TamingTara

Chapter Ten

Tara had some questions about the high density planting only Blair could answer, so Friday afternoon she drove out to the ranch. It was also a good way to avoid seeing Joe.

She got the info she needed, met with Juan on some other issues and was sitting in an empty office tapping away at her laptop computer late in the day when Joe walked in.

He looked dismayingly sexy in a pair of jeans riding low on his lean hips. A navy blue polo shirt, soft and well-washed, hung from his broad shoulders and outlined the muscles of his chest, the short sleeves showing off his rounded biceps.

“What are you doing here?” she asked with a frown. “I thought you were busy with Fiona.”

“We finished going over things last night.”

She lifted a brow.

He laughed. “I mean late yesterday. In case you haven’t noticed, she has a diamond the size of an olive pit on her hand. I think there’s a fiancé in the picture.”

“Yes. There is.”

“You know, I seriously think you’re underutilizing her skills,” he said.

She frowned at him. “What do you mean?”

“She’s an incredible asset to the company. Working with her on this tax audit has given me a good sense of her abilities. She’s incredibly detail oriented and extremely knowledgeable. The external auditors think so too. It’s made the whole thing go much smoother.”

“Oh. Well. That’s good.”

Huh. She wasn’t sure what to think about that. Of course she knew Fiona was bright and capable, otherwise Tara wouldn’t have hired her. But underutilizing her…?

“So. It’s Friday. Wanna go get a drink somewhere?”

She blinked at him. “A drink? You came all the way out here to ask me out for a drink?”

He grinned. “No. I had to talk to Blair about some things.”

“Oh. Well. No. I don’t want to go for a drink. I still have work to do.”

He shook his head. “Okay. Maybe I’ll see you later at Le Château?”

“No. I’m not going there tonight.”

“No?” He moved closer. “Why not?”

“I just…I’m just not.”

“Tara.”

He stopped beside her chair.

“What?” Her heart thudded in her chest at the look in his eye. God, why did he do this to her?

“You’re afraid, aren’t you?”

She rolled her eyes. “Not this again.”

“I think you’re mostly afraid of yourself.”

She snorted and turned her gaze back to her computer screen. “That’s ridiculous.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Look, I have work to do…”

He pushed the laptop computer aside, and lifted her chin so she had to meet his eyes. “Remember what I said about honesty?”

“I’m honest.”

He shook his head slowly side to side. His jaw tightened. “You’re not being honest. With me. Or with yourself.”

Anger flared inside her. She frowned at him and tried to draw back, but his fingers cupped her jaw. “You know what you really want is a man strong enough to show you who you really are.”

“Oh for God’s sake!” Her breath hitched. “Your ego is unbelievable.”

The barely restrained power, primal and male, leashed by his air of authority, made her tremble inside.

“I saw inside you,” he continued. “Last week at Le Château. When I made you come like crazy. You were so hot for it—I could see what you wanted. You just don’t want to admit it.”

“Okay! Yes! It was good. But not the way you think…”

“Show me.” His eyes challenged her.

“Show you what?”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her up out of the chair, hard against his body.

“Show me what you want.”

She quivered. “Stop.”

He chuckled. “At least say it like you mean it.”

She just stared back at him as if hypnotized.

“Oh God,” he groaned, sliding his hand around the back of her neck.

Their mouths connected, sending a jolt of white-hot electricity through her straight down between her legs. He speared his fingers into her hair to hold her head as he kissed her, opening her mouth with the pressure of his jaw, pushing into her mouth with his tongue. Her tongue met his, pushed back and their mouths played back and forth as they tasted and sucked on each other. The kiss deepened, grew hotter, their mouths open, tongues sliding, and Joe yanked her harder up against him, his arm circling her and holding her there.

God. His tongue in her mouth, one hand holding her head, the other on her ass…she couldn’t help her hips from moving against his in a helpless, needy rhythm. He tasted hot and delicious as he sucked on her tongue and she got lost in the heat of it, the mindless sensation. She arched against him, a small moan escaping her as he changed the angle of his head, kissed her again, and she clutched his shoulders.

“The house,” he muttered. “Do you have keys to the house?”

She looked at him, dazed, blinking.

He gave her shoulders a small shake. “Tara. I’m going to fuck you. Do you want to do it here in the office?”

She blinked again. “I have the key.”

Perfect. They didn’t even have to drive. Ignoring her computer and papers and briefcase, he grabbed her hand and practically dragged her out of the office. His dick was about to explode, lust spearing through him, heating him up. They had to get out of there.

It had been building up for weeks, ever since he’d arrived. They’d had some fun at Le Château, but this time he was going to be inside her. He was going to own her. He was going to show her once and for all what she really wanted.

He pulled her across the parking lot and down the path through the purple-spiked salvia and sunny daisy-like flowers to the ranch house. He felt her resistance in the way she held back, but he wasn’t letting her pull away. She unlocked the front door with trembling hands, glancing at him over her shoulder, and they stepped into the cool, dim foyer.

Joe shut the door, reached for her and spun her around, shoving her up against the carved wooden door and devouring her mouth. She tasted so damn good, like he knew she would. He couldn’t get enough of her, all soft and warm and tantalizing. Their tongues slid together, mouths open wide for each other in long, deep kisses.

He slid his hands up under the cotton shirt she wore, but it was form-fitting and not stretchy, so he had to go for the buttons, his big fingers fumbling with those damn tiny fuckers. Finally he had the blouse open and wrenched it apart so he could see her breasts. God. His chest heaved as he gazed down at her, plump breasts almost spilling from lacy bra cups, sky blue like the shirt she wore. He was staring at her in a near-stupor and had to marshal his control yet again.

“Bedroom,” he said. “Where is it?”

She closed her eyes and her breasts rose on a long intake of air. Never mind. He’d find it. He bent, slid an arm beneath her legs and lifted her against him.

“Joe!” Her eyes flew open and she clutched at his shoulders. “Stop! I don’t want this.”

“Yes, you do. You say you don’t, but I can feel it. The way you kiss me back. The way you melt against me.” He strode into the house, past a spacious, airy living room with wrought iron chandeliers hanging from vaulted ceilings and walls of mellow pine paneling. Arched windows looked out onto an expansive terrace. He turned down a hall, past a huge master bedroom, pausing with an arched brow. Tara shook her head, arms around his neck, so he continued on to the next room, opened the carved pine door and walked inside, then lowered her feet to the creamy area rug layered over polished wood.

“This is the room I use when I’m here,” she croaked. He had a dim impression of a minimally furnished room—a big bed with a plain white duvet, simple painted furniture. Sunlight beamed between the slats of wood blinds, creating a tiger-striped pattern on the floor.

She stood beside the bed, shirt hanging open, gazing at him. His head whirled as more blood rushed from his head to his cock and again he had to fight for control.

“Take your shirt off.”

“No.”

He closed the distance between them but didn’t touch her. He watched her struggle with the need inside her, saw the curiosity warring with resistance, knew every sinful thing she was wishing for. He could grant those wishes.

“I’m going to give you what you want.”

“You don’t know what I want.”

“Oh yeah, Tara, I do. Remember.” He still didn’t touch her, only with his gaze. “Honesty. I’m being honest with you, and you need to do the same for me. I can show you all the things you secretly want. And how good it can be.”

“Not like this.”

Her stubbornness yanked at his self-control, but when uncertainty flickered in her eyes, he dug deep for patience. This was new to her, all new, all scary. “I’ll look after you,” he said softly. “That’s my responsibility as Dominant. Not just to control you, but to pleasure you. It’ll be so good, sweetheart.”

Their eyes met and held and he saw the surrender there. Urgent need swelled inside him. He was dying to see how submissive she was, to overcome her resistance and have her obey his every demand, hear her beg him to sink his cock into her. But first he had to earn her trust. He was figuring out her triggers and knew he could get her to surrender to him. Completely.

“Now take off your shirt or I’ll spank that pretty ass.”

Heat flared in her eyes and her hands slowly lifted to the edges of the shirt, pushing it down over one arm, then the other, then dropping it on to a chair beside her. Yes.

He settled his hands on her waist, her flesh warm and silky. He studied her. Her breasts were high on her slender rib cage, full and round, sweetly cupped by blue lace. His mouth filled with saliva at the sight and he swallowed again. He reached behind her and flicked open her bra, tugged it off and dropped it to the floor. He drew out the tips of her breasts with his fingers, tugging over and over again, and her whole body twitched against him.

Her eyes drifted closed and her head fell back and when he looked at her face, he saw ecstasy.

“Oh God,” she whispered.

He groaned. “I can’t wait any longer to taste you.” He bent his head, taking one small nipple into his mouth, sucking hard. He pressed it between the top of his mouth and his tongue, loving the soft and hard feel of it, the sweetness of her taste. Then he tasted the other, his hands cupping her, lifting her to his mouth. Mmm. So good. Eyes closed, he lost himself in the taste of her, the feel of her all soft skin and warm flesh, heat coursing through his veins. He spent a long time at her breasts, loving the reaction he was getting from her as her trembling hands clutched his shoulders and her body twitched and shuddered against his.

“I can’t stand up any more,” she whispered to him. “My legs….”

He understood, amazed his own legs were still holding him up. “Now take your skirt off,” he instructed her, his voice not entirely steady. She reached for a side zipper and drew it down, then shimmied a bit to get the snug skirt over her hips. It fell to the floor and she stepped out of it.

His breath stopped. She was wearing nothing but a pair of sky blue thong panties. Her legs were miles long, her body slender, but rounded in the right places. Desire surged through him, his body aching, his thick hot erection pulsing. He pressed a hand to his groin in near-agony.

“Sit down on the bed,” he ordered her. She moved and lowered herself to the bed, hands pressed to the mattress on either side of her, shoulders raised. She watched him.

“Lie down.”

“Joe.”

“I said, lie down.” He stood before her. “This is how it goes, Tara. When I tell you to do something, you do it. No hesitation. No questions.”

Her low groan told him enough as she lowered herself to the bed and he stripped the golf shirt over his head, then stepped out of jeans, socks and underwear. Naked, he stood before her, his cock bobbing in front of him, long, hard, throbbing. He slid his hand over it, needing the touch, watching her lips part and her eyes darken. Her eyes roved over his body and he saw the exact moment she became aware of his cock. Her eyes widened and her look changed to one of awe and apprehension.

“Oh God, Joe,” she whispered. “Um…”

“I know.” He was big, even when not aroused, hence the high school nickname. When aroused, he was even bigger, and he didn’t actually think he’d ever in his life been this hard. “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you.”

She gave a jerky little wide-eyed nod. He stood between her legs, pushed her with a hand between her breasts so she lay down on the bed, let his hand slide up to her throat, then drew in a deep breath, inhaling her scent, holding her like that. He loved the smell of her, that fragrance of exotic jasmine and magnolia. As they’d worked side by side at the table in her office, he’d often caught a whiff of the scent. It turned him on—but now, the sexy floral mingled with feminine arousal, she smelled like warm spice and sin, sex and submission.

“I’ll make sure you’re really ready for me,” he assured her.

She bit her lip.

He slid his hand down her body under the little lace triangle covering the patch of golden fluff between her legs. He spent a few seconds enjoying the feel of his fingers tangled there, then slid lower, his long finger dipping into her slick folds. “You’re wet already, Tara. Your panties are soaked.”

She moaned.

He closed his eyes, trying to breathe. He fought the urge to come swelling up in him, his balls tight. Breathe, man, breathe.

“You’re tight too,” he muttered. She shivered. He probed her deeper with his finger, then slid it out. Her body made a soft, wet noise as he withdrew that finger slowly. “And I’m big, so we need to take our time.”

He measured her slender hips with his hands, then went to his knees on the floor between her legs, looking at her soft pussy covered by blue silk. Fucking gorgeous.

Her eyes widened and her lips parted. She rose up on her elbows, her long bangs hanging over one eye sexily. He hauled her butt closer to the edge of the bed by her legs and pushed her thighs open. She gasped again, falling flat on her back. He tucked his fingers into the little blue velvet ribbons crossing each hip and tugged on them, then pulled them down. He felt the damp heat of her and smelled her sweetness as he removed her underwear. Then he pushed her thighs even farther apart.

“Oh God, Joe, don’t,” she begged him. Her hands fisted in the duvet.

He laid his hand on her soft pussy in a sharp little caress and her body jolted.

“I told you, Tara. I give the orders. You don’t question me, you do what I say, you come when I tell you.”

“But…”

He gave her pussy another tap. She cried out.

“I want to look at you,” he said. “I’ve already seen you…remember?” He knew she did. She was wet, so wet. “Look at you,” he murmured. “Your little clit peeping out from between these soft pink folds.” She made a low guttural noise at his explicit words.

He pushed her thighs up to her chest, drawing another ragged moan from her. Then he used his fingers to part those folds, opening her wider, admiring her glistening pink prettiness. “So pretty. So sweet.” He swallowed another groan. “I want to make you come,” he told her and she whimpered. “Should I make you come with my fingers or with my mouth?”

“Oh God!” she cried. “God, Joe.”

This time he wanted to taste her, so he bent his head and took a long, luxurious lick, taking his time although he was hot and hard and throbbing everywhere. He licked slowly over plump smoothness, up, down, one side then the other. He let his tongue dip deeper between folds, licking up her cream, swallowing the taste of her, so delicate and female. He pushed the tip of his tongue deeper inside her, rewarded with a hot little whimper. Her fingers opened and closed on the bed beside her.

He slid his hands beneath her ass and lifted her to his mouth, causing her to make more noises deep in her throat. So sweet, so hot and so aroused—for him. A growl rumbled in his chest as he licked around her clit, so slowly, so carefully.

“Oh God,” she groaned. “Joe…”

He murmured a wordless response and sucked her soft flesh into his mouth gently, in slow, suckling kisses, working his way up to her quivery clit. And then he closed his lips over the bud and sucked. Her hips lifted even higher, his hands beneath her ass, her pussy against his face. Jesus, this was heaven, pure absolute heaven, the feel of her, the taste of her, knowing the pleasure he was giving her. Her body tightened and trembled and then he used his teeth oh-so-carefully on her swollen clit, held it there while he rubbed his tongue over it.

She came hard and fast. She bucked against his face, her hips jerking, her body shuddering as she cried out and he felt the surge of moisture her orgasm brought. Wow. Oh wow. She was hot.

He lifted his head from between her legs and smiled at her. “Good girl.”

A masculine thrill ran through Joe. He’d never been with someone that responsive. She’d come so fast and hard against his mouth, so wetly, he was almost shocked.

“Gonna fuck you now,” he murmured, moving up over her. Her breasts, soft on her ribs, quivered as she struggled to draw breath in and out. She licked her lips and forced her eyes open. “Gonna fuck you hard, baby. You’re ready for it. Aren’t you?”

He reached for her body and lifted her effortlessly, turning her so she was lengthwise on the bed.

“Don’t move.”

Her lust-fogged eyes questioned him, but she obediently said not a word.

“Condom.” He rolled off her and off the bed. “I’ll be right back.” Christ, that condom in his wallet better still be there.

It was. But only one. Damn, damn, damn.

Tara sat up on one elbow to watch, eyes wide as he rolled it on. “God,” she murmured. “Do they even make them big enough for you?”

He grinned, looked down at himself and gave himself a stroke. He heard her breath catch, lifted his gaze and met her apprehensive eyes. “Smart mouth,” he said, his amusement letting her get away with that comment. “Be careful, or I may have to gag you.”

She bit down on her bottom lip as he climbed back on the bed and he read the genuine fear in her eyes.

“It’s okay,” he soothed, his elbows beside her head. He pushed hair off her face with one hand, then both hands held her face as he kissed her mouth, his body tight with restraint. He wanted to pound into her, but held himself back. He pushed into her and felt her inner muscles tighten around him. “Just relax, sweetheart.” He pushed further, pausing as she opened her legs more. “You can do it. Take me in,” he groaned against her mouth. “Take all of me.”

A few more strokes and he was in, filling her, touching her womb. She quivered around him, fiery wet. He stopped, holding himself deep inside her. She was tight, like a fist holding him from tip to root. “You okay?” he whispered. She nodded, a jerky little nod, and opened her eyes.

When their eyes met, he went very still. Raw desire mirrored his own, layered with sweet, sweet surrender. His breath stalled and every muscle tightened, and then he couldn’t hold back any longer and he surged into her, long hard thrusts as he fell. His ears roared and his teeth caught the soft flesh of her neck as he pumped hard and heavy into her and his orgasm crashed over him in waves of pleasure.

He cried out against her skin as he drove into her, so close to utterly losing it and pounding her into next week, but he’d promised not to hurt her, he’d promised…

“Oh sweet Jesus,” he groaned raggedly, gasping desperately for air. Then she convulsed again as he pressed one last time into her soft body, her hips arching against him, her hands fisting in his hair and tugging hard. “Jesus,” he gasped again, pressing deeper, still hard inside her, pressing her through her climax until she was limp beneath him.

He buried his face in the pillow beside hers. Her hands fluttered on his back in little soft strokes. He still held his weight off her, but his arms quivered and he rolled to his side, taking her with him. He wrapped his arms around her, too tightly, he knew, but he couldn’t let go of her. His eyes closed and he drifted on a wave of bliss. Quivers of sensation rippled through her body and around his cock.

Well. He wasn’t sure if he’d accomplished his goal with Tara, but he sure as hell had succeeded in confusing himself. That had felt…different. Unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Maybe because she was so strong, so resistant, and he’d had to work so hard to get her under him. But the connection he felt with her at that moment was almost…scary.