Dark Desire Read online

  She licked her dry lips and took a tremulous breath. “Ace, I don’t know how to do this.”

  He smiled tenderly, sliding a hand beneath her hair to cradle her neck, holding her up with one muscular arm. “Just keep your eyes open and on me, baby. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  Hope nodded and swallowed heavily, her pulse racing as Ace bent over her, his face mere inches from hers as he bent her legs higher. At the first touch of the cold lube on her bottom hole, she jolted in his arms. Fisting her hand in the front of his shirt, she struggled to keep her eyes open as his thick finger began to press into her, pinching as it stretched her.

  The liberal amount of lube eased his way, as did her position, but her body nevertheless fought his invasion. The relentless press of his finger forced the tight ring of muscle to give way, allowing him to enter her, the level of vulnerability at having her anus breached stealing her breath.

  Whimpering in her throat as she fought to adapt to such a foreign sensation, she knew the fear he spoke of had to show plainly on her face. The stark intimacy in such an act surprised her and she tightened on him, involuntarily attempting to deny him entry even as her mind screamed for his possession.

  He smiled reassuringly even as his eyes darkened, sharpening as he stared down at her. He continued to press his large finger steadily into her with a firmness that made her more than aware that she couldn’t stop him.

  He partially withdrew only to slide deeper, and no matter how tightly she clenched, she couldn’t slow him down at all.

  His words came back to her, and the vulnerability he’d warned her about hit her hard, somehow only adding to her intense arousal and the astounding intimacy of what he did to her. It excited her even more that he’d known what she would be experiencing. Without hesitation, she spread her legs wider in an act of acceptance, an act of submission, biting her lip against the moans she couldn’t suppress.

  Ace slid his finger deep. “You’re so damned tight. So hot. Do you have any idea how hard my cock is just thinking about taking your ass? The next time I have you like this, it’ll be somewhere you can scream.”

  When he touched his thumb to her swollen clit, she jolted, gasping as it moved her on his finger. As soon as he began stroking, all of her inhibitions vanished in a haze of lust. She burned hotter than ever, the feeling of something inside her bottom adding to the sheer eroticism of his possession.

  He owned her.

  Her mind ceased to function, her body now completely under his control. He controlled the wave that kept building inside her, slowly intensifying its power. Her eyes closed at the intense surge of need, only to snap open again when she remembered that she had to keep them on his.

  Ace smiled indulgently. “Good girl. Now you can come. I want to feel your ass clench on my finger.”

  Hope needed no further urging. Her orgasm washed over her, making every other orgasm she’d ever had pale in comparison. Her clit throbbed under his caress, her entire body swept up in a sizzling wave of intense pleasure. The strength of it forced her to clamp down on the finger pressed deep inside her, increasing the sensation of being stretched there. Her cry was quickly smothered as Ace covered her mouth with his. Oh, God! Nothing had ever felt this good. The strokes on her clit slowed, dragging out her orgasm until she sobbed, the sharp tingles continuing for so long it became painful. When he lifted his head, she begged.

  “Please, Ace. No more. Please make it stop. It’s too much.”

  “Demands again?”

  Opening her eyes, she didn’t realize she’d closed, she gasped for air, shuddering as every inch of her body screamed with ecstasy. “No. I’m sorry. It’s just—I can’t—Oh, my God. It won’t stop. Help me. I don’t know what to do.”

  Ace took pity on her and stopped stroking her clit and waited, watching with hooded eyes until she settled. His lips curved before he kissed her lightly, gathering her against his chest. “You know, of course, that if I want to, I can keep caressing your clit until you sob and just keep going. And already you cry for mercy. Training you is going to take the rest of my life.” He immediately sat straighter, putting some distance between them, his look hardening again as though he realized what he just said.

  Hope smiled weakly, stroking his jaw, needing him to smile at her again. “Promise?” Her smile became a gasp when the finger in her bottom moved.

  “Don’t be a smartass. I can sit here and play with your ass all night if I want to, remember?”

  Hope’s face burned, but she didn’t look away. “I’d never survive it.”

  Ace shook his head in amusement as he eased his finger from her anus and rubbed her bottom. “I’m beginning to wonder.” His lips twitched as her eyes began to droop. “You’re hot as hell, but I wouldn’t exactly call you submissive. You still fight it. Get some sleep. You’re exhausted.”

  Hope sat up in alarm, wide awake but lethargic and clumsy. “What about you? Don’t you want to have sex?”

  Ace helped her to her feet and sighed. “I’m too demanding, too dark for you, Hope. I made you come because I’m selfish and wanted to see what you looked like when you have an orgasm. I wanted to hear the sounds you make when you come. I played a little, that’s all. You wouldn’t always get to come so quickly, and if the mood suited me, not at all. You said for yourself you couldn’t stand anymore.” With his arms around her, he rubbed her back, staring deeply into her eyes. “Let it go, Hope. Please. Before one of us gets hurt.”

  Hope panicked. “Ace, no! What can I do to make you understand that you’re exactly what I want? Do you know how good this felt to me tonight? Don’t you see how much I care for you?”

  Ace’s lips firmed, his hands on his hips as he glared down at her. “I think you care for me, just as I care for you, but I don’t think you know what you’re getting into. Tonight was just a little sample. I need you to promise me that you’ll think about this.”

  Hope cuddled against him. “There’s nothing to think about.”

  Looking away, he appeared to be deep in thought, the length of his silence scaring Hope to death. Finally, he looked down at her, his gaze raking over her still-naked form.

  “Lock up behind me and go to bed. I’ll be in touch.”

  Chapter Four

  The chilly night air did nothing to cool Ace’s ardor. At this point, he doubted that anything short of sinking his cock into Hope could.

  Sitting on the front porch of the house he shared with his brothers, he ran his thumb up and down the cold glass of iced tea he held, trying to block out the image of Hope’s face when he ran the glass over her nipples. He’d been sitting here for over an hour now and his cock still pressed painfully at his zipper.

  She was perfect.

  After all, what would be the point in earning the surrender of a woman who didn’t have some fight in her?

  Damn it, he knew this would happen. He knew better and still let her get to him. Her daring attitude made him forget sometimes just how sweet and damned fragile she was.

  If he didn’t love her, his life would be a hell of a lot easier. She was a weakness he just couldn’t afford.

  He turned his head at the familiar sound of his brother’s truck coming up the dirt road. Good. Hopefully they’d be able to help get his mind off of her.

  When Law and Zach came home they always visited the club, a place Ace carefully avoided. As sheriff, he felt it would be inappropriate for him to go there and didn’t particularly care to be in the club fucking another woman when Hope’s fathers came in to play cards.

  He looked at his watch as Zach got out of the passenger side and climbed the steps to the small porch. “Home a little early tonight, aren’t you?”

  Zach sighed and dropped into the chair next to him. “Just not in the mood tonight. Tired, I guess.”

  Ace blinked. “Is that a fact?”

  Law went into the house, came back out with two beers, and tossed one to Zach. “Royce and King were busy with clients, but we saw Blade.”

&n
bsp; Something in his tone alerted Ace that his brother had something other than small talk on his mind. Keeping his face bland, he shrugged. “He’s one of the owners. He’s usually there even though he and Kelly finally moved into their house.”

  Law took a long pull of his beer and sighed. “Blade sure has changed.”

  Ace nodded, wondering where this was going. “Yep. Love’ll do that to a man.”

  Zach sat back in his chair, propping his feet on the railing. “Jesse went to see Kelly, so Clay and Rio came by the club.”

  Ace waited, taking another sip of his tea and saying nothing.

  Law paced back and forth, finally leaning against the porch rail. “Some amazing women have been coming to town lately.”

  Zach looked pointedly at Ace. “And there’s some already here.”

  Ace ignored his brother’s look. “It takes a special woman to put up with the men in Desire.”

  Zach’s brow went up. “Including you?”

  Ace had to consciously relax his clenched jaw to take another sip of his tea. “Especially me. Women want to be independent now, and a lot of them would never want to abide by the rules of this town.”

  Zach blinked. “But the laws here protect the women. They’re all for their benefit. The laws of this town keep them safe and punish men for abusing them or cheating on them.”

  Ace shrugged. “A lot of women don’t see it that way. It takes a special kind of person to live here, male or female. What works for us won’t work for the rest of the world.” In an effort to change the subject, he forced a smile. “So you two didn’t find anybody you wanted to fuck tonight?”

  Law stood, waving his hand in the air dismissively. “Yeah. She was good, too, but…”

  Zach took another sip of his beer. “When you see Clay and Rio and the way they talk about Jesse—it’s not talk about sex like it used to be. I mean, you can tell just how much they love her. They talk about the things she likes and how nice it is to have a woman at home. How she drives them crazy and the pleasure they get from doing little things for her. It’s the same with Blade. Something’s going on with him because he’s been even quieter than normal, but if you mention Kelly, his eyes light up.”

  Law sat on the railing, only to come to his feet and start pacing again. “We saw the Prestons and the Jacksons in town. Boone and Chase look nervous as hell and won’t get more than a few feet from Rachel. Jared, Duncan, and Reese have these ridiculous grins and look like they found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

  Ace started to get a crick in his neck from watching his brother pace back and forth. “You guys had a chance with Rachel when Boone and Chase wouldn’t go near her.”

  Law shrugged. “I like Rachel a lot, but the spark wasn’t there. I see it between the others. Hell, I’ve watched it with you and Hope for years. I want the spark.”

  Thinking of Hope, Ace averted his gaze. “Sometimes the spark isn’t enough, especially if a man wants too much.”

  Law’s lips twitched. “The generosity of women never ceases to amaze me. They seem willing to give it their all as long as they have their man’s love.”

  Zach appeared lost in thought, the silence stretching. Suddenly, he sat forward. “Jesse came to town because of Nat. Kelly came because of Jesse. Erin came because of Rachel. Those men got lucky. They scooped those women right up, and everyone’s happy as clams. As far as I know, none of those women ever lived the lifestyle they live now. And those women don’t have any more sisters. We’ve gone years without any new women showing up here, and the ones that have are all taken.”

  Ace nodded. “And you want to find a woman like that.”

  Zach shrugged and looked out into the night.

  Law opened his mouth to say something, apparently changed his mind, and turned to go back inside, coming back with fresh drinks. Sighing, he leaned against the rail and shared a look with Zach. “We’ve been in all kinds of clubs in Dallas and seen all kinds of women, but we haven’t found what they have.”

  Surprised, Ace looked up. “I didn’t know you were looking.”

  Law shrugged. “We didn’t either. We talked about it a little tonight.”

  Ace eyed each of them thoughtfully, more than a little surprised at his brothers’ sudden desire for a relationship. “None of those men found their wives in a club. They just appeared when they least expected it. Rachel knew what she wanted, but Jesse, Kelly, and Erin weren’t looking for a relationship at all and certainly not the kind they found. But their men love them and make sure they know it. They all ended up with more than any of them expected. You just have to find a woman you share that spark you talked about with. If you love them, make sure they know it. And hope like hell they can love you back.”

  Zach finished his beer and stood. Smiling slightly, he touched Ace’s shoulder. “Maybe you ought to take your own advice. Hope’s a good woman, and she’s already in love with you.”

  Ace stood and moved to the railing, wondering how the hell this conversation had become about him and Hope. “I’m too domineering, too possessive for someone like her. I can’t change, and she’s too much of a fireball to live with it.” Looking out into the darkness, he sighed. He’d thought it over so many times, especially since she’d come home. It wouldn’t be fair to her to promise that he’d change. He couldn’t. Wouldn’t. “I’ve tried like hell to convince her we’re no good for each other, but she’s too damned stubborn. I’m gonna have to find some way to prove it to her.”

  Law smiled. “Excuse me if I don’t wish you luck with that. You two belong together. You need someone as fiery as she is. What the hell would you do with a woman who just rolled over every time you got mad?”

  Zach nodded. “It’ll take a strong man to keep her in line. She’s impulsive and playful and would run headlong into trouble, flipping it the bird.”

  He had a mental picture of Hope bouncing around her club, her bubbly personality making everyone around her smile. “I’m too dark for her. You know that as well as I do.”

  “You love her. Maybe you need someone like her. If Hope Sanderson can’t get you to lighten up, nobody can.”

  Ace finished his tea and turned to go back inside, knowing he’d get very little sleep tonight. “Or she could be miserable wondering why she hooked herself up to somebody like me. And regret it.”

  Chapter Five

  Hope couldn’t wipe the grin off her face as she and Charity readied the main room for the demonstration scheduled for tonight. What she and Ace had done the night before convinced her more than ever that he was the only man for her. Her body still tingled, but more than that, she felt closer to him than with any other man. She loved him so damned much, and it ripped her heart out to see him so cold and alone.

  She lived for those rare smiles of his and vowed to herself that she would do everything in her power to make him happy.

  Setting up the stage, she made room for the props the dominatrix would be bringing with her and couldn’t help but wonder how many toys Ace had in his arsenal and how often she could get him to play.

  Ace’s doubts that they could be happy together both frustrated and frightened her. He almost never changed his mind about anything, and if she couldn’t get him to change his mind about her…No, she couldn’t think about that. She’d waited too long for him to even contemplate losing him before she ever really had him.

  What she lacked in patience she more than made up for in determination. She’d just have to chip away at his misgivings until they crumbled at his feet. After that, she would spend the rest of her life making him happy and showing him just how much he meant to her.

  “You’ve had that stupid grin on your face ever since you got up this morning. Can I assume it’s due to our late night visitor?”

  Hope turned her head at her sister’s approach. “Absolutely. Sheriff Tyler came to show me that I could never handle a man like him and that we’re absolutely wrong for each other.”

  Charity busily made notes to herself. �
��So, how did he do?”

  Hope eyed the small stage where the dominatrix would be doing her demonstration, vowing to take lots of notes and use some of those techniques on Ace at the first opportunity. Grinning, she turned back to her sister. “The Sheriff failed. Big time. Jeez, if you knew what that man could do with one hand...”

  “Please spare me the details.”

  Hope wrinkled her nose at her far-too-serious sibling. “Don’t be jealous. As soon as Beau convinces you to have some fun, you’ll go around grinning all day, too.”

  Crossing another item off of her checklist, Charity shook her head. “Nope. Not gonna happen. I want a real man, not a little boy who wants to play all the time. I don’t want to talk about it.” Smiling, she elbowed Hope in the ribs. “So the sheriff is still protecting you from himself, huh?” At Hope’s nod, her smile fell. “Hope, you’re not just going after him because he’s playing hard-to-get, are you? Ace is a very serious man, and he’s not going to take kindly to your games.”

  Surprised that Charity would even think that, she hugged her reassuringly. “You are such a worrywart. I’ve been in love Ace forever, and you know it. But he’s too serious. I understand him just like I understand you. You both need to learn to play a little. Having some fun with the person you’re in love with doesn’t make your love any less real. I would think both of you would have figured that out by now.”

  Charity shook her head, her lips twitching. “Sheriff Tyler’s not gonna know what hit him, but I think he’s going to have a few surprises of his own.”

  Hope kissed her sister’s cheek, nearly jumping out of her skin with excitement to see Ace again. “I’m counting on it.”

  * * * *

  Absently watching the show taking place on the small stage, Hope strolled around the club, making sure everyone enjoyed themselves and that the waitresses kept up with the orders. From across the room, Charity did the same. They’d both taken to the business like ducks to water and both enjoyed it immensely. Charity loved to organize and keep the books, while Hope did more of the planning for events.