Unleashed: Volume 2 (Unleashed #2) (18 page)

Sliding into the soft
sheets, pulling up the comforter, I let his scent envelop me. I
sighed deeply. Nested on an assortment of down pillows, I fell fast
asleep.

Declan

Then

Lathering myself in the
shower, I took my time. Usually I was a dunk-and-dash kind of guy,
not the type to linger and luxuriate. But tonight was different.
Tonight I’d had Kara Brooks down in my cabin and I’d made her
come, full and sweet, on my fingers.

I couldn’t believe
how wet she’d been, the feel of her slick heat on my hand. I didn’t
muffle her cry with a kiss. I wanted to drink in every second of it,
memorize every movement of her face, every cry and scream. I’d
never seen anything better, my innocent angel, hot and horny and
wanting me, coming all over my fingers. She was what I wanted more
than anything else.

I’d been the first
man to do that to her. I couldn’t believe it. Even though my gut
twisted up and my hands balled into fists whenever I tortured myself
with thoughts of Kara with Bruce, I’d wondered how far they’d
gone. But apparently she’d declined the invitation I was sure he’d
extended many times to round those bases. She’d said no to him. Yes
to me. And now Bruce was an ex. I liked the sound of that.

I couldn’t wait to
touch her again. Tonight in a few hours she’d meet me in the barn.
She got me so hard so fast. But I’d take it slow with her, give her
all the time in the world. I’d treat her right, show her how good
it could be together, how I could be a real man for her. Even though
sliding deep into her would feel so good.

I brought my hand down
to my thick cock, palming it. I knew it would only take a few
strokes. I’d been hard for so long, straining and ready. But I’d
held back, tethering myself, keeping myself in check. I’d stroked
her, watching as she closed her eyes, parted her lips and kneaded her
fingers into the couch pillows. I’d held back even though her
silken heat on my fingers, the shudders of her orgasm, had
practically gotten me there myself.

Now, in the steam, I
stroked my hard length. Eyes closed, I remembered how she felt. I
wanted to hear those needy pants again, hear her moan my name. I
wanted to suck on those breasts, cup them and lick and bite her right
where she was most sensitive. I wanted between her thighs again,
stroking her slippery folds, bringing my mouth down to her to taste,
lapping and licking up her sweet juices. Working my thick cock, my
balls tightening with come, I thought about how someday, someday
soon, I would sink so deep into her hot, tight pussy. With a groan, I
came, heavy and full.

I panted as my
heartbeat slowed, my breathing regulated. I’d wait for her. She
deserved it. I’d grit my teeth and use all my restraint, go slow
and make it good for her.

After her orgasm,
sitting on the couch with her draped over me, her cheek against my
bare chest, it had hit me, hard. That was what it was supposed to
feel like with a girl. With your woman. It was supposed to click
together, everything snap into focus. You didn’t have to try. It
just worked. I didn’t do snuggling and cuddling, but I could have
stayed there like that with Kara all night.

She’d been the one to
get up and go. I loved that about her too, though, she took good care
of her dad. She had a big heart. I just hoped it was big enough to
take a chance on me. Because I was going to ask her to.

I wanted her to come
with me. I didn’t want to leave her behind. As manager of buildings
and grounds I’d have my own place at this next ranch and she could
stay there with me. I didn’t have it all planned out—hell, even
this morning I hadn’t been thinking about asking her to come with
me—but suddenly I knew we’d figure it out. Together. Because now
I knew I had to have her.

And somehow I felt like
she would say yes. Smiling like an idiot, I turned off the water and
stepped out of the shower. I felt light and buoyant, like soda
bubbles fizzed right up through me. I guessed this was what people
called happy. I felt like a king. I could do anything. This girl,
this amazing, kind, gorgeous girl, wanted me. I had no idea why. She
clearly had bad taste in men. But I’d take it. I’d accept her
mistake with open arms.

I toweled off next to
my bed. I was smiling and humming. Until I stopped. Someone was in my
cabin. Over by the couch, a thin curl of smoke rose up in the
darkness. Harlan. Our eyes met.

I didn’t jump or
flinch, I never did. But it rattled me to my core. He must have seen
Kara leaving my cabin. Maybe he’d missed her for dinner and been
watching. He probably saw her leaving my place with her dress rumpled
and her hair in a tangle. Steeling myself, I put down the towel and
pulled on my jeans.

“Couldn’t keep it
in your pants, huh?” Harlan’s voice bit into the shadows. His
words hit me like a punch but I didn’t move. I just stood there,
cursing myself. This was what happened when you let your guard down.
You’d think by now I would have known. Some dumbasses just can’t
learn.

“You come to my
ranch,” he continued, coiled up tight like a snake. “I take a
chance. I hire you, give you this place to sleep in. Give you free
reign. I trust you. And you fuck my daughter.”

“I didn’t—” I
began to form a protest, defend myself, defend Kara.

“Shut your mouth,
boy.” Harlan kept sitting there, cool in the dark, smoke curling up
over his head. I’d seen enough angry men to know, quiet rage was
the most violent kind. A man yelling with a broken bottle in an
alleyway? You could distract him easy and gain the upper hand. A man
sitting in the dark, his eyes fixed on you while he told you real
slow and thought-out how you were a low, worthless dog? You needed to
watch that shit, intent, so you could learn the next move before
things exploded.

“You’re here
humming like you’re on a goddamned game show.” He spat on the
wooden floor planks. “What do you think, my little girl’s your
new slut?” I crossed my arms against my chest. I wasn’t going to
give him the satisfaction of answering that question.

“Oh, now, don’t
tell me?” His voice got a hard curl to it, his lips twisted in a
sneer. “You’re sweet on her? That’s rich. And wait.” He
smacked his hand down on his jeans like he was about to tell a good
one. “Don’t tell me you think she likes you?”

I stood there meeting
his stare. I had my pants on but I’d never felt more naked. He
scrutinized me like I was a cockroach in his kitchen.

“That’s it, isn’t
it? You think my Kara likes you. Let me tell you, you’re a new
flavor all right. But have you heard of the flavor of the month?
She’s not going to end up with a dog like you.”

“You don’t know
what she wants.” I hated my words the second they left my mouth. I
sounded like an angry kid fighting in a schoolyard. Swift, fierce
rage pumped through my veins. But his words took root inside of me.

He let out that dry
chuckle. “You think she’d want you? She’s just slumming it.
You’re not good enough for her. Not by a long shot.”

“She can be the judge
of that.” I talked tough. But I didn’t feel it.

“You’ll never be
good enough for her,” he continued, certain and sure. “This was
her walk on the wild side. But I’m going to see to it that she ends
up with someone who can provide for her. Someone who’s going to be
a good husband. Raise a family with her.”

I opened my mouth to
respond but nothing came out. All it took with a house of cards was
one gust of wind. With me, all it took were Harlan’s words.

“You telling me
you’re ready to settle down and be a husband and provider to this
girl? A father to her children? Because that’s what she deserves.
That’s the kind of girl she is. That’s who I’ve raised.”

I hated him, but more
than that I hated myself. He was right. I knew he was. She deserved
more. It was what I’d been telling myself all along. But then I’d
gone and let myself go soft, start dreaming. When people saw you a
certain way long enough it started to rub off. Kara saw me as her
romantic hero. Those luminous eyes, that lustrous hair, so soft and
precious, she’d make anyone want to be her knight in shining armor.

But I couldn’t blame
her, she didn’t know any better. I did. I never should have let
myself get caught up in all this. I should have kept my head screwed
on right. If not for myself, than for her.

“What do you have, a
hundred bucks under your mattress?” Harlan asked. “You going to
give her a nice home, Declan? Treat her real good?” He laughed,
cold and harsh. “You’re a drifter. You’ve never put down roots.
You drift around from town to town, take up odd jobs here and there.
Spend every last dime on booze and women.”

What stung the most was
that he described me to a T. I dreamed big, but what did I have to
show for it? Nothing.

“You’re not
dragging my baby into that,” Harlan continued, disgust dripping
from his every word. “I’ll tell you what you’re gonna to do.
You’re gonna pack up and leave. Now.”

I looked at the floor.
I had no one to blame but myself for getting sucker-punched like
this. This was my own damn fault. This was how dreams died, not with
a bang but with downcast eyes and a quick nod of acceptance.

“One hour. You’re
gone.”

Harlan left the
building, door open for my swift exit.

I packed my things into
a big, old duffel bag. It took me all of 15 minutes. Flipping down
the light switch, I left.

I didn’t think about
Kara. I couldn’t. I hated this, hated Harlan, hated who I was. But
I knew leaving was the best thing for her. It was the right thing to
do. I was doing her a favor in the long run. Even if it hurt like
hell.

What was I going to do,
drag her along for a dark, nasty ride? I’d snuff the light right
out of her eyes. I knew myself. I wasn’t good at this boyfriend
shit. I didn’t have the beginning of a clue how to do it. I
wouldn’t fuck up Kara by trying and failing with her. I’d break
her heart in the end anyway, better to do it now before she got in
too deep. It wasn’t like she was in love with me. She was getting
her kicks, her walk on the wild side like Harlan said. Better to end
things now before they had a chance to get real messy.

No note, no good-bye, I
started up my truck. Like the dog I knew I was deep down, I snuck out
in the middle of the night.

Now

Smashing fist after
fist into the bag, my body dripped with sweat. I’d run on the
treadmill, lifted weights, but nothing satisfied like a good punching
bag. I pounded again and again, relentless.

I’d lost control
earlier that night. For the third time over the past 24 hours I found
myself rutting into Kara like a desperate, worked-up kid. Like if I
didn’t plunge into her, claiming her deep and hard, I’d die.

Where was the dom? The
Master of Discipline? Kara made me lose my cool. She brought me to my
knees. I wasn’t myself and I didn’t like it

I pummeled the bag,
losing myself in the exertion. The discipline of working out suited
me well. Life required constant vigilance in all aspects. Mentally, I
was always prepared for a fight. Physically, I honed my body, keeping
it hard and ready to attack. I loved that surge of going at it
full-throttle, all the howling, clawing demons inside of me finally
given their shot to grind myself into sweat and exhaustion. I needed
that tonight. Back at my apartment, I’d been going out of my skull.
Two workouts in one day, same as Friday. What the fuck was Kara doing
to me?

Playing a game with a
sub had never been so difficult, so challenging. I always knew how to
get close without going over the brink. I never had difficulty with
losing control of myself. But with Kara I’d been overcome. I’d
grabbed onto her hips, dug my hands into her flesh and plunged my
huge, hard cock deep into her dripping wet pussy over and over. Even
as I’d stuffed her, she’d screamed for more. It made me hard
again just thinking about it.

I hadn’t even been
doing any hardcore BDSM with Kara. I’d gone with the oldest cliché
in the book, dressing her up as a French maid. I’d had her use a
feather duster while I’d spanked her a little. No nipple clamps
making her pant and squirm. No vibrating eggs shoved up her pussy
while I played and forced her to stay quiet. No big butt plugs worked
into her tight, virginal ass. The type of scene we’d acted out, it
was plain vanilla. It should have been boring, a little starter play
to get her used to the idea of serving me, show her how turned on she
could get by giving over control.

Instead, I’d been so
fucking turned on that I’d lost it. I’d rutted into her like an
animal. Me, who never had a hard time keeping myself restrained. And
afterwards, while she took a nice, long bath in my master suite, I’d
needed to leave my own apartment. While she relaxed in the Jacuzzi
tub, I beat my tortured body into a pulp.

“Fuck,” I exhaled.
A pleasure game of power had never been so challenging. I’d never
had to exercise so much restraint. Being in control always turned me
on. I liked having the upper hand. But a woman’s submission had
never had so much power over me, never made me lose my own control.

This was dangerous.
More dangerous than I’d thought. I’d spent a long time torturing
her, stroking her, bringing her close enough to drive her crazy. In
the process, I’d driven myself completely crazy.

I’d forgotten
completely about how earlier that day I’d told her I wanted her to
model the clothes she bought. I’d planned to sit and watch her
strut around, show me everything, then strip. Now I knew I’d never
have the patience to sit through that kind of torture. Even though
not long ago I’d come in her so hard I’d seen stars, it wasn’t
enough. I needed more.

And now she was in my
bathtub. Naked and wet, her breasts rising out of the suds, her skin
rosy and pink. I’d had no choice but to leave. I couldn’t start
following her around like a lost puppy, getting into the bath with
her because I couldn’t stand not to.