Mettle: (Spartan Riders #2)

  Tucker reached between his legs, gasping his hard cock that hung heavily between them. “I’m a big boy, sugar.”

  “Yeah, I can see you came loaded for bear.”

  Tucker chuckled, the sound deep and gravelly. “The only thing I’m spoiling for is a good, hard fuck, sugar. The question is, are you?”

  Her gaze flew back up to meet his. A moment later, her hand followed—a hesitant caress against his grizzled cheek, then lower to test the long hairs on his chin. “I wouldn’t be here, now, like this if I wasn’t.”

  At her admission, a fierce desire to get inside her reared up and a low growl percolated in Tucker’s chest. He leaned in closer, his mouth hovering a scant breath above hers. “Good, because there’s no way you’re leaving this bed until I’ve had my fill.”

  Talia swallowed thickly, as if worried at the implications. She should be. Many women had sauntered into his room only to walk back out bowlegged. He didn’t go easy on them, and he damn sure didn’t plan to go easy on her. It just wasn’t his style.

  “Are you planning to use your…toys?” she asked, her voice small and hesitant. It was the first time that night that he witnessed a chip in her otherwise steel bravado.

  Tucker’s brows pulled down. “You been snoopin’ around while I was gone?”

  Her chin lifted. “Well, in my defense, you were gone a long time. A girl has to keep busy somehow.”

  Tucker searched her eyes for any sign of…something. Duplicity maybe. But all he saw was a soft, delicate woman with an edge of playfulness to her. “You come across anything good?”

  Her fingers walked their way down his bicep, and he flexed the muscles, delighting in the way her eyes flared. “Depends on your definition of good,” she hedged. Her tongue poked out, painting her full bottom lip with a glossy sheen, and damn if he didn’t want to dip his head down and nibble on it. But he wanted to hear more of that phone sex voice in his ear first. “You have a goody drawer.”

  His initial reaction was another frown…until he realized what she was talking about. A sly smile inched up. “Ah, that. I wonder what caught your curious little eye.” Leaning to the side, he opened the drawer in question and pulled out the first thing his fingers touched: a red wooden ping pong paddle.

  He held it up between them and grinned when her eyes widened. “Was it this? It’s my favorite, you know. It has the perfect amount of wind resistance and pinks the skin up real nice.” He touched the edge of the paddle to the sensitive skin of her arm and skimmed it down from shoulder to elbow.

  She shivered, and he didn’t know whether it was because she was nervous or turned on.

  “Do you really use that on women?”

  “I have…but only if they ask real nice first.”

  Her gaze cut to the paddle and away, but she didn’t say a word.

  Definitely nervous. Tucker was actually happy about that. He’d had a lot of women under him over the years, experienced a lot of kinks that would make the average person blush fifty shades of red, but it was getting hard to find someone who wasn’t experienced in pushing the envelope. Especially since he started living with a band of motorcycle riding men in leather. The women that hung around the Spartan compound were down for just about anything. Rarely did he meet one with boundaries, and when he did, they were looser than a shoe without laces.

  It was a bunny that first introduced him to sex toys. It was tame compared to what he’d been asked to do since then: a simple vibrator on all her most sensitive areas. They’d both loved the results. She was long gone now, of course, but of the many bunnies that had passed through their doors since, there was no shortage of those willing to expand on that knowledge.

  He was appreciative of the learning experience, though. He now considered himself a connoisseur of sorts, and the toys in that drawer had provided hours of fun.

  But there was something to be said about vanilla. It was sweet, delicate, and intimate in a way that was difficult to duplicate.

  And it was something that was strictly reserved for couples.

  So, as apprehensive as Talia appeared to be about his naughty drawer, he was just as eager to introduce her to all the pleasures it could bring.

  “It’s okay, sugar,” he drawled, setting the paddle off to the side for the time being. “I can read you like a book, and I know exactly what you’re thinking without having to ask.” Her eyes held a question her mouth wasn’t willing to ask, so he voiced it for her. “You want to know what it feels like to be dominated, to be taken by a man who knows what he’s doing, knows how to give a woman pleasure. You want to know what it feels like to be loved well and hard the way a woman is supposed to be.”

  This time, she didn’t slap his hand away as he drew the sheet away from her chest, revealing two delectable mounds of creamy pink flesh, heavy with desire, nipples pebbled with arousal. Unable to resist, he abandoned his speech for a bare moment, just long enough to bend down and suck one of those pale pink nipples between his lips and give a good, hard suck that ripped a sharp gasp from her lips.

  “Liked that, didn’t you, sugar,” he said with a wide smile. “That’s just a taste of what you have to look forward to tonight. I promise you that when you leave this bed, you’re going to wonder why you waited so long to find it.”

  EIGHT

  An open book. Tuck’s words kept replaying in her head as he relieved Talia of the only shield she had between her, him, and utter insanity: the sheet.

  As he plied her lips with hungry kisses, his tongue plundering her mouth like he was starved for affection and, in fact, making her realize just how starved she actually was for it, Talia kept coming back to those three little words.

  An open book.

  She hoped to God that there was no real merit to that, because if he could read her so plainly, then she was in real trouble.

  Tuck worked his way down her body, feathering kisses across her abdomen, playfully nipping the slope of her hip, then biting down a little harder on her inner thigh. As he turned up the heat with his tongue, Talia felt his hands wrap around the back of her knees, then slowly he dragged her down until she rested flat on her back beneath him. His smile was wicked as he looked up at her and Talia felt her insides swell with a desire so deep and powerful, she wondered once again if what she was doing here was wise.

  Of course, it was too late to turn back now—not that she’d ever want to. Making the decision to undress and climb into his bed had been her point of no return. Once she’d done that, she acknowledged to herself that she was fully committed to seeing this through.

  Sex was a good thing. Sex didn’t have to be romance and carriage rides through the park and candlelit dinners at expensive restaurants to be meaningful. Sure, she was using him, but wasn’t that true for everyone? At its very base, sex was nothing more than a transaction. Giving and taking pleasure, enjoying a few hours of someone’s company in order to feel a little less alone in the world.

  If a person was lucky, that transaction would result in more until something magical blossomed, but in most cases, it didn’t. Talia was prepared for that tonight. She planned to get what she wanted from Tucker Abrams, even if it took her several tries.

  She just hoped he was as good in bed as that drawer promised he’d be. God help her, but if he was terrible at this and she ended up having to endure night after night for the foreseeable future trying to fake a connection, she’d just as soon turn in her badge and work at McDonald’s the rest of her life.

  The sad thing was, that outcome was a real possibility if she didn’t pull this off. Tuck’s mouth descended on her, hot breath on her inner thigh climbing toward her molten center. Talia inhaled deeply and closed her eyes tight, sending up a quick prayer.

  Oh God or whoever is listening up there, please, oh please let this man rock my world tonight. The need is dire, as you well know. Thank you. Amen.

  Just as soon as she closed out her prayer, Tuck sucked her clit between his lips and sucked. Gasping, Talia reached above he
r head and gripped the pillow in her fists. As he buried his face between her thighs and assaulted every single one of her senses with his talented tongue, Talia chanted his name through clenched teeth—the only thing she could do to keep from screaming down the house.

  By the time he pushed two thick fingers into her, Talia was shouting God’s name, thanking Him for answering her prayer, because the kind of pleasure Tuck was inflicting on her had to be heaven sent.

  Her passion climbed higher, knotting low in her belly and burning like an inferno. Shocked at the prospect of coming at all, Talia grabbed onto the swirling sensations with the excitement and anticipation of a child going to the fair for the first time and focused all of her attention on reaching that elusive point of no return.

  Moisture gathered between her legs the longer he pumped his fingers into her, and her breathing became labored, matching her heartbeat. Digging in deep, Tuck settled into position, wedging his shoulders beneath her thighs and wrapping an arm around the top, his oversized palm flattening over her stomach to hold her in place as her hips began to buck.

  Tuck’s fingers withdrew, and Talia whined…until they slipped up through her folds, spreading her wide, and began flicking his tongue over her clit, teasing her until her entire body began to squirm. The tip of his tongue teased the sensitive bundle of nerves to the point of torture. Talia fought against his restraining arm, her body and mind a mass of confusion as she struggled to determine if the sensations were good or bad, pleasurable or painful.

  Oh, God. “You have to stop,” she whimpered breathlessly. “I can’t take any more. It’s too much. It’s too…much.” She felt like she had to pee, and the harder and faster he flicked his tongue against her, the more intense the sensation became until Talia was convinced that was exactly what she was going to do.

  “Ride it out, sugar,” Tuck said against her folds.

  “I can’t!” she shouted, panic infusing her words. He didn’t understand. How could he? “I’m going pee! Please…stop. Pleeeease.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re coming, sugar. Ride it out.” He kept up his assault, her cry for mercy falling on deaf ears.

  “Pleasepleaseplease,” Talia whispered through clenched teeth as every sensation seemed to coalesce between her thighs until she had no choice but to succumb to them.

  Her heels pressing into his back, her legs clamping down on his shoulders, Talia’s entire body shook. She white-knuckled the pillow, holding on for dear life as a deep burn spiraled in her belly, and then all at once her breath froze in her chest and time seemed to stand still.

  She had the brief thought that coming was a lot like reaching the top of a rollercoaster before the world suddenly started to spin again and she came crashing back down.

  Liquid. She felt like liquid in the aftermath. Slowly, she extricated her fingers from the pillow as Tuck rose up, a satisfied look on his face. Yeah, he knew he’d rocked her world, but as far as Talia was concerned, he’d earned that gloating smile.

  “That was…” She wanted to say wow, amazing, fantastic, and a whole host of other adjectives, but before she could utter a single word of praise, Tuck snatched her up and flipped her onto her stomach.

  “Kneel,” he commanded. The absence of soft sensuality in his voice was a little disconcerting.

  “Um—”

  “I said on your knees, sugar,” Tuck purred beside her ear. He pushed her hair back over her shoulder, then wrapped a hunk of it up in his fist, tugging her head back. “You didn’t think that was it, did you? Because I told you, I was going to do you right, and I always make good on a promise.”

  Oh. God. Any fight Talia might have considered having with him vanished in an instant. Heat pooled south, her heart hammered, and her breath shuddered out of her as his promise to dominate her, to show her how a woman should be loved came roaring back to her.

  Sensing that she wasn’t going to kick up a fuss, Tuck sat back and clamped one hand on her shoulder and the other around her hip and helped her get into position. Kneeling behind her, his strong thighs pressing against the backs of hers, Talia’s excitement grew.

  Any minute and he’d be inside her.

  It was a curious thing to think about, having sex with a man she hardly knew, but it was exactly that, that had her trembling with need.

  Trailing a finger down her spine, goose bumps spread across Talia’s skin as Tuck took his time playing with her, teasing her, testing her.

  Dammit, she hated how easily she responded to him. It scared her how well he already seemed to know her body and exactly how to play it to draw out the reaction he wanted.

  She hated that it was all probably because of how many women he’d had in his bed, on these very sheets, doing all these same things that allowed him to read her so well—the very thing he’d told her before he stripped away the last bit of fight she might have had in her.

  Don’t think about it, she scolded herself. It doesn’t matter how many women he’s fucked. The only thing that matters is that you get answers.

  Right. This wasn’t about the sex. It was about the endgame. That was all that mattered. She needed to concentrate on the job, on getting results, on—whack!

  “Sonofa—”

  “Focus,” Tuck snapped, then smacked her already burning ass cheek again. “Every time you decide to go off into la-la land, you’re going to get one of these.” Whack!

  “Stop doing that!” Talia yelled. Tears had already sprung to her eyes. Goddamn it. That paddle wasn’t anything like what she’d expected. It hurt.

  “Are you with me? Or do I need to give you another?”

  Talia considered telling him what he could do with that paddle when she felt him shift. Panic sliced through her and she rushed out, “I’m with you! Jesus Christ, I’m with you. Just don’t hit me anymore.”

  Whack!

  Talia screamed.

  Tuck’s throaty chuckle followed, making her fists ball into the sheets. Rubbing his palm over her stinging flesh, he said, “That was for telling me what to do, sugar. Now that we’re on the same page, the rest will be just for fun. Now spread your legs. I want to see how wet you are for me.”

  Asshole, Talia thought to herself as she followed instructions for fear she might earn another paddling. “You’re a sadist,” she snarled. “I don’t know how you think I could be wet after what you just did. If anything, I’m dry as the Sahara. Pain is not sexy.”

  His open palm smacked her outer thigh. “Wider.” The sharp command made her pussy clench. Embarrassed by her reaction and determined to tell him where he could take his commands, Talia looked over her shoulder, prepared to do just that, when she caught the predatory gleam in his eyes.

  Light, expressive gaze fixed on her, Tuck’s fingers delved between her legs as if he had the right to do whatever he pleased. As if her body belonged to him. As if he owned her.

  And she’d be damned if it wasn’t the sexiest thing she’d ever experienced.

  He spread her wide, ruthless in his exploration. Unfortunately for her, she was, indeed, wet. Soaked if the sloppy sounds were any indication.

  Pleasure darkened his gaze as he probed her opening and tsked. “Feels pretty ripe to me, sugar. I reckon you like a good smack more than you realized.”

  Truer words had never been spoken. Talia couldn’t have predicted that reaction, but it seemed that being dominated worked for her, and maybe that was a little twisted, but she couldn’t summon the energy to care when he looked at her like that—as if she had given him the best gift ever.

  Using both hands, he spread her cheeks apart and stared openly down at her. A furious blush filled Talia’s cheeks from the scrutiny, and she dropped her head between her shoulders to escape the humiliation.

  She hadn’t counted on the view her new prospective provided. On all fours, she stared down the tunnel her position on the bed created to the pair of powerful legs knelt down behind her. That wasn’t all she saw, though.

  Tuck’s heavy sac hung between his th
ighs, his extra-large cock jutting between hers. She studied the way the thick mushroom head traced a path between her folds at the same time her attention split in half and she became aware of what Tuck was doing behind her. A single finger entered her, pumping, twisting, curling around, lighting all her nerves, while his thumb circled her wetness over her asshole, applying gentle pressure that was shockingly stimulating.

  Talia found herself growing impatient as her arousal began to climb all over again. Forgotten was the sting of her spanking, and in its place, she was ready to experience more of whatever he had to give.

  Pushing back against him, she mewled her desire for more. Tuck chuckled in response. “You ready to get fucked?”

  “God, yes. Pleeeese.”

  She felt teeth on her right butt cheek, and before she could issue a protest, he bit down. The shock of pain shot like lightning up her spine, and her nipples hardened. “Just remember, the only rule I have is you have to try everything at least once.”

  Why did that feel like a warning?

  Talia didn’t have much time to ponder it before Tuck had donned a condom and thrust into her.

  NINE

  Tucker slammed into Talia’s tight little pussy, enjoying the erotic sounds she made. She was a vocal one, shouting and moaning, groaning and mewling. Even better was that she was an active participant, rocking her hips back to meet his every move, arching her ass up to take him deeper, reaching under to finger her clit so he could focus on his rhythm.

  In those ways, she was just like every woman before her, but she hadn’t started out that way. Talia was somewhat reserved, shy in ways the others never were. She took some warming up, some gentle coaxing to get her to where she was now, and oh did he enjoy watching it happen.

  It was a true pleasure to witness a woman like her coming into her own, figuring out what she wanted and how she wanted it. And she had listened when he told her she had to try everything once…not that he was pushing her boundaries too much.