Commanded (11 page)

Under normal circumstances, Chloe would’ve knocked Sawyer a good one for shutting
down the conversation. But after glancing his way a few times during the drive back
to his house, she changed her mind. From the way his brows were drawn together and
his jaw was firmly set, she could tell he was thinking…
hard.
Which was why she stayed silent as they reached his house. She exited the truck and
said nothing to him as they approached the door. She didn’t even look at him when
he unlocked it and they went inside. As soon as she took off her shoes, she went toward
the bathroom on the main floor.

Now alone, she sank down onto the closed toilet and dropped her head into her hands.
Good Lord, her life had dramatically changed. She didn’t live such a straight and
narrow life anymore. Her parents would’ve been proud, she mused. Then she blew out
a long breath, trying to shed the tension.

She lifted her head, stood up, and moved toward the sink. She stared at herself in
the mirror, seeing the paleness of her skin and the darkness in her eyes. She looked
like shit.

Knowing she needed to get this over with, she splashed some water on her face, then
left the bathroom. A light was on in the living room, so she headed there. Sawyer
was standing near the bay window, staring out into the dark night, arms folded.

A thousand things rushed through her mind. Yet all that came out was “I don’t understand
what’s going on here.”

He turned to her. “Come here.”

She went over to him, feeling a lump forming in her throat. The warmth of his body
embraced her as he gathered her in his arms. He tilted his head, drawing his knuckles
gently across her cheek, while his other hand rested on her lower back. “Chloe,” he
began, a muscle flexing in his jaw. “I told you not to go there. If only you’d listened—”

She rolled her eyes and stepped out of his hold. “That’s not the way to begin this
conversation.”

A frown pulled at his mouth as he crossed his arms again. “Tell me how to begin this
conversation.”

“I don’t know.” She began to pace the room. “But being angry at me for going there
isn’t going to fix anything. First, I’ve done nothing wrong. Second, you have no right
to be mad at me.”

“Fine. You wanna play that game?” He raised a finger. “First, you should have asked
me to take you.” He raised another finger. “Second, as your reaction showed, it’s
not the place for you. Which I told you.”

She stopped by the entrance to the living room, mirroring his posture by squaring
her shoulders and folding her arms. “I’m not going to apologize because I wanted to
see something for myself.”

“I don’t expect you to apologize. But let me ask you this: what you saw tonight, did
you like it?” He took a powerful step toward her, eyes ablaze. “Did it bring us closer
together? Or did it put distance between us? Are you now worried that I want you to
be the type of submissive you saw tonight?”

She shivered as he closed in on her, the air shifting with each step he took, growing
hotter and thicker. “Should I be worried about that?”

“No.” He kept on walking forward, which sent her backing out of the living room into
the dining room. When her back hit the wall, she gasped. He pressed his warm, hard
body against hers. “Why did you go there tonight?”

Flames of fire burned in his eyes. She gulped. “I wanted to understand.”

“What did you need to understand?”

Her breath hitched. “What it is exactly that you’ll want me to do.”

One side of his mouth rose, and not in a way she’d call friendly. It was more the
look of a predator knowing he’d trapped his prey. “Then let me enlighten you.”

His mouth dropped to hers and he kissed her feverishly. With his hands on either side
of her face, each rough press of his lips and harsh swipe of his tongue branded her,
marking her as his.

And Chloe melted into him.

When Sawyer sensed Chloe becoming putty in his hands, he pressed her up against the
wall in his dining room and thrust his fingers into her hair, pinning her right where
he wanted her.

His teeth caught her bottom lip, and Sawyer kissed her once more, hot and hard, for
the sheer pleasure of knowing that right at this moment that sexy mouth belonged to
him. Then he took a step back and set out to explain everything he’d been thinking
on the drive back to his house.

“I didn’t want you there so soon, because I don’t want a club to desensitize you.”
He paused and pressed his hard cock against her lush body, feeling a desperate need
to have her. “
I
want to desensitize you.
I
want to be the one who breaks that innocence that I find so beautiful.
I
want to be the one to introduce you to kink. Me. Only me. I know you don’t fully
understand why this is important to me, but you will.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “I—”

He sealed his lips over hers, not allowing her to get a word in. Yes, they could sit
and talk about this. But her body would understand his desires better than her mind
could. Reaching for her shirt, he lifted his mouth from hers and yanked the piece
of clothing over her head. He left her bra in place and reached for her skirt, raising
it up above her hips. Using both hands, he ripped the lace panties she wore, tearing
them off her. Her pupils enlarged, and he knew if he touched her sweet cunt now she’d
soak his fingers. Women who enjoyed their men being men also enjoyed being handled
like they wouldn’t break.

He regarded her hooded eyes, which were begging him to take her. Intending to do exactly
that, he gathered her in his arms and bent her over his dining room table. “What you
saw tonight, I don’t want to do with you. Not yet. Maybe never. What I want to do
is spank you.” He slapped her ass and she gasped, glancing over her shoulder with
huge eyes. “I want to use my hand, not leather.” He gave her three slaps one right
after the other, leaving her ass bright red before he smoothed away the burning. “That
is what I would’ve told you if you asked me to take you to a club.” Another two hits
left her squirming and moaning. “Instead, you went there and doubted us, when a simple
conversation could’ve prevented it.” Running his hand over her hot bottom, he relished
her eager moans. He leaned over her back and said in her ear, “That is why you made
me angry.” He thrust his fingers into her hair, angling her head back. “I do not want
to share you.”

“Then don’t,” she gasped, eyes dark with arousal. “Fuck me.”

A growl ripped from his throat as he freed his aching cock from his pants. He took
a condom out of his wallet and continued to spank her. Each swat he offered while
he ripped open the condom wrapper made her arch her back and offer her bottom.

Whether she knew it or not, Chloe liked rough sex, and it turned Sawyer on. Perhaps
she’d been handled with kid gloves before. In general Sawyer agreed that a woman needed
to be handled with care, but right now he needed to fuck Chloe, and she needed to
be fucked.

As his pants dropped to his ankles, he placed his hands between her thighs, finding
her folds soaking wet. He slid his fingers up and over her clit before dragging them
through her wet lower lips. The view she offered made his cock throb even more. With
her reddened ass, creamy skin, and long dark hair; she stunned him with her beauty.

That’s when he realized what most bothered him about tonight. With Chloe, the Dom
and sub relationship was natural. Letting him take control wasn’t something learned
or taught; she held an innate instinct to be aroused when he dominated her. He didn’t
want to fuck with the purity of that.

Consumed by the desire to own her, he dragged his fingernails down her back, watching
her squirm on top of his dining room table. He shamelessly wanted her all to himself.
Only for his eyes. Only for his touch. Only for his enjoyment and pleasure.

Chloe had gone to Porter, not him.

Sawyer didn’t like that.

Possessive thoughts made him hurry to apply the condom. Once he had, he didn’t hesitate
any longer: he grabbed her hips and entered her. She screamed out as he began thrusting,
not slow and gentle, but hard and forceful, showing her who was in control now.

He gripped her hips and pumped harder, until her euphoric screams echoed in his ears.
Each thrust caused her inner walls to squeeze his greedy cock, making him nearly cross-eyed
with pleasure. Every time he withdrew, he heard her gasp, begging him to return.

Mine!
he roared inwardly.

Needing to see her and stare into her soul, he flipped her over, placing her back
against the table and dragging her toward him. With her bottom on the table’s edge,
he entered her again in one swift stroke and grunted with the pleasure.

Overwhelmed by emotion, he ran his hands under her head, cupping the nape of her neck.
“Never go to another man for help again.” When her only reply was a moan, he froze
for a second and growled, “Chloe.”

Her expression cleared. “Yes?”

“Never go to another man for help.” He narrowed his eyes at her, letting his anger
show. “You only come to me now.”

“Only you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, angling her hips and beginning to
ride him from underneath. “Promise.”

Content with her answer, he did what he’d wanted to do from the moment he met her:
he fucked her passionately, possessively, permanently marking her as his. Sweat coated
his body as he pumped his hips to bring her to orgasm. He craved that from her. He
needed to own her pleasure. She had to come on his cock, simply because he asked that
of her now. Only he could make her scream this way. Only he could make her arch her
back that far off the table. Only he would hear her calling out his name during her
climax.

When her cunt clamped against him and he felt her throb, Sawyer gave in to his pleasure.
Heat rushed up his spine and burned into his balls before his cum shot into the condom
as he roared out his release.

Many minutes passed before her soft laughter dragged him back from what felt like
near unconsciousness. He pushed himself off her slightly. When their eyes met, she
asked, “Can someone die from orgasms?”

“Let’s hope so.” He peered down at her, loving that she looked perfectly well fucked.
“Not a bad way to go.”

She chuckled. “Definitely not.”

While he loved how Chloe made light of any situation, he still felt tension coursing
through him. He brushed her damp hair off her face. “Do you understand now? I’m not
telling you not to go there just to be an asshole.”

She pressed her finger against his mouth. “I know why you didn’t want me there.” Her
eyes crinkled at the corners. “I think you made it all very clear.” She paused a moment
before adding in a shy voice, “I’m sorry that I didn’t ask you to take me. I didn’t
think it would upset you so much.”

“But now you know it does?”

“Now I know it does.”

Keeping his body on top of hers, not ready to move away just yet, he added, “You also
know that I don’t want you to be anyone else but yourself?”

“Yes, I know.” She gave a sweet smile.

He kissed the tip of her nose and gathered her in his arms. “Good. Now let’s go to
bed so I can fuck you properly to apologize for being angry.”

Her eyes went huge. “What would you call what we just did?”

“Getting warmed up.”

The dark night led Sawyer through the streets of Las Vegas as he sat behind the wheel
of his truck. It was minutes past midnight now, and exhaustion weighed on him. The
city remained alive and busy. While he loved that about Vegas, he craved to drop into
sleepy slumber. He pressed his foot against the accelerator, knowing that rest wouldn’t
come without putting something else to bed first.

Once he crossed through the intersection, he pulled up in front of the charming bookstore
on the corner. A sign hanging over the door read
THE BOOK NOOK
.
At one time the bookstore had appeared run down, but now with the fresh paint and
new store windows it had been rejuvenated. He cut the engine of his truck and exited,
locking the doors behind him. To his left he noted that the contractor had finished
the work on the tattoo shop next to the bookstore. All of which would lead into a
new casino a year from now.

Determined to see the people in the apartment above the bookstore, Sawyer moved forward.
The warm breeze of a beautiful Las Vegas night touched him as he approached the building’s
side door. It came as no surprise that he needed to ring the bell three times before
he heard someone trotting down the stairs.

When the door opened, a sleepy Porter, wearing only black shorts, frowned at Sawyer.
“What do you want?”

“Mind if I come in?”

Porter stepped away from the door, allowing Sawyer to enter. The wooden stairs creaked
under his footsteps as he followed Porter into the apartment. Once he entered through
the narrow doorway, he discovered a small apartment with simple furnishings, but the
space had homey touches. Knickknacks layered just about every blank space available.
Then Sawyer saw Kenzie standing in the tiny kitchen, wearing her bathrobe.

Hair in disarray, she glanced from Porter to Sawyer. “Is everything all right?”

“It will be.” Sawyer sighed and shut the door behind him. “Can I have a few minutes
alone with Porter?”

Her sleepy eyes flicked at Porter, who nodded agreement. Then she smiled at Sawyer.
“Of course. Good night.”

Porter waited until the bedroom door closed before moving into the living room and
taking a seat on the couch. “Do tell. What needs to be said that couldn’t wait until
tomorrow?”

“I’ve come to apologize.” Sawyer dropped down into the recliner near the window, noticing
the plants on the antique table next to him. “Tonight might not have been my finest
of moments.”

“No shit.” Fire blazed in Porter’s eyes.

Sawyer gave his friend a moment to settle down before continuing. “I’m protective
of her.”

“I get that.” A vein showed along Porter’s forehead. “You do know you’re not the only
one who cares for Chloe?”

“Yes, I know.” Sawyer gave a small nod.

“I’m glad to hear you say that.” Porter’s hands were fisted on his lap, and his voice
was icy. “Because how you acted tonight implied that I don’t give two shits about
her welfare.”

Sawyer accepted the tongue-lashing. He deserved it. “I know that’s how it appeared
and I’m sorry, but that isn’t what I intended.”

The two men were silent for a moment, staring at each other. Finally Porter said,
“Help me understand all this. From where I’m sitting, you should be happy she wants
to go there and is curious about your lifestyle. Believe me when I tell you that I
never expected Chloe to be so accepting of all this. She seems too…”

“Innocent?” Sawyer offered.

Porter nodded, putting his feet up on the coffee table. “That’s a good way to put
it.”

Sawyer clenched his hands, letting the raw feelings course through him instead of
fighting them. “Part of me is, of course, pleased Chloe is open to understanding our
lifestyle.”

“But the other part of you?”

“Wants to protect her from it.”

Porter’s brows winged up. “Protect her from what?”

Sawyer ran his hands over his face. “Protect her from me.”

During the long pause that followed, Porter stared at him, hard. “I don’t understand.
You’d be good for Chloe.”

“Would I?” He stared at Porter in challenge. “Chloe is perfect just the way she is.
What will happen if I change that? What will happen if I bring her into an erotic
world she wasn’t a part of before? Will she be better because of it? Or will it just
make her different? More of what I want, but not truly who she is?”

Porter’s expression told Sawyer that he was giving those questions serious thought.

Sawyer rubbed at the tight muscles in his shoulders. “You saw her tonight. Being there
didn’t make her happy. It made her insecure.”

“You’re right, I did see that.” Porter tapped his fingers against his leg. “But I
also saw her react with curiosity when she watched a woman being flogged. She asked
me questions about it. That’s not a woman who was afraid of what she saw.”

Sawyer bobbed her head. “Yet she chose to leave. When I arrived she seemed…devastated.”

Porter frowned. “Devastated?”

“I saw it in her eyes.” Sawyer hung his head, knowing that he could express his concerns
to his close friend. “She began to question the whole idea of her and me together,
and started wondering how she could be the woman that I need.” He lifted his eyes
to find his friend staring at him compassionately. “I don’t want to force Chloe into
a world where she doesn’t belong.”

“True.” Emotion, both sympathy and concern, rushed across Porter’s face. “But you
can’t force yourself into a world where you don’t belong, either.”

“And
that
, my friend, is precisely the problem.”

Chloe gasped awake, her heart hammering against the wall of her chest, swearing she’d
heard the sound of a window being smashed. She scanned Sawyer’s dark bedroom before
she realized that Sawyer wasn’t in bed with her. Achy and sore everywhere on her body,
especially between her thighs, she ran her hand over the bed, finding his spot cold.

Still trying to shake off the nightmare that had woken her, she rolled onto her back
and stared up at the ceiling fan above her. She placed her hand against her chest,
feeling the thumping of her heart and blowing out a long, slow breath.

God, she hated when she woke up like that. Dreams like that could confuse anyone into
believing danger surrounded her when it didn’t. She was safe. Hell, she lay in Sawyer’s
bed. That comforting thought eased the panic coursing through her veins.

Composed and breathing normally now, she brushed the hair off her face and sat up
as the sound of a door closing came from the hallway. Sawyer must’ve gone into the
bathroom. She sank back into bed, her mind again working to make sense of what had
happened that night.

The strong ache in her chest reminded her that while Sawyer said he wasn’t expecting
anything from her, she couldn’t forget that for them to be together he had to give
something up. With sudden sadness, she realized that such a situation would be a direct
repeat of what had happened with Josh. His life had overtaken hers. His friends had
become her friends. And she didn’t want that for Sawyer. If she was being honest,
she didn’t want it for herself, either.

Chloe wanted Sawyer to stay the same. She wanted to stay the same.

Their relationship was new. Wasn’t this when things should be fun and uncomplicated?
All the same, she didn’t want to walk away from Sawyer.

So where did that leave them?

Couldn’t she simply just give this BDSM lifestyle a try? She saw how it provided structure
and stability to his life. She could act submissive in the bedroom, couldn’t she?
What concerned her more than anything else was whether Sawyer would fall to pieces
if he didn’t have the lifestyle. If that happened, she’d be at fault.

The burden seemed almost too much to bear.

Again came the sound of a door opening in the hallway. She couldn’t stay in the cold
and empty bed any longer. Regardless of the worries going through her mind, she needed
to be in Sawyer’s arms. Somehow that made everything better.

As she pushed the blankets off, the full moon outside cast a cool glow over the bedroom.
She grabbed Sawyer’s T-shirt off the floor and pulled it on, inhaling the woodsy scent
lingering on the fabric. Finding her ripped underwear on the floor, she reached for
it, knotted the sides back together, and put them on.

Just then she heard another creak in the hallway. She tilted her head, listening to
the sounds out in the hallway. Instinct set off alarm bells in her head. Why would
Sawyer be walking around his own house that way?

Heart banging against her chest, she spun on her heel and snatched her phone off the
nightstand. Another creak sounded outside the doorway. Thinking quickly, she stuffed
her cell phone into the front of her panties, settling it between her legs. Only when
she knew it wouldn’t fall out did she turn toward the door.

A dark figure entered the room, too short to be Sawyer. Then she heard a chilling
voice. “You threaten people to get to me. I don’t fucking run. You wanted me. Now
you’ve got me.”

With shaky fingers, Chloe turned on the nightstand light, unsurprised to find Travis
standing in the doorway. She stared into his bloodshot, crazed eyes, hoping that once
he noticed it wasn’t Sawyer standing there, he’d take off.

But he didn’t leave. As he strode toward her, she noticed the glassiness of his eyes
with their widely dilated pupils.

“Get out or I’ll call the police,” she spat.

Travis gave her a cruel smile as he raised his hand. That’s when Chloe saw the black
gun aimed at her chest. “If I can’t have him, I’ll definitely have you.”

Chloe parted her lips to scream. Just then something heavy hit her skull and she tumbled
into darkness.