Unbridled and Unbroken (17 page)

“Sounds like you were drugged and framed,” Adam said. He grabbed her hand and kissed the top of her fingers as if to console her.

Veronica wished these men had been a part of her life back when this had happened. It was the first time someone had readily come up with a scenario that mirrored her own, instead of the silent accusatory stares she’d received from her coworkers and, more worrisome, the senior managing partners of the accounting firm where she used to work.

“Unfortunately, the unexpected audit didn’t come up until over a month afterwards. If I was drugged, I couldn’t prove it after so much time had gone by. Given the climate of corporate spies and such, I wasn’t even afforded the benefit of the doubt. And the truth is I don’t know if I gave up my secret codes willingly, while drugged, or if someone hacked the system somehow and found out mine then used them to steal funds. Either way, I resigned before they could fire me.”

“Mighty convenient that you had a blackout episode at the exact time the funds were stolen. Did you get a lawyer?”

Veronica stiffened. She didn’t want to discuss lawyers with them. What if they recommended Zachary Barrett? She’d have to do a careful dance to avoid further conversation on the sensitive subject.

“Because if you need one,” Johnny said, as if plucking the notion from her fretfully guilty mind, “we know a really good one.”

“Thanks anyway,” she responded quickly, “but a good friend from the company I worked for is looking into the incident for me. If he can help me, he will. My hope is to be reinstated one day very soon.”

“So how did you end up at the Quick 'n Easy Mart?”

“Long story, better left for another day.” She glanced at her watch. “This has been amazing as usual, but I need to get home and get a few hours of sleep before I go to work tonight.”

The two of them exchanged a look like they weren’t ready to let her leave the room quite yet. “You could sleep here,” Johnny said. The offer was enticing, but the lure of staying with them lost its appeal after over-sharing her tainted life story. It had been foolish to tell them any information. After all, they were very good friends with the very man who threatened her freedom.

“If I stay, you and I both know I won’t sleep.”

“We’ll let you sleep.” Johnny grinned. “Maybe.”

She laughed. “But I won’t want to. I can only be strong if I’m not tempted. Both of you tempt me beyond reason.”

Adam kissed her. “I’ll walk you down to your car.”

“You don’t have to do that.” She loved that they were so polite and wanted to escort her everywhere. She’d miss them both after they left. It was already getting difficult to picture her daily life without them. There was not a single iota of distrust in his steady gaze.

He pinned her with a lust-filled yet serious gaze. “I insist.”

Ten minutes later, Veronica and Adam strolled slowly down the long hallway outside their rooms.

Adam’s arm was slung around her waist with familiarity. She loved being with them.
I do have one more personal day that I could take off from work.
Her spine stiffened as wicked thoughts of throwing caution to the wind and skipping work tonight occurred to her. However, her egregious job would likely also fly out the window as a result. And she needed the meager income for a little while longer. He leaned in closer and kissed the side of her head as if reading her mind and trying to lure her back into his bed.

She breathed in his masculine scent, which was rich with the underlying flavor of recent sex, and made calling in sick the preferred possibility for the rest of her day. She turned toward him as he kissed his way along her jaw and before she knew it his lips melted into hers.

He kissed her like he never wanted to let her go. Seconds later, her back rested against the wall and Adam’s perfect body pressed into her.

“You
are
dangerous,” she muttered.

“How did you know?” He kissed her cheek. “Are you reading my mind or something?”

“Or something.”

An unrecognizable gleam came into his eyes. “How would you feel about a little game?” His hand trailed down her arm raising goose bumps all the way from shoulder to wrist.

“Game?”
Like a sex game?
Her heart stuttered at the very idea.

“Either that or we could try out karaoke and dancing.”

“Is that a code for something? Last time we talked about karaoke and dancing, I was introduced into a sexy new ménage lifestyle.”

“Regrets?” he asked.

“None.”

“Good.”

“So a game as in a sex game?”

A predatory grin appeared. “Maybe, come with me and we’ll find out together.”

She glanced at her watch. Sleep would be a valuable commodity later on when she went to work. “I’m not sure I’m up to it. I should be sleeping, as you know, and I do have to work tonight, but I guess I’d be a fool to turn down such an intriguing offer.”
What did I just say? I must be crazy.

“Are you joking? Because if you’re serious, I can show you exactly what a karaoke and dancing with me truly entails.”

“I’m more worried about what game you want to play. I’ve never played a sexual one before.”

His gaze narrowed and focused intently on her eyes. “Nothing too damaging. What do you expect my sexual game entails?

“I’m not sure. Do I get to be the one in charge?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Ever been in a dominant or submissive role during sex?”

“I don’t think so. How does that work, exactly?”

Adam’s devilish grin made her reconsider her question. She quickly added, “I mean, I know generally how
that
type of sex works, just not the whole control and obey as a part of sexual bondage aspect.”

“It’s simple. I’ll tell you what to do and you must obey, or else.”

Or else?
“Wh–what will happen if I disobey?” Her stammered question sent her heart fluttering with endless possibilities of pain for the sake of discipline. “Would it hurt?” she whispered, almost afraid of the answer.

“I’d never hurt you, honey, but I’d punish you all the same.”

“What kind of punishment?”
Barbed whips and flails?

He moved closer. His face pushed to the side of her head and his lips barely caressed the top of her ear. “There are lots of thing I could do. For example, I might prolong the foreplay, teasing you and not letting you climax until you’d waited quite a bit longer.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

He laughed. The breath from his amusement tickled her ear. “I’ll remember that when I’ve got my tongue buried in your pussy right before I suck your clit between my lips, but stop before letting your orgasm wash over you. Then you can decide if it isn’t so bad.”

The words made her core gush so freely she felt like she’d wet herself. The mental picture of his face buried between her thighs was enough to make her almost come without having him touch her at all. But she really wanted him to touch her.

“Touch your nipples,” he said as casually as if he’d commented on the weather.

“I beg your pardon?”

“No. You’re supposed to say, ‘yes, master.’”

She pulled away and leveled an angry stare into his amused eyes. “You’re not my master.” She already hated being dominated.

His expression softened. “You see, this is part of the game. And it
is
a game. Some take the game more seriously than others. If you choose to play, you must play by the rules or be punished. If for any reason you don’t want to play anymore then use your safe word and I’ll stop.”

“Why do people like this?”

One of his impressively wide shoulders lifted slightly and a sardonic smile played around his luscious lips. “Some like to give over control on a temporary basis in the bedroom. You’re ensured a blistering orgasm the likes of which you may not have ever felt before in your lifetime, and all you have to do is what you’re told for a short time. Not forever. Only in the bedroom. Just until each of us reaches the ultimate fulfillment. It’s about trust and giving over control.”

“And then afterward, we don’t have to play the slave and master stuff anymore.”

“Unless you want to continue the game longer. If you do, it would lead into another round of sexual pleasure. You don’t
want
that, are you sure? Because I can go for several rounds before tiring of the game.”

“I’m not even sure I want to go through a first round.”

“Try it. You might like it. Why don’t you throw caution to the wind for once. Let go your inhibitions and give over the power you clasp for a little while. Just one time. I’ll give your control back to you later on. After we’ve finished our little game.”

“You promise to give it back right after we finish, correct?” She’d never bargained for her power before. Having lost so much in her personal life, she was reluctant to give over any kind of power or control. But then again, having Adam take command of her for a short while to gratify her was sort of exciting.

A little lightheaded at the idea of playing a sexual role-playing game, Veronica charged on ahead with the slim wisp of courage she had left. She should enjoy all the time she had with him.

His gaze poured over her face, down to her breasts and back up to her eyes again. “Yes. I’ll give it back afterwards.”

“Okay.”

“Tell me your safe word. Something you’d never say during sex.”

“Um…how about windmill.”

“Windmill it is. That’s what you say if you want the game to stop. Now touch yourself. Squeeze your delectable nipples for me. Show me how much you want to have sex with me and perhaps I’ll reward you.”

Veronica pushed out a long slow breath and said, “Yes, master.” It didn’t hurt too much. In fact, it was just a little sexy and exhilarating.

She pulled her hands from his waist and lifted them to her breasts. Her gaze lifted to focus completely on his chocolate brown eyes. He looked away down to where her hands slid up her body. First she covered the mounds with the palms of her hands
.
She found one dead center and squeezed, but the other pinch only barely caught an edge of areola.

Given that they were in a semi-public place, the idea that someone might catch her touching her breasts and pinching her nipples, even just through her shirt and bra, made a trickle of juice run out of her pussy. There was a certain reckless pleasure in wondering if some stranger might stumble into their intimate space and see her at any minute. And what if they stopped to watch?

A heaviness crept into her belly and core at the thought of someone actively watching her pleasure herself. Perhaps she was more comfortable with this sort of sexual role play than she’d originally thought. Adam kept his focus on her breasts as she squeezed the tips through her shirt and circled her fingertips around her now very sensitive nipples. What if both men watched her do this? A lightning bolt of carnal desire centered in her pussy when the idea of also having Johnny watch her touching herself surfaced in her mind.

A moan escaped her lips and her eyes drifted closed in rapture. Adam expelled a deep breath as if trying to gain control of his breathing at her noise of pleasure.

“That’s it. You like that, don’t you?” His whisper tickled her ear.

Veronica moaned again and pinched both of her nipples once more. The sensation rocketed down to her pussy where a flood of moisture waited for his cock.