Discovering Pleasure Page 4

  “Really? You’ll help me?” she asked. All her life she could only depend upon herself. She loved Nathan and trusted him, but it had never entered her mind that he would help share this burden. Rose smiled, seeing the compassion and love in Nathan’s eyes.

  “Of course, I will, Rose. I will always be there to help and support you even if you try to push me away. You feel better?” he asked.

  Her arse cheeks stinging, her anus still on fire, her face wet with tears, Rose giggled. “Actually, I feel wonderful,” she admitted. And she did. For the first time since receiving the letter, she felt free and light-hearted.

  Nathan laughed, scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. His lips captured hers in a demanding kiss. He laid her gently on the bed and began to remove his clothes. Rose stared, mesmerised by sight of his body—his broad, hairy chest, his dark, hungry eyes.

  “You still feeling the effects of that ginger?” he questioned.

  “I am,” she admitted.

  “Good. It should last a bit longer and then slowly fade. Your ass sore?”

  “Yes, my Lord. It burns beautifully from your hand.”

  Nathan smiled, spread her legs and knelt between them. He dug his hands into the tender flesh of her abused buttocks as he positioned himself before her. With maddening slowness, he entered her. She clenched the muscles of her vagina around his rod, drawing him inside her. When he was fully encased, he eased himself down on top of her, grasping her hair.

  “My sweet, sweet, Rose,” he whispered and began his gentle, rhythmic dance.

  Rose tipped her head back slightly, arching her back, following his movements step for step. Her hips moulded to his as he made love to her. The heat in her womb grew even as the fire in her anus dissipated until again, passion’s flame consumed all rational thought. She wrapped her legs around him.

  When she felt Nathan’s body tense, she begged him, “Please, Nathan. Please, suck my nipples. I want to come with you.”

  Nathan dipped his head and captured a pink bud in his mouth as he continued to thrust into her. He chewed and the painful pleasure radiated throughout her body, lifting her soul to a dizzying height. Suddenly, Nathan cried out, clenching his teeth around the bruised nipple and pushed himself to her very core. Stars exploded as she gratefully opened her body to Nathan’s.

  She floated back to earth, filled with a sense of love and security, knowing she was safe in the arms of the man she loved.

  Chapter Six

  Blush—A blend of Concord and the native American Niagara grape producing a smooth, sweet wine that slides effortlessly down the throat.

  “So, how do you want to handle this?” Nathan asked the next morning.

  He’d got up early and fixed tea for Rose. She looked so damned cute sitting across from him in her sparkling clean kitchen. Her hair was a tangled mess, her eyes bleary and she had an indentation on the side of her face where she’d scrunched into a pillow for half the night. He was definitely a morning person, but Rose…not so much.

  “Handle what?” she enquired, slurring her words around the mug of tea.

  Nathan rolled his eyes. He should have known not to broach a serious subject before her second cup of tea.

  “Your father?” he prompted.

  Rose gently set the hot mug on the table and sighed deeply before answering. Nathan watched her, giving her the time she needed to gather her thoughts.

  “Well,” she began, “I suppose I should contact those lawyers who sent me that letter. Do you remember who they were?”

  “Actually, I can do better than that,” he answered carefully. “I had a feeling you’d change your mind, so I swiped the letter out of the trash last week. You want to write or call them?”

  Nathan held his breath while he watched first disbelief, then anger, then finally acceptance play across Rose’s face. Very little frightened him, but the fact that he’d gone directly against her wishes could set her off and the thought of an angry red-headed woman terrified him.

  “I see,” she said. “Well, normally I’d be pissed as hell that you’d done that, but in truth, I’m relieved.”

  Nathan’s heart melted just a little when she smiled at him.

  “I guess calling would be the most expedient, but I have to admit, I’m more than a bit intimidated by the idea of talking to lawyers.”

  “Your other option is to have me call as your representative,” Nathan offered. “As a Private Investigator, I could easily act as your proxy and get a better feel for whether these guys are above board or not.”

  Rose took several sips of tea. Nathan knew better than to rush her, so he got up, kissed the top of her mussed head then wandered into the bathroom to take a shower. As he stood beneath the stinging jets of water, he remembered the night before and a smile played over his lips. Rose’s perfect little ass, two fiery red globes and the ginger plug peeking out. Nathan felt himself get hard thinking about her.

  “Need someone to wash your back?”

  Nathan grinned seeing his little witch leaning against the shower door, naked and smiling like a cat who had just slurped up a bowl of cream. If it was cream she wanted, it was cream she’d get.

  “Now do I look stupid enough to turn down an offer like that?” he asked, stepping back to make room for her.

  The warm water splashed off her shoulders and her hair turned a darker shade of copper as the water slicked it against her head and back. She lifted her face to the water, opening her mouth slightly. Nathan could barely breathe. She was so incredibly beautiful. She looked at him and smiled, wagging her eyebrows up and down, a bar of soap in her hand.

  Nathan turned around and closed his eyes as she rubbed and cleaned his back with her wet, soapy hand. She massaged his muscles along his spine, his ribs, his lower back. He sucked in his breath when she reached his buttocks. Her hands felt so good—so small and strong. She reached around his hips, working the soft lather into his curly pubic hair. He groaned as her delicate fingers cupped his balls and slid up and down his shaft. God above, but he loved his life.

  “Little Rose, you’re killin’ me,” he ground out through clenched teeth. Hell, if she kept this up, he’d lose his load any moment now.

  “Hmmm,” she murmured. “I wouldn’t want to do that. Why don’t you turn around and I’ll see if I can’t revive you instead?”

  “Witch,” he muttered, but did as she requested.

  He raised his hands to grasp her hair, but she was gone. He looked down at the top of her slick, red head. She was so beautifully exquisite. His balls turned into hard rocks as her mouth descended on the tip of his cock. It took all of his self-control not to face-fuck her right then, but he wanted to give her the illusion of control—let her pleasure him at her own pace. But shit, if she continued to torture his cock with those sweet little licks he didn’t know how long he’d last. Nathan heard her sigh then finally, finally, felt her hot mouth encompass his girth. Her lips tightened around him and she sucked deeply, drawing him down her throat. She reached around and cradled his buttocks, one soapy finger sliding up and down his ass crack. He sucked in his breath sharply as she slowly inserted one finger into his anus. Jesus! He fought for control. If she kept this up, he’d climax faster than a teenager on his first date.

  He looked down at Rose to find her face tipped back, gaze on him.

  “You keep that up and I’ll shoot right down your throat,” he warned.

  Keeping her bottom lip on the head of his penis, she smiled, her eyes bright emeralds. “Please, my Lord. Feed me,” she begged.

  She plunged her finger deeper into his anus, putting pressure against his prostate. Nathan grabbed her wet head and pushed her mouth down his shaft. If that’s what she wanted, he’d be more than happy to oblige. Fuck, but she felt good. So very good. Nathan rocked his hips faster and felt the pressure build. Glancing down, he saw her looking at him, her eyes begging him to spill his seed. He gave one more powerful thrust, her greedy mouth sucking for more. He cried ou
t, exploding, giving her the food she craved. Not once did she gag or pull back. Not once did she whimper. Her clever little tongue wrapped around his shaft and licked every drop from the tip of his cock.

  He leant back against the shower wall and reached down to help her to her feet, but she resisted. Instead, she rubbed her cheek along his thigh, massaging his legs.

  “Oh, Nathan. I love you,” she murmured, kissing each of his balls in turn. “You make me so happy. I’ve never felt this complete, this much of a woman.”

  Nathan’s heart melted. What the hell he had done to deserve this woman and her love, he had no idea, but he was grateful. This time, she didn’t resist him as he held her arms and lifted her to her feet. He held her face in his hands and kissed her gently, so very gently.

  “And I, little Rose, love you. I swear to you, I will always protect you and care for you. I’m not in this for the short term, baby. I plan to stay around for a long, long time.”

  Chapter Seven

  Mystery—A semi-sweet rosé blended perfectly to produce an unusual combination of raspberry and citrus. Delightful with grilled chicken salad.

  Nathan sat in the apartment over Vince’s bar. Since Joe and Vince had married, the small shotgun apartment had remained empty. After he had attained his PI licence, Nathan had rented the apartment for his office. The small space afforded him a bedroom and enough room for a computer, fax machine, file cabinets and assorted other equipment. Vince rented it to him for a very reasonable cost with the expectation of extra help in the bar when needed. Nathan didn’t mind. He rather liked helping out at the bar, meeting people, hanging out with Joe and Vince. Besides, during the harsh St. Louis winters, this arrangement saved him from driving up and down icy hills, which the city rarely salted. He also liked to keep his investigative work separate from his private life as much as possible and having an office in his own home would have made that impossible. Between his investments and his PI work, Nathan had been able to quit working security at the boating casino. He wasn’t obscenely wealthy, but he also wasn’t hurting for money.

  Nathan stared at the notes he had just taken during the phone call to Miller and Miller, the law firm which represented Charles Brodemeyer, the man claiming to be Rose’s father. Apparently, the man had enjoyed a one-night stand with Melinda Hester during a wild Hallowe’en party at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Figures. SIUC used to be known as a party school until about five years ago when the authorities had cracked down on under-aged drinking and public nudity. Brodemeyer and Melinda had met at a fraternity party and got along immediately. Mr Brodemeyer had attempted to contact Rose’s mother after the event through a mutual friend but, after a month or two, had lost interest when he’d received no word from her. He seemed to have disappeared for about a year, then had re-enroled at the university, graduated with an agricultural degree and had gone on to earn a Master of Business Administration two years later. About five years ago, he’d purchased a run-down winery in Cobden and was working to turn a profit, but with the economy down and the recent drought, the winery wasn’t doing as well as could be expected.

  On the personal side, Charles Brodemeyer had married shortly after receiving his MBA and had one son. His wife had passed away a few years previously after losing her battle with breast cancer. The mutual friend from college who had originally introduced him to Melinda Hester had told him of Melinda’s death and mentioned the possibility of a daughter. Apparently, Brodemeyer had had no idea of Rose’s existence up to that point and was anxious to make her acquaintance.

  Nathan rubbed a hand over his face and smooth head. From what he could tell, the guy was legit. While his winery wasn’t doing great, it was holding its own. Brodemeyer paid his taxes on time, had few outstanding bills, was a member of the local chamber of commerce and had even been an Eagle Scout. Nathan had spent the last six hours trying to dig up some dirt on this guy and so far, there just wasn’t any dirt to be found. Still, something tickled the back of his brain and he thought it best to proceed with caution. Maybe he and Rose should take a little trip down to Southern Illinois for a day or so and scout out the terrain. For that matter, maybe he could talk Joe and Vince into coming down with them under the pretence of checking out new wines for What’s Your Pleasure. That way, they could ask questions about the winery and its owner without arousing suspicion.

  * * * *

  “Next week?” Vince asked as he wiped down a table. “Yeah. I think we can do that. Mike and the new bartender, Joyce, can handle the place for a few days. And my mom would love the chance to spoil Cain.”

  Nathan grinned. He had no doubt Mrs Milo would spoil seven-year-old Cain, Joe and Vince’s adopted son. If any woman was meant to be a doting grandmother, she was certainly the one.

  “Besides,” Vince continued, “maybe a little trip will distract Joe. I love the woman, but Christ, she’s making me crazy.”

  Nathan laughed. “She’s been doin’ that since the minute she walked into this bar lookin’ for a job, buddy. What makes now so different?”

  “Remember her talking about a cousin who lives over in England?”

  “Yeah. Isn’t she a 24/7 submissive or something?” Nathan asked, intrigued.

  “That’s the one. Alicia. She’s a personal chef—actually taught Joe to make an incredible chicken salad—and married her Dominant, Maverick Devonshire, about a year or so ago. Far as I know, they live the lifestyle totally. Joe told me about how Alicia greets her husband whenever he demands, and let me just say, it’s brilliant.

  “Anyway, she’s coming to visit in a few weeks and Joe is going nuts cleaning the house and other things only women seem to know or care about. She’s redecorated the guest room, stocked up on some English foo-foo tea, bought a damned ceramic tea pot…all kinds of shit,” Vince rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Hell, I had to give her a good, old-fashioned over-the-knee spanking last night just to calm her down.”

  “And that was one hell of a hardship, wasn’t it?” Nathan quipped back.

  Vince didn’t bother answering the question—he just grinned and sipped his beer.

  “Devonshire?” Nathan pondered. “Isn’t there a photographer by that name?”

  Vince nodded. “Same guy. He’s going to try to come as well, but apparently he’s finishing some big shoot and he’s not sure he can get away. I kind of hope he does. It would be interesting to talk to a guy who has a totally submissive wife.”

  Nathan nodded in agreement. A totally submissive wife. Now that was something to consider. He rather liked Rose’s independence and the idea of someone serving him night and day kind of made his skin crawl, but he’d been doing some research into domestic discipline and felt sure Rose would be curious as well. She’d have the structure she needed but they could both have freedom and autonomy. Hell, she was the one who had insisted on that submissive contract they’d worked out but he had to admit he wasn’t entirely comfortable with it. He had no wish to dampen her fire in any way. Still, she’d said that after her topsy-turvy childhood she wanted the assurance that a written contract gave her, but wasn’t ready for marriage yet. Truth be told, neither was he.

  She’d lived most of her life always wondering whether or not her mother would be home, drunk, drugged or with a male client. Foster care wasn’t much better. The rules had changed with every move she had to make. When she turned sixteen, she’d finally landed in a good home and become friends with Joe. Nonetheless, by the time she’d got an apartment with three other girls at the age of eighteen, she’d already moved a total of twenty times in her life.

  She was ready for stability but wasn’t quite willing to trust anyone else to provide that for her yet. Nathan, on the other hand, had no doubt in his mind that that he could provide whatever little Rose needed. God, his heart just broke every time he thought about her working so hard to provide for herself. When he thought about her life before him, his blood boiled with rage. What the hell kind of mother put her child at such risk? All he wanted to do
was hold her, keep her safe, love her. He just had to figure out how to convince her of that. Maybe domestic discipline could be a start.

  From what he’d learned, it consisted mainly of a list of rules or expectations, a specific set of punishments, forgiveness and, most importantly, love and structure. Couldn’t say he was thrilled with the idea of punishing Rose, but she certainly responded well to consequences. Maybe the word just reminded him a little too much of his Catholic grade school years. Yep, he’d definitely have to learn more about it, but right now, he had other arrangements to make.

  Chapter Eight

  White Chambourcin—A soft, rose-coloured, semi-sweet wine with the blended flavours of raspberry and plum and a slight scent of rosemary.

  Rose finished disinfecting her bathroom and was ready to move on to the living room. She inhaled the spicy scent of rosemary and smiled. She preferred making her own cleaners out of natural ingredients like the strong infusion of rosemary she was currently using. The rosemary acted as a disinfectant and smelt absolutely wonderful, slightly reminiscent of lavender. Besides, its aroma helped to relieve congestion and improve memory, all bonuses in Rose’s mind. Perhaps most important, natural scents calmed her mind and relaxed her body.

  Since Nathan had agreed to make contact with Miller and Miller, Rose had been anxious but not overly concerned. She had grown to trust Nathan implicitly—no small feat considering her background. Rose couldn’t help but wonder about her father. What kind of a man would leave a woman and his own child to live in squalor? Then again, perhaps she was judging him too harshly. If, as the lawyers claimed, he had just recently found out about her existence, then was he really to blame? Why wouldn’t her mother have told him about her? At this point, did blame really matter? Maybe Nathan was right. Maybe the guy just wanted to get to know his own blood. Melinda smiled, thinking about Nathan. He was such a strong man, both physically and emotionally. She felt lucky to have him in her life and unabashedly leaned on his strength.