Knight's Game

  ‘Don’t … forget L-O-V-E,’ she panted, locking her gaze with his, fully capable of keeping up with smart-ass grins. ‘Although … I’ll expect … actual words. A nod won’t—’

  He’d made a small adjustment so the dildo was lodged firmly against her G-spot and he watched her shudder. ‘Don’t talk,’ he said. ‘Now, shut your eyes.’

  ‘You don’t like me glaring at you?’

  He smiled. ‘Jesus, what don’t you understand about don’t talk?’

  She stuck her tongue out.

  ‘Anytime, baby.’ He put his hand on his zipper.

  She held up her cuffs. ‘I’m a little … busy right … now.’

  He bent to kiss her. ‘That’s the way I like you,’ he said against her mouth. ‘Doing my kind of busy.’ He shoved the dildo deeper and as she lay quivering, he slipped the black silk scarf over her eyes and tied it behind her head. ‘Tell me if you feel things more intensely now.’

  ‘I still feel like killing you.’ But her voice was wispy, and tiny pearly rivulets were sliding down her thighs.

  God damn, that is one lush centrefold. In another life, he would have ravaged her without compunction. With old habits hammering at his brain, he dragged in a breath of restraint, did a slow ten count to tamp down the worst of his impulses. ‘Give me a minute, baby. I’ll change your mind,’ he said softly, easing the dildo a modicum deeper and tapping it in place. ‘I’m good at this.’

  While she whimpered with ecstasy flaring through her senses, Dominic pushed her plump breasts up and out until they were perfectly framed by her arms and her nipples were fully accessible. Then he dipped the brush into the jasmine-scented lube and ran the sleek sable tip round and round her nipples, watching her crests swell and peak, taking his time, pushing her back down as she arched her spine, tense and greedy, begging for more. ‘You always rush, baby.’ He slid the brush over the heavy swell of one breast, down the deep valley of her cleavage, heard her gasp and whispered, ‘Relax. It gets better.’

  Restless and frustrated, aching, frantic for release, she violently shook her head. ‘Let me come,’ she whimpered. ‘You don’t have to do anything for me after. You don’t have to talk about anything. Please, Dominic! Oh, God, please!’

  ‘It’s too soon, baby,’ he murmured, pinching one nipple until she cried out before releasing it. ‘Trust me.’

  She moaned as the blood coursed through her nipple again, and the pain was replaced by a rush of pleasure, every sensation more intense with her eyes covered, every craving more explosive. She pressed her legs together trying to bring on her own orgasm.

  ‘No, you don’t.’ Forcing her legs open, Dominic lifted her ankle over his left arm and, leaning in, used his other hand to brush the slippery sable tip over her taut flesh framing the dildo. Up and down, around, around while she writhed and whimpered and her whole body began to quake. Then, without warning, he lifted her ankle from his arm and placed her foot on the bed. ‘Think of something soothing, baby.’

  ‘I can’t,’ she sobbed.

  ‘Try that OM thing.’

  ‘Fuck you,’ she gasped, so overwrought and feverish a thin sheen of perspiration filmed her body.

  ‘All in due time,’ he said. ‘But not yet.’ Gripping her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, he stretched them gently outwards until she squealed. ‘Too much?’ He opened his fingers, watched the taut flesh contract, heard her little feverish whimper and cupped her big breasts in his palms. ‘Your tits are swollen and heavy.’ He leaned in and nipped her ear. ‘But your body’s not completely prepared,’ he whispered, ‘for maximum pleasure. When you get there, baby, you’ll be ready for anything.’

  She never thought she’d allow him unconditional licence. And yet she was so over-the-top horny now, so utterly consumed by lust, his words sounded like a promise of pleasure rather than a threat. And a moment later, when he slid his finger past the dildo to expose her clit, then lightly skimmed the tip of the brush teasingly over her greedy nub in slow twirling spirals, half-delirious, trembling all over, she cried out, ‘Please, Dominic. Don’t make me wait. I’m ready now for whatever you want to do.’

  How many times, how many hours and days, weeks, months and years had he played these carnal games? And yet, when Katherine fully, eagerly offered herself up to him, all those former vice-ridden amusements faded into oblivion. Bending low, he gently kissed her trembling lips. ‘I’m going to go very slowly,’ he whispered. ‘We’ll take our time.’ Glazing the pearls with lube from the brush, he added, velvet soft, ‘You’ll feel the brush first.’

  Sliding his hand under her right knee, he lifted it, then set her foot on the bed to allow him better access. Dipping the brush in the scented lube, he slid the sleek tip in slow circles over and around, up and down her virgin entrance while he eased the dildo in and out, slowly, gently, targeting her G-spot for brief moments, then shifting away, knowing the pearls would put added pressure on the dildo and her favourite sweet spot. And when she was delirious with pleasure, panting, needy, the flush of arousal spreading up her chest and throat, he slipped the first lubed pearl past the sensitive opening, heard her helpless whimper turn to a low, lush moan and seconds later slowly eased in the next pearl … and then the next. Another and another. Until all five were snuggly inside.

  She was filled as she’d never been filled before, the forbidden pressure exquisitely arousing, the dildo moving on one side, the pearls flexing on the other. Writhing under the overwhelming invasion, uttering little keening cries, so near orgasm, the flush rising hot pink up her throat to her face signalled her imminent orgasm.

  Recognizing how she was trembling on the brink, Dominic slipped off her blindfold, took her face in his hands, leaned in close and whispered, ‘I own you, baby. Every breath. Every heartbeat. Every precious part of you.’

  She shook her head, formed the word no, but was so near climax, so ravenous with lust, she couldn’t find breath to speak.

  He leaned back, ran his finger over her mouth. ‘I need a yes, baby. You know that, don’t you?’

  He didn’t have to say, Or else. She tensed.

  ‘You’re mine, baby – property of Dominic Knight.’ His fingers brushed her cheek. ‘Aren’t you?’

  She nodded.

  He smiled. ‘There you go, baby. Time to rock and roll.’ Sliding his hand between her legs, knowing that at this stage of her arousal if he pulled out a pearl, the incredible rush would kick-start her climax, he did just that.

  He wound the thin gold chain around his finger and pulled.

  Her orgasm exploded on cue, wildly, loudly, her scream shattering the silence. And as he slowly pulled out each additional pearl, her nerves, already fiercely convulsing, were further goaded and the pleasure was amplified, magnified into a seething, tumbling, unrestrained cascade of maxed-out, unparalleled sensation that continued so long and with such unremitting intensity that she was left pale and trembling.

  Only when her last spasm died away did he slide the dildo out. Then, lifting her into his arms, he cradled her on his lap and gently kissed her until she stopped shaking. ‘You’re incredible, Katherine,’ he whispered, his breath warm on her cheek, feeling as though all his senses were heightened, as though he’d had the orgasm himself.

  It was both unnerving and fantastic.

  Like so much of their relationship.

  He came out of his reverie when she tapped his chest with the cuffs.

  Unclasping the bracelets, he dropped them on the bed. ‘Are you OK?’ He dipped his head, met her gaze. ‘Nothing damaged?’

  Her smile was slow and lush. ‘Everything’s fine. That was intense. You really are Svengali. I hate you and love you at the same time.’ She suddenly grinned. ‘But you know what’s coming next, don’t you?’ Sliding off his lap, she moved to the foot of the bed and, sitting cross-legged, tried not to smirk. ‘My turn.’

  He was feeling so fine, for reasons unknown, or for reasons previously beyond recognition, that he didn’t even grumble, al
though he knew what was coming. Especially when she’d casually mentioned love. He turned to face her, slid up against the headboard, settled back and stretched out his legs. ‘Do your worst, baby.’

  ‘Tell me about Julia.’

  His surprise showed; he’d expected a quiz on his feelings.

  ‘It’s just that she seemed like such a remarkable woman: selfless, brave, compassionate. Like some superwoman.’

  ‘She was remarkable,’ he said, finding it easier to talk about Julia, not knowing why exactly, wondering if his fabulous non-orgasm was the cause. ‘But what you and I have is different.’ There was a short silence, as though he were searching for the right words. ‘It’s chaotic, volatile, occasionally mind-blowing.’ He smiled. ‘You’re my reminder that life comes in many shades of beautiful.’

  ‘I met Julia on Everest,’ he went on, as if she’d asked. ‘She was climbing with a group raising money for some charity she was involved in. She was amazing. Nothing stopped her. Only five of us made it to the summit that spring. And we nearly didn’t. The weather was fierce. Rare storms. There shouldn’t have been any that time of year.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s funny how life is overshadowed by chance so often. How you meet someone. Or maybe you don’t, and an opportunity passes you by.’ His voice had gone soft at the end. ‘Do you ever think how we almost didn’t meet? I do.’ He seemed to gather himself; his mouth twitched into a grin. ‘It damn near makes me think about going to church, if I had a church to go to.’

  ‘I’m more a gypsy fate person. Although,’ Kate said with a little dip of her head and the dazzling smile that always made him feel like the most fortunate man on the face of the earth, ‘I’m not above thanking Lady Luck or whoever for this – us – you, me, whatever. So tell me,’ she said, abruptly changing the subject back because she had a limited time to ask her questions and Dominic’s dead wife was a major enigma. ‘Julia’s charity offers micro loans to women, right?’

  ‘Actually, the charity was something Roscoe’s first wife started and when that marriage folded, Julia took over.’

  ‘I suppose there were too many grateful women wanting to show their gratitude for you or Roscoe to handle.’

  He looked up, startled, then nodded and said, ‘Some. Enough.’

  ‘Julia kept them at bay.’

  He shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I never interfered. And Charlie was with Julia almost from the start. They’d met in a marketing class at Stanford. I didn’t know either one of them then. They were younger, not in my field, and the school’s’ – another shrug – ‘big. Not that I’m interested in talking about Charlie.’

  ‘That makes two of us.’

  He grinned. ‘And my five minutes are almost up.’

  ‘Were you timing mine?’

  He laughed. ‘You never take long, baby. But fast or slow, I just want you to know you’re rocking my world in a really nice way.’

  ‘Then maybe I could ask you a favour.’

  ‘My answer is yes.’ He smiled. ‘I know that look.’

  ‘Then you don’t mind?’

  ‘Not while my heart is still beating.’

  ‘I just want it simple. I like to feel you over me. I like to feel you slowly fill me. I like the warmth of your body on mine.’

  ‘You got it, baby.’

  They made love gently, slowly, without drama or fireworks. Once, then once again when she said, ‘I just love coming when you do.’ And one more time because he liked coming with her. She fell asleep first. He lay awake for a time, reflecting on the phrase making love from an entirely different point of view. But soon he dozed off too. It had been a long, busy, physically taxing three days.

  CHAPTER 20

  Dominic woke with a start, his mind racing. He glanced at the windows – still dark – then at the clock. 6 a.m. Carefully easing out of bed, he grabbed his jeans, walked out into the hall, stepped into them, and quickly descended the stairs. Entering his office, he shut the door, powered up his laptop and sent a quick email to Justin: It’s a go. Find a flat. Talk to Roscoe. Will touch base later. Then he sent an email to Roscoe: Justin needs an account set up. Give him what he wants. Shutting down his laptop, he raised his head and listened for a moment.

  No sounds from upstairs. He picked up the phone.

  ‘Sorry to wake you,’ he said.

  ‘Anytime, Nick,’ a sleepy voice said. ‘What’s up?’

  Dominic could hear a rustle of bedclothes. ‘I need a codicil to my will. Nothing complicated. I want to split my assets between my sister and a Miss Katherine Hart. If you need her social security number or address, check with Roscoe.’ A door shut and his attorney’s voice was suddenly crisp.

  ‘Are you sure? Just an attorney question, but that’s a fucking lot of money.’

  ‘Melanie won’t mind sharing. She and Matt are comfortable.’

  ‘Jesus, you’re not dying of something?’

  ‘No, my health is fine. I have a meeting on Tuesday that could be difficult. In the event things don’t go well, I’d like Miss Hart to be taken care of.’

  ‘What do you mean don’t go well?’ Chris Robbins’s voice shot up.

  ‘It’s just business. But the people I’m dealing with are, let’s say, unpredictable.’

  ‘Seriously?’ Another spiking rise in tone.

  ‘Don’t worry about it. I’m sure everything will be fine. This is just in the way of insurance.’

  ‘OK, OK. But why haven’t I heard of this woman?’

  ‘Because you’re my attorney, not my keeper.’

  ‘Are you gonna marry her?’

  ‘I haven’t thought about it. So if I had to give you an answer right now, I’d say no.’

  ‘But you have thought about giving her half your fortune. Any special reason for that?’ Chris Robbins carefully articulated.

  ‘Not that reason,’ Dominic said with amusement. ‘But I have plenty of money. She might as well have some.’

  ‘Jesus, you’re not high are you?’

  ‘Nope and she’s not blackmailing me. So you’ve done your fiduciary duty, Chris. I know what I’m doing. Bring the codicil with you when you come at ten. I’ll leave my desk drawer open. Just put the papers in there.’

  ‘Last time … you’re of sound mind and all that shit?’

  ‘Better than usual. Actually, much better. See you at ten.’

  Returning to bed, taking care not to wake Katherine, Dominic slid under the covers. He was pleasantly exhausted; Katherine had worn him out last night. But he couldn’t be happier. Turning his head on the pillow, he looked at her lying on her back, deep in sleep, and was reminded, as always, how young she looked in slumber. Rosy-cheeked, her eyelids faintly smudged with vestiges of last night’s eye shadow, her long lashes resting on her pale, silken skin– baby’s skin; it was so smooth and soft. Her full lips were a natural pink, her lipstick long gone, the shape of her mouth picture perfect, tempting. The back of one hand lay curved against her temple, the other rested on the upper swell of one breast, the pink aureole slightly covered.

  Her nipple fully erect.

  That was truly tempting.

  Fresh-faced and dewy skinned she might be, but she was compellingly female in all else; he could feel his erection coming to life, exhausted or not. Roscoe’s word sorceress was not without merit. Perhaps Roscoe understood that better than anyone since he’d seen Knight Enterprises without a CEO twice in as many months.

  Unprecedented actions for a man who’d worked non-stop for the past twelve years. Then Katherine came awake, smiled at him and nothing else mattered. Not work, not the past twelve years, not the past twelve minutes. They had a few more days together. He wasn’t going to spoil them by thinking too much. Leaning over, he kissed her good morning. ‘How are you feeling?’ His brows lifted faintly. ‘Sore?’

  ‘A teeny bit.’

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘It’s nothing really.’

  ‘That’s good, but I do apologize. Would you like me to run a bath for you?’
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  ‘Not right now. And you can stop apologizing.’ She smiled. ‘Because your five minutes were radically fine; I had my five minutes too and they were excellent.’

  He smiled. ‘You’re a tough negotiator.’ He pointed at the remote on her side of the bed, deliberately changing the subject. In the clear light of day, he wasn’t about to open up any discussions about feelings.

  ‘What are those two Sesame Street words?’ Kate inquired archly, a mischievous light in her eyes.

  The merest flicker of a frown, quickly gone. ‘The remote. Please. And thank you.’

  She handed it to him.

  He clicked on the TV, tossed the quilt aside, threw the remote at his feet, flipped her so her head was near the foot of the bed, rolled over her and settled between her legs all in one smooth, kinetic flow of brute force and muscle. ‘Just so you don’t forget who gives the orders here,’ he murmured as he flipped through channels. ‘Although you’ve done a very nice job keeping my dick up the past three days.’ He dropped a kiss on her nose. ‘We both thank you even though you wore us out.’

  Kate shifted her lower body slightly against his erection. ‘He doesn’t seem worn out.’

  ‘That’s a relative term with you, baby. Anything this side of last rites is a go. We’re good.’ His gaze was on the TV. ‘So what can we do for you this morning?’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know. I was thinking about maybe an orgasm to start the day.’

  ‘Only one?’

  ‘Hey, do you mind?’ She tapped his cheek.

  He glanced down at her. ‘Really? They’re rewiring the electrical system in an old Camaro. I can do two things at once.’

  She glared at him.

  ‘OK, OK.’ He hit record, then clicked off the TV. ‘There.’ He smiled at her. ‘Here we are, baby. Full concentration.’

  Taking her face between his hands, he slowly kissed her and even more slowly entered her, his dick on autopilot, knowing exactly where to go, how deep, how high, how if she moved just so, she wanted more. And if she moved that way, she wanted more. And if she lay utterly still and softly moaned, she wanted more.