Drake Read online

  "You might be right, it isn't cheap, but I think we have an excuse to celebrate, besides, you deserve it."

  "I do? Why?"

  "So many reasons," he murmured walking across to her and taking her in his arms. "Let's see, for being tougher than I thought, yet so amazingly submissive, for being so beautiful, and sharp and smart, and most importantly for having a truly spankable ass."

  "That's the most important thing?"

  "Definitely," he winked, moving his hands to cup her cheeks.

  "Ouch."

  "Still tender."

  "Happily so," she softly replied, her eyes sparkling up at him.

  "I doubt you'll be so happy if I ever have to punish you, which I undoubtedly will given your penchant for testing."

  "Ooh, did you have to make a comment like that?"

  "Why?"

  "My knees just buckled, and my stomach is now inhabited by a whirling dervish."

  "Excellent."

  "I'm nervous enough, thank you very much."

  "I have a cure for that."

  "You do?"

  "I do," he exclaimed, and suddenly swooping her up he threw her over his shoulder.

  "What are you doing?" she squealed. "Drake, shit, I can't believe this."

  "Me caveman, you female!" he growled as he carried her up the stairs. "You need orgasm."

  "Oh, my God, The things that come out of your mouth!"

  "Orgasm calm female down for caveman. Give caveman peace."

  The remark made Courtney laugh out loud, and as Drake swiftly entered his bedroom and tossed her on the bed, her laughter turned into a fit of giggles. Ignoring them and pretending to stay surly, he yanked down her black tights, dropped his hand against her sex, and plunged his finger inside her.

  "Female must orgasm and calm down or female will be spanked."

  "How can I calm down when you keep saying things like that?" she declared unable to stop her giggles, but as he laid next to her and pressed his thumb against her clit, her laughter quickly transformed into gasps of pleasure.

  Without missing a beat Drake used his free hand to push down his sweat pants, and resting his stiffened cock against her thigh he continued to tantalize her pussy, relishing the sounds of her growing arousal. The helpless victim about whom he'd been so worried had transformed into a smart, funny, incredibly sexy woman. Had he instinctively known this was the real Courtney Hall? But her puckered nipples were pressing against her tunic, and as she raised her chest in a plea for attention, the question quickly passed. Withdrawing his hand from between her legs, he pulled the loose top over her head and dove his mouth on to her breasts. She moaned, then squealed as he nipped, then surrendered as he pushed her back down.

  "Play with yourself," he breathed between kisses to her shoulders and neck. "Bring yourself to orgasm."

  His instruction sent a fresh ripple of hot energy through her body, and closing her eyes she spread her legs and began to rub her engorged clit, knowing her climax would be fast approaching.

  "That's it baby, just like that," he crooned as he kneeled over her and massaged his cock. "Let me see you come. Let me see you come really hard."

  Reaching down with his free hand he massaged her breasts and pinched her nipples, then began to lightly slap. She let out a cry of surprise, but a moment later her climax took hold. As he watched her writhe her way through the throes of her euphoria, his own orgasm fired, and groaning through clenched teeth he surrendered to the intense waves of pleasure, falling next to her with a long satisfied sigh.

  "Female calm now," she said breathlessly.

  "Is good," he panted. "Calm female good for caveman."

  "I think dinner at the French Sole is a fabulous idea," she murmured rolling on to her side. "I'm suddenly starving."

  "The French Sole it is, if I ever get my strength back."

  "Am I too much for you?"

  "You really do push your luck, don't you, Courtney Hall?"

  "Only when I think I can get away with it."

  Closing his eyes he let out another sigh, and as she moved closer and rested her head in the crook of his shoulder, in spite of the drama surrounding them, he felt at peace.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The food at the intimate restaurant had been delicious, and the velvety wine had given Drake and Courtney a gentle buzz. Though the pending release of the video was hanging over their heads, they'd both avoided the subject and had spent the evening sharing childhood stories. Drake had settled the check, and leaving the table they'd walked into the small foyer and pushed open the solid wood door, only to discover the weather had significantly worsened.

  "Good grief," Courtney exclaimed. "It's pouring."

  "I'll run and get the car. No sense in both of us getting wet."

  "You're such a gentleman, but it's okay, I'll run with you."

  "No, wait here and—"

  Before he could finish Courtney was rushing through the weather. Cursing silently he ran after her, hitting his car remote so the doors would be unlocked. Reaching it he paused to remove his jacket and throw it in the back seat, but Courtney had climbed into the passenger seat, and as he slipped behind the wheel she was struggling out of her wet coat.

  "You don't listen very well, do you?" he remarked leaning across and helping her.

  "What do you mean?" she asked breathlessly as it came off and she threw it into the back seat with his. "That's better, thanks. Wow, it's really bucketing down."

  "I mean, I asked you to wait. I would have been happy to bring the car."

  "It's no biggie."

  "I'm a dom, remember, and doing things like that makes me happy. I want to."

  "Being a dom means you have to run out into the rain to get the car?"

  "For me, yes," he said firmly. "Are we clear?"

  "You are the sweetest guy ever," she said grinning broadly. "Thank you."

  "You didn't answer my question."

  "Yes, Mr. Steele, we're clear. Can we go home now?"

  "We can," he replied starting the car and pulling out into the road, "and for the record I really enjoyed tonight."

  "Me too. Probably the best first date I've ever had."

  "First date? Yeah, I guess it was."

  "So, uh, Drake, I don't mean to talk about the elephant in the car, but dare we turn on the television when we get back? The ten o'clock news will be starting."

  "Dare we? How can we not?"

  "It was a rhetorical question. That lovely dinner totally calmed me down, but now I'm starting to feel anxious again."

  "The dinner calmed you down?" he said shooting her a look. "I thought it was what happened before we went out that calmed you down."

  "That too, and I may be feeling anxious about the video, but besides that I feel like myself again, with one major exception."

  "Which is?"

  "I still want to kill those bastards. How can I want to commit murder and say I feel like myself? The old me would never have contemplated such a thing."

  "I'm not a psychiatrist, I can't begin to answer that, but I think we're all capable of doing something terrible when something terrible is done to us or to those we care about."

  "That makes sense, and I suspect it's probably true."

  "Courtney, speaking of such things, I think the vigilante will need to go out later."

  "Tonight? In this weather?"

  "It's a feeling I get. It's almost like an addiction. When it comes over me I have to go."

  "Please, please, please, can I come?"

  "We've already talked about this."

  "Aren't you worried about leaving me at home?"

  "Now that you mention it, I think I'll bring Brutus out."

  "Brutus?"

  "My guard dog."

  "You have a guard dog? I haven't seen any dog? Where is he?"

  "Tucked away. I let him loose if I'm going to be away. I have a state of the art alarm system, but nothing scares the bad guys away like a snarling Rottweiler."

  "What are you saying? I can't believe my ears. You have a dog you only let out if you're going away?"

  "I'll introduce you when we get home."

  "This is making no sense," she muttered as they turned down his street. "How can you have a dog you never let out? That's animal abuse."

  He didn't respond, and as they pulled into the garage and he turned off the engine, she frowned across at him.

  "I need to see this dog. I need to see him right now."

  "Sure. That was my plan, and I don't know why you're so upset. Calm down."

  "I'm not going to calm down until I see him. I'm totally confused."

  "Come on, I'll introduce you."

  She followed him into the kitchen, and when he turned down the hall and opened a small door under the stairs she couldn't believe it.

  "NO!" she exclaimed. "You don't keep him locked in there! You can't possibly."

  "He likes the dark," Drake said calmly. "Now where is he?"

  "I absolutely cannot stand this," she mumbled stepping backwards. "This is crazy."

  "Ah, there you are," she heard him say. "Come and meet Courtney."

  Bracing herself she waited for him to emerge, but when he did there was no dog at his side, though there was a large box in his hands.

  "Brutus," he declared raising it in the air. "Plug him in, and if anyone comes within twenty feet of the house he starts to bark. The closer they get, the more vicious he sounds. When I go away I have signs for the gate and fence that say, Warning. Guard Dog On Patrol. Enter At Your Own Risk."

  "You are so mean," she shouted lunging at him and punching his arm. "Mean, mean, mean. You had me so worried."

  "OW! Stop. OW! How could you possibly think I'd lock a dog away in a closet?"

  "You're going to pay for this."

  "Is that a threat?"

  "Absolutely, and a promise."

  "Whatever your retribution it will be worth it," he chuckled, "but I'm surprised you've never heard of Brutus."

  "I am too. It's brilliant."

  "There's also Buster and Benjamin, but Brutus is the top of the line. He has a bunch of options. Snarl, bark and snarl, scratch at the door, and quite a few more. You can set his sensors as far away as thirty feet so you can coordinate him with motion detector lights."

  "How do you mean?"

  "If your motion lights go on at twenty feet, you set him at twenty-five, so it appears as if someone has turned on the outside lights."

  "That's genius. I want one."

  "And you should have one. He's very reassuring to have around. I'll set him before I take off."

  "Wait. I have a better idea."

  "Let me guess, get a real guard dog. I'd love one. I've been thinking about getting a dog for a while."

  "Actually, that's an interesting suggestion, but no. We should set Brutus up in my house. There are no dogs on my street, and if those scumbags try to break in all hell will break loose. It will wake the whole neighborhood. The guard shack will be called for sure. My lights are set at twenty feet, so we could do the coordination thing and set him at twenty-five or thirty feet. What do you think?"

  "I think it's a great idea."

  "Don't put up any signs though. We have to make an application to the HOA for any dogs larger than twenty-pounds. I'll have people calling and complaining."

  "Almost better. If those dirtbags do show up at your place and don't see any warnings, the snarling and barking will scare the crap out of them even more. Give me your keys and I'll take him over there when I head out."

  "I should come with you, I, uh, I need some stuff."

  "Courtney Hall, did you just lie to me?"

  "No, I do need some stuff."

  "Then I'll take you over there tomorrow," he said firmly. "It's almost ten o'clock. Time for the news."

  "Shoot, of course. That distracted me so much I'd almost forgotten."

  "That's hard to believe."

  "I said almost!"

  Walking into the living room they settled on the couch, and as he turned on the television, Courtney kicked off her shoes, tucked her feet up underneath her, and snuggled next to him.

  "I still think I should be going out with you," she murmured. "I could keep watch."

  "Stop it. You're not coming and that's final. If you ask me again I'll handcuff you to the bed."

  "Promise?"

  "And tease you for hours and not let you climax."

  "Never mind."

  "Look, the news is starting."

  "Turn it up," she said urgently. "Shit! There's the caption. Breaking news. Holy crap."

  As the music faded away, the news anchor, a distinguished man in his fifties, began to speak.

  "Good evening. A five car pile up on the Fairmont Highway has backed up traffic for several miles."

  "Try the other stations," Courtney said hastily, "maybe they're covering it."

  Drake immediately began switching from channel to channel, but to no avail.

  "Dammit," she exclaimed, "what the hell? Why isn't it on?"

  "It's possible their lawyer found out and managed to slap an emergency injunction against it."

  "No! Do you think that happened?"

  "It's possible, or the packages might have arrived too late and they're sitting on desks waiting to be opened. There's always the morning newspapers. I have the Gazette delivered."

  "How the hell am I going to sleep tonight? I have to come with you. I'll go nuts sitting around here."

  "You'll be sitting around here with a freshly spanked backside if you keep this up. I'm here to protect you, not put you in any more danger."

  "Shit."

  "I'll tell you what. I usually go out in the early hours of the morning, but I'll take off now and be back by midnight, and I won't go far. With that traffic tie-up I can't anyway. Does that help?"

  "You don't mind?"

  "Not at all. Actually, I've never done a patrol around this time. I'll need to be more careful but it will be interesting."

  "That does help, thanks, Drake," she said gratefully, and wrapping her arms around his neck she began planting kisses across his face.

  "You're welcome, and as much as I'm enjoying this you need to stop or I won't get out of here."

  "Uh-huh."

  "You're a very conniving female. Does Mr. Caveman need to make a reappearance?"

  "Mr. Caveman is very welcome. I enjoyed his last visit."

  "This one might not be so pleasurable. Cavemen are noted for their strict dealings with naughty females. I happen to know this one has a cane in his closet."

  "Since when did cavemen have closets?"

  "Very funny," he declared, and with a swift, deft move, he yanked her over his lap and landed several fast, hard swats. "There, I know that's what you want, and if it isn't, it's certainly what you need."

  "OW. Stop. I'm still sore."

  "Will you behave?"

  "Yes, yes, dammit."

  "Yes, yes, dammit," he repeated. "You're lucky I'm leaving, but we'll revisit that response later."

  "Promises, promises," she quipped as she crawled off his lap.

  "Wow, you really do like to push the envelope."

  "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

  "I'm getting out of here before you manipulate me into really spanking you," he declared rising to his feet, "and we both know what that will lead to."

  "It would take our minds off that video for five minutes!"

  "I'm going upstairs to change. Maybe you should keep watching. It might pop up."

  "I fully intend to, but I have this sinking feeling that we won't be seeing it until tomorrow."

  As he left the room she turned her attention back to the television set, finally becoming so frustrated she switched to a channel that had offered something other than news. When he reappeared wearing his disguise, she stared at him in amazement.

  "How the heck did I know it was you? I cannot believe how totally different you look."

  "Yeah, I'm fairly confident when I go out no-one will recognize me."

  "Not a chance."

  "Where will you go?"

  "I'm not sure."

  "May I make a suggestion?"

  "Sure."

  "There's been an uptick in crime over near the Little League park."

  "And that's only about fifteen minutes away," he said thoughtfully. "I usually drive further out, but with the weather like it is that's the perfect place to go."

  "Will you please be extra careful tonight?" she asked softly, moving towards him. "I need you to come home in one piece if you don't mind."

  "I will. See you in an hour or so."

  Leaning down he warmly kissed her, then headed into the garage.

  Waiting until he'd driven off down the street, Courtney bolted up the stairs and hurriedly changed into black jeans, a black turtleneck and black boots, then grabbing her bag she checked to make sure her pepper spray was there. There was no way she was going to sit around and be anxious all night. She was going to find him and watch from a distance. Heart thumping she raced down the stairs, picked up the remote for the gate and the extra house key on the hall table, and ran out to her car, but as she gunned her BMW down the driveway, the cell phone she'd left sitting on the coffee table in the living room began to buzz.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Richard and Ned were sitting on a sheet of plastic on the side of a hill under a tree watching Courtney's house, and noting the general activity in the neighborhood. Ned was none too happy. They'd run out of hot coffee and snack bars, he was cold and tired, and he was fed up with the boring stakeout.

  "How much longer do we need to stay here?"

  "Ask me that one more time…" Richard said threateningly.

  "It's fucking freezing and we've been here for fucking hours. Let's just go get her. She's obviously home. Her lights have been going off and on, Susannah is going to alibi us both, so let's just go get her," he repeated. "Why wait until tomorrow night?"

  "I've got a weird feeling, that's why," Richard replied. "For one thing, how do we know she doesn't have company?"

  "We've been here all this fucking time and we haven't seen anyone arrive."

  "That doesn't mean shit, and the guard hasn't driven by yet. I want to know what time that happens."

  "Maybe that's him now," Ned declared. "I see a car coming."