Need You Tonight (23 page)

He hadn’t changed out of his suit, but had ditched the jacket and rolled his sleeves
up his forearms. His tie was still knotted and his vest was still buttoned, though,
giving him an air of power and authority—a ruthless businessman looking for a little
entertainment. Or an evil prince looking for a captive. “Yes, sir.”

“It won’t be a free one,” he warned her, and even though she knew these were simply
roles they were trying on, the words sent goose bumps along her arms. “You get inside,
and you’re mine for the night.”

She glanced at the partition between the backseat and the driver, happy to see the
privacy screen was up.

“I’m sure we can work something out,” she said, surprised at the breathlessness in
her voice.

Kade nodded as if he could take it or leave it. “Get in.”

She ducked inside the car, careful to keep her coat around her, and shut the door
behind her. “Thank you.”

He eyed her. “Lose the coat. I want to see you.”

She smoothed the lapels of her trench, nervous to be getting undressed before they
got to the safety of the party, but she had a feeling Kade wasn’t in the mood to negotiate.
She unbuttoned the coat and shrugged out of it, then tugged the skirt to its full
length. The corset tried to slide down and she put her hands to it. “I couldn’t get
the laces tight enough by myself.”

“Turn around.” She followed his instruction and warm fingers grazed her back as he
cinched her tight enough to make her aware of the corset’s presence and to send her
breasts rounding over the top. He ran a knuckle along her spine then turned her back
around and had the collar in his hand. He touched the hollow of her throat with it.
“Lift your chin.”

She did as she was told and the leather glided along her skin, making her catch her
breath. He fastened it around her neck just tight enough to give the slightest pressure
against her throat. The snap of the little lock sent a strange thrill through her.
Captured
. He let his hand slide down her throat and he traced the edge of her corset. “This
all looks perfect on you.”

“Thank you, sir. It’s beautiful. Probably too fancy for a slave.”

He cupped her shoulders, his blue eyes meeting hers. “Not for my woman. As much as
I’d expect from my slave is how much I’d pamper and cherish her in return. She’d want
for nothing.”

Tessa’s gaze dropped to her hands, the words sparking old sadness. “Having lavish
gifts gets old quick, though. I’ve been that kind of slave.”

His fingers touched her chin, cajoling her attention back upward. “I’m not talking
about things that can be bought, Tess. She’d have everything I could give that meant
something.”

She looked away, unable to bear the way he seemed to be looking right to the heart
of her. “Come on, Kade, you make it sound like a slave is a real thing. Like you’d
really want one.”

He moved his hand away from her with a weary sigh, his mood shifting in an instant.
His odd reaction made her frown and she wanted to ask more questions, but he started
talking before she could.

“I need to get you prepared.” He pulled something from his pocket, a strip of black
satin, and gathered both her wrists in his hand to wrap the strip of material around
them.

“Is The Ranch a big place? Like, are there lots of people there?” She had been naked
in front of a few of Kade’s friends already, but she still couldn’t picture herself
walking around in a crowd dressed like this with a collar around her neck.

“It’s a large piece of property with a good-sized membership, but it’s very private
and exclusive so the members know how to be discreet and respectful. And my friend,
Grant, the guy who owns it, doesn’t tolerate any crap. Anyone who doesn’t follow the
house rules will be kicked out or disciplined at his discretion—which, if you knew
Grant, is not something you’d want to be subject to.”

She watched the silk go round and round her wrists. “So are there women there who
you’ve done this with—the dominance thing?”

He frowned. “Come on, Tessa.”

His tone held warning and, of course, she knew she should shut up, but knowing and
doing were two different things. “Have you like . . . dated any of them?”

“No, not dated.”

“So slept with.”

He gave her a do-you-really-want-to-go-there look. “Maybe I should’ve gagged you instead
of binding you.”

“Well, there’s my answer,” she said, not sure why she was feeling so petulant and
annoyed all of a sudden.

He sighed and leaned back in the seat. “Look, I won’t hide anything from you. My lifestyle
can be pretty free for a single guy. I haven’t had serious relationships with any
of the women you may run across at The Ranch. But I have played third on occasion
with a couple. And I’ve helped out with scenes. I’ve played with a few others.”

“You’ve played
third
with couples? Guys let you touch their wife?”

“Or girlfriend. It’s not that uncommon in this world. Sometimes it’s because the woman
has a threesome fantasy. Sometimes it’s simply a part of the dominance and submission,
which is why I brought Colby in that night with us. It was another way for me to be
in charge of you and your pleasure. If you’re my property, it can be exciting to share
you in a way that I control. Plus, it can be hot for a dominant to watch, knowing
he or she is directing the action.”

The images he was painting were almost too much for her to process. She’d had no idea
that what they’d done with Colby had been an exercise in Kade dominating her. But
even though that night had been beyond hot, she couldn’t ignore the bitter taste that
crossed her tongue at the thought of Kade doing that with someone’s wife. It was way
too reminiscent of what she’d walked in on in Atlanta. “So it’s okay to cheat?”

“
No
. That’s never okay. Anything that happens is with consent and knowledge of all parties.
People may set up a cheating role play. Some get off on that humiliation of being
cheated on—cuckoldry is the name for it.”

“Well, those people are freaking crazy,” she said, shaking her head. “There was nothing
hot about walking in and seeing Doug screwing someone I thought was a friend.”

Sympathy crossed his face. “I’m sure. But like I said, the people that do it as a
kink have all agreed to it. And if I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s to not
judge what flips someone’s switch. If it’s not hurting anyone and it’s consensual,
that’s their business. There are people who’d label me as crazy or sick.”

Like his ex. Like the courts.

She frowned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply—”

He smiled and touched her nose. “Shut up, slave. I know you’re not judging me. Because
right now that would definitely be the pot calling the kettle black.”

He gave her collar, corset, and bound hands a sweeping look, and she laughed. “Point
taken.”

“Now,” he said, his tone changing from light to serious in a blink. “I have one more
adornment for you. But I can’t put it on until we’re at The Ranch where I’ll need
to prepare my slave properly.”

She wet her lips. “Okay.”

“Until then”—he gripped her shoulders and guided her down to lay her head in his lap—“relax
and enjoy the drive. I have a few work calls that can’t wait. You think you can stay
quiet?”

“Yes, sir.” She settled against his lap, not really having any choice but to let him
move her how he wanted since her hands were bound. She nestled her cheek against his
thigh and he idly ran his fingers through her hair as he put in an earpiece with his
other hand. She sighed and let herself relax into his touch. It’d been a long day,
and there was something wildly soothing about the position and his slow stroking fingers
against her scalp.

She startled when he began talking to whoever was on the other end of his call, but
he dragged fingertips along her arm, settling her again. Soon, her eyes were closing
and her muscles were going lax. She liked listening to Kade conduct his business.
Unlike Doug who’d barked orders at everyone, Kade’s voice had an ease to it despite
the authoritative edge—like he was talking to a friend even when he was giving a directive.
She could imagine that most people wanted to do what Kade Vandergriff told them to,
even if they couldn’t quite pinpoint why. He was easy to say yes to.

He ended one call and started another, but meanwhile, his hand drifted lower, tracking
down her side and eventually ending up under the slit of her skirt. He coasted a palm
over her bare hip and the curve of her ass—an easy touch but one that jacked up her
internal temperature. Memories of him bending her over his lap and reddening her skin
with that very hand were still vivid in her mind. She pressed her thighs together
at the answering twinge of awareness between her legs.

As if sensing the growing tension in her body, Kade eased the thigh that was on top
toward her chest, opening her to him. She tried to pull the other knee along the seat
in some modified fetal position, but he was having none of that. He stopped her other
leg in its tracks and gave her hip a quick pinch.

She clamped her lips together, fighting not to make a sound.

He responded to some question the caller had asked and ran a fingertip along her exposed
flesh. It was a barely there touch, but even so, she had to swallow down a moan. How
this man could barely breathe on her and make her so desperate was a wonder. She had
no hope of quelling her body’s response to him.

The road continued to rumble beneath them, his phone call went on, and he kept up
the stroking and teasing, creating a slow, rolling boil in her system. Her scent filtered
into the air as she grew slick from his touch. Kade grew hard beneath her, but if
he was in any hurry to alleviate that, he didn’t give any signs. Instead, he seemed
to be enjoying the languid teasing. He dipped a finger inside her and slowly drew
it in and out, then went back to touching everything but her throbbing clit.

Evil, evil man.

When she thought she was going to go out of her mind from need, the car took a turn
and slowed. Kade moved his hand away from her as he ended his call, and he flipped
her skirt down, making her mourn the loss of his hands on her.

“Come on, baby. We’re here.”

“No, sir, I don’t think I’m quite there.”

He smirked and helped her to a sitting position. “Patience is a virtue I expect in
my slave.”

She sighed in frustration and peered out the window to see a large gate swinging open.
The sun was almost gone, so she couldn’t make out everything, but when they pulled
past the gate, a massive cedar and stone building loomed before them, beautiful gardens
lining the front and land rolling out behind it. Trees dotted the property. In the
distance, she could see what looked to be smaller buildings, which she assumed were
the guest cabins for The Ranch.

The car pulled past the main house and followed a winding road to the back of the
impressive compound. Rows and rows of grapevine stretched out to their left. Kade
had mentioned the owner also ran a vineyard on the adjoining property. Eventually,
they pulled around a bend and stopped in front of a two-story cabin—though to call
it a cabin would be an insult. It could easily fit in amongst the high-end homes she’d
seen nestled in the mountains on some of her ski vacations.

Before she could really process that they were
here
, that when she stepped outside, she’d be Kade’s
in whatever way he wanted, the driver came around to open the door. She had a moment
of self-consciousness, realizing he was going to see her dressed like this, but then
she almost laughed.
Everyone
was going to see her dressed like this. She needed to get used to it quickly.

She took the driver’s hand and stepped out of the car, giving him a brief, albeit
flushed-cheeked, smile. He simply nodded and to his credit, his gaze didn’t drift
downward. He was probably used to Kade riding around with half-naked women. The thought
rankled.

But before she could let her mind run too far down that road, Kade was by her side
again, catching her elbow. “Leave your heels in the car. Slaves go barefoot.”

It took her a moment to understand what he was saying since her mind was whirling
with so many thoughts, but she quickly slipped off her shoes and set them on the seat.

When she straightened, Kade met her eyes and held out his hand. “You ready to become
mine, Tessa?”

The simple question held a thousand warnings beneath it. She shouldn’t be here. She
shouldn’t take this step. But she’d come too far not to see what was on the other
side of the neat lines she’d always played inside. She found herself moving toward
Kade. Her hand slipped into his.

His.

If only that didn’t sound so good.

TWENTY-TWO

Tessa and Kade headed to the porch, and Kade knocked on the door of the cabin.

Here we go.
Tessa adjusted her corset and tried to smooth her expression so she wouldn’t show
all the trepidation moving through her.
This is just a game. A fantasy. I can bow out at any time with one simple word.

But it didn’t feel like that. It felt real and intense and heavy all of a sudden.
Like this was some test she hadn’t studied hard enough to pass. What if she humiliated
herself? Or made some mistake and embarrassed Kade? Were there certain rules or customs
she was supposed to follow?

The door swung open, and a gorgeous dark-haired man in glasses greeted them with a
smile. Tessa blinked, not sure what she had expected, but not really anticipating
Clark Kent in a polo and slacks to be at a place like this. He reached out and shook
Kade’s hand. “Good to see you, Vandergriff.”

“Wyatt,” Kade said, returning the warmth. “Sorry we’re a little late.”

“Not a problem, the whole plan’s pretty fluid tonight, and you’re not the last to
arrive by any means. We actually just moved out to the back lawn.”

“Everything ready?”

“Yep, Kelsey’s taken charge of it all. She loves a party.”

Party?
Tessa swallowed hard. Kade hadn’t mentioned anything about a party.

“Glad to hear she’s enjoying herself. I’m looking forward to saying hi. I haven’t
seen her since you guys eloped. Congratulations, by the way, I knew when I saw you
two on that island that it would only be a matter of time before that girl had your
collar around her neck and a ring on her finger.”

Wyatt chuckled, the sound deep and genuine. “I’m a lucky bastard, what can I say?”

“Yeah, you are.” Kade’s wistful tone caught Tessa’s attention, but she didn’t have
time to ponder it because Kade was placing a hand on her back, drawing her into the
conversation. “And hey, we’re looking forward to joining y’all outside but I need
to prepare my girl before we do. I had sent a few special requests to Jace.”

Wyatt smiled and spared Tessa a kind glance. “Yep, he has everything you need set
up in the downstairs bathroom. We’re using that as the prep room tonight. Take a right
when you go inside, second door on the left. I need to go change, but I’ll see you
two in the backyard in a while.”

They exchanged good-byes and it wasn’t lost on Tessa that no introductions were exchanged.
She’d asked not to be brought into his circle of friends as Tessa, the girl he was
kind of dating. And he was sticking to his word.

Kade took her elbow again and guided her forward. “Come on, this shouldn’t take long.”

The house was rustic-chic and tastefully decorated, but Tessa couldn’t take in much
because her mind was scrolling through endless possibilities of what exactly Kade
meant by preparation. When they reached the large, slate-tiled bathroom, she began
to put the pieces together. A wide bench had been placed alongside the oval bathtub
and shaving cream and fresh razors where lined up along the edge. Kade shut the door
behind him and locked it.

She turned to him, feeling heat of a different sort flare in her cheeks. “You want
me to shave?”

She’d only ever shaved her bikini line. Doug had preferred the natural look. Now she
wondered if it was some faux pas now to not be waxed or whatever.

Kade gave a hint of a smile. “No, not exactly. Lie down on the bench on your back.
I’m
going to shave you.”

Oh, shit.
“You’re kidding, right?”

His brow arched. “What part of being a slave do you not understand? I’ll prepare you
however I wish. Lie down and don’t make me tell you again.”

The firm words probably should’ve made her run instead of shiver in anticipation,
but she’d asked for this fantasy for a reason. She could stand here wasting time trying
to decipher her motivations for being turned on by this, but what did it matter at
this point? Kade had told her he’d never judge her about her desires, so she needed
to afford herself the same luxury.

“Yes, sir. My mistake.” Her hands were still bound, but she managed to get herself
in position and lie down. It wasn’t long enough for her whole body so her feet stayed
on the floor, her butt at the edge of the bench. Kade turned on the faucet in the
bathtub, and the roaring sound of the water filled her ears.

He touched the top of her foot and she jumped. He gave her shin a little flick with
his finger, silently telling her to stay still. Once she complied, something smooth
wrapped around her ankle and tightened. “This is a spreader bar. It will keep your
legs open for me and will stop you from squirming so I don’t hurt you.”

He locked her other ankle into the device, and she tried to move but couldn’t draw
her legs together. “Kade, sir . . .”

“Hush. I want you smooth and sensitive tonight so you can enjoy what I bought for
you. Give me the pleasure of preparing you.”

She closed her eyes, her heartbeat jumping in her chest. Despite her anxiety about
a blade being put to her most delicate parts by someone other than her, she could
feel arousal blooming through her.

Kade lifted her skirt all the way up and ran a finger along her folds—no, along her
pussy. She needed to own those dirty words and stop being scared of them.

“So damn gorgeous. You should see how wet and swollen you are already.” His fingertip
traced each tender spot. “And I love these curls of yours. I plan to leave some on
the top. But I think you’ll thank me once you feel how much more sensitive you’ll
be after this.”

She whimpered softly as he slid a finger inside her, teasing her with easy strokes.
She lifted her hips toward his touch, but as soon as she did, he moved his hand away.

“That’s not going to do,” he said as she opened her eyes. He stepped over to a nearby
cabinet and pulled something from it. “I need you completely immobile.”

He carried over the new items and wrapped another wider strap around her body, right
at her waist, and secured it beneath the bench. She gave a test wiggle and couldn’t
move. Then he took another strip and covered her eyes. Blocking her vision gave her
a little flutter of panic. “I promise I won’t move or look.”

“That’s a promise you may not be able to keep even if you have good intentions. Just
relax and let me handle things.”

He laid a hot, wet towel between her legs. She sighed as the heat melted into her
skin and radiated outward, making everything feel languid. Combined with the steady
sound of the running water and her blocked vision, she started to sink into the moment.
She could picture Kade standing near her, still in his work clothes, steam filling
up the room and his focus on her bound form.

The sound of something electronic broke her meditative state, a quiet humming. Her
eyes blinked behind the blindfold. She was desperate to see even though she already
suspected it was an electric razor. He moved the towel, but where she expected the
feel of cold metal, something smooth touched her clit.

She gasped, her body wanting to arch but having nowhere to go with the restraints.

“There, that’s better. No moving,” Kade said, his voice sounding soft through the
rush of the water. He ran the small vibrator over her, sending delicious, undulating
warmth up her nerve endings and making her belly clench tight. She’d already been
keyed up in the car, so it didn’t take much before she was ready to go off. “Do well
and you’ll get more of this feeling. Understand?”

She released her bottom lip from between her teeth. “Yes, sir.”

He gave her a few more passes with the vibrator then moved it away and spread warm
shaving cream over her. She groaned again. Who knew heated foam could feel so good?
But she didn’t have time to relish the sensation for long. A louder buzzing sound
filled the room, louder and more ominous than the vibrator, and she willed herself
not to flinch.

“Just breathe, baby. I won’t hurt you.”

She tried to follow his directive, taking a long inhale through her nose and holding
it until she felt his touch. But she shouldn’t have worried. The electric razor was
gentle against her, the slight vibration actually stimulating her even more. The tension
started to slowly drain out of her. But when the buzzing stopped and more cream was
spread over her, her ribs pulled tight again.

“Easy, Tessa,” Kade said, his voice soothing. “I need you to remain as still as possible
for this part. I can’t do it all with the electric. And this is what I’m going to
enjoy the most, so I plan to take my time.”

She held her breath again, and the cool metal blade touched her most delicate of skin.
Kade drew the razor over her skin with a steady hand. Cool air coasted over her newly
bared skin in his wake. The treatment, which she thought would feel clinical, turned
out to be one of the most sensual sensations she’d ever experienced—the warm cream,
his confident but easy touch, the care he was taking. In her mind’s eye, she could
see Kade there between her spread thighs and bound body, studying every private part
of her, delicately grooming her for his enjoyment. Her arousal increased tenfold.
She had no doubt he could see exactly what this was doing to her.

He spread her with his thumb to get to her most hidden parts and ran the razor across
sensitized skin. She sighed softly, sinking into some meditative stillness she didn’t
quite understand.

“You’re beautiful, slave,” Kade said, his voice reverent as he continued his work.
“Every part of you. Your sounds. Your scent. This pretty pink cunt that’s swelling
beneath my touch. But most of all”—he ran the blade near her clit—“your trust. I plan
to reward you for that.”

God
. She could melt into the bench. Somehow Kade could morph words that she’d normally
find offensive or degrading into the hottest things ever. “Thank you.”

After a few more draws of the blade, Kade was done. He cleaned her off with another
warm towel and left her there while he rinsed everything. Every bit of skin he’d exposed
tingled and tightened, begging for his touch. She was dying to see how she looked.
She’d never shaved so completely. But she had no choice except to lie there patiently.

The faucet finally went quiet, and all she could hear was her own choppy breathing.
She strained her ears, trying to get a sense of where Kade was, but without warning,
burning hot heaven touched her between her legs. She groaned loudly as Kade’s tongue
tracked a path over where he’d just shaved her.

Her hips tried to lift, the sensation almost too much to bear, but the restraints
didn’t give.
Holy mother of everything good in this world
. She’d never felt so very much down there. It was as if every centimeter of skin
were electrified. “Oh, shit.”

“Come for me, slave. You’ve done well.”

Fingers slid inside her, and Kade sucked her clit between his lips, teasing it with
his tongue. She was so wet and so on edge already after everything that she had no
hope of prolonging it. Color streaked behind her eyelids and she cried out, the bench
jolting with the sharp force of the orgasm that rocked through her.

Kade took advantage of her bound state, not letting up despite her protests that it
was too much, and licked her until she was panting and begging for a reprieve. Finally,
he moved his mouth away from her, and she dragged in a deep breath. Fingers touched
her lips. “Open.”

She did as she was told, too blissed out to think it through, and his fingers dipped
into her mouth, the distinctive tartness shocking her for a moment. She made a little
sound of surprise, but he didn’t pull away.

“Clean me off. Taste how sweet you are.”

She sucked his fingers, her body still contracting with the aftershocks of her orgasms.
She’d probably look back at these moments and blush over it, but right now, she just
wanted to do whatever he told her to.

He pulled his fingers from her mouth and untied the blindfold. When she blinked her
eyes open, his gaze could’ve burned right through her. Her focus tracked down to the
prominent bulge in his slacks.

She wet her lips, aching to return the favor. “You probably shouldn’t go outside like
that.”

He stepped down to the end of the bench, trailing his finger along her thigh. “You’re
forgetting what kind of place we’re at. But don’t worry, you’ll get your chance to
serve me tonight if you’re lucky. It just might not be in the comfort of a private
room.”

That sent fresh nerves coiling through her.

He pulled something from his pocket and it caught the light. “Now for your last gift
for the evening. A little jewelry.”

She lifted her head to try to see what he was doing. The small silver bauble had beads
attached. “What is it?”

“A ring.” He touched her with gentle fingers, but she flinched anyway, her body still
in hypersensitive mode. He moved the smooth metal along her wetness, then slipped
it around her clitoris.

She let out a soft gasp. The little pinch the ring provided drew her already swollen
clit into full throbbing awareness and set her senses on edge.

“Gorgeous,” Kade said, staring down at his handiwork and giving the beads a little
jostle. “Does it hurt?”

She breathed through her nose, trying to gauge exactly what she was feeling, deciding
pain was far from it. “No, not exactly.”

“Good,” Kade said as he unstrapped her from the bench. “It’s meant to provide a little
torture but not the painful kind.”

“Torture?” she asked, pushing up on her elbows when he untied her hands. The little
ring definitely was making her hyperaware, but it seemed far from torturous.

His mouth lifted at the corner. “Talk to me in an hour.”

After unhooking her from the spreader bar, he helped her to a stand and she soon understood
what he was talking about. The little beads swung with the movement, brushing against
her like light, teasing fingers. Her sex clenched and her nails dug into Kade’s arm.
“Oh.”