Chapter Eighteen

 

 

Thomas walked into the bedroom he assumed was Gabrielle’s and checked the closet and bathroom. She obviously took a lot of care in decorating this room and bathroom. Everything was well organized and done in a rich, dark shade of purple. It reminded him of eggplant. She had a king size bed that dominated the space and a stack of books on the nightstand. He hoped she didn’t miss reading in bed too much because he didn’t foresee her returning to that nighttime activity any time soon, if ever.

He wanted to picture her, lying on the bed, spread out for him, but all he could see was the stark fear in her eyes when she’d started screaming about not being at her house. What the hell could have happened? He sat down hard on the bed, scrubbing his hands over his face. When had he lost control of the situation? He and David had planned tonight carefully, giving her all the time and space she needed this afternoon and they’d both garnered from their time with her here and at his house that she loved the home she’d built here. So what then? She didn’t want to taint the space with her kink? No, he didn’t believe that for a second. That wasn’t the kind of woman she was.

He rubbed his palms along the lengths of his thighs and took one last look around. He wanted to know who the hell she thought was lurking in her house and why. He could drive himself crazy trying to figure out the small mistakes he might have made, or he could confront her and demand answers.

After a quick glance in the closet to confirm it was indeed empty, he headed through the door and down the short hall to the living room where David squatted next to her, rubbing her back and calming her with his more gentle ways. Thomas’ first impulse had been to command an answer before she’d even had a chance to calm down. Not because he was a dickhead but because sometimes hysteria needed a firm hand. Luckily, David was the other side of the coin from him and saw reason instead of sheer fear.

“The house is all clear.”

Gabrielle blinked up at him. Sadness tinged with fear shining in her eyes. He wanted to take away whatever had done that to her. But what if it was him who’d managed to scare her off. He blew out a rough breath and sat on the couch not far from her head. He needed to touch her, to feel the warmth inside her and feed her his strength if that’s what she needed.

“Can we talk now?”

She nodded.

“Good. Now, tell us what happened. What has you so frightened?”

“I came home today to dozens of voicemails. Threatening.”

David’s face clouded over. “What? From who?”

“My ex. I haven’t heard from him in months, and now, all of a sudden he’s following me around.”

“Wait. He’s following you around, too?”

“I don’t think I can repeat everything he said. The recorder is on the desk in the hall. You can listen to them for yourself.”

“And I will. But answer me something first.” He paused, waiting for her full attention. “Why didn’t you tell us about this sooner?”

“I-I didn’t want to involve you. It’s not fair.”

“Not involve me? Are you not wearing a collar around your neck? Have you decided you want to take it off? What the hell, Gabrielle?”

David grabbed his arm and pulled him from the couch as fresh tears washed from her eyes. “Thomas, stop. Not yet.”

“She doesn’t fucking trust us,” he managed through clenched teeth.

“Save it. I know how you feel, but first things first. I’ll take care of her, and you can listen to the messages. Then we’ll decide what to do. Agreed?”

Of course, David was right. It didn’t make him feel any better, which wasn’t the point right now anyway. He walked over to the desk and lifted his finger, hovering over the button.

“Wait.” Gabrielle struggled to a sitting position, holding tight to the blanket around her as if it would provide security instead of him. This was definitely going to be a long night and nothing like he’d planned. Troy had already received his instructions to return the town car to Sanctuary as soon as they’d settled in the house. So they were all staying here tonight unless someone called a cab.

“What is it, sweetheart?” David dropped a soothing kiss on the top of her head.

“I don’t want to hear them again. Once was enough.”

“How about a hot bath then?”

Gabby looked up into David’s face and gave him a tentative smile. Thomas’ gut twisted at the innocent expression she carried. They did have some issues to work through, but damn if he had any intention of letting her get away. Somehow, she’d worked her way inside him and he wanted to keep her there.

“That actually sounds good. I’ll be fine on my own if you want to stay here and listen with Thomas,” she offered.

“Maybe after I get you settled and comfortable first. I’m not leaving you alone until I’m sure you’re ready.”

“I’m not a child, and this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with this,” she said bitterly.

Thomas’ head lifted sharply at her words, a pissed off comment on the tip of his tongue. Luckily, he caught David’s signal and squelched the urge to berate her. But she definitely had some serious punishment coming her way as soon as they got this straightened out. If she thought she could shut him out, she had another thing coming.

David led Gabrielle out of the room, and when Thomas heard the soft click of the bathroom door closing behind them, he pressed play. The first message came and the man’s voice sounded reasonable and calm, but he had a hunch that after dozens of calls that had degraded quickly.

Letting her recorder continue, he paced to the light switches near the doorway and turned them all off, drowning the room in darkness. From memory, he made his way to the front curtains and lifted the side edge a fraction, only enough to allow him to see out and not catch the eye of anyone who might be watching the house.

He stood there for a long while as the messages continued, and his anger built layer by layer after each subsequent call. Unfortunately, this was not the first time in his life he’d dealt with a man like this, and if he wasn’t careful, he’d find himself heading down the slippery slope into his past. As the owner of Sanctuary, he’d seen just about every domestic situation that existed, and this asshole on the recorder was a textbook case of a husband who’d cut his wife loose then when the fresh pussy dried up, came back home, looking to place blame on the woman he’d been married to.

How many men like this existed in the world? Not only did they need to be taught a lesson or two but so did the fucking parents who’d raised them to be like this. His childhood had been majorly fucked up, yet he didn’t use it as an excuse to become abusive toward women. He laughed at that thought. How many people had called him just that to his face because of his proclivity to the harder kink? He liked to take risks, and he often used pain to bring submissives to their greatest pleasure.

Not that giving pain didn’t give him pleasure, because it did. He didn’t love much more than seeing a sub’s needy reaction to the kiss of a whip or the fall of a flogger’s tails. The marks he left behind gave them both a sense of pride. He’d seen some of that with Gabrielle so far, but they’d barely begun to scratch the surface. Now, they were backtracking. She didn’t trust him enough to tell her about these phone calls…to confide her fear…then how would she be able to tell him what she wanted from a Dom or when he’d gone too far? Would she let him push her past the point she could take then never forgive him for it?

He rested his forehead against the cool wood trim of the window, not taking his eyes from the darkness outside. The messages continued, escalating until as he’d feared her ex had begun to seek her out at home uninvited. The bastard was stalking her in the middle of the night and beyond, and more than likely, he was out there right now or would be soon. He didn’t sound like the kind of man who would just drop it.

“Did I hear what I fucking think I did?” David spoke from the hallway pass through, hopefully out of Gabrielle’s hearing.

“Yes. He’s been here. Possibly inside. And he left her a gift. Did she mention anything like that to you?”

“No. We didn’t talk about it all. I wanted her to relax.”

“Fine, I’ll go ask her.” Thomas strode across the room and stepped into the hall. David’s arm came up to block his path.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to confront her right now.”

“I’m not trying to confront her. I only want to know what that bastard left here for her,” he growled.

David raised his eyebrow. The universal gesture for yeah right.

“Don’t you want to know? Aren’t you curious to know the extent of the danger she’s in? I have half a mind to yank her out of that tub and drag her back to my house where I know I can keep her safe.”

“Which is exactly why you don’t want to go in there right now. If you walk through that door, guns blazing, she’s going to stiffen that spine of hers and shoot you down so fast we’ll both find ourselves outside on our asses.”

Thomas snorted.

“She’s scared to death, but I don’t think either of us should discount just how pissed off she is.”

Thomas turned and leaned his upper body against the wall. A rough breath escaping his lips. “I can’t stand by and do nothing. Fuck, man. She’s more than just a sub from the club.”

“I know. To me, too. Lucky for all of us, this is exactly the kind of thing I do and do well. I’ll have that asshole figured out within twenty-four hours and then we can decide what to do. Give me that much, at least. Trust me to do what needs to be done.”

What had started as a lighthearted jest had turned down right icy on David’s last words. Menace radiated from within and glittered in his eyes. David was right, of course. He was the perfect man for this job. It just wasn’t like Thomas to do nothing.

“I have to do something.” He pushed off the wall and walked into the living room. “I studied the area outside the front window and so far there’s no sign of anyone out there casing the place.”

“We’re probably dealing with a shithead amateur. Easy enough to handle as long as we get a hold of him before he goes off and does something stupid.”

No way would Thomas give anyone the opportunity to get that close to Gabrielle. She might fight him on his ideas of security, but she’d listen in the end because he would make her. Keeping her safe and in his bed were of the utmost priorities. Now, keeping her out of his heart had become another matter altogether. He could try to fight it, but he suspected he’d already lost the battle.

“Is everything okay?”

He turned to see Gabrielle standing in the doorway to her bedroom, a fluffy white robe wrapped around her. He clenched his fingers into fists and tensed the muscles in his legs to keep from pouncing on her. Despite her sweet appearance, he found himself torn between fucking her senseless and bending her over his knee for a spanking that would keep her standing for a week. David must have sensed it as he stepped between them.

“We just finished listening to the last of the messages.”

“Thank God. I didn’t want to keep them but figured for my own protection I would want the record.”

Thomas noticed the slight tremor in her hands before she clenched them together.

“Smart move. These could one day be evidence in case anything were to happen.”

“Happen? Like what?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Come on, Gabrielle. You know as well as I do that an angry ex can sometimes take things too far.”

“I know. But now that I’m calm and some time has passed I feel kind of stupid. He’s probably not that dangerous.”

“What about the gift he left?” Thomas interjected, tired of waiting for his answers.

She shook her head. “Both Angel and I looked around for anything that didn’t belong and so far haven’t found a thing. He’s probably blowing smoke, trying to scare me.”

“Who’s Angel?” David looked confused.

“My best friend. Thomas knows her. As soon as I got to the last message, I got scared and ran out of the house and called Angel. She came over, went through the house for me then we spent the afternoon drinking margaritas and calling Scott filthy names.”

“You should have called me,” Thomas murmured.

Gabrielle opened her mouth to say something then clamped it shut, averting her gaze to the floor. Too little too late as far as he was concerned. She still had a lot to answer for and a lot to learn. Although David was right, now was not the right time.

“So what next, David. You think we should head back to my place?”

“No, actually, I don’t. I think we should spend the night here. I’ll find the right spot to stake out and keep any eye on the property. I want to see if he does actually show up.” He turned back to Gabby. “Do you have a recent photograph of him that I can study?”

She nodded. “Yeah, in the bottom drawer of my desk I have some photos from about a year ago.” She pushed past David and avoided even brushing against him before kneeling in front of the desk.

“Are you sure this is the best thing for her?” he whispered to David in a low tone.

“Yeah, I really do. She needs to feel like a part of the solution so anywhere I can use her help I intend to. She needs to face this and deal with it head on.”

“Fine.” Frustration clouded Thomas’ judgment, but he’d keep that fact to himself.

“Here you go.” Gabby handed them each a photograph. A small 4 x 6 of a man standing in front of a barbeque grill with one of those ridiculous aprons that said ‘Kiss the cook’.

He looked average, with sandy blond hair, dark eyes and a thickening middle. He could have been any middle-aged suburbanite. He had a beer in one hand and a spatula in the other. Harmless. But as Thomas had learned many, many times the hard way, looks could be deceiving. It wasn’t all that difficult to hide evil underneath a veneer of civility. At least for a while.

“Perfect. I’m going outside to scope out the area. Am I safe to leave the two of you alone?”

Gabrielle shrugged.

“I won’t be punishing her tonight, if that’s what you mean.”

Her head jerked, her gaze locking with his.

“Don’t look so surprised, Gabrielle. As long as you’re wearing that collar, you are our responsibility and your inability to be forthcoming compromised us all.”

Guilt flashed into her eyes alongside her sadness.

David shot her a knowing look and shrugged his shoulders before quietly slipping out the front door. They were obviously standing together on this issue.

“Look at me, Gabrielle. We aren’t getting into this now. You need to know that whatever’s happened, we’re both behind you one hundred percent. We aren’t going anywhere.”

Her lower lip curled into her mouth where her teeth lightly nibbled on it. Without her realizing it, that shy and worried move tore down a good chunk of his anger. He really did want to help her.

He sat down on the arm of the couch and reached for her. “Come here.”

She took two tentative steps in his direction until his fingers wrapped around her arms and pulled her to him. The sudden urge to touch and comfort her overwhelmed him as she stepped into his arms.

“I’m here for you, sweetheart. Always.” He breathed deeply taking in the freshly bathed scent of warm vanilla and that underlying scent of the woman who’d worked her way under his skin.

She could take care of business if she had to, but he didn’t want her to. She should be able to rely on his protection and ability to keep her safe when they were together. He tamped down the anger he felt toward her ex, afraid it would taint how he looked at her. In no way did he blame her for that asshole, but he couldn’t afford her misreading his reactions.

“I’m so sorry, Thomas. I only wanted to keep you out of my mess.”

“Don’t you see? We’re all together now. What you go through, we go through.”

“But it’s so embarrassing.” She pressed her face into his shoulder, and the wet tears she shed soaked through the fabric of his shirt.

“Don’t cry, baby. He’s so not worth it.”

“It’s not him I’m crying about. It’s the fact that I’ve disappointed you.”

“Shh.” He rubbed a path up and down her spine atop the thick fabric of her robe. “Everything will be fine. We’ll talk about it when we’re ready. Now is definitely not the time.”

She looked up at him, hope glimmering in her eyes. Her hands went to her neck where she traced the path of her collar. “Are you going to take this away from me?”

“Do you want me to?”

“No, Sir. I do not.”

Not a second of hesitation in her answer. Good, he liked that.

“I’m not done training you, and I doubt David is prepared to walk away.”

“What happens when the training is complete?”

“Let’s not worry about that quite yet, okay, sweetheart?” He leaned in, grasping her bottom lip with his teeth. His body ached to be inside her with a force he’d have to temper for now. Frustration and confusion warred within them, and right now they needed to be together. He wanted her to see that nothing going on in her life would turn him away.

“Thomas.”

“Yes, babe?”

She reached down and undid the belt around her robe, letting it fall open. Her hips angled closer as she melted into his body. “I need you,” she whispered.

A hungry moan sounded in his throat as he scooped her into his arms and carried her down the hall to the bedroom. The light spilling from the partially open bathroom door gave off a romantic glow that bathed the room in a soft, barely there light. He went straight to the bed and laid her out, spreading her robe wide.

“Stretch your arms above you head and spread your legs for me.”

She whimpered softly and did as instructed. The bare skin spread before him made her look like a special offering, one that he had to devour quick or die from needing it. He toed off his shoes and yanked at his socks before pulling at the belt looped around his waist. He stared between the strip of leather in his hands and Gabrielle stretched across the big bed, debating the right course. As much as he ached to bind her wrists to the headboard with his belt it wasn’t what either one of them needed this time.

He finished removing his clothes, grabbed a condom and moved over her on the mattress. Her soft body gave under the weight of his until he’d aligned himself above her with the head of his cock nudging at her soaking wet sex.

“Jesus, Gabrielle. You burn me alive.” Emotions swirled in his head as he looked into her eyes and saw that same churning and confusion. He’d not yet broken through her shields, and still, he felt more for her than anyone else in his life. He sensed his plans to train her and hand her over to David slowly unraveling. If he took her now, like this, with them both burning alive from the emotions of the day, they’d never be the same again.

Fingers brushed his shoulders in a tentative move and sent a sharp shudder of longing from his head to his groin. Wet spots still shone on her cheeks, and he bent to lick them, the slight salty taste awakening his taste buds.

“Tell me everything is going to be all right,” she pleaded on a soft cry.

That sound ripped at his gut and tore through what little resolve remained. “It is, darling. I swear it.” He pushed an inch forward, her hot moist channel beckoning.

“Make love to me, Thomas, please.” Her quiet plea trembled through him, making his limbs shake with the force of holding back.

His mouth pressed down on hers in a possessive kiss meant to dominate the situation as he rolled the condom over his erection and slid inside her to the hilt. He absorbed her moan of pleasure as he pressed into her mouth deeper, his tongue sweeping every inch.

Her tight sheath clenched around him as he slowly pulled from her before thrusting forward once again. Sensations of intense pleasure shot through him from head to toe as he fought to maintain control. She needed him to take care of her, to show her that he cared, and so help him, that’s what he’d do no matter what it took. Tonight, her comfort and security were all that mattered, not broken promises or worries about a lack of trust.

No, this feeling, listening to her harsh pants in his ear, the tilt of her hips to meet each push inside her, the contracting muscles of her thighs bracketing his hips, it was all that mattered as he let everything else go for tonight. This woman, his beauty who continued to burrow into his heart against his will, needed him to be her protector and lover. A role he cherished without even realizing it until now.

“Oh Thomas,” she moaned.

He kissed his way down her neck and bit slowly into her shoulder until the pain reached her erotic level, and she wailed, a long, loud sound from a place deep inside her. He smiled against her skin and angled his hips so his cock would rub against her G-spot with each thrust inside her.

Quick bite after bite, he trailed down her chest to her breast. He suckled the tight nipple between his lips and laved gently over the tip. Her body writhed underneath him, her climax building under the steady rhythm of his cock shuttling in and out of her. He wanted nothing more than to make her come over and over again until the memories of her day were temporarily forgotten and pleasure was her complete and total focus.

Shifting an inch higher on her body, he created additional friction across her clit with each plunge. Her arms twitched, muscles jerking against the natural need to wrap them around him and hold on tight. That she could still hold onto that modicum of control told him he hadn’t taken her quite high enough yet.

Were she tied up, it would be easier for her to fight the bonds without fear of disobeying, but that wasn’t the point tonight. Tonight, he wanted to simply give her as much pleasure as she could take.

“Put your arms around my neck.”

After a momentary pause, she wrapped herself around him. He reveled in the soft warmth she gave off while he worked her nipple with his teeth.

“Oh God, Thomas I can’t…I can’t…”

He wrenched his mouth free, pulling her nipple taut. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Don’t hold back. Come for me.”

He pushed harder against her clit until her muscles contracted and she squeezed around his cock.

“That’s it, baby. Let it go.”

The sting of her nails sinking into his back coincided with the tight fist-like grip she had on his dick. Tense muscles convulsed, her breath catching in her throat. His own heart beat heavy in his chest as the rush of blood roared in his ears. The tight rein on his control slipped a fraction as flames licked at his balls. So much for control.

He drove harder, pushing through the tight muscles and creating enough friction to draw her from the tail end of one orgasm into a new harder release.

She screamed into his chest while he pistoned in and out of her at increasing speed. The tingling in his sac quickly changed to surging sensations as his need turned imminent. He glanced to her face and locked his gaze with hers. “You are so beautiful, you’re everything and I will keep you safe.”

“Thomas…” she whispered. An invitation he couldn’t resist.

“Take it, Gabrielle. Claim it.” He burned with feverish need as he waited for her to tell him, his pelvis thrashing against her with every thrust.

“Mine,” she whispered. “Mine. All mine.”

With deep satisfaction, he grabbed her hips and thrust hard and deep, so deep he bumped her cervix. He groaned when his orgasm tore from him and jerked his cock inside her, filling her.

With every jerk, more of his guard against this woman tore away. Before long he would be naked and vulnerable to her in every way. The only shred of protection that remained between them was the fact that deep down she had not given him or David her complete trust and, without that, none of them could move on. He would have to find out one way or another if Gabrielle could close the door to her old life and become the submissive her soul ached for. Every instinct he possessed swore he recognized that in her. From the moment he’d met her at Sanctuary, his mission had been clear. Break down the barriers and show her the woman she could and wanted to be.

Their rough breaths panted in sync as they grappled to recover. If he were a smart man, he’d get up and go into the bathroom, give them the time they needed to put some distance around what happened, but apparently, he wasn’t feeling too smart. Instead, he focused on her racing pulse and the sticky heat surrounding them. He’d always loved the aftermath of sex, that sense of satisfaction not only in pleasure but in the woman’s acceptance of his domination and her gift of submission.

This was that and so much more. Words he’d thought he’d never voice again sat on the tip of his tongue that. Not until he got all the way inside her could he allow himself to pull out and examine the true depth of feelings for the soft, feminine body underneath him.

He looked into her eyes and caught a glimpse of similar turmoil before he kissed it away with a soft press of lips to her eyes, nose, chin and, finally, her lips.

“Thank you, Thomas.” The hoarse whisper of her words caressed his cooling skin.

He grabbed the leg she had wrapped around his hip and rolled them to their sides while staying joined with her. He couldn’t bear to not be inside her yet. He wanted her as close as possible so she could feel his ownership and need. She tucked her head into his shoulder when his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close.

“Rest, my beauty. You’re going to need it.” He smiled into her hair and waited the long minutes it took until her breathing evened into the deep rhythm of sleep.

Yes, tomorrow, we will know one way or another where this is going.