A Whole New Light (4 page)

Violet shifted, the slit in her dress revealing an expanse of smooth, bare thigh. Unable to resist, he trailed his fingers along the satin skin. She jumped, her body tensing in anticipation.

He bent his head into the curve of her neck, inhaling her sweet and spicy scent, a mixture of innocence and sex that fit her perfectly. “You need to relax, sugar.”

None of her tension lessened as she remained ramrod stiff next to him. Again he ran his hand up her thigh, letting his fingers slip under the hem and curl around her warm flesh. A sound escaped from her throat, and his cock lengthened.

God, she was driving him out of his fucking mind. For three years he’d been itching to touch her, and now he wanted to devour her whole. Feast on her like a glutton. But

still he restrained himself, knowing that the anticipation, the uncertainty, the hyperawareness would heighten her arousal.

Her hand covered his, clutching at his fingers. “I can’t relax. This is torture.”

He laughed, pressing his mouth against the skin at her neck so the sound vibrated along her flesh. A tiny gasp escaped from her. She tried to pull back, but he said, “I wouldn’t recommend that.”

“Oh!”

He nipped at her earlobe. “Are you wearing panties?” “Of course.”

At her appalled tone, Ethan smiled. Under his touch, her skin heated while her breath grew shallow. Good. Cat and mouse was one of his most favorite games, and to know it turned her on was like lighting a match to his already raging desire. “Before we leave this room, you’re going to open those legs for me, and I’m going to slip my fingers inside your panties.”

Her pulse kicked up under his lips. “I will not.”

“Oh yes you will.” He squeezed his fingers around her thigh to emphasize his point. “You’re going to be wet. And I’m going to play with your pussy until you’re moaning.”

“I d-don’t moan,” she squeaked out. Again she shifted, this time moving closer to him. Her muscles twitched under his fingers.

“You will.” He made his voice firm, commanding. She trembled.

Jesus Christ, this was hell. He had no idea how he’d keep from attacking her, but he would. He’d summon every damn ounce of control and patience he could muster because by the time he was through, she needed to belong to him.

He pressed his mouth full on the curve of her neck, sucking hard enough to make a mark. His mark. “You’re going to want to come. But I’m sorry, I won’t let you. I’m going to bring you right to the edge, and then I’m going to stop.”

A hiss escaped her pink glossy lips as she dug her nails into his hand. “Never.”

He lifted his head and took her chin with his free hand, forced her to look at him.

Those violet eyes of hers shimmered with a hunger she couldn’t hide.

He’d never wanted a woman more. He wanted to throw her to the floor and fuck her brains out. Wanted to pound into her so hard she couldn’t walk, couldn’t think. Wanted her to come so hard she saw stars and passed out. He gritted his teeth, fighting to remain in control in the face of the need shining in her gaze.

He raised one brow. “Just for that—I’m going to treat your cunt like my own personal toy and bring you close to orgasm so many times you’ll be spreading those fantastic thighs wide for me and rocking into my hand. You won’t care who’s watching, how you’re acting, what you’re saying. You’ll care about one thing and one thing only—when will I come.”

She started to pant, her chest rising and falling in rapid rhythm. “And I’m just going to keep saying no.”

She let out a little mewing sound and tried to jerk away, but he held her fast. Forced her to look at him. “Before we walk through that door, your body will know who owns it even as your mind rejects it. But deep down, where it counts, we’ll both know the truth.” He bit at her bottom lip and squeezed her thigh. “And there won’t be a corner dark enough for you to hide from the knowledge.”

He let her go. So fast, Violet fell into his lap. As if they’d been talking about the weather, he grasped her arm and straightened her into a sitting position. She was shaking, her body on fire.

Run!

She swallowed hard, breathing so fast her head started to spin. Panic clawed at her stomach. She couldn’t find the door. The room was too dark.

Run. Run. Run.

She couldn’t survive this, didn’t want to do this anymore. This was Ethan. Her friend, and all she saw when she looked at him was how incredibly dangerous he was. In five minutes he’d managed to arouse her to a state she’d never experienced with any other man. Her nipples were so hard they ached. Her pussy throbbed. Her panties were wet with the evidence of what Ethan Savage was doing to her.

Run! Get the hell out. Escape.

She pressed a trembling hand to her forehead. She was sweating.

A large, warm palm settled over her back and began to rub in slow, smooth circles. “Just take nice, easy breaths.”

She sucked air into her lungs. This wasn’t like the books.

“Don’t worry, sugar, I’ll take care of you.” His voice was like warm molasses sliding along her skin. “Trust me.”

“I don’t want to do this.” To her horror, her eyes filled with tears. She blinked them away.

His fingers grasped her chin, gentle this time. “Look at me, Violet.”

She didn’t want to but raised her eyes to his. He stroked her cheek, soft, a featherlight touch. “See past the panic. You want this.”

She shook her head. “This isn’t the same as thinking about it.”

Another stroke along her skin, a fraction of her anxiety edged away. “No, it’s not the same. What did you think giving up control would be like?”

“I d-don’t know.” Her voice broke, coming out like a baby bird’s. She was mortified. What was happening to her? “More fun.”

His fingers slid to the back of her neck and rubbed at the soft spot there. “Sometimes it’s more fun than others. When it’s all new, the intensity of your reactions can be scary. I want you to think, what’s really frightening you? Because I know you’re not turned-off.”

The tight coil in her chest loosened. Her breath slowed to where she was no longer in danger of passing out. “How do you know?”

“Because it’s my job to know.” He smiled then, looking just like the old Ethan, the one she knew and loved. The one she understood. “It’s okay to be scared. I promise to keep you safe. Do you want to continue? Or do you need a break?”

What did she want? Was it possible to want both at once? Would he let her leave? Would he back off? The Ethan she knew would, but she didn’t know this new Ethan enough to place her complete trust in him. But on the other hand, she couldn’t imagine walking out the door.

She’d never been so confused in her life. She cleared her throat. “If I needed a break, you’d let me?”

“Of course.” He continued his slow neck massage. “Let me lay it out for you. I have no interest or desire to coerce you into submission. You either give it to me freely or you don’t. It’s that simple. No force. No letting you. It’s your choice.”

This was the man she knew. She relaxed into his touch. He was still the same person. She had to keep remembering that. His core hadn’t changed.

He smiled. “There’s a catch. I can’t do vanilla with you. I just can’t. I want to own you. I can’t settle for less. So, when I offer a break, that’s all it is—a break until you feel safer. And there will be times where no break is offered, and you’ll just have to suffer through your panic, trusting me and yourself that you’ll get through it. Do you understand?”

She did and she didn’t. There was a weight to his words, and implication that her agreement bound her to him in some way. Did she want that?

She couldn’t imagine putting her trust in anyone else. She nodded. “Are you agreeing to my terms? Say the words.”

“I…” She cleared the hoarseness from her voice. “I agree.”

His blue eyes glittered with undisguised hunger. “Now do you need time to think?

Or do you want to continue?”

Today was her thirty-second birthday. She’d never been a coward and didn’t intend to start now. She’d squeezed the words past her tight throat. “I’d like to continue.”

“Good girl.” He leaned down and captured her mouth, kissing her with such ferocity she melted into him, those two little words igniting a fire inside her.

His tongue slid past her lips as if he had every right to do so, commanding her response. A tiny moan, lodged in her throat, escaped as his fingers wrapped around the back of her neck and squeezed, angling her head to the position he wanted.

The kiss felt like possession. Tasted like ownership.

Violet needed more. She moved forward, clutched at his shoulders. Her nails dug into his skin through the cotton. She wanted to climb into him. She needed closer. Needed to feel pressed against him. Needed pressure to relieve the ache between her legs.

He tore his mouth away, his ragged breaths matching her own. His forehead pressed against hers. “You’re going to be a little wildcat, aren’t you?”

She’d been called many things, but she’d never been mistaken for wild. Violet shook her head, unable to speak as she fought for air.

“Oh yes. And I’m going to draw it out of you, force you to embrace it. I’m going to feed it and encourage it ‘til you can’t remember being any other way.”

“You’re…crazy.” She wasn’t like that at all. “You can retract your claws now, Violet.”

What? She forced her heavy lids open. Her hands were buried into his shoulders. She snatched them away as though his skin were scalding. Her cheeks infused with heat. “Oh.”

His low, wicked laugh slid over her skin. He leaned back onto the couch and opened his legs, gesturing to the space he created. “Come here. I still need to give you your surprise.”

A sudden shyness crept through her. It seemed somehow improper to sit between his legs.

“This is an easy request, Violet. If this is too hard, maybe you need that break after all.”

Her chin shot up. What was the big deal? She stood, smoothing down her skirt then turning to face him. She stared at his lap, eyes widening at the large bulge between his legs.

She took a step toward him.

His hands shot out to grip her waist, putting a stop to her descent into his lap. “Wait.”

She frowned, her pulse kicking up. Why did she suddenly have a bad feeling?

His eyes gleamed with a carnal knowledge she couldn’t even begin to understand. “Take off your panties.”

She jerked, her hand coming up to cover her now-pounding heart. She swallowed past the fear clogging her throat. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

He grinned. “Now what fun would that be?”

“B-but, but…I don’t want to.” Her voice sounded so petulant she might as well have stomped her foot like a three-year-old.

“Too bad. Do it.” This time there was no teasing in his tone, only the command.

Her pussy clenched. Goose bumps popped up along her overheated skin. Why did she have to like this? And she did like it. The reality stirred a physical response that made her fantasies pale in comparison.

She could do this. She
would
do this. Fingers trembling, she reached under the hem of her tight dress. She gripped the waistband, peeled the panties down her legs and stepped out of them. She straightened, clutching the lace tight.

He held out a palm. “Hand them over.”

Not seeing much of a choice, she dropped them into his hand.

Her eyes widened as he rubbed the damp fabric between his thumb and forefinger.

Heat spread over her chest, up her neck.

“Come and sit.” He scooted back so there was enough room for her to be comfortable.

Surprised and grateful he didn’t mention the embarrassing state of her underwear she sank down between his splayed thighs. When she’d settled, he gripped her around the waist and nudged the curve of her ass against his erection. His lips skimmed her neck. “You think you’re wet now, just wait, I’m going to have you dripping.” His teeth grazed the corded muscle between her neck and shoulder.

“Oh!” She broke into a sweat. Mortification and arousal warred inside her.

At the front of the dark room, a spotlight went on. Violet gasped in disbelief. A tiny slip of a woman was on her knees, arms spread wide from a bar hanging from the ceiling.

Violet’s stomach did a double summersault. What the hell was going on?

“What—” Violet’s voice broke and trailed off.

“Shh, just watch. Trust me.” Ethan’s smooth voice soothed her ragged nerves.

Had the woman been listening to them? Before she had time to ponder or ask, a man wearing black pants and no shirt stepped out of the shadows. Violet flinched.
Oh my god!

The man was huge and scary, his muscles rippled under scrolling tattoos. His short blond hair emphasized the sharp, harsh angles of his beautiful, almost-savage face. He turned and looked straight at Violet. With the spotlight, she knew it was impossible to see more than an impression of her form, but it didn’t stop the impact of that piercing gaze. An angel, although whether he was sent from heaven or hell was too hard to say. She slid closer into Ethan. She gulped. “Who?”

“Caleb, a friend of mine. Relax, he’s going to give you a little show.”

Had they been here the entire time? Listening? Watching? “Have they—”

“Quiet.” Ethan’s tone implied if she didn’t obey there would be trouble. He skimmed his fingers along her collarbone. “You can ask questions later, now I want you to stop thinking and watch.”

Stop thinking? Was he insane? He might as well ask her to stop breathing.

The man up front—Caleb—turned to the woman kneeling on the hard wood. Her face was down, her gaze on the floor. He curled large fingers around her jaw and lifted her chin. He said something, but Violet couldn’t hear the words. She leaned forward, straining to hear. “What did he say?”

“What
I
said was no more questions,” Ethan growled the words so fiercely her spine went rigid.

She whipped around, mouth already open.

One look at Ethan and she snapped it shut. He raised one brow. “Let me explain how this works, Violet. I speak. You obey. Now sit back, be quiet and watch.”