Page 36 of Renegade
Chapter Ten
Walker
“What’s the plan?” Gemma looks at me expectantly with wide green eyes.
We’re back at the inn I reserved in Carmel, and the romantic room—complete with an antique four-poster bed, red roses on the nightstand, and a fireplace that someone has lit to offset the chill of the California evening—mocks me. The plan is to somehow get through the next three days exploring erotic games with Gemma while pretending it means nothing to me—that I don’t want to possess her and own her body and soul—without losing my fucking mind.
I have no idea how the hell I’m supposed to do that. It was exquisite torture having her behind me on the bike all day, her breasts pressing into my back, her arms wrapped around my waist, the scentof her lingering on my clothes even after we got to the hotel… But the real bitch of it is, it’s not just physical. I love Gemma’s body, don’t get me wrong, but I love the woman inside even more—her sassy confidence, her intelligence, the unique way she views the world through the lens of her camera, and the passion that influences everything she does. The woman is driving me insane.
The whole damn thing is spiraling out of fucking control, and if there’s anything I hate, it’s being out of control. I started out agreeing to help Gemma to keep her away from that asshole Declan. She’s not cut out to be submissive. Gemma’s too…Gemma. She’s too independent, too full of fire, and way too good for him. There’s no way I’m going to let him try to convince her she’s something she’s not and break her spirit in the process, or her heart. A girl like her shouldn’t be tamed. I was going to give her a true taste of dominance—just enough to shock and maybe scare her a little without hurting her or doing irreparable harm, of course—so she’d realize it wasn’t what she wanted.Thatwas the plan. At least it was three days ago.
But she’s taken everything I dished out, both at her apartment the night she asked me to start training her and last night at the hotel. And in the process, she’s sparked a fire in me to possess her in ways I have no business wanting. To make matters worse, my drunk ass thought it would be a good idea to show her how it feels for a man to make her come unraveled, and somehow, everything changed.
But it’s time for me to take fucking control of the situation. And Gemma. Which means putting aside my feelings for her and focusing on the two tasks at hand—getting her ready to go to the Dominion Friday night so we can find out why it’s on Liam’s list, and in the process, making her realize this lifestyle, and Declan, is not for her. If I do it right, she’ll be over the whole idea that she wants to be submissive when she goes back to Charleston on Saturday. Which might be a bit of a challenge, since I’m not a fucking dominant.
Last night I put the SOS out to my SEAL team, although of course I didn’t mention Gemma by name, or our unique situation. SEALs are by nature thrill seekers, notorious for living on the edge, so I was pretty sure one of them would come through for me with the SparkNotes version of how to dominate a girl. Sure enough, Cooper, a brash and cocky ladies’ man with a wild streak, sent me a detailed message—a blueprint of sorts of what to do.
“Manhandle her a little,” he’d said, echoing her words about what she was looking for in a man. “Pull her hair. Talk dirty to her, tell her exactly what you intend to do to her. Hold her down when you fuck her. When you see that spark in her eyes, ramp it up. Handcuff her to the bed, spank her ass (hell, spank more than her ass), dribble some hot wax over her naked body. And don’t forget to leave your mark—with your hand, with your teeth, with a fucking Sharpie. Whatever it takes so she knows she’s yours. Teach her obedience.” That one made me laugh. “Tell her what to do, and remove her choice—about what to wear, what to call you, and most importantly, when to come. Deny her. Nothing says you’re in control like taking her right to the edge and then stopping. Make her beg for it. Then make her wait some more. Make sure she knows when and how she gets her pleasure is up to you. Nothing makes a girl feel more owned.” He also gave me a laundry list of must-haves for my toy bag, whatever the hell that is. Ball gag, paddle, handcuffs, cross strap, flogger, nipple clamps, collar…
I run my fingers through my hair distractedly. Tonight I’ve got none of that. Just a romantic hotel room with a view of the ocean and an entire evening with Gemma—to do what? Tie her up? Spank her? Make her come again, or if I listen to Cooper, don’t?
Get your shit together, man.I’m a Navy SEAL, for fuck’s sake. I can handle some kinky games with my best friend. She wants to be manhandled? We’ll see about that.
“You’ll need to get used to some of the toys and implements we’ll see at the club, but there’s nothing we can do about that tonight. I’ll pick up some things at Good Vibrations tomorrow after we meet with Dr. Morris’s family.”
I found the store online earlier today, and not only does it look clean and not likely to send either Gemma or me screaming from the building, there’s a location close to our hotel in San Francisco. The website had some pretty helpful articles too.
I’d kind of hoped mentioning the tools of the trade would scare her a little, but she snorts with laughter. “Is that seriously the name of it?”
Gemma’s laughter is contagious. You can’t help but smile back. “Yep. Maybe I’ll get you an early birthday present,” I tease. “You have a vibrator?”
“Every woman over the age of twenty-one has a vibrator,” she scoffs.
I try to quell the images that come to mind—of her alone in her bed, eyes closed, lips parted, and legs spread as her vibrator brings her to climax. Shit.Focus, Walker.
Cooper’s voice echoes in my head.Tell her what to do. Remove her choice.
I clear my throat. “How comfortable are you in your own skin?”
“Well, it’s more comfortable than anyone else’s,” she retorts with an impish grin.
“Brat.” I grab a fistful of her hair and pull her head back so she’s looking up into my eyes. “Take your clothes off.” My voice is quiet but firm.
Her smile fades. “What?”
That’s more like it.
“Take off your clothes. You have to be comfortable being naked if you’re going to the club. And you have to learn to respond to whatever I ask you to do without question.” I smack her ass for emphasis.
She licks her lips as her gaze darts around the room uneasily. I’ve never seen Gemma nervous, and it’s a surprising turn on, especially knowing I’m the one responsible for it. “It’s really bright in here. Could we turn a few lights off?” she says.
Surely she’s not embarrassed to show off a body like hers. “I’m trying to prepare you for the Dominion,” I explain.
“Which will probably be dark and have some ambience,” she counters.
“My rules tonight, Gemma,” I say quietly but firmly. “You can back out at any time if you can’t handle it.” Nonetheless, I walk over to the door and switch the lights off. All that illuminates the room now is a small lamp and the glow of the fire. “Happy now?”
“Yes.” She slips off her sandals, keeping her eyes on mine. She slowly pulls off the flimsy pink top she’s wearing and dangles it from her fingertips for a minute before she lets it drop to the floor. Then she unbuttons her denim shorts ever so slowly, and I drag in air through my nostrils as she turns and shimmies out of them, wiggling her ass enticingly as she eases them over the curve of her hips. She faces me again and holds my gaze as she unhooks her bra, revealing her luscious breasts, her nipples erect and just begging for my mouth. She turns around again and slowly wriggles out of her thong. I’ve never seen anything more erotic. My cock is rock hard, and all she’s done is take off her clothes. I’m fucked.
