“Yes.” The word escaped from me, needing to be released. Trusting him, giving myself over to him was my instinct, my need. I couldn’t not do it.
“I can’t wait to learn your fantasies, Ana. To discover them together.” There in the dark, the snow swirling around us, cut off from the world, I was ready to let it all go. I was ready to let him lead me wherever he wanted. I knew I’d love wherever he took me.
“But not tonight,” he said, withdrawing his hand, gently bringing my arm down and back along my side. “Tonight you need to rest.”
Gentle, soothing, he drew the sheet up over me, smoothed the down comforter up and over my shoulders.
“Ash?” He’d taken me so close, right up to the edge, and I still buzzed, still hummed with need. But I could also feel the drowsiness, the languorous slumber pulling at me, reaching me in deep.
“It’s going to take a lot of energy, what I have planned. I want you to be fully present.” He stroked my hair as he spoke, arranging the pillows for my comfort.
“I can’t wait to drive you stark raving mad with pleasure. But tonight I want you to go to sleep. You’ve been through a lot. You need to rest.”
The pulse, the throb between my legs, I didn’t know if I could. One touch down there and I could bring myself to orgasm, give myself satisfaction.
As if he could read my mind, he added with a wicked smile, “But don’t touch yourself. I know you’re slick with need. I want you to fall asleep like that, let it bring you dreams, spinning out your fantasies. Heightening your anticipation.”
Heavy under the covers, I could already feel it happening. My eyelids dropped, my limbs sank into the mattress.
“That’s it, Ana.” He leaned down and kissed my hair. “So sweet. Sleep now.” Sleep drifted over me, like the snow outside, piling up and covering me in a thick, heavy, restful blanket.
22
Ash
The next morning, Ana slept and slept while the storm raged on. Outside, I could see nothing but white. I turned on the weather channel and learned we were in for more of the same all day. Tomorrow it was supposed to start subsiding, but not abruptly. The storm would taper, leaving in its wake up to two and a half feet of snow in some parts of the mountains.
Like our part. We were officially snowed in. The property’s caretaker had done an excellent job in the short time frame I’d given him. We had more than enough of everything. This cabin was built as sturdy as they came, the perfect escape. Now I just needed my woman to wake up.
I decided to take a shower. Ana needed her sleep, I reminded myself. She needed to rest. I was furious that someone had probably slipped something into her drink. Yesterday, my unease had grown the longer she’d slept. At first I’d been pleased she didn’t wake up to learn I was abducting her. Stealing her away.
But when she hadn’t even woken up as I’d carried her into the cabin through a snowstorm, that had worried me. I’d tried to rouse her when I’d first settled her on the couch. I couldn’t do it. I’d been so relieved when she’d finally awakened, brief as it was. One of the things about getting snowed in was you couldn’t get to a doctor if you needed one. I hadn’t thought about that at first. But, thank God, it seemed like she was going to be all right.
Who’d done it? Chances were good they weren’t even targeting Ana. Drugs like that flew around at those kinds of parties. And who even knew what it had been? True roofies weren’t all that common any more, but giving a girl some X or a little benzo, that happened all the time. Hell, more than half the time it was the girl choosing to take it herself, wanting to loosen up and join the party full-throttle.
When Ana had also realized what happened yesterday, I’d kept my cool. I’d kept my fear and my temper under wraps. I didn’t want to frighten her. But I was furious, especially at myself. I should have protected her, but I’d been off, pulled around in ninety different directions instead of by her side. It pissed me off that there was so much out of my control. Money, wealth, fame meant nothing if I wasn’t able to care for the ones I loved.
There was that L word popping into my head again. Crazier still, it was starting to frighten me less. Three weeks together and I was already thinking like a lunatic.
The warm water pounded down onto my shoulders and back. I was holding a lot of tension. Coiled up, I needed Ana for release.
When she woke up, would she remember the conversation we had last night? There in the dark, just the two of us in the bed, it was as if we’d been transported into another world. I’d felt as if she’d opened the door to her fantasies and allowed me entry.
Leaving her in that moment had taken about all of the restraint I had and then some. I almost hadn’t been able to do it. She’d been quivering and panting, so swept away by my words, the suggestions I made to her. So eager to explore, to tap into all of the erotic energy pulsing within. But it had also taken her all of three minutes to fall completely asleep once I’d told her to get some rest. She was ready to go, but she still needed more time to recover.
Hopefully, today would be different. I didn’t know what the future held for us. I knew what was planned in our contract and I didn’t like it. A break up in one week. But that didn’t have to happen. If the world liked me dating a sweet children’s librarian, who said I couldn’t keep on dating her? I knew it was crazy to be thinking like this, so wrapped up, wanting so much more. We’d only known each other for three weeks.
But it wasn’t a normal three weeks. We’d traveled to Paris. Met each other’s families. Hell, I’d proposed to her and she’d accepted. Yesterday, I’d taken that ridiculous ring off of her while she was asleep. As much as I liked the thought of seeing her wear my ring—and yes I did—that wasn’t my ring. That was Lola’s ring. And it looked like a reminder of everything that was fake, everything she wasn’t. I didn’t like the reminder. Plus it just looked almost uncomfortable, like she’d smack her hand against something and it would hurt.
I didn’t know what would come next between us. But I did know we had a couple of days together now, just us. No interruptions, no interference. No paparazzi, no groupies or other celebrities or PR reps. My phone was turned off. We had a playground before us, and we didn’t have to share it with anyone else.
In the warm, steamy shower, my cock pulsed with need. Hard as a rock. I’d been hard since last night, pressed against her in bed. Feeling her desire, stirring up her lust, so close to her wet center I’d almost said fuck it and lost myself.
I’d wanted to come in her with a fierce, primal need, like a fucking firehose. The need hadn’t exactly abated overnight. I hadn’t had Ana in days, not since Vegas. Technically it was only two days, but it felt like two years. I craved her like I had never craved anyone before.
I brought my hand down to my shaft, wrapping my fingers around it. Stroking my length, I could feel the release so close. Veins pulsing down its length, my balls tight with come, I pumped myself. It would feel so good to come, to explode.
But I took my hand away, brought it to the wall of the shower. Slowly, breathing, I took back control. I didn’t want to come in the shower, hot and quick in my hand. I wanted to come in Ana. Again and again.
Even if she didn’t remember the conversation we’d had last night, her impulses would still there, her instinct to respond. She wanted my power, my domination. She wanted to submit, let herself go, surrender to her dark fantasies. I’d take her there.
Around eleven o’clock, she finally woke up, all rosy and sleepy. Her golden chestnut hair was in a tumble, so naturally gorgeous, thi
ck with a slight curl to it.
“Hi,” she said as she padded into the kitchen in a borrowed pair of socks, looking sleepy and shy.
“Hey. How’re you feeling?”
“Much better.” She smiled at me and I embraced her, relieved to see her looking like herself again. A sleepy self, but the color had fully returned to her cheeks. With some coffee and breakfast, she’d be back to normal. “I see you raided my clothes.” I had to tease her, but I loved it. She looked so cute in my T-shirt and boxers, oversized and draping off her curves. Those boxers would be so easy to slip right off.
“I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind? I don’t even want to tell you that your bags are here, too.” I’d had the hotel pack her belongings and she had everything she needed here. But if I had anything to say about it, clothes weren’t going to factor much into the next couple of days. I had a couple of silk restraints I’d like to see on her, strategically placed around her wrists and ankles, but that was about it.
“Wow.” She walked over to the large window above the sink in the kitchen. Yeah, that about summed it up. I joined her and together we watched the winter fury raging outside. “It’s a crazy storm.”
“Worst one in years. And it’s going to be like this all day and into tomorrow.” I saw a slight blush creep to her cheeks, the hint of a smile at the corner of her lips. Maybe she did remember our conversation from last night. But she needed some fuel in her first.
Together, we made toast and scrambled eggs. I’d already brewed some coffee, nectar of the gods. The pantry was stocked full of my favorite Italian brand. As much as my celebrity status caused problems, it also brought many small blessings on a daily basis. Like expensive, imported Italian coffee in the middle of the storm of the century in the remote California mountains.