His to Claim #3: Rock Hard Read online

  ***

  The limousine pulled up in front of Melanie’s apartment building and Rafe got out. Melanie had called him that afternoon and asked if he would come over tonight. She’d sounded upset, but she wouldn’t tell him what was wrong on the phone.

  He was hoping that at some point, they could talk about what had happened in his office. He’d loved the fact she enjoyed role-playing and it had been exciting as hell, but he didn’t like how he’d acted. The whole thing had left him sleepless that night, tossing and turning at the memory.

  Why did he become like that? Controlling. Demanding. Almost abusive. He’d had to fight his obsessive urge to thrash her sexy, bare ass. And in the end, he’d rammed her against the wall and taken her hard.

  She’d seemed to enjoy it, but he didn’t like what it said about him.

  Once at the door, he texted her and she buzzed him up. A few moments later, he got off the elevator and walked to her door, then knocked. She opened the door wearing a burgundy silk robe tied at the waist, then gazed up at him.

  “Mr. Ranier. What are you doing here?”

  He grinned. “Really? That’s why you called me? Because you’re horny?” He closed the door behind him. “Not that I’m complaining, but I was worried there was something wrong.”

  She stepped close and stroked the lapels of his finely knit wool suit. “Mr. Ranier, I just didn’t expect you to show up at my house.”

  He smiled. Clearly, she wasn’t willing to drop out of character to discuss it.

  “Well, get used to it.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I plan on being here a lot.”

  He captured her lips, then drove his tongue into her mouth. Hers glided forward, swirling with his. He pulled her tighter to his body, her soft curves crushed against him.

  Then he released her. “Now take off your robe.”

  She stepped back and her fingers tangled with the knot at her waist, then released it. Slowly, she drew the fabric apart, revealing glimpses of skin and black leather. Then the robe fluttered to the ground.

  His eyes widened at the sight of her in a black leather harness that covered absolutely nothing. Studded leather straps outlined her perky, round breasts. Her nipples, hard and thrusting forward, demanded his attention. A pair of straps continued from under her breasts downward and disappeared between her thighs, outlining her shaven pussy. Silver chains cascaded from the vertical straps, down the front of her body, while black leather straps continued around her back.

  She backed toward her living room couch, then turned around and bent over the back of it, exposing her naked ass. The horizontal straps continuing around her torso connected to a single black leather strap appearing from her cheeks and attached to the strap under her shoulder blades.

  His gaze lingered on her perfectly round, exposed cheeks.

  “I assume you want to punish me, Mr. Ranier.” She gazed around at him. “For making you late for your meeting the other day.”

  ***

  Melanie didn’t know why she needed it so bad, but there was something about the idea of totally giving up control. Of being taken care of. She knew Rafe would never hurt her, so it was a safe fantasy to put herself totally in his hands. Let him decide what she did. Because, God knew, she couldn’t seem to make good decisions in her real life right now. Submitting totally to him in their lovemaking just felt right. Somehow, she knew it would make this disaster of a day better. It would make her feel that her life wasn’t a total mess.

  Because under Rafe’s guidance, somehow she would find her way.

  But a struggle ensued in his eyes at her simple request. Why didn’t he just smack her behind? He seemed to naturally take control when they made love. He had when they’d had sex against the tree the very first time, and then—her body quivered at the memory—in his office he’d rammed her against the wall, holding her hands helpless above her head.

  With him, she could just relax and be his bitch.

  She lowered her head and arched her back, enticing him.

  “Melanie.”

  At his serious tone, she glanced over her shoulder again and gazed into his sky blue eyes.

  “Look, I know you want to try new things, and I’m all for it, but …” He shook his head. “I’m not comfortable with controlling you. Or punishing you.”

  She stood up and turned to face him. “But it’s just in fun. I know you’d never really hurt me. And you seem to naturally step into a controlling role.”

  He shook his head, as if denying it.

  “Sure. Remember how you held my wrists above my head?” She picked up her robe from the floor and pulled it on, feeling exposed and vulnerable. “I found that very sexy.”

  “But I don’t want that in our relationship.” His jaw clenched. “To tell the truth, I’m not comfortable with how I acted in the office.”

  “But—”

  He drew her into his arms and kissed her firmly on the lips. “When I make love to you, I want it to be sweet and loving.”

  She drew back, crossing her arms over her chest. “What about what I want? I like it when you take control. It’s sexy and turns me on.” The tears she’d tried to hide when Karen had fired her, welled to the surface. “It makes me feel cared for.”

  “Cared for?” He shook his head. “I don’t get that.”

  “I don’t care if you get it.” She turned and marched away, not wanting him to see her tears. “Why isn’t it enough that it’s what I want?”

  “Melanie.” He stepped behind her and rested his warm hand on her shoulder. “What’s this all about?”

  He drew her around to look at him. She wiped away an errant tear. “I got fired today. I just wanted to give myself up to you. To know you would take care of me.”

  “By smacking you?”

  She shook her head. “It’s a sign of trust, I guess. Of knowing I can give myself up to you totally and you’ll give me what I need.” She slid her hands over the fine wool of his lapels, aware of the solid chest beneath.

  “So if I don’t spank you, I’m not meeting your needs?”

  “No, it’s more that when you take control, and there are consequences if I don’t obey, it gives me a sense of you taking care of me. Sometimes it feels good to let go completely. But only if I have someone I trust watching out for me.”

  He sighed deeply. “We’ll need to find another way, because I’m not comfortable with taking control of you. Especially with my abusive background.”

  She frowned. “But I know you would never abuse me.”

  He gripped her shoulders gently, his jaw twitching. “Look, it’s not the time to discuss this right now. You said you just got fired. Do you want to talk about it?”

  She shrugged. “It was the end of my three-month probation period. The manager decided not to keep me on.”

  “She’s an idiot.” He hugged her close and she felt warm and protected in his arms. “Do you know what you’re going to do now?”

  She shook her head, but not for the first time, thoughts of Travis’ offer skittered through her brain.

  “You know you can always come back as my secretary.” He kissed the top of her head. “And imagine how fun that would be now?”

  She gazed up at his smiling face and laughed. “Yeah. It would be so much fun we’d never get any work done.”

  She eased away from him and sat on the couch.

  “Remember when I asked you why you didn’t go out on the road with the band?” she asked.

  “Yeah, and I told you I needed to be here.” He sat down beside her.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”

  He frowned. “Why? What’s going on?”

  “Well …” She fiddled with the sash of her robe. “When I was talking to Travis the other day …”

  Rafe’s frown deepened. “The day you went to get a gift for Jess, or did you see him again?”

  Her teeth clenched at the implication that she was sneaking around behind his back, and sh
e refused to allow this to turn into an argument.

  “I’m not even going to answer that.” But annoyance edged her words, despite her best efforts to hide it. “He told me that they could use another roadie.” She gazed into Rafe’s piercing blue eyes. “And he suggested I take the position.”

  She frowned at the flash of annoyance in his eyes.

  “I’m sure that’s not the only position he’ll suggest you take.”

  Her chest tightened. “Are you implying he’s only inviting me to tour with the band so he can get into my pants?”

  “I told you he likes to steal women from me.”

  Her nostrils flared. “First of all, he can’t steal me. That assumes I have no mind of my own and can’t make valid decisions about who I want to be with.”

  His eyebrows arched in challenge. “And who do you want to be with?”

  She sighed. “You, of course, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to take him up on his offer. It would be a great opportunity to travel, and to really shake loose some of my ideas of who I am and what I should be.” She took his hand. “And as I’ve said before, it would be wonderful if you would come back on tour. Then we could travel together.” She gazed at him hopefully. “It would be a great experience.”

  “No,” he said firmly.

  Disappointment washed through her. “No, you won’t come?”

  “I’ve already told you I won’t be joining the band again, and why.”

  She stared into his penetrating blue eyes and realized that wasn’t the question he’d been answering.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “So you’re saying that you don’t think I’m capable of hauling equipment on and off trucks and setting up speakers?”

  “I’m saying you’re not going.” His dominating tone set her teeth on edge.

  She scowled at him. “You don’t have the right to tell me what I can and cannot do.”

  “But that’s exactly what you just told me you wanted me to do.”

  “That’s different. That’s role-playing in the bedroom.”

  He sent her a hard-edged glare. “It’s as real as you want it to be.” He tugged her into his arms and his lips came down on hers. Hard. He possessed her mouth, claiming her as his tongue delved deep. “You are mine and I intend to keep it that way. You will not go on tour with the band.”

  She gazed up at him in a daze, fighting her blatant desire to melt against him and obey every command he gave her.

  But she knew neither one of them would respect her if she just caved in to his demands. She steeled herself against her weakness, and with defiance in her eyes, she flattened her hands on his chest and pressed him back.

  “Think again.”

  Also by Opal Carew

  Bliss

  Forbidden Heat

  Secret Ties

  Six

  Blush

  Swing

  Twin Fantasies

  Pleasure Bound

  Total Abandon

  Secret Weapon

  Insatiable

  Illicit

  His to Command

  His to Possess

  About the Author

  Opal Carew is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fourteen previous erotic romances for St. Martin’s Press. To learn more, visit her on the Web at www.opalcarew.com.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  His to Claim #3: Rock Hard. Copyright © 2014 by Opal Carew. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.stmartins.com

  Cover design by Patricia “Pickyme” Schmitt

  e-ISBN 978-1-4668-5759-9

  First Edition: June 2014

  eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].

  Find out how it all began! Read Jessica and Storm’s novel

  His To Possess

  Available now!

  And don’t miss Opal Carew’s next erotic romance

  Riding Steele

  Coming soon!