Against the Odds Page 21

  Sid had to give Ethan credit, he had a great poker face. He sounded gruff and displeased, but Sid suspected it was more bluster than anything else. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

  “He has a talent for finding patterns that others miss. With his gift, he’s able to help in a way no one else can. I could never ask him to give that up. While I won’t enjoy knowing he’s in constant danger, I’ve learned there are no promises in this life. I’m going to take every minute we have together and live them to the fullest,” Alexa answered him somberly.

  Sid wished he was wearing a wire so he could hit rewind and hear her last sentence again and again. He hadn’t wanted to admit it, even to himself, but he’d been worried that she’d want him to find a niche somewhere in the fashion world. If she’d needed that of him, he would have made the best of it. He’d do just about anything to make her happy. Knowing that she felt the same way about him only proved they were soulmates.

  “You aren’t moving back to New York, are you?” Ethan asked.

  Alexa shook her head. “We’re buying some land and starting a horse rescue. I’ll take over whatever administrative duties that you need me to for Desman’s Designs, but I don’t want to change the direction. I think you’ve captured my parents’ vision. I’ll facilitate it in any way possible.”

  “I’ll arrange a meeting with the consortium. They’ll be relieved to know you’re supportive of the status quo.” He stared at Alexa for a moment. “I will admit that I’m disappointed I won’t be a larger part of your life. I’ve missed you, Lexi.”

  Tears filled Alexa’s eyes.

  “Have you considered retiring to Arizona? The sun shines about three hundred days a year.” Sid had already had his fill of cloudy skies. He could imagine Ethan might be ready for a change of scenery.

  “After serving on the equestrian board for the last twenty years, I do know a thing or two about horses.” Ethan seemed to ponder the idea. “I suppose there are enough shopping centers in the Wild West to keep my wife happy.”

  Epilogue

  Alexa looked up at the star-filled sky as she and Sid walked hand in hand along the candlelit path. Their wedding reception was still in full swing. Both music and laughter echoed off the canyon walls as their friends continued to celebrate.

  After being alone for so long, with no true friends to share her life, the sound brought tears to her eyes.

  “Are you upset that I didn’t want to go to a hotel tonight?” She’d never thought she’d have a real home, somewhere she could put down roots. She couldn’t think of a place she’d rather spend their first evening together as husband and wife.

  He slid his hand to her ass and gave her teasing swat. “Hell no. For what I have planned, our secluded ranch is much better. I wouldn’t want my brothers in blue to show up unannounced.”

  Alexa bumped her hip into his playfully as she laughed. “Yeah, that might be embarrassing.” Considering how vocal she’d become, it was also a real possibility.

  As they topped the rise, their house came into view. It was more ostentatious than anything she’d ever expected to own, but she loved every inch of it. It was open, with cathedral ceilings and large, expansive windows. The kitchen was a chef’s dream that she was just learning how to use. Aside from the master suite, there were four additional bedrooms. She rubbed her hand protectively over her tummy. If everything continued to go well, in about seven months one of those rooms would have an occupant. One more unexpected gift Sid had given her.

  “I love you, Sid.”

  On the porch, he pulled her into his arms. “And I love you, Alexa. You are my life.”

  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he carried her over the threshold. Alexa didn’t care that she was looking at him with stars in her eyes. She loved him and she never wanted him to doubt it.

  Sid leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. Sparks crackled between them. She rested her head against his chest as his kiss deepened. His tongue danced with hers, building a fire she knew would never go out. For the first time in her adult life, she’d found a home.

  As their lips parted, he allowed her feet to touch the floor. He held her a moment longer, his gaze heated and dominant.

  “Go to our room and present for me.”

  “Yes, Sir.” Alexa kissed his cheek demurely. She’d been teasing him all day and she knew he would make her pay for it. Her heart tripped expectantly as she lifted her dress and took off down the hall giggling.

  She kicked her shoes in the direction of their large walk-in closet and slid the side zipper down, allowing her to step out of the dress she’d designed for both elegance and easy removal. Their playtime was far beyond anything Alexa had ever considered possible. She didn’t want anything as inconsequential as a dress to get in the way.

  On the bed, she noticed Sid had laid out several bundles of their new teal hemp ropes next to a towel. Considering how bumpy it was, she knew it hid several toys. She was tempted to peek, but she decided the thrill of surprise was better.

  Alexa took a deep breath then dropped to her knees on a pad next to Sid’s side of the bed. She criss-crossed her hands and linked her fingers behind her back and waited. Her excitement was palpable. It took a few moments to clear her head.

  Sid stopped in the doorway with his tie and shirt in his hand. “I am a lucky, lucky man.” He tossed his clothes on top of her dress. “I want to see you, just like that, every evening. Will you do that for me?”

  She couldn’t keep the smile from touching her lips. “With pleasure.” The look on his face and the bulge in his pants was something she wanted to see again and again.

  “Are you ready, baby?”

  “I was born ready.” She infused amusement into her voice, but it was the truth. She believed she was meant to be with Sid.

  Sid chuckled then bent down and picked her up. He tossed her on the bed. “Lay on your stomach with your hands behind your back.”

  Sid wrapped two strands of rope around her wrists. The tails danced across her thigh and along her ass cheek as he made three passes. Her breath caught in her chest when he tightened the knot.

  “How does that feel, Mrs. Townsend?” he whispered near her ear.

  “Strict,” she answered, anxious for more.

  “I’m just getting started.” He grabbed another bundle and began securing her ankles. “You made Ethan a very happy man this afternoon.”

  “It was sweet of him to give me away. I’m so glad he and Bridget decided to move near us.” She was finding it hard to concentrate as the fibers vibrated with each pass Sid made.

  “He sure knows his way around a horse. It’s embarrassing that an old man can ride circles around me, but I am picking up a few pointers from him,” Sid grumbled.

  Alexa laughed. “I’m sure you could show him a thing or two about knots.”

  “Damn straight.” He swatted her ass. “Spread your legs.”

  “How?” she complained. “You tied my feet together.”

  “Bend your knees,” he ordered as he pulled her feet closer to her butt. “I’m so glad your wrist is healed. I’ve been thinking about this position for a while now. I love how much control it gives me.”

  “As if that matters. You may torture me for a bit, but you always bring me great pleasure.” So much so that she craved their alone time together. Each scene he planned felt more intense than the last. It was frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

  “Remember that as you beg me to stop.”

  Her stomach bottomed out and her pussy grew wetter. Would he push her that far again? God, she hoped so.

  Sid pulled another section of hemp from the pile he’d laid on the bed. The bindings at her ankles tightened seconds before she felt more vibrations along her wrists.

  Her heart fluttered as he drew her into a taut bow. The muscles along her back strained to comply. Her brain slowed as she forced her body to relax and remain pliant.

  “Good girl. I love the way you give yourself in
to my keeping.” Sid pulled her hair into a ponytail and secured it with a thin piece of rope.

  She felt something brush along each shoulder and she realized he was braiding the rope into her hair. Her mind whirled for a moment as she considered what he must have planned. She didn’t have long to ponder. Alexa groaned as he attached the rope to the bindings at her ankles. The discomfort bordered on painful as she tested to see how much movement was available to her. To ease the ache at her scalp, she had to arch her back at a wholly unnatural angle.

  “You’ve been a brat all day. Are you ready to face the consequences?”

  “Yes.” She smiled. Throughout the day she’d teased him, knowing he wouldn’t have the opportunity to do anything about it.

  Sid grasped her arms and moved her around until her breasts were resting off the edge of the bed.

  “I suggest you keep your wiggling to a minimum.” He chuckled, as if finding her precarious position amusing.

  She knew he would never let her fall, but the sheer possibility heightened her need.

  Alexa’s pussy clenched as Sid kicked off his shoes and unzipped his tuxedo pants, allowing his cock to spring free. She licked her lips in anticipation.

  “This morning at breakfast, you were incorrigible. I warned you I would exact my revenge and you just laughed. You obviously need a lesson in respect.”

  She couldn’t help but smile remembering his discomfort as she’d reached under the table and begun stroking his cock. Ethan and Bridget had been seated in the bench across from them.

  “You were merciless as you brought me to the brink time and time again.

  “I’m sorry.” She giggled. “You handled it very well, though. I’m sure our guests had no idea.”

  He gave the cheek of her ass a loud smack. “Like hell you’re sorry.”

  “It was fun,” she admitted.

  “You’re going to learn payback’s a bitch, baby. I’m going to torture you until I come. I suggest you use that highly talented mouth of yours to the best of your ability.” He laughed as if he knew something she didn’t.

  Alexa was eager to begin. Sucking his cock always made her needy as hell, and the strict position he’d tied her in already had her wanting to play.

  “Open wide, brat.”

  With her ponytail attached to her ankles she didn’t really have any choice in the matter and they both knew it. He used her shoulders to rock her forward and back as he fucked her mouth. After a few strokes, he paused and withdrew.

  “Feels good, doesn’t it, baby?” He gazed down at her with love.

  “Yes, it does.” Something in his tone told her he was toying with her. She knew she was in trouble. A naughty thrill coursed through her, pebbling her nipples.

  “But you need more don’t you?”

  More? “Well, I think you do. I had just barely gotten started.”

  He grabbed the rope securing her hands to her feet and steadied her as he walked around to the other side of the bed. She couldn’t see what he was doing, but she remembered the items he’d hidden under the towel.

  “This should make the game a little more interesting,” he mused, before flipping the switch to their Hitachi.

  “Oh God.” She was already aroused and knew she wouldn’t last long. Would he turn it off once she came? She knew the odds weren’t in her favor. Alexa attempted to bow her head in defeat, but the rope held her firmly in his control.

  Being completely at his mercy had her teetering on the edge. Fear mingled with desire as he strapped the vibrator to her thigh using his discarded belt.

  “How are you doing, baby?” He rubbed his thumb along her cheek.

  Forming words was beyond her ability, but she nodded as much as the ropes would allow her.

  “If you need to stop wiggle your fingers. That will be your safeword for the time being. Show me that you understand.”

  She frantically moved her hands, needing him to give her access to his cock again. There was no way she could hold out for long, though she was learning she could somewhat modulate the intensity along her clit by moving her leg farther to the side. The problem was it pulled like the dickens at her ankles and scalp.

  “Hungry, baby?” he asked devilishly.

  “Yes,” she whispered before opening her mouth wider.

  She groaned as his hard cock slid between her lips. With her tongue, she swirled around the ridge as he began to rock her back and forth. On the outward stroke she screamed as the vibrator pressed firmly against her clit, sending her into a strong orgasm. Her eyes felt as if they’d rolled back in her head as he fucked her mouth. After a few moments the thrums of pleasure slowed enough that she could catch her breath and she heard him murmuring to her.

  “That was beautiful, baby. So pretty. I can’t wait to watch your next one.”

  She tried to shake her head, but each turn yanked her hair fiercely. The Hitachi continued to buzz. To ease the torture on her clit, she was forced to keep the ropes pulled taut.

  “Time to take it to the next level.”

  What? Before her brain could engage enough to form the word, her gaze fell to the butt plug Sid was holding out for her to see.

  “You always come so much harder when your kegel has something to clamp on to.”

  The magnitude of the situation she was in finally became clear.

  He took his time applying the lube to the glistening stainless steel shaft. As his fingers slid the length of it and twisted along the neck, she knew she was lost. By the time he came, there’d be nothing left of her.

  Sid coated the entrance of her ass and pushed the plug against her opening. Just as he’d taught her, she pushed back, allowing it to fill her. Before she knew it, the toy was in place, and just that fast the pleasure started to build again.

  She licked her lips, silently begging him to give her his cock.

  “Eager, aren’t you, my love?”

  As he plundered her mouth, she noticed he was absolutely rock-hard. She tried to ignore the demonic device sending her clit into a nuclear meltdown and focus on bringing Sid as much pleasure as he always gave her, but it was damn near impossible. Each time she moved, the wand made direct contact. She fought the sensations as best she could. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she concentrated, but it was too much.

  Her second orgasm tore through her with more force than the first. She trembled with each aftershock.

  “You almost got me on that one. God, you’re breathtaking.” Sid kissed her forehead and ran his hands down her arms and squeezed her feet.

  While his touch was pure heaven, she knew he wasn’t finished with her. He’d promised to torture her until she safeworded or he came, and she’d learned over the last few months that Sid always kept his word.

  Desperation was a living, breathing entity residing inside her now. She didn’t know how much more she could take, but she’d be damned if she was going to safeword on their wedding night.

  Sid grasped her breast and pinched her nipple until she moaned. “Oh, I’m sorry, baby. Please forgive me for being so neglectful. The girls want attention too, don’t they?”

  She heard the jangling of clamps and knew what he had in store for her. As the metal bit into the tender peak, sending fire through the left side of her chest, her brain rebelled. “No, don’t do it. I can’t take any more.”

  A rumble of laughter shook his chest as he clamped her other nipple. “Don’t be silly, baby. You’d be angry with me if I left you lopsided.”

  He knew her so well. Had he stopped, she really would have been disappointed. She also had complete faith that if she wiggled her fingers, he’d not only stop, but have her out of the bindings so fast it would make her head spin.

  “Are you ready to come for me one more time, Mrs. Townsend?”

  Her body was thrumming as her third orgasm started to build. She managed to form the words, “Bring it,” as she sent him a playful wink.

  He growled as he thrust his cock into her mouth. Each stroke took him deep. The
chain on the clamps bounced against the mattress, accentuating the erotic bite along her tender nipples.

  His balls grew tight, telling her he was close. Sweet victory was within reach. She relaxed her throat muscles and took him deeper. On the outward stroke, she swirled her tongue over the head, reveling in feel of him. He slid home as the initial surge from her third orgasm began. Sid’s guttural shout signaled he was right there with her. Together they rode each wave of pleasure.

  “Oh, baby, one of these days you’re gonna kill me doing that.” Sid sat tailor fashion on the ground beside the bed as if his legs could no longer hold him up. “Hang on, this is going to smart a bit,” he warned her as he unclipped the first nipple clamp.

  She whimpered and struggled against the bindings until Sid’s mouth eased the ache. His touch turned the discomfort into sweet delight. He removed the other clamp before she could worry too much about it. Immediately, he swirled his tongue over the nipple.

  After a few moments, he stood and began removing the restraints. “One day soon, I’m going to take pictures of you bound like this. I want you to see how erotic the ropes look against your skin.”

  “I’d like that.” They’d spent a lot of time talking about the traumatic experiences she’d gone through. They both knew they weren’t going to just disappear, but Sid had been patiently replacing each terrifying memory with new ones. When he grabbed her from behind, instead of reliving the rape, she now anticipated his fingers tickling her until she laughed so hard tears rushed down her cheeks. The smell of smoke reminded her of their evenings making love in front of their outdoor firepit. Sid had earned her trust. She believed he’d never hurt her, and if she needed more time he’d always give it.

  “Scoot to the middle of the bed, Alexa. I’m going to draw a bath.” Sid waited until she was safely in the center of the mattress.

  Shortly after the water had begun to fill the tub, Alexa smelled her favorite bath salts. She closed her eyes as the eucalyptus and spearmint scent brought a flood of soothing memories.