Show Me, Baby:A Masters of the Shadowlands Novella(25)

School? He leaned his shoulder against a post. "What were you going for?"

"Uh … an MBA."

His brows rose. Hell, he'd known she was smart, but …  "That's great, Rainie. And you got it?"

"Finished in December." When she smiled down at him, the golden streaks in her hair glinted in the moonlight.

She smelled of his soap from the shower they'd taken. He liked her in  his clothes and scent. "No wonder you're so good at everything in the  office."

The compliment made her eyes light. "Thanks."

"And what did you plan to do with that fancy new degree?"

"Find a fancy new job … somewhere." She added lightly, "I need a position where I can wear all my suits."

"Well, you do look stunning in them." The thought of her leaving the clinic shredded tiny bits from his contentment.

In the moonlight, the dogs flushed a rabbit and chased it across the grass, barking madly.

"He may have too much energy, but I'm glad you made me keep him." As the dogs trotted back, panting happily, Rainie laughed.

A shame she hadn't had a dog growing up. "Your mom disliked pets?"

"Not exactly. It's just that owning a dog would have meant rental deposits. And … she didn't want to care for anything."

Ah. Rainie's tone was even, not bitter, but her face was easy to read. "Not even you?" he asked softly.

As if to avoid the question-and him-she leaned back in the chair.

He put his hand on her calf, keeping contact whether she wanted it or not. "Rainie?"

"Yes, even me. She took off with a guy when I was twelve and never came back."

"You ended up with your father?"

"No, he left when I was seven."

"I was seven," she said. Didn't have to think to remember her age … which meant it had been nasty. Memorable.

"Did he die?"

"Walked out on us."

"Jesus." He stood, scooped her up, and took her place in the chair with her on his lap.

"Jake, no, I'm too heavy."

"Hardly." Even if she were-being smothered in soft, fragrant female  flesh would be a fucking fine way to go. He pulled her closer, marveling  how there wasn't a place on her that was bony.

When he nipped her jaw, she shivered … and his cock began to lengthen. No,  she needed cuddling and conversation, not sex. The subject was  childhood. And abandonment.

A shame irresponsible people couldn't be spayed-or neutered-as easily as dogs. "Who raised you, baby? Relatives?"

"Didn't have any. I got foster care."

Hmm. He knew guys who'd had decent, loving foster parents. Knew others  who'd suffered. Rainie lived her life with joy and laughter, but … she had  formidable emotional defenses. "So the foster home didn't allow pets?"

"Neither of mine did." Her grim tone told him even more.

"That sucks." In the clinic, affection flowed from her in a river,  washing over animals and people. If, as a child, she'd had no one to  spend that love on, it'd have been like damming up the Mississippi.

He'd try to make up for that lack.

He guided her to her feet and stood himself. A whistle brought the dogs,  panting and quivering with happiness. "Back to bed, crew," he ordered,  ushering her into the house.

"It's almost dawn."

"It's Sunday. We're going to sleep in." He tucked an arm around her as  he led her to the bedroom, feeling the rightness of having her beside  him. "Been wondering, buttercup. What kind of a bribe will it take to  get you to cook breakfast?"

The slight tilt of her lips told him exactly what inducement she was considering.

As he ran his hand over her luscious ass, he smiled. Wasn't it amazing how great minds thought alike?         

     



 







In her apartment, Rainie tossed another bra toward the overloaded  suitcase on her bed. Three pieces of underwear fell off the pile onto  the floor.

"Babe," Jake said, amusement in his tone. "Don't you have a bigger suitcase?"

He was laughing at her, damn him. She eyed her carry-on. It really was too small.

Each night since last weekend, Jake had coaxed her into staying at his  place. And she'd loved that-but hated having to visit her apartment  every morning to change outfits. If he didn't own two cats and now  Guido, they might have alternated. But the felines were used to freedom.

Besides, Rhage loved Jake's fenced acreage. And she always gave her  sweet puppy what he wanted. Really, she was doing all this for the dog:  working with Jake. Having sex with Jake. Sleeping with Jake.

She opened another dresser drawer and considered the shirts. Jake wanted  her to pack some clothes and keep them at his house. And she'd finally  agreed.

Since finding Rhage, she'd spent more time with Jake than in half a year  with Geoffrey. Every day, she fell more and more into … liking him.  Caring for him.

"How did this happen?" she muttered.

Jake walked up behind her and pulled her back against his chest.  Gripping her hair, he tilted her head sideways, giving him access to  nibble on her neck. His beard stubble tickled, scraped, and the slight  sting of his teeth was soothed by his gentle lips. Hard and soft, pain  and pleasure, sweet and cruel. He never gave her a chance to get her  bearings.

"It happened, Rainie." He nipped her earlobe. "And I'm damned pleased. Aren't you?"

Under his level, questioning eyes, all she could do was nod. "I …  Yes. I am." Very pleased. Very happy.

And very scared. She felt as if she'd been floating in a meandering  river and suddenly an undersurface current had grabbed her. Her emotions  were being swept along with no chance of escape.

She reached up to touch his lean cheek. When had she come to care so much?

He smiled slowly. "Keep looking at me like that and you'll get fucked instead of packed."

A snort escaped her. She retreated, pointing at him with an accusing finger. "You are insatiable." And she loved it.

"Quite true, where you're concerned." Blatantly adjusting himself in his  jeans, he turned to study the clothes scattered over the bed. "Bigger  suitcase?"

"In the closet." She turned back to the dresser and selected another set of underwear. With more room, she could-

Behind her, the bed squeaked as Jake tossed the suitcase on the mattress. Latches clicked.

"Well, well, well. I am impressed." Jake's baritone had lowered, turning  an edgy hot as if he'd descended into the fires of hell.

With a red thong in her hand, Rainie glanced over her shoulder. Oh crap. Wrong suitcase.

The oversize black suitcase lay open, showing how she'd customized the  interior with Styrofoam and padding to hold dildoes, vibrators, gags,  edible oils, and … everything. "I arrange sex-toy parties. Those are the  samples. My stock. That's not the right case."

"Baby, this is the perfect suitcase." Jake picked up a pair of fluffy  nipple clamps and gave her a Dom's assessing stare. One that made her  entire body soften. "Remove your blouse. And bra."

"Jake." Her mouth had gone dry-and her pussy was dampening, preparing for him. "I-I don't …  The toys are for parties."

"How come I never get invitations?" Laughter teased the edges of his eyes. "Don't worry, sweetling. I'll buy whatever I open."

She gulped. "But-"

"Rainie," he interrupted and picked up a gag. "Want me to use this?"

"No." Yes. Oh yes. "I'll keep-"

"I'll be damned. You do." His gaze turned more intense.

Oh shit. She backpedaled, heading for the door.

Hard hands closed on her arms, and he tossed her onto an empty place on  the bed. A second later, he'd pushed the pretty red gag into her mouth  and was strapping it on.

As she made irritated noises and struggled, he mercilessly stripped her  clothes off-and picked up a set of nipple clamps from the case.

Not nipple clamps. "Mmmmh, mmmmh!" She tried to roll off the bed.

He swatted her ass, rolled her onto her back, and straddled her, holding her down as he applied the damn things.

Ow, ow, ow.

"Damn, those are pretty," he murmured. With a finger, he rang the little hanging bells.

She glared at him-and he laughed. But he hadn't made the clamps too  tight, and as he fondled her breasts, the ache in her nipples turned  wonderfully exciting.         

     



 

"I think we'll have to make time to visit your apartment more often.  This canopy setup has definite benefits." He knotted one of the hanging  drapes around her right knee, then another on her left, forcing her  thighs widely open. After an evaluating look, he shoved a pillow under  her hips to open her more widely. Bare and exposed.

She should feel embarrassed, but the appreciation in his gaze and the heat simmering under her skin burned it away.

After a quick search, he placed one of Rhage's squeaky toys in her hand.  "I might not be able to differentiate between your screaming and a  safeword, so use that."

Screaming?

From the suitcase, he removed a tube of lube, and his hand hovered over  the array of anal plugs. "According to your Shadowlands trainee files,  you've done anal play."