Dark Desire Read online

  Charity swallowed a mouthful, waving her spoon. “I thought you said he didn’t let anyone sleep over.”

  Hope finished tying her shoes and jumped up, grabbing a jacket to wear over her sweat suit. “Nope, but for me he’ll make an exception.”

  Charity paused next to Hope, running a hand over her hair. “I think you should slow down, Hope. You always go into everything full steam without worrying about the consequences. I know how you feel about Ace, but please be careful. He’s a good man, but he’s already told you countless times that you two are wrong for each other. I’m afraid you’re going to get hurt.”

  Hugging her sister, Hope laughed softly. “Sometimes I think you should have been the older one.” Holding on to Charity’s shoulders she smiled. “Relax. I know what I’m doing. I can’t be like you, Charity. I can’t wait for something to happen. I want Ace, and I’ll do whatever I have to in order to get him.”

  “Hope—”

  “Come on, Charity, you’ve known Ace almost your whole life. He’s one of the sweetest men in the world, and you know it.” When Ace knocked at the door, a rush of moisture coated her thighs, her anticipation at seeing him again making her giddy. Grabbing her jacket, she raced to answer it. “Wish me luck.” She swung the door open, catching the flash of surprise on his face as she launched herself at him. “Hi, Sheriff.”

  He caught her easily as she’d known he would. His lips twitched when she wrapped her arms and legs around him and held on tight, his small smile filling her with a deep satisfaction.

  “That’s quite a greeting.”

  “Yep.” Held against Ace’s hard body, Hope nibbled at his bottom lip, breathing a sigh of relief when he moved his lips on hers. It took no time at all for the relief to become something much hotter as Ace took her mouth, his kiss even deeper and more possessive than the night before.

  He’d kissed her last night, but he’d done it cautiously, not taking much but also careful not to give too much.

  She hadn’t even realized it until now.

  She kissed him eagerly, pouring everything she could into it in an effort to show him in action the words he wouldn’t believe. After a few seconds, she forgot she’d been trying to convince him of anything.

  One big hand on her bottom held her in place while the other slid under her hair, both gently massaging. Lifting his head, he used the hand at her nape to hold her when she would have followed.

  “A hell of a greeting.”

  Hope grinned, her head spinning from his kiss. “I’m full of surprises.”

  Ace lowered her to her feet, slapping her bottom lightly before zipping her jacket. “So am I, little girl, as you’re about to find out. Did you look out before you answered the door?”

  Hope fluttered her lashes at him. “Nope. I’ve been bad. Whatcha gonna do about it?”

  He ran a hand over her bottom. “The options are staggering.”

  * * * *

  Hope could hardly sit still on the way to Ace’s house and had trouble keeping her eyes off of him. Dressed in dark jeans and a black T-shirt, his overlong hair curling over his collar, he looked like every woman’s erotic fantasy. “If you’re taking me to your ranch, can I assume Law and Zach went back to Dallas?”

  Ace shot her a glance, his lips curving. “They left this morning.”

  Turning as much as the seat belt allowed, Hope faced him, wishing she could see him better, but the semi-darkness prevented it. “Most of the brothers in Desire share wives. I guess I never really thought about it, but now that I do, it seems kind of strange that you don’t.”

  Ace finished turning a corner and snapped his head around. “I’ve already told you I don’t share. Ever. I’m too selfish.”

  “Possessive.” She hid a smile at his tone, wondering if he realized that he spoke to women in softer tones. Didn’t he know that his deep voice lowered and gentled when he spoke to her, even when he barked out demands or told her what a hard-ass he was?

  Shooting her a cool glance, he nodded. “That I am. Why? Have you decided that you want Law and Zach, too?”

  Wondering if he heard the insecurity in his own voice, Hope gave him a playful smile, trying to lighten his mood. “Nope. Just you. I’m afraid you’ve ruined me for anyone else. Now I just have to do the same to you. One day soon, darlin’, you’ll realize you can’t live without me.”

  Staring straight ahead, Ace mumbled under his breath as he turned onto the dirt road leading to his property. It sounded like “That’s what I’m afraid of,” but she was afraid to ask. He said nothing else until they stopped in front of his house and he killed the engine. He pushed his seat back and turned to her. “Come here.”

  Hope scrambled out of her seat belt and onto his lap, cuddling into him as his big arms came around her. She wondered briefly if she’d ever get used to having his strength wrapped around her this way. In his arms, she felt safe and warm in ways which both surprised and delighted her.

  Ace’s lips brushed her hair. “I need you tonight. The taste I had of you only whetted my appetite for more.” With a finger beneath her chin, he lifted her face. His eyes glittered in the faint light coming from the porch, the tenderness gleaming from them an irresistible lure. “Can that be enough for you?”

  Hope leaned forward to brush her lips over his strong jaw before biting his chin. “For now, but eventually I want it all. Take me inside. I can’t wait any longer.”

  Ace narrowed his eyes but couldn’t hide the amusement in them. “Demands again?”

  Rubbing her breasts against his chest, Hope nibbled at his bottom lip, thrilling when his grip on her hips tightened. “I’m a bad girl. I think you should spank me.”

  Ace shook his head. “I’m in charge here, remember?”

  Hope covered his hands with hers and continued to rub against him. “It was only a suggestion, but if you don’t want to spank me—”

  “Damn it, Hope. I am going to paddle your ass if only to teach you to stop clenching and to stop answering the damned door without checking first.”

  Hope grinned and reached down to open the door. “Good. You need to teach me a lesson. Let’s go.”

  Ace’s jaw tightened, his eyes hardening into the look that frightened her just a little. “You think this is some kind of game. It’s not. Tonight won’t be a picnic for you. I was way too easy on you last night, a mistake I won’t repeat. After tonight there’ll be no doubt in your mind that there can be nothing between us.”

  Hope leaned her head against his shoulder as he lifted her and strode for the house. No matter what he said, she trusted him completely. Because of that trust, his words made her apprehensive, but not afraid. The apprehension added a dark element to her arousal, making it more potent, more…erotic. Running her fingers through the hair curling over his collar, she nuzzled his jaw. “There’ll always be something between us, Ace, and you know it. Now hurry up. I want that spanking you promised.”

  * * * *

  Ace carried Hope into the house, kicking the door behind him before setting her on her feet. Careful to keep his expression cool, while his desire for her burned hot, he took her jacket before locking the door behind him. Crossing his arms across his chest, he gave her his most intimidating look.

  “Strip.”

  Hope looked around the room, not looking as intimidated as she should have. “You can tell only men live here, but I’ve gotta tell you, it’s a hell of a lot cleaner than I thought it would be.”

  Ace gritted his teeth, frustrated that she didn’t seem to be taking him seriously enough and reluctantly amused at her ploy. “I told you to strip.”

  Hope toed off her sneakers and stood. “Is it okay for me to keep my socks on? My feet get really cold.”

  Scrubbing a hand over his face, Ace silently counted to ten. He sat to remove his boots, scowling at her, determined to wipe that smug look off of her face. “You are in so much trouble tonight. Keep your damned socks, but I want the rest of it off right now. When you’re through, go into my
bedroom, last door on the right.” He wagged his fingers impatiently. “Give me those clothes.” He’d learned long ago that taking a woman’s clothes away and putting them where she couldn’t see them increased her sense of vulnerability. With Hope, he’d need every advantage he could get until he learned her body and responses well enough to control her.

  It was time to see if Hope could stand a little erotic pain. He couldn’t stand much more of being with her and holding himself in check, and if it scared her, they could end this thing tonight.

  Every damned time he was with her, she stole another little piece of his heart, and this had to end before she had it completely. If she walked away then, it would kill him.

  He had a sneaky suspicion that it was already too late.

  * * * *

  Hope hurried to follow Ace’s demand and raced into his bedroom, where a low light burned, and flung herself onto his bed. Smiling, she turned to the doorway, only to find it empty. Her smile fell. “Ace?”

  Hearing his footsteps coming down the hall, she relaxed, positioning herself on her back in the middle of his bed.

  When he appeared in the doorway, it alarmed her that his hands were empty. “Stay in that position.”

  Hope sat up, watching as he pulled a duffel bag from under the bed. “Where are my clothes? What’s in there? Aren’t you getting undressed? I can’t wait to see you naked. Are you going to let me touch you?”

  Kneeling beside the bed, Ace stared at her, his jaw clenching. “You’re never going to survive tonight.” He raised his finger when she started to speak. “Quiet. Not another word. You don’t speak again unless I ask you a question. Lie back down and don’t move a muscle unless I tell you to. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, of course I understand. I’m not stupid.”

  Hope got back into position, her heightened sense of anticipation making her tremble all over. Her trembling got worse when he gripped her wrists and started to fasten her arms above her head.

  “What are you doing? Are you going to tie me up?”

  Ace tied her wrists to the headboard with a velvet cord. “Do you want me to gag you?”

  Hope blinked, wondering if he could be serious. “Of course not.” Pulling experimentally at her bonds, she realized that, although soft enough not to hurt her, the cord held strong.

  Leaning over her, he lightly pinched a nipple. “Then be quiet. Not another word.”

  Hope bit her lip to hold back the moan that threatened to escape. With her arms over her head, her small breasts lifted and had become completely vulnerable to whatever Ace wanted to do to them. She’d never been restrained before and found the added sense of helplessness even more arousing.

  “Ace, I’ve never been tied up.”

  Ace leaned over her, stroking the nipple he’d just tugged, heightening her awareness that there was nothing she could do to stop him. “Are you using your safeword?”

  Hope tried to sit up, momentarily forgetting that she couldn’t. “No! I’m just nervous.”

  Holding her gaze, he bent to take her other nipple between his sharp teeth, biting lightly before letting go. “You’re going to be downright scared before I’m done with you. Just say your safeword and it stops. That’s why I don’t want to gag you, but I will if you keep talking.”

  Trying her best not to show how much it frightened her to see his teeth close on her nipple, she dug her heels into the mattress as the slight pain had more of her juices leaking from her slit.

  She groaned and sucked in a sharp breath. “I’ll be quiet.”

  Ace licked her nipple, smiling when she lifted again. “You don’t have to be quiet. I want to hear all the little sounds you make, but no more talking unless I ask you something. Now, we’re going to have to do something about your inability to stay still.” He lifted her legs to her chest, keeping them close together, effectively lifting her bottom from the bed. “You’re going to learn to stop clenching when I spank you. In this position I can spank you, and you can’t clench as much. I want you to see how this feels.”

  Hope cried out when he delivered a sharp slap to her bottom, involuntarily pushing against his hold to straighten her legs, unsurprised to find she couldn’t straighten them at all. The slap stung more than the ones had last night and almost immediately started to burn. Biting her lip, she said nothing as the heat spread, enflaming her entire slit. Her juices coated her thighs, more leaking from her as he delivered two more slaps.

  Keeping her legs high, he lightly rubbed her bottom, making it hotter and spreading the heat. “If you insist on clenching your bottom, this is the position I’ll be forced to spank you in. If I do have to spank you like this, your pussy is also going to get spanked.”

  Hope shuddered at his tone, the cool look in his eyes telling her he meant it. Not wanting to risk being gagged, she didn’t speak. Her clit throbbed steadily and they’d only been here a few minutes. Her pussy clenched frantically with the need to be filled, but something in Ace’s expression told her it would be a while before she got any relief. She had no idea what it would feel like to have her pussy spanked and didn’t know if she wanted to.

  Ace took the decision out of her hands. Lifting her legs even higher, he spanked her again. This time his fingers came in contact with her slit.

  Hope gasped at the sensation and struggled furiously against his hold. It stung, especially on her sensitive clit, making it burn and throb worse than before. She couldn’t stop pushing against Ace’s hold, whimpering in frustration. Her entire slit warmed and tingled, becoming so sensitive that she knew the slightest touch would send her over. Thrashing on the pillow with her eyes squeezed shut, she gulped for air, her whimpers becoming moans as the heat spread and intensified.

  “I can do that as many times as I want to. Would you like another? Five more? Ten? I can spank your pussy until you come, screaming my name, the pleasure and pain combining until you don’t know which is which.”

  Hope grabbed on to her restraints, her chest heaving as she arched her back. “Please no. It’s too much. Yes, do it.”

  Ace slid a thick finger into her slick pussy. “If you stay with me, it’ll happen. We’ve only just begun, love. I can do the same thing to your ass. I can spread you and use a whip on your tight little hole and then fuck you there. And I will. Think about that.”

  Hope clamped down on the finger inside her, amazed that the thought of him doing those things to her aroused her even more. She wanted it. She wanted to experience every one of his dark desires and have him help her explore her own.

  The way her body reacted to his erotic threats, convinced her even more that they were a perfect match. “Yes. I want it all with you, but I’m a little afraid. Can we go slowly?”

  Ace blinked and began stroking her pussy, his finger pushing deep inside her. “Are you sure you’re afraid? You don’t look like a woman who’s scared.”

  Unable to stop clamping down on his finger, Hope moaned. “Just a little. Oh, Ace. It feels so good. I’m going to come. I’m sorry. I can’t stop it.”

  Ace stopped his intimate stroking. “Concentrate, love. Listen to my voice and block out everything else. Hold it back. Breathe slowly. If you come, I’m going to spank your pussy again.”

  Hope whimpered. “I don’t know how to stop it. I want you to spank me there, Ace. Please. I need it.”

  Withdrawing from her, Ace slid his arm out from under her thighs to lean over her, using his thickly muscled thigh to hold her legs in place. Reclining on his elbow beside her, he gathered her against him, running a soothing hand over her stomach. “Deep breaths, baby. Force it back. You can do it. I know you can.”

  Hope turned her body toward his, readily accepting the strength he offered. This had turned out to be harder than she thought. Being naked while he remained dressed the night before had been hard enough, but having the added disadvantage of also being restrained took her far out of her comfort zone. Being at Ace’s mercy also aroused her in ways she’d never experienced, even wit
h the other men she’d been with.

  Disappointed in herself, she lifted her eyes to find him watching her, his eyes sharp and, to her amazement, lovingly possessive. “You’re not mad?”

  Still rubbing her stomach, Ace brushed her lips lightly over hers, gently nibbling. “Of course not. It’s up to me to teach you.”

  Surprised at his soft tone, she blinked. “It is?”

  “It is. Now that you’ve settled some, let’s see if you can keep from clenching that tight ass while I spank you.”

  * * * *

  Ace flipped her to her stomach, resisting the urge to pull her over his lap. Having her over his lap would be too intimate and would only increase his possessiveness toward her that had already become way too strong.

  Sliding a hand under her hips, he lifted her onto a pillow and adjusted her position. He ran a hand over the luscious globes, barely resisting the urge to bend and take a bite as he moved between them. He’d never seen a finer ass in his life. In this position, he had full access, but most importantly, she couldn’t see his face. When he flipped her to her back again, he would blindfold her.

  Hope saw way too much of what he desperately fought to keep hidden. If she had the smallest inkling of how much he wanted her, she would never give up on the idea of them being together.

  Listening to the soft sounds she made, seeing such a vivacious woman in this submissive position had his cock pressing painfully against his zipper. Running a hand over her bottom again, he smiled at her shiver. Her amazing responsiveness made him want to tie her to his bed for days and thoroughly explore every inch of her.

  “Scared?” He glanced at the bowl on the nightstand, partially hidden by the lamp.

  “No.”

  He smiled at the anticipated response and slapped her ass, delighted with the firm fullness under his hand. Vowing to himself to make this a night neither one of them would ever forget, he did it again, his cock jumping at her needy cry and the way she wiggled her ass at him, inviting him to do it again.