.

  “Hunter, do you really live in this lifestyle, or is what happened tonight an elaborate act for your job?”

  His chin dropped to his chest, giving him the appearance of truly contemplating her question. Kerri waited to hear his response, wondering if she would hear the truth. She wanted to trust him, but the ingrained need to question every detail continued to thwart her emotional res
ponse, as heated as it was.

  “I’ve known for a long time that I had a tendency toward the darker side of sexuality, but until I began training for this assignment, I lived a fairly conventional life.” Kerri watched his expression turn rueful as he lifted his gaze to meet hers. A spark of devilment danced in those dark depths. “I’ve learned a few things about myself in the last year.”

  “That doesn’t answer the question,” she said with a shake of her head.

  Hunter barked a laugh. “Let’s just say I’ve learned how to be honest with myself.”

  “Honesty is good.” Her question answered, Kerri turned the information around in her mind and took another bite of pasta. If she was chewing, she wouldn’t be expected to continue the conversation.

  “What are you thinking, pretty girl?”

  So much for the niceties of polite stalling. Kerri swallowed and decided to throw caution to the wind. “If—and that’s a huge if—we have sex, are you going to tie me up?”

  Hunter pushed his chair back from the table and crossed his arms, his eyes probing, calculating as he watched her. Kerri had expected the wolf grin and a “do you want me to?” reply, but he’d taken her question seriously, which moved him a little farther up the ladder respect-wise. She sipped her water and gave him time to answer.

  “There’s much you don’t know about the dominant/submissive relationship, Kerri. It’s not about being tied to a bed as much as it’s about giving and receiving pleasure.”

  Kerri struggled to keep still in her chair, the urge to squirm against the tension in her body whittling away at her self-control while he spoke. Hunter was watching her every move, his voice calm, sincere, and authoritative.

  “A dom is responsible for the safety and pleasure of his submissive, providing for her needs, sometimes needs she doesn’t know she has. Trust is a major component in any relationship, but in this one, trust is everything.”