Chapter 43

Colette stared into Landon's warm, dark gaze as he slowly drew her arms up over her head. He was gripping her wrists, just below the still-tender places where the chain had dug into the base of her hands.

She was okay until he stretched her arms up high enough her upper arms touched her ears.

"S-stop," she stammered, shocked by sudden onset of terror.

Landon immediately released her. "Good. Well done, love."

The minute he let her go she started to calm, the fact that he let her go soothing something deep inside her.

"I think we say no arms over your head, standing up or lying down."

She winced. "But that means there are so many things we can't?—"

Landon shoved his knee between her legs. "Spread."

She stepped wide, unsure of what he was doing, but trusting him completely. With her legs spread, she was highly aware of how wet her sex was from just his soft words and softer kiss. Landon nudged the inside of one ankle, urging her a little wider.

Then he took hold of her wrists once more, drawing her arms not straight up, but up and out.

Colette tipped her head back against the wall, breathing through her open mouth as desire and submission rolled through her.

"How does that feel?" he murmured.

"Good, Mast?—"

"No, just Landon for now. I don't want you tempering your reactions to match what you think it is I want. Try and stay out of subspace."

"You want me to not feel submissive, while you're holding me like this?"

His grin was slow and warm. "Fair enough, love. And this isn't scaring you?"

"No."

He lifted her hands a few inches, forcing her arms straight.

"Still okay," she murmured.

"Good." He pressed his lips to her ear. "That means I can strap you to a St. Andrew's cross."

The knot of worry inside her loosened a little.

Landon released her wrists, gripped her hips, and yanked her forward. His knee was still braced against the wall between her legs, and now she was riding his thigh, the pressure against her pussy delicious.

She worked herself on his thick, hard leg, sliding her hands up his chest and into his hair.

"Are you trying to tempt me into fucking you?" he asked.

"Is it working?"

"Damned fucking close. But not yet." He smacked her ass, the sting muted by the fabric of the pants she still wore.

Colette didn't hide her frustration as he withdrew his leg from between hers and stepped back.

Landon dropped down to sit on the edge of the bed, his expression sober.

"What else do we need to test, Colette?"

She looked down, seriously considering saying she couldn't think of anything so they could have sex.

She wouldn't do that, to either of them.

Reaching for the hem of her blouse, Colette pulled it up and off.

Landon leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together, watching attentively as she stripped.

"Being naked while other people are clothed?" He frowned. "That night when we cut off the chains, I had you naked with Rolf and Andrei…"

Colette shook her head, gathering up her discarded clothes and draping them over her suitcase, which sat beside his. She was highly aware of how odd she looked—bandages on her nipples, breasts spotted with bruises.

"Even though I've never subbed for them, in my mind, Andrei and Rolf are safe Doms, and they were acting as Doms while they helped you. They're men I'm safe with. Men who wouldn't touch me or hurt me without my permission, and if they did, anything they did to me would be to satisfy both of us." She hesitantly looked at him. "Is that…okay?"

"That you view them as Doms? Of course. It's expected, given that both of them took care of you. That you feel safe with them? I'm glad."

She let her shoulders slump. "Thank you."

"Love, you don't have to thank me. You may be mine, but I don't own you."

She smiled, because as odd as that sentence was, she understood perfectly.

"I, uh, would prefer not to share you." Landon rubbed the back of his neck. "If that's something you need, we can talk about it?—"

"No," she said immediately. "I don't want anyone but you."

"Then come here."

She went to him eagerly, anticipating his touch, but he gripped her shoulders gently.

"What else, Colette? If it isn't being naked while I'm not, what is it?"

Rather than reply, she lay on the bed. The eyelet duvet cover was slightly rough against her back as she positioned herself in the middle of the bed.

Landon stood at the edge, watching her carefully.

Breathing slow and deep, Colette started to put her hands over her head, but he stopped her.

"No, love. You'll never be in that position."

She nodded, and instead tucked her hands under her butt.

"Lie down next to me," she said. "Facing me."

Slowly, Landon climbed onto the bed, stretching out beside her on his side.

Colette closed her eyes, focusing on her body as she spread her legs.

"You're breathing fast," he murmured. "Like you're starting to panic."

"I'm okay. I'm okay. You have to touch me."

"Where?"

"My pussy. Put one finger in me."

Landon's hand cupped her, one finger sliding between her labia. He stroked her clit and she arched up, moaning.

Once her ass hit the bed, she opened her eyes, looking at him in exasperation. "You're not supposed to play with my clit and make me feel good."

He snorted. "There is no reality in which, when I touch your pussy, I'm not going to do everything in my power to make you feel good."

Her hips were rocking in little motions as he continued to tease her clit. "You're the one who suggested we do this."

"And now I'm making sure you know that any time these pretty legs are spread and my hand is on you…"

His finger slid down to her entrance. "In you…"

He thrust his finger in, and she arched up once more—back straining, shoulders tense—as pleasure swept through her, hot but soft.

"It will only be to please you," he finished.

He thrust in and out a few times, then went back to playing with her clit. "Hmm, I shouldn't have said only. I may touch and play with your pussy to tease you. Not let you come. Touch you everywhere but where you want me too." He traced the inside of her labia while avoiding her clit.

"And what if I'm dry?" she whispered.

Landon kissed her neck, her ear. "Love, how often is your pussy dry when you're near me? Be honest."

"Arrogant," she moaned.

"Factual," he countered. "The same way, every time you smile, my cock gets hard. Even when that smile means you've done something that's going to make me want to put you over my knee."

"Can we do that now?" she moaned. Being blissed out from a spanking sounded perfect.

"No. Though I have been thinking about something."

"Will you tell me?"

"Yes. I've been imagining making you tell me everything you've stolen."

"Why? It will only make you stressed."

"Because not knowing is making me crazy. I keep imagining everything that could have gone wrong. All the ways I could have lost you."

"You want to know about the heists then, not the actual art."

"I guess so." His finger drew tight circles around her clit.

"I'm close," she breathed.

"Good. As you come I want you to picture something."

Her reply was a moan.

"I'm going to spank you, hard, for each heist. Not one spank per theft, one spanking session."

"Spank me?" she whimpered.

"Naughty behavior gets punished," he purred in her ear. "You'll probably want to beg me to spread them out, so you don't end up over my knee every night for two weeks as we work through your list of crimes."

Colette came, turning her face into Landon's shoulder as she moaned.

Landon kept his hand on and in her pussy throughout, gentle with her clit, less gentle with the two fingers that tunneled into her.

The orgasm was soft and swift.

It barely took the edge off.

Landon stroked her clit one last time, then laid his palm on her belly.

"Did I give you permission to come?"

Her eyes popped open, protest on her lips until she saw his expression. He was grinning down at her.

"You're terrible."

"You were worried there for a second."

"Of course I was."

"Because you're a good girl who would never come without permission?"

"Because those life-like sex dolls with working cocks are expensive, and hard to transport. It would be inconvenient to get one to replace you."

Landon roared with laughter, rolling onto his back and pulling her on top of him. Colette ground her pussy against the hard ridge of his cock still trapped in his pants. She was definitely leaving a wet spot. Good.

Landon's hot gaze trailed up her, but his expression went serious as he studied her breasts.

Colette considered covering herself, but looked away, towards the window and the British countryside painted gold by sunset.

"What else, Colette?" Landon asked after a long silence.

She closed her eyes. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to wear metal restraints."

He rubbed her thighs, the warmth against her naked skin feeling delicious. "I'll only use leather."

"I don't want to be pierced."

"Of course not."

"Anywhere," she clarified, dismounting to kneel beside him. She squeezed her thighs together. "Ever."

"Look at me." When she did, Landon searched her expression. "Why ‘anywhere'? Did something else happen, besides the abuse to your nipples?"

She slid down to lay beside him and tucked her chin, staring at the little hollow at the base of his throat. "After they finished with my nipples, the one who liked piercing?—"

"Tonsure?"

"Yes, him." It made her smile that he'd used her odd nickname. The smile didn't last. "He tried to convince Damien to let him pierce my pussy, too."

"Did he?" Landon's voice was dangerously soft.

"No. Damien touched me while he thought about it."

"Touched you here?" Landon gently spread her legs, cupping her sex.

"Yes. He decided that, after we got married and he fucked me, then he'd have chastity piercings put in. Five rings on each side. And then he'd lock them closed." Her voice started to shake, and she couldn't seem to stop it. "Ten. That would be ten times they'd shove a needle through me?—"

Colette hadn't realized how terrified she'd been by the casual promise of future pain, until she choked on her own words.

Landon's arms came around her, his leg hooking over her bare ones.

"No one's going to do that to you," he promised. "No one is ever going to pierce you or hurt you again without your consent."

The terror that had made her shiver was no match for the warmth and power of Landon's body wrapped over hers. Tucked up against him, she could just see a sliver of the ceiling. She watched the gold light slowly fade. With each breath she grew calmer.

Eventually, she eased back, his arms relaxing—holding, but not restricting.

She tipped her head to meet his gaze.

"There's one more thing…place," she said.

He tucked her hair behind her ear. "Your breasts?"

She nodded.

"That's one we'll have to leave until later. You still need time to heal."

Colette rolled onto her back, exposing her chest. The rectangular bandages over each nipple looked almost like ugly nipple pasties.

"There was something I wanted to ask." Landon went up on one elbow, looking down at her breasts, his expression stark.

"Yes?"

"I put some love bites on you."

She knew what he was going to ask, and wished he wouldn't.

"Did he do this to you…" He traced the edge of one of the suction bruises. "Because of what I did first?"

"He knew."

At that Landon frowned. "Knew what?"

"That you were hiding me in Club Alibi. And what kind of place it was." She'd told his boss, Anu, during the medical exam, using the recitation as a way to distract herself from what the nurses were doing.

His jaw muscles flexed. "Novak."

"Maybe," she agreed. "Though Damien didn't know I was a thief, and if Novak was helping him, wouldn't he have told Damien everything Interpol knew or suspected about me?"

"True." Landon was frowning in thought.

"Damien's conclusion was that I'd been a topless server at a sex club, and the marks were men…testing…what they could do before purchasing some other woman's services."

"Was this before or after he concluded you were a virgin?"

"After."

"But he bit you because I had." Landon's expression was grim.

"He bit me because he was a psychopath," she snapped, not about to lose Landon to guilt-wallowing.

He nodded once, then started to sit up. "This raises some more questions about exactly what Novak's role was. I fucking know he's?—"

Colette pressed her finger to his lips. "Landon?"

He raised brow, relaxing back onto the bed.

"I don't want to talk about Interpol right now."

His eyes traced down to her lips.

"I would like my Dom, who now knows all my hard limits, new and old, to touch me. I want you to erase the memory of every other man from my body with your hands."