Bound

CHAPTER TEN

AFTER she’d finished setting the kitchen to rights, Amery drained the remnants of her wine cooler and tossed the bottle in the recycling bin. When she turned around, Ronin was so close she bumped into him. “Hey there, ninja.”

“You really had no idea I was behind you?”

“No. You are just too damn good at that stealth thing.”

“Years of practice.” Ronin tucked a tendril of her hair behind her ear, then ran his finger down the arch of her neck. “This is so pretty and tempting, but I’ll admit I like your hair worn down.”

“Why?”

“Because a true strawberry blond is such a unique color. It complements your beautiful face so well and gives it an extra glow.”

“You say the sweetest things sometimes, Ronin.”

“The other reason I like your hair down is that I’ve fantasized about having these silken tresses wrapped around my fist as I’m fucking you.”

A curl of need unfurled in her belly.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“I like everything you do to me.” Amery pressed her palms against his pectorals and rubbed the heels of her hands against his nipples. “But that brings up a point I wanted to talk to you about.”

He said nothing. Some of the warmth bled from his eyes.

“Thursday night was amazing.” She raised her chin a notch. “You’ve been stingy on giving me equal time in touching you. So if you’re staying with me tonight? I demand full access to your body. I expect you’ll let me touch and kiss and play with it as much as I want.”

Ronin placed his hand on the side of her face, letting his thumb trace the lower curve of her lip. “Demanding something that intimate from me when you’ve got a pretty red blush heating your cheeks is enough to make a man lose his head entirely.”

“But not you.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I want your hands on me.” His gaze dropped to her lips. “I’ve imagined my cock buried in your mouth many times. Dreamed of your hair teasing my skin as you’re jacking me off. So, beautiful, you can drag me to your bed right now and do what you will with me.”

“Really?”

“With one exception.”

His thumb made those gentle sweeps on the inside of her lip, and her blood heated as she remembered him stroking her pussy the exact same way.

“I direct how you use this mouth when you blow me.”

Amery didn’t bristle. In fact, his demand for control took the pressure off her. She wouldn’t have to worry if she was doing a good job, because truth was, her experience in that area was pretty slim. “Okay.”

“You humble me.” Ronin kissed her. “Is everything locked downstairs? Because once we’re in your bed we’re not leaving until morning.”

“All locked, including the door between my office and my loft to keep Chaz out.”

“Good.” He let his mouth drift over her ear and whispered, “Take me to your bed, Amery.”

She threaded their fingers together and led him to her bedroom. No nerves, she sternly told herself. No holding back either. She’d touch and taste to her heart’s content.

Normally she’d only leave on one lamp for softer light, but tonight she flipped on the overhead track lighting. She wanted to see every inch of him.

Before she could command him to start stripping, he said, “You look gorgeous in this dress. I believe it’s my privilege to take it off.” He tugged at the sash tied in the back; then he unzipped her. The sound seemed so loud in the expectant silence between them. The material slipped down her arms, clearing her breasts and hips before the dress pooled on the floor.

His fingertip followed the waistband of her poppy-colored panties. Goose bumps broke out across her skin when he traced the back band of her bra. “Pretty.”

“I like my bra and panties to match.”

His breath teased her ear. “I was talking about your skin.”

“Oh.” Amery stepped out of the full skirt at her feet and bent over to pick it up. She draped the dress over the ladder-back chair and faced him.

When she started to remove her bra, he shook his head. “Leave your sexy lingerie on for a bit.” He swept the back of his knuckles down the swell of her scant cleavage. “It’ll serve as a barrier to keep me from fucking you blind.” That intense black gaze locked on hers. “For a little while anyway.”

She gestured to his dark brown polo. “Off.”

Ronin yanked it over his head and threw it on the floor.

“Pants.”

He pushed the tan-and-brown-flecked linen trousers down his legs and draped them over the back of the chair.

A pair of light tan boxer briefs was the last barrier. She didn’t even have to say off; he did it automatically.

What an absolute feast this man’s body was. Hard, sinewy muscles covered with tawny skin. He wasn’t bulky, which didn’t mean he wasn’t completely ripped. His pectorals? Incredible. His six-pack abs were completely lickable. As was his cock, jutting up from a closely trimmed thatch of black hair. She motioned for him to turn around.

Ronin raised both eyebrows but followed her instructions.

The rear side was just as yummy. Powerful shoulders and defined back musculature that tapered into slim hips. Oh. And then there was that perfectly round butt. The hair on his thighs and calves was much lighter than on his head—not that he had an abundance of it on his legs.

Her heart thundered as she approached him. She placed a kiss between his shoulder blades and snaked her arms around his chest. Amery wanted to wax poetic about his physique, but that sort of fawning seemed to put him on edge, so she said, “On the bed and get comfy because I intend to take my time.”

“You are going to milk this for all it’s worth, aren’t you?”

Amery slid her hands down, cupping his balls with one hand and squeezing his shaft with the other. “I’ll be milking something all right.”

He hissed in a breath.

“On the bed.” She lightly slapped his ass.

“Baby, whatever you do to me I’ll do right back to you, understand?”

“Nope.”

She thought maybe he’d crawl across her bed with his animal grace and give her the molten look that made her pussy weep with want. But Ronin sat on the bed, scooted into the middle, and stretched out as if waiting for a medical exam.

That stung a little. Okay, more than a little. Wasn’t he looking forward to this?

Ignore his attitude.

No, call him on it.

“How about if we just skip this? You can put your clothes on and go home.”

Ronin jackknifed. “What are you talking about?”

“You could act somewhat enthusiastic at the idea of me touching you. Right now you’re acting like I’m about to give you a prostate exam.” She turned away, intending to leave the bedroom.

Before she made it two steps, Ronin was on her. Banding his arms over her chest, immobilizing her completely. “I’m very enthusiastic, Amery. It’s just I’m used to being in control and I don’t know how to act if I’m not.” He kissed the side of her neck. “So the fact that I’m willing to give up that control to you? Says a lot, don’t you think?”

“Maybe.” She turned and twined her arms around him, plastering her lips to his. Kissing him as though she wanted to swallow him whole. As she controlled the kiss—only because he let her—she herded him back toward the bed.

Ronin lowered them to the mattress, ending up flat on his back with her on top.

Amery kissed him for a good long while. The man was such a good kisser that kissing him was an erotic experience in itself. She gradually slowed the kisses from deep to soft. Fleeting. Flirty. “You have the most sensual mouth,” she murmured against his lips.

Then she pushed his arms out to the side and began kissing his throat.

“Can I have my hand in your hair?”

“As long as you don’t use it to direct me.”

“I won’t.” He paused and added, “This time.”

Ignoring his warning, she nuzzled his neck and her mouth moved along the top of his shoulder. He was so strong here. The muscles had hardly any give. Her tongue traced the ridge of his collarbone. When she hit a bump, she stopped and eased back to look at the scar. “What happened?”

“You’ll find a lot of marks and bumps like that. Martial arts training leaves its mark. My fighting years were hell on my body too.”

Amery looked up at him. “Is that why you didn’t want me to—”

“Inspect every inch of my naked body? Partially.” He kept smoothing her hair with his hand.

“Partially?”

“The other reason is I don’t like to be out of control, and your touch does that to me.”

She leaned in to softly kiss him. “I’ll be gentle. I promise.”

His scars didn’t matter. Didn’t change anything except for the fact that she knew a couple of them had to have hurt. She kissed each one and moved on, losing herself in touching this strong man so intimately.

His lower abdomen trembled beneath her stroking fingers. His nipples—probably the most perfect set of male nipples she’d ever seen—were a dark brown and flat. Until she licked them. Kissed them. Sucked on them. Bit them. Ronin’s whole body quaked and he hissed in a breath with every flick of her tongue.

So . . . sensitive nipples. Check.

Amery mapped the muscles in his arms with her fingertips and followed that same path with her tongue. As much as she drooled over his biceps and triceps, his forearms captured her attention. She’d never seen forearms muscled like that. She ran her tongue up the deep groove, pausing when she reached the crease in his elbow. And on the inside of each of his forearms were the only tattoos on his body.

She outlined the dark Japanese symbols on his left forearm with her thumb. “Does this have special meaning for you?”

“It means remember the tenets of jujitsu and embody them every day.”

“Japanese in written form is so pretty.”

“It’s a bitch to learn to write. And speak.”

“You do both fluently?”

“Yes.”

She turned his right arm over and traced those symbols. “And this one?”

Ronin pointed to the top symbol. “This means birth.” He pointed to the symbol closest to the crease of his elbow. “This means death.” Then his finger swept over the blank space between the symbols. “It’s a reminder to make the time between birth and death count.”

Amery kissed all the marks. “That is so lovely. So Zen, Master Black.”

“I don’t know about Zen, but both are daily reminders to live my life as I wish.” His hand was back in her hair. “Are you finished with your explorations?”

“Uh, no. I haven’t gotten to your legs or even to your back. Why?”

“Because I’ve reached my limit.” He wrapped his hand around her jaw and brought her mouth to his for a mind-scrambling kiss.

Stretched out on top of him as she was, his hard cock pressed into her belly. She started to grind into him, but a hand slapped her ass.

She gasped and broke the kiss. “Why’d you do that?”

He held her chin and looked into her eyes. “I don’t want you grinding on me so I come on my belly.” He swept his thumb across her lips. “When I’d much rather come in this mouth.”

His words sent a flush through her entire body.

“I want you naked.” He kissed her quick and hard. “Now.”

Amery didn’t hesitate. She rolled off him and ditched her underwear and bra.

Ronin sat on the edge of the bed with his thighs splayed.

Her gaze dropped to his cock. A clear drop of precome beaded on the slit. She’d never wanted a taste so much in her life.

“Turn around. Arms behind your back.”

He was fully back into control mode.

As soon as she faced away from him, he caressed her arms from her shoulders to the base of her wrists. Up and down, alternating from using his fingertips to using his rough knuckles. She closed her eyes. How could a touch so simple feel so electric?

Then Ronin held her wrists together and wound a scarf up to her elbows. He didn’t speak. Didn’t give an explanation of why he’d bound her hands again. And she didn’t question why she liked it. Or why it shot her anticipation through the roof.

“Beautiful. Turn around and drop to your knees.”

Her mouth dried and her pulse sped up. She kept her balance—thank you, yoga—and lowered to the carpet.

“Graceful too. Slide forward.”

She inched closer until she was directly between Ronin’s thighs.

His hand cupped the side of her face, forcing her to look at him. “Suck me.” Then his other hand circled his cock and he brought it to her mouth. He ran the wet tip across her bottom lip.

Amery’s tongue darted out to lick it. Circling the thick head, first directly across the slit and then on the ridge.

“Open,” he said hoarsely.

As soon as she’d parted her lips, the head slipped into her mouth. She sucked, taking his shaft in as she sought a more complete taste of him.

“That’s it, baby. Hands just get in the way of your hot mouth. How deep can you take me?”

She shrugged.

His hand moved to the back of her head and he pushed more of his cock across her tongue. Another couple of inches. Another couple more.

“So good, but I’m stopping here.” He twined his fingers in her hair. “Work me. Make me fucking crazy like you did when you were touching me.”

That made him crazy? He’d hardly uttered a peep. Her competitive nature surfaced and she aimed to give him the best hands-free blow job ever.

Amery sucked him all the way to her soft palate, pulled her head back, and let the tip of his cock rest on the rim of her bottom lip before drawing the shaft in fully again.

If Ronin enjoyed it he didn’t verbalize it besides the heavy breathing and the occasional tightening of his fingers in her hair.

She kept the pace steady. Without the worry that her hand was pinching his shaft too hard, her mind drifted to the sensuality of his cock plunging in and out of her mouth. Such a rigid muscle but so hot and silky gliding across her tongue. Teasing the fat head with her teeth and little whips of her tongue could make his entire cock jerk. The flavor and scent of him would be forever imprinted on her taste buds.

The slickness spilling from the corners of her mouth had nothing on the slickness between her thighs. Amery swore the pulse running on the underside of his dick matched the pulses throbbing in her swollen clit. Knowing Ronin wouldn’t leave her hanging, she sped up her pace, not taking him deeper but using the suctioning power of her mouth to propel him to the point of no return.

Then Ronin’s hands were on her cheeks, tilting her head. “As much as I want to feel your tongue flicking the sweet spot on my dick while you suck down my seed, I want to be balls deep in your pussy when I come.” His greedy gaze watched his finger follow the circle of her lips almost pressed against the root of his cock. “If I reach between your legs, will I find you wet?”

She nodded.

“You need to come just as bad as I do.” Ronin held her head in place as he eased out. “Stand up and bend over the bed, baby, because I’m coming at you hard.” Gripping her biceps, he hoisted her to her feet. He set her completely off balance by kissing her with such passion before he lowered her chest to the mattress.

Amery was still reeling so much from the kiss, from the surge of self-satisfaction she’d gotten driving Ronin Black to the brink of orgasm, that she’d forgotten he’d immobilized her arms.

A condom wrapper crinkled. He sucked in a sharp breath after he reached between her legs and found her drenched. Then he opened her, aimed his cock, and impaled her to the hilt.

She gasped. She was already so close. And the rapid-fire pistoning of his hips only increased that pressure. That need. She squirmed against the mattress, searching for some relief for her aching clit.

“Don’t make me guess, tell me what you need.”

“Push my clit into the mattress when you . . .” And just like that he changed the angle of penetration, so every single drive gave her the friction she needed.

But he went a step further, latching on to her hips and sliding them against the sheet so the contact was constant as he slammed his cock in and out.

Pulling and pushing . . . Amery couldn’t hold back the surprised yelp when she started to come. Heat and friction and throbbing and tightening. Her mind shut down to everything but the pleasure.

When the whoosh of consciousness roused her, she tried to push upright, but her arms didn’t work and she panicked.

Ronin’s body covered hers and he kissed her temple. “You’re okay. You blissed out there for a second.”

“Oh.”

His heated breath drifted over her ear. “That was incredible. Thank you.”

“So I zoned out while you . . . ?”

“Came like a wild man?” he teased. “Yes. But, baby, that is the ultimate compliment.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “Stay still and I’ll undo your hands.”

The way he untied her was as erotic as the way he tied them. With almost a loving touch.

You’re reaching. This isn’t love, just a case of supersized lust.

Then Ronin brought her onto the mattress and caressed her back. Not just with his fingertips, but with his whole hand. As if he couldn’t get enough of the curve of her spine, the edges of her shoulder blades, the breadth of her neck, the flare of her hips, and the roundness of her ass.

And Amery was so sated she didn’t ever want to move.

“Your skin is remarkable,” he murmured, and bent to kiss her shoulder. “Like ivory.”

“You mean sickly looking pasty white.”

“No, I mean like ivory. There aren’t many moles or freckles to mar the perfection.”

“That’s because I’ve spent most of my life avoiding the sun. I’ve had to slather on sunscreen every day since I was a little girl or else my skin turns cherry red. Then it blisters. Some of the kids I went to school with called me an albino.”

It’d bothered her during junior high, when everyone was at the city pool, playing in the water and soaking up the sun. On the rare occasions her parents had allowed her go to the pool, she’d had to sit in the shade, covered in SPF 75, which had been bad enough. But add to it that she had to wear a T-shirt over her one-piece swimming suit because of the congregation’s stance on modesty, and by age fifteen she’d stopped asking to go swimming with her friends.

“You tensed up. Why?” Ronin asked, zigzagging his fingertips across her lower back.

“Thinking about all the rules my parents set for me still has an impact on me, sad to say.”

“Why?”

“My dad is a minister. I grew up in a hard-core fundamentalist household. Anything fun was considered a sin and would be punished by God—or my father. My mom’s goal in life was to be the perfect minister’s wife. Her job was to make sure the minister’s children were examples of godly perfection in the eyes of the congregation and the community.”

“Were you the rebellious minister’s child?”

“No. I followed the rules, even when I didn’t agree with them, because it was easier than fighting with my parents. By age sixteen I counted down the days until I could be free of that life and that small town. I kept my grades up because I knew college would save me. And it did. My parents weren’t happy with my choice because I’d opted for a state school instead of a private Christian college. Even now I still struggle with acting bold, acting how I want to, when the girl inside me who abided by the rules for so many years tells me my actions and thoughts are morally wrong.” She wanted to hide her face after that confession. Would Ronin believe, as Tyler did, that she’d never be able to tackle those demons from her past?

“Seems family expectations can bog us down no matter how old we get.”

Tears sparked her eyes; he did understand.

“How’s your relationship with them now?”

She inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Strained. I almost never go home. They repeatedly subject me to the I’ve forgotten all my family and Christian values lecture. You’d think they’d clue in that their shaming attitude about how I’ve chosen to live my life isn’t making me want to come home. But the kicker is, they’ve never visited me in Denver. Not once in six years. I rarely hear from my father directly—which isn’t all bad. My mother calls me maybe once a month, mostly to see if I’ve had a ‘come back to Jesus’ moment or if I’ve met a decent man. I always need a stiff drink after that conversation. Or during it.”

Ronin kissed her temple. “That’s got to be hard.”

“It is. But I don’t miss anything about that life or who I was expected to be.”

“You don’t seem to be carrying much baggage from the way you were raised.”

She laughed. “Wrong. I just hide it well. Or try to. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m still really modest.” She looked at him over her shoulder. “Which is probably hard to believe since I’m lying here naked with you.”

“And we’ve sinned twice too.”

“My parents are probably holding a prayer vigil for me even as we speak.”

He laughed.

“Sorry about the weird pillow talk.”

“Don’t apologize. I want to know everything about you. Even the stuff that makes you uncomfortable to talk about.”

But that wasn’t a two-way street. He talked, but didn’t reveal much personally, only in the context of how it affected her. In response, she reverted to that “don’t ask questions” girl, because she feared if she pushed him to open up, he’d just walk away.

Do you really want to be involved with a man who keeps so much of himself to himself?

Yes. She’d take Ronin Black any way she could get him.

“This is totally off topic, but are you busy next Saturday night?”

“Not that I know of. Why?”

“There’s this Colorado Sports Banquet I’m supposed to go to.” He smoothed his hand over her hair. “I intended to skip it, but it might be tolerable if you went with me.”

Amery drew circles on his chest but didn’t look up. “As your date?”

“Are you surprised I want people to know we’re seeing each other?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure . . . what this thing is. If we’re just having fun or whatever.”

Ronin lifted her chin. “Should I be insulted you think I’m some fuck-around playboy?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. I’m not involved with any woman, Amery, besides you. I haven’t been involved for quite some time.”

“Why not? You’re . . . perfect. Gorgeous, with a killer body, and you’re amazing in bed.”

He stared at her for so long she feared she’d said the wrong thing. “Because I don’t do this sort of thing.”

Was this his way of warning her this wouldn’t last? “What sort of thing?”

“Dating. And before you get all indignant, I said that because I want to continue this with you. It doesn’t feel casual to me.” His eyes searched hers. “Does it to you?”

“No. But if we’re going to be involved . . . or whatever . . . I need to know how long you’ve been enjoying casual sex. A guy doesn’t get to be an expert at anything without practice. Knowing what a sexual man you are, I doubt you’ve gone long without a woman in your bed.”

He rolled over to stare at the ceiling. “I’ve been selective as far as partners go. No woman lasted beyond two nights at the most. I’ve always worn condoms. I got a clean bill of health six months ago, but if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll get tested again.”

That was more information than she’d expected. “I’m on the pill, but I’ll get tested so we can ditch the condoms. But if we’re together, I want to make sure we’re exclusive.” For however long it lasts.

“You have my word.” Ronin rolled on top of her. “I’ll set up the appointments for Monday afternoon. We should have the results the next day.”

“That fast?”

“A guy owes me a favor.”

Wasn’t the first time he’d said that, and she wondered what Sensei Black had done to garner such a vast array of favors. “How far is this testing place from downtown Denver?”

“Across the river, over by me.”

“Okay. But . . . I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“I know, baby. It’s necessary, but a bit of a buzzkill. Would it help if we went together?”

“Yes.”

He kissed her. “So, is that a yes on the banquet date?”

“Of course it’s yes. What’s the dress code for this banquet?”

“Formal. I’m required to wear a suit and tie.”

“I can’t wait to see you in a suit.” Her hands trailed down his muscular back. “Then again, it’d be hard to beat how you look in your birthday suit.”