Bound (Bound Duet Book 1) Read online

  When he started the strip tease, I couldn’t breathe. I had always thought he was beautiful, everything about him, but his body…damn, it was exquisite. He removed his T-shirt in unhurried actions that left me gasping for air. The muscles in his back rippled as his arms rose and tossed his shirt on my head. My hand removed my temporary blindfold, and he had moved within inches of me, resuming his provocative dance. I leaned in to work the button-fly on his jeans, but he stepped away just in time and prevented my contact. The horrible music still played in the background. He tossed his head back and laughed, obviously knowing I was enjoying the show.

  Gray was trying to do more than arouse me—he was playing with me. As he dropped his pants to his ankles, he turned his back to me before bending at the waist and smiled at me between his legs. I fell back onto the bed in hysterics and clutched my stomach—God that was an awful sight. He pulled me back up by my hand. His hips still shucked and jived to the funky beat, he didn’t want me to miss a second of his show. As the song came to an end, so did his performance. The music changed to something I didn’t recognize, but I stopped hearing it when he reached out to cup my cheeks. My hands grabbed him by the waist and pulled his body toward me.

  I stretched my body out on the bed to pull him to my mouth and encompass his girth. I took him fully in, stroked his length with both my hand and tongue, and smiled when he groaned deeply. But he had something else in mind entirely and pushed back to separate from me.

  He made short work of removing my clothing, tossed aside in a frantic haze. Once naked, he pushed my knees apart and exposed my most intimate parts. With his palm flat on my knee, he moved toward my sex. His thumb found my swollen clit, and gently rubbed circles around the sensitive nub, before he plunged his long, masculine fingers deep within me. He turned his hand to position his fingers in a come-hither gesture, and slowly withdrew them before he pushed them back to hit that spot only Gray could find, and my back arched in bliss. My desire to have him overtook my ability to think. I moaned his name in panted breaths and drew it out turning one syllable into three.

  When I thought I couldn’t take anymore, he adjusted my body and readied himself at my entrance, before he slowly pushed into me. He had instantly filled me physically, but when his eyes found mine, it became emotional as well. I closed my lids to dull one sense while I heightened another; the loss of sight gave way to the height of touch. My hips rolled toward his, and our bodies circled together like Baoding balls in the hands of a skilled Chinaman. With each loop he made, he withdrew before he eased his way back in at the completion of the motion.

  He had gone from playful boyfriend to loving soul mate. The give and take of our bodies created the bond, the connection we always found. It was passionate in a way that united us to each other, a link no one could break. He felt me tighten around him and knew I was close.

  “Baby, I want your eyes.”

  I opened them for him and stared deep into his soul. His pace increased. His body constricted, and I toppled over the brink of ecstasy with Gray. Completely spent, I rolled over and stroked the tattoo that always caught my attention.

  “What does this stand for?”

  He winked at me, and said, “It’s Japanese for stallion.”

  Three Months Later

  As the fall semester was coming to a close, I found myself dreading finals. The last couple of weeks, Gray had been distant. I might have been imagining it, or it was possibly just the amount of time I’d had to spend wrapping up school projects and studying, but something was off. The summer had been perfection and going back to school had been tough. Each semester got harder, and this one had been daunting. The truth was, I missed him.

  I had encouraged him to spend time with his friends, to go out, so he wasn’t sitting here watching me work, but I hated not being able to go with him. But between me having no interest in bars, and his not wanting us to be caught in public together before his divorce was final, I was spending a lot of time alone. We went out together but tried to go to less public places, places where we were less likely to be noticed. I hated feeling like a dirty secret, but his ex was doing everything she could to slow down the divorce process. His friends all knew about me and mine him, but his lawyer advised him since Abby had been so cantankerous, to be cautious being seen together before the hearing, just to keep from exacerbating the problem. I didn’t want to be the needy girlfriend, but I was lonely—plain and simple.

  I would never admit it to Gray, but I had become a little jealous. I’d never met this emotion before, and I couldn’t say I liked it—green was not my color. But every time I heard his phone chirp with a text in the middle of the night, or ring and him silence it instead of answering, my skin crawled. He’d never given me a reason not to trust him, but my claws were out to gouge at the unknown, to lay claim to what was mine. I’d invested over a year and a half into Gray at this point, and I wasn’t going to let him go without a fight. I was tormenting myself with unsupported thoughts, and nothing substantial to go on other than I felt left out. Somehow in my mind, that morphed into him cheating, or at the very least behaving inappropriately, even though I had no indication he’d ever done anything wrong. I kept telling myself if I could get through finals and make it to winter break everything would change.

  I made enough at Walton’s working part time that I didn’t plan to return full time over the holiday break. For the first time in my adult life, I planned to take the entire vacation off and not work. I would spend time with my friends and hang out with my boyfriend like any other college student. Gray and I had plans to visit Gatlinburg after school let out. I was hopeful a few days without any distractions would revive our relationship. Holding on to that notion, I powered through the next few days, almost never seeing my boyfriend.

  Leaving my last final, I picked up the phone to call him. I couldn’t wait to hear his voice, and damn, I needed to feel him on my skin. I got a nervous flutter of anticipation in the pit of my stomach as the phone rang, but after the fourth ring, I got voicemail. Disappointed, I left him a quick message. “Hey, I just got out of school, so I’m going home. Give me a call.”

  It was a gorgeous day outside—the sun was out, and it was unusually warm, which is odd for South Carolina in December. I didn’t want to go home to sit alone in the living room where I’d had to spend hours studying the last few weeks. I opted for the grass in the commons area and enjoyed the sunshine. The campus was pretty quiet as most of the students had left for the break after they finished exams. I found a spot right in the middle of the grass courtyard and settled on my back, using my book bag as a pillow, and just relaxed. Ever since I was a little girl, I had loved watching clouds. My mom and I used to pick out shapes in them, but now, I simply enjoyed the serenity they offered. I could stare at the white whiffs and puffs, imagining how calm and peaceful it would be that high in the air, that much closer to the sun, lost in a vacuum where noise seemingly didn’t exist. I easily lost myself any time I found a moment to enjoy them. My phone dragged me out of my cloud-induced trance and back to reality.

  “Hello?” I answered.

  “Hey, baby. What are you up to? I’m at home, but you’re not here.”

  “I’m still at school.”

  “Are you coming home?” I thought I detected a hint of irritation in his voice that caught me off guard.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Annie, is something wrong?” It sounded like he expected me to blast him for not answering when I called, but I didn’t see a point in that. All it would do was ruin seeing him later, so I shrugged my frustration away.

  “Not at all. I’ll see you in a bit.” I was excited again; his voice always did that to me. He took me from dark clouds to blue skies with the first word.

  Sticking my key into the door to unlock the apartment, it opened on its own. Well, it opened with Gray’s help from the other side. He didn’t have on a shirt, and his jeans were in their usual spot, hung low on his hips with his boxers peeking out of the
top. He was barefoot with his Georgia Tech hat on backward. With the door held open, his arm flexed, and I could see all the sinewy muscles in his shoulders and biceps. I was lost in the sight of this gorgeous man hovering in my doorway.

  He smiled, and I swooned. “Why are you using the key? You knew I was home.”

  “Just habit I guess.” I walked by him, keeping my eyes on his until my head wouldn’t turn anymore.

  He winked.

  I blushed.

  Dropping my keys on the table and my backpack on the floor, I stalked toward him.

  My fingers hooked in his belt loops, and I pulled him toward the bedroom as he swung the door shut.

  “Ms. Teasman, do you have something on your mind?” He toyed playfully with me.

  “Oh, I have a lot on my mind, Mr. Dearsley, and it all involves you and me naked.”

  I untangled myself from his pants and started to remove my clothes when we reached the bedroom. He stopped, leaned against the doorframe, and watched me intently. I hesitated, suddenly self-conscious.

  “Don’t stop, baby. I’m enjoying the show.” His voice was smooth, and lust was hot in his eyes.

  My gaze drifted from his mouth to the top of his jeans and the bulge straining behind his zipper. When I had rid myself of my shirt, I moved toward him seductively as I unbuttoned my jeans, and slid the zipper down. My hands met his bare sides, and the skin warmed under my touch. The pads of my thumbs grazed his hard abs, and I reached up on my tiptoes to greet his lips. He met me in the middle, snaking an arm around my waist and into his embrace. I needed him closer, but his height made it difficult for me to reach him. I latched a hand onto the back of his neck with my fingers in his hair and effectively pulled him down. He made it easier by dragging me closer, lifting me slightly. My tongue coaxed his lips open, and the heat overwhelmed me. He plunged deep into my mouth—the kiss was achingly slow, and the tingle between my legs was strong. His lips pressed firmly against mine, and he tasted of peppermint. It was as familiar to me as his cologne. There was a low groan from the back of his throat—he was as wanton as I was. I smiled against the kiss, and he nipped at my lower lip with his teeth in return.

  “Bird Dog, you still have clothes on,” he said but didn’t wait for me to take them off. He picked me up, tossed me onto the bed, and removed what was left of my outfit. I sat up, eye level with his six-pack and traced the lines with my tongue while he watched me unbutton his jeans. In one movement, the pants and his boxers came off at the same time. He hissed through his teeth, letting his head fall back, the moment I took him into my mouth. I fondled him, loving the noises he made, and the way he surged next to my tongue. Unable to take the sensation, he encouraged me to stand with his hands firmly on my arms.

  “My turn,” he growled into my ear. My calves hit the bed. I laid back with my ass at the edge of the mattress, resting my feet next to my hips. He pushed my knees to the side, completely exposing me. He teased my slit with his hand before delving into the opening where the magic happened. I watched him intently while he caressed my sex. He pulled his fingers out and lifted them to his lips and sucked off my taste before he inserted them again. That act drove me crazy—it was dirty but insanely intimate. It was so Gray. He proceeded in his play, making love to my most private parts with his mouth. He had me writhing on the bed when he stopped.

  “Stop moving, baby, or I’ll tie you down so you can’t move.” His voice was hoarse, intensely stern.

  Stunned by his words, I laid still until he was on me again, causing my hips to arch closer to his face. “Annie…” he warned between my legs, smacking my ass. His breath was warm, and the sound of the words sent vibrations through my core and caused me to twitch involuntarily. Saying nothing, he went to the nightstand and came back with Velcro attached to lengths of rope.

  “What the hell is that?” I gasped.

  He responded with few words and even less of an explanation. “I told you not to move.”

  “You’re seriously going to tie me up?” The thought of not being able to move, not having control, terrified me, but also caused my sexual need to soar. He reached for my hands, but instinctively, I shrank into the fetal position.

  “Annie…” He dragged my name out in caution.

  I was speechless as he reached for me again. Taking the left hand, and then the right, he secured my wrists with the makeshift Velcro handcuffs after weaving the rope through the rungs of the headboard. Testing my mobility, I could scarcely move before the Velcro bit my skin. My attention transferred to him capturing my ankle, securely wrapping the Velcro around it, before he pulled my leg toward the corner of the bed and fastened the rope to the footboard. Quickly, he repeated the same action on the other leg. My body now formed a triangle, leaving me exposed and vulnerable. Panicked, my chest heaved, and my heart pounded furiously. I was completely at his mercy. My mind raced as I reminded myself he loved me—he revered my body. Nothing like what took place in the bathroom had ever happened again, and he’d given me no indication it would, but I was frightened.

  “I won’t hurt you or do anything you don’t want me to do. This just heightens the pleasure.” He was confident in his words, but my bottom lip trembled. Climbing on top of me, he straddled my stomach right below my belly button. His body heated my skin and soothed a bit of my anxiety. Leaning up to kiss his mouth, I was quickly reminded of my restraints.

  “Trust me, sweetheart.” Fear quickly gave way to pleasure, and he rewarded me handsomely for my faith in him.

  I woke to the sun peering in through the shades we hadn’t closed last night. I squinted my eyes as they became accustomed to the light. Rolling onto my back, I stretched my arms above my head, and I felt the weight of his bicep across my mid-section. Curling my arms into my chest, I moved toward him, and he instinctively drew me close, still asleep. I kissed his lips and whispered, “Gray, we need to get up.”

  “I’m already up.” He was groggy and sounded adorable. This was one of my favorite times with him—when it was just the two of us, and the world hadn’t intruded on that state between sleep and awake. The warmth of our bodies together made my heart sing.

  “No, you’re not. You’re lying in bed half asleep.” I coddled him with soft words.

  “Nope, I’m up.” He took my hand and placed it between his legs. He was definitely up.

  He still hadn’t opened his eyes, so I lifted the covers and crawled beneath the sheets, surrounded by the veil the bedding created. The instant I touched him, he sat straight up like he’d been shocked. His hands snaked under the sheath of darkness and hauled me up his glorious body.

  “Hey! I was playing down there.” I stuck my bottom lip out to pout, but he kissed it away. Grabbing my hips, he lifted me up, and quickly pushed me back down on his morning wood.

  “Play here.” Grinning, he closed his eyes, content to let me ride him while he laid back and enjoyed it. He had thoroughly fucked me last night. I had lost count of how many orgasms I had, but I was sore enough to know it was several.

  “Do you want it hard?” I asked, moving as slowly as possible, lifting myself up and gliding back down.

  Folding his arms behind his head, he said, “I want it however you want to give it to me as long as that pussy is wrapped around my dick.” His words would have probably offended most women, but for some reason, when he talked like that, I was completely turned on. It was the confidence in which he said them that transformed the words. I got off on his domination, the control he exuded. It didn’t take long for me to near climax. He must have been close, too. Clutching my hips with his thumbs, Gray dug into my skin underneath my projecting bones. His biceps and shoulders tightened with each lift of my waist and released each time I sank down. Our rhythm was fast and steady. Both of us near the peak.

  “Gray!” I screamed toward the ceiling, my back bowed away from him, thrusting my chest in his face as I rode through the apex.

  His hand laced through my hair, wrapping it around his wrist, and he pulled down,
grunting with each final thrust. As he released his hold on my locks, I made no attempt to dislodge him. I dropped my head on his shoulder and dropped to his chest.

  “Love you, Gray.”

  “I love you, too, Bird Dog.” He embraced me with both arms, gently holding me to him. He affectionately patted my bare butt. “You ready to go to Tennessee?”

  I let him up and watched him waltz toward the bathroom. With each step, his ass clenched. Damn, he was stunning.

  I’d never been to Gatlinburg. I didn’t grow up around here. My family had moved here when I was in high school, but it was like a rite of passage in the South. Every couple goes to Gatlinburg whether it’s for a quick romantic getaway or to get married in a chapel. It was the Las Vegas of the South. It was just what people did, but I had never done it. The thought of a few days alone in the mountains, with nothing to do other than enjoy the scenery and each other, excited me. Hurriedly, I showered and dressed in record time and bounced around the apartment. I was getting on Gray’s nerves with all my hyperactivity, but he just grinned at me.

  “Am I irritating you?” I asked with innocent eyes.

  “Nah, I like seeing you act like a little kid waiting for Christmas.” Kissing my cheek, he walked to the kitchen and made coffee. “It’s a good thing you don’t weigh much, though. The neighbors downstairs probably wouldn’t appreciate all the jumping up and down if you came crashing through their ceiling.”

  “Ha, ha. Very funny. I’m ready whenever you are.”

  Handing me two travel mugs of coffee, he grabbed our bags from the bedroom. “Let’s go.”

  Throughout the three-hour drive to Tennessee, I couldn’t help but notice Gray’s frequent glances in my direction. I was beaming and overly excited. It wasn’t the location we were visiting that had me amped up as much as it was the two of us going somewhere with no distractions. He’d been distant, and any time it had happened in the past, all it took was time alone together to get us back on track. I’d tried not to bring up the fact that he wasn’t as available as he normally was or make a big deal of it. He loved that I gave him space and freedom to live his life, to process things on his own without pushing him into a corner, or requiring him to share his feelings. He’d felt trapped with Abby, and I made sure I didn’t do the same. I knew he loved me and wanted to be with me. But he’d been in a committed relationship of some sort since the beginning of high school, and right now, he wanted to spread his wings. Hang out with his buddies. In some ways, he was regressing emotionally, but some times people have to take a couple steps back to move forward. Lord knows I took some giant emotional leaps backward over the last couple years.