He nibbled gently her clit, not letting up.
“Oh, please!” The words ripped from the depths of her soul. “Please,” she said on a sob, her eyes still closed, her hands still clenched, and her body strung tight with wanting.
Without warning, he was on top of her, thrusting deep inside her, harder and faster than she’d ever experienced, filling the empty places and giving her exactly what she’d begged for. And everything about his rigid flesh felt magnified in intensity and beauty. Each long inch, each hard ridge of his erection eased her distress yet built it higher until without warning he pulled back, leaving her bereft.
“Again.” She hardly recognized the begging, pleading voice as her own. How could she when her sensitized, quivering body didn’t feel familiar, either? She’d never felt so much before.
His glittering gaze met hers, revealing a depth and intensity of feeling that mirrored her own, causing a knot of emotion to well up inside her and threaten to burst.
Yet still, he waited. For something, for what, Grace didn’t know. “Ben!” She lifted her hips and called out his name.
Satisfaction filled his gaze and darkened his features as he grabbed for her shoulders and thrust deep. Then nothing could stop the climax that he’d forestalled for so long. As he moved inside her, gliding in and out, each motion making her feel more, want more, her orgasm burst inside her like an explosion, ripping away everything that was safe and leaving her raw and more exposed than ever.
But she wasn’t alone, and Ben was with her, holding her, cherishing her, and coming at exactly the same moment with equal force. As the quivers lessened but didn’t subside, he pulled her hair off her face and brushed her lips with his. Not a soft, gentle kiss, but a possessive, demanding one that brought tears back to her eyes.
He collapsed on top of her, spent as she was, but she welcomed the warmth, weight, and feel of him against her.
And then he whispered in her ear. “Happy birthday, Gracie.”
I love you, she thought but kept the words locked in her heart, sensing he wouldn’t want to hear.
* * *
Ben released the material shackling her arms and drew her close. He massaged first one delicate wrist, then the other, realizing for the first time the magnitude of trust she’d put in him when she allowed him to bind her arms and be at his mercy. Grace valued her independence and her freedom, yet she’d allowed him to restrain her—no questions asked.
“Are you okay?”
She curled into him. “Never better.”
He relaxed with her under the covers, the scent of musky lovemaking and coconut oil filling the air around them, just as contentment filled him—so much it scared him.
He, a man who needed no one, needed this woman as much as he needed oxygen to breathe. Not an easy admission. And no easy solutions in sight.
Except the truth.
Something he wasn’t ready to reveal. Not until he’d straightened out a few things first, and not on a birthday he’d promised himself Grace would never forget—for good reasons, not bad.
“Grace, we need to talk.”
Her palm splayed on his stomach while her fingertips dipped lower. “Talking’s overrated.”
His cock twitched in agreement. He wanted her again. “Not when it comes to your safety. You took a risk today. A huge risk.”
Her hand stilled. “I know. I didn’t want to waste any time.”
“I respect your independence, but next time you pull a stunt like that, I might have to resort to this.” He waved the bandanna in the air.
“And that’s supposed to deter me?” Her eyes glazed at the memory of being tied and at his mercy. She sighed. “But you’re right. I took a huge risk. I’m sorry if I made you worry, and I appreciate your coming after me.”
“What, no anger?”
She shrugged. “I’ve done a lot of thinking lately. I’ve broken free from the family, the money, and the strings attached. To do that, I needed to prove to myself I could be independent. I’m just sorry I scared you in the process.”
“Well, I suppose I can forgive you.” He kissed the top of her head.
“You’re too generous.” She laughed. “I guess that means I can admit that I don’t mind you being my protector when it’s warranted. You know, it actually feels good to know someone cares enough to want to take care of me. Better than someone doing it because my father paid them to.”
He sucked in air but choked anyway. He hated living this lie. A few more loose ends and it was over. Too bad he had no idea how it would end.