Claiming Mia Page 6

  Over the years, Nolan had gleaned enough about the town’s golden boy and his wife through gossip to conclude Peter Reynolds was a self-centered, egotistical asswipe who didn’t deserve the years Mia spent with him. Ten years ago, he’d promised himself he would take her over if she ever left her husband. Thank God his long wait was almost over.

  His desk phone buzzed, and he reached for it with a sigh. A call coming in on his private line could only mean something occurred that required his personal attention. “Chief MacGregor,” he answered, his gut tightening as he listened to the report from highway patrol and wrote down the location of where teenagers had happened upon a body in a field.

  “I’ll be there in fifteen.” Fuck, he swore, pushing back from the desk and snatching up his hat after hanging up. Another young person, it seemed, had overdosed on tainted drugs, drugs that likely, if the route traced by the Feds and Border Patrol was correct, had come straight through Whitetail. Whether the victim bought them in Albuquerque or anywhere else was unknown. After leaving orders for two of his deputies, Hank and Morgan, to meet him at the scene, he set off out of town with his sirens blaring.

  “Son of a bitch.” Nolan fisted his hands as he peered down at the lifeless body of the young man sprawled in the middle of a field, just yards from the busy highway, his sightless eyes frozen on the clear sky above. “Do we have identification?” he asked the highway cop who was first to arrive on the scene. The rancher who owned the land stood off to the side with the three teens, all four appearing distraught.

  “Our office is already notifying next of kin and here comes the coroner. Kid’s name was Michael Hough, age twenty. Damn waste,” the seasoned cop growled.

  “It always is. Thanks for tagging me. Tell the coroner to send me a copy of his autopsy report as soon as he can.”

  “Will do, Chief.”

  Nolan left Hank and Morgan in charge of taking statements and took long, angry, ground-eating strides back to his vehicle. He had hoped to have a handle on this case by now but had come up with nothing to go on yet. With luck, the Feds’ undercover man in Mexico would give them something soon.

  * * *

  “I’ve had it with this shit,” he snapped into his phone, his gaze scanning the acres he’d owned for over twenty years and intended to keep. “Do something, and do it quick, before another fucking body lands on our doorstep.”

  “Working on it, boss. There’s more bad news,” his henchman stated.

  “Of course there is. What now?”

  A pregnant pause ensued that grated on his already taut nerves before his man relayed the last thing he wanted to hear. “That landscaper saw me with her employee the other night, the tall, skinny kid.”

  “Barry?”

  “If you say so. Anyway, it was all innocent enough, but thought I’d better mention it.”

  “Just be more careful, damn it. I don’t need any more grief. And find me a new source!”

  He disconnected and tossed down the phone, his temple throbbing in frustration over this latest cluster-fuck. All of this hassle because he’d been dumb enough to invest heavily in dot com stocks. During the first decade following the crash, he’d gone through the rest of his assets while borrowing from every financial institution that would give him a loan. In his desperate bid to hang on to what he owned, he ended up worse off and left with no options except to turn to illegal financial means or lose everything.

  And finally, he’d found himself on the winning end of a business decision by getting into the drug trade. Now, if he could just keep the imbeciles he’d been dealing with from trying to rip him off with this bad shit, he could get back to reaping the rewards from his profitable sideline.

  * * *

  Mia kept her gaze on the red-orange glow of the setting sun as she slid out of her truck and ran clammy, shaking hands down her sides. The warm evening breeze wafted under her dress and brushed across the sensitive, uncovered flesh of her labia, drawing a delicate shiver of awareness down her spine. Her quick, damp response added to her already heightened insecurity about the unknown plans for the night.

  Nolan’s adobe-style house matched others on the quiet residential street, the well-tended lawn speaking of hours of diligent maintenance during these dry, hot summer months. The cacti and yucca plants among the summer blooms ensured he would still boast greenery during the cooler temperatures. That positive character trait would add a much-needed check in the pro side of her list of likes and dislikes about the man inside if nerves weren’t crawling under her skin. Being kept in the dark about his plans for tonight had made the last three days the longest of her life.

  Every time she found herself waffling over whether to go through with agreeing to this, she shored up her resolve by recalling the satisfying thrill of Peter’s face when Nolan had touched her in the diner. If that failed, her startling response to the pleasure-pain of his smacks last weekend was never far from her mind, or the constant curiosity about where it could lead. With a deep inhale, Mia strode up the walk and rapped on the front door.

  “Right on time. I like that,” Nolan greeted her, holding the door open for her to enter the cool, dim interior of his home. She trembled, not because she didn’t trust the chief of police, but because she wasn’t altogether sure she trusted the dominant man. “What were you thinking?” Taking her hand, he led her across the tiled floor into a great room and over to a leather sectional facing a massive stone fireplace.

  She didn’t care for his astuteness and retorted in defense of the unease it wrought. “Nothing, why?”

  His jaw tightened as he yanked her against him and slid his free hand under her dress to squeeze one naked buttock. The rough denim of his jeans scratched her bare legs and her nipples tingled against the rippled muscles of his chest from the feel of his hand tightening on the fleshy globe.

  “When I ask you a question, don’t fucking lie to me or we end this now.”

  Mia went cold at the thought of him escorting her right back out the door. Her apprehension over the unknown didn’t outweigh the need plaguing her this past week, or the necessity to assuage both it and her curiosity. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to anyone except my best friend wanting to know my personal thoughts. It’s… disconcerting.”

  “Get used to it. You know I plan to introduce you to BDSM tonight, and I can’t do my job well as your Dom unless you’re honest with me. Now, what were you thinking?” he asked again.

  It was difficult to concentrate with him kneading her backside, but his steady, stern gaze didn’t relent. “You probably won’t like it, but I was thinking I wasn’t sure I trusted you.”

  “Of course you do. You’re a smart woman, Mia. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t trust me.” He dropped his hands from her and urged her onto the couch by pressing her shoulders.

  Mia thought about those simple words while watching him stride over to a bar in the corner and pour a drink, and realized how true they were. No matter how much he had piqued her curiosity or stirred her dormant lust, she never would have turned to him a few days ago if she harbored any doubts about her physical safety and well-being. Damn, he was good.

  Nolan returned to hand her the glass half-full of amber liquid. “What’s this for?” she asked, taking it from him.

  “Courage. Not that you’ll need it, but it can’t hurt.” He sat down and scooped her onto his lap as if she weighed nothing. “There, that’s better.” Sliding his hand under her dress, he pushed her thighs apart and skimmed his fingers up the inside. Mia sucked in a breath and jostled the whiskey when Nolan rested his rough palm between her legs and asked bluntly, “When was the last time you had sex?”

  The direct inquiry astonished her, but his calm patience as he waited for an answer settled her disquiet. She supposed it made sense he would want to know certain details about her sex life. Now, if he’d just move his hand, she might be able to think straight and come up with an answer that wouldn’t mortify her.

  Instead, Mia’s inner muscles cont
racted as Nolan put pressure against her pussy and a quiver of damp longing surged deep into her core. Her eyes snapped up to his face as her body shook in response and his steady gaze threatened her composure. “My divorce just turned final,” she bit out in defense of her long celibacy.

  Nolan sighed. “I really need to do something about that attitude of yours.” Keeping his eyes leveled on her face, he drew his hand back and cracked his palm against the soft flesh of her labia. Mia’s stunned cry resonated around the room and her attempt to close her legs against the burning sting met with the thick barrier of his muscled arm. “That wasn’t an answer, it was an evasion. Want to try again?”

  She struggled to swallow past the lump lodged in her throat as his other arm tightened around her waist. Her sheath quivered, and her nipples puckered as the tingling between her legs spread upward. “Not since months before Peter and I split at the first of last year. Satisfied?” She tried squirming against the growing arousal distracting her but calmed when she met with the resistance of his tightened hold.

  “For now.” Tilting the glass to her lips, Nolan ordered in a tone not to be denied, “Finish it.”

  Mia downed the last two swallows, relishing the fiery burn down her throat and the warm alcohol fuzzy that loosened her tense muscles and taut nerves. She didn’t care for hard liquor but tonight embraced the quick, courage bolstering effects. “Now what?” she inquired, hoping he would stop asking questions she didn’t want to answer and get on with whatever he had planned.

  “Now,” dropping his arms, he nudged her up, “I introduce you to my playroom.” Snatching her hand again, Nolan tugged her down the hall, Mia’s newly awakened happy places heating up as she padded behind him.

  “Playroom?” He stopped at a closed bedroom door and turned the handle. Injecting humor into her voice as she tried to cover up her sudden unease, she teased, “What do you have in there? A kid’s jungle gym?”

  His lips quirked at the corners. “No, but the idea has merit.”

  As he flipped a switch on the wall to his right, four corner sconces lit with a bright yellow glow, casting just enough illumination around the room to make out the furnishings that turned her mouth dry and prompted her to protect her vagina by tightening her thighs.

  “Is this where you entertain all your dates?” Mia squeaked as she took in a padded bench with a kneeler in one corner and a hanging webbed swing in another. But it was the floor to ceiling poles positioned a few feet apart and centered in the room that kept her rooted in the doorway. She didn’t think she wanted to know what the narrow, padded table in front of them was used for. Did she? It was hard to know for sure since her body kept going hot and cold and the low hum of arousal he always induced kept overriding the anxiety churning in her stomach.

  “The women I’ve entertained in here weren’t dates,” was all Nolan said as he ushered her inside and pointed to the corner contraption with dangling side lines. “That’s called a fucking swing. Lots of fun once you get used to it, at least that’s what I’ve been told.” He nodded toward the bench. “A spanking bench, self-explanatory. Or would you like a demonstrated explanation?”

  Her buttocks clenched and before she could pass for now, he shook his head with a low laugh that curled her toes. “Never mind. I have something else in mind tonight.”

  * * *

  Nolan couldn’t recall the last time he’d enjoyed a new sub so much. He didn’t know if it was Mia’s pleasing innocent naïveté or the challenge to replace her bad memories with mind-boggling new ones that pulled the most on his dominant side. Reaching behind her, he unzipped the sundress and tugged the straps down her arms until it pooled at her sandaled feet. Her expressive green eyes flared with excitement, replacing the caution she didn’t try to hide as he rubbed his knuckles over her puckered nipples.

  “What…” She paused to clear her throat. “What’re you going to do?”

  “Whatever I want, unless I hear you say red. If you’re unsure about something but don’t want me to call a complete halt, say yellow. Don’t worry,” he assured her with a slow glide of one finger up the damp seam of her pussy lips, “I promise you’ll enjoy it.” She blushed when he held up his glistening finger. “You already are, and I’ve barely touched you.” And that boded so well for the evening, he knew his good intentions to hold off on fucking her could be in jeopardy. “Slip off your shoes and come over here.”

  Expecting her to obey, he padded over to the poles then faced her as she bent down to unstrap her shoes, her full breasts swaying, the turgid tips dangling downward for a few seconds in a tempting pose he enjoyed. When she straightened, her already red face heated more as she walked over to him. He could read her unease at her nudity in her eyes but was confident he could get her to not only relax when naked but enjoy parading around bare before him.

  “Just what are these for?” she asked, looking up and down the poles, her eyes shying away from the attached cuffs above and at the bottom.

  “Tormenting wary subs.” Nolan guided her between them and nudged her feet apart. “I’m assuming you and the prick never played ‘tie me up’ games.”

  A giggle escaped her and loosened her stance enough for him to stoop down and wrap the right cuff around her ankle. “Not hardly,” she admitted, pleasing him with the truth.

  “Some day you can tell me what you ever saw in him, and why you stayed so long.”

  “My boys,” Mia returned without hesitation.

  Nolan looked up to catch an expression on her face he’d seen numerous times on his own mother’s, one that told him how much she loved her children. “They’re why you stayed, not what drew you to the asswipe in the first place. How does that feel?” Pushing to his feet after securing her left leg, he cupped her face and waited until the sudden flare of panic when she went to move her feet died down. “That’s my girl,” he murmured in approval as her white-knuckled grip on the poles eased.

  “Women like this, huh?”

  “Yes, and you will too once you let go of your preconceived ideas of what’s right and wrong, acceptable and not.”

  Her slim brows drew together in that frown of annoyance that always amused him. “How’d you… never mind,” she sighed.

  Nolan chucked her under the chin. “You’re learning, sweetheart.” He cupped her full breasts and kneaded the soft flesh before grasping her nipples and pinching as he stated, “Tonight, though, I’m starting with punishment instead of pleasure.”

  “What? Why?” Mia released her grip on the poles when he freed her nipples and slapped her palms over the reddened buds with a disgruntled glare. “Now what did I do?”

  “Two things now,” he stated before turning his back on her and padding over to a wall cabinet. “The first was making me wait so long to get you here. Your scowl just now, the second.” After retrieving several items from his stash of toys, he faced her again and watched the wariness re-enter her widening eyes as he carried them over. God, he loved that look.

  * * *

  Mia didn’t know which item disconcerted her the most, the black silk blindfold, the paddle, or the thin rod with a plume of short, red and white feathers at one end and multiple, thin latex threaded strands about seven inches long on the other. It wasn’t until he laid the items on the odd table in front of her that she saw he also held a pair of wrist cuffs.

  “Part of your wait was your insistence on the three-day delay after I agreed to give you one night,” she reminded him as her breathing turned shallow. “Does that mean I get to take that paddle to your butt?”

  “Since I’m not the submissive one, no.” Walking behind her, he took her right hand and buckled the leather cuff around her wrist before doing the same to the left and then drawing both hands behind her and clipping them together.

  Mia yanked on the restraints, testing them as she had her ankles. Only this time, instead of panic gripping her by the throat, goosebumps rose across her skin with the skim of his fingertips over her buttocks. She sucked in a breath as he
glided those skilled fingers up her sides until he cupped her shoulders.

  “Lean over the table, Mia,” Nolan instructed, his deep voice a whisper in her ear she couldn’t refuse.

  Guiding her down, he aided in ensuring the surprisingly comfortable high bench hit below her breasts, leaving them to hang down like ripe melons. The position put her entire backside on display and exposed both orifices in a way that sent heat flooding her face as she pictured him behind her.

  Shifting her hips, she groaned, “Nolan…” Swat! “Ow! What was that for?” she shrieked, flinging her head around to glare at him for the unsuspecting smack that inflamed her right buttock.

  He yanked on her braid and grinned. “To divert your attention from your unease. Five more. Count and thank me after each one.”

  Before she could balk at that order, he brought the paddle down again, delivering a matching heated pulse on her left cheek. Mia refused to give him a reason to add to her punishment and uttered, “One, thank you.”

  Throbbing pain blossomed across her backside with the next, more forceful blow. It took a few moments for her to talk through her shuddering breaths before she huffed, “Two, thank you.”

  Bracing for the next swat, Mia jerked when, instead of the expected burn, she felt the soothing caress of Nolan’s hand over her hot cheek. A lone moan slid past her compressed lips, the unaccustomed sound once again surprising her. She’d never made noises when naked with Peter. Then again, her ex had never brought her to such a heightened awareness of her body, nor had his touch produced such a pleasurable pulse between her legs.