His breath lightly brushed her neck, sending tingles dancing along her skin.
His voice became a low, husky growl. “Where I push you against the wall and take you hard and fast.”
When he stroked a wisp of hair from her face, she sucked in a breath, her wide eyes glowing with desire.
He brushed his lips against her temple. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
* * *
Ashley sucked in air, staring at his intense midnight eyes, her body trembling from the light brush of his lips. The moment he’d sat down beside her, her heartbeat had accelerated and she’d found it increasingly difficult to breathe. Just being close to him made her a crazy mess of need, and the thought of him dominating her sent tremors of excitement through her.
He was absolutely right. She wanted to explore these new feelings. To be controlled by him and taken to a new realm of eroticism.
“You see, you can’t. So what do you want to do? Do you want to end our sessions?”
“No, I don’t. I…”
“So tell me what this is really about.”
She exhaled. “It’s just that … you’re the stepfather of my friend and I don’t think she’d like it if something happened between us.”
“That’s what’s bothering you? First, Helen is no longer my stepdaughter. Hasn’t been for years. And how long has it been since you’ve interacted with her?”
“Sure, but—”
“No buts. Ash, you can’t let what other people want—or what you think they want—dictate what you do. If you want something, go after it. Whether it’s the friend you want a romantic relationship with, or having an illicit sexual experience with me.”
Her lips turned up in a smile. “Illicit?”
He laughed. “Well, that does make it sound more exciting, doesn’t it?”
She gazed into his eyes, feeling herself caught up in the deep blue depths.
“Everything about you is exciting.”
A smile crept across his face, wide and devastatingly sexy.
Oh, God, she couldn’t believe she’d said that out loud.
He took her hand and stood up. “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?” she asked as he led her along the path through the trees toward the road.
“We’re going back to my place.”
“But…”
He stopped and turned. With her forward momentum, she collided with his body.
His big, hard, muscular body.
His hands grasped her arms, then his lips captured hers. She pushed onto her tiptoes, needing to be closer. Needing to feel his lips pressing harder on hers. His tongue swept into her mouth and she murmured softly. He took her mouth with passion, consuming her. But then the kiss softened, becoming almost tender. His arms slid around her and he drew her closer, like a cherished lover, while he seduced her mouth with his talented lips.
She melted against him, her heart beating frantically, feeling the echo of his own heartbeat against her.
Then he drew away, his solemn gaze locked on hers.
“You have a choice at every step of the way, but know that when I get you home, I am going to tear away every one of your barriers and build up your need to a fever pitch, then I am going to take full advantage of the situation and take you to a place you’ve never been before. And I warn you, you will quickly lose the will to say no. So decide carefully before you say you’ll come with me.”
He stared at her, waiting.
She should say no. She should walk away right now.
But “should” was a word she resisted. It was self-limiting and hinted at externally imposed barriers. Because she could do anything she wanted. The only one who had a right to dictate what she did or didn’t do was her.
And what she wanted to do … what the overwhelming desire burning inside her insisted she do … was go with him. She wanted to submit to him. To be vulnerable to him.
To trust in him and give herself to him in every way.
* * *
As soon as the door closed behind them, Dare swept Ashley into his arms and kissed her. She melted against him, the heat of the desire that had been building on the drive here filling her with anticipation.
Then he drew away. She could see only a flicker of the heat in his eyes as he schooled his expression to one of calm authority.
“You will do everything I say to the letter. You will not argue or hesitate. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sir. I like that. You will address me as Mr. Gallagher or sir. Follow me.”
He led her to the stairway, then up to the second floor. Through double doors at the end of the hall she caught a glimpse of a big, four-poster bed in deep mahogany. She followed him toward it, but then he stopped at a door on the right and opened it. He turned on a light, casting away the darkness and led her inside. She glanced around, her eyes widening at the rough-hewn wooden furniture around the room. A large X-shaped piece in one corner, about seven feet tall with cuffs attached. Padded benches of different shapes, all with restraints. And a tall cupboard along one wall.
And a bed on one side, covered with black sheets.
He led her to a large chair and sat down. She stood waiting uncertainly.
“Come here.”
She stepped toward him.
“Unbutton your shirt.”
He wanted her to undress? Oh, God, this was becoming all too real all too fast.
But she obeyed. Her fingers moved to the top button and she unfastened it. Then to the second. Her skin flushed as her shirt slowly opened, revealing a glimpse of her bare skin and lacy bra beneath.
When she’d finished with the bottom button, she slid her hands up the placket, ready to open the blouse, but he took her hands and drew her close.
“Do only what I say and no more,” he said, his voice matter-of-fact.
He placed her hands at her sides then he slowly parted her shirt, revealing her lace-clad breasts. The heat of his gaze seared her as he stared at her swelling breasts, the nipples pushing at the thin lace. He slid the shirt over her shoulders and it glided down her arms and fell to the floor.
His hands glided up her ribs, then under her breasts and one thumb glided over her hard nub. Her breath caught at the incredible sensations vibrating through her. Then his other thumb brushed over her second nipple and she thought her knees would buckle.
“Turn around.”
She turned, and once her back was to him, she felt his fingers work at the hooks of her bra. Then it released. He slid the straps off her shoulders and she let the bra follow her shirt to the floor.
“Now turn toward me.”
Oh, God, when she turned he would see her naked from the waist up. She felt vulnerable and uncertain.
But she turned.
And when she did, the admiration in his eyes as he gazed at her full breasts filled her with delight. She wanted to run her hands underneath them and lift. To move closer and offer them to him.
“You have beautiful breasts. Do you like me looking at them?”
“Yes, Mr. Gallagher.”
He smiled. “Good.”
He wrapped his hands around her waist and drew her closer, then with one hand on the small of her back, he cupped her breast with the other. The heat of his big, masculine hand around her sent her hormones swirling. Then he leaned forward and covered the aureole with his mouth. His tongue nudged the hard nipple … then he sucked.
“Ohhh,” she moaned.
He lapped and suckled for a few more minutes before moving to the other. When he took that in his hot mouth, she moaned again.
“Now take off your jeans.”
She undid the snap, then drew down the zipper. She watched his hot gaze as she pushed them down her hips and let them drop to the floor. She stepped out of them and kicked them to the side.