Dark Desire Read online

  Hope reluctantly handed the bag over. “I could have used that vibrator before I came over tonight to take the edge off.”

  Ace closed her door and waited until she opened the window. “No. Now drive carefully to your meeting.”

  “My meeting! Damn it, Ace. I forgot all about her. Kiss me.”

  Obligingly, Ace bent to brush her lips with his. “Drive carefully. I’ll be right behind you. I’ll pick you up at seven tonight. Dress warm.”

  Hope watched as he walked back to his truck and waited until he got in it before she drove away. Pleased at the progress she’d made with Ace, she grinned at herself in the rearview mirror, nearly bubbling over with anticipation for the night ahead.

  Chapter Ten

  Ace hung up the phone, a little stunned. He couldn’t believe his brothers actually bought another property and planned to move out. It wasn’t far, just across town, but still.

  They must be giving a lot of consideration to marrying. It had to be someone from out of town because he didn’t know of a single woman in Desire they’d expressed any interest in.

  Slightly disconcerted at the news, he went back into his bedroom to finish the preparations for Hope’s arrival. She’d been playing with him this afternoon, the kind of play that made him hard as a rock, the kind of teasing he’d never really taken the time to explore.

  Damn, she was a natural at playing, but he didn’t know quite how far he could take this. He’d have to up the ante, part of him hoping it would scare her away, the other part of him dreading the look on her face when he did.

  It had taken a tremendous amount of willpower not to do what he’d wanted to do to her this afternoon. He’d have loved nothing more than to keep those cuffs on her and strip her out of her clothes, not something he could have done on the side of the road.

  He wondered what she would think of him if she’d known what dark thoughts went through his mind as he cuffed her and bared her breasts. He’d wanted to rip her shirt and bra from her, not lift them carefully out of the way. He’d wanted to bare her ass and take her from behind as she lay draped over the trunk of her car, again not something the sheriff could be caught doing on the side of the road.

  But damn, he’d wanted to.

  He’d been careful until now not to let her see much of his dark hungers, but if she wanted to play games the way she had this afternoon, she needed to know what lay in store for her. He’d already washed the items she’d bought at Beau’s and added them to his own recent purchases.

  Stroking his fingers over the items he’d lined up in his nightstand, he thought about the day he’d become sheriff. That day he’d tossed each and every one of his own toys into the trash, thinking he could change.

  He’d known better, of course, but he thought that since he was now the sheriff at least he should try. It hadn’t worked at all, and with Hope the need to dominate had become stronger than ever.

  She had him so tied up in knots that the smartest thing he could do would be to walk away from her. An image of the way she’d looked this afternoon as she practically dared him to spank her still burned in his mind. Who the hell was he kidding? He couldn’t walk away, only pick up the pieces of his heart when she did. In the meantime, however, if the little brat wanted to play games, he sure as hell could oblige her.

  Part of him worried that she would like what he did to her tonight.

  Part of him worried she wouldn’t.

  But excitement to see her again raced through his veins, and he’d just have to deal with whatever happened. With his cock already stirring, he slipped into his sheepskin jacket and grabbed his keys in a hurry to get to her.

  * * * *

  Hope dressed much like she had the last time and kept her make-up to a minimum. Smiling as she fluffed her hair, she looked at the clock for the tenth time in as many minutes.

  Laughing at herself, she slipped on her shoes and went to the window just in time to see Ace pull up. She slipped on her jacket as she ran to Charity’s room to tell her goodbye.

  She found her sister sitting cross-legged on her bed in sweat pants and a huge T-shirt, her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and her glasses perched on her nose. Surrounded by the ledger from the club and various papers, Charity looked up when Hope opened her door.

  “Is the sheriff here?”

  Leaning against the doorway, Hope grinned at the picture her sister made. “You know we can do that in the office. It’s Friday night. You should be out having some fun instead of being cooped up in here doing bookwork.”

  Charity shook her head, waving her away. “You have enough fun for both of us. What did Beau think of you coming in to buy toys when he knows you’re seeing the sheriff?”

  Hope bit the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing at Charity’s nonchalant tone. She knew damned well her sister had been thinking about it ever since she’d told her she’d shopped there. “He was a little puzzled at first, but then when I told him they were for you, he flashed that grin of his and was real helpful.” She’d done no such thing, of course, but she had mentioned to Beau just how much her sister needed to play.

  Charity’s face turned white and then bright red, her eyes huge as she stared at Hope in horror. “You didn’t!” Jumping from the bed, she sent papers scattering as she raced after her sister. “I’ll kill you! You’d better be lying.”

  Hope ran away, laughing, dodging furniture on her way to the door just as Ace knocked. Flinging the door open, she threw herself at him, secure in the knowledge that he would catch her. Giggling, she snuggled into him. “There’s a wild woman in there who says she’s gonna kill me.”

  Ace caught her easily and stepped into the apartment, catching a pillow in mid-air. His eyes widened when he saw Charity approaching, whipping her glasses off to glare at her sister. “What did she do now?”

  Rubbing herself against Ace, Hope cursed the fact that their coats kept her from feeling more of his hard body. “Why do you always think it’s my fault?” Dropping her head on his shoulder, she stuck her tongue out at her outraged sibling.

  Ace stroked her bottom warningly. “Because it always is. What did you do?”

  Charity turned red again, shaking her head. “Nothing. Mom and the dads should have spanked her as a child.” Suddenly her lips curved into one of her rare up-to-no-good smiles. “Sheriff, I’d really appreciate it if you could help me with her and take her in hand. She gets worse every day. She’s been making trouble around town for me and telling lies. She drives like a maniac. It’s hard enough trying to keep her away from the subs that come into the club…”

  Ace gripped Hope’s jaw, forcing her to look at him. “You’re touching the subs in the club, too?”

  Hope hadn’t touched a single one of them, and Charity knew it. As owner of the club, she wouldn’t lay a hand on any of the men who came with their mistresses. Also, she no longer considered herself single, no matter what Ace said. But none of that would keep her from having a little fun. Blinking innocently, Hope smiled sweetly. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Nobody’s claimed me yet, and the men are awfully cute when they beg.”

  Ace nodded at Charity. “I’ll take care of her. Lock up behind me.” Turning, he carried Hope down the steps and around to his truck. “You’ve been causing trouble again? We’ll see how cute you look when your ass is on fire and you’re begging to come.”

  Hope buried her face in his neck, loving his warm scent. “Am I in trouble, Sheriff?” She worked her way inside his coat to rub her breasts against his chest.

  Ace opened the passenger door, pausing with her in his arms. “Don’t you think you should be?”

  A little put out that he didn’t sound jealous, Hope leaned back to look up at him. “You’re not mad?”

  He bundled her inside, fastening her seatbelt. “I wouldn’t be able to punish you if I got mad, now would I?”

  Hope opened her mouth, immediately snapping it shut when he pushed the door closed and walked around the front to get in on t
he other side. She couldn’t believe how much it hurt to think he didn’t care if she touched another man or not. Did he think she didn’t care enough about him?

  “Ace, you know I would never touch another man, don’t you?”

  “Hmm.”

  Annoyed and a little alarmed at his non-committal reply, Hope stared at him, just now getting a whiff of something else that smelled delicious.

  “What that’s smell?”

  “Food.”

  “Oh.” Staring at him, she wished she could see him better, but the only light came from the streetlights they passed and the low light from the dashboard. Unsure of his mood, she started to get nervous. He hadn’t left her at the apartment so he couldn’t be really mad at her, could he? The tense silence stretched, making her more and more uncomfortable. Taking a deep breath, she smiled. “Did you bring your handcuffs?” Reaching out to touch his forearm, she batted her lashes at him. “When I was away at school, I used to fantasize all the time about being handcuffed by Desire’s sheriff.”

  Ace glanced at her and raised a brow before turning to watch the road again. “Did you?”

  Hope shivered at the ice in his tone. “Ace, what’s wrong?”

  Ace turned onto the road leading to his house. “Nothing that won’t be taken care of in the next few hours.” He pulled up in front of the house and turned off the engine.

  Hope barely had time to undo her seatbelt before Ace grabbed her arms, turning her toward him as he forced them behind her back. She lifted her face as his hand went to the nape of her neck, watching with a mixture of relief, fascination, and indescribable need as his head lowered.

  Still holding both of her hands in one of his, he parted her lips with his own and plundered deep, pulling her against his chest. Not until she heard the click did she realize he’d handcuffed her.

  Hope melted into him. She needed this feeling of closeness with him, this wonderful connection. Every time he touched her she went up in flames, but his icy distance added an element of danger and created an alertness that made it even hotter.

  She became more aware of every minor shift in his body against hers, every breath. The scent of him intoxicated her. The lightest stroke of his tongue on hers created an answering pull to her nipples and clit.

  Ace lifted his head, staring down at her for several long seconds, his eyes glittering with raw possession. He sat her back onto her seat and got out to come around for her.

  When he opened the door, she started to get out, squealing when he lifted her effortlessly and tossed her over his shoulder. He closed the door, retrieved the food from the back, and strode into the house with her, the sound of the lock clicking unusually loud in the tense silence. With her still draped over his shoulder, he unpacked the bag, putting the food in the oven to keep warm, never speaking a word.

  Hope blinked in disbelief as he calmly completed his task, never once losing his grip on her. “Ace, put me down. I’ll go wait for you in the bedroom.”

  He ignored her as though she hadn’t spoken and started toward the bedroom with her, turning off lights along the way.

  Hope twisted, trying to see as the low light from the bedroom illuminated his path, but Ace merely tightened his hold on her as he went inside and closed the door behind him. Hope struggled to lift herself as he calmly removed her shoes and tossed them aside. Moaning as his hand caressed her bottom, she arched.

  “Ace, I want to touch you.”

  His continued silence unsettled her, adding to the erotic atmosphere.

  Squeezing her thighs together to relieve the ache that settled there, she gasped when he adjusted his grip and sat on the edge of the bed, tossing her over his lap. With her hands cuffed behind her back, she couldn’t balance herself and had to trust his hold to keep her steady. Excited at the thought of the spanking she knew she’d be getting, Hope squirmed.

  “Are you going to spank me for touching those other men?”

  Ace reached for the hem of her sweatpants and yanked them down to her knees and then off. “No. Your spanking is for lying about it and for speeding.” He ran a hand over the lacy red thong she’d bought just for tonight. “And for wearing panties. Didn’t I tell you not to wear them when you would be with me?”

  She didn’t even get the chance to speak before his hand came down on her bottom, several times in rapid succession. Shrieking, she struggled against his hold to no avail. “Ace, that hurts!” Her bottom felt as though it were on fire, made worse when he held his hand on her hot buttocks, holding the heat in. “How did you know I was lying? Wait! Do you mean I’ll get spanked for lying but not for touching those men? What kind of crap is that?”

  He uncuffed her, keeping her over his lap as he quickly stripped her and had her hands cuffed again before she knew it.

  Unprepared, she yelped as several sharp landed on her bottom yet again.

  Ace flipped her up and onto the bed and turned her onto her belly, holding her down with a firm hand on her lower back when she began to struggle. “I’m doing whatever I want to do with you. Isn’t that what you wanted, baby?”

  Hope couldn’t deny that every touch, every word he spoke, aroused her.

  Knowing that he could do whatever he wanted to her, however he wanted to do it, made her toss all her inhibitions aside in an eagerness to please him. She wanted him to take whatever he wanted from her, desperate to give him whatever he needed from her.

  It…fulfilled her somehow.

  But she couldn’t just make it easy.

  It excited her to struggle, especially when she knew she could never escape, no matter how hard she tried. “My butt hurts. I’m going to make you pay for that.”

  Ace bent to brush his lips across her cheek as he ran his fingers over her bottom. “You’re in big trouble tonight, little girl.”

  Hope’s pussy clenched, moisture coating her thighs as she shivered, unable to believe how easily he aroused her.

  She only needed one other thing to make this night complete and wondered how he’d take it. “Ace, I need something from you.”

  His hand moved over her warm bottom to her center where he slid his fingers through the slickness he found there. “I’m going to take care of every one of your needs, but after your lying, you’re going to have to wait.”

  Hope twisted restlessly, trying to get his fingers where she needed them. “That’s not what I mean. Ace…please don’t let me use my safeword.” Groaning when his fingers stilled, she turned to hide her face in the pillow, immediately turning it back. Not used to being so nervous about anything, she had a difficult time facing him while consumed with such need, but she wouldn’t hide. Couldn’t. He needed to know.

  “Knowing I can stop what you do to me with a word…” Shit. She didn’t quite know how to finish.

  Ace rubbed her bottom again. “It keeps you from letting go all the way, doesn’t it? Do you really want me to take what I want and you’ll have no say in anything I do?” Bending, he kissed her shoulder, his voice low and soft. “Are you sure this is what you want? You’ll be totally helpless.”

  Hope needed to make sure. “Even if I begged for you to stop?”

  Smiling coldly, Ace reached into the nightstand and pulled out the blindfold. “Not even if you scream for me to stop. Make absolutely sure. Right now.”

  The sharp edge to her arousal would have decided it for her, but the look on Ace’s face made her absolutely sure. She’d never seen quite that look before, somehow hot and cold at the same time, but the need that flared in his eyes turned her to putty.

  His gaze sharpened and narrowed. “There will be absolutely no mercy and no turning back.”

  Smiling tremulously, she squirmed, moaning at the friction of the sheet on her nipples. She’d never before voiced her wildest fantasy, and the need to do so now had the words tumbling from her lips. “Don’t think badly of me. I need this, Ace. I need to be taken. I…need to fight you. I want to be forced. Oh, God, you’re going to think I’m some kind of pervert, aren’t
you?”

  His eyes flashed with surprise and then glittered with a heat that scorched her as his lips curved into the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen. “Not when your needs match mine.” He ran a hand over the cheeks of her ass. “Mine.”

  Hope’s stomach muscles tightened when he retrieved the key from the pocket of his jeans and unlocked the handcuffs again, his eyes fierce with intent. “Ace, what are you doing? You’re not letting me go, are you?” Relief made her giddy as Ace lifted her hands over her head.

  Tossing the handcuffs aside, he brought out the velvet cord he’d used the other night. “I can’t have you hurting yourself by pulling against the metal cuffs, and tonight you are going to pull. With these you can tug all you want and not hurt yourself.” He deftly restrained and blindfolded her before running a finger lightly down her back and making her tremble. His soft tone had an underlying layer of ice that sent a shiver through her. “You’re not going anywhere for quite a while, little girl. You have a few things to be punished for, remember?”

  Unable to see, Hope’s senses heightened. She gasped when Ace slid his hands beneath her and flipped her to her back, his denim-clad thighs holding hers wide. She automatically struggled to close them, even knowing she couldn’t. The sense of vulnerability at her inability to do so added to her arousal, as did being naked while he remained fully dressed. Her trepidation at not knowing what he would do to her had her twisting restlessly. God, he seemed to understand her so well.

  “Be still.”

  The bed shifted, and she heard Ace moving beside it, the sound of the nightstand drawer opening and closing again making her pulse leap. Waiting for him to touch her became torture, her body trembling with the effort to remain still.

  Suddenly, it became silent, except for the rip of foil.

  Hope’s breath came out in short pants as she waited, her mind swirling with possibilities. She had no idea where he stood now but could only imagine the picture she made, spread wide and bound, helpless against whatever he decided to do to her.