A Sip of You(27)

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I woke several hours later, sat, and groaned. I didn’t know what happened to me during my second sleep, but I was sore all over—my legs, my abs, my arms. Every single muscle in my body felt both sated and spent. Last night I’d clenched over and over as William brought me to the brink of orgasm, only to rip what I wanted away. I closed my eyes again, and flashes of fur-lined handcuffs, honey-slicked lips, and silk scarves battered my mind. I touched my wrists gingerly, noting they were tender. I looked at them closely but didn’t see any bruises. Still, when I stretched up to wind my fingers around the carved headboard, I couldn’t stop a small rush of anticipation flooding through me as I felt a familiar muscle strain ripple through my shoulders. I wanted more of the dark pleasure William could give me. I thought I didn’t, but I had liked last night. More than liked it, actually, and I tingled all over just remembering the way he had ordered me to lick, to suck, and to come. I’d never come like that before and though maybe I could do without the handcuffs, letting him call the shots had been intense. And amazing.

The sun was high in the sky by the time I ventured out of the master suite and crept—yes, crept—downstairs. Last night we had taken a long hot shower together after our sexcapades. William had been very attentive, gently washing me to remove all the sticky honey. But I’d been more than a little freaked out when we came out of the bathroom and found the bed remade with fresh sheets and the handcuffs placed neatly on the nightstand. How the hell did his staff know we needed clean sheets, and who had been in the bedroom while we were in the shower together? William had been completely unfazed, as if having hired help tidy things up after he’d chained me to his bed and fucked me senseless was as natural as could be, but it had weirded me out.

Someone in his household knew what we’d been up to, and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to running into whoever that was this morning. But my stomach was rumbling and I had to eat.

I found Fernanda in the kitchen and she gave me a warm smile and asked if I would like breakfast. She looked me right in the eyes without the tiniest bit of judgment in her gaze, so I guessed she wasn’t the midnight cleaning crew. I decided on a latte and a fruit and yogurt plate, and she brought it out to me by the pool.

The morning was cool, so I’d slipped on a pair of skinny jeans in royal blue and an oversized grey sweater, both unearthed in the massive closet William had filled for me. The pool came equipped with a decorative fountain, and I planted myself on one of the plush lounge chairs, leaned my head back, and listened to the running water. I closed my eyes. I missed William already and wondered where he was now. Doing something he didn’t need me for, I guessed.

Business? He didn’t need me for that. Dealing with the latest Wyatt to appear? I thought he’d needed me to cope with that situation, but apparently not. Sex? Maybe that was the real reason he needed me on this trip. I actually hadn’t thought of that until this instant. Maybe the whole reason he brought me here was so I could be available to fuck him, at his convenience, after his important meetings. Maybe his plan was to tie me to his bed every night and make me come so many times that I lost all will to fight and became his sex slave.

Ok, as good as some of that sounded, it was also total crap. I knew I was more to him than just a sex toy and what was between us was way more than just sex. I loved William, and I knew he cared about me too. Of course I still hadn’t told him how I felt. I’d felt so close to him when he told me about his family after dinner, but then he clammed up, and before I knew it, I was chained up, blindfolded, and at his mercy. That hadn’t been the perfect time to declare my love. I knew that and I hated that his absence was stirring up all of my insecurities.

“Give it a rest, Cat,” I muttered under my breath. Annoyed with myself, I paced around the pool in an effort to clear my head. Finally, I gave up and texted Beckett.

How was the party?

A few minutes later my phone pinged. Fabulous. How was the sex?

I sputtered a laugh. What sex?

Ha-ha. Spill.

I thought for a minute about how to describe last night’s activities with William. I decided on Amazing and a little bit kinky.

Really? I could hear Beckett’s voice go up a half an octave. Kinky???

I bit my lip. Handcuffs and honey.

There was a long pause, and I watched the little dots on my screen blink. OMFG. Major. Am insanely jealous!!!!

No kinky sex with Alec? Alec was an assistant art director with Fresh Market and was a great guy—fun and funky and so cute—and I was thrilled he and Beckett were dating.

Not yet. Beckett texted back. Some heavy petting last night.