A Sip of You (The Epicurean Series) (6 page)

“I’m right here.” Then I felt fur, much like that on the cuffs, slide over my belly. It was warm and velvet soft. “What is this?” he asked.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to play his games, especially when they mirrored our relationship. He gave me a taste of who he was and then pulled it away. Was this some sort of punishment or was he on a power trip? Either way, I didn’t like it.

I was about to say
rosé
and stop his exquisite torture when the fur slid up my body, circling my breast and brushing over my nipples, causing me to shiver from head to toe. Instead of speaking, I groaned, low and guttural. I just wanted to come. I needed to come.

“Tell me what you feel,” he ordered.

I tried to concentrate. “It’s fur…a fur glove, I think.”

“Good.” The fur slid down my body, slowly, so my every nerve could revel in the sensation. “How does it feel?”

The fur slid lower, over my belly, and my sex pulsed with need. I struggled to form a coherent thought. “Soft.”

The fur brushed over my thighs, teasing their inner sides. “What else?”

“Silky, like velvet.”

The glove moved slowly over my center, and I clenched in anticipation. But William moved it away, brushing it over my belly. I dug my fingernails into the wood headboard, resisting the urge to scream at him to make me come already. The fur was like the feather—soft and ticklish. My sensitive flesh couldn’t take much more. As though reading my mind, the fur was gone, replaced by something rough and scratchy.

I flinched at the sudden contrast until I realized it was William’s cheek. He rubbed his stubble across my belly, the warmth of his skin making mine heat in reaction. He kissed my belly, his cheek moving down toward my hip. His stubble punished my sensitive skin, rubbing it raw until his soft lips soothed the hurt.

When I felt the prickle on my thigh near my apex, my breath caught in my throat. Without William even asking, I spread my legs even wider. His rough stubble scratched against my tender flesh, moving higher and higher until I felt it on my sex. His tongue parted me, and his prickly stubble brushed against my clit. I cried out, wanting his mouth on me more than I’d ever wanted anything in my life. I knew his harsh beard could be replaced by a soothing lick. I felt the tip of his tongue tease me, and I pushed against him, wanting him to suck and lave until I begged for mercy.

“Catherine.”

I shook my head. I didn’t want to talk. My whole body was shaking with need. I was trembling, my legs tense, my hands white-knuckled on the bed post.

“Not yet.”

He was crazy. He was some sort of sadist. “I can’t stop,” I said, my voice breathless with arousal.

“You can. And you’ll come only when I give you permission.”

“Fuck you!” I cried because as soon as he said the words, my orgasm receded, leaving me uncomfortably on the edge and in desperate need of relief. “Why are you doing this to me? Are you punishing me?” I was pissed off now, and throbbing with desire.

“This isn’t punishment. But you have to learn to trust me. To do what I tell you, even when you don’t like it.”

“I don’t have to learn anything. Take these handcuffs off.” I was angry and frustrated, but the warmth of his lips on my neck made me still.

“Are you sure you want me to do that? If you want me to stop, use your safe word.” His mouth moved up my neck, making me shiver all over again. His lips closed on my earlobe, his warm breath sending shoots of pleasure straight to my core.

I didn’t want him to stop. “Please,” I said, too aroused to be embarrassed at the pleading in my voice. “Oh, William, please. Just fuck me. Please just fuck me.”

“You have to get me ready, Catherine. If I’m going to fuck you properly, I need you to get me hard.”

The man was rock hard at the word
sex
. I seriously doubted he needed any assistance now, but I felt him move away and then return. “Open for me, Catherine.”

I turned my head away from him. I was handcuffed to the bed, my legs spread—what else did he want?

“Open your mouth.”

I knew better than to ask what he would feed me. Obediently, I turned back and opened my mouth. Something warm and sticky slid inside. His finger was coated with honey. I’d noticed the bowl of honey sitting over a small tea light. Now I understood he had other plans for the honey besides as a topping for
sopapillas
. He swirled his finger around my lips, and then I took it inside and sucked hard until I swallowed the sweet coating.

I could hear his ragged breathing, and I knew he couldn’t keep this up much longer. “More,” I said, hoping to push him over the edge.

“I love your mouth, Catherine. I love those wet, pink lips sucking me off.”

William slid down the bed again and between my legs, and this time I felt his finger on my clit. It was sticky and slightly warm from the honey, and he licked it off, swirling his tongue on my swollen bud until I was straining hard against the cuffs. His finger stroked and probed, teasing my skin until one slid lower and pressed gently against my anus.

I jumped. “William.” The sensation was new and I wasn’t used to being touched there. I’d never had anal sex but William had made it clear it was only a matter of time before we would try it. I knew it would be amazing, but that didn’t make me any more comfortable right now.

“Relax,” he said, mouth still on my clit. “It’s just a finger. You can enjoy it.” He pressed his finger, moist with my own wetness and a swipe of honey, slowly against my tight rosette. “Open yourself to it.” I tried to relax and felt his thick finger press more firmly now, going in and then out and a bit deeper with each slow stroke. “Feel the sensation.”

The unfamiliar fullness of his thick finger slowly sliding in and out of me brought me to a place of pleasure I’d never been to before, and a dark and almost primal moan escaped from my lips in response. I moved with him now, urging him to thrust his finger deeper in my ass, to lick my clit harder. I could feel my toes curling and my back arching as my orgasm built and built until I was just about to tumble over the edge, and then suddenly William was gone.

I cried out in pain as much as frustration. I moaned, and William actually chuckled. “I’m in control, Catherine,” he murmured. “Don’t forget that. I decide when you come—how hard and how fast. You’ll come when I say, not before.” He leaned over me, and I could smell the sweet scent of honey.

I took in a ragged breath, my body vibrating with tension and deferred need.

“Open your mouth.”

I must not have obeyed quickly enough because he said it again. “Open those pink lips for me.”

I did, and I felt something smooth and sweet and hard…oh my God. He’d coated his cock in honey. He slid it into my mouth, the honey sliding over my tongue as I felt his tip hit the back of my throat.

“Lick.”

He pulled back and my tongue danced over him, rolling over his thick, hot member, swallowing the honey. It was warm and slick as it slid down. He withdrew and I could imagine him coating himself with the honey again.

“Open,” he ordered as he pushed his cock into my mouth again. I let my throat relax as he thrust in and out, his hard member swelling as I pressed my lips tightly around him.

“Catherine.” His voice was ragged and harsh, and I felt his honey-slicked hand pluck at my breast. I thought he would come in my mouth, and it turned me on—the taste of him mixed with the taste of honey. But he pulled out suddenly and I felt his hot mouth on my nipple, licking the honey off.

“Yes,” I moaned, and then I bucked when warm honey trickled on my belly. His mouth was there to lap it up, and then his sticky warm tongue dipped lower and slid over my swollen clit.

I heard his rough whisper of “
Now
” and then the orgasm crashed through me, taking me so hard I couldn’t even make a sound. My body came off the bed, and I dug my heels in to keep my balance. Every sensation imploded as my orgasm went on and on. And just when I began to come down, William’s mouth left me and his hard cock slammed into me.

I came again, this time pulling hard against the cuffs, hard enough that the fur provided no cushioning against the unforgiving cold metal that held me back. My wrists screamed with pain, but I didn’t care. I wanted more of him inside me. I wanted to be closer to him, even though he was thrusting deep and hard, his flesh swelling until I knew he was close. I was just aware enough, the pleasure and the pain together just bearable enough, that when he swelled and spilled into me, I was coming again or still, I couldn’t tell which. I felt wetness on my thighs and William groaned and buried his face in my neck as my swollen pussy gripped him over and over again.

Wrapped in the whirlwind of sensation, I couldn’t hold onto a coherent thought. And I was still blindfolded, so I couldn’t see. But I could feel. I desperately wanted to hold him but I couldn’t. I wanted to wrap my arms around him, to pull William close to me so he could feel my heart racing, hear my ragged breathing. He’d laid me bare and I wanted him to feel
me
. But my arms were chained above my head. Even in the midst of this most intimate act, he kept me at arm’s length.

I loved him, but in that moment I hated him too. And I didn’t know which emotion I felt more.

I awoke with a start and bolted upright. William’s hand on my shoulder was the only reason I didn’t scream. “What’s wrong?” I gasped.

“Nothing. I’m sorry I startled you,” he said. He was standing next to the bed, fully dressed and looking down at me. I hadn’t even realized he’d gotten up.

It was still dark outside, but through squinted eyes I thought I could make out some grey on the horizon. “What time is it?” I cut my gaze to him and took in his blue pinstripe suit and a blue and grey abstract tie. He smelled of soap and shaving cream.

“Early. I have some meetings today, but I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.” He smiled, one of those earnest, genuine smiles of his that made my heart swell. He was an early riser and I wasn’t, but we agreed that he’d always wake me up to say goodbye. That smile indicated he remembered our promise and I loved that. But even in my sleepy state, the fact that he was leaving me stung. An early morning workout I’d expected, but not him ditching me for work, especially after last night. I wondered, too, what kind of meetings required a suit and tie on a Sunday morning. Very important ones, I guessed.

William must have read my mind because he took my face in his hands and kissed me tenderly, his tongue swirling ever so gently in my mouth to make contact with mine. My lips still felt bruised and swollen and a delicious shiver ran through me.

“I’d rather spend the whole day right here, with you. You know that, right?” His voice was low and soft.

“I know,” I answered with a sigh.

“Thank you for last night.”

“
I
should be thanking
you
.”

“Thank you for trusting me. I need you to keep trusting me, Catherine.”

“Okay.” That was cryptic. He straightened up, and I realized again that he was leaving. I didn’t want him to go. “When will you be back?”

“I don’t know exactly, but not soon enough. Go back to sleep, beautiful girl. And then just relax and enjoy the estate. It’s going to be really nice today. I’ll see you later.”

He bent down again and kissed me while stroking my hair, then he turned and left, his footsteps echoing across the wood floor. I watched him go, then stared at the doorway. The cavernous room felt instantly emptier without him in it and I felt emptier too. But the bed was still soft and warm where I had burrowed in on one side. For once, I was too tired to dissect William Lambourne and what he was doing to my heart, so I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

***

I woke several hours later, sat, and groaned. I didn’t know what happened to me during my second sleep, but I was sore all over—my legs, my abs, my arms. Every single muscle in my body felt both sated and spent. Last night I’d clenched over and over as William brought me to the brink of orgasm, only to rip what I wanted away. I closed my eyes again, and flashes of fur-lined handcuffs, honey-slicked lips, and silk scarves battered my mind. I touched my wrists gingerly, noting they were tender. I looked at them closely but didn’t see any bruises. Still, when I stretched up to wind my fingers around the carved headboard, I couldn’t stop a small rush of anticipation flooding through me as I felt a familiar muscle strain ripple through my shoulders. I wanted more of the dark pleasure William could give me. I thought I didn’t, but I had liked last night. More than liked it, actually, and I tingled all over just remembering the way he had ordered me to lick, to suck, and to come. I’d never come like that before and though maybe I could do without the handcuffs, letting him call the shots had been intense. And amazing.

The sun was high in the sky by the time I ventured out of the master suite and crept—yes, crept—downstairs. Last night we had taken a long hot shower together after our sexcapades. William had been very attentive, gently washing me to remove all the sticky honey. But I’d been more than a little freaked out when we came out of the bathroom and found the bed remade with fresh sheets and the handcuffs placed neatly on the nightstand. How the hell did his staff know we needed clean sheets, and who had been in the bedroom while we were in the shower together? William had been completely unfazed, as if having hired help tidy things up after he’d chained me to his bed and fucked me senseless was as natural as could be, but it had weirded me out.

Someone in his household knew what we’d been up to, and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to running into whoever that was this morning. But my stomach was rumbling and I had to eat.

I found Fernanda in the kitchen and she gave me a warm smile and asked if I would like breakfast. She looked me right in the eyes without the tiniest bit of judgment in her gaze, so I guessed she wasn’t the midnight cleaning crew. I decided on a latte and a fruit and yogurt plate, and she brought it out to me by the pool.

The morning was cool, so I’d slipped on a pair of skinny jeans in royal blue and an oversized grey sweater, both unearthed in the massive closet William had filled for me. The pool came equipped with a decorative fountain, and I planted myself on one of the plush lounge chairs, leaned my head back, and listened to the running water. I closed my eyes. I missed William already and wondered where he was now. Doing something he didn’t need me for, I guessed.

Business? He didn’t need me for that. Dealing with the latest Wyatt to appear? I thought he’d needed me to cope with that situation, but apparently not. Sex? Maybe
that
was the real reason he needed me on this trip. I actually hadn’t thought of that until this instant. Maybe the whole reason he brought me here was so I could be available to fuck him, at his convenience, after his important
meetings.
Maybe his plan was to tie me to his bed every night and make me come so many times that I lost all will to fight and became his sex slave.

Ok, as good as some of that sounded, it was also total crap. I knew I was more to him than just a sex toy and what was between us was way more than just sex. I loved William, and I knew he cared about me too. Of course I still hadn’t told him how I felt. I’d felt so close to him when he told me about his family after dinner, but then he clammed up, and before I knew it, I was chained up, blindfolded, and at his mercy.
That
hadn’t been the perfect time to declare my love. I knew that and I hated that his absence was stirring up all of my insecurities.

“Give it a rest, Cat,” I muttered under my breath. Annoyed with myself, I paced around the pool in an effort to clear my head. Finally, I gave up and texted Beckett.

How was the party?

A few minutes later my phone pinged.
Fabulous. How was the sex?

I sputtered a laugh.
What sex?

Ha-ha. Spill.

I thought for a minute about how to describe last night’s activities with William. I decided on
Amazing and a little bit kinky.

Really?
I could hear Beckett’s voice go up a half an octave.
Kinky???

I bit my lip.
Handcuffs and honey.

There was a long pause, and I watched the little dots on my screen blink.
OMFG.
Major.
Am insanely jealous!!!!

No kinky sex with Alec?
Alec was an assistant art director with Fresh Market and was a great guy—fun and funky and so cute—and I was thrilled he and Beckett were dating.

Not yet.
Beckett texted back.
Some heavy petting last night.

At the party?

That
was
the party!

I shook my head and laughed again. I’d heard more than just Alec’s voice in the background when I called last night. I didn’t care. Beckett was so fastidious; I knew he’d leave my condo cleaner than when he’d arrived. But I got the feeling there was something he wasn’t telling me.
Who else was there?

He listed a few of his friends, and I felt a pang of sadness that I’d missed out. I didn’t go to an office every day, which meant it was hard for me to meet new people. I didn’t have a lot of friends in Chicago, and now several prospective friends had partied at my house last night without me.

So what was the occasion?
I texted.
New opportunity? With who? Fresh Market? Someone else?

Another long pause. All of William’s secrecy was clearly making me paranoid—now I felt like Beckett was keeping secrets. Beckett and I didn’t keep secrets. Or we never used to.

Finally, he texted back.
Don’t want to jinx it. Just cross your fingers and toes for me.

You got it. Legs crossed too.

That won’t last long.

Beckett could always make me laugh.

Enjoy the sun. Cold and dreary here. Laters!

Ciao for now! XOXO,
I texted back.

I glanced at the clock on my phone. Barely noon. “Shit,” I muttered aloud again. Okay, that was no problem. I had work to do. I could keep myself busy for a few hours. William would probably be back in time for dinner.

I retrieved my laptop and brought it outside to work. I definitely couldn’t have done this in Chicago, but in Napa, the pool, the pergola, the weather were all perfect. I felt like I was vacationing at a luxury spa. Sure, it was a little weird to be at William’s home without him, but I tried to focus on work and I succeeded for a little while. By the time I closed my laptop and stretched, rolling my neck to work out the kinks, the shadows were growing long. I checked my watch and heaved a loud sigh. It was almost four and still no word from William. I tried to snooze on the chaise by the pool but that lasted about thirty seconds. I wandered around the outdoor area a little bit, but I didn’t feel comfortable exploring the vineyard on my own and truthfully, I didn’t want to. I definitely didn’t want to run in to any of more of William’s staff, but really it was because I wanted William to show me how he made his wine. He was so proud of what he did here and it seemed only fair to wait for him to show me everything like he promised he would.

If he knew me better, he would have realized that leaving me to hang around by myself all day was probably the worst possible thing. I wasn’t good at just sitting around, and I never had been. It was one of those things that I realized about myself after Jace died. It’s why I liked to take Laird for long walks, why I liked to run along the lakeshore. And it was why I built my darkroom. I needed to be busy, to be occupied. Me alone with my thoughts was not always a good thing, and sometimes, I needed
not
to think. I could lose myself for hours developing film and experimenting with different print techniques, but my eyes were crossed by now. I needed a break from work. And sometimes just an empty hour with nothing to fill it was too much. I guess that’s what happens when you become a twenty-two-year-old widow after six months of marriage. Yes, I had turned a corner since I met William. But old habits died hard.

I may still have been behind on my sleep after the late night at The Peninsula, then the long trip here and William’s early morning wake up, but the last thing I needed was time to laze around and think. Kind of like last night’s massage, which had not relaxed me. At all. But at least that had ended well. I thought again about the handcuffs, the honey, and how I felt with that red silk scarf tied across my eyes. I felt a chill race through me even though it was toasty warm in the sun. That feeling of surrender and of letting William control my pleasure had been incredible, like nothing I’d ever felt with him or with anyone else before. I rubbed at my sore wrists, which were still bruise-free. I couldn’t wait to feel it again.

By dinnertime, I was bored, antsy, and lonely. The house with the grounds and the vineyard was an enormous estate, but I still felt trapped. And a little pissed. My cell had been by my side all afternoon and though I had picked it up a zillion times, I hadn’t gotten so much as a text from William. I couldn’t wait any longer, so I finally gave in and punched in a text of my own.

Where are you???

I waited and waited. Nothing. This was what I feared.

Fine. I decided to call him. It rang and went straight to voicemail. Which pissed me off even more.

I stayed on my chaise. The sun had already set, but the outdoor heaters were lit and the well-placed landscape lighting created a warm halo of light over the whole pool area. Fernanda all but insisted that I eat dinner, and as she walked up carrying a tray, I was desperate enough to finally ask her if she knew anything. I’d wanted to ask her all day, but I had held my tongue. “Do you know when Mr. Lambourne will be back? It’s getting late.”

“No, Miss Kelly, I’m sorry. I don’t.” She smiled and shrugged as she set the tray down on the table next to me.

“Do you know where he is? I haven’t heard from him since this morning, and I’m getting worried.”

“Mr. Lambourne is a very busy man, Miss Kelly. I am sure he’s fine and will be back soon.” She was polite, but her look told me this sort of non-communication from William was not unusual. “Can I get you anything else, Miss Kelly?”

I quietly sighed in frustration as I looked at the beautiful meal set out for me. I wasn’t very hungry, but I didn’t want to offend Fernanda and maybe she really didn’t know where William was or when he’d be returning. “No, I’m fine. Thank you, Fernanda. This looks delicious.”

“Enjoy your dinner, Miss Kelly.” Then she turned and walked back toward the house.

I ate the warm chorizo and spinach salad I’d chosen for dinner—which was super fresh and delicious—and drank the entire carafe of white wine that came with it.

And I kept waiting.

***

I’d always loved swimming. I was on swim team when I was a kid and I surfed most of my life too. I spent hours in the water, I felt at home there and completely comfortable, which is how I started photographing surfers. I was a strong swimmer and a halfway decent surfer, but managing heavy camera equipment while out on a board in riotous surf required strength and confidence too.

I went back up to the empty master suite after dinner and sulked some more. When William walked in the door, I wanted him to know exactly how mad I was. But, surprise, surprise, I was too antsy to stay in the room. I needed to
do
something, and looking about, it dawned on me what. I found a skimpy red string bikini in my Narnia-like closet and pulled it on. I felt decadent wearing a bikini in January, so I texted Beckett a picture and typed,
How’s the snow?
before heading back down to the pool for a swim.