Full On (4 page)

“And I respect you for that even though it frustrated the
hell out of me.” He wasn’t used to losing. The fact his woman brought him down
made the loss extra hard to handle.

“You thought you could use our relationship to win.”

Russell huffed out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, I suppose I
did. I thought I could intimidate you, rattle you into slipping up.” Instead he
was the one who’d faltered. “Didn’t you use your knowledge of me to your favor?”

Valerie waited so long to answer he thought she wasn’t going
to. Maybe it was better that way. “No,” she finally replied. “I used the facts
gleaned in the case to defend my client to the best of my ability.”

The consummate professional. She’d trumped him on that too.
Brought him to his knees without even trying. He felt like shit.

She leaned away from him. “I tried my best to never cross
the line between business and personal. But I wasn’t blind, Russell. The tone
of your voice, the anger in your eyes, the barbs hurled to the press were like
knives cutting up pieces of my heart. In the past when I was faced with such an
opponent I could turn to you to help relieve my stress. This time I had no one.
So when I heard you’d zipped off to Bev’s I jumped to conclusions I shouldn’t
have. I thought I’d lost you. The biggest victory of my life coupled with the
biggest loss.”

When he got his hands on the little bitch who’d tried to
come between them all the safewords in the world weren’t going to protect her
ass. Russell laced his fingers through both hands, holding her tight. “Here we
are though. Nothing lost. We’re still together.”

“Barely.” She dropped a kiss to his lips. “Probably not the
best idea to face off in court. No-holds-barred is one thing. No-holds-barred
without you at night is hell.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” He kissed her again and again, each
one deeper than the last.

“We just have a lot of time to make up for,” she said when
he pulled from her lips.

He dropped a final kiss to her forehead. “Then let’s go make
up for it.” He stepped away long enough to open the door, then grabbed her hand
and pulled her over the threshold behind him.

Should she have safeworded him again?

No.
Valerie shook her head with the word. He’d backed
down before when she’d red-lighted him. She had no reason to think he’d ignore
it again. Trust had to start somewhere or they really were doomed. It seemed
they both had obstacles to overcome tonight. One step to recapturing what
they’d once enjoyed was dealing with those obstacles together.

What about the next time we face off in court?
Because there would be a next time.

Her heart skipped when he’d locked the door behind them.
This was here and now. That was all that mattered.
He
was all that
mattered.

“Undress for me, sweetheart.”

His voice felt like silken water over her skin. He walked
toward the nest of sofa and chairs—a wash of violets and blue that somehow
worked in the otherwise cream décor. Russell stripped as he went—shoes here,
jacket there, socks and shirt somewhere in between. It was impossible not to
laugh.

“Some things never change.”

He grinned. “I do like to get comfortable.”

“All over the place.” She motioned to the scattered clothes.

“This from the queen of craft projects.” He sank into the
middle of the sofa and raked his hand over the bulge of his erection.

“Guilty as charged.” She accepted the title with a queenly
nod.

“Speaking of comfortable…” A jerk of his head indicated her
clothing.

Valerie unzipped her dress and let it slither from her shoulders
as she toed off the heels. Her bra followed. Six months ago she would have done
a little tease, raked her fingers through what little remained of her pubic
hair, squeezed her breasts and offered him tight nipples, flashed her clit.
Nerves and indecision nearly paralyzed her now.

The tinkle of his belt buckle sent her heart racing. How
many times had she fantasized about that sound? Of him pressing her over the
counselor’s table, lifting her skirt and burning her ass? Of him fucking her
right there in the courtroom? She’d hated herself for many things during those
times—putting distance between them, wanting him so much it hurt, thinking of
him doing naughty things when her focus had to remain on her job.

Russell tossed the belt aside, well out of his reach and
patted his thigh. “Come here.”

There was little doubt how he wanted her positioned. What
would he do if she challenged him? Take it to the next level? Retrieve his belt
and remind her of what she’d been missing all this time? Niggling fear kept her
from daring him. Angry Courtroom Russell supplanted Caring Dom Russell in her
mind.

Trust.

The first test. And god she wanted it, even while she feared
it.

She stepped from the puddle of clothes and walked toward
him. “I swear you’re getting harder by the second.”

He grinned. “All for you, baby. All for you.”

Perhaps just a little dare.
Valerie stood astride his
knees and parted her labia. “Come and get it.”

Russell’s fingers replaced hers. He drove deep inside, thumb
skirting her clit. Her knees buckled. He guided them to the cushion, then drew
her closer until his mouth closed over her breast. She bowed into him, cried
out when he suckled hard. Impaled, captured, his to do as he wished. She
clutched his bare shoulders, hanging on while he pulled her to the very edge of
orgasm. Valerie rode the approaching climax, each gasp for breath putting her a
little higher up the crest.

“Not yet, hot stuff.” In one swift move Russell had her
facedown, sprawled over his lap.

“Damn it all, Russell.” She beat the cushion with her fists.

“Ah-ah-ah, watch your tongue.” He squeezed her butt cheek.
“And I don’t mean watch it roll around my cock.” A sharp swat to the other
cheek startled a gasp from her.

“Ow.” A halfhearted protest, if ever she heard one. She
writhed one hip against his cock and earned herself another smack.

“Still trying to top?” Two more smacks in quick succession.
“I won’t have it.” Five more that spread heat throughout her body. “I’m having
a hard enough time as it is.”

Valerie managed a small, “I can tell.” Another whack sent a
rush of pleasure through her body.

“You want this or not, sweetheart? Because I could drag you
into the bedroom right now and give you a fucking that will knock us both out
for the night.” He leaned until his lips caressed her ear. “But I’m thinking
you not only want this…you
need
it.”

God help her, she did. She adjusted position, offering her
ass to him, digging fingers and toes into the edge of the cushion. “I do. I
really do.”

“Hmm…very good.”

Valerie braced herself for that first extra-hard sting. No
matter how much she prepared, it always took her breath away. She loved the
jolt that signaled relief was on the way. A wake-up call to her body that
enough was enough and it was time to let go.

He smoothed his hand up her back, then brushed her hair over
her shoulders. Alarm raced her heart. That was a move he made when a flogger
was involved. She was far from ready for that. Her safeword hovered on her
lips. She held back, waiting for the first sign…

He traced his fingers down her spine one knob at a time.
Sighs of pleasure replaced her misgivings. She parted her thighs when he
reached her tailbone. Russell ignored the invite. Instead, he followed the
curve of her cheeks, first one and then the other, then clamped his hand over one,
squeezed and drew back.

She tensed, waiting for it, wanting it. Russell’s hand
landed on her other buttock, soft and gentle, yet the impact still managed to
take her breath away. He kneaded those long fingers deep into the muscle.
Valerie felt the heat rise to greet him. He moved to the other buttock,
squeezing and pulling until she squirmed on his lap in search of that sweet
spot that would help her come.

“Don’t even think about it.”

Russell pulled her upright, forcing her to wobbly feet. She
stared at him through blurry eyes. He pointed her toward the bedroom.

“I want the bed stripped and you facedown by the time I get
in there.”

Valerie forced her feet to obey. Each step closer cleared
the lust fog surrounding her. She briefly flirted with the idea of refusing his
directive. Of seeing if she could push him over the edge to get what her body
craved. The notion made her laugh inside. It’d never worked before. If anything
it’d brought matters to a screeching halt. That was the last thing she wanted.

She draped the bedcoverings over the footboard and crawled
into place. The tinkle of his belt buckle announced his approach. Eyes closed,
Valerie spread-eagled and counted the seconds.

“Open and willing.” His voice rumbled over her. “Is that how
you really feel?”

She struggled for an answer. Truth was her only option. “Yes
and no.”

“I understand perfectly.”

The bed sagged with his weight. He stretched out beside
her—nude, hot and hard. Russell nudged his cock against her hip. The buckle
jingled and was silenced. She pressed her lips together, anticipating his next
move. He swept the tip of his belt down her back, over her ass, against her
thighs. He paused for the beat of her thudding heart and brushed the leather
between her legs. The barest of taps at the top lit her clit on fire.

Valerie gasped and shuffled her thighs farther apart.
Another tap lifted her hips. Another pulled a deep-throated groan from her. He
shifted again, this time settling between her thighs. He lifted her hips only
as far as it took for him to seat his cock in deep, then rolled to his back,
taking her with him.

One hand cupped her breast. The other danced the belt over
her stomach and thighs, then hovered to a stop a hairsbreadth above her
clitoris. Tempting, taunting. A thrust of his pelvis pushed her into the kiss
of leather. Valerie cried out and strained for more. Orgasm rushed her from out
of nowhere. He cradled her through it, whispering sweet phrases that heightened
the pleasure.
So hot. So sweet. So tight. So perfect.

Her heart swelled. Emotion overwhelmed her. “You…you make me
feel so treasured. So loved.”

“That’s because you are, sweetheart.” He rolled with her
again, putting her beneath him. “
So
treasured.
So
loved.” He
kissed his way down her back as he withdrew.

Valerie turned to face him. She cupped his face, silently
begging him to look at her. But there wasn’t much begging to it. Their gazes
locked as he pulled her calf around his hip and sank into her.

“I love you, Valerie.”

She wanted to tell him not to say such things in the heat of
passion. “I love you too,” came out instead. “But…but…”

He pressed his finger over her lips. “No buts. Just us.” He
pulled her arms up and out until they brushed the headboard. Not breaking eye
contract, he secured the soft leather cuffs around her wrists and looped the
quick release catch through her fingers.

He burrowed his fingers in her hair and slanted his mouth
over hers. Hard kisses, soft kisses, deep then shallow, nips and
tongue-tangling loops. Each one breathtaking. Each one binding her heart and
soul to his. And Valerie felt them all in places she never knew existed.

Russell made his way down her body. He kneaded those oh so
sensitive tendons along her neck with his lips until she squirmed beneath him.
He groaned in reply, thrusting into her hard and deep. She locked her ankles
around his waist and rode with him. Heat rushed his lower back. Valerie
recognized the signal well and rocked harder. He jerked free before orgasm
overcame him.

“What in the world am I going to do with you?” he said
through pants of breath.

“I…I can think of one or two things.” She lifted her leg to
snag his hip and draw him back. Russell hooked it and hauled her to one side.

“So can I.”

The spanking she’d craved began in earnest. He covered every
inch of her ass with a volley of smacks, some hard, some not, all designed to
remind her of one thing. She couldn’t live without him.

Warmth built in record time, swelling her clit to the
breaking point. Russell knew it too. He wedged his knee against her crotch,
giving her something to ride. Valerie thrashed against it, even while she
lifted her backside for more, more, more. She came hard and fast. He spanked
her through it, then pushed her into place, slammed his cock in deep and fucked
the daylights out of her.

Valerie tossed arms and legs around him the second he yanked
the cuff release open. She never wanted to let go, never wanted this moment to
end. The thought made her laugh inside. This moment would end but there would
be many, many more. There was little doubt of that.

He came on a cry her heart echoed. She clutched him tight
until the last spasm released him. He pulled in hard breaths and rolled to the
side to relieve her of his weight. Then he snapped the covers over them and
pulled her into the cove of his body.

Her brain started to dissect their declarations. Valerie
told it to shut up. Nothing was going to spoil this moment. Nothing.

Her eyes grew heavy. Russell’s breath deepened. She smiled
and let sleep take her too.

A dual blast from their telephones decided otherwise. They
jerked upright, Russell looking as confused and pissed off about the
interruption as she was. They crawled from bed and went in search of the
infernal devices. His was in his trousers near the bedroom door. Hers was
buried in the depths of the little purse in the living area. Miraculously she
caught it on the fourth ring.

“Valerie Oswald.”

“Hey, Val.” Stan from the office. “There’s been another
rape. Police just arrested Ricardo Estavarez. He’s asking for you.”

“On my way.”

She disconnected and tossed the phone back into her purse.
“Fuck.”

“My sentiments exactly.” Russell snagged his shirt as he
passed. He was already half dressed. Clearly he’d gotten the same news she had.
“You want to go home and change first?”

And face the barrage of reporters? Hell no. “The sooner I
can get to the police station the better.” She’d worry about the fallout of
being seen arriving with him later.
One disaster at a time, please.