Coral Hearts Read online

  Damn he loved the way her eyes went wide with surprise before glossing over with a carnal delight even a novice Dom would recognize. He didn’t take his eyes off hers, but the unmistakable sound of her zipper being lowered let him know she was already complying. Seconds later she handed him her folded jeans. He’d smiled when she tried to tuck her plain cotton panties into the pocket of her Levis without him seeing them. He’d warned her they were going to disappear—and they were, starting now. His mom would bring her plenty of lacy bits of nothing tomorrow, but until then he planned to make sure Coral’s pretty pink bits were exposed and ready for his touch.

  Watching her pert ass walk down the hall would go down as one of his all-time best fantasies come to life. Fucking perfect. He’d caught up with her before she reached the door. He placed his palm over the dimples just above her ass, and the jolt of electricity racing up his arm at the contact caught him off guard. “You’ve just fulfilled one of my favorite fantasies, pet. Now let’s see about checking another off the list before we join the others for lunch.”

  Coral’s entire body was vibrating with need, a desire so intense it was quickly overshadowing her every inhibition. She might not fully understand everything that had happened in the last few minutes, but there was no mistaking the way her body craved Sage’s touch. The evidence of her arousal was so thick between the folds of her bare pussy, Coral worried he’d see rivulets running down the insides of her thighs before she’d reached the door of the master suite. Once inside, Coral found herself wondering exactly what she was supposed to do, and the look on her face must have given away her because when she looked up, Sage was watching her so closely his gaze felt like a physical caress.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking, pet.” His voice was deeper, more commanding than she was accustomed to hearing and it left no doubt that his words weren’t simply a request.

  Coral didn’t look into his eyes for fear she’d see the disappointment she’d seen in her parents’ eyes so often as a child. “I don’t know what to do. I hate not knowing what I’m supposed to do. Really, I’m usually very compliant…okay, maybe I should say often instead of usually.” Stop babbling and get on with it for craps-sake.

  “Look at me, Coral.” Her eyes snapped to his immediately, and she was relieved to see nothing but compassion in his expression. “First of all, thank you for trusting me enough to tell me exactly what put the strained look on your face—because the only way for me to help you work through this is for you to be completely honest in all things. I can’t solve a problem I don’t know about.” She felt some of the tension drain from her shoulders simply because what he’d said made perfect sense to her. “Now, I know you’ve read a lot of erotic titles, did you notice a recurring theme for the submissives? Something they consistently mentioned as a benefit of a D/s relationship?”

  Coral knew immediately where Sage was leading her with his questions. And even though she knew he was pushing her toward the answer, Coral was grateful he was letting her sort it out in her mind. She knew her own limitations, and now it seemed Sage understood them as well. “Pet?” He didn’t seem frustrated with her for not answering immediately, he was just pulling her back to the moment.

  “They always mention how free they felt because they didn’t need to worry about what they should do next. In most of the books I read, all they needed to do in the bedroom was follow orders.” Coral knew she’d blurted out all the words so quickly it might not have even made sense, but Sage’s smile told her he’d understood perfectly.

  He’d wrapped his large hand around the base of her skull, tilting her face up to his. “This is on me, pet—not you. I’ve been negligent in setting the ground rules. Hell, we should have a long conversation about hard and soft limits before we even thought about playing. But this isn’t a club hook-up. You are far more important and the truth is, I simply couldn’t wait to make you mine.” Coral felt her body react to the declaration, she felt like every cell was being switched on—lighting her up from the inside.

  “Ummm…can I ask a question?”

  “Always. There may come a time when that will change, but that is a long time coming, sweetness. For now, as long as you are respectful, I will encourage you to ask questions. We’ll both benefit from clear communication.”

  “What’s down the hall on the bottom floor no one wants me to see?”

  Chapter Nine

  For a split second Sage was convinced all of the oxygen had suddenly been sucked out of the room. He’d been so blindsided by Coral’s question, his mind scrambled for an answer, he came up empty making every second to feel like an eternity. His hand was still wrapped around the back of her neck, and he felt his fingers flex against her bare skin making her hair rasp over the back of his hand. The soft sensation startled him back to the moment, and he smiled down at her. Fuck me, I should have known she’d figure it out. “The play room is just down the hall from where I left you. It’s locked, but I didn’t want you to become concerned about what might be concealed behind a locked door.”

  “Play room? Like a dungeon? A personal version of what they have at sex clubs?” He heard a thread of fear in her voice and wanted to groan in frustration—this had been exactly what he’d tried to avoid.

  “Yes. But you aren’t ready for that yet. You might not ever be ready for it.” When her eyes started to shine with unshed tears, he cursed his poor handling of the situation. The last thing he wanted to do was give her cause to question whether or not they were right for one another. “Don’t worry about any of this, baby. We’ll work it out.” Using his hold on her to expose the side of her neck, Sage took advantage of the position by running his tongue over the sensitive skin behind her ear. Gooseflesh raced over her skin and he smiled to himself at the shiver he felt race through her. Coral was amazingly responsive and he could hardly wait to bind her. Hell, he’d already purchased enough rope for her to last months if not years. He’d dreamt of spending hours tying each knot as she slipped further and further into subspace.

  “Now, be a good girl and lie back on the bed.” He helped her sit at the edge of the bed but didn’t let her scoot far from the edge. “No, keep that beautiful ass of yours right here, now raise your legs and place your heels on the edge of the mattress.” Sage wanted to laugh at the horrified look on her face. She was going to become accustomed to such exposure—in a big hurry. It always amazed him when subs suddenly became shy about exposing themselves to their Doms. Hell, he’d seen women do public scenes completely open to an entire roomful of people, and then have a meltdown an hour later in a private room when asked to spread themselves for their Dom. Baffling.

  They’d already been upstairs longer than he’d planned, and he didn’t want to miss lunch with his brothers since their presence was needed for the lesson he’d planned for her. Without hesitation, Sage slipped a small clit ring into his mouth before kneeling down so his face was inches from the smooth lips of her pussy. The soft folds were swelling beautifully, turning the pink tissues a shade just this side of magenta. “I have a small gift for you. You’ll wear it under the pretty blue sundress I saw hanging in the closet. But baby, this little ring and that sweet dress are the only things you’ll be wearing to lunch today.” He didn’t give her a chance to respond before he began what could only be considered an all-out oral assault on her pink nub.

  Coral arched her back pressing her slick folds against his chin in an effort to control the stimulation. Sage spread his palm over her lower abdomen holding her in place. The span of his hand wrapped her from one side to the other emphasizing the difference in their size. Great God, she is a tiny little thing. As Sage’s respect for Coral grew, his view was taking on larger than life proportions and he often forgot how petite she really was. Drawing out his sweet clit was easy because she was so very responsive. Before she realized what was happening, he’d slipped the small gold ring around the pink bundle of nerves. The ring was actually two gold circles nestled together, and when they were rotated th
e two locked together keep a sub’s clit from retreating beneath its hood. The constant stimulation would keep Coral on edge through lunch and add a whole new dimension to their afternoon swim.

  Pulling away from her, Sage chuckled when she shrieked in frustration. “Soon, baby. Very soon. Right now it’s time for lunch.” Wrapping his hand around her wrist, Sage pulled Coral to her to her feet. Leaning down to press kisses along her shoulder, he spoke against her soft skin, “And remember, you aren’t allowed to come without permission.”

  Leading her to the closet where he’d hung her dress, Sage held it out to her, enjoying the view as she dropped the soft cotton dress over her head. It certainly wasn’t a dress you’d expect to see a woman wear during a Montana winter, but he was confident she would be warm enough in the house. He’d be willing to bet his younger brother had already turned up the heat a degree or two knowing Coral was going to be dressed scantily when they returned to the kitchen.

  They were halfway down the hall when Sage heard Coral groan. “What’s the matter, pet?”

  “Oh…ummm, nothing.” Really? Sure sounded like something to me.

  “Lying has consequences, pet.” By the time they reached the top of the front staircase Coral’s cheeks were flushed and her respiration had already accelerated. Sage walked down the first few steps before turning to face her. He wanted to be face to face so he could better gauge how she was tolerating the stimulation. He’d seen submissives climax after walking short distances, and he certainly didn’t want her coming while walking down a long, open stairway. “I’ll ask you again, is anything wrong?

  This time her chin tilted up, and he was pleased to see tenacity shining in her eyes. The message was clear. You want my submission? You’ll have to earn it. Sage felt a surge of gratitude, damn there wasn’t much in the world he loved more than a challenge. Game on, baby.

  Watching as Coral tried to bring her body back under control, Sage kept her wrist encircled in his grip, letting the tips of his fingers feather over her pounding pulse. Her heart was racing and if she didn’t manage to slow it down soon he knew he’d be forced to remove the clit ring. It would take time to learn what she could tolerate. There would be a lot of trial and error since she wasn’t an experienced submissive so she wasn’t able to assess her limits either. It was a vicious cycle, but not insurmountable.

  “Not wrong really, I’m just trying to figure out why my whole body feels like it’s on fire. I can’t think straight and my legs feel like they aren’t connected to my body. Why is that? Something isn’t right. I don’t know if I can do what you want—what if I’m no good at this? What’s wrong with me? Here I am talking like you’d even consider keeping me and that’s insane.”

  He watched in wonder as her face flushed and a crashing wave of release blindsided her. Sage was already reaching for her when she started looking into the air around her. “Oh my fucking God.” Coral’s entire body tensed as shudders moved in small waves through her muscles. She’d shouted his name a split second before she began weaving back and forth. “Do you see those dots?” No, baby—that’s you hyperventilating. He’d no sooner gotten his arms around her than she dropped like a stone.

  “Bring her on down. She’ll be alright, you just let her go too long. Classic new sub reaction—what did you put on her? Clamps or clit ring?” Colt’s voice sounded from the bottom of the stairs, and Sage wasn’t surprised one of his brothers had heard Coral’s small outburst since her speech had gotten louder and faster the longer she’d talked. Oddly enough, he found his brother’s presence comforting rather than intrusive. Sage knew full well there were times when another set of eyes and ears were vital to maximizing a submissive’s experience—there were so many things to focus on, and one Dom could easily miss something important during a scene.

  The brothers had often discussed the advantages of sharing women, but ultimately they’d all decided occasional ménage scenes were as far as they’d be willing to go. They had friends who were in polyamorous marriages, but that wasn’t something Sage had felt was right for him. And now he’d finally gotten Coral into his bed, he knew he was far too possessive of her to share more than occasional scenes designed to enhance her pleasure.

  “Clit ring, but she was already spun up pretty high before I got it into place. I told her she wasn’t allowed to come. Damn it, I knew she wasn’t experienced enough to hold off an orgasm.” He hadn’t given her permission to come because he’d wanted her on edge during lunch—in hindsight it had been a big mistake. She wasn’t experienced enough to rein in her desire. He suspected she was like most naturally submissive women in vanilla relationships, if you got close to a real orgasm, you chased it for all it was worth because those relationships just didn’t get you where you needed to go. He’d talked to many women who’d told him how unfilled they’d been prior to finding their way into the lifestyle.

  Knowing he’d made her feel insecure made him feel like an ass—it had been the last thing he’d wanted to do. Even though he’d known her for a year, she had only been in his bed for less than twenty-four hours. You’re rushing this and you’ll lose her if you aren’t careful. “Hey, big brother—don’t even go there.” Colt’s voice jarred him out of his thoughts and into motion.

  Sage carried her down the stairs, making his way into the kitchen. He settled her on his lap, and when he felt her tensing in his arms he knew she was starting to come back to herself. He also knew what his brother’s warning meant. Colt had been cautioning Sage to steer clear of the guilt threating to consume him. The rational part of his mind knew it wouldn’t serve any purpose, but his heart wasn’t listening.

  All he’d ever wanted was a love like the one he saw in his father’s eyes when he looked at his mother—and he’d nearly let Mackenzie destroy that dream. Coral had rekindled his hope and knowing he’d made her doubt her ability to please him was ripping his heart in two. “I’m sorry.” Her whispered words had been so quiet, Sage might have missed them if he hadn’t felt the warmth of her breath move over the thin cotton shirt he wore.

  Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he took a deep breath trying to calm himself before speaking. She needed him to be in control because it was clear she was feeling anything but. Soul crushing arousal and the feeling she’d let him down by coming without permission would have been enough to push many subs over the edge. He’d also managed to layer those over the exhaustion and fear she’d been experiencing the past few weeks—fuck. Sighing at his own selfish behavior, Sage wasn’t surprised to see the look of reproof he was getting from Phoenix.

  The next to youngest among them stood at the end of the kitchen counter, his bulging arms crossed over his broad chest. Phoenix might spend hours in front of a bank of computers but it didn’t keep the man from spending an impressive number of hours in the state of the art gym they’d built on site. Sage knew Phoenix rivaled Brandt in that regard and God knew the good Sheriff was still operating in Navy SEAL mode when it came to physical training. Heaven help the women who took those two on.

  “Look at me, pet.” When she didn’t move, Sage leaned back and tipped her face to his, and looked down into pretty green eyes swimming in tears. “What happened at the top of the stairs wasn’t your fault—all the responsibility lies with me, sweetheart. I have been pushing you—I’ve been damned selfish and I want to apologize.” When her eyes widened in surprise, Sage couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh baby, just because I’m a Dom doesn’t mean I won’t make mistakes. And as you can see…” He used his hand to make a sweeping motion indicating her needed to look around the room. “There are several men here who are more than happy to ensure my accountability—particularly as it pertains to you.”

  “Damn straight,” Colt’s voice sounded from beside him as Phoenix and Kip expressed similar sentiments.

  “Consider them your knights in shining armor. Our family is close, baby, and a big part of that bond is our willingness to tell one another the truth. When one of us is fucking up we don’t hesitate
to point it out. But we also back one another and offer our love and support to correct any problems we see.”

  “Case in point—Brandt still struggles with the effects of PTSD at times. It isn’t as bad now as it was when he first left the SEALs, and frankly I’m not sure he’ll ever be the same man who left home when he was nineteen,” Colt’s voice was steady as he skirted a subject all four of them had worried over for too long.

  Phoenix nodded. “And even though we knew the experience would change him—hell, I can’t imagine seeing war and not being changed by it, it doesn’t mean we were willing to accept all of the challenges those changes presented. We’ve put his ass on the hot seat so many times for his harsh behavior it’s a wonder his backside didn’t burn to a crisp.” Sage and his brothers all chuckled at the truth of Phoenix’s remark.

  Kip stepped closer and knelt in front of Coral, wrapping her slender fingers in his own. “What we’re dancing around here, princess, is the fact we know Sage is moving too fast, but we also know why he’s doing it. We’ll kick his ass for you if it’ll make you feel better.” And then leaning close, he whispered conspiratorially, “Please say yes. Nothing would please us more than a chance to take big brother down a peg or two.”

  Sage felt nothing but relief when he saw Coral smile at Kip’s nonsense. His youngest brother had such an uncanny ability to connect with women they’d accused him of being telepathic more than once. Standing, Kip shrugged. “Well, if we aren’t going to get to pound on him, can we at least eat lunch? I’m starving.”

  Sage was grateful for the change of subject and from the smile lighting up Coral’s face, he was sure she felt the same way. Lifting Coral in his arms, Sage settled her on the chair next to where he usually sat, grinning at the soft towel already covering her seat. He saw her puzzled look but didn’t answer her unspoken question—you’ll see soon enough, beautiful girl.