Free Too Much: A Loveswept Contemporary Erotic Romance (All or Nothing) by Lea Griffith Page B

rings.
    He tugged lightly, enough for her to feel—enough for her to know. “Damn you!” she said hoarsely.
    She needed this. Her body sang to him. Copeland released the ring and stepped back. “Do you need the hood?”
    She went silent. He put his hand in her hair and pulled her head back. She gasped but kept her eyes closed. He leaned in close and licked along the shell of her ear. “Do you need the hood?” he asked again.
    “No … 
Sir.
”
    He released her and she bowed her head. Copeland stepped away and walked around the cross. She was a lovely swath of cream against the black of the cross. The fall of her hair down her back was a gorgeous brown wave that beckoned his hands. It would have to be moved forward so nothing impeded the tails of his flogger. The muscles of her back and arms twitched already, and she shifted from foot to foot on the anti-fatigue mat he’d had placed there just for her. The gel-filled mat helped alleviate the pain from standing too long. Nobody deserved his care more. And they would be here for a while.
    “What is your word?”
    She shook her head.
    “Give me your safe word, sub. I would know to stop if you scream it out.”
    “July.”
    His heart skipped a beat. The ache in his chest intensified until he wanted to yell with it.Their relationship had splintered apart in July. That she would use it as her safe word was both reminder and taunt.
    “So be it,” Copeland said harshly and watched as she shivered. He unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off, letting it fall where it would. He ran a hand down the front of his pants, over his cock, and stepped up to her. Slowly, he rolled his hips against her backside.
    “Like hell on fire, sub. We will burn,” he said and barely recognized his voice. Passion made it so gruff it was barely more than a snarl.
    Her ass canted out and he tapped it, hard, with his hand. “Nobody told you to move.” He followed the single tap with five more on each cheek. Hard and fast, he punished her then. Every one of her indrawn breaths, every soft sob, had his soul flying.
    His sub was in need. How she’d always loved to be spanked. But tonight was for them both. Some other time, maybe tomorrow, he’d tear her ass up and make her pray for release.
    “Not tonight, little sub. Tonight you will feel the kiss of my tails and you will beg. You will beg me to give you my cock and take us both where we want to go.”
    His body demanded he get on with it. His mind knew he had to go slow. Three years he’d waited for her. He didn’t want to rush this first play between them in three years. It would be akin to desecrating the gift she’d offered him. Her body. Her submission. They were to be treated with nothing but reverence. Last night had been a prelude to this act.
    He separated her hair into two sections and placed one over each shoulder. Goddamn, she was beautiful.
    He moved back and listened. The low sounds of music through the speakers in the room provided a sexy backdrop to her increased breathing and the sound of his rope sliding against the wood of the cross. He walked to the storage chest again and picked out two floggers. One with heavy, leather tails, broad and meant to thud against her skin, bringing delicious heat and need to the surface. The other was a short-handled flogger with shorter, thinner strips of braided leather. This one was meant to sting.
    But he knew her and knew that she craved the bite of pain with her pleasure. He would take her to the edge. Once she walked, it he would bring her back down and start all over.
    “Keep your eyes closed. Do not look at me. Do not speak unless it’s to safe word. If you need to scream, you must safe word. Are we clear?”
    She nodded. His knees almost buckled. Everything about her responses screamed of a need buried for too long. Daly was probably cursing him in her mind, but her body accepted his command easily.
    Copeland felt the thrill of having her at his mercy and closed his eyes. His