Tied Up, Tied Down (Rough Riders 4)

Her bare feet shuffled on the rug.

“Or would you rather I trussed you up, tossed you over my shoulder and we played out my pirate and the wench fantasy?”

Skylar’s mind created the image of Kade in a billowy white shirt, his gleaming chest muscles rippling like the sea. Knee-high glossy black boots gave way to tight breeches, which accentuated the size of his big…sword. His visage was topped off with a silky black eye patch and a shark-like smile.

He said, “That’s a fine choice, me hearty lass,” and started toward her.

“I’m going. But I don’t mind telling you I’m a little nervous.”

“You should be, darlin’, ’cause I am a force to be reckoned with when it comes to ropes.” To prove it, he snapped one rope low to the floor, and a crack reverberated through the air, loud as a gunshot.

Skylar took off like a bullet.

Kade waited a full five minutes before he followed her, as he let the scenarios run in his head.

Nothing painful. Nothing degrading. Nothing but her at his mercy.

A dark thrill zipped through him, potent as whiskey.

The bedroom door was ajar. Lamplight spilled across the carpet into the hallway. No candles. He’d been half-afraid candles would cast the room with a dungeon-like vibe and he didn’t want her to be scared. Kade wanted Skylar turned on beyond compare.

She sat in the middle of the bed, knees drawn up to her chest, eyeing the ropes attached to the wooden posts, not with curiosity, or fear, but with resignation.

Before Kade spoke, or touched her, Skylar blurted, “You aren’t going to whip me are you?”

“Not unless you aren’t cooperatin’.”

“Kade!”

He chuckled and placed his hands on her tense shoulders. “No whippin’s, sweetheart, I promise. I’d never hurt you. Lay back.” When she didn’t obey right away, he nudged her.

Kade stretched her arms in a “Y”, taking the opportunity to feel that soft, warm flesh beneath his callused hands. He tied her left wrist first, then her right and moved down to tie each of her ankles. He sat back and admired Skylar spread-eagled before him.

“Don’t strain against the ropes or you’ll get a nasty rope burn.”

“Easy to say, not so easy to do when you’re touching me like that.”

“I haven’t even started touchin’ you.”

He crawled up her body. Bracing himself on all fours above her, Kade kissed her.

And kissed her. And kept kissing her until she relaxed into the mattress.

He pushed up on his knees and whipped off his shirt. As he returned to softly brush his lips over her cheeks and eyes and forehead and temple, he allowed her ni**les fleeting contact with the hair on his chest.

Skylar moaned softly. “I like that.”

“I know.” He kept the same amount of friction on her br**sts as his mouth journeyed down her throat. Scraping his teeth over the graceful arch. “Have I ever told you how much I love your neck? But especially this spot right here.” Kade traced his tongue up her collarbone. “You usually push me away. Drives you so crazy that you can’t stand it.

Hard to push me away when you don’t have use of your hands, ain’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Could you come like this? If I suck—” he let his breath drift above the area, “—

right here?” Kade lightly flickered his tongue on the magic spot, sank his teeth into that tempting flesh and sucked hard until she bucked into him.

“Oh God.”

Kade smiled against her throat, continuing to use his breath and lips and tongue and teeth. The only places he touched her were the tips of her ni**les rubbing on his chest and his mouth on her neck. He’d tease her and retreat until a fine sheen of sweat coated her skin and he could smell that sweet, sweet cream gathered between her trembling thighs.

He hopped off the bed.

Skylar lifted her head. “Where are you going?”

“When you’re naked and at my mercy? No place.” Kade stripped off his remaining clothes. He reached for the spare ropes and brought them back on the bed.

“What are those for?”

“You’ll see.” He took the thickest one, a tan rope about two inches in diameter, made of coarsely twisted twine and snapped it between his hands. “Close your eyes.”

“But—”

“Nothin’ to be scared of, I promise.”

The moment her eyes were shut, Kade dragged the rope over her naked body.

Starting with the underside of her arms. Winding it around her tits. Across her belly.

Between her hips. Knowing by the way her spine arched she enjoyed the contrasting tactile sensations of the bristly rope sliding against her soft skin. He didn’t rush. The weight and texture of the rope left light pink stripes from her neck to her knees.

Kade swirled the softly frayed end over her clit.

“That tickles.”

“I must not be doin’ it right then.” He flicked faster. “Better?”

“Uh-huh.” He kept up the movement until her thighs became rigid and she cried out,

“Oh God, oh, don’t stop.”

He pinched her left nipple as she started to come, and she bucked her hips up, begging for more than the feather light touch of the rope—his fingers, his mouth, his cock. He watched her self-consciousness disappear as she lost herself in her body’s response.

Finally she opened her eyes. “Wow. You are good with ropes.”

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, baby.” He tossed the thick rope to the floor and picked up the lighter, white cotton one.

“Kade. What—”

“Relax.” He crawled off the end of the bed and stood between her spread-eagled legs. He slithered the thinner, softer rope down the tops of her thighs, from the crease of her hip to her kneecap. Up and down. Back and forth. When he journeyed further south and touched her toes, she jerked hard. He murmured, “Are your feet ticklish?”

“Ah. Yes.”

Kade threaded the rope through each one of her toes. Then he gently pulled the rope as his mouth connected with the vulnerable skin on her foot just inside her ankle. He tongued and suckled, while swirling the rope through her outstretched toes.

Her leg shook and her chest rose and fell rapidly.

Good thing Sky was tied up, otherwise she’d be kicking him in the face. He said,

“Time for the other foot.”

“Stop. I-I can’t take it.”

Kade ignored her. This time after winding the rope through her toes, he nibbled the top of her foot as he tugged, lightly licking the tips of her cute little piggies. He watched as gooseflesh rippled up her calves. When his gaze reached above her knee, he noticed the inside of her thighs were wet and slick with her juices.