Collared for a Night (Crimson Romance) Read online

“No sense in crying over spilled milk. Right?” He stroked Diana’s silky skin. “We’ve so many other important things to keep our minds … and bodies occupied.”

  She pushed back from him, staring up with a serious expression making him stop pulling apart her legs and teasing a whimper from her. His cock throbbed, wanting to plow into her full force. He patiently groaned in silence.

  “From what I’ve learned, mulling over the past doesn’t help. I think we’ve both been through a lot in life. I feel as though I can trust you. I hope you don’t regret tonight.”

  “Hell, no. Not one regret in agreeing to see you through your heat cycle, or my agreement to train you to control your leopardess urges. I might learn something about myself.”

  He’d mastered the art of Zen Buddhist meditation to live with pain, frustration, and the desire for revenge. Tonight, he learned there was so much more to life. The type and depth of the exquisite sensations he’d experienced with Diana were all worth the wait. Worth what he’d been through to get to this moment. In business, he’d learned to control his decisions and achieve his goals on a level that made company operations seem effortless. He’d gone from hotheaded to levelheaded, and had reaped the rewards. His family had backed his change of perspective enough to hand over control of the southwestern shifter territory.

  Now, with Diana next to him, he inhaled gazing out the window to the rising moon. Not yet truly full. That was hours away and a time when leopards prepared to mate. Indeed, his future had changed in the one night.

  “I always knew you were busy. But never at this level,” she said.

  Diana uncrossed her incredible sexy legs giving him a tempting display of what he wanted when her slick, pink folds came into view. She slipped on a pair of white garters, lifting and stretching one leg into a pair of stockings. She was about to slip on her panties sitting next to him, His cock stiffened, and he broke his gaze away from her pussy to address her face.

  “So, you’ve decided then? I’ve given you the whole ugly side of my existence. Will you still allow me to train you?”

  “Without question. Even more so after what you’ve shared. Simpatico. Isn’t that the term for us?”

  “Yes. And no. You’ve little bedroom experience. Would you agree to my full training? It would require your full trust.”

  What would she do if he snapped one of the elastic lace ribbons? He’d bet that Diana would enjoy learning to bend the rules in life and romance. Her innocent lip bites had him enthralled and reminded him of the untamed creature underneath, while an angel appeared before him. “Forget the panties. I want you riding next to me without having to figure out this lingerie puzzle you’ve got going on. And that goes for anytime we’re together. I get complete, unencumbered access to your body. Every day. In any way. Understood?”

  “Is that necessary for training in self-control?” She arched a brow, lowering her gaze to his erect member.

  “Absolutely crucial,” he groaned, fingering the edge of her panties. “Defy me, and these will be shredded from your beautiful hips. I’d love to paint your bottom a shade or two of red in the process of training. We can begin tonight if you’re so inclined.”

  Chapter 6

  His finger skated along the inner valley between her thighs. “We’ve a car downstairs.”

  “Already?” Diana asked, enjoying the show of Shawn getting dressed. His muscles rippled in the red light. Still sitting on the bed with her thighs parted, she easily perceived the direction of his gaze. So carnal was his expression, she fought touching herself, and relished his reaction as she closed her legs when his low growl filled the room.

  “Jesus, such a tease,” he choked, buttoning up his shirt. “I always have one ready. Finish getting dressed. I’ll be right back. Just need to speak with the Den staff.”

  He pulled her against him, his mouth as hot and demanding as when he had taken her the first time. His hands squeezed her breasts until her nipples were hard as stones and she shivered.

  “I’ll be ready,” she said.

  “Excellent. I’ll be back shortly for more of this. Remember my instructions.” He brushed his lips over hers. Heading toward the door, he turned down his collar, and then racked his long fingers through his dark hair.

  She still questioned how on earth she’d missed that Shawn was one of the owners of the Downtown Den. He must think her naïve, or that she lived in a box. Shawn had promised to destroy her file and contract for emergency services. No one need know she’d requested stud services to get through her blazing heat cycle except him.

  Several minutes later, she jumped at the sound of three rapid knocks on the door, and then he entered carrying a glass. “Here, something for you to drink. A special mixture of fresh fruits from the restaurant. All natural.”

  He’d come back in record time and she’d managed to change into a dress more suitable for traveling. The one she’d packed for the next day when she’d believed the evening would end and she’d return home. She gazed in the mirror, brushing her hair, and worried about what she’d find. Amazingly, the rosettes were less visible on her skin and her canines had receded. Her lips were swollen but resembled human lips. For all her shifting during the evening, she appeared more like her old self than she’d been in days. Sore in places from Shawn’s mouth and body, but it hurt in a satisfying way, and she couldn’t help the purr rumbling in her chest.

  The fruity concoction soothed her throat. “This is really good,” she murmured, running her tongue across her lips. “Do you want some?”

  Whatever he’d planned on saying stalled. The searing look he gave her made her heartbeat skitter. “No but you’re a vision,” he said, his voice exiting his mouth low and hoarse.

  She took another sip and then set the glass down on the sink. “I think I’ve got everything.” She reached for her overnight bag, yet he was lightning quick in coming up beside her.

  “Let me get that. The car is outside, around back.” He took hold of her elbow escorting her from the room.

  She glanced back at the metal collar and chain lying on the floor. It was only supposed to be for a night. No crossing of boundaries. Where was she headed with her boss, a man she admired, and now, an extreme lover she craved?

  Together they walked toward the rear of the building and down the plush carpeted hall and into the stairwell. They passed by a young man with linens in his arms. He glanced down as he stood back, allowing them to pass. Diana’s head snapped up at the faint scent the man exuded. Shawn tugged her arm, pulling her out the back door, and she quickly forgot whatever thought had passed through her mind.

  Up ahead, Fin stood outside the car. Diana flinched upon seeing the shifter she knew from Matrix. He was one of Shawn’s crew who stopped by regularly during the week. He opened the door to the backseat. “Ms. Hambre,” he said softly.

  “Good evening,” she returned.

  He smiled at Diana in a way that calmed her nerves. Tight-lipped as ever. Fin had never said much other than greet the staff at Matrix before disappearing into an office, either Shawn’s or his own. From what little Diana had gathered working at Matrix, Fin drove Shawn and acted as a bodyguard of sorts. He was a shifter with the strangest eyes. He didn’t give off any scent, a sign that he masked his markers, allowing him to move within society as a mystery, matching his already puzzling personality. Humans didn’t have the ability to perceive shifters, but other shifters could. As well as the others, and Diana refused to think about those beings. Yes, she appreciated that of all the possible drivers, Fin had been chosen. Assuredly, he’d keep her secret of being with Shawn.

  “Everything good for the drive?” Shawn asked Fin.

  “No problems. Tristen’s up ahead and reported the highways are clear.”

  “Let me know if any of that changes.”

  Shawn helped Diana into the backseat rather than allow Fin, and then he climbed in after her. “Looks like we’re all set. Nightcap?”

  “Please. How far are we going?”
/>   Once the car exited the Den’s front gates, he poured two cognacs and said, “We have a hike. I’m taking you to my home in the mountains. No one will disturb us.”

  Diana curled up next to Shawn, his muscular arm curving over her hip. Without warning, he pushed her down, helping her until her shoulders were against the cushy leather backseat of his private car. His body landed, swift as a mantle, across hers. He buried his head in her hair spilling down her neck. Anticipation thrummed in her body.

  “Your scent makes me impatient,” he growled. Finishing his drink, he stowed his glass. His hand moved up her thigh, making every nerve in her body come alive under his touch. “Finish your drink, kitten.”

  Diana handed him the glass, moving under him, her hips flexing instinctively as her body sought Shawn’s hard domination. She yearned for his ability to tamp down her hunger. Her leopardess flickered and hissed. “You’re teasing me.”

  “Kitten, never assume I tease. I’m quite serious when it comes to you and your needs.”

  She bit the edge of her lip, feigning physical control when she longed to spread her legs for him. Shawn’s mouth found the sensitive spot on her neck and he sucked her skin, proving his point. And hers — she fought the urge to shift.

  Her breath hitched, jarring each time he sucked and released, sucked and released the skin between his teeth. Good heavens. The man knew how to drive her wild. Diana dug her fingers into his tight ass, moving her hips against him and over his erection, titillating herself in the bargain. She shuddered, both cherishing and cursing this torturous lesson.

  Her schooling had begun the moment he’d walked into her room earlier. She’d asked him to train her in the ways to rule her leopardess urges. Yet, pulling her nerves taut enough to snap and break as a lesson in control seemed improbable at this moment.

  His hot hands pulled her hips against him. The car’s motion, coupled with his expert fingers, had her speeding along a narrow highway. Inside a path that ran deep between her legs; the place he’d visited while fucking her over and over. Outside, they drove past the outskirts of Denver and headed up into the mountains. The change in air pressure caused a pop in her ears.

  The car seemed to hug the side of a sheer cliff, rolling upward along a curving, mountainous road, swathed by a silver-streaked sky visible from her upside-down view out the backseat window. Sunrise was only a few hours away. She reminded herself to relax, absorbing the rhythmic vibration from Shawn’s rumbling chest that provided a continuous massage during the trip to his home.

  Diana ran her hands across his muscular back made up of ridges and hollows, enjoying touching the sinews he bunched and released while pulling up her dress.

  “Did you heed my directions?” he asked in a voice that made her go wet.

  “I don’t remember. What did you say?” She pretended innocence and opened her eyes wide to him.

  His eyes flashed a golden threat at her defiance. He spoke softly, his tone all the more dangerous. “Shall we also include discipline in your education?” He slammed his mouth down upon her and nipped her lip to remind her who dominated.

  “You make misbehaving a temptation.”

  “Have no fear. Part of your training will allow me to completely discipline you, if ever I see fit.” His half-lidded gaze didn’t hide the fact he meant business. A pity he’d not shared this side of himself with her a year ago when she’d first come to work for him.

  For all she knew about him at work, his life beyond Matrix Design continued to amaze her. Working under him, she was a head graphic artist, while he was an industrial designer and her boss. Shawn had given her the freedom to explore her edge in the world of retail design, advertisement and branding.

  Then there was tonight, where she had been under him again — only this time she had been a leopardess in heat. Again, Shawn had prompted her to explore an edge, this one far different than work, consisting of an aching hunger.

  She had given in to him without reservation, opening her legs wide for him and his leopard nature while his cock had expertly plunged deep, and then deeper, into her body. He had worked her over almost ceaselessly during the past six hours. Her body bore bruises, and the flesh between her legs was swollen and tender from being repeatedly fucked. Shawn had promised they’d continue to work together — and fuck together — if she desired.

  She sighed and his fingers tightened over her waist, pulling her closer. Insanity is the feeling she got from this raw, overpowering sex with Shawn, and it was also what had prompted her to get into his car, riding with him to God knows where while giving him total domination over her. Still, no argument that his body felt right, even if it was exhilarating and terrifying all at once to give complete control over to him. Lock, stock, and barrel.

  She inhaled his masculine alpha scent that now saturated her skin. He brushed his lips lightly over her mouth and unexpectedly sat up, leaving her reeling in hunger and need. He tugged her upright on the car seat, his gaze moved down to her chest and he smiled, eyeing her erect nipples pressed against the front of her dress.

  “Not much farther,” he whispered, “and then I’m going to show you some tricks to control yourself. Ever play with toys before?”

  “Never. No,” she whispered, crossing her legs. “Self-stimulation doesn’t work when I’m in heat and besides, I wouldn’t know where to begin or what to use.”

  “Tell me what turns you on. Besides what we did tonight, what else do you like? I want to taste you everywhere … and I do mean everywhere.”

  She swallowed under the blaze of heat spreading rapidly over her face. Did he mean what she thought? Her pussy swelled, hoping he meant to deliver her to the brink, doing things she’d only fantasized about prior to this evening.

  “So far, you’ve hit every bull’s-eye. I don’t know what to say.”

  He chuckled, kissing the side of her head. “Why am I not surprised, kitten? Jesus, you tempt me to teach you everything I know in one night.”

  He pulled her across his lap, his erection prodding her hip. He swiveled and adjusted her, lifting her dress — this time with ease — as he spread her knees apart. His hands turned her this way, angling her bottom until his hard cock rode against her opening. Oh, if he’d only unzip his pants and stop this lesson …

  She glanced at the screen separating them from the chauffeur.

  “Are you sure your driver can’t hear us?” she whispered, almost incapable of caring as long as he kept pressing against her, grinding his hardness over her pulsing clit.

  “Not a peep. Zilch. I conduct plenty of business, and it wouldn’t do to have my plans shared with Fin. Privacy is a high priority in my world, and not just at the Den, sweetheart. You’ll soon find out that discretion is key in my life. Now, let’s see which direction your education shall take. Christ, I almost hope you defy me.”

  Now, his hot palm seared her flesh, already heated to the point of sizzling. She prayed this lesson was about to culminate with an orgasm. He teased her, tracing a line from the top of her slit downward. She held her breath, expecting him to thrust his finger into her. Her stomach tightened … just a millimeter more …

  He stopped touching her.

  “Shawn.” She exhaled his name between clenched jaws. She longed to shift and claw and bite him.

  “Shush,” he whispered and wrapped his hand in her hair. He pulled her mouth a fraction away from his lips; his breath curled around her senses. He circled his finger over the tip of her clit, awakening every nerve in her body. He rubbed his cheek alongside her jaw and trailed the finger of his other hand past her opening. He didn’t stop but kept moving downward, touching her wetness. He dipped his finger lower, circling around her anus and making her buck.

  “God, how I love the sounds you make in the back of your throat,” he said.

  Falling silent, she pushed against his fingers. Her mind opened, her body demanded she shift, and she dug her nails into titanium-muscled arms. Shawn repeated the circling movement several times, each
time spending a few more seconds probing her ass. “I love your silky skin. You’re so soft, wherever I touch.”

  She whimpered, aching to impale herself on his finger, and longing for him to continue exploring her body. Her nipples hardened and the space between her legs grew wetter. She arched against the ridges of his chest and pressed her knees together, clamping Shawn’s arm.

  “Kitten, you’re almost there, aren’t you? The scent of your sweet pussy is intoxicating. Christ, if your whole body doesn’t tempt me with the feel of my cock inside you … ”

  Diana pressed her cheek against his shoulder. “You’ve got me ready to shatter. I can’t hold on much longer. Please.” She rubbed against him, her moist folds slippery next to his fingers. She teetered on the point of crying, snarling, and demanding. She needed to feel his domination or break apart in uncountable pieces.

  His mouth found her neck again and he sucked her skin at a throbbing point, making her almost scream. Shawn moved upward, dragging his tongue over her throat. She panted, battling an urge to let him drive her over the brink. She closed her eyes, so near to soaring — so near to crashing. The old Diana shrank into oblivion. For a second or two.

  “So sensitive. Tell me true. You’ve never had your ass fucked, have you?” He swirled around her opening, and then moved to her anus and pushed the tip of his finger into her.

  She jolted upright at his unexpected exploration of her nether end and the truth of his words. Diana gritted her teeth. She was at the point of explosion, and anger flickered across her vision. “I’ve got to come. Right now.” Shawn’s eyes flashed danger and his hands moved from between her legs. His fingers dug into her arms and he growled, “No. Hold on for me. Don’t you dare come, minx. I promise I’ll smack your ass cherry red if you do.”

  Her gasp was audible. “You’d spank me?” Diana whispered, a shudder moving through her body. It felt as though she were falling, and he shook her by the shoulders. His fangs found her, dug into her skin as he held her pinned to him. The pain of his bite expanded in her mind, giving her space to stop from leaping in an abyss of delicious pleasure. His growl mixed with her moan and she inhaled in time to avoid an explosive orgasm.