Taming Kalinda Read online

  * * * *

  Closing the door behind his subdued friend, Caelan rubbed the back of his neck. Damn he hadn’t been looking forward to this conversation all day. While he’d had time to come to terms with Kalinda’s reckless actions in Los Angeles, he knew he was sending a dazed and off kilter Josh to pick her up from the airport. He hoped what he told his friend was enough to shock the other man out of the expectations he had concerning her. He knew his friend had expected that once Kalinda finally returned to Chicago for good, that she’d fall right back into place in Josh’s life.

  Caelan wouldn’t have said anything, but he didn’t want to see his friend go up in flames anymore than he did his sister. He’d meant it when he’d said that they were perfect together, but he’d also seen Kalinda and Dominic together and they were perfect together in another all together different way. While Josh was intense - possessive even when it came to Kalinda, Dominic was strong and protective towards her. It was too bad she couldn’t have them both. They both loved her to a distraction, plus he knew both wanted to collar her, but he didn’t think that Josh would be able to share her with the other man. It was quite a shame since he had a feeling that Kalinda needed both of them to find her balance.

  “Caelan?” Nisey’s soft voice had him looking up. He frowned when he saw the tears in her eyes. Holding his arms open, she rushed into them. “I’m sorry you had to do that.”

  “You and me both, muirnín.” He pressed his head against hers as her slender arms wrapped around his waist.

  “He had to know but it still sucks. It had to come from you.” Her words were muffled as she pressed her face against his hard chest.

  “Better me than her. I don’t know what would’ve happened if she had been the one to tell him, or heaven forbid, if Dominic told him.” He gave her a gentle squeeze.

  She groaned. “Dear Lord, we would’ve heard the explosion all the way over here.”

  He chuckled before squeezing her silk covered bottom. “Speaking of coming explosions, weren’t you supposed to be naked in our playroom and bent over a very particular spanking bench?”

  “Ummm…” He could hear her fumbling mentally for a good excuse as to why she wasn’t where he’d ordered her to be.

  “…you only wanted to make sure I was okay. Is that why you’re not where I told you to be?” Keeping one arm wrapped around her, he rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. He knew her protective instincts towards him made her fret and worry over him and while he understood, he’d had to punish her more than once for being disobedient just because she’d known he was hurting. It was her way of giving him an outlet for his volatile emotions. While he loved her for it, he sometimes wished she wasn’t so perceptive.

  “Yes, Máister.” She winked at him.

  Giving a mock growl, he swatted her ass with the palm of his hand. “Get your ass downstairs where I told you be, slave. You just earned yourself another punishment.”

  Her dark green eyes widened. “Yes, Máister.” She turned to leave but couldn’t resist asking. “Do I get to pick out the paddle?”

  “No!” He roared as she scurried away. Watching her disappear down the stairs, he shook his head and sighed with anticipation at the feel of the new flogger which had just arrived. It was time to break it in on her tempting little ass. He thanked the gods every day for his sister’s fateful late night call. Without it he’d have never found his perfect slave.

  Chapter Two

  The sound of the stewardess’s voice announcing it was time to fasten their seatbelts jolted Kalinda out of the light doze she had fallen into after they’d taken off. Beneath her cheek she could feel the warmth of Dominic’s shoulder. Other than Josh, he had one of the warmest bodies she’d ever experienced. What was it about her attraction to men that produced such massive amounts of body heat? It was one of the few ways Dominic reminded her of her former lover.

  His arm which had been wrapped around her moved, and she instantly mourned its loss. Her shoulders felt cold and bereft with his warmth gone. Sitting up she rubbed her eyes before fumbling for her seatbelt. Glancing out of the plane’s window after securing the belt, she took in the familiar landscape surrounding O’Hare International Airport.

  She turned away from the view and immediately noticed the damp spot where her head had been on Dominic’s shirt. “Oops, I got you wet again.” It was a common occurrence anytime she laid against him for any length of time. The memory of their damp skin pressed together during ‘aftercare’ had her breath catching in her throat. No matter how hard he employed the paddle, whip or flogger on her tender flesh, he always held her close after their inevitable fucking. It made her feel more than just another willing body, because she felt he actually cared about her as a person.

  She looked up to see Dominic’s dark eyes darkening with remembered desire. “I love it when you get me wet, chérie.”

  “Seat belt check.” The perky voice of the stewardess had her retort dying in her throat.

  Kalinda looked up at the stunning blonde wearing the dark uniform of American Airlines. She knew from experience the stewardess was just doing her job, but she couldn’t help but blush at the underlying sexual current in their conversation, or the prominent bulge that the buckle of his seatbelt seemed to draw attention to. Also knowing he was remembering the same thing as she, made it impossible to watch when the stewardess slipped her fingers under the buckle to check for its fit.

  “Good and tight.” The woman’s cloyingly sweet tone had Kalinda wincing. She glanced away. She didn’t think she could stand to watch the other woman fondle Dominic. A weak flare of panic consumed her, despite Dominic’s constant reassurances in the past. He’d never encouraged another woman in her presence despite the fact she did not wear his collar. She was hoping that if he decided he wanted to start a new life in Chicago, she would still be part of it.

  “Well I’d hate to fall out if something happened.” Even though Dominic’s low Cajun drawl had her skin tingling with need as always, she knew being flirtatious was part of his charm. She’d seen him use it on both men and woman in L.A. It seemed like hardly anyone was immune to it. He could talk his way into any woman’s pants to satisfy the hard cock pressing against the tight crotch of his chinos.

  “Relax, chérie. You can take care of it once we get home.” His knuckles brushed over her cheek bone before taking her hand to cover his obvious erection. She couldn’t help but gently squeeze him. She knew every inch of his body and exactly how he loved to be held. Even his enjoyment in exhibitionism held a special place in her heart. As long as it pleased him, she’d do it without question.

  “Well, I never!” With a huff the stewardess moved further down the aisle at Dominic’s blatant lack of response to her obvious charms.

  “I’m sure she hasn’t but you have, haven’t you, chérie?” Pressing his mouth against her ear, his tongue brushed over the inner whorls of her ear, leaving streaks of damp heat behind. Without thought, she squeezed him harder, loving the way his hips gave an involuntary buck towards her.

  “Yes…” She fought to keep from moaning when he nipped the edge of her ear with his teeth. This was all part of his usual game. He loved to torment her in public, knowing she couldn’t do anything other than stroke him through his clothes. Her need to please him had been one of the founding blocks of their relationship. It had amazed her in the beginning. The familiar need to challenge him as she had Josh was surprisingly absent, however, in its place was the desire to submit to the man who’d rescued her. She knew a simple request was all that was needed for him to give her what she what she desired. He might make her wait for her pleasure as any true Dom would, but she didn’t have to challenge as she had to with Josh to get the same results. In return for his generosity, she’d felt the need to give him anything he wanted. Every thing within her power was his for the asking. Even arousing his body until he almost threatened to split the seams of his pants in front of the whole wide world, if that was what he wanted.

 
The sound of the wheels striking the tarmac had Dominic pushing her hand away from his cock then lifting her fingers to his lips. The brush of his well-trimmed mustache tickled. While his face was still composed, and to any other person he looked like any other passenger on the plane, the slight elevation of his breath and the solid outline of his erection told another story. He was vastly aroused but didn’t care who knew. It still amazed her how open he was about his sexuality. He could care less what others thought about it. He’d told her many times, “if they didn’t like what they saw, they shouldn’t look.”

  * * * *

  “Looks like you’re going to have to face your demons, sooner rather than later, chérie.” Dominic’s protective presence at her back reassured her as she watched the tall blond man she’d left behind approach them. She hadn’t seen him since the collaring ceremony between her brother and Nisey. He still looked great to her starved eyes despite the disheveled appearance of his tawny hair. It was obvious he’d been running his hands through it. She’d hoped that his effect on her had worn off, but by judging her racing heart, it obviously hadn’t. She glanced over her shoulder at Dominic. How had he known that Josh was going to show up at the airport?

  He leaned forward to whisper to her. “I would’ve done the same thing, if I were in his place. Of course, your brother texted me just before we landed to tell me to expect him. You need to face him sooner or later, chérie. I’d rather get it out of the way.”

  Fury built inside her. How dare her brother and Dominic decide that she needed to confront her past with Josh? Couldn’t she even have a small respite before she had to face this? While she’d given Dominic certain rights she hadn’t thought he was going to push her this hard - this fast.

  “And if I refuse?” Her voice was pleading.

  She felt rather than heard the sigh which escaped him. She knew that her refusal to do anything more than give him the bare bones about what had occurred between her and Josh had irked him. “Have I ever maliciously hurt you or ignored your limits?”

  She shook her head. If truth be known, she had always begged him to push her further.

  “Then trust me, chérie. Let’s get this out of the way, so we can go home and finish what you started in the plane.”

  With his promise of forthcoming pleasure, she took a deep breath to calm her still racing heart when Josh stopped about ten feet away from them. She could do this. She could be cordial and polite to the man who’d broken her heart. Dominic had her back and he had promised he would protect her.

  “Hello, Josh.” She was amazed she could keep her voice calm and steady.

  “So my little Spitfire has finally returned home.” His mouth turned up in a soft smile.

  Stiffening, she moved back closer to Dominic trying to ignore the longing in his words. “Thank you for picking us up.” Holding Dominic’s hand for reassurance, she introduced the men. “Dominic, this is my brother’s friend, Joshuah Redding. Josh, this is Dominic LaFontane.”

  Josh nodded slowly and seemed to scrutinize the man behind her. Did he know what Dominic was to her? While she wasn’t wearing his collar, Dominic was very possessive about letting other men near her. Images of the two men fighting in the middle of the airport had her mentally cringing. She wasn’t sure how to handle this. Frankly she hadn’t expected to have to deal with this whole situation so soon.

  “Why don’t you go get our luggage, Kalinda?” Dominic’s voice was firm while his eyes remained on Josh.

  “I…” She hoped her unease at leaving the two men alone didn’t show on her face.

  “Go, everything will be fine, chérie.”

  Dominic’s confident tone had her nodding before she took the baggage claim tickets from him. Neither of them had packed anything heavy, just a bag apiece until they decided if they were staying or not. Everything else was in storage awaiting word from Dominic to be shipped to Chicago if they did choose to stay.

  * * * *

  After watching the other man stare at him for several minutes, Dominic tried to determine if time had changed the fundamental man he remembered so clearly. He wasn’t surprised when Josh finally broke the silence.

  “So you’re the Dom she thought to replace me with.”

  Despite the calmness of other man’s words, Dominic knew Josh had to be barely holding on to his control by the merest of threads. If he were in the other man’s shoes, he’d have probably knocked his competition out, hoisted Kalinda over his shoulder, then disappeared - dragging her off to some place where he could reassert his domination. But he wasn’t doing anything like that so Dominic strived for patience. This man had been the motivating factor which had gotten him involved in the BDSM world.

  “A woman never forgets her first Dom, Josh. I am not planning on trying to replace you.”

  “Then you’ll let her go without a fight?” The sneer on Josh’s face made it obvious that he thought the other man was weak because of his refusal to fight over Kalinda

  “I didn’t say that. If I think for a moment you’re not good for her, I’ll simply whisk her back to L.A. or some other place where you can’t hurt her again.”

  Josh narrowed his eyes. “You seem awful possessive of a woman who doesn’t wear your collar, LaFontane.”

  “Whether she wears my collar or not is between Kalinda and I. Either way I won’t let you hurt her to the extent that she endangers her life again.”

  “I didn’t expect her to do that! How was I to know she’d go off the deep end? If I’d known, I’d have come for her.”

  The anguished tone told Dominic that the other man must have just learned of the night he’d rescued Kalinda from the Gilded Lily. Glancing over Josh’s shoulder Dominic saw Kalinda returning with their luggage and made his decision.

  “This is neither the time nor the place for this. I won’t have Kalinda torn up again. We’ll talk later, Redding.”

  Josh’s eyes flashed with fury. “You may have done Caelan a favor by watching over her in L.A., which I can’t thank you enough for taking care of her, but now that she’s home, she’s no longer your responsibility. I’m not going to let some punk from L.A. keep what’s mine!”

  Dominic gritted his teeth. It was evident that Josh didn’t remember him at all. Well he’d just have to use Josh’s lack of memories to his advantage by keeping the other man on his toes. “Until she tells me otherwise, she is MY responsibility. Don’t cross me on this, Josh. You won’t like the results.”

  The other man looked like he was ready to protest but held his tongue as Kalinda rejoined them.

  * * * *

  Sitting in the backseat of Josh’s car with Dominic, Kalinda was uncertain how to proceed. When she’d returned to them with their bags, the tension between the two men had been so thick she could’ve cut it with a knife. She was almost certain it was because of her. Despite her feelings towards the way Josh had treated her, she still cared enough about him that she didn’t want to be the reason for contention between the men. It was obvious she was going to have to stay away from Josh after he dropped them off at Caelan’s home. Not that she trusted herself to be in the same room with him for any length of time. While her heart was dead set against being trampled under Josh’s size 12 shoes again, her body knew and recognized the first master who introduced her into the lifestyle. Dammit - she still wanted him, no matter how badly he’d hurt her.

  “Relax, chérie.” After placing a kiss on the back of her wrist, he lowered their joined hands to his lap. At the feel of his semi-erect cock against her fingers, she gave a quick glance up at him. When he gave her his patented half-smile, she couldn’t help but gulp. He surely didn’t intend for her to…

  “Chérie…” His warning rumble had her glancing at the back of Josh’s head. She wasn’t about to do this in the same car as her former lover. Dominic’s mouth brushed the side of her ear. “Don’t worry about him. Focus on me - slave.” His emphasis on the last word had her quivering in anticipation. Clenching her thighs, she rubbed her hand over
his once again hard cock - or perhaps he hadn’t lost his earlier erection?

  “That’s right…” His breath came out as a whispered gust against her ear. “…tease me, slave. Make your master’s cock hard.”

  “Dominic…” She tried to focus on both his hard cock and Josh. She’d die if Josh caught her fondling the other man, and she was equally certain Dominic would receive some serious bodily harm. Especially if he went as far as he had the last time they’d been in a car together. Memories of their trip to the airport teased her and she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning.

  “Shh…quietly! I don’t want him knowing. I want to see how well you can hide your pleasure from a man who used to know every inch of this beautiful body.” He bit the edge of her ear, with a reflexive response, she squeezed him. The bastard knew what that did to her. The peaks of her breasts hardened to press against the t-shirt he’d picked out for her that morning. She had to bite down hard on her cry of need, when the hand attached to the arm draped over her shoulder brushed over the tip of one breast, to keep from disobeying him. The ‘barely there caress’ had her squirming in her seat. Scraping her nails over the solid ridge pressing eagerly towards her hand, she made sure to tease the damp spot positioned right over the sensitive head of his cock.

  She almost smiled in satisfaction when his breath came out in a loud exhale until she glanced up to met Josh’s eyes in the rear view mirror. The heated jealousy pouring from his eyes shocked her. What the hell did he have to be jealous of? He was the one who let her go. Stubbornly she glared at him before turning her attention back to Dominic. She licked her lips before pressing her mouth against the pulse that was pounding in his throat. If there was one thing she knew, it was what pleasured him. She knew he was getting some powerful thrill out of tormenting the other man.

  Call her a bitch, but she figured watching her serve Dominic was only a minor punishment for the man who’d tossed her aside like yesterday’s garbage. At that moment she wanted nothing more than show the arrogant bastard that she no longer needed him. She wanted him to see what he was missing. Giving Dominic’s throbbing pulse one last leisurely lick, she gently nipped the salty flesh. There was no stopping Dominic’s deep growl of pleasure.