Black Ops Brotherhood: Tightrope Part 16

Danny chuckled as he kissed her, and she let herself slip into the bliss of his touch.

"Okay. Here's one. I want you to tie me up and cause me a little pain," he said.

Rio's eyes flew open and she froze. "Wwhat?"

Chuckling seductively, he rubbed her nose with his. "I liked it, and I want you to do it again. This time, make it hurt."

Was he kidding, again? She didn't know how to react to his confession. Could he really be serious? His c.o.c.k was getting harder by the second against her leg. The sudden recollection of restraining him again and slapping his six-pack abs sent a fresh rush of moisture between her thighs. What the h.e.l.l was wrong with her?

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Because you just went tense all over. Did I hurt you?"

"No, I...uh..." she stuttered, fighting for words.

Frowning, he slid off to lie next to her. She tried to wrap her mind around what he'd said, and it was causing an uncomfortable silence. Finally, he turned to her, "Rio, look at me. We need to talk, and it's long overdue." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. "I love you. I know you're a strong woman, and it's something I've always admired."

Doubt seized her again, and her body went slack because she understood her strength could be a double-edged sword. While it was necessary for the job she did and when working with dogs, it could be a real negative in every romantic relations.h.i.+p she'd tried to have. She didn't need anyone telling her what to do, and she sure as h.e.l.l wasn't going along with something just because someone told her to. She had to do enough of that s.h.i.+t with her job.

"Danny, you don't know what you're saying," she said, averting her gaze.

"Yes, I do. I understand exactly what I'm saying probably better than you do," he said as he pulled a blanket over her.

"No you don't. I've never been able to be who I really am with anyone. You know that."

"Exactly, you've always been safe with me, so why are you so hesitant? The only way you'll get rid of me is to tell me to leave."

"Danny..." She tightened the blanket protectively around herself.

"Babe, why are you such a good dog trainer? Why is it so easy for you?"

"I don't know."

This had to be the most uncomfortable conversation she'd ever had with anyone and being naked-even with the blanket over her-didn't help. Why did the idea of rendering him helpless and taking control over what happened to him turn her on so much? He cupped her face and redirected her gaze back to him.

"I do. I know why. It's because they respond to your dominance. They need it...and so do I."

Shooting him a skeptical, almost cynical expression, she shook her head. "No man would ever put up with that. I can't be myself because, when I am, it scares people."

"Scares people or intimidates the men you've tried to be with?"

She squirmed and went silent. What kind of freak was she?

"Rio, I'm not messing around about this. We need to be able to talk, and sometimes, it'll be uncomfortable. I have needs that I can't trust or express with just anyone. I'm trusting one of my best friends with this."

Tears of frustration stung her eyes. What the h.e.l.l did he want from her? This would never work. She knew Danny. He got easily bored, and her personality wasn't something she could switch on and off with his sudden whims. She needed consistency. She'd give him the stability he implied he needed, but it had to be her way.

"I can't turn it off. I can't be like other women. I know that, so I've made the decision that I need to be alone."

"Are you telling me this is over?" he asked.

No! G.o.d no! I've waited my whole life for you. Her breath caught in her throat, and she looked away again.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe you've been picking the wrong guys?" he asked, redirecting her gaze at him.

"What kind of man would put up with a woman like me?"

"What's wrong with you?" She looked away. Danny persisted. "I think you're pretty d.a.m.n amazing," he said, taking her hand. "I need a strong woman. Unfortunately, there are more guys like me than there are women like you. And is there something wrong with a woman running things, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Jensen?" She smiled despite herself. He gave her a rea.s.suring kiss. "You're a rare find, babe, and I'm very lucky."

"What are you trying to tell me?" she asked.

"I found out a while back that I'm a submissive man. I need a woman like you. I've been blind, babe. What I've needed, I've had all of my life and was too busy s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around to see it."

"When you say submissive, what do you mean? Because I don't think you're very submissive. You're not weak."

"No, I'm definitely not weak. Think about Schotzie. She's a bada.s.s German shepherd. Or that pit bull you were working with. It takes a strong person to earn their respect and devotion. You have to be more dominant than they are."

Thinking about his words, she connected them to what she knew-the pack structure. There would always one alpha, the strongest in the group. Most of the time it would be male. But every now and then a female would rise to the top. And Danny was right. The others in the pack submitting to the alpha didn't mean they were weak, it meant they were next in line. How did that work with humans? She'd been burned by society's perception of a strong, alpha woman. She'd learned how to navigate around the negative connotation that, because she was strong, it meant she was butch or a d.y.k.e. She'd figured out how to temper her strong personality and conform to societal expectations enough to be left alone. There couldn't be any way this concept of a dominant female could work between a man and woman in a relations.h.i.+p.

"You're not a dog," she said.

"No, I'm not, but I need you, and I trust you. I've never told anyone else what I'm telling you now."

"Do you mean you want to do this with just s.e.x?"

"No. If we make a life together, which is what I want, it'll go into our decision making. You'll never be happy with someone telling you what to do. With my career, I need a strong and independent woman to keep things under control. And most of the time, I need someone to tell me what to do because I don't take it seriously. You seem to know how to do it without p.i.s.sing me off."

Rio was overcome with emotion. He was serious. How many fantasies did she have with him on his knees proposing to her? There were countless hours of daydreams involving them sharing a life together. Now it had become a real possibility, and it was frightening. The last thing in the world she wanted was to drive Danny away.

"Taking care of a dog and having a relations.h.i.+p are two different things. And I don't want to make all of our decisions by myself; I need you."

"Of course we're talking. You know how to see through all my bulls.h.i.+t. I need someone who isn't afraid to make a decision and keep me in line. I need a woman who can be in charge, and you're the only woman I've ever trusted like that."

"I don't know how this is supposed to work. I don't know how to do what you're asking of me."

What he wanted from her seized her with uncertainty. As the boss of her unit, her men very rarely questioned her leaders.h.i.+p because she'd earned their trust. There was no question she was one of the best K-9 handlers in the CBP. Her skills and experience as a K-9 trainer and handler were why they'd recruited her in the first place. But leading her personal relations.h.i.+p with the man of her dreams would be an entirely different matter. How the h.e.l.l did that work? She also remembered his comment about mixing up her restraining him with some pain. No matter how hard she tried to picture what that looked like, she couldn't imagine ever hurting him.

"Babe, tell me what you're thinking," he said, drawing her out of her thoughts with a kiss.

"I don't know how to do this," she whispered with hesitation.

"Yes you do."

"Danny, I can't do this. I can't hurt you," she said.

Now it was his turn. Uncertainty crossed his dark features. "I don't know how to explain this, but it doesn't hurt. It feels good. It's sort of like a hard workout; you ache, but you know you'll feel so much better the next day, if that makes sense," he said with a hopeful gaze.

"I need to think about what you're asking. I don't think I can do it," she said.

"I think you can. Trust yourself, and quit smothering who you really are. Let me see Rio again. You teased me with her the other day; come on out and play, Rio," he taunted her as he rubbed his nose against hers again.

Feeling lighter with his joke, she giggled and kissed him. An unseen, heavy weight had been lifted as her tendency to hesitate and wait disappeared. When they were growing up, she recalled helping him through almost all of his decision making. Mostly, she remembered calling bulls.h.i.+t on him whenever she saw it. She relaxed and slid her arms around him as he pushed her gently onto her back.

"I love you," he whispered as he slid down her body.

Running his mouth over her chest, his tongue traced a line down to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Arching her back into his hands, she released a moan as a shock hit her when he flicked his tongue against her nipple. Every time he grazed her sensitive nipples with the slightest touch, it would send a jolt throughout her body straight to her p.u.s.s.y making it cream in antic.i.p.ation. His mouth worked her b.r.e.a.s.t.s slowly and painstakingly.

Taking his time with every touch, caress, and kiss he offered her, he was the first man who wasn't in a hurry to f.u.c.k her and be done. As she moaned and writhed underneath him, he settled into a steady rhythm working her nipples with his mouth. Flick, suck, nip. Her p.u.s.s.y clenched, and she knew he'd bring her to another climax just playing with her nipples.

"Show me how to please you. Tell me what to do," he whispered as he continued his oral a.s.sault.

Squeezing his shoulders in response, she couldn't manage to string words together right then.

"You have to tell me, babe. I don't know unless you say it." He kissed her chest.

Hesitation and doubt overcame her again. His gaze was rea.s.suring and trusting. She cupped his face and released the inhibitions that had been pounded into her for so long by so many who didn't understand her. Tell him, her subconscious urged. The dominance she'd suppressed rose and coursed through her like a drug. He was hers. He needed and wanted her. Without thinking, she closed her eyes and said the first thing that popped into her head, "Eat my p.u.s.s.y."

Bowing his head, he kissed his way down her body. She opened her legs and relaxed into the bed as he nipped her inner thighs. He rubbed her c.l.i.t and finger-f.u.c.ked her while he teased her skin with his mouth. She squirmed; he wasn't doing what she'd asked. She cupped his face, guiding him to her p.u.s.s.y.

"I said, eat my p.u.s.s.y. Now do it," she commanded a little more firmly.

Danny chuckled as he flicked his tongue against her c.l.i.t. s.h.i.+thead! Already trying to test me? Releasing a hiss as he licked and sucked her c.l.i.t, she sighed when he pressed two fingers inside her while his tongue did its magic against her c.l.i.t. She ran her fingers into his hair and grabbed a handful of it while he worked her c.l.i.t with his mouth. Her body shook indicating the first signs of her release. She balled her fist and pushed his face into her p.u.s.s.y.

"Danny!"

Rio's consciousness shattered into a supernova as a climax rocked her body. He laid his free hand on her belly to keep her in place as her hips jerked uncontrollably. Her c.u.n.t gripped his fingers and held them as she clenched. Raising her hips to meet his mouth, he held her firm and prolonged her o.r.g.a.s.m. She rode one wave after another as he kept going.

"Stop, Danny. Please, baby, stop," she said breathlessly.

Sliding his fingers out of her p.u.s.s.y, he licked them clean as he pulled away. He nipped his way back up her body and held her for a moment. Exhaustion washed over her. As much as she wanted to give back what he'd given her, there was no way she could muster the energy. She clung to him needing his strength just as much as he needed hers.

"Sleep, babe. I know you've got to be tired."

"But you didn't... I need to take care of you."

He squeezed her. "Later."

Dan knew Rio slept when her body slacked in relaxation. The conversation with her went better than he expected. Things got a little touchy when she went quiet and stiff. He was afraid she'd be a little freaked out by his confession, but she understood, and like always, she didn't judge. She tried to understand him, and knowing her the way he did, she'd figure it out for the both of them. He relaxed because he'd finally been able to get out what he wanted to tell her since he'd first seen her again. That was the first step. The next step would be for him to figure out when and how he'd propose to her. While she slept, he thought about their life together and realized it would be fraught with complications. But with her guiding him, they'd figure it out, and like always, she'd find the answer.

Chapter 13.

1515 Santa Cruz St.

Bisbee, Arizona July 1, 2010/1749 Zulu "Why not?" Dan asked.

"Because I don't want to go. Stop already!"

"I want you to go and go as my date."

"No."

"d.a.m.n it, Rio! What the h.e.l.l? Why can't you do this for me?"

"I've already told you why, so why do you keep asking?"

Sometimes she could be impossible! The very thing he loved about her, he despised when it turned on him. They'd been arguing about the upcoming reunion off and on for a few days, and now she made it clear she wasn't budging.

"I'm going!"

"So go! I'm not stopping you. Just because I don't want to go doesn't mean you can't. Go and have a good time."

"Don't you want to see the people who've moved away? See your old friends?"

"I didn't have that many friends, remember? I went through high school just so I could get out. You and Davey were the cool kids."

"Please."

Letting out an aggravated sigh, she shook her head. "If you ask me again, I swear I'll have Schotzie bite you."

"Schotzie, come," he called as he knelt down and hugged the huge dog. She gave him a big doggie kiss. "You wouldn't hurt me, would you, girl?"

"She'd tear off your face if I told her to. I need to go back to the shelter today."

"What if I don't want to go?"

"Don't. I don't need you to drive me around. I can find it by myself."

They stared at each other for a moment, and he swallowed the smarta.s.s remark that threatened to fly out of his mouth. There would be no way he'd let her out his sight right now. He was too d.a.m.n worried about the son of a b.i.t.c.h who'd been watching them. He'd seen the SUV parked nearby when they took Schotzie to the empty field near the house a couple of days ago. It had been out of place in the scrub brush. He didn't want to scare her, but if the cartel had trained special operators working for them, she could be in serious danger. They'd be relentless until their objective had been accomplished. He knew-he was just like the men who pursued her.

Needing to ease the tension and not raise her suspicions, he playfully stalked toward her. She tried to hide her smile and remain nonchalant as she gathered the small backpack she took with her when she worked at the shelter. He grabbed the bag out of her hand, tossed it on the table, and roughly pulled her into his arms.

"You're not going without me," he said in a low growl.

"You're not stopping me."

"I can stop you. I'll tie you down and keep you busy having my way with you."