Obeying Rowen: Club Zodiac, Book Two Read online

  “Yes, sweet girl?” He faced her fully.

  “All it takes to get me horny is to speak to me in that commanding tone. My pussy is already wet and swollen. You never have to spank me to accomplish that. The suggestion alone does the trick.”

  “Ah,” he said. Instead of responding to her right away, he climbed from the car, rounded the back, and helped her out of her side. But then he turned her to face him and flattened her to the door with his much larger body, nudging her legs apart to situate his knee between them. “Are you saying that for informational purposes, or did you hope to manipulate me into not swatting your bottom as soon as we walk in the door?” He lifted one brow.

  She winced. “It was more of an observation, Sir. I didn’t mean to imply anything by it. I simply noticed how aroused I get when you dominate me. It only takes a voice command to bring me to my knees.”

  “Ah, well, that’s good to know. Then you won’t mind spending some time on your knees servicing me tonight, will you?”

  She shook her head. “No, Sir. I would be delighted.”

  He lowered his face to take her lips, deepening the kiss as soon as they touched. His hands burrowed in her thick blond hair, and neither of them came up for air until someone giggled behind him.

  He grinned at Faith as he broke the kiss and turned around to find two teenage girls rushing away. “We probably just ruined them for life with our heat.”

  “Yeah. Lucky them.” Her voice was dreamy as she returned her attention to him. “I dare you to ruin me for life, Sir.”

  “I totally intend to do so, starting right now.” He took her hand and rushed her toward the elevator, not wanting to waste another second in public.

  His heart was full.

  Two hours later Faith was lounging in Rowen’s bed, her head against his chest, drawing circles on his pecs with one finger.

  He was leaning against a pile of pillows at the headboard, his fingers trailing up and down her spine. “You’re quiet,” he pointed out. “I wish I could attribute it to me wearing you out, first by occupying your mouth and then by making you squirm against my lips, but I’m betting you’re inside your head.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Talk to me.”

  “Just thinking about all the baggage we have and where we go from here.”

  He slid his hand into her hair and pulled her head back to meet his. His eyes were questioning.

  She shrugged. “Money. Family. You know. The usual luggage.” She pushed off him to sit up and meet his gaze. She needed to say some things. If they were going to make a go of this relationship, she needed to be sure he was over his hang-ups.

  “Faith.”

  She licked her lips. “Just let me get this off my chest.”

  “Of course.”

  She took a breath and jumped right in. “I can’t fix your money issues, Rowen. I’m wealthy. It’s just dollars in a bank account. I like to think I’m not a bitch about it. I don’t live recklessly or throw money around like it’s candy. I use it for good. I donate to charities, and I made a decision years ago to put my abilities to use serving those charities.

  “In fact,” she sat up straighter, “I’d go so far as to say that to spite my parents, I live rather frugally, all things considered. I hate the way they have flaunted their wealth all my life. That’s why I removed myself from them in the first place, met normal men, dated regular guys, and got burned now twice by the men I loved.”

  “Whoever the guy was who didn’t have the spine to stand up to your parents in college, he missed out. He wasn’t worthy of you. And you know in your heart that Victor didn’t leave you. Not on purpose.”

  A tear fell. “You’re right. I need to stop viewing it as him leaving me and instead acknowledge it was just something bad that happened. It was out of his control and mine.”

  He nodded. “I’m sure he loved you more than anything in the world. I’m certain you were his last thought. And, Faith, it’s okay that you still think about him sometimes. It’s natural. You loved him. There is no reason to feel guilty about that. Your feelings don’t disappear just because he’s gone. A part of you will always love him.”

  She choked up for a moment and then whispered, “Stop being nice.”

  “Sweet girl, I may be firm and set boundaries that make you feel loved and cared for, but I will always be a nice guy.”

  “I like that plan.”

  “The one with the boundaries?” He lifted a brow.

  “Yes. You’re right. Submitting to you calms me. It’s an enormous relief. I crave the entire package.”

  He cupped her face with both hands. “And I want to so completely dominate you that you don’t have to think. It fulfills me too. There’s something in my soul that makes me crave the total domination. Maybe it’s a product of years of caring for my mother and my sister. Or maybe it’s just in my genetic make-up. It doesn’t matter. Either way, it’s what I need.”

  She held his gaze for so long her eyes burned. Was it possible this could work out between them? “You’ve had your own doubts about us this week too, Rowen. You’ve hidden them from me, but you’ve also spoken in the present tense with me several times as if this arrangement truly was for nothing more than the week.”

  He leaned closer. “You’re right. I won’t deny it. I’ve worried about the money. I’ve obsessed over your estrangement from your family. But more importantly, I didn’t believe in my heart that someone could be such a perfect match for me. I didn’t trust it was possible I might meet someone who could submit to me so thoroughly.

  “I’ve been burned before. I’ve also tried to convince a few women to try. It never works out that way. Rayne, for example. I cared about her. I wanted it to work. She isn’t that committed to the lifestyle. We clashed. I tried to be what she needed. She tried to be what I needed. It was never going to work.

  “Honestly I’ve been unrealistically reticent about the existence of such a unicorn for several months. Perhaps years. So, I didn’t trust this to work out. I didn’t trust you to be as committed as all signs indicated. I didn’t believe it was possible. And I sure as hell would never pressure a woman to submit to me at a level she wasn’t comfortable with.”

  Feeling bold, Faith twisted her body around and swung a leg over him so that she straddled his lap and cupped his face. “I can understand why you would be skeptical. It makes sense. I would be too if I were you. And I would worry about the damn money, and I would feel sad about the estrangement. You have a right to all those emotions. They’re totally legit.

  “But you need to know that I am that unicorn. It’s true I need to trust that you won’t leave me, and I need to accept that sometimes people unintentionally die. It’s true I have to take that chance to love again and let someone burrow into my heart so deep I never want to be let free.

  “But you have to trust me too, Rowen. You have to trust I won’t make you uncomfortable with my money. You need to get over some of your hang-ups about it and relax, knowing that no matter what you do to provide for me—and these fictitious kids you seem to be imagining—we will never want for anything. Think of it at a safety net if you want.

  “In addition, you needed to see my parents for yourself, take in all that is their insanity, and accept that any real relationship with them is probably not in the cards. Granted, as long as I live in Miami and continue working for nonprofits, we will see them from time to time, and if we’re in public, I’ll want to be amicable for my father’s sake.” She shrugged. “And not just him but my job as well. It wouldn’t look good for a city employee to publicly scorn her well-known family.”

  He stroked her back. “I get that.”

  “I know it made your skin crawl to find out I’m not close to my family, but Rowen, family isn’t just blood. It’s what you make it. I’d much rather have a family of close friends and a man I love than spend my life being fake to impress people.”

  His face softened.

  She continued before he could stop her. �
��And finally, you have to believe in us. Sure, we’ll be feeling each other out for a while until we settle into a routine that works for both of us, but don’t turn your back on me out of some unfounded fear that no one can ever love you the way you deserve.”

  He blinked, his eyes wide. “Faith…”

  She shook her head. “No. I mean it, Rowen. You know what you want. Don’t turn it down when it’s offered to you because you don’t believe it can exist or you somehow don’t deserve it.” She grabbed his shoulders and gave him a shake.

  Shocking her, he gripped her waist and flipped her onto her back, coming over her, his body between her legs. “Okay, enough chatting. I need to be inside you. I need to fuck you hard. And I need you to come screaming my name.”

  “I’d like that, Sir.” She recognized the time for talking was over. It was time to submit again.

  She waited impatiently while he grabbed a condom from the bedside table and rolled it on, and then she cried out when he plunged into her without another word.

  So full her eyes rolled back and she dug her nails into his shoulders.

  So perfect.

  So right.

  Epilogue

  Four months later…

  * * *

  Rowen stood casually in the doorway to Faith’s apartment, leaning against the frame, arms crossed, fighting the urge to smirk. “You’re sure about this?”

  “Yes. Positive.” She spun around to face the movers and winced. “Be careful with that one.” Rowen thought she might actually try to help the man remove the painting from the wall to ensure it wouldn’t get damaged. Finally, she faced him, hands on her hips. “Why wouldn’t I be? We’ve discussed this several times. Are you having second thoughts?”

  He laughed. “Sweet girl, I was certain I wanted you to move in with me within days of meeting you. I’m not the one with issues. You’re stressed.” He reached out a hand. “Come here.”

  She came to him.

  Luckily the movers ignored them. Rowen stepped out of the doorway so they could take another load down to the truck. He tugged Faith into his embrace and frowned down at her. “We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready. There’s no rush.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’ve asked me to move in with you a dozen times in the last month.”

  He smiled and kissed her nose. “That’s because I love you, and I hate it when you’re not in my bed every night.”

  “I’m almost always in your bed. We’re wasting rent money.”

  That was a joke. She had enough money to buy the building. But by now Rowen knew another side of Faith. She was not wasteful. She hemmed and hawed over nearly every purchase she made. She donated anything she didn’t use without flinching. She hated leaving food on her plate. She’d totally shattered his stereotype about rich woman.

  He hugged her closer. “You’re a little freaky today. I’m worried I pushed you to move in too fast.” She had been stressed all morning, running around making sure everything went smoothly.

  She shook her head. “I’m just trying to pick and choose what goes into storage and what goes to your apartment.”

  “And that particular painting the movers just took downstairs is super important to you?” She’d hovered the entire time the movers dealt with it. He was trying to visualize where the hell they were going to put it. Such strange colors—a combination of greens and blues. Some sort of modern art. It looked like toddlers flung their paintbrushes at it.

  She laughed. “Hell, no. I hate that painting. My mother picked it out to go with the equally ugly rug and throw pillows. That monstrosity is definitely not going with us.”

  “Okaaay.” He struggled to pinpoint the source of her stress then.

  She rose onto her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck. “It’s just valuable. We’re going to sell it. It will pay for our kids’ college tuition.”

  He froze, his eyes going wide, his mouth going dry.

  She swatted at his chest. “Good grief. Don’t have a heart attack. It was just a figure of speech. I didn’t mean to imply anything.”

  He finally found his voice and spun them around, slamming her into the wall. To hell with the movers if they came back. He pinned her hands to her sides and met her gaze. “Oh, sweet girl, you misunderstood my shock. I would be honored to have kids with you. A dream come true. As many as you want.”

  She smiled. “Then why did you look like you were going to faint?”

  “Because I didn’t realize your paintings were worth that much.”

  Her smile spread as she tugged her hands free from his clutches and smoothed them up his chest. “Yeah. I have a few valuable things around here. I didn’t buy them. My mother did. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to give them back. Too bad. They’re mine now. We’re going to sell this gaudy shit and save the money for a rainy day.”

  “Or diapers,” he pointed out.

  “That too.”

  “You trying to tell me something?” Now he did panic, but only because he hadn’t realized she might be pregnant. Not for a single second. Was this why she agreed to move in with him?

  She rolled her eyes again. “No. Seriously. Relax. I’ve never missed a pill. If and when we have kids, it will be after we’ve discussed it thoroughly. I would never blindside you with something like that.”

  He blew out a breath and pressed into her farther, grinding his cock against her belly. He wished the movers were done and they would disappear because he had a sudden urge to dominate his little sub and then fuck her senseless against this wall.

  But that wasn’t in the plans. “You’re sure you’re good with the move?”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything, Rowen.” Her hands slid up to wrap around his neck. “I love you. Right now I just want to get everything out of this apartment and be done with it. This is not how I like to spend my Saturdays.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  “Be careful, sweet girl. If you don’t stop teasing me, I might be inclined to take you in the bedroom and force you to your knees. I don’t care what the movers think.”

  A gorgeous flush covered her cheeks. “Don’t make promises like that. We have a lot of work to do.” She squeezed his neck to emphasize her words.

  That was the last straw. She had teased him enough. If she thought he was kidding, she was in for a surprise. He smoothed his hands up her arms, grabbed her by the wrist, and turned to nearly drag her down the hallway.

  Two seconds later, they were in her empty bedroom and he had her flat against the closed door as he turned the lock. “Sassy girl.”

  She giggled.

  He lifted a brow. “Have you been needling me all morning on purpose?” The little minx.

  “Maybe?” She tipped her head to one side.

  He grabbed the hem of her shirt and yanked it over her head. “How about you get on your knees and wrap your naughty lips around my cock.” He pressed on her shoulders to get her to comply.

  She lowered to her knees and tipped her head back to smile up at him as she opened his jeans. “Took you long enough.”

  He growled, threading his fingers in her hair. “How about you stop talking and start sucking. I don’t care if the movers knock on the door. You’ll suck until I come down your throat, so you might want to hurry it up.”

  She finally sobered enough to pull his zipper down, pop him free, and wrap her hand around the base of his cock. A moment later her lips were on him.

  A moment after that, he lost all ability to remember where they were.

  It was possible the movers came back, but if they did, he never knew about it. He was in his element. The woman he loved was on her knees submitting to him. She intended to sell her ugly furniture and move in with him. She apparently even intended to have kids with him.

  Life was perfect. He wasn’t about to waste it ordering the movers around. They could load the moving van just fine without any help.

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  The sound was almost worse than the resu
lt. It always was. That whistling noise of leather whizzing through the air before it struck its target.

  Me.

  Brooke covered her ears, tucking her small body in tighter, praying it would end soon.

  It wouldn’t.

  It never did.

  Another whoosh of leather. Another slice of pain as it hit her across the back this time.

  She bit her lips between her teeth to keep from screaming. Screaming was strictly forbidden. It drew attention from the neighbors. She couldn’t imagine how much worse her life would be if anyone called the police.

  If she could just be better.

  Do better.

  Not mess up so often.

  It was her fault.

  She shouldn’t have spilled the coffee.

  Her hand had been unsteady. She was hungry. Always hungry. It made her shake. Especially in the morning.

  “You stupid girl.” The belt hit her across the butt, shocking her with how much worse that next strike hurt.

  More reprimands. Seething words hissed out in a low tone so none of the neighbors would hear. “You’re nothing. You’ll never amount to anything. You can’t even pour a cup of coffee without spilling it.”

  Brooke whimpered, but stopped herself as quickly as possible, hoping she hadn’t been heard. She held her breath to keep from making another sound.

  “What? You’re not going to cry like a big baby this time?” Another whoosh of the belt.

  She could anticipate every strike from the sound. She’d been beaten so many times that she knew the timing perfectly. She spread her fingers, tucked her face in closer to the corner of the wall, and prayed it would be over soon.

  “Get up.”

  Brooke didn’t dare move. That line was often a trick.

  “I said, get up.” Louder this time. Closer. “What? Are you deaf now too?”

  Her heart pounded.

  “Fine. Then stay in that corner for the rest of the day. You deserve it.” Footsteps moved away. The belt was tossed aside, the sound of the buckle hitting the kitchen table soothing. It signified the beating was over.