Happy birthday, sweet thing." He punctuated that with a little nip on my upper ear, making me laugh. "Though I think I'm the one who got the present.""Oh, I'm not complaining," I replied with a breathless little laugh. "I...um...thank you.""Anytime, gorgeous.""And for rescuing me from the bear."His whole body froze and something rumbled deep in his chest. "You don't want to know how close I came to killing that drunken idiot. Seeing him with his hands on you - I damn near snapped.""And you hadn't even met me yet." Jack was a lot more chivalrous than he let on if he got this protective of every new customer."The minute I saw you I knew you were something special. I was locked on you like a laser beam as soon as I laid eyes on you, and damn near everyone in the bar probably saw it. My two friends who came out after me? They weren't there to help me take care of Marshall. They were there to keep me from taking him apart.""But aren't bears usually stronger than wolves? Couldn't you
I smiled up at Jack. Even if I wasn't entirely sure I believed that I was beautiful, I wasn't stupid enough to mess this up. "Upstairs is good." Good? Who was I kidding? This was already the best birthday ever, and the night was only just beginning."Right answer," he said with a grin. Before I could react, he scooped me up in his arms and strode toward the big curving staircase.After a fairly embarrassing squeal, I wrapped my arms around his neck and enjoyed the ride. He was a werewolf, after all, and plenty strong enough to handle my weight as he'd proved on the way into the house. My so-called master probably could have too, come to think of it, but he'd been too busy bitching at me for being overweight. He'd always found fault with each member of his harem. For years I'd wondered why he kept us, even fucked us, if he despised us so much. It was only recently I'd finally figured out that it was all just one big power trip for him - classic abuser mentality.I took a brief moment
Jack let go of me and I felt the loss of his touch immediately. Damn, the man was addictive. He bent over to reach into the nightstand on the far side of the bed and withdrew four long black cords and a pile of condoms. He dumped the condoms on the nightstand then turned and handed me the cords.The smooth cords, each about a yard in length, slid easily along my fingers, soft but strong. "Silk?""Yep. And they're spelled. Once the command word is triggered, they won't break or come untied until you say the release word."My pussy clenched and creamed. How perfect was this? I was so excited by the prospect that my whole body quivered.Jack licked his lips and smiled at me. "So is that a yes?" He reached out and gently flicked one pebbled nipple.I nodded. "Yes.""Okay then. Scoot over to the center of the bed. And starting now, whatever I say you have to do unless it makes you truly uncomfortable. Submitting is part of your fantasy, isn't it?"I bobbed my head again."Say it," h
The touch that came was so soft and light that I gasped in surprise at the faint flicker of sensation on my pebbled nipple. At first I thought it was just his breath, but it wasn't warm - not cold either. Finally it dawned on me that he was tickling me with a feather."You like that, don't you?" he asked as he switched to my other breast."Mmm-hmmm."He stopped tickling and tapped me on the sternum with one finger. "Is that how you're supposed to answer?" His words were stern but there was still a teasing softness in his tone that kept me from feeling chastised. This was my fantasy - he was just playing into it.Obediently I answered, "Yes, Jack.""Good girl." He trailed the feather down between my breasts to dust my bellybutton, making me giggle.I could feel him beside me, his weight denting the bed at my hip. I sensed him doing something with his other hand then there was a soft humming sound, and the feather grazing the creases of my hip was replaced with something else - a s
I think that was the moment I realized I was in love with him. Oh, not the forever kind - I was a long way from that. But he was so kind, so giving, I couldn't help losing a little piece of my heart right then and there. The big, tough biker werewolf was such a sweetheart in bed that tears stung my eyelids behind the blindfold. Even if I never saw Jackson again after this night, he'd have left a mark on my heart for all eternity.He didn't linger on my breasts, which was a disappointment. He moved on to my shoulders and arms, even though he couldn't do much of a muscle rub with me lying on my back. It was nice, this soft, slow seduction as a change from the intensity and urgency of the passion so far. I swear my bones melted as he rubbed my fingers and hands, easing aches I hadn't known I had. When he finished with those, he dropped a kiss into my palm and climbed over my body to reach my other hand, giving it the same loving treatment. Finally he cupped my head in his hands - without
Still swollen inside me, Jack came down on top of my body, pressing me into the mattress. His weight felt good, warm and solid. He cupped my head in his hands and untied the blindfold as he kissed me."Tears?" he asked as he wiped them away with the silk. "What's wrong?""Not a damn thing," I said in a shaky voice, gazing up into his eyes. "Happy tears. Goofy but true.""If you say so." Propped up on his elbows to keep from crushing me, he kissed each of my eyelids then muttered, "England." Without moving too much, he managed to untie my wrists. He kissed each one, chafing it between his hands. "Sorry I can't reach your feet. Break 'em if they're too uncomfortable.""I'm all right." It was true. If there was even the slightest chance that I'd have the chance to play with Jack and his toys again, it was worth a few minutes of discomfort to preserve them for another day. I was feeling tingly and sore and I actually regretted that my vampire physiology would have healed all traces of
Jessamy and Danette called to demand details just before dawn. I loved those two. When Frederic dumped me in Chicago, on my own for the first time in my immortal life, they'd gotten me on my feet. They'd hooked me up with a blood bank so I didn't have to hunt to feed. They'd housed me until I could afford a place of my own. But some things are too personal to tell even your best girlfriends. I told them I was safe, I told them I was seeing him again, but I didn't tell them how he made me feel. That was too new, too private. Then I told them I'd talk to them later, hung up and crawled into bed, reliving those moments over and over in my dreams.Of course they showed up on my doorstep about a half an hour after dusk. I'd been working so I didn't hear the doorbell at first - especially since I was back in my office. The big open space behind the kitchen had been intended as the family room of my townhouse. There are lots of windows so I'd paid a fortune for the UV tinting but it was wort
I was still pondering that about three a.m. when my friends left and I was alone, curled up in an armchair with my e-reader. I'd given up trying to work. Between thinking about Frederic and Jack, I didn't have the attention span of a gnat.My cell phone rang, startling me. It wasn't Jess or Dani's ring tone, so it had to be Jack, unless it was someone trying to sell me insurance. I fumbled the phone, almost dropping it as a big case of nerves scrambled my brain and nervous system."Hey there, beautiful." God, it was him, his voice still sexy and sinful, even over the phone."Hi." I had no idea what else to say. "How was your night?""Not nearly as much fun as last night," he said. "How about you?""The same," I admitted. "Thank you again...for everything.""You're very welcome, sweet thing." His gravelly chuckle had my body responding. "Looking forward to tomorrow night? I know I sure am.""Of course." I squeezed my legs together to contain the moisture that gathered just at his