In Her Eyes

The Light in Her Eyes

Officer Jon Randall might be the bad boy of the Kingston Bomb Squad team, but in the bedroom he's a Dominant force to be reckoned with. One night while serving his latest suspension on patrol, he runs into his former high school sweetheart, Chloe Watson.

There's just one hitch. Chloe doesn't remember him.

With her sassy attitude still having the power to rev up his Dominant side, Randall is more determined than ever to not only make Chloe remember their time together, but also see her submit to his Dominance once again.

When Chloe's life is threatened by an unknown source, Randall will do whatever it takes to keep her alive. If that means she needs a good spanking now and then to ensure that happens…well, so be it.

But how can he protect her life when his day job puts his own life in jeopardy every single day?

Genre: BDSM, Contemporary

Length: 79,646 words

THE LIGHT IN HER EYES

In Her Eyes

K. R. Haynes

EROTIC ROMANCE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

THE LIGHT IN HER EYES

Copyright © 2012 by K. R. Haynes

E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-786-5

First E-book Publication: November 2012

Cover design by Christine Kirchoff

All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

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Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of The Light in Her Eyes by K. R. Haynes from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

This is K. R. Haynes’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Haynes’s right to earn a living from her work.

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DEDICATION

I dedicate my first novel to my family.

To my Mum and Dad, Kylie and Ryan, thank you for all of your support, encouragement, and love. You are and always will be everything a daughter and sister could ever want and more.

Thank you and enjoy!

THE LIGHT IN HER EYES

In Her Eyes

K. R. HAYNES

Copyright © 2012

Chapter One

Exhausted from another long night on patrol, Officer Randall couldn’t help but wish this damn shift would end already. Nights like these Randall could just kick himself for losing his self-control with that dumbass wannabe bomber a few weeks back. Randall’s fists had ended up costing him a two month suspension from the Bomb Squad for disciplinary reasons for knocking the wannabe bomber out cold.

So now Randall was stuck serving his two-month suspension on patrol instead of disarming bombs for the Bomb Squad. All because that dumbass wannabe bomber had squealed to Randall’s team leader about police brutality or some shit like that. Hell, the dumbass had deserved the beating down he received after attempting to blow up the bank downtown.

His suspension sucked even more since Randall’s captain vowed to detain his ass permanently to the dreaded graveyard shift if Randall so much as sneezed in the wrong direction. It was no coincidence either that the graveyard shift happened to be the worst shift a cop could be stuck with when on active patrol.

A cop’s only entertainment on the graveyard shift was to charge as many reckless drivers as possible for any driving infringements, no matter how minor they were. So Randall was none too pleased when he noticed a blue hatchback driving recklessly in front of him. He didn’t hesitate in trailing the vehicle for a couple of blocks while he decided whether or not to pull the young woman driver over. Could he really turn a blind eye to her blatant disregard of the road rules? Not in this life time. That woman was getting a hefty ticket with her name on it whether she wanted one or not.

With a flick of a switch Randall flashed his patrol lights at the woman driver, signalling for her to pullover to the side of the road. He parked his patrol car behind the offending woman’s car and then exited the patrol car and made his way over the woman’s car.

“Damn female drivers,” he grunted out as he stopped beside the driver’s side door and tapped lightly on the tinted window.

Randall waited patiently for the woman inside the car to roll down the car window. The last person he had expected to see tonight was his old high school flame. Chloe Watson.

“License and registration, please, miss.” Yeah, curt and polite that was him all right. Not a flicker of recognition danced across her angelic face. Chloe didn’t even bat her eyelids at him. Randall watched in almost disbelief as she pulled her license and registration papers free from the glove box and handed them over to him. It was like Chloe hadn’t even recognised him, didn’t even know who he was. How could she not know him, when Randall had been the one who had stolen her heart and her virginity more than ten years ago? Well, maybe stolen was too harsh a word to use, being that they were both no more than teenagers at the time. Still, stolen sure felt pretty damn close to the truth though.

Her sharp hazel-coloured eyes lifted to his face to study him. A hint, just a hint of remembrance danced in her eyes for the briefest of seconds. Then, just like that, it was gone.

“Here you go, officer.” Chloe’s voice still sounded remarkably soft and subtle, just the way he remembered it.

Taking the papers from her outstretched hand, Randall warned Chloe to wait in her vehicle while he checked them out. Ambling back to the patrol car he could feel her eyes on him. She seemed nervous around him. Or was it more the uniform that made her tense? Randall nearly made the mistake of saying Chloe’s name out loud before even glancing down at her license details. A mistake he couldn’t afford to make again with her.

* * * *

Sitting silently in her car chewing nervously on her bottom lip, Chloe couldn’t figure out why she suddenly seemed so nervous. There was something about that officer, something that had the ability to shake her to her very soul and make her feel like some giddy teenager all over again. What’s with that? She was nearly twenty-seven years old for Christ’s sake. Yet this cop made her feel like she was sweet sixteen all over again.

Chloe had no intention of reliving her sixteenth year.

Although, these days she had trouble recalling much of what had happened during her sixteenth year. Most of it was one gigantic blur, and not because she had partied hard celebrating her sixteenth birthday. It was more the fact that she had absolutely no memory of what had happened in her life during the first six months of her sixteenth year.

Every so often she would get moments, flashes of those missing six months. But they weren’t significant enough to provoke a full memory. Everything else in her life, events and birthday celebrations, et cetera, Chloe could remember with full clarity except for those missing six months. There was no medical explanation for her memory loss. She hadn’t suffered any head injuries or traumas that could account for it.

The only other plausible explanation to account for her memory loss was an emotional blockage caused by a breakdown in a relationship, or from heartbreak, even. But with no memory of a bad breakup with a former boyfriend or a relationship meltdown, it was pretty hard for her to know if that was the cause or not. Her doctor had advised her at the time that it was only temporary. Over ten years, however, wasn’t temporary by her book.

When the officer made his way back over to her parked car, Chloe couldn’t resist watching the muscles in his taut legs twitch with each step he took. Even when he leant his tall, lean muscular frame against her car, she couldn’t stop staring at him or breathing in his scent. He stood so close to her, his masculine scent infused her senses, causing her hormones to leap with joy. Not to mention the effect he had on her heart rate, which was currently beating at a million miles an hour. All of which had absolutely nothing to do with being pulled over. It was all him.

This officer had this effect on her.

Her gaze shifted up to his strong, masculine face, made harsher and way sexier by the five-o’clock shadow dusting his jaw line. The growth from a long day’s work, no doubt. Chloe tried to find something that made this officer seem vaguely familiar to her. Her eyes took in his strong-featured jawline, the darkness of his blond hair, even the intensity of his penetrating glare he was throwing her way. The blueness of his eyes reminded her of a cloudless blue sky on a hot summer’s day.

Nothing about the officer seemed familiar to her, yet at the same time Chloe couldn’t shake off the feeling of knowing him somehow.

Hearing the officer pose a question to her brought Chloe back to the reality of being pulled over by him.

“Miss, were you aware you were driving your car with a blown taillight?”

Shit. She wasn’t. “No, sir, I mean officer, I wasn’t.”

Chloe watched as the officer’s body tensed up upon hearing the word sir slip past her lips. Even if she had said the word by mistake there was no mistaking the effect that lone word had on him. A quick glance down at his crotch confirmed just how much it affected him. She stared in amazement as his groin twitched right before her eyes.

Her cheeks warmed when she heard the officer clearing his throat. Glancing back up at him, it was clear to her he enjoyed her perusal of him. She swallowed hard as he leant further in to her car, his sharp eyes narrowed down at her.

He asked her point blank, “Do you mind telling me why you are driving your car around without a seat belt on, Chloe?”

Oh hell, he had noticed that, too. Now how she going to explain herself without sounding like a complete fool in front of him? “Well, umm, it’s kind of stuck, officer.”

The officer raised an eyebrow at her lame answer. “Stuck?”

“Yes.”

“How do you mean, stuck?”

“Well, it was working this morning when I drove to the bus station, but now it’s, well, stuck.” To demonstrate what she meant, Chloe reached behind her for the seat belt and gave it a few good tugs to show him. “See, nothing.”

“Stuck, is it?” the officer offered, the slightest hint of sarcasm entering his voice.

She nodded her head. The officer narrowed his eyes further down at her, giving Chloe the impression he viewed her like he would a lying kid. He knew damn well she hadn’t lied to him and most definitely wasn’t a kid. The officer’s attitude toward her irked her to no end. Christ, the officer didn’t even know her as a person and yet here he stood, viewing her as a liar.

As if she could or would lie to a cop. Come on. Yeah, sure, Chloe knew she made rash, stupid decisions when it came to men sometimes. Well, hell, most of the time. However, she wasn’t so stupid to lie to an officer of the law. Not when the officer in question just happened to be a rather striking specimen of the male species, standing there in his dark navy blue police uniform.

Turning in her seat to face him, Chloe glared up at the officer. The officer in turn pierced her with his own glare. Silently she sat there, challenging the officer to come right out and tell her to her face that she was indeed lying to him. The need to set him straight driving her, Chloe wanted to clear her name. It was a matter of principal. She wanted to tell him he had no right in judging her when he did not even know her. She held her tongue instead. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth, knowing no good could come from them. Her heated words would only get her into more trouble than it’s worth. At the end of the day it so wasn’t worth it.

A thought blasted through her brain then. Was the officer himself worth it though? Chloe couldn’t allow herself to think along those lines, not tonight, and most definitely not about him!

Hearing the officer advising her to exit her vehicle so he could take a look at the seat belt for her, Chloe unlocked her door as the officer stepped away allowing her to exit the vehicle safely.

Standing at the front of her car on the side of the road, Chloe couldn’t help but let her eyes roam over the officer’s taut frame as he leaned inside her car. His roughened-up hands gripped the seat belt and gave it a few good tugs to test it out. There was no doubt in her mind that he was probably also testing out the truth to her words, seeing if she had flat out lied to him or not.

The officer turned to face her. “You’re right, miss, it does seem to be locked, or stuck, as you put it.”

Told you so, was on the tip of her tongue to say back to him. Chloe remained silent, figuring telling the officer that she had been right all along was probably not in her best interest right now.

The officer squared his shoulders back and narrowed his eyes further at her silence. His eyes never left hers as he continued to stare her down. It was only by a miracle that Chloe didn’t shiver from the strength of his unyielding stare. She took a tentative step back from him, which had him instantly shifting forward, crowding back into her personal space once again.

“You mind telling me why you risked your life tonight while driving your car unprotected from the hidden dangers these roads are known for, Chloe?”

“I–I…”

“You what, miss?”

The gruffness of his voice should have scared her, but it didn’t. Yes, the officer had every right to be angry at her for playing a foolish game of Russian roulette with her own life. And it was her life, not his, at the end of the day. It still didn’t explain his overreaction toward her driving recklessly though.

When the officer explained to her how he had seen too many accidents and deaths caused by those same hidden dangers these roads were known for, and how nine out of ten times those same accidents could have been prevented if the driver had paid more attention to their surroundings, Chloe was left reflecting on how stupid her actions had been tonight.

She had taken a stupid risk by driving without a seat belt, and yes, she probably shouldn’t have been so flippant about her safety either. That, however, didn’t explain the officer’s overreaction toward her foolhardiness. The way the officer acted confused her. He acted as if she meant something to him. How could that be when she didn’t even know his damn name?

“I don’t know,” she said to him. Resting a hand on her hip, Chloe stared defiantly back at him as she continued to rant at him. “I mean it’s not like I could leave my car at the bus station unattended and walk home in the dark unprotected now, could I?”

His reaction to her sassy comment wasn’t missed by her. Chloe knew damn well if she belonged to him, the officer would’ve thrown her over his knee right there and then and slapped her arse until it blushed to his satisfaction.

Her sassy comments toward him and her flippant attitude toward her own safety seem to flip something inside him. His whole demeanour changed right before her eyes. His stance became more dominating and brooding. Chloe found she wasn’t fearful of this sudden change in his attitude. In fact she was rather turned on by it. Even the authority in his voice when he spoke to her sent a delicious thrill racing throughout her body.

“Ever heard of calling for help, Chloe?” he grounded out to her.

The way he said her name baffled her. The officer acted like he knew her from somewhere and she was the one who couldn’t remember the when and where of it. Shaking her head, Chloe held back her smart-mouth comment wanting out and opted for a more polite approach instead. “I would’ve, officer,” she told him “but I’m new to the area.” Hell, she was new to the whole damn bloody state, too, but he didn’t need to know that little fact. “I don’t know anyone here,” she quickly added on.

Chloe lowered her eyes to the ground in humiliation. Having to admit to him that she lived in a town and knew no one, had no one she could call in an emergency, was something she never wanted to verbalise out loud to him. She had been living in the heavily populated beachside town of Kingston for three months now. Three long, lonely months, and she had no one she could call in an emergency when the need arose. The reality of which embarrassed her greatly.

She could feel the heat of the officer’s glare bearing into her as he stood there silently waiting for her to explain herself further. Wasn’t it enough that she had just embarrassed herself by basically declaring her loneliness to him? Clearing her throat, lifting her chin up, and squaring her shoulders back, Chloe readied herself to defend her actions further.

“I thought if I could just make it home I could figure out how to get my car fixed in the morning.” The officer still glared at her and remained silent, waiting for more. “I’m sorry. It was thoughtless of me. It won’t happen again.”

Chloe couldn’t explain the reasons behind the sudden need to apologise to him for her actions. Somehow it felt like the right thing to do. The officer may not mean anything to her, and would no doubt give her a hefty ticket for her foolishness in driving with a blown taillight and no seat belt. Nevertheless, it didn’t explain the sudden need to apologise directly to him.

However, it did seem to please him. And in some small way it delighted Chloe that she could please him with her apology. She could tell that the officer didn’t like listening to her admission that she knew she had taken a thoughtless risk. His gaze seemed to narrow down even further at her upon hearing it.

She wondered what the officer would have done if she hadn’t volunteered her own apology to him. Would he spank her arse until it blushed all shades of red and his handprint was clearly visible on her bare, heated flesh? She shivered at that dark, delicious thought.

The officer lifted up his cap then and ran a hand through his dark-golden, sun-tinted strands. He pierced her with his gaze as he watched and waited to see what she would do next. Chloe could see his struggle to maintain some sort of decorum on his end. It was like the officer had to keep on reminding himself that she wasn’t his. Chloe found herself fascinated by his reaction toward her. Don’t get her wrong, the officer’s reaction toward her confused the hell out of her, but it fascinated her all the same.

Hearing his radio buzzing in the background, the officer reached for the handheld device clipped to his shirt pocket. He stepped a few metres away from where she stood, after telling her not to go anywhere, and pressed the button on the radio and promptly checked in his status to dispatch.

Listening to the officer radio in his whereabouts, Chloe rolled her eyes hearing him report back as “alpha one.” Was he serious? He called himself “alpha one.” She would have laughed out loud at hearing it if she didn’t think it would cost her more money. Being that the officer hadn’t written up her ticket yet, Chloe thought it best not to tempt him into giving her a higher one by laughing at his own expense. Tonight was already going to be a costly night for her, without enticing him to inflate the cost of her ticket.

She had to admit to herself the officer in question sure had the whole alpha male thing down pat—the one trait Chloe always found irresistible in a man. So naturally this officer tempted her in more ways than one.

The cop turned toward her then.

His piercing sky-blue eyes latched onto her hazel ones. Chloe shivered from the intensity of his stare. She couldn’t help it. Every part of her body heated up for this officer. His very presence alone was too alluring to just ignore. Don’t even get her started on his intoxicating scent and the effect it had on her lady parts. It shamed her to admit she could feel moisture pooling in the silk of her panties, all from the way he eyed her now.

Her instant reaction to him wasn’t something Chloe was familiar with. It puzzled her that he affected her so greatly, to the point that she had no control over how her body reacted to him.

Get a grip, she told herself. It’s just a cop. Nothing more, nothing less.

Shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, Chloe tried to remain calm. She hoped to god the officer hadn’t noticed how turned on she was right now from his knowing glare.

Chapter Two

Randall was pissed when he finished reporting back to base. A small part of him was pissed still at Chloe for not recognising him and for risking her life as well. He would never have guessed that she could be so reckless.

Back when they had been teenagers, the only reckless thing Chloe had ever done was take a chance on a boy from the wrong side of town, a boy who had been labelled a troublemaker all because he didn’t live in the snobby end of town. A label the boy had grown up with his whole damn life, one given to him that in no way, shape, or form held any real truth to its meaning. Chloe had believed in the boy though. She had been the only person in that town who did. She believed in him and loved the man trapped inside the boy.

Only in her arms did that same boy become a man. That boy was him. Officer Jon Randall.

It had been over ten years since they last saw or spoke to each other. A lot had happened in that time. A shitload of stuff had happened to him in that ten-year span, some good and some not so good. Had he really changed so much that Chloe didn’t recognise the man standing before her now? Randall knew he had changed, but not about the way he once felt about Chloe. Hell, still felt, if he was truly honest with himself.

Randall knew her though, or at least had known Chloe. He had known the strength of her love held in her heart. He had known the beauty of her fiery spirit. He had known the woman she was inside and out. He had known Chloe like no other man ever would. Randall knew he sure hadn’t come across another woman like Chloe since he bedded her all those years ago. The only thing he could be sure about her now was that he could still tell when she was aroused.

And going by her current stance, Randall knew her arousal would only intensify the further he detained her from getting home. Going by his past experiences with her, the more agitated Chloe became the further her arousal increased. This in turn pissed her off more, but delighted him, as Randall could then indulge his Dominant side and drive her completely crazy until she submitted to his dominance. There was no doubt in his mind Chloe would be mortified to know he knew how absolutely wet and aching her pussy would be right now. Or how much her body would crave to be filled by his hardening cock.

Chloe certainly wasn’t the shy sixteen-year-old girl she had been back when Randall first hooked up with her. Hell, he wasn’t the same foolish nineteen-year-old going on twenty, either. More than a decade later could he say he was wiser? No, probably not.

Shit, he was thirty-one years old, yet some days he felt like he was approaching fifty-five instead. Perhaps it was the job talking, or his lack of satisfaction in the bedroom department that made him feel that way. Who knows? The women he had been bedding over the past few years weren’t a challenge to him anymore. They were too free and easy with their bodies and their sexual needs. The women who approached him were attracted only to the uniform, not to the man beneath the dark-blue threads.

The free and easy ones would latch onto him with their eyes when he went to the local bar for a beer after work. When they discovered he was a cop, well, their interest in him skyrocketed, making the challenge of picking up too easy for him. Randall needed the challenge of the chase. Hell, he didn’t just need the chase, he wanted the chase. Like cat and mouse. He wanted to hunt the one he wanted. Seduce her until she couldn’t remember her own damn name, then make her come like no other man before him. Yeah, that’s what he wanted. It just wasn’t what he was getting.

Maybe Chloe could be his mouse. He could definitely see himself chasing after her. She had always been a challenge he couldn’t resist. Even now Randall had to control the need rising inside of him for her. It had always been there, just waiting for a chance to rise again. Now here she was stood in front of him, waiting and totally aroused.

Chloe had been the only woman from his past Randall had ever pined for—still pined for. He had made a mistake that night, a decade or more ago, when he walked away from her. There was no way in the world he wanted to repeat that same mistake twice.

Would she walk away from him this time though?

Chapter Three

Shuffling around on the same spot for the past few minutes while the officer reported in had become rather annoying, made worse by the way the officer stared at her now, like he was trying to see into her soul or something. Kicking at a rock near her foot to get his attention away from her, his eyes tracked her movements.

Her patience had run out.

Cocking her head to the side, bracing her hands on her hips, Chloe decided if the cop was going to drag this out, at least she could perhaps speed up the process by getting him to write her up a ticket. Then she could head on home. Hell, was the cop even going to let her drive the couple of blocks needed to get home?

Chloe didn’t get a chance to ask. The officer spoke up before she had the chance to.

“Your licence is an interstate one, miss. Are you just visiting our fine state? Or have you recently moved here?”

The sarcasm lacing the officer’s voice as he spoke wasn’t missed by her.

“I’ve just recently moved here.”

He grumbled, “Fine,” and handed back her license and registration papers.

“Now, regarding your seat belt and blown taillight situation—”

“Yes?” God, Chloe hoped the officer would let her off with a warning and let her drive home. Please.

“I have a good mate, a fellow colleague actually who just happens to be good at fixing cars. I’ve called him for you. He’s willing to fix your car tonight so you can get back on the road without risking your life again.”

He, ahh, what? Was he insane? He, an officer of the law, wanted her to what, rock up at some random buddy’s house in the dead of night to have her car fixed? Jesus, and the officer thought she was reckless and stupid. She shook her head at him. How on earth had tonight turned into such a mess so damn quickly? Ugh!

With both hands still resting on her hips, she narrowed her eyes as the officer glared back at her. Chloe could no longer control the anger whipping up inside of her. “So you expect me to do what, drive up to some random buddy’s house in the middle of the night? Someone I’ve never met before, all in the aim of getting my car fixed—tonight—because you arranged it. Does that sound like the smartest thing a single woman should be doing in the dead of night, officer? As it sure as hell doesn’t sound that smart to me.”

Yeah, she was pissed and it would probably cost her hip pocket for lashing out at him. But hell, who wouldn’t be totally annoyed in her position, after leaving work late then being pulled over when she was so close to being home? And to top it all off Chloe found herself so damned aroused all because of him. Yeah, she blamed the damn officer for her current state of arousal.

What she wanted right now was a long, hot shower before crawling into bed to sleep for eight hours straight before having to get up and do it all over again.

* * * *

Randall had to suppress the chuckle wanting out. Chloe lashed out at him and he loved every minute of it. He never felt more alive than when she let loose her frustration and anger at him. God, how he missed that about her, missed her sassy attitude, her fiery mouth, and how hot and bothered she got afterward. Randall missed easing her aching wet core with his cock after she let loose her pent-up, frustrated anger at him.

Hell, he just missed her full stop.

More than ten years ago, Chloe meant everything to him and yet Randall had walked away from her. Regret washed over him as he remembered the reason behind his departure from her life. He had walked away from her all those years ago because her parents had found out about their relationship. Her parents saw him as lowlife scum and nowhere near good enough for their little girl.

At the time, Randall had been too gutless to stand by Chloe’s side when she had summoned him to confront her parents together. “United,” she had told him over the phone, “we have to stand united, Jon, to win them over.” Chloe had been adamant that she was going to make her parents see him for who he was and not how others saw him. She had wanted them to accept him as her lover.

That was never going to happen. Her parents’ opinion of him had been set in stone long before he started dating their precious daughter. Their opinion would never change, no matter how much Chloe begged her parents. However, Randall had never given Chloe the chance to plead their case to her parents, because he had walked away from her.

To this day, he forced himself to never look back on what he had left behind.

Even if he never looked back on the night he walked away from her, it didn’t stop him from thinking about her. Yeah, Randall had found himself thinking about Chloe a lot over the years. There didn’t seem to be a day go by where he didn’t think about her, didn’t ache to see her or to feel her naked flesh writhing beneath his once more.

At the time, he had known turning his back on love would be a huge mistake. One look into her parents’ eyes, seeing their disappointment in their only daughter’s choice of boyfriend, had given him all the reason he needed to walk away from her and from her love.

Now here she stood, unleashing all her pent-up frustration at him. Randall wanted to grin like a moron. He wanted to wrap his arms around her once again, to hold her close to him. Just hold her and let her soft feminine scent ease into his soul. He was pleased, though, that Chloe had the common sense not to say anything else, realising she may have said too much already. Her eyes were lowered as she waited for him to respond to her sudden outburst, while she tried hard not to focus on the ache between her legs. The ache he knew she would have after lashing out at him.

“Chloe.” The gruffness in his voice as he addressed her had her eyes lifting up, seeking his. “You will not address me so poorly when you speak to me. I am an officer of the law and your safety is my utmost concern. I will be escorting you to get your car fixed. Then I’ll escort you back home. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Sir,” she whispered before lowering her eyes back down.

Randall couldn’t hold back the grin this time. Chloe, his little submissive, had found her way back to him after all these years that had passed between them.

Chapter Four

Twenty minutes later, Chloe found herself standing by her car at the officer’s buddy’s house. The two men were talking a few metres away from where she stood. Every so often the other man would shoot a glance her way. They were obviously discussing her, judging by the way he eyed her. The cop had his back to her so she couldn’t see his face. The other man slapped the officer on the back, and then ambled over to her.

Whoa, the officer’s buddy was every bit as hot as the officer himself with his short, dark, cropped hair, hard muscles and long legs encased in greased-up denim jeans. The ripped-sleeved shirt he wore showcased his muscular arms and the intricate tattoo he had on the upper right bicep. When he was standing in front of her he stuck out his hand for her to shake. Slowly Chloe reached out and took his hand in hers.

“Hello, gorgeous. I’m Mick Huon. Randall here seems to think you need some help with your car, so I’m all yours.”

Oh, hell. Why oh why did that have to sound so sexual to her ears? Shaking her head, she released her hand from his grip and took a tentative step back. “Ahh yes, the officer would be correct. My seat belt is stuck and a taillight is blown.”

“Don’t worry, gorgeous. I’ll have it good as new in no time at all.” Turning toward his buddy, Mick called out, “Hey, Randall, do you want a beer while I’m fixing sweet thing’s car here?”

“Nuh, I’m good. Still on duty,” Randall answered, pointing to his uniform.

Turning back to Chloe, he asked her if she wanted a drink. She shook her head no, leaving Mick to go about fixing her car.

Staring back at the officer, Chloe couldn’t help the hesitation in her step as she approached him. “So will we be here a while do you think?” she asked him.

“For as long as it takes for Mick to fix your car.”

Great, just bloody great, Chloe thought quietly to herself.

Turning her back to him, crossing her arms over her chest and sighing, Chloe stood there watching Mick go about working on her car while silent tension filled the air around her and the officer. Officer Randall. She knew his name now only because Mick had shouted it out to him. The officer hadn’t bothered to introduce himself to her at all.

* * * *

Studying her from where he stood, Randall watched in silence as Chloe moved from one foot to the other, trying to elevate the tension ever present in her muscles. He watched as she tried to hide yet another yawn from him. Even though she was tired and exhausted Chloe still refused to accept his help or to sit down and rest while they waited for Mick to finish up on her car.

Enough was enough. He wasn’t going to stand by and watch her fall asleep while standing up. Silently he stepped up behind her. Resting both hands on her shoulders he leant in slightly. He could feel the tension rolling through her stance.

“Come sit, before you fall asleep standing up. And no, I won’t take no for answer so don’t waste your breath by saying it,” he told her.

Chloe wanted to protest. Randall knew it, but he also knew she was too tired to fight him when he ushered her over to the chair on the deck. “Sit,” he commanded her before heading inside to grab a glass of water from the kitchen for her. After she tossed back the glass of water he took the empty glass from her hand, while she curled herself up onto the chair.

Setting the empty glass in the kitchen sink, running a hand through his hair, Randall gazed out the kitchen window. The backyard was shrouded in darkness as he stared out into it. He turned his gaze away from the window upon hearing heavy footsteps coming down the hall.

Mick leaned against the kitchen doorway, his eyes saying more than his mouth did. “Car’s all fixed.”

“Thanks, Mick. I appreciate it.”

“No probs, bro, you know you can count on me anytime, anywhere.”

Randall just nodded his head. He knew what Mick wanted to ask him, but now wasn’t the time, especially not with Chloe sitting within hearing distance of them.

“So how much do I owe you for the late-night call out?”

“Your shout next time we’re at the pub. A few beers and some grub should do it. How’s that sound?”

“Shit. Mick, I owe you more than a few beers and some food.” Glancing past Mick to the hall behind him, Randall was more than eager to leave now. “Fine. Beer and food, my shout, and you better bring your damn appetite with you.”

“No worries there, mate. Now you better go wake up gorgeous out there and take her home.”

Clapping him on the shoulder as he passed by him, Randall uttered, “Thanks again, Mick.”

“No probs.”

Leaving Mick in the kitchen, Randall headed out the front to find Chloe sound asleep. She was curled up on the chair, with her knees tucked up to her chest and her head resting on top of them. Her caramel locks lay loosely down her back. Reaching down, Randall feathered his fingers through the long, soft lengths.

Seeing her stir awake, he took a step back from her. Her sleepy eyes latched onto his. “Is it fixed?” she mumbled sleepily to him. When he nodded his head, Chloe sat up straighter in the chair, dropping her feet to the floor. “So I can go home now?”

“Yes, Chloe, you may go home now.”

Chapter Five

Finally, she was home. Switching on the hall light after locking the front door, Chloe sighed as she dropped her purse and keys down on the hall table. Never in her life had she been more grateful to be home after the day she had had. Her day had been made even longer by being pulled over by Officer Randall and then having to wait around to get her car fixed. Something the officer had insisted on getting done tonight of all nights.

“What a day,” she mumbled to herself, walking into the kitchen.

A long, hot shower then bed was her plan of attack after guzzling down a glass of milk. Seeing her answering machine flashing on her way out of the kitchen, letting her know she had one lone message, probably from her parents, Chloe hit the play button. The voice that came over the answering machine was so not her father’s, though. Chloe didn’t know who it was. The menace she heard in his voice alone made her shudder. There were only two words uttered in his message left for her. “Die, bitch.”

Chloe didn’t recognise the voice of the unknown caller or who the caller could have been. She hoped to god it was a case of wrong number, which would mean it was left there by mistake somehow. She decided not to erase the message just in case it was required later and saved it to the answering machine’s memory bank before heading down the hall to her bedroom.

She was still shaken after hearing the menacing threat left for her to hear when she walked into her bedroom. She thought about calling the police about the voice message, or at the very least calling Officer Randall about it. Not that there was anything to really report other than the message itself. And there was not a lot the police could do with that alone.

Could her night get any worse? Chloe still couldn’t believe the night she had. Not only had Officer Randall gotten her car fixed for free, as it turned out, he also hadn’t given her the hefty fine she’d expected him to do. No, Officer Randall had surprised her by giving her all of his contact details instead of a fine. And not just one number, mind you. He had given her all his contact numbers, including his desk number at work and e-mail addresses. So the next time she found herself in a situation, no matter how small or large, she was under strict instructions to call him. No matter what time of the day or night it was.

Stepping into her bedroom, she was hesitant about whether to call him now about the message. After all, they both had had a rather late night and even longer day. The last thing Chloe wanted to deal with tonight was another run in with Officer Randall. No, she would call him only if she got another message. It was not like he could do much about it anyway.

It was a relief to know Officer Randall was all but a phone call away if or when she needed him. It was good to know she had someone she could count on here in her new hometown of Kingston, Tasmania. Chloe hadn’t had much of a chance to go out and meet many people since her job relocation three months ago. Other than a few work colleagues, she didn’t know anyone else here.

The officer’s parting words to her were still ringing loud and clear in her head when she crawled into bed after taking her long-awaited shower. “Call me, whether it’s to change a flat tyre or kill a spider. Whatever, whenever. If you need me you call me and only me.” She shivered again at hearing his words. “Only me, Chloe,” he had warned her. “Only me.”

Laying her head down on the pillow and tugging the blankets tight around her, Chloe let the exhaustion of the long day take hold of her and fell asleep.

* * * *

A couple of days later, Chloe sat behind her work desk staring for what must’ve been the millionth time today at the business card Officer Randall had given her. She still hadn’t called him about the voice message she received. She hadn’t received any others since the other night, either. The only other reason she had to call him was her burning desire to see him in the flesh again.

Over the past few days her imagination had run wild with images of him. The images her mind concocted of him naked left her more than wanting, to the point that even her little silver bullet couldn’t alleviate the ever-present ache in her core.

Ugh!

Why him? What was it about Officer Randall that had her coming undone, she wondered. Taking her mobile from her purse, Chloe scanned the office to see how many colleagues were still at their desks. Too many, she thought, for this type of phone call. Sighting the door leading out to the stairwell and gathering her mobile, the business card, and her security tag, Chloe slipped out into the stairwell.

With the door closing quietly behind her, she took a few deep, calming breaths before dialling Officer Randall’s mobile number first. It went straight to voicemail. Hanging up, she dialled his desk number and prayed he answered the phone and no one else did. Chloe only hoped she wasn’t interrupting him, either. However, when her call went unanswered she decided to give him a few minutes before trying him again. She only hoped the next time she tried dialling his number he would pick up.

Chapter Six

After having the past two days rostered off, Randall strolled through the front doors of the Kingston police station ready for yet another long shift on patrol. At least today’s blessed shift had been rostered for daylight hours instead of the dreaded graveyard shift. Stopping to say a quick hello to Kayla at reception and to sign in, Randall headed down the long, vacant corridor toward the row of offices and desks which were located at the rear of the building.

Randall didn’t even make it to his desk. Hearing his captain bellowing his name out at the top of his lungs, telling him to get his arse into his office pronto, made him curse out loud. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he headed in the direction of the captain’s office. He knew this wasn’t going to be a pleasant visit in the least.

Tapping once on the door, Randall heard the stern command to enter from his captain. Stepping inside the small office and closing the door behind him, Randall took a seat opposite the captain. The grumpy-arse bastard sat behind the beat-to-shit desk he ruled from. Randall could never understand why the grumpy old bugger even bothered to come to work or, hell, even live, for that matter. The captain was such a miserable bastard, but a goddamn good captain. Nothing got past him, that was for sure.

“Randall, explain to me why your patrol car was spotted towing a”—the captain glanced briefly down at the file on top of his desk—“a blue hatchback three nights ago.”

“The report I typed up should explain it clear enough for you, captain.”

“Don’t be smart with me, boy. I’m not in the mood for it. And your report explains shit about towing a vehicle.”

“Well, I think it explains the situation perfectly, sir.” Randall knew he was pushing the captain’s buttons, but he was in no mood to go toe to toe with the captain. Not today, not ever. Randall crossed his arms over his chest, letting the captain know, in no uncertain terms, he wasn’t planning on explaining himself or his actions from the other night any further.

Hearing the captain sighing, Randall knew the topic was now closed.

“I have to tell you, Randall, your actions the other night don’t exactly stand well for you. Not with your suspension from the Bomb Squad. Of which, I remind you, you have three weeks remaining to see out. I have a good mind to stick you on night patrol for the remainder of your suspension.”

Frustration ate at Randall. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck on the graveyard shift for the next three weeks. Nodding his head, he remained silent as the captain continued on his rant. His ears pricked up when the captain mentioned a possibility of an early recall to the Bomb Squad. Something about one of the new team members being injured last week in the line of duty. Had them down to eight men, one less than the required nine for active rostered field duty.

Strolling out of the captain’s office ten minutes later, Randall poured himself a cup of coffee in the staff room then headed to his desk. As soon as his ass hit the chair his damn desk phone started ringing. Picking up the receiver, he answered it with a terse “hello.”

“Ahh, Officer Randall?”

“Yes, who wants to know?”

“It’s, umm, Chloe. Chloe Watson. We met unceremoniously the other night.”

Shit, Chloe. She had called him. “Is everything all right, Chloe?”

“Yes, everything is fine. I just called to see…Hello? Are you still there, Officer Randall?”

“Yes, I’m still here, and please call me Randall. Jon Randall.”

“Oh, okay, sorry.”

“No need to apologise, you weren’t to know. Now what is it I can do for you as I’m rather busy?”

“I, umm…never mind. Sorry to bother you.”

Randall stared at the phone in his hand. She had hung up on him. What the fuck? Hell, he didn’t even know the reason for her call. Sure, he had been stern, even a bastard to her over the phone. He hadn’t meant to. Spending a good twenty minutes with Mr. Grumpy-arse Captain would be enough to put anyone in a foul mood. Still, Randall had no right to take it out on Chloe.

Pressing the recall button on the phone, he waited as it redialled the number Chloe had called from. Hearing the message, “This phone is either out of range or switched off,” had him slamming the receiver down, cursing out loud as he did it.

Goddamn it, Chloe could be in trouble and he had no idea what it was or where she was. He didn’t even have her contact number for fuck’s sake. Grabbing his keys out of the desk drawer, Randall pushed back on his chair and headed out to the garage to the patrol car assigned to him. He needed to drive, be somewhere, anywhere that wasn’t the station or his desk.

* * * *

Parking the patrol car back in the garage several hours later, Randall stepped out the vehicle and locked it up before heading back inside. His shift was over now. All he needed to do was complete some paperwork which wouldn’t take him too long. He had called up Mick while he had been out on patrol and they had agreed to meet up at the local pub to throw back a few beers and grab some dinner as well.

After showering and changing into to a pair of faded denim jeans and navy shirt, Randall walked out the front doors of the station and jumped into his truck and drove to the pub.

Sighting Mick’s big arse of a truck on his arrival at the pub, Randall parked his own truck in the empty spot beside it then headed inside to the front bar. He found Mick chatting up Mary J, who was working behind the bar tonight. He pulled out the stool next to his old friend and sat down. Slapping Mick on the shoulder, Randall offered up a greeting to him. “Hey, Mick. Mary J, good to see you. How are you?”

“Good now you’re here, sweetie. Can I get you a beer?”

“Please.” As Mary J went about organising his drink order, Randall turned to Mick. “So, you bring your appetite tonight?”

Mick just laughed at him. “Sure did, mate. Haven’t eaten for the last few days in preparation for this. I could practically eat a whole cow right about now.”

Randall couldn’t help but laugh at his old mate’s sense of humour. Trust Mick to put a smile on his face. “Well, I guess we better grab our beers and find a table then.”

Sitting down at the table off to the side of the bar, Randall picked up the menu and gave his order to the awaiting waitress. When both their food and drink orders were taken the waitress sauntered away.

Leaning back in his chair, Randall smirked at Mick. “So you got something going on with Mary J yet, old man?”

Mick scoffed at the question, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. “You, my friend, are treading on dangerous ground when you want to discuss another man’s sex life.”

Laughing at his old mate’s answer, or lack thereof, Randall knew when a subject was closed. And this one was definitely closed off, for now. He knew his old mate had gooey eyes for the fiery redhead behind the bar. Ever since Mary J had stomped her way through the bar in knee-high cowboy boots, short denim shorts, and a skimpy white tank top, Mick had practically drooled at the sight of her. It was only a matter of time before his old mate hooked up with that chick.

Picking up the beer in his hand, Randall guzzled the amber liquid down, revelling in the coolness of it as it cascaded down his throat. He nearly choked when he took another swig, all because he heard Mick asked him about Chloe. Shit, talk about a closed subject. Obviously something his old mate knew nothing about.

“So you going to tell me about the gorgeous thing from the other night, bro, or do I need to ask her myself the next time I see her? What was her name? Chloe, right?” Mick asked with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Bastard would ask her if given half the chance. Mick would probably interrogate Chloe until he had all the answers to all his questions and then some. “Nothing to tell, Mick. She’s just some chick that needed my help is all.”

“Now that’s a load of bullshit if I ever heard it.” Mick pointed his beer in Randall’s direction and said to him, “You, my friend, are lying through your teeth. You know it. I know it.”

Randall just shrugged his shoulders at him and remained silent while their food and drinks were set down in front of them.

“I’ll let your lies slide for now, Randall. But believe me, I will find out what’s between the two of you sooner or later.”

“No doubt you will, Mick. But not from me you won’t. Plus there’s nothing between us anyway.” Mick just grunted at his answer then took a swig from his beer.

With the subject of Chloe closed for the time being, Randall began to relax and enjoy himself. They ate their steaks and tossed back a couple more beers while discussing some of the issues in the force. Randall even informed Mick of his reinstatement back into the Bomb Squad team next week. He just had to pass a physical first, and then his restatement would be signed off. His old mate’s comment of “about bloody time, too, I’ll say,” had Randall smirking behind the beer he held to his lips. A couple of hours later they both said their good-byes and promised to catch up again soon.

Jumping back into his truck, Randall reversed out of the car park and headed home. It had been another longish day and he was ready for the comfort of his own bed. He couldn’t help but think how one day soon Chloe would be lying next to him here in his own bed. He had no clue how that would eventuate. All he knew was his determination to win her back. To see her once again kneeling before him in her submissive pose.

Chapter Seven

Saturday night. Here she stood in her kitchen clutching a half-empty glass of wine. “What is wrong with this picture?” Chloe asked herself. Regret had already set in from not taking up the offer to join her fellow work colleagues at the local pub in Richmond. It wasn’t so much that she wouldn’t enjoy their company or a night out on the town. It’s more the fact that a certain someone wouldn’t be there. The only person Chloe found herself wanting to spend this Saturday night with was the only person who wouldn’t be there. Officer Jon Randall.

After the first disastrous phone call to him, Chloe hadn’t made any other attempt to contact him since then. This hadn’t stopped her from fantasying about him though. God, if she had to admit how many times she had fantasised about him in this last week alone, Officer Randall would probably get a restraining order against her. Truth be told, there were a lot of them. Every single one of her fantasies starring him left her wanting more and aching way too much. Nothing worked to alleviate the ever-present ache between her legs. Not even her toy collection, which had grown slightly since that night Officer Randall pulled her over, eased the intense ache inside her.

Shaking her head from those wicked thoughts, Chloe needed to get out of this house of hers to find some sort of distraction. Something to take her mind off Officer Jon Randall, make her think about anything else other than fantasising about him. Even though there was little chance of that ever happening.

Walking over to her bedroom closet, Chloe quickly changed into a pair of black hipster jeans and a figure-hugging red blouse then tied her hair back into a low ponytail and fixed up her light makeup. Slipping her feet into a pair of ruby-red ballet flats and grabbing her purse and keys from the hall table, Chloe headed out.

Jumping into her little blue bubble of a car, she pulled out onto the street, her destination the local pub the locals raved about, The Convict Inn. Finding a park not far from the pub’s front entrance and switching the engine off, Chloe sat there for a few minutes, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. Stepping out of the car, she locked it up and headed inside.

Hell, it was her birthday after all. She should be out celebrating.

Strolling up to an empty stool at the bar, she took a seat. Ordering a house white from the pretty young redhead behind the bar, Chloe couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous. She let her eyes wander around the bar, taking in the scenes around her. No one here seemed to be anyone she knew.

For some dumb reason, Chloe had hoped to run into Officer Randall tonight. She had heard that this pub was a favourite watering hole for the local cops here in town. That’s why she had chosen this one to come to tonight, in the hopes of seeing him in the flesh. No such luck though.

“There you go, sweetie,” the pretty redhead said as she plonked the glass of white wine down in front of her.

“Thank you.” Taking a sip from her glass, Chloe continued her perusal of the pub and its patrons.

“I haven’t seen you in here before. Are you new in town, sweetie?” the pretty redhead said as Chloe paid for her drink.

Turning her attention back to the woman behind the bar, Chloe answered the question aimed at her. “Yes, I’m new to the area.”

The barmaid stuck out her hand then. “Mary J’s the name. It’s a pretty friendly pub we have here. The locals are fairly well behaved, but should you run into any trouble just holler.”

Chloe shook the redhead’s hand with her own and replied politely, “Chloe Watson, and thank you, Mary J. I appreciated it.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Chloe. Sing out when you want another drink.”

“Will do.” Taking another sip of wine, Chloe turned slightly on her stool to peruse the folks gathered around the tables scattered around the bar. A twinge of sadness stabbed at her chest when her eyes fell on all the loving couples swaying their bodies close to each other on the dance floor. Chloe knew that each of those couples dancing out there on the floor tonight wouldn’t notice anyone else around them. Nothing else existed around you when you were in the arms of the one you loved with your whole heart and soul, a feeling Chloe had longed to experience once again.

One day, she thought. One day she, too, would be one of those couples dancing in the embrace of her lover, just not tonight. Chloe was much too single and too alone to be on the dance floor tonight. Even if everything inside her screamed to be one of those couples just for one night, one night only. Chloe knew herself too well to know that one night would never be enough. Not for her. She wanted more than one night wrapped in the arms of her lover. She wanted many nights. What she wanted was forever.

Throwing back the rest of her wine in one gulp, ordering another, and then picking up her glass, she strolled over to the empty booth in the far right corner of the pub. At least here she could hide and not feel like the lone loser she felt like to everyone else here.

Sliding into the booth and raising her glass, Chloe gave herself a short toast. “Here’s to you, precious. Happy birthday.” Then she took a sip of wine.

In the back of her mind she could hear his voice again. Every year on her birthday for as long as she could remember, she would hear him…His husky, masculine voice would whisper his heartfelt message to her. “My precious one, my only one.” She ached to hear more from him, but there were never any more words. Tears stung her eyes upon hearing those same words again tonight.

Closing her eyes, Chloe tried in vain to hold on to his voice, treasuring it like the gift it was to her. She wished she could remember who called her “his precious one, his only one.” She ached with such intensity to be his “only one” once again. A dream, a foolish dream she knew may never come true. Opening her eyes, swiping at the moisture gathering there, Chloe turned her attention back to the lovers dancing and swaying to the rhythm of the music. She shouldn’t be jealous of what those couples had, even if they represented everything she had ever yearned for.

It’s been too long, the voice of reason whispered in her head. It’s time to get on with life and move past the disappointment from past relationships.

For whatever reason her past relationships had never truly satisfied her enough. Something had been lacking in them. Something amiss even. What it was, she had no clue. It was definitely something though. One day, she would find her answers to those questions. For tonight is for her birthday, and not for assessing the relationships she had had in the past.

Sighing, Chloe picked up her wine and cradled it closed to her chest. Eyeing once again the dancing couples, she silently wished them all well in their journey to their own happily ever after.

Chapter Eight

Knock-off time and about bloody time, too, Randall thought. It had been one hell of a day. Randall couldn’t recall a day where he had issued so many fines while being out on patrol. It had taken him a good couple of hours to write up all the reports on the arrests made and the fines he issued. Now walking out the front door of the station at eleven pm at night, the last thing he felt like doing was going home to a cold, empty bed again.

Pulling away from the station, Randall headed for the pub instead. Mick had called him earlier in the evening saying he was going to try and head down to the pub at some stage tonight. Probably because he knew Mary J was on tonight. Randall shook his head. Mick had no idea how obvious his infatuation for the sassy redhead was.

Who was he to judge? Randall had his own infatuation with a certain woman with long, flowing, caramel locks. Hazel eyes that said so much about the woman behind them. A luscious body with just the right amount of curves in all the best places on a woman. And creamy ivory skin that cried out to feel the heated touch of his hand on her bare flesh.

Now who had the obvious obsession for a woman, he sniggered to himself while pulling into the parking lot at the pub. Locking his truck up, Randall scanned the parking lot for Mick’s big arse of a truck. He couldn’t see it parked anywhere close by. Shrugging his shoulders, Randall made his way inside.

Hitting up Mary J for a beer, Randall leaned against the bar and watched the people milling around him. A blonde chick, who sat further up the bar, raised her glass in his direction. Randall had no interest in picking up a bed warmer tonight. So when the blonde didn’t take the hint he gave her that he wasn’t interested, she made her way over to him anyway. He sighed loudly. Great, now he had to warn her off of him.

“Hey, stud, how you doing tonight? Want some company?” the blonde chick asked him.

“Nuh, I’m good, but thanks for the offer, sweetheart,” Randall said to her then turned his back on her. The blonde huffed and walked away from him.

Lifting his beer to his lips and taking a long swig of the cooling amber liquid, his eyes happened to fall upon a sexy woman sitting alone at the booth in the far right corner of the bar. Everything inside of him went on full alert. Fuck, it wasn’t just some woman, it was his woman—Chloe. What the hell she doing here by herself? Shaking his head, Randall downed the rest of his beer then ordered another one before making his way through the Saturday-night crowd to get to her.

* * * *

Chloe was in a bit of a daze. The wine she had been sipping had mellowed her out, taking away the ache of loneliness she had been feeling all night long and replacing it with a warm buzzing feeling. Shit, she was probably a bit tipsy, after downing nearly two glasses of wine here and one at home, too.

Over the past hour or so the crowd had built up in the pub. The live band revved up all the patrons. Beer flowed. So did the ever-present suitors trying to persuade her onto the dance floor. She declined all of them, of course. The only person Chloe wanted to waltz around the dance floor with was Randall. Jon Randall.

Sensing another dancing suitor approaching from the left, Chloe placed her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. When the wannabe suitor was standing near her table, Chloe grumbled out to him that she was not interested in dancing with him and to leave her the hell alone. She didn’t even bother to look up at him either as she spoke. So when she heard the rumble of his laughter, she raised her glare up at the man laughing at her.

She couldn’t believe he had the nerve to laugh at her fiery words. She glared at him in silence when recognition finally dawned on her on who was standing there laughing at her. Jon Randall. Chloe swore her cheeks must have turned the brightest shade of red ever. Damn the man and his impeccable timing.

He pointed to the empty seat across from hers and said to her, “What a pleasant surprise to see you here tonight, Chloe. May I join you?”

“If you must,” she muttered, lowering her eyes from his.

Hearing him chuckle at her as he slid into the seat across from her had Chloe cursing him under her breath.

His voice stroked over her overwrought nerves as he asked her, “So what brings you here to this fine establishment of ours tonight?”

Shrugging her shoulders, her fingers entwined around the stem of her wine glass. “Just had a need to get out of the house is all. What’s your reason?”

Randall just raised an eyebrow at her question while answering her. “Mine? Well, I just finished my shift at the station and didn’t feel like heading home to a big ole empty house.”

She snorted at his answer while her eyes did a quick perusal of his gorgeous body. She had to admit he was looking mighty fine tonight. He took a good long swig of his beer while keeping his eyes on hers. Chloe knew the moment Randall picked up on her despondent demeanour when he frowned at her.

He placed his beer back down and stared across the table at her in silence. Chloe broke their eye connection and darted her gaze back over to the lovers dancing on the dance floor nearby them.

Before she could react, Randall slid out of the booth and pulled her to her feet and tugged her onto the dance floor with him. Of course he found the darkest and most intimate spot for them to dance in. He drew her up close to his taut frame. The scent of his cologne made her resistance to him weak at best. There was no possible way to resist him. He surrounded her completely with his presence. Before she could think about all the reasons why she shouldn’t, Chloe found herself melting against his body.

She needed this. She needed his strength as hers was failing her big time tonight. Had he sensed it? Is that the reason why he wanted to dance with her, so he could offer up his strength and his comfort to her? If it was she appreciated his unspoken gesture. Chloe knew she was not herself tonight. Her birthdays always did this to her, always made her feel like she was celebrating a loss rather than celebrating her birth. It had been this way ever since she lost those missing six months of her memory back when she was sixteen years old.

She was beginning to wonder if she would ever find happiness in her birth again.

Neither she nor Randall said a word as they swayed their bodies together to their own rhythm of music. Gradually she wrapped her arms low around his waist and laid her head against his chest. He held her, just held her and moved them both to the rhythm of the music. Eventually, Randall rested his chin on top of her head while weaving a hand into the hair at her nape and held her closer to him. Closing her eyes briefly, Chloe took a moment to absorb his strength and the scent of him into her soul. If she had to describe this one moment to someone, she would tell them it was like being in heaven. That’s what it felt like to her, being in his embrace as he guided her around the dance floor.

It felt so right being in his arms and dancing with him. Nothing else mattered to her. Nothing else existed outside his strong embrace. She felt safe here in his arms, and it was something she hadn’t felt in a long time. He made her feel protected, and she needed his protection, especially with a sick bastard constantly leaving threatening messages to kill her.

The brush of his erection against the softness of her belly caused a soft moan to fall from her lips. And for the first time tonight, Chloe smiled. She actually smiled.

Chapter Nine

Randall still had no idea why Chloe had seemed so down when he found her seated at the booth by herself. It was a topic that he wanted to address with her after ushering her away from the dance floor and back to their table. Sliding into the booth and picking up his beer, he took a quick swig before placing the bottle back down. Glancing up at Chloe, who stood near the table, concern for her washed over him. Something was up with her tonight. He just didn’t know what yet.

Taking her hand, he tried in vain to guide her to sit down. Chloe released her hand from his grasp and crossed both arms over her chest.

“Answer me this one question then, Chloe. Why are you really here tonight, alone?”

What happened next bewildered him. Randall felt like he was watching her in slow motion, as she leaned over the table and grabbed her purse and keys. When she turned to him, he saw the sadness in her eyes. Her sadness struck him hard in the chest.

“It was my birthday, Jon,” she offered quietly to him, a hint of hurt lingering in her words. Then she turned and walked away, leaving him dumbfounded, staring after her as she disappeared into the crowd.

“Fuck, it was her birthday!”

How the hell did he not remember her birthday today? The 27th in the month of May, the one date he could never forget. And here he was, staring at the vacant chair Chloe had once occupied. Now she was gone. “Fuck.”

Randall remembered then the words he had once whispered to Chloe on her sixteenth birthday. Words he was determined to say to her again. His heartfelt message he had given only to her. No other woman had ever heard those same words, and they never would.

Randall made a promise then, that when the time was right he would convey his heartfelt message to his Chloe once again.

Scrubbing a hand through his hair and down his face, he realised then he still had no idea where Chloe lived or how to get ahold of her. Leaving his half-empty beer on the table, Randall headed out of the pub and drove back to the station.

He parked his arse behind his desk and turned the computer on. It was about bloody time he found out where Chloe Watson lived. It might be too late to go around and see her tonight. But tomorrow morning she was going to receive one hell of an early wakeup call from him, whether she wanted one or not.

* * * *

Shuffling her way into the kitchen and then turning the coffee machine on, Chloe stared out the window above the kitchen sink. It was just after dawn. The sun was slowly rising behind the hills in the distance, dusting the sky with shades of pinks and oranges. Normally dawn was her favourite time of day. Chloe loved watching the sun rise. She marvelled at the way the colours splashed across the sky. Today, though, it didn’t give her the same feeling it usually left her with, one of warmth and beauty.

No, after a restless night’s sleep, Chloe felt chilled to the bone and empty inside.

Wrapping her silk robe around her tighter and turning away from the window, she stared across the kitchen at the print she had framed on the wall. One she had received on her sixteenth birthday, she knew that much. She had no memory of who gave it to her though. What she did know was it was given to her from someone who had once loved her.

The print itself was an abstract. It seemed to represent the depth and the power of their love they held for her. Plus the inscription on the back of the print gave a clear indication of their said love. The artist who painted the original clearly had had love on their mind when they painted it as well. The artist’s own passion and love were clearly visible in the colours used in the painting and within the image itself.

Staring at the print now, Chloe still struggled to come to terms with her disappointment from last night. It was the main reason for her lack of sleep. She couldn’t believe that she had told Randall about her birthday last night. Or why she felt disappointed when he didn’t realise that it was in actual fact her birthday. For some odd reason, Chloe had half excepted Randall to know what the 27th of May meant to her. Seeing the look of surprise cross his face when she told him her reasons for being down at the pub, Chloe realised then she had made a horrible assumption and all but bolted to her car.

She couldn’t even explain the tears that fell from her eyes on the drive back home. Or the crushing feeling she felt in her chest. She didn’t know Jon Randall, didn’t know his story. Yet Chloe felt like she had known him. She felt this pull to him. Like their souls were linked to each other or something. Or hell, maybe that’s just the lack of sleep talking. Who knows why one feels anything for another?

Hearing a loud, obnoxious knock on her front door startled her from her thoughts. Setting down her favourite coffee mug on the bench beside the coffee machine, Chloe glanced at the clock. Six thirty in the morning. Who the hell would be bothering her at this time of day? Hell, she still had her pyjamas on and had fluffy, pink rabbit slippers adorning her feet for Christ’s sake. She was so not dressed for company right now.

She unlocked the front door and swung it wide open. She was instantly shocked at who stood on the other side of the door. Jon Randall. He stood on her front porch with her morning paper in his hand and a big, stupid grin on his face. His eyes roamed freely over her body, taking in her outfit. Tugging her silk robe closer to her body and stepping back to partially close the door, Chloe stood behind it so only her shoulders and head were visible to him.

“What do you want?” she asked him straight out.

He had the nerve to chuckle at her. “What, no ‘good morning,’ Chloe?” he asked her as he leaned against the doorway, his gorgeous sky-blue eyes gleaming with mischief.

“No, so what do you want?”

“Nothing. I was in the area and thought I’ll drop by and see you.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “My ass, you were just in the area, Jon. You do realise it’s six thirty in the morning—on a Sunday, no less—don’t you?”

Chapter Ten

Randall loved hearing Chloe call him Jon. No one these days called him by his first name. Everyone just called him Randall. It had been a long time since anyone called him Jon. He liked it. He liked it a hell of a lot. Smiling at her, he uttered, “Well, being that I can’t see your ass, sweetheart, as you’re hiding it behind that big green door of yours, you’ll just have to take my word on the matter. Won’t you?” Raising his hand, he held out her morning newspaper to her. “Your paper, sweetheart,” he said with a wink.

She snorted at his answer and took the paper from his hand. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Chloe took a few steps forward. Following her line of sight, he saw what had captured her attention. Lying near the edge of her porch was a rose, a dead one at that, with a letter attached to it. Chloe visibly shuddered before she turned away from him and scurried down the hallway and into a room he presumed was the kitchen. He wanted to suggest to her that the rose could be a belated Valentine’s gift, but going by her reaction to the now dead rose that might not be the case at all.

Randall bent down and retrieved the dead rose and letter. Slowly he unfolded the letter. Uneasiness settled low in his stomach as he scanned the contents of the letter. His heart stopped beating in his chest for a second when he read the words Die, bitch. What kind of gutless prick would leave a threatening letter like this for Chloe? And that was if it was meant for Chloe and not the previous tenant who had occupied the house prior to Chloe moving in. Stepping inside and closing the door behind him, Randall followed the direction Chloe had scurried away in. He still couldn’t believe that someone had left a letter like that for her. The dead rose had to be symbolic. He knew it. A normal person would assume it was a random act. He, however, knew better than that. Ten years on the police force had taught him many lessons. One being nothing happened without a reason behind it. Nothing was random, in other words.

Rounding the corner, Randall came to a complete stop upon entering the tiny kitchen. Chloe sat huddled up on a kitchen chair. Her feet were up on the seat. She had her arms wrapped around her knees. Her head lay buried on top of them. Randall couldn’t see her face, but he could tell she was crying by the way her shoulders shook.

Pulling out a chair from the table next to hers he sat down. Realising he still clutched the dead rose and letter, he got up and searched the cupboard drawers until he found a plastic snap bag and popped the letter and dead rose inside. Evidence to take back to the station for analyses to see if any finger prints or anything else could be lifted from them. He highly doubted the lab techs would be able to find anything, but it was worth a shot at least.

Taking his seat again, reaching out, he clasped his hand around hers. In a gruff voice he spoke to her. “Chloe, look at me.”

She slowly lifted her watery gaze up to him. Her shock was still evident on her paled-out face. Randall wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms. He wanted to hold her and protect with everything he had to offer her. The sight of seeing Chloe swiping at the moisture leaking from her eyes with the back of her hand had his heart aching for her. This is not the Chloe he had come to know. This version of her seemed beaten down, defeated even, and that was so unlike her. Chloe had always been a strong, fiery-spirited woman, which meant something else was going on here. Something he wasn’t aware of.

“Where is it? Where’s the rose?” Even her voice sounded off to him.

“I’ve bagged it up as evidence. I’ll take it back to the station later today to see if we can lift some prints from them.”

Chloe visibly shuddered at hearing the word evidence, Randall knew then there was more to this dead rose and letter than meets the eye.

“So it’s not a practical joke then or a mistake like I thought,” she whispered to him.

“What do you mean?”

“I hoped it was just a mistake, like a neighbourhood kid playing a prank. I guess not.”

“What are you talking about, Chloe? What prank?”

Chloe closed her eyes and dropped her head back down onto her knees and didn’t answer him. Randall had had enough of this bullshit and running around crap from her. She was going to see his Dominant side whether she wanted to or not. He had to make her talk. He needed all the answers to his questions and then some. And he needed to get a better understanding of this unknown threat against her. One he knew was clearly evident if the letter was to be believed.

Placing a finger under her chin, Randall lifted her head up. “Chloe, I want your full honesty when you answer my questions. Are we clear?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now tell me, Chloe, what has he left you previously?”

“Voice messages,” she whispered quietly to him. “He left threatening messages on my answering machine. They started the night you pulled me over.” She hesitated slightly as she stumbled over her next words. “His only words were, ‘Die, bitch.’”

“How many messages have you received so far from him?”

“Six, if you include the rose we found this morning.”

“So let me get this straight. Some sick fuck has been threatening you with messages since the night I pulled you over, which might I add was a few weeks ago now, and you’re only just mentioning this to me now.”

Randall pushed back on his chair and paced around Chloe’s tiny box of a kitchen, as his anger and rage became a rising beast within him. “Christ, Chloe. You should have told me about this before now.” He stopped pacing when he remembered her phone call to him. The one he had been a bastard on. He cursed to himself as he stared over at her. “You called me at work two days after receiving the first message.

“Yes,” she whispered softly to him.

“Did you call me that day to report the message, or was it for a different reason you called me?”

Chloe rose from her chair then, Randall recognised immediately she didn’t like the way this conversation was going. She was hiding something from him and he would be damned if she would withhold anything from him anymore. “Answer me, Chloe. Did you call me to report the messages or did you call me for another reason that day?”

“I honestly don’t know why I called you that day, Jon. It wasn’t like you were very receptive to me calling you up that day. Remember?”

Anger flushed through him fast and furious as he turned to face her. She was seriously pissing him off with her attitude and her cryptic answers. Randall narrowed his eyes at her as he spoke to her. “How could I not remember, Chloe?” he grounded out to her, “You were the one who terminated the call on me, remember? You called me but failed to tell me the fucking reason for your call.”

Breathing in through his nose, Randall tried to clamp down on the angry rising steadily within him. He paced around the tiny arse of a kitchen, trying to keep his cool. The Dominant part of him wanted to throw her over his knee right here, right now and reinforce the importance of her own safety. He wanted to make her ass blush red with his bare hand, until she understood that her safety wasn’t something she could disregard so flippantly. Another part of him wanted to make sweet, tender love to her. Too feel her body coming apart underneath his as he poured his essences into her. Randall wanted to do all these things and more. But he couldn’t do a damn one of them. She wasn’t his. Something he needed to keep reminding himself of.

How much longer could he deny how much he wanted and needed Chloe in his life and in his arms? Never before had a woman gotten so under his skin, like the way Chloe did and always had.

With his fists clenched at his sides, Randall paced over to the doorway. He stopped abruptly at the framed print hanging on the wall near the doorway. After all this time, she still had it. Chloe still had a piece of him hanging up in her kitchen. Did she even know it? Randall wished then he knew why Chloe didn’t recognise him. Or was it just a pretence she played out for him to deny him what he really wanted most of all—her?

God, he had to get out of here before he did something really stupid like kiss her or chastise her. Crossing the kitchen in three long strides, Randall snatched up the bag with the dead rose and letter in it. He then stormed out of her kitchen and made sure he slammed her front door on his way out of her house.

* * * *

Chloe stared at Randall’s disappearing form.

He was angry with her. And he probably had every right to be. She hadn’t exactly been truthful when she answered his questions. She wanted to be. God only knew how much she wanted to open up to him and tell him everything he needed to know. A part of her, a huge part of her, just wanted to push Randall and make him just as angry as she was.

Deep down, Chloe feared these malicious threats she had been receiving lately had the ability to come true. She didn’t want them to come true. Even just knowing there was a good chance that someone was stalking her left her feeling unnerved. And the last thing she needed to be feeling right now was unnerved. Not when she was battling with this explosive connection she had going on with Randall.

Ugh! The man made her insane sometimes. God help her if he ever got her between the sheets. There was no doubt in Chloe’s mind the fireworks they would create between the sheets would outrival any New Year’s Eve celebration.

Pouring a cup of coffee and chugging it down quickly, Chloe headed for the bathroom. She was in need of a long shower and a run. She needed a run to clear her mind and to settle her nerves back down. Nerves brought on by the letter and the dead rose, and by Randall himself. The man was impossible sometimes, she thought while stripping out of her silk robe and matching pyjamas before stepping underneath the warmth of the water.

Chapter Eleven

It had been two weeks since Chloe had last seen Randall. After he stormed out of her house that Sunday morning after the dead rose incident, Chloe hadn’t seen hide or tail of him. She had dropped by the pub a few times hoping to see him, to apologise. He was never there, or if he was he avoided her like the plague.

Had she finally screwed up the best thing that could’ve happened to her? She hoped not.

She missed him. Even though she had no right to miss him, considering she barely knew him. Yet here she sat at the pub nursing a glass of wine, sitting at the same table Randall had found her sitting at on the night of her birthday. Staring out onto the empty dance floor, remembering how good it felt being in his arms and swaying to the music.

There was no music playing now. No one was dancing.

For three o’clock on a Sunday afternoon, the pub was fairly empty. There were a couple of old codgers up at the bar discussing the results from last night’s game. Other than that there was no one else around. Or no one she cared to see. She rested her head against the back of the chair and closed her eyes.

I shouldn’t be here were the whispered words running through her head. Chloe knew she shouldn’t miss him either, but that didn’t stop her from doing it.

“Mind if I sit?”

Opening her eyes, she peered up at the soft, feminine face of Mary J. The young barmaid stared down at her, a look of sympathy dancing in her eyes. “No, I don’t mind. Please take a seat.” Chloe gestured with her hand to the vacant seat across from her.

“I didn’t expect to see you here so early this afternoon, sweetie. Something on your mind, or should I say is someone on your mind? Is that why you’re in here drowning your sorrows so early in the day?” Mary J asked her.

Was she so transparent that even the barmaid who barely knew her could see right through her? Shaking her head, Chloe offered up what she hoped sounded like the truth. “I’m just trying to forget someone, that’s all.”

“So this someone wouldn’t happen to be male, six foot two, with dark-blond hair and muscles that make a girl want to drool?”

“Yeah, sounds like him,” Chloe said gloomily.

Mary J laughed. The sound of her soft, light chuckle made Chloe smile, something she hadn’t done in the last few days.

“It’s Chloe, right?” Chloe just nodded her head. “Well, Chloe, there’s something you should know about that man.”

“What about him?”

“Well, how do I put this without sounding daft? He’s been chasing after a dream, or at least has been for the past six months or so I’ve known Randall. Far as I can understand it’s a woman from his past. He doesn’t talk about her much. The odd bits and pieces I have picked up on come secondhand from his buddy, Mick.”

“I’ve met Mick. He’s the one that fixes up cars in his spare time, right?”

“Yeah, that’s him.”

Chloe watched as Mary J’s face lit up as she spoke about Mick. She wondered if the pretty redhead even knew how much she lit up when she spoke about him.

“Yeah, he’s good at fixing up cars. He also works on the force with Randall. The two of them go way back. They’re closer than brothers. Not sure of their full story though,” Mary J said with a wink, “but I plan to find out one of these days.”

“Me, too,” Chloe mumbled to herself.

Mary J rose from her seat then and stood at the end of the table. “Can I give you some advice on your Officer Randall, sweetie?”

He’s not mine, Chloe wanted to remind the other woman. She didn’t though, opting to say “yes” instead.

“Ask him about his past. Ask him about the woman he’s chasing from that past. And do it soon, sweetie, before you fall too deeply for him.” Squeezing Chloe’s hand within hers, Mary J added on, “I wish you all the luck in the world with that man. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, or feel like gossiping about men in general and their stupid behaviours, come find me. I don’t want to see you drowning your sorrows in alcohol alone again. Ya hear me?”

“I will. I promise you on everything, Mary J. Thank you.”

“No problems, sweetie. Just remember everything I said, okay?”

Scooting out of the booth, Chloe hugged the other woman briefly, and promised to remember her advice before leaving the pub.

* * * *

Pulling up outside the pub, Randall caught sight of Chloe stumbling out the front entrance. Locking up his truck he made his way over to her, calling out her name to her to get her attention. When she didn’t acknowledge him, Randall raised his voice louder so she could hear him clearly. “Chloe, goddamn it, will you wait, woman.”

She wheeled around on him then. “What, Jon? What the hell do you want from me?” Her agitation toward him was valid. He had been so caught up in his reinstatement back into the Bomb Squad, he hadn’t had a chance to make amends with her after storming out of her place a week or so ago.

“What I want, Chloe, is you.”

“Well maybe you should have thought about that before you stormed out of my house last weekend and never looked back.”

“I was angry at the time, Chloe. That doesn’t mean I don’t want you.”

She turned away from him then. Randall sensed Chloe was fighting to hold back the tears in her eyes. He knew it would be hard for her to hear his words of how he wanted her. He needed her to know how he felt. Even if he stuffed it up royally on what he was trying to say to her. She had to know.

He wanted her.

His need for her was never going to change, no matter how many times she pushed him away. Randall would always want her. He didn’t care if Chloe chose to defy him with her disobedience. Hell, he actually loved the fact she had the knack of pushing his Dominant buttons all the damn time. It made him feel alive when she did it. Her sassy attitude toward him always fuelled his dominance. Chloe made him believe in the man he needed to be for her. She made him want to be her Master.

She had once given him the honour of being the Master of her body and the Master of her pleasure. Would she allow him that same honour again?

He would go easy on her today and give her just a glimpse of his dominance. The next time, however, that she chose to push her fiery attitude onto him she wouldn’t fare so well. All he could say was, Chloe had better prepare herself for the consequences of her actions if she purposely pushed his Dominant buttons again. Next time he wouldn’t be so lenient on her. He would push her to her absolute limits.

Gripping her shoulders with his hands in an effort to prevent her from moving away from him, Randall tamped down on his need to dominate her before he spoke to her. “Don’t turn your back on me, Chloe.”

She glanced over her shoulder at him. Randall could see the confusion shadowing her eyes. Her voice was low as she spoke to him. “This is nonsense. How could you possibly want me when you don’t even know me?”

“I know you all right, Chloe. I know how you ache for me even if you wouldn’t admit it to yourself. ”

She shook her head at him.

“Don’t lie to me, Chloe. We both know you want me just as much as I want you.”

She dared him by saying, “Prove it.”

Randall spun her around so fast to face him, her head was probably spinning. He didn’t wait for her to get her bearings as he crushed his lips to hers. He kissed her lips in a passionate, fiery way that matched her fiery spirit. His lips moved and rubbed against hers, demanding for her to comply to him. To let him take from her what he so desperately needed from her.

His tongue slid along the softness of her pillowy lips, swiping at the taste of her. It wasn’t enough. He needed more, always more. He groaned against her lips at the feel of Chloe’s tongue peeking out tentatively to savour the taste of him. It was so fucking hot. The sensation of feasting on her lips as she licked and sucked at his own had his cock growing harder by the fucking second.

His tongue swiped over her bottom lip after lightly biting it. Randall pulled away from the kiss almost breathless. Chloe moaned at the sudden loss of contact from him. He stared into her eyes and saw the blaze of heat she held for him.

“I want you, Chloe, don’t ever forget it. I’ve always wanted you.”

With her hands on his chest, Chloe tried to shove him away from her. Randall didn’t budge. “What the hell does that even mean, Jon? You act like you’ve known me for years and yet you haven’t.”

“Chloe, don’t you remember our first kiss?”

“Yes, it was just then.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Of course it was our first kiss. A pretty damn good one, might I add.”

He smirked briefly at her comment before sobering up. “No, Chloe, our first kiss was on a starless night underneath the big old oak tree up at your parents’ house.”

Chloe shook her head at him. Randall knew then she had no idea what he was talking about.

“I think you have me confused with some other woman,” she told him. Her disappointment echoed in her voice.

“I’m not confused, Chloe. Don’t you remember?”

Chloe gave him another shove with her hands upon his chest as she said, “Remember the bloody hell what?”

Randall tugged at his hair in frustration as he spoke to her. “Don’t you remember your sixteenth birthday party? I was there. You were there. You were wearing this soft, floaty pink summer dress with ties at the shoulders. After about an hour at your party we both left together. We headed up to our oak tree at the back of your parents’ property.”

“I don’t remember. I can’t remember anything that happened from the time I turned sixteen and the following six months after that.”

“What do you mean you don’t remember?”

“Exactly what it means, Jon. I don’t remember. I have no memory of what happened to me during those six months. I’ve tried everything, including hypnosis, in an effort to get those missing six months back. Nothing worked.” Chloe stepped back from him then and he let her go, knowing she needed the space. “Every so often I get flashes, like images of things, events, people, but they are so quick I can barely make out what it is. None of the images last long enough to create a full memory. So to answer your question, Jon, I don’t know what happened back then. I don’t know what or if something happened between us. What I do know is I feel like I somehow know you. I just don’t know how or why.”

Even though he listened to every single word that fell from her lips, Randall still couldn’t believe it. Her words churned around in his head as he tried to make sense of them. Chloe didn’t remember their time together at all? She didn’t remember the night he took her virginity underneath their oak tree or the countless other times he had made love to her? Just hearing her say she couldn’t recall their very first kiss hurt more than any of the other things she couldn’t remember. Their first kiss was also the first time Randall had ever kissed a girl that he wasn’t related to in some way. And to have Chloe tell him she couldn’t remember it, well, it stung like a bitch.

Closing the distance between them, Randall wrapped his arms around Chloe’s waist, bringing her closer to him. Suddenly he needed to feel her in his arms, needed to feel her heart beating next to his own. To know she was actually here with him and that this wasn’t all a dream. He knew his immediate goal was to help Chloe remember their time together. He lifted her head up from his chest and ran a finger down her cheek to her soft kissable lips.

“I’ll help you remember, Chloe. Let me help you remember us.”

Not waiting for her answer, Randall slanted his lips over hers again. She gasped in surprise against the domination, but his kiss prevailed. His tongue forced its way through the small part in her lips. She tasted the same to him. She tasted exactly the same as she had back when they were teenagers, sweeter than sugar with a hint of peppermint.

He groaned against her lips and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. Looking deep into her hazel eyes, Randall hoped that what he was about to offer her, Chloe would accept whole heartily. He had been a fool to let her go once. He wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. He also knew this would probably be his one and only chance to show her what they had once shared together. Taking a deep, steadying breath, looking her right in the eyes, Randall let his words fall from his lips.

“Come home with me, Chloe. Let me show you what we had together. What we can still have together.”

* * * *

She didn’t know what to say to his offer. All Chloe could hear in her head was Mary J’s advice to her before she left the pub. “Ask him about his past, sweetie. Ask him about the woman from that past…” Chloe feared she already knew the answers to all those questions Mary J had posed to her to ask Randall. She was the one. Chloe was the woman from his past, the one he had been chasing after. She knew it. Felt it in his scorching kiss and feared the truth of it all at the same time.

She nodded her head to answer him, too afraid to verbally answer him, fearing the tremble in her voice would give her away or, heaven forbid, the wrong words would fall from her lips. Randall accepted her nod as confirmation and placed a hand on her lower back and started to usher her toward his truck. Chloe winced when she placed weight on her right foot. She had twisted her ankle when she missed the step on her exit out of the pub.

She squealed in delight when Randall suddenly lifted her up into his arms and carried her over to his truck. He was so gentle with her when he placed her inside the cab of his truck. More than gentle, actually. Randall showed her tenderness she had never been shown before.

For the first time in her life she felt loved. She felt cared for and cherished. The very things that have been missing from her life for so long now and ones she hadn’t felt since she was a young girl.

Chapter Twelve

The sexual tension inside the cab of the truck on the drive back to his place was stifling. Randall couldn’t wait to get Chloe back to his place. His cock had never been so hard for a woman ever. The bite from the metal zipper on his jeans cut painfully against his dick.

Peeking quickly at Chloe, he noticed how she seemed to be fidgeting around on the seat, only to wince when she moved her right foot. He made a metal note to himself to take care of her ankle first when he got her home. Then he’d take care of the ache between her legs, one he knew would there by the way she squeezed her thighs together.

Slanting another glance her way, keeping his voice low but full of authority, Randall gave Chloe his first command. “Your thighs are to remain open, Chloe.”

“W–what?” She also most choked on the word. Randall would normally be amused by her reaction to his command, but he was too riled up with sexual tension to be amused by it. “I will not repeat myself a third time, Chloe, so listen carefully. Your thighs are to remain apart. Do it, now.” He all but growled at her to comply to his demands. “I will give you the command to come, little girl. And right now your disobedience has not earned you permission to come.”

Randall could see Chloe’s disbelief flickering in her eyes at his command. She was struggling to obey his command not to come, to instead hold off her orgasm. It was his first test for her to obey. As a Dominant, Randall always tested his subs to see how far they would push him. So far Chloe was pushing him all the damn way. Parking the truck at the end of his drive, Randall jumped out and went around to the passenger side to help Chloe down. “Are you able to walk or do you wish me to carry you inside?” he asked her.

“Carry me, please.”

Gathering her up into his arms, Randall carried Chloe up to the house. He managed to kick open the front door after unlocking it with one hand. With his foot he kicked the door closed and walked into the lounge room and deposited Chloe onto one of the sofas in there. He left her there for a few minutes so he could gather some supplies from the kitchen for her banged up ankle.

Walking back into the lounge room, Randall found Chloe wrestling to get her shoes off. He knelt down in front of her and placed the items he had for her on the table beside him. Lifting up her good ankle onto his knee, Randall slipped off her shoe then massaged her foot to help alleviate some of the tension from her body. Picking up her bad foot, Randall slipped her shoe off before examining her sprain. He probed the tender flesh with his fingers to check if she had broken it. Chloe showed him her displeasure of him touching her banged-up foot by voicing it to him. “Ouch, that bloody hurts you know.”

“I need to take a look at it, Chloe, to make sure you haven’t broken it.”

“So you’re a doctor now as well as an officer of the law, are you?”

“That mouthy attitude of yours, Chloe, will only get you into more trouble than you’re already in.”

“Other than hurting my ankle, I don’t see how I can possibly be in trouble.”

“You don’t, do you?” Randall finished wrapping a bandage around her right ankle to secure the ice pack to it, before lowering her foot onto the coffee table to keep it elevated. He stood up and scowled down at her. “Did I or did I not give you an order back in the truck? One, mind you, you failed to act upon.”

She dared to roll her eyes at him. He couldn’t believe it. That little minx. Then she opened that sassy mouth of hers again, to provoke him no doubt, as she said to him, “You’re talking in riddles again, Jon.”

“Right, that’s it, little girl. From this moment on unless I ask you a direct question I do not wish to hear you speak. When you do answer a direct question, you will address me properly with ‘Yes, Sir.’” Randall leaned down to crowd into her personal space as he added on, “Do you understand me, Chloe? Yes or no, Sir, will suffice as your answer.”

“Yes. Sir,” Chloe grumbled out to him. He could tell she only just held back the words she wanted to lash out at him with.

Handing her the glass of water and the pain meds he had brought in for her, Randall waited while Chloe swallowed them down. Her eyes never left his, something else he’d need to remind her of, too. One lesson at time, he told himself, one lesson at a time. Randall took the empty glass from her hand and set it down on the table behind him.

Leaning down, he lifted her up into his arms while Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck. Randall then carried her down the hall to his bedroom. Dropping her gently onto the middle of the mattress, he was mindful of her sore ankle as he lowered her down. Stepping back, he stood there staring down at her. Randall knew he needed to control the Dominant inside of him before he touched her again.

She had pushed his buttons too much this afternoon. The only thing holding him back at the moment was her bad ankle. As much as he wanted to see her naked, cuffed, and spread before him on his bed, he couldn’t really do that with her banged-up foot. First he needed to make sure that what was about to happen between the two of them was something she still wanted.

“Chloe, I’m going to ask you a direct question and I want an honest answer from you. Not a mouthy one,” he warned her. “I want to show you what we had back when we first knew each other. I want to help you remember us. In order to do that I need you naked and willing to accept anything I command of you. You will be given a safe word to use if I push you too far. If you want me to stop, you say your safe word and it ends.”

Randall stepped forward and ran a fingertip lightly up the length of her arm as he let his words whisper over her. “Will you let me, Chloe? Will you allow me to show you the pleasure I once showed you when we were younger?”

Chapter Thirteen

Swallowing hard, Chloe tried hard to rein in her temper that seemed to be firing up her arousal, to the point she thought she might explode just from his light touch alone. This man, what the hell was it about this man that made her want to lash out at him at every chance she had, only to then crave him to douse the fire burning hotly in her core with his seed?

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Chloe give him her answer. She watched the approval spread across his gorgeous face. His piercing sky-blue eyes darkened as he gazed down at her. She had pleased him with her answer of “Yes, Sir.” Who knew that a simple “yes, sir” would give him so much satisfaction?

Chloe didn’t know what to expect from him or what he expected from her. All she knew was that she trusted him completely and knew Randall wouldn’t hurt her. She watched and waited patiently for him. After a couple of minutes’ silence he approached the bed where she lay, still fully clothed.

“You are mine this afternoon, little girl. In order for me to take you as mine, I need you naked. I want to see you, Chloe. All of you,” he told her.

Hearing him call her “little girl” sent a delicious buzzing feeling throughout her body. His words may have been commanding. His voice, however, didn’t disguise his desire for her. Anticipation of what was to come ignited a fire deep within her core. So fierce was her hunger for him, it matched her desire to please him. Her body literally vibrated from the heat in his words and from the fire burning in his eyes. Her muscles were tense. Her pussy was already wet and ready for him to use and take as he pleased.

He proved to her that he was a master in the way he drew out her anticipation of what would happen next. Randall kept her so on edge Chloe could feel this delicious need burning throughout her body for him. It was totally unfair the way he whipped her body into a white-hot frenzy of desire for him. All he had to do was lightly touch her with his fingertips or caress her with his sensual words and she was putty in his hands. Bastard!

Even her damn nipples were hard little points that were reaching out, begging to be touched by him. The faintest brush of air across the tender buds had her arching up to him. Never in her life had she been this worked up for a man. Chloe guessed then that Randall probably wasn’t your average man.

Her cheeks burned with heat when she felt moisture dripping down her thighs from her pussy. It was pure torture in the very best way. Christ, how was she supposed to remain calm and serene, if she was this worked up already? If Randall were to touch that most intimate spot on her body right now, Chloe knew she wouldn’t be able to hold back her impending orgasm. She would explode all over his fingers.

She stared at him as he stripped off his shirt and removed his shoes and socks. He stood beside the bed in just his tight, stone-washed denim jeans. It wasn’t easy for her to miss the hard bulge punching out at the front of his jeans. Her gaze was riveted to his hardening length pressing against the metal zipper. It was a rather pleasant sight indeed to know she had this much effect on a man. It made her feel desirable.

Her eyes remained glued to his crotch. She could practically tell he couldn’t wait to get his rigid length inside the moist, dark cavern of her mouth. Would he enjoy the bite of her teeth on his hard flesh? Or would he prefer her to moan around his shaft as he pushed his cock all the way to the back of her throat? Chloe moaned at the thought of being taken so thoroughly by him. She had to force her eyes up to his face and watched in fascination as the muscles in his throat worked overtime. To tease him, like he teased her, she flicked her tongue out and let it dance across her lips. She heard him forcibly swallow down a groan, as she took the pleasure of perusing his bare torso with her eyes.

He moved closer to her. His hands slowly wandered up her body. A feather-like touch, so light it was barely there. Chloe couldn’t hold back the shiver from his touch. A devilish smile curved at his lips as he stared down at her and informed her it was time to unwrap his present.

His hands skimmed over her soft belly. His fingers went straight for the buttons on her blouse. Chloe heard him swear a few times when he couldn’t seem to undo the buttons quick enough. The need to feel his hands on her had her sitting up slightly so he could draw her blouse over her head, instead of unbuttoning the thing. She knew full well he would have chosen to rip it from her body if she hadn’t helped him. Hastily he removed the offending blouse from her body and then threw it to the floor.

Her jeans were next on his agenda. His fingers made quick work of unfastening the button on her jeans. She could hear her own harsh breathing echoing loudly in her ears when he lowered the zipper on her snug-fit jeans. He then slid the dark denim down her long legs.

Randall reached over her and grabbed a pillow from the other side of the bed, and propped it under her banged up ankle to keep it elevated. Her eyes were glued to him as he crawled his way up onto the bed, to lie on his side beside her. He eyed her rapidly rising chest. Her nipples pointed out through the satin of her bra, begging for his attention. “Control your breathing, Chloe,” he told her as he fingered the satin material of her bra.

She took a few deep, calming breathes to settle her breathing back down, and was rewarded with a “good girl” comment from him. She smiled up at him upon hearing it.

He ran one hand up and down her inner thigh, stroking her flesh. Chloe moaned deep and loud at the feel of his thumb pressing against her clit. The feel of his dick hardening against her side had her moaning even louder. God, she wanted him. She wanted him more than she wanted her next breath. He kept his fingers constantly moving, exploring all the dips and curves on her almost naked body. She would be curvier now than she would have been back when he said they first knew each other. Chloe hoped Randall wouldn’t mind her curves. Not that she would change herself for him if he didn’t. She wasn’t one of those women who went around changing their appearances to suit the men in their lives. She wasn’t like that and she would never do it even if asked either.

The way Randall was worshiping the curves on her body with those talented lips of his, Chloe would hazard a guess that he adored them.

Chloe squirmed around on the bed from the heated touch of his lips on her flesh. She cried out from the light bite of his teeth on her already oversensitive nipples. How much more of this could she take? Hell, he had barely started and already she could barely think straight. She just had enough wits about her to absorb the pleasure he was giving her.

The needed to say something, to convey to him how much he was unravelling her, had her crying out his name. She didn’t care about any reprimand he might force upon her. She just needed him to know what he was doing to her was exquisite ecstasy. Her lack of self-control had him biting down hard on the nipple he had been ravishing, causing her body to arch up to him. His growl made her squirm around even more. God, she needed more of him. She needed him to do something, anything. The fire that was building rapidly inside of her was too much for her to handle on her own. She needed him deep, deep inside of her.

Wiggling around on the bed, Chloe cried out when her injured right foot bumped against his leg. She stopped moving altogether upon hearing a feral growl coming from the man feasting at her breasts.

Oh, shit. She was in big trouble now. Not only did she cry out his name and cuss about her ankle, she had also spoken twice without a direct question from him. There was nothing she could do or say to stop whatever happened to her now. So she lay there practically naked on his bed and watched as Jon stalked over to a box in the corner of the bedroom. Chloe couldn’t see what he took out. A small part of her didn’t want to know what he had in store for her either.

Lying there on his bed, she remained utterly still and silent. Her lips were sealed shut. Not a word would come pass those disobedient lips of hers from now on. Well, until he let her that is.

She sucked in a harsh breath when she caught a glimpse of what Randall held in his hands as he stalked back to her. He had chosen her punishment for her. Oh, god, could she really go through with this? Could she let him have his wicked way with her? Randall sure was a sexual force to be reckoned with. Her body craved the sight of him and the domineering power he was wheeling her way.

Chloe knew he wouldn’t tolerate her disrespecting a direct order he had given to her. So why did she kept on pushing him? Did she enjoy pushing him? Did she like the thrill she received when she revved him up? She would answer “yes” to all those questions if she were allowed to speak. He was Dominant to be sure. So what did that make her? What did he expect from her? Did he fully expect her complete obedience when they were in the bedroom? Or did he expect it outside the bedroom as well?

      Chloe quickly glance down at her now naked body. How the hell did she not notice him removing the rest of her damn clothes? Now, she lay before him completely naked for his eyes only. Without a word to her, he lifted both her arms up above her head and cuffed them to the headboard. She trembled slightly at being trussed up for him to do as he pleased. Her eyes watched him move and cuff her good ankle to the bedpost, leaving her wide open and vulnerable to him.

His head dipped down and his lips brushed along the column of her neck. She gasped in surprise at the feel of his teeth biting down on her earlobe. He soothed the sting away with a flick of his tongue. When Randall stood back up, Chloe noticed his eyes had darkened even further. He held a red silk sash out in front of her so she could see it. She swallowed hard, not knowing what he was intending to do with it.

“Do you know what this is for, little girl?” he asked her.

Holding back her smart-ass comment took some effort on her behalf, but she did it anyway. “No, Sir,” she whispered quietly to him.

“This is for that mouth of yours, little girl. The one you seemed to have trouble keeping closed.”

After wrapping the red silk around her mouth and tying it at the back of her head, Randall leant down and whispered into her ear. The warmth of his breath against her skin made her shiver. “The only words I wish to hear from you now are ‘Yes, Sir’ or ‘No, Sir.’ If you want me to stop, you say your safe word. Nod your head so I know you understand me.”

Nodding her head, Chloe waited for him to issue her the safe word. “History,” he told her, would always be her safe word. She knew she would never say that word to him. Chloe found herself trusting him so completely that it shocked her. Maybe it was because they had known each other years ago, even if she couldn’t remember their time together. She still had this unwavering trust in him.

So lost in her own thoughts, Chloe didn’t see Randall raise the flogger until a fire flared across her bare flesh from the strike he had given her. He raised the flogger again, aiming it this time at her left thigh.

After about twenty strikes of the flogger coming down onto her flesh, her body hummed with a need for more. Her skin flushed in shades of pinks where the flogger had caressed her wanting flesh. A light lay of sweat glazed her skin.

The need for more pulsed throughout her. She needed more of his touch, more of this dominance he was showing her. Chloe found herself fascinated by this Dominant side of his. She wondered if Randall had showed her this side of him when they were younger.

She realised then what had been missing in her past relationships, Dominance. She needed the dominance of a male. She held the power though when under his control. One single word from her and it all would end. A word she would never utter.

His stern voice broke into her train of thought then as he warned her to “get out of your head right now, and just let yourself feel the pleasure, Chloe.”

Wait, did he just ask her to feel? Christ, if she felt any more pleasure than she did right now, she would explode into a million tiny pieces.

Six more times, he rained the flogger down onto her already overly sensitive flesh, before he tossed it to the floor along with his jeans. He allowed her no time at all to react as he positioned himself in between her spread thighs. With one single forward thrust he buried himself balls deep inside her heated core. The actions had her crying out at the pleasure and the pain his invasion caused her.

It was too much. It was all too much. His cock was so thick and hard inside of her, stretching her more than she thought was even possible. She tried to move her hips to accommodate his forward thrusts into her body, but his fingers held her hips in a stronghold, preventing her from moving.

She was desperate to touch him, to feel him with her hands and know he was here with her. She couldn’t though. Her hands were still cuffed to the bed, leaving her immobile. She needed to touch him, had to caress his skin with her hands. Feel his flesh beneath her fingertips. She had to feel him. Her eyes might see him but her hands needed the contact of his heated skin. Would he give her what she needed?

They both groaned when he slid into her core again. The friction of his cock rubbing against her innermost sensitive flesh had her thrashing around wildly. Heat radiated off both of their bodies. A light layer of sweat covered both their bodies and made them slick as they moved as one. She gazed up at him through hooded lids, hoping Randall could see her struggle to get close to him.

Unexpectedly, he leaned forward and released the sash from around her mouth and captured her lips with his. His tongue delved into her mouth as he continued to pump in and out of her core with his cock. His fingers went about working on releasing the metal cuffs binding her wrists to the headboard. He rubbed lightly at the bite marks on her flesh left behind by the cuffs. His gentle caress had tears weeping from her eyes.

He murmured into her ear. “Touch me, Chloe. Feel me and know that I’m here with you.”

His whispered words were all she needed to hear. Her hands fanatically roamed his body. Tears leaked from her eyes as she touched and explored him for what felt like the first time. In her mind it probably was. In reality it wasn’t, if Randall was to be believed. And Chloe found herself believing in him. Her hands had undoubtedly touched him in so many ways they both would have lost count over the years. Now, here she was rediscovering his body and the pleasure he could only give her. She watched as Randall knelt between her splayed legs and lifted her hips up to meet his demanding thrusts. There was more urgency in his movements now. She was close. Oh, so close to going over. His thumb circling her clit, applying pressure here and there to the hard nub, had her twisting and moaning beneath him.

When he slammed his cock into her core once, then again, Chloe knew she wouldn’t be able to hold off her impending orgasm any longer. She needed him to give her permission to come. No sooner had she thought the words than Randall said them to her. She had never been more thankful to hear the words, “Come now, Chloe. Come for me, little girl.” And come she did for him. She practically bathed his cock with her juices when her orgasm rolled through her. She cried out his name as her body was pulled in every direction imaginable as her orgasm kept on going and going.

Squeezing her internal muscles of her pussy down on his cock, Chloe felt Randall lose his battle not to release deep inside of her. His hot essence poured deep into her wanting womb. The force of his release pushed her over into another orgasm. His warm seed slowly doused the scorching flames of her desire, leaving only small, simmering ambers in the aftermath of orgasmic heaven.

They were both spent long moments later. Chloe lay limp and thoroughly sated beneath him. She couldn’t move even if he commanded it. Randall lifted his weight off of her so he wasn’t crushing her into the mattress. Not that she cared. She liked the feel of his weight on her. He was a perfect match for her body. She whimpered softly though when he slipped his softening cock free from her pussy. He made up for her slight displeasure by giving her a scorching, dominating kiss with his lips upon hers. When she came back down from his heady kiss, Chloe heard him murmur his praise against her swollen pink lips. “You have pleased me a lot today, little girl.” She smiled brightly up at him at hearing his words.

He gazed down at her like he wanted to devour her once again. Surely he couldn’t, could he?

His next spoken words had her eyes tearing up again just from hearing them. “You have never looked more beautiful, Chloe, than you do right now.” He tucked some damp locks of hair behind her ears before touching his lips to hers again.

She didn’t know what to say to him. No other man had ever told her she was beautiful to him. And here was he declaring to her that she was beautiful. He believed her to be beautiful.

Warm tears swam in her vision as she gifted him with a smile so warm and genuine, Chloe knew Randall would realise then the truth of his words had meant the world to her. Just like him being himself with her also meant the world to her, too.

Chapter Fourteen

He had to be dreaming. That was the only explanation Randall could think of when he thought he felt the warmth of a woman’s nude body pressing against his own. He reached out a hand to trace the length of a very real and very naked woman lying next to him. Chloe. Her name whispered through the morning haze of his sleepy mind. It hadn’t been a dream after all. She had actually lain with him in his bed. She had come to him.

Randall remembered then Chloe’s shocked reaction when he started to soap her body as they showered together last night. Her reaction had floored him at the time. With the warmth of the water falling around them and his hands in her hair washing it thoroughly, her tears had fallen freely from her eyes. At the time, he had wondered if anyone had ever cherished and loved Chloe the way he did. Going by the amount of tears she had shed last night in the shower and when he made love to her, he would have to say no.

He snuggled closer to her warmth. His morning arousal sat snugly against her bare bottom. Gliding his hand up and down her waist, Chloe sighed deeply in her sleep. He wanted her again. If he took her again this morning, he would have to go slow and be gentle with her. After hearing her wince in pain yesterday when he slipped his cock from her swollen, red pussy, Randall knew she would be sore this morning.

There was no escaping from the pleasure they both felt when he had taken her. The power of their combined passion had the strength to consume them both into an almost overwhelming and uncontrollable form of ecstasy. He had murmured words that probably made no sense to her at the time when he was in the throes of passion. Chloe had cried out his name at the top of her lungs when he unleashed his seed deep inside her core.

Feeling the little minx wriggle her bare ass against his cock now, letting him know she was awake and ready for him to pleasure her, Randall was more than happy to oblige her. He slipped his hand up her thigh to her waist to hold her still against him while he murmured into her ear. “Good morning, precious.”

His hand slid from her hip to delve between her legs to test out how wet and ready she was for him. More than ready, going by the slickness gathered around the entrance to her pussy. “Morning, Sir,” came her breathy reply as he worked two fingers briefly into her core.

Pulling his fingers free from her pussy, Randall licked them clean before lifting her leg up on top of his own. With the tip of his cock lined up at her slick entrance he fed her his cock an inch at a time, until he was buried balls deep inside of her.

He gave her time to adjust to his girth before sliding back out of her core gradually, only to then repeat the process just as slowly. This wasn’t going to be some quick, frantic fuck this morning. No, this time he planned on taking his time with her and setting up a leisurely pace. He planned on building up their pleasure, letting their orgasms creep up on them. Then he’d let them explode with such intensity it would leave them both sated and breathless.

His unhurried lovemaking was getting to her this morning, going by the way Chloe kept on clamping down on his cock. He nuzzled his face into her neck and murmured against her flushed skin. “You feel good around my cock this morning, precious, very good indeed.”

After hearing his words, Chloe’s whole body quivered beside him. The orgasm he had built from seemingly nowhere must have surprised her as she tensed up beside him. On the brink himself and knowing Chloe was less experienced at holding back her orgasms, Randall grunted out to her. “Come now, Chloe. Come for me, precious. Let me feel you.”

She gasped out loud. Her fingers dug into the skin of his arms. Holding his cock deep inside her pussy, Randall felt the ripple of her release surround him. He looked down at her flushed face and saw that her eyes were closed as her orgasm took hold of her. If he were a betting man, he would bet no other man had ever taken her body to such great heights before now. She was in complete bliss, and in the throes of her passion she looked sexy as all hell, too.

Seeing the effect he had on his woman, Randall felt his balls tighten up and he allowed himself to find his release. His cum burst from the tip of his cock and into her wanting womb.

He was shaken by her sheer willingness to submit to him. Chloe gave him everything he wanted and needed from her, and she had the power to literally take his breath away.

He turned her head and captured her lips with his. Lightly he nibbled on her bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth. Impatience ate at him, wanting inside her mouth. He had to get her taste on him. “Open,” he growled at her. Chloe’s lips parted for him at hearing his command and his tongue slipped inside her mouth to taste her. Wrapping his arms around her tightly, Randall held her close to him while devouring her lips with his own.

Releasing her lips from his and rolling onto his back, taking Chloe with him, Randall slipped his bare cock free from her dripping pussy. He realised then that he hadn’t protected her, that he hadn’t used a condom now or yesterday, even. “Shit.”

Chloe turned slightly in his arms. Her hazel eyes peered up at him. He was vaguely aware of her asking him what was wrong. He didn’t answer her though.

How could he be so stupid in not protecting her?

Silently he ran a fingertip over her swollen pink lips. He knew he had to tell her. Chloe had every right to know he hadn’t protected her from pregnancy. Taking a deep breath, Randall took the blunt approach and came right out and told her.

“I didn’t use a condom, Chloe. On both occasions I took you, I didn’t protect you and for that mistake I am truly sorry.”

He shook his head, pissed at himself for being so selfish and not protecting the one person who meant the world to him. He had been so caught up in the pleasure, he had forgotten to glove up. Randall knew he was clean, only because he’d had to have a complete medical before being allowed back on the Bomb Squad team a few weeks ago. He had a clean bill of health according to the doctor. Still, Chloe didn’t know that.

She shocked him when she reached up and cradled his face in her hands and laid a light kiss on his lips. “It’s all right, Jon, I’m on the pill. I’m clean, too. You’re the only one I’ve ever allowed to go bare inside of me.”

“I’m clean, too, precious, I swear to you I am. I got the all clear from the doc when I had a full medical done a few weeks ago, in preparation for my recall back into the Bomb Squad team.”

Her eyes widened at hearing his words. “The Bomb Squad? I thought you worked on patrol.”

“Nuh, not since I was a rookie at least. Nowadays I only go back on patrol when I get suspended.”

Chloe cocked an eyebrow up at him then, which made his dick hard all over again. She teasingly said to him, “Suspended? Does that happen often then, Officer Randall?”

He slapped her lightly on the ass with his hand as he answered her. “No, precious, it doesn’t. Only when I beat the shit out of suspects who try to blow up shit do I get suspended.”

“Wait, you mean to tell me you beat suspects up, too?”

Grinning up at her, Randall cupped her bare breast in his hand. Lazily he thumbed her taut nipples in a way to distract her, and it worked, too. He watched as her eyes fluttered closed for a moment to revel in the delight of his touch. A soft moan escaped her lips.

“No, I don’t go around beating up suspects often. This particular asshole, well, he pissed me off because he wouldn’t cooperate so I hit him a couple of times. Got suspended and kicked off the team. Had to serve a two-month suspension on patrol for hitting the bastard, but it was totally worth it. The dude was a total jackass.”

Chloe laughed at his explanation of why he got suspended. He smiled up at her. God, he truly loved her. Loved her laughter, loved her sassiness. In fact there wasn’t one thing Randall didn’t love about her.

Her gaze drifted over to his. Randall sensed Chloe’s struggle with her own feelings for him. He knew this would happen. Just because she couldn’t remember their past together didn’t mean her heart had forgotten who it belonged to. He owned her heart. It had always belonged to him.

Releasing her from his embrace, Randall watched as fear flashed in her eyes as she rolled away from him. She scampered out of his bed so quickly he couldn’t drag her back in. His gazed was riveted to the delightful view of her bare ass as she bolted for the bathroom. He let her go for now. Sooner or later, Chloe would come to learn to trust in her love for him. For now though, she needed the space to deal with the emotions he brought forth in her. Feelings she had probably locked away safe and sound in her heart, which were now being brought forth in all their glory.

It would be hard for her to understand her feelings toward him, especially when she had no memory of their time together. So for now he would be patient and let her come to terms with how she felt. And make sure he was available for her when she needed him.

Chapter Fifteen

Chloe stared out the kitchen window as she finished up washing the dishes from lunch, lost to her own thoughts. She had been doing a lot of thinking lately, about how comfortable she felt being here in Randall’s home. His place was a smallish-sized courtyard home. Way bigger than her own place though. The furnishings he used were sparse but comfortable. His place felt lived-in but lacked the warmth of a female’s touch. Chloe smiled to herself, wondering what Randall would do to her if she added a few feminine touches to his place. He would probably slap her ass until it was so red she wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week.

“Could be worth it though.” Just to see the look on his face, when he saw how she redecorated his precious place, would be priceless.

“What could be worth it, precious?”

“Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud is all.”

His arm slid around her waist, tugging her up against him so her back pressed into his chest. “Hmm, so why is it that your thinking out loud makes the hairs on the back of my neck stick up then?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you have a guilty conscience?” She turned in his embrace to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck, tugging him down for a quick kiss. “Do you have some sins you need to confess, officer?”

“My only sin, little girl, is you,” he said to her as he slapped her on the ass. “Now we have the afternoon together. Is there anything you want to do? Or should I say try?” he suggested with a smirk.

Her breath caught in the back of her throat. Her stomach quivered. What didn’t she want to try would be easier to answer. For him, Chloe would try anything once. If it pleased him, it would please her.

“What did you have in mind, Officer Randall?” she taunted him, with just a hint of her own longing to please him emanating from her voice.

Randall squeezed her ass in both his hands, before landing two quick blows to the fleshy globes hidden beneath the denim of her jeans. “Oh, I have plenty of things in mind for naughty little girls like you, precious.”

“Hmm, do tell.”

“Not tell, show.”

Crossing his arms over his chest and stepping back from her, Randall uttered his one-word command for her to kneel. Slowly, Chloe lowered herself down to the kitchen floor to kneel at his feet.

“Good girl,” he said as a way of rewarding her obedience. “Now it’s time for you to learn your next lesson, the proper way to present yourself to your master.”

Here she knelt at the feet of her Master on the kitchen floor. He told her to do something and she obeyed without a second thought. Was she crazy?

Chloe lifted her eyes up to him then at that realisation and slowly raised herself from the floor, only to be stopped halfway. His piercing sky-blue eyes halted her movements and the command in his voice made her regret, for only a second, her mistake to rise.

“I said kneel, Chloe, not stand.” His displeasure at her disobedience, clearly evident in his voice, fuelled her independent streak.

“Well, I want to stand if that’s all right with you,” she threw back at him, and then proceeded to stand up straight.

She cocked her hip out for good measure and placed both her hands on her hips. Her temper rose quickly all because he was commanding her to kneel? It wasn’t the kneeling she had a problem with. It was the command to do so that rubbed her the wrong way.

“No, little girl, it’s not all right with me.”

“Well, too bad,” she spat out at him, turned and walked off. Well, actually limped off more like it, her ankle still sore and swollen from twisting it the other day.

She was testing him, which in hindsight was probably not her wisest move. But she couldn’t help herself. The need to see how far she could push him to test out his limits was something she had no control over. Plus, she wouldn’t allow herself to be walked all over and treated like some dumb robotic woman, who did what he wanted when he wanted. If he didn’t like her for who she was, well, so be it.

Her sassy, fiery mouth would no doubt cost her ass for disrespecting him. But hell, what else was she supposed to do? If she couldn’t tell him what she thought of his commands, how were they meant to communicate then?

Throwing her arms up in the air, Chloe fell back on the sofa just in time to see Randall come storming into the lounge room after her. She shivered at the intensity in his eyes. He looked like a man on a mission. A mission he was going to succeed at one way or another. Her stomach flipped at the prospect of him accomplishing just that.

He came barrelling up to her, encroaching into her personal space, his eyes darkening as he glared down at her. Chloe couldn’t stop herself from saying to him, “What’s up your arse?” and watching as Randall’s nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed down at her. The muscles in his jaw twitched from him gritting his teeth at her defiance.

“What’s up my arse? Oh, little girl, your sassy mouth is in need of another lesson, I fear,” he warned her as he moved in closer until his nose almost touched hers. “You will not disrespect me as your Dominant. Ever.”

Her what? Surely she hadn’t heard him right. And why oh why was she suddenly so turned on by him and his domineering presence?

“I’m sorry, my what?” she asked him sweetly. She would have stood up in front of him. Hell, she probably would’ve even gone toe for toe with him, too, if her stupid bloody ankle wasn’t aching. So she continued to glare up at his towering form hovering over her.

“Your Dominant, Chloe. You are my submissive and I am your Dom.”

“Huh?” Yeah, sure, she loved his dominance, but she knew nothing about Doms or subs or whatever the hell Randall was rambling on about.

“Chloe, do you not understand how a Dom/sub relationship works?”

“No, never heard of it before.”

She watched him scrub a hand through his hair in frustration at her answer then turned and walked out of the lounge room. When he came back a few minutes later he was holding an icepack and some pain meds for her. She was thankful for them, as her ankle was throbbing like a bitch today.

Swallowing down the pain meds he had given her, Chloe listened carefully as Randall relayed a shortened version of how a Dom/sub relationship worked, while he secured an icepack to her ankle He answered all of her questions. When she fell silent, he asked her if she had any other questions.

“No, I have no other questions.”

“Good. Now you still have a punishment awaiting you for disrespecting me back in the kitchen when I asked you to kneel.” Holding up his hand to halt her from speaking, he continued on. “I can see your ankle is still bothering you, so I have readjusted your punishment accordingly.” He had? Wow, Chloe wasn’t sure whether she should be pissed at him for accommodating her bad ankle into her punishment or grateful that he had. Her indecision pissed her off greatly.

“You will strip and kneel before me in the proper pose. Once you have pleased me with your pose you will return to the couch and you will not speak for the remainder of the day.” To her surprise, Randall had to hold back his amusement at her reaction to his command. Surely he must have known it was going to kill her not speak for the rest of the day. “You will only speak when given a direct question. Otherwise, I don’t want to hear another word fall from your lips till dawn tomorrow.” He moved in closer to her and stared straight into her eyes. “Do you understand your orders, Chloe?”

“Yes, Sir,” she said to him as she dropped her feet to the floor and stood up. Randall stepped back from her and crossed his arms over his chest. He cocked an eyebrow up as a way of a silent command to do his bidding, strip, and present herself to her Master.

Quickly ditching her clothes, Chloe stood before him buck-ass naked. Slowly she lowered herself gracefully to the floor in the kneeling position Randall had instructed her on, with her knees apart, hands linked behind her lower back, and head lowered slightly. Her eyes were to remain lowered at all times while in the presentation pose, unless he commanded otherwise to her.

Even though this position made her feel thoroughly exposed, there was no mistaking the empowerment she felt by being in the presentation pose. She held all the control. One word from her and it all ended. She held the power in this relationship and it was a heady experience.

For fifteen minutes, Chloe stayed in her presentation pose for him. Her ankle throbbed. Still, she never moved. Randall strolled around her. She could feel his eyes roaming over her naked form. Goose bumps rose on her bare flesh where his eyes travelled freely across her skin. Still, she refused to move. Refused to give in to the temptation to see his eyes, see how dark they had become and what they held. His fingers feathered through her hair. His feather-like touch felt so erotic, Chloe had to control the body shivers it caused.

His touch was a simple one, barely even there, yet at the same time it had a huge impact on her.

When he finally stood in front of her, Chloe kept her eyes down. He rewarded her by saying, “Good girl.” Knowing that she had pleased him filled her with contentment. Randall helped her up from her kneeling position on the floor and guided her back to the sofa. Plonking herself down, Chloe couldn’t help but relish in the softness of the cushions against her skin and her aching muscles.

She was left alone for a few minutes while Randall disappeared into the kitchen. When he returned to her he held a mug out to her. He had made her a cup of coffee. Just the way she liked it, too, white with one sugar. Her eyes watered from the kindness of the gesture, one she hadn’t asked for. And one she probably didn’t deserve either after disrespecting him so poorly.

Taking the mug from his steady hands, her own hands shook. Lifting the mug to her lips, his fingertips skimmed up her bare arms. She shivered, not from being cold. She shivered because she wanted more of his touch on her body, craved more from him and it was killing her that she couldn’t say anything to him. She wanted to scream at Randall that she wanted more from him. She wanted more of his touch, more of everything. She was sure the need inside her was going to destroy her if he didn’t touch her right this very minute.

Chloe wanted Jon Randall, all of him. However that came, she wanted him all.

Her wish came true, sort of. Randall settled down beside her on the sofa. He wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders then took the empty mug from her hands. Laying her head on his chest, she closed her eyes. While he drew a blanket across her naked form, Randall whispered softly in her ear. “Rest now, Chloe. I’ll wake you when it’s dinner time” were the only words he said before she dozed off nestled safely in the strength of his arms.

Chapter Sixteen

Considering he had spent the last seventy-six hours straight on call down at the station, instead of in his bed with a very naked Chloe, Randall figured he was doing pretty well so far besides the fact he missed her like crazy and he still had another couple of lonely days at least left before he could go to her.

Randall found himself aching to just see Chloe, to hold her in his arms, to know that she was safe.

No matter how tired or exhausted he might feel right now, Randall knew he would find the inner energy to make love to Chloe all night long if needed. Just having her nestled safely in his arms gave him a strength he never knew he had. For hours he’d show her with his body how much he missed her, wanted her, and needed her in his life, as his words could never be sufficient enough to demonstrate to her how much she undid him every minute of every damn day.

However, showing Chloe how much she meant to him was pretty impossible being stuck down here at the station. Normally when on call you could still return home at the end of your shift, and not sleep your arse off down here at the station. Due to his recent reinstatement as an active member of the Bomb Squad, his ass of a team leader had decided Randall had to prove he belonged on the team. Prove his dedication to the team and to the job.

In other words, Randall was to remain at the station while on call, for the time being at least. So he found himself roaming the vacant station halls at one o’clock in the morning, too restless and way too wired to sleep. He wanted his woman. He wanted to hear her voice and know that she was all right.

There was still no word on who was behind the multiple threats Chloe had received over the past couple of months. The letter and the dead rose found at her house were still down at the lab awaiting results. Being that the lab was banked up with other cases with higher priority than Chloe’s case, her evidence had been put on the backburner. This displeased Randall when he got wind of it. He wanted results, he wanted the bastard caught, and he wanted the threats to her to end.

So with her safety and protection in mind, Randall had broached the subject of their living arrangements with Chloe before reporting in for his five day stay at the station. The discussion ended with her calling him a caveman for demanding that she stay at his place when he was on call. Hell, to be honest, Randall wanted his woman at his house permanently. If that made him a caveman in her eyes, so be it.

Chloe, however, had other ideas and refused to yield on the matter. Her actual words were something like, “I’m not about to let some sick fuck run me out of my own home, Jon.”

He laughed at her words now, remembering how worked up she had gotten, refusing to listen to reason. He had tried to reason with her many a time. Hell, her ass still probably throbbed from the spanking he had given her for not thinking reasonably enough by putting her own safety first and foremost every single time.

In the end it didn’t matter. Somehow Chloe managed to get her own way. How? Randall still didn’t know. So right now instead of being shacked up at his house safe and sound, and very naked, Chloe was tucked up in her own bed in her own damn house, alone.

Unclipping the phone from his belt, Randall stepped into an empty office and closed the door behind him. Pressing speed dial, he called the one person he needed to speak to. The only voice he ached to hear. Her grumpy “what” made him grin like a moron.

“Now is that the proper way to answer your phone, little girl?”

“We’re not in the bedroom—let me rephrase that—you’re not in my bedroom, Jon, so that’s the best damn hello you’re going to get.”

God, he loved teasing Chloe, loved bring out that sassy, fiery spirit of hers. Hearing the rustling of bedsheets as she moved around had him wondering if she was utterly naked under those sheets, caressing her body. His night was looking up if she indeed happened to be nude.

“Precious, are you sleeping nude as instructed?”

“Yes,” she whispered sleepily to him.

“Tell me, are the sheets rubbing against your bare breasts, making your nipples so hard that you ache to feel my cock deep inside that hot little pussy of yours, little girl?”

“Y–yes…”

“Are you wet for me, precious?”

Her whispered “yes” was more of a sigh this time around. Time to turn up the temperature, make her so hot she would wish he was there to douse the fire inside of her.

“How wet are you, little girl? Tell me.”

“What?” Chloe stumbled out to him.

“Take your hand and slide it down your stomach, making sure you caress those beautiful, full tits of yours. Keep on going till you reach your pussy.”

“Jon!”

“Do it, little girl. Do it for me now.”

“Fine, only this one time. Don’t go getting any crazy ideas about waking me up every goddamn night just so you can ask me how ready I am for you.” She huffed at him.

Smirking at her words, he waited for her to do as instructed, his ear straining to hear her movements. Hearing her muffled moans down the phone line, Randall knew straight away Chloe was more than ready for him.

Still, he waited patiently for her to verbally answer his question of how wet she was. When there was no reply, only her moans, Randall all but barked her name down the phone line for her to answer him immediately. His own voice sounded huskier from the aroused state he found himself in. He’d have to take care of his cock, which was near to bursting, after taking care of his woman.

“Chloe, damn it, tell me now how wet you are, right now!” he practically yelled his demand down the phone line when she remained verbally silent. Her voice came back over the line moments later with a breathy response. “Very wet, Sir.”

Just the sound of her lust-filled voice had his dick hardening even more. Groaning, Randall readjusted his jeans to alleviate some of the pressure on his cock.

“Good girl. Tell me, would you like permission to ease the ache in that pussy of yours, little girl?”

“Yes, Sir. Please.”

“Please what, Chloe?”

“Please may I come for you, Sir?” she groaned out to him.

Jon grinned. Chloe had come a long way in her submissive role in such a short period of time. It pleased him a lot that she had. “You have my permission to come, little girl. Pleasure yourself, lover. Use your fingers and slide them deep into your wet pussy. Pump them and pretend your fingers are my cock pumping deep inside of you.”

Randall waited for Chloe to do his bidding before speaking again.

“Are you doing as I instructed, little girl?”

“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good girl. Now rub your clit with your thumb, Chloe. Move those fingers and thumb faster and harder. I want to hear your moans. I want to hear you scream my name when I give you the command to come.”

“Yes, Sir,” she moaned out again.

Hearing her movements down the phone line and her breathy moans, Randall knew Chloe was damn close to going over the edge. He gave her his final command to come and scream his name when she did. And oh boy did she scream his name. Chloe screamed so loudly down the phone line, Randall had to hold the phone away from his ear.

When her screams stopped and her rapid breathing remained he placed the phone back to his ear.

“Good girl. You have pleased me a lot tonight, Chloe. Sleep well, precious. I’ll see you soon.”

Hanging up the phone, knowing his lover was sated and happy, Randall made his way out of the office and down to the change rooms. He was in need of cold shower now. There was no way he was going to jerk off in the shower. No, Randall would wait until he could empty his load inside Chloe. No way was he about to waste his seed on the bathroom tiles. Ditching his clothes and stepping under the cold spray of water, Randall just hoped he got to see Chloe sooner rather than later.

Chapter Seventeen

Pacing around her tiny kitchen, Chloe was pissed. After being apart for over five days straight, Randall had finally come home to her. That wasn’t what had her in such a foul mood tonight though. It was the damn phone call he had received, no less than twenty-four hours after returning home. His asshole of a boss had called him in, again. Randall had grumbled something to her about three guys down with gastro, and he had no choice but to go in. It fair dinkum pissed her off.

When Randall had been good enough to grace her with his presence, he had been too damned tired from lack of sleep, she had sent him straight to bed, to sleep instead of making love to her like they both wanted. Randall hadn’t been too happy about being made to go to bed, to sleep of all things, saying something to her about retribution or some kind of crap. Chloe didn’t care what he dished out to her. All that mattered to her was that he rested.

As it turned out it was the best thing for him at the time, being he ended up being called in earlier than his next rostered shift.

Now, Randall had been gone for two whole fucking days going on three.

There had been no phone call from him. No nothing.

Even after calling the station herself demanding to speak to Officer Randall, Chloe got some bullshit line about how he was on a case and could not be contacted at that time. After hearing that he couldn’t be contacted, her temper rose quick smart. She uttered “whatever” to the person over the phone and then threatened to come down to the station personally to see for herself why Officer Randall couldn’t her damn phone call. Chloe knew it would be a waste of her time though. Plus, her unwanted presence down at the station would only cause embarrassment for Jon, something even she wasn’t keen on doing.

So here she found herself pacing her kitchen, her tiny, closed-in kitchen.

God, it felt like the walls were closing in on her tonight. She had to get out. Go somewhere, anywhere instead of spending another long night on the couch waiting to see if Jon came home to her. Throwing on her black jeans and white T-shirt with a low neckline, she slipped her feet into the nearest pair of matching shoes.

Fuck Randall and his commands for her to stay either at her house or at his place while he was on call, all because they still didn’t know who was behind the malicious messages sent to her. And to top off her stellar mood tonight, Chloe had received another message from the sick bastard while Randall had been away.

It was too much. It was all becoming too much. She needed him. She needed Randall. She needed his calming touch to soothe her nerves and to soothe her damn temper, too.

Staying hidden in the tiny box she called home was out of the question tonight. Randall’s place was no better. Sure, it was bigger, but just as empty. Just as bloody lonely, too.

Snatching her purse and keys from the hall table, Chloe headed out to the only place she could think of that might offer her some sort of solace, The Convict Inn. Hopefully Mary J would be behind the bar tonight. Chloe could use the other woman’s shoulder to cry on. Or at least to bitch and moan to so she could rid herself of this bad mood plaguing her.

The last thing Randall would want when he finally came home was her shitty mood.

Yeah, Chloe found herself in a right mood tonight and if Randall found out where she was heading right now there would be hell to pay. It was worth it though, totally worth it. She couldn’t stand being stuck inside anymore.

Slamming her car door shut and turning the engine on, she roared out of her driveway and headed toward the pub. A fifteen minute trip she could do in less than ten by speeding. If Chloe was lucky she might get pulled over by an overeager cop for speeding, and then she could demand to the officer to be taken in. Then Randall would have to see her.

Good plan. A pity it didn’t work, she thought, pulling her car into a free spot outside the pub’s front doors.

Parking her ass down on a vacant stool at the front bar, Chloe waved to Mary J who was serving up at the other end of the bar. She waited for the pretty redhead to come down and say hello before ordering her drink.

“So how’s things, sweetie? How’s that man of yours going?”

“Fine,” Chloe grumbled to the other woman.

“Oh hell, sweetie, you don’t sound fine. Hell, I’ll go as far as saying you look like one pissed-off woman, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

“No, I don’t mind. Plus, it’s true. I am one pissed-off woman tonight.”

“So I take it your Randall isn’t joining you tonight then?”

“Nope, he got called in by his ass of a boss.”

“Anything I can do to help, sweetie? You seem so not like your old self tonight. It’s so unlike you. What’s up?”

Running a hand through her hair, Chloe stared at the glass of wine resting on the bar in front of her. “I don’t think it’s something you can help me with, Mary J. It’s me, all me. Hell, maybe it’s just PMS or something.” Taking a large sip of wine, Chloe glanced up at the other woman, knowing she could see the tears threatening to fall. “I guess I just miss him. He’s been working so much lately I’ve barely seen him.”

Right at that moment, Chloe wanted to tell the other woman about the new voice message she had received from the stalker. But she couldn’t put Mary J in such an awkward position where Randall was concerned, being that he had all but forbidden her to discuss the situation regarding the stalker to anyone. Something about the less people who knew about it the better chance they had of catching him, in case it happened to be someone close to her. Chloe couldn’t imagine that Mary J had anything to do with her stalker. However, she kept her word and stayed mum on the subject.

“Sweetie, have you tried calling him?” Mary J asked her.

“Yeah, but he can’t or won’t take my calls. I just wish I knew which one. This silence is killing me inside. Plus, I got another message from, ahh, never mind. Forget I said that, would you, Mary J?”

“Are you in some sort of trouble, Chloe? I heard Mick and Randall discussing about someone leaving you threatening messages the other night when they stopped by for a quick drink after work. Did you receive another one, sweetie?” Chloe just nodded her head. “Does Randall know you got another message?”

“No.”

“Oh, hell…”

“Yep, that pretty much sums it up.”

“Do you know when he finishes up on his shift then?”

“No, I have no idea. It’s not like he’s taking any of my calls anyway. Maybe he just doesn’t care about me like I thought he did.” Chloe mumbled the last part, hoping to be wrong, that it was just her own insecurity that made her think that way.

She quickly sculled the rest of the wine down and ordered another one from Mary J. While the other woman went about pouring her drink, Chloe couldn’t help but scan the pub with her eyes. She could feel someone’s eyes on her and had no idea where they were coming from. Or even who they were coming from.

Mary J plonked her glass of house white in front of her then clasped her hand over Chloe’s when Chloe reached for the glass of wine. “Sweetie, don’t say that. Don’t even think it. That man cares deeply for you. Hell, I would go as far as saying he loves you.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and scoffed at hearing the other woman’s last comment. But she didn’t dare rebuff her sentiment though. In some way Chloe knew Randall loved her. How much though? She didn’t know.

“You may not believe me, sweetie.” Hearing the caring and understanding in Mary J’s voice made Chloe feel worse than she already did. “You may not see the love he has for you, because you’re angry and pissed at life and probably at him. But never doubt your Officer Randall’s love for you. I’ve heard it in his voice when he speaks your name. I see it in his eyes. They light up when he talks about you, Chloe. You’re the reason he’s mellowed out and become, well, happy. You’ve made him happy, sweetie. Don’t turn your back on that fact alone.”

“I doubt I’ve made him happy. I’ve probably made him mad if anything.”

“Aw, sweetie, I think you doubt how much of an impact you’ve made to his life. Do you doubt your feelings for him, too?”

“No, I guess not. It’s just…”

“You miss him,” Mary J interjected for her.

Running her hands through her long caramel locks, Chloe avoided glancing up into Mary J’s eyes. “Yeah, I miss him and I’m miserable because I miss him. God, why do men and relationships have to be so damn complicated? Why can’t for once something be easy in life?”

“Hey, sweetie, if relationships were meant to be easy there wouldn’t be a single girl left in the world.”

“True, ugh!”

“Can I give you some advice?” Chloe nodded her head for Mary J to continue. “Don’t give up on him. And don’t give up on love, either.” Mary J laughed then. “And this advice is coming from a single gal who’s been single, well hell, too damn long, that’s for sure.”

Smiling up at Mary J, Chloe thanked her for setting her straight. The words she had spoken were nothing but the truth, something Chloe respected the hell out of. She just hoped that one day she could return the favour when needed.

“Do you want another wine, sweetie?” Mary J asked.

“Nuh, I better not, driving and all.” Seeing an empty booth over in the corner, Chloe picked up her half empty glass, said good-bye to Mary J and made her way over to the empty booth.

As soon as she sat down her phone started ringing. Pulling it free from her purse, Chloe froze when she saw who was calling her. Oh, shit. Flipping open the phone she kept the trembling from her voice at bay, while keeping her words stern and straight to the point.

“What do you want?”

“You sound like you’re in a great mood, precious.” She grunted at Randall’s obvious taunt at her expense. “Are you missing me that much, Chloe?”

“Like you’d care if I did or, in your case, didn’t.”

“Aw, precious, I care. I care a hell of a lot. You of all people should know that by now.”

Obviously not enough to answer my damn phone calls, Chloe wanted to say but remained silent instead.

Her silence on the matter, however, was disturbed by a group of idiots nearby, when they started whistling and yelling obscene things to her. Randall hadn’t asked where she was yet. Chloe had thought she was safe, that she got away with sneaking out of the house for a few hours. Then those stupid fucking idiots had to go spoil her fun. Not that drowning her sorrows by any means could be called fun. More like hell.

The harshness of his voice when he asked where she was had her cringing from just the sound alone. Randall made her realise then that she had made a foolish and rash decision in coming out to the pub tonight. But what was done was done. She just had to suck up whatever punishment he dished out to her now.

She had chosen to leave the house unprotected and alone tonight, not him, something Chloe knew Randall was not willing to negotiate on before leaving the house, but she had chosen to ignore it anyway.

“I asked you a question, Chloe. I expect a damn answer from you, now!” The harshness in his voice and the disapproval she could hear echoing in his words made her feel ten times worse than she already did.

“Where are you?” was the question he posed to her. Chloe found herself in two minds in whether to tell him or not. Hearing her say that she was at the pub would only have him raise his voice at her and, well, she had heard enough of that already. Randall already knew where she was because of those loudmouthed jackasses. He might not know the exact pub she was at but he was a smart man. He could figure it out if he wanted to. Plus, it wasn’t like he could come down and drag her out of the pub anyway being he was still working.

Taking a deep breath to shore up the courage she didn’t really feel she had, Chloe uttered the one word she knew would get the biggest reaction from him by saying it.

“Out.”

With that said she calmly closed the phone shut. Chloe could hear Randall cursing a blue streak at her when she closed her phone.

She couldn’t explain the reasons for wanting a reaction from him. She just needed one, to know he still cared about her.

As soon as she closed her phone it rang again. No surprise there. Randall called her back almost straight away. Persistent, she would give him that. Refusing to answer his call, she let it go straight to voicemail. When he called again, Chloe calmly picked up her phone and turned the bloody thing off. Serves him right, she thought, for not taking her damn calls when she had called him.

A few minutes passed by when out of the corner of her eye, Chloe saw Mary J dashing to answer the phone behind the bar. When she caught the other woman looking her way and nodding her head in her direction, Chloe knew Randall had discovered which pub she had ventured out to alone. She guessed she better get used to sitting on a sore ass for the next couple of days, or even a week. No doubt Randall would slap her ass until he had made it blush all shades of red for her disrespecting his direct order to not leave the house alone.

Twirling the stem of her wine glass between her fingertips, a loud bang at the front entrance of the pub startled her about ten minutes later. Randall. Chloe didn’t need to look up to know it was him. She could feel his brooding presence storming toward her.

Lowering her eyes and resting her hands in her lap, she waited for him to come to her.

Chapter Eighteen

Randall was pissed Chloe had hung up on him again. It was becoming somewhat of a habit of hers to hang up on him midconversation, and one he needed to rectify soon. Not only had she ended the call abruptly, Chloe had also disobeyed a direct order to not leave the fucking house unprotected when he was on call. Well, not until they at least caught the sick fuck leaving her threatening messages. He gave her the order for her own safety, and for him to know she was safe when he couldn’t be there to protect her.

After a few phone calls Randall had found the pub Chloe had snuck out to alone. And by the looks of it she’d been drinking up a storm, too. As he stood at the end of the table, glowering down at her, Chloe didn’t even make an effort to lift her gaze to his. Reaching out, clasping his fingers around her upper arm, and keeping his voice low but stern, Randall issued out his command to her.

“Come with me now, little girl.” He practically pulled Chloe out of the booth then escorted her out the front entrance of the pub in total utter silence.

The body language Chloe threw his way told him enough that she was pissed as all hell. He didn’t know what had set her off tonight or what caused her to be so, well, out of sorts. Probably that time of the month again. Well, he hoped it was that, at least.

Once they were both in his truck Randall drove straight home. He heard Chloe mutter something about her car, but right now that was the least of his concerns. Her defying a direct order was his only concern right now. One he was prepared to get to the bottom of, even if it took him the rest of the goddamn night.

Hell, the reason he’d called her in the first place tonight was to let her know he was coming home and that he had the next few days off. The time off was guaranteed by his team leader. Also, Randall had heard Chloe had been trying to get in touch with him and he wanted to make sure everything was all right with her. Obviously it wasn’t.

Cutting the engine at the end of his driveway, Randall turned in his seat to face her. The whole ride back from the pub to his place had been made in complete silence, even though the tension in the truck was dense. Gripping her chin with his forefinger and thumb, he turned her head to face him.

“Chloe, when you step inside the house you will go straight to our room. You will strip and present yourself to me. You will not speak unless given a direct question. And you will not move until I say you can.” He lifted her head higher and stared straight into her hazel eyes which were glimmering with defiance. “Do you understand your orders, Chloe? Yes or no, Sir, will be sufficient.”

“Yes, Sir,” she bit out through gritted teeth to him.

She was still pissed, that much he knew. Why? Well, that’s what he was going to find out sooner or later. After exiting his truck, Randall went around and helped Chloe down. Resting a hand on her lower back, he ushered her inside. Closing and locking the front door behind them, Randall turned around to see Chloe standing still in the middle of the hallway. Her muscles were tense. Her arms were crossed over her breasts.

Silently moving to stand behind her, he leant in and whispered his command into her ear. “Bedroom, Chloe. Strip and present yourself and wait for me to come to you.” He raised his voice loud enough to cause her to shudder slightly from hearing his tone. “Now!”

Chloe took off down the hall to their bedroom immediately. Randall didn’t follow her. Chloe needed time alone and she needed to calm the fuck down so he could get through to her. Then and only then he could get the answers to his many questions. Right now, Chloe had an emotional wall erected, separating him from her. Randall loathed the distance she had put between them. Until that wall crumbled nothing he said or did would get through to her tonight.

Only time alone would help crumble the foundations of that wall.

Time alone in a submissive pose would help centre her emotions and feelings. Make her understand that when he gave her a direct order to stay home, it was for her own safety and not from him wanting to assert his dominance on her.

More importantly, Chloe needed to start trusting him. Not just trusting him with her body like she did so easily now, but also trust him with her life, her heart and her soul. Randall wanted Chloe to trust him with everything she had within her. It was the only way this unique relationship of theirs could work. Both Dom and sub had to have trust in each other. And right now it was the sub that was having the trusting issues, not him.

He’d give her an hour before going in to check on her though. If Chloe hadn’t calmed the fuck down by then, Randall would give her another hour, then another, then another until the time alone worked its magic. Giving her this solitude it should break through the pissed off part of her mind and crumble the emotional wall she had erected to no doubt protect herself.

What he wanted to know was why she felt the need to protect herself from him? Grabbing a beer from the fridge, Randall sank down on the sofa in the lounge room and switched the telly on, keeping the volume low so Chloe couldn’t hear what he was up to. He surfed through the channels until he found something intriguing enough to watch. Glancing up at the clock, he found that only twenty minutes had passed since they arrived home. Not long enough though to check on Chloe.

His hands itched to hold her, pet her, and tell her everything was all right. It seemed like she wanted that. Yet at the same time, Chloe needed something else entirely from him. She needed his dominance and she needed space and time for reflection. Randall was giving her that time.

Glancing at the clock again, he found that, shit, only another five minutes had passed. After being away from her for well over an entire week straight, except for about twenty-four hours, Randall found himself horny as hell. When he had been home Chloe had taken one look at him and sent him straight to bed. No sex, she told him. Sleep was the only thing he was getting from her.

Hell, maybe that’s why she was so angry with him. She was just sexually frustrated like he was. Shaking his head, Randall knew that wasn’t it. Something else had gotten to her tonight. He hoped it wasn’t another malicious message that had ticked her off. Maybe that’s why Chloe had been trying to get a hold of him, because she had received another message. Randall made a mental note then to talk to his team leader to ensure that if Chloe called she got put straight through to Mick or his team leader himself if Randall was tied up on a case.

Walking into the kitchen, throwing his empty bottle in the trash, Randall headed for the separate bathroom further down the hall for a shower, not wanting to use the bathroom linked to the bedroom they shared together. It hadn’t been long enough to check up on Chloe yet.

Chapter Nineteen

She didn’t know how long she knelt on the plush carpet on the bedroom floor for it could have been for forever. Yet not once did she move. Her muscles ached from having been in the same position for several long minutes. Her neck was sore from having to hold it at a certain angle for so long. And still she did not move one inch. No words were uttered from her mouth. But on the inside, Chloe screamed for Jon. Her screams were silent tortured ones left unheard. In her mind she wondered if her soundless cries for him were unwanted, if she was unwanted by him.

God, she had missed him so much over these last few days. Chloe was practically crawling out of her skin in need for him. She needed to see him and to feel him, and she desperately needed to hear his husky voice whisper his words of praise and love to her.

If Jon were to come into their bedroom now, Chloe knew he would see nothing of the pain she felt on the inside. He wouldn’t see the shattering of her heart from the love she held in there only for him, which was possibly an unwanted love.

Yes, she loved him. She hadn’t wanted to. Well, not so early in their relationship, at least. She had been known to fall in love quite early on in her relationships, only to be bitterly disappointed when those feelings were not reciprocated.

Even though she might not remember their time together when they were teenagers, Randall had briefly filled her in on a few stolen moments they had shared together. From his ramblings it still wasn’t clear to Chloe if she had fallen in love with him back then, or whether what she felt now was in some way a product of those distant feelings she had at one time or another held only for him. Feelings she had once felt and owned more than ten years ago, somehow reinstated.

Her eyes stung at the knowledge that if Randall didn’t love her, didn’t want her in his life any more, it would leave her crushed. Her heart would be shattered. There would be nothing left of her to live for, even. Oh god. Oh god. He must feel something for her, surely? He just had to.

She took a few slow, deep breaths, trying everything she could to steady her distraught nerves, to steady her rapidly beating heart, and to stop all thoughts of his rejection of her. However, there wasn’t anything she could do to stop her tears. They fell silently, just like the noiseless sobs escaping past her quivering lips. Chloe didn’t want Randall to see her like this. She was a mess. Her emotions were all over the place. Her head was everywhere it shouldn’t be, thinking about all the wrong things.

Kneeling on the bedroom floor naked and in a submissive pose, waiting for Jon to come to her, Chloe felt more vulnerable tonight than she ever had before. The usual empowerment she had felt in the past when in her presentation pose for him was not there tonight. Maybe it was because Jon wasn’t present in the room with her. Maybe his presence gave her the empowerment that was somewhat lacking in her tonight.

She didn’t like feeling so powerless, not when the stalker was upping his game. It would make her more defenceless to his threats. The latest message she had received from the sick bastard had pretty much done a number on her. The bastard’s threats were getting to her. He was toying with her emotions and forcing her to feel insecure.

Right then, Chloe knew she needed Randall. She needed his warm embrace surrounding her. She mouthed a silent plea to him. Words he would never hear but ones Chloe hoped in some way he felt. “Please, Jon, I need you. Please come to me. I’m so sorry. I’m so damn sorry for everything.”

More tears rolled down her cheek, dampening the plush cream carpet below her.

* * * *

Dressed in only a pair of distressed jeans, Randall padded silently down the hall to the bedroom on bare feet. Leaning against the door frame, he took in the vision of Chloe naked and in the submissive pose he had commanded. Her head was slightly lowered so he couldn’t see her eyes. However, Randall couldn’t miss her tears. There seemed to be a steady stream of tears rolling down her cheeks, dripping onto the carpet below where she knelt.

In his chest an ache started to build up at the sight of her silent tears. Walking over to her and quietly dropping to his knees in front of her, Randall pulled Chloe into his arms. Her sobs echoed louder when he crushed her to his bare chest. Running a hand up and down her back, soothing her cries, he weaved his other hand into her hair. Holding her close to him, Randall could feel her hot tears burning a path down his skin. He didn’t know how long Chloe had been like this, crying silently for him, or what had caused so many tears to fall from her hazel eyes. Nevertheless, he wasn’t letting her go until they stopped.

“Shh, I have you, Chloe. I have you.” His hand continued to caress her back, soothing her aching sobs. “I’m here, little girl. I’m right here with you. I’ll always be here for you, Chloe.” His words alone seemed to be what she needed to hear. Her sobs and tears began to abate after hearing his words.

Releasing her a few moments later from his hold on her, Randall sat back on his haunches. His eyes scanned her, trying to see what else Chloe was trying to tell him with her body language. He couldn’t get a gauge on anything else other than the tortured expression flickering in her hazel eyes.

Leaning in and placing a kiss under each eye, left swollen from so many fallen tears, Randall then captured her lips with his. Long and slow he kissed her. Their lips effortlessly moved against one another’s. Running his tongue over her lips and tasting the saltiness of her tears, it wasn’t enough. He needed more of her taste on him, much more.

“Open up for me, Chloe. Let me in, precious,” he murmured against her lips.

Her lips parted ever so slightly at his command. Immediately his tongue thrust inside her moist depths. Her tongue duelled with his at first, until he growled at her to stop. They both moaned at the intimacy of their embrace. It had been too long since he had held her, since he had kissed her, since he had tasted her sweetness on his lips. Never again would he be this long without her—a silent promise he made for them both.

Lacing the fingers of one hand into her hair, he pulled slightly on the caramel locks, forcing a soft moan to fall from her lips. His lips and tongue became more demanding the longer the kiss went on. Randall slid his spare hand up her rib cage, cupping the cool flesh of her breast in his hand. Her skin no longer held the warmth it should. At that knowledge Randall released his lips from hers.

Standing up stretching out a hand for her to take with hers, Chloe slipped her delicate hand into his. Helping her to her feet, Randall crushed her naked body to him. He devoured her lips once again, like a starved man. His eyes fluttered closed while his hands ran up and down her back, warming her cooled skin.

Cupping her ass in both hands and commanding Chloe to wrap her legs around his waist, he lifted her up then carried her into the adjacent bathroom. With the water in the shower running to heat up, Randall let Chloe slide slowly down the front of his body, knowing she could feel the erection punching through the front of his denim jeans. An erection he had only for her. Shedding his jeans, he tugged her into the awaiting shower with him.

Chapter Twenty

Stunned into silence and speechless with surprise, Chloe felt her heart melt when her man fell to his knees in front of her. As soon as Randall crushed her to him, she could no longer hold back her silent tears. Her sobs sounded like harsh, tortured cries for her lover. Chloe didn’t know why the sensation of his warm skin against her own created such a reaction from her. Or why just being in his arms felt so right.

The need to feel him wrapped tightly around her, his lips devouring hers, was something she had been longing for. They had spent so many days apart—too many days apart. She needed him, now more than ever before. Chloe had never felt more vulnerable or more scared of his love for her and of her own love for him. Yet at the same time she wanted to be accepting of his love for her and of giving hers to him. But how could she when it had to end?

His possession of her was something else she had yearned to experience again, something she had missed from this time apart. Here in his arms now as he bathed her, Chloe could sense Jon’s need to possess her growing. He wanted to mark her as his. More than anything she wanted to be marked as his.

She realised then that his possession gave her the comfort she had been seeking these last few days. Hell, even these last few hours. Here in his arms lay everything she had ever wanted and more. Randall was a gift to her. A rare treasure she never wanted to give up.

Now here she stood in the shower with him while he soaped and worshiped every flaw on her body every part of her with such gentleness it took her breath away. Chloe found herself wanting to weep at the tenderness he gave her so freely, even when she hadn’t earned the right to be cared for in such away after disobeying him.

The feel of his hardened length pressing against the damp folds of her pussy had her widening her stance for him. She needed him and he needed her. He slid into her core effortlessly, like she had been made for him and him alone. She moaned his name while feeding hungrily at his lips. She kissed him with all she was worth. Chloe felt honoured that Randall allowed her to control the kiss. He even handed over permission for her tongue to duel with his so she could taste him. His unique taste and flavour was something she could get addicted to very easily as it burst to life in her mouth.

With his hips continuing to drive forward, forcing his cock to be buried deep inside her, Chloe couldn’t help but grind her pelvis against him. His movements were gradual and precise. His cock hit her G-spot on every forward thrust of his hips, forcing a cry to fall from her lips. He was compelling her with his actions to experience every inch of his impressive length inside of her. There was no escaping the sense of being filled by him.

His arms surrounded her just like his love surrounded her. There wasn’t one part of her where she didn’t feel him. Randall was everywhere. He was inside of her. He was outside of her, covering her body with his warmth. He enveloped her heart with his love. Randall made sure she could feel him all the way to her heart. Chloe couldn’t help but to surrender to the passion he had stirred up inside of her.

She let go.

She came for him on his command and bathed his cock with her juices. Her climax was so strong she needed his arms to hold her upright. When he recaptured her lips with his he feasted on them like a man who had just found his soul mate. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer to her, then felt him let go. His warm seed spilled deep into her core. His groaned vibrated against her lips.

A blissful aura enveloped them both as warm water slid over their naked bodies. Holding on to him tightly, Chloe touched her lips to his chest. She could feel Randall softening inside of her. She was reluctant to let go of him, not wanting to lose the connection she had with him. Or feel the emptiness that followed when he finally slipped free from her pussy. Their combined releases spilled down her leg and onto the shower floor.

She loved being here like this with him. Loved the way he cherished her body and the pleasure he alone could give her. She still needed to tell him why she had gone out alone tonight. She also knew she had to tell him about the new message she had received. However, Chloe refused to spill to Jon how deeply she found herself falling for him. And she sure wasn’t about to open up to him about how her feelings scared her to death, either. Once they were both washed, he tugged her out of the shower and dried her off before drying himself off. When her gaze drifted up to his, Chloe could see everything Jon held in his heart for her. Swallowing back more tears, she allowed him to gather her into his arms and carry her into their bedroom.

The soft glow emanating from the full moon was the only source of light in their room. The only sound to be heard came from their combined breathing. No words were spoken as he gently lowered her onto the bed and rolled her onto her stomach. Hugging a pillow underneath her chin with her arms, Chloe waited to see what Jon was going to do next.

When she heard the sound of liquid being squeezed out of a bottle she instantly became anxious. They hadn’t had anal sex yet. Randall had told her he wanted to try it with her when she was ready, too. Chloe had never tried it before and was in two minds whether she wanted to or not. She knew that he would be gentle with her and would go slow being he would be her first. She just wasn’t sure she was up to giving it a try tonight though.

* * * *

Rubbing the warming oil in his hands, Randall climbed up onto the bed so he could straddle Chloe’s thighs. He could sense her nervousness about what he was going to do to her through the tension in her body. She had probably never anticipated this though. Positioning his hands on her shoulders, Randall began massaging them. He planned to rub and knead all the knots out of her muscles. After being in a submissive pose for so long he knew her muscles would be aching and tight. He planned on removing every single one of her knots and aches from her tired muscles tonight.

When Chloe tensed up underneath his touch, Randall leant forward until his lips caressed over her ear. “Relax, lover, let me take care of you,” he whispered to her.

She relaxed then, breathing deeply and slowly. Her eyes lowered, her dark lashes caressing the tops of her cheeks. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep underneath his hands.

Once he finished massaging her back, shoulders, and legs, Randall tucked Chloe into their bed then slid in beside her. Feeling his presence next to her, Chloe moved in her sleeping state, curling her warm, naked body up against his own. He kissed the top of her head, and ever so quietly he said the words he had been aching to say to her once again. Only this time his heartfelt message wouldn’t be heard. His words were barely above a whisper and nowhere near loud enough for her to hear them. “Sleep well, my precious one, my only one. Sleep well this night, my lover.”

It was a dream he had dreamt a thousand times, now a reality that had come true. Chloe was in every way his again.

Only this time Randall wasn’t going to give her up.

He planned to keep her close to his side and in his heart. He wasn’t going to be the gutless swine he had been when he left her all those years ago. No. This time Chloe was stuck with his Dominant ass whether she wanted it or not. And she wanted it. Randall could feel it and sense it every time he made love to her. The light in her eyes showed him her need for him. Chloe craved what he could give to her. She wanted more from him, too. He knew that, too.

Would she let him into her heart again though? That was the unanswered question that only time could answer for him.

Patience had never been his strongest point. However, this time Randall found himself digging deep to find the patience needed if Chloe allowed him back into her heart and into her life as a permanent fixture.

Love couldn’t be rushed. He knew that all too well. It had to be earned like trust. You had to be worthy of receiving the love and trust from the person wanting to give it to you. And he wanted both Chloe’s trust and undying love so badly he ached inside with want and need for them. With his arms wrapped around her, Randall hugged Chloe closer to him until her warmth seeped into him. His head fell back onto the pillow, the last few days of no sleep finally catching up to him. He fell asleep with the knowledge that his Chloe lay in his arms safe and protected. Most importantly, she would always be loved by him.

Chapter Twenty-One

Sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen the following morning, Randall found himself glancing sideways at Chloe again, watching her eat her cereal in utter silence. She had barely said two words to him this morning. He still waited for a response from her on what had happened last night that had had her defying his order.

However, Chloe just sat there in complete silence. No words fell from her lips as a way of explanation to justify her actions. Rage began to eat him alive inside from her staying mum on the subject. Her silence on the matter downright pissed him off.

Lifting his mug to his lips, Randall sipped at his coffee while counting to ten. Ten seconds, he’d give her ten more seconds to remain silent to his question. Why had she left the house unprotected?

If Chloe had the need to push him this morning, well, Randall was in the mood for her to push him all she wanted. His hand itched to dish out a little punishment on the bare ass of his sassy little sub today.

Setting his mug down on the bench, Randall turned in his seat to face her. “I’m still waiting for your answer,” he snarled out at her.

“So wait,” she uttered to him. Her eyes lingered on the blank kitchen wall in front of her the whole time. Not once did Chloe glance his way. Watching her shove another spoonful of cereal into her mouth pissed him off even more. Her actions told him the subject was closed for her.

The subject was nowhere near closed enough for him to ever be satisfied.

He growled at her then, showing his displeasure at her continued silence on the matter.

Shoving back his seat and picking up his empty plate and mug, Randall stalked over to the sink, dropping his dishes into it with a loud bang. Then he turned and stalked back over to where Chloe sat. He took her mug and bowl from her, just as she lifted another spoonful of cereal up to her lips. The spoon stopped halfway to her mouth when she snapped at him. “Hey, I haven’t finished with that, you know.”

“You have now, little girl. You have now.”

Her body instantly went ridged when he called her “little girl.” Chloe might not want to see his Dominant side this morning. She was getting it whether she wanted to or not. Seeing the flare of her irritation flash in her eyes while her hand held the spoon in an unyielding grip, Randall crossed his arms over his chest and glared across the room at her.

“I said I hadn’t finished with that, Jon,” she said, her voice rising with every word she spoke.

He stalked closer to her so only the breakfast bar separated them. Chloe visibly gulped at the brooding look he threw her way. His eyes pierced into hers as the silent seconds ticked by them. To his utter disbelief, Chloe lifted up her hand and threw the spoonful of uneaten cereal at him then stormed out of the kitchen.

Cursing and growling at her retreating ass, Randall wiped the cereal away from his face with a dishrag then stormed after her. Obviously her pissed-off mood from last night was back. It wasn’t hard to miss her apparent struggle to understand why she felt compelled to obey him. Randall knew it would take Chloe time to come to an understanding that he was her Dom and she was his sub. Her surrender to him was as natural to her as it was for her to breathe. Chloe just needed to trust in herself to let go and fall into him, and trust that he would always be there to catch her when she fell.

Randall caught up to Chloe just as she stepped into the lounge room. Reaching out with his hand, he snagged her upper arm and spun her around so she stood face-to-face with him. He pinned her with his eyes. Her defiance was naturally blazing in hers. That defiance of hers was like waving a red flag at an enraged bull. And he was the bull she was waving that flag at.

He allowed her the briefest of moments to flicker her gaze over him. To his own amusement, he watched as Chloe readjusted her stance into a more defiant one. He smirked down at her, knowing full well it would piss her off even more.

It wasn’t hard for her to push him to his absolute limits. Randall was only just discovering now where his limits lay with her. So for now he would allow Chloe to push him, to test how far she could go. He only hoped she knew what she was getting herself into by pushing him this far. He loved her sassy, fiery personality she gifted him with daily.

Today though, he had reached his limits with her. He only hoped Chloe was brave enough to accept the punishment he was about to dish out to her. There was no way he would go easy on her. They were both well and truly past that point. The thought of having Chloe’s bare ass lying across his lap made his dick hard just from thinking about it.

His head snapped up when he heard Chloe curse him under her breath. With her hands on her hips she glared up at him. It was clearly evident to him, from the words she spat out, just how deep her fury ran. Randall had to physically hold back the sly smirk wanting to curve at his lips from hearing her fiery words. “What, Randall? What the hell do you want from me?”

He stalked closer to her. Chloe gulped but didn’t move an inch.

“What I want from you, little girl, is for you to strip and present yourself. Then you will take your punishment as I see fit. That, Chloe is what I want from you, now!” he growled to her.

“Well, that may be what you want, Jon. It certainly isn’t what you’re going to get from me, now or ever,” she yelled back at him.

Her eyes never left his as he advanced on her. She didn’t give an inch as he came storming up to stand nose to nose with her. Randall was more than aware that Chloe was prepared to argue whatever point she wanted to argue with him. They were both past the point of controlling their own frustration at some unknown element this morning. Hell, even last night, too.

Something was still troubling her and she was keeping him in the dark about it. He had had enough of her evading his questions and her unwillingness to open up to him. Chloe needed to learn and learn fast that there wasn’t anything she couldn’t share with him. That there wasn’t anything she couldn’t say to him. And most importantly there wasn’t anything she couldn’t trust him with, including her life.

He knew Chloe couldn’t control her fiery emotions the more worked up she got. They spilled from her thick and fast. It amused him how much he loved hearing her heated fighting words. Her aroused state flushed her skin. She seemed both surprised and annoyed by the fact that she found herself aroused.

If he thought his dick couldn’t possibly get any harder he’d been wrong, so bloody wrong. His dick was so hard it was on the verge of being painful. Why had he found himself in this state? In one word, Chloe. She was making him so crazy with lust and desire for her. He couldn’t think straight. Her sassy, mouthy comments and attitude had his dick hardening within seconds of the words falling from those pouty, soft lips of hers.

He was going to take her. There was no question about it. Randall could sense Chloe’s arousal rising by the second. He would bet her pussy was thoroughly wet and ready for him to take her now if he wanted to. He couldn’t wait to feel her heated warmth wrapped around his dick. To feel her come apart underneath him, while he thrust harder and faster with his hardened cock, only to then explode deep inside of her filling her with his seed, while she shattered around his dick with her own orgasm. And that was if he allowed her permission to come. That all depended on how well she took to her punishment. If she pleased him, he would then offer her a chance to come. If she doesn’t please him, well, Chloe would learn to bear her punishments more graciously next time.

“I gave you a command, little girl. I expect you to follow through with it.”

“Well, maybe you expect too much from me, Jon. Ever think about that?”

Shit. No, he hadn’t. It never even crossed his mind that he had demanded too much from her too soon. “You have a safe word, Chloe. If I push you too far then use it.”

Squaring her shoulders and narrowing her eyes at him, Chloe uttered the one word he never thought he would hear her say to him. But in the heat of the moment the word fell from her lips. “History,” she uttered to him.

Releasing his hand on her arm and dragging a hand through his hair, Randall cursed out loud. Just like that Chloe had uttered her safe word to him. They were meant to stop whatever they were doing. However, all they had done was argue. He swore again and began pacing around the lounge room floor.

Turning, he stopped and glanced over to where Chloe stood with her back to him. The reason she had said her safe word was something he needed to get to the bottom of right now. “Answer me this one question, Chloe. Why did you say your safe word then?”

Shrugging her shoulders at him, she remained silent. Slowly, Chloe glanced back over her shoulder at him. Randall could see in her eyes that she had never meant to say her safe word, that it had been said in the heat of the moment. “Why, Chloe, why did you say it? What was it that you wanted to stop?”

Lowering her gaze from his, her answer was a softly spoken one to him. “I don’t know why. I was angry and wanted to do something that would piss you off.”

“You do realise what the safe word is for and the importance of using it properly?”

“Yes, Sir,” she whispered quietly to him.

Randall knew in that moment they had both pushed each other too far this morning, hell, even last night. A week’s separation from your lover made you do some crazy shit. Before either of them pushed each other any further, it was time to discuss what had happened last night. Because it was obviously still playing on Chloe’s mind. She needed to tell him something. Randall hadn’t given her the time to say it to him in a calm manner.

Walking over to her, resting a hand on her lower back, and leaning in, he whispered into her ear. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I know it’s been hard on you these past few days I’ve been away. Come sit down and talk to me, precious.”

He guided her over to the sofa, and Chloe took a seat on the far end of the sofa while Randall parked his ass down on the low end table in front of her. Taking both her hands in one of his, he used the other hand to cup her face gently.

“Talk to me, Chloe. Let me in. Tell me what has you so worked up this morning and last night.”

“I don’t know, Jon,” she uttered to him. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

“Why did you leave the house alone last night then?”

“I couldn’t stand being there anymore.” She sighed heavily. “It felt like the walls were caving in on me. I had to get out of there, Jon. I just had to. I know I disobeyed you. I know I have to take whatever your punishment you decide for me is.” She looked up at him then, and Randall could see the tortured expression in her hazel eyes.

Yes, he would still follow through with his punishment and she would take it without questioning him. But he needed to remove that tortured expression from her eyes first.

“I am sorry, Jon, for leaving the house when you told me not to. I am sorry for disappointing you, too, by defying you. I know the command you gave me was for my own protection.” Shaking her head, Chloe didn’t say anything further to him. He could tell she wanted his forgiveness. He would give it to her. After hearing her sweet apology to him how could he not forgive her?

Reaching out and tucking the fallen locks of hair back behind her ears, he ran his hands down her arms, squeezing them gently. “I accept your apology, Chloe. I know you will accept the punishment I decide upon for you. What I want to understand though is why you felt the need to leave the house. What was it that made you feel like the walls were caving in on you?”

She turned her gaze away from him then.

“Look at me, Chloe. Help me understand. I want to know what is going on in that pretty little head of yours.”

Her gaze drifted down to the hands he held with his. Randall could sense Chloe’s struggle to find the right words to say to avoid making the situation worse than it already was.

“I left because I received another message, Jon, worse than the previous messages left from the sick bastard. I tried to contact you to tell you about it, but you wouldn’t take my calls.” Drawing in a deep breath, Chloe continued. “I wasn’t prepared to sit around and wait for the sick bastard to strike out at me. So I left even though I knew my leaving the house directly disobeyed your command not to leave.”

She tried to move off the sofa to pace away from him. Randall stood firm and refused let go of her hands, leaving Chloe with no choice but to stay put. Biting down on her quivering lower lip, she waited for him to say something to her. Knowing that she had displeased him with her disobedience would make her feel even more disappointed in herself for her own actions. And more determined than ever to accept the punishment he dealt out to her.

“How do you mean worse, Chloe? How could it possibly be any worse than ‘die, bitch’?”

* * * *

Glancing away from Randall, Chloe could still hear how enraged the voice had sounded on the answering machine. The message left for her had been pretty clear and straight to the point. The viciousness of the words still rolled around in her head. Try as she might, she couldn’t figure out how the voice knew so much about her.

The maliciousness in this new message alone had the power to rip the beating heart right out of her chest. Because deep down, Chloe knew it had the power to come true this time. Nothing could stop him. Not even Randall could protect her from the sick fuck targeting her.

Taking a fleeting look up at Randall’s face she relayed the latest message word for word. “He said, ‘Not even your officer lover can save you this time, bitch. I will kill you. You will die, bitch. Soon, mark my words.’”

When she first heard this new message she had been so afraid not only from the words spoken but also the menace echoing in his voice. Chloe knew the moment she heard the message that this bastard targeting her would take her away from her Randall. There wasn’t anything she could do to prevent it.

It killed her knowing she would lose Randall after only just finding him. Her heart ached at the thought that Jon would never know how much she loved him. Chloe wished more than anything that she could have had forever in Jon’s arms. Now she only had days, weeks or months left. The stalker after her would choose when she died and how. Chloe had no way to stop her fate. No way to control when her life ended or how her life would end.

She hated the sense of loss of control over her own fate, hated it with a passion. It made her so furious losing what little control she did have over her own damn life. The thing that made her grieve the most was the thought of never seeing Randall’s piercing sky-blue eyes ever again. Never having them gazing upon her. Never feeling the strength of his arms wrapped around her at night keeping her warm and safe while she slept. And never hearing him whisper his words of love and praise to her ever again. Her heart broke at that thought alone.

“Oh, god…” A silent sob fell from her lips and just like last night her silent aguish threatened to tear her apart once again. More tears fell, dampening her cheeks as they slid from her eyes. Chloe didn’t move when the sofa dipped as Randall settled down beside her. She needed his strength and ownership now more than ever before.

His strong arms cradled her against him. His words meant the world to her.

Her tears fell from the anguish at the sense of loss so profound it had the strength to shatter something inside of her. She felt broken inside. She knew she had to dig deep within herself to conquer the anguish swirling around inside of her. Somehow she needed to find the strength to fight against the one targeting her. A battle Chloe was determined to succeed at and win.

She wanted to kill the one threatening her. Make him hurt like she hurt now. The idea of never seeing Randall ever again, or never having him in her life hurt so much. Being in his arms now was bittersweet, because she knew it would never be forever. And she wanted forever in Randall’s arms and in his heart. God, she wanted it so badly she thought she would die from just the need alone.

Chapter Twenty-Two

For a long moment he held her close to him. Her tears continued to fall freely. Randall knew then this was the reason behind the tortured expression he’d seen in her eyes. She feared the one after her. And the one after her was stepping up his game. The bastard knew enough about Chloe to know who her lover was and that her lover was an officer on active duty.

Randall realised then that in order to protect her, Chloe would need to have someone with her twenty-four-seven, to eliminate any chance of the this asshole getting close enough to her take her away from him. He would call Mick, maybe even Mary J, to see if they could help out in the area of ‘babysitting’ his woman. Randall would personally make damn sure Chloe obeyed every command given to her in order to keep her safe and protected.

There was no way he was planning on losing his woman to some crazed lunatic. No fucking way was this bastard getting his hands on his woman.

Chloe was the one person Randall loved with all his heart and soul. The only person he had ever loved. He had always been in love with her, ever since the day he bumped into her at the local cafe after school one day. A chance meeting when they were young teenagers which ended up changing their lives forever.

He had only ever loved one woman in his life. That one woman was in his arms now. Until his last dying breath, Chloe would always be his, mind, heart, body, and soul. She was his and had always been his. No one would take her away from him. No one, and that included the one threatening her.

Chloe would forever be a part of his soul and forever be embedded in his heart. There was no way Randall would walk away from her. There was definitely no way he would let someone take her from this earth. Chloe would survive this attack on her life. He would make sure of it. He would also make damn sure she was protected at all times, and obeyed every command given to her. Otherwise, she would feel his full wrath on that bare arse of hers if she so much as defied him this one time when her life was truly at risk. “I will stop him, precious. I won’t let him take you from me, I promise you,” he murmured into her ear.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Knowing she still had a punishment to be handed out to her, Chloe brushed away the last of her remaining tears. Removing herself from Jon’s embrace she stood up before him. His eyes never left hers as she silently stripped away her clothing from her body.

In a way, stripping the material from her body and baring her entire being to him was like baring all of her emotions to him at once. Randall would see everything. He would see all of her flaws. He would see all the insecurities she tried to hide from him. The one thing Chloe had tried hard to keep from him would be the one thing in plain view—the amount of love she held in her heart for him, an unspoken love. Standing nude in front of him, Chloe lowered herself to the floor to kneel before him in the submissive pose he had taught her. She knew by doing this she would please him. In some small way she knew that her taking the initiative to strip and present herself would please Randall enough to remove the worry from both their minds even if for a brief few moments.

A punishment was owed to her and Randall had the power and the dominance needed to provide her with that punishment. So Chloe waited there silently for Jon to act. She couldn’t see him with her eyes lowered to the floor. She could hear him though, scooting forward on the sofa. She heard how his breathing changed when he watched her strip to present her body to him.

In fact Chloe found this morning she was submitting more than just her body. She was submitting her heart and soul to him, too.

She was submitting her entire being to his keeping.

Her time with him was maybe running out, a fact she could feel down to her very bones. She was determined to give Jon the one thing he always wanted from her, her total submission. Without her questioning it, without any arguments from her, Chloe would give herself over to him to allow Jon this one thing he needed from her most of all.

Not only was she doing this for him, she was also doing it for herself as well. Her full submission today represented her parting gift to him. Something he could look back on when her life was taken from him. He could at least remember this one moment, the moment she submitted to him so completely. It’s the only thing Chloe had control over now. Her submission to Randall was all she had left in her life to control.

The one and only thing she could give to him without regret, unlike her heart. She would regret not having the time needed to give him her whole heart.

Yeah, deep down, Chloe knew she would regret the decision not to convey how much she loved him. Her verbally acknowledging her love for him would only end up hurting both of them in the end. So she held back on saying those three words, knowing they would be lost on him. If she was going to be removed from his life permanently, her saying she loved him would only end destroying them both in the end. The pain caused from admitting out loud what could have been between them wasn’t worth the hurt.

Her heart ached at the thought of never saying those words to him or never waking up in his arms every morning for the rest of their natural lives. His morning wake-up calls he gifted her with were now reduced to only a few. The bastard targeting her would rip her from the safety of Randall’s arms all too soon.

Pushing back on those dark thoughts, Chloe quieted her mind and waited for Randall’s command.

* * * *

Randall kept his eyes on Chloe as she stripped and presented herself to him in the most perfect submissive pose he had ever seen. He had never been so pleased with her. His beautiful Chloe had given him everything he had ever dreamt of and more. She had submitted her whole self to him. No matter what the reasons behind it were she had submitted everything to him today. It pleased him beyond words that she could offer herself to him like this.

A thought occurred to him then that maybe Chloe was doing this because of the increased threat the asshole had made upon her. Whatever the reason for her full submission today, it pleased him. Standing up from the sofa, Randall stepped forward so he stood in front of her. Cupping her face in both his hands, he lifted her head up so he could see into the beauty of her hazel eyes.

“You please me greatly today, little girl, with your submission.”

Placing a gentle kiss to her forehead, Chloe’s eyes fluttered closed briefly as his lips caressed her skin. Stepping back from her, Randall sat back down in the middle of the sofa, giving Chloe enough room to lie across his lap. Patting his lap with his hand, he commanded her to rise and come to him so she could take her punishment across his knees. Gracefully she rose from her position on the floor and silently padded toward him. Kneeling on the sofa beside him, Chloe lowered herself across his lap. No doubt, she would feel his cock stiffening as it pressed into the softness of her belly.

Lowering a hand to the fleshy globes of her ass, Randall laid his other arm across her back to prevent her from rising. Gently he caressed her delectable ass with his hand. He rubbed and massaged it until he heard Chloe moan softly. Randall knew then he had manipulated her wanting flesh enough for her to relax.

Raising his hand, he ordered her to count every time his hand landed on her bare flesh. Then without warning he dropped his hand to her bare ass, relishing in the feel of the instant warmth spreading across her blushing skin from the slap he had given her. The hard slap to her flesh echoed throughout the room.

“One, Sir,” Chloe sighed as he let his hand fall on the other cheek of her ass. “Two, Sir.”

Randall smirked at seeing the redness forming on her pale flesh. He didn’t give up with every fall of his hand across her bare ass and the backs of her thighs. He stopped only briefly to caress the warm flesh, easing the sting from his hand, when Chloe sighed out, “Twenty, Sir.”

His dick was so hard he had no choice but to unzip his jeans to relieve some of the pressure on it. But he was nowhere done with her punishment yet.

Raising his hand again, he landed it right at the crease of her ass. The strikes continued to come down on her harder and faster. Randall wanted Chloe to go into the subspace where she could forget all her troubles and concentrate on only the pleasure/pain he gave her.

By the time she uttered out, “Forty-five, Sir,” in a breathy sigh, Randall knew she was there. He landed the last five blows to both her ruby-red cheeks in quick succession. His hand rubbed over the marks he had given her on her heated flesh. Randall was pleased with the way Chloe took her punishment.

“Rise, little girl, and kneel between my legs,” he commanded to her in a husky, lusted-filled voice.

Chloe quickly scampered off his lap. She winced slightly as she knelt before him. There was no doubt in his mind her ass and the backs of her thighs would feel like they were on fire from the chastisement he just dealt out to her. Hopefully, Chloe enjoyed the heat he brought to her wanting flesh as much as he enjoyed giving it to her.

“Good girl,” he praised her. “Now, little girl, take my cock in your mouth and suck it. Show me how much you want my cock in that tight little pussy of yours.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chloe was so turned on by his words, she could actually feel moisture dripping from her pussy. She desperately wanted to ease the ache inside her core but knew if she were to squeeze her thighs shut, she would only disappoint him. That was the last thing she wanted to do right now.

Gripping his straining length in her hands she worked the hardened length briefly. Licking her lips, she thumbed away the pre-cum dribbling from the slit on the blunt head of his cock. Hearing him growl at her had more moisture dripping from her core. Her clit burned for relief. Her nipples were tight with need. Her whole body ached with need for his ownership. Her pussy throbbed, begging to be filled by him. Yet he didn’t make any effort to touch her.

She watched as more pre-cum spilled from his cock. Darting her tongue across the blunt head, she removed the creamy liquid. The taste of his essences quenched a thirst she didn’t even know she had. Lowering her mouth, Chloe swallowed him all the way to the back of her throat in one precise movement. She moaned at the taste of him in her mouth. His cock swelled and hardened even more. Slowly she moved her lips up the length of his cock. Her tongue licked at the straining veins. Randall groaned, but didn’t make a move to halt her movements. He gave her the freedom to explore him and to learn on her own what he liked and didn’t like.

Revelling in her newfound freedom, probably her one and only chance to explore him so freely, Chloe grazed her teeth along his shaft as she slid him out of her mouth. She relished the hiss he gave her and proceeded to do it all over again.

She could tell she was getting to him when his cock hardened further. His control was shaky at best as more pre-cum spilled onto her tongue. She wanted more. She needed more. Chloe wanted Randall to spill his seed into her mouth so she could taste all his creamy slickness on her tongue. She hungered for him, starved for a taste of his unique essence. She sniggered to herself, thinking Randall probably thought she had a sweet, innocent mouth. He wouldn’t have that impression any more.

A hand fell into her hair, halting her movements on his cock. Randall must have been closer to release than she thought. Delighted by this outcome, Chloe doubled her efforts on his cock when he released his grip in her hair. She continued to show him how much she worshiped having his cock in her mouth.

Her head bobbed up and down, waiting in anticipation for him to find his release. Sure enough, he said the words she’d been longing to hear to know she had pleased him enough to being him to completion. “I’m going to come, little girl, and you’re going to swallow every single drop I spill into that delectable mouth of yours.”

She nodded her head to answer him, as he began thrusting forcibly into her mouth. Chloe couldn’t hold back the moan when his cum spurted from the blunt tip of his cock and into her mouth. She groaned loudly as she swallowed every drop he fed her. His essence was like nothing she had ever tasted before. She loved the salty taste of him and wanted more of it. Hearing him say to her, “Greedy little girl, aren’t we?” had her nodding her head in answer to him, as she continued to lick and suck his softening cock. He chuckled at her as he slipped free from her mouth. Glancing up at him, Chloe could see the desire held in his eyes for her. His sky-blue orbs were almost black from the pleasure she had gifted him with. Swiping the excess cum from her lips with her tongue, she watched the flames of hunger burn brightly in his eyes. Oh boy, Randall didn’t just want her, he wanted to consume her. Chloe shivered at that delicious thought coming true.

Leaning down, he pressed a quick kiss to her lips then murmured his words of praise to her. She smiled up at him at hearing his words. “You have pleased me greatly today, little girl.”

He reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. Laying her head against his chest, Chloe almost purred like a contented kitten as his hand swept up and down her hair continuously.

“Now, I want to please you. Tell me, precious, how I can please you and show you the same pleasure you have so graciously given me.”

Chloe stared up at him, stunned.

He didn’t just say that, did he? He chuckled at her then. He obviously saw the confusion on her face. She had always been easy to read. Well, so she’d been told.

“You heard right, little girl. It’s your turn to be pleasured, precious.” His hand slipped between her legs. His finger feathered through her wet folds. She shuddered against him. “Tell me, little girl, what would bring you to release.”

Surely he couldn’t be serious, could he? Chloe was over the moon that she was able to please him to completion. However, never in a million years did she expect him to return the favour. Just when she thought she had him all figured out, Randall went and turned the tables on her, again.

Nevertheless, the ache in her core was too intense right now to ignore any longer. Chloe knew the answer to that question of how to bring her to release. She needed him and his wickedly talented cock deep inside her slick core. Hard and fast, that’s how she wanted him. How she needed him. Staring up at Randall, knowing he could see her intense hunger for him, Chloe uttered her request to him. She crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping that he accepted her request. “I need you hard and fast, Sir. That’s what I need from you, if it would please you to do so. ”

“Rise, little girl,” he told her.

Chloe quickly rose to her feet. Anticipation of what was to come flowing throughout her as she watched Randall ditch his jeans. With his cock in his hand he fisted himself as his gaze lingered on her nakedness. Chloe wished then she, too, could touch herself to take some of the edge off. But she couldn’t. She didn’t have permission. Her pussy belonged to him. Randall would advise her when she could touch what belonged to him.

Once he was fully erect again, he gripped her warmed ass in his hands and lifted her up. Chloe wrapped both her legs around his waist. He carried her over to the nearest vacant wall. She hissed out as her warm ass met the cold wall. He smirked at her discomfort, which was a direct result of his hand on her ass. Bastard!

He raised both of her hands above her head. He tapped them once with his hand, a silent command for her to keep them there. Chloe knew she would obey him, this time. Her heart started racing as Randall reached between their bodies and grabbed hold of his dick. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she watched him penetrate into her weeping core. A cry escaped past her lips at the pleasure/pain his invasion caused her. In this position she swore his cock felt bigger inside her. He found her lips, effectively silencing her cries as he continued to pump his hips into hers at a devastating pace. Chloe tightened her inner core muscles around his cock when he thrust up and held himself there. The pressure of his unyielding grip on her hips would leave bruises, she was sure of it. A fact she was proud of. She would happily display the marks Randall gave her from the pleasure he bestowed upon her.

Her lips felt swollen as Randall continued to ravish them with his kisses. Her nipples were needy and cried out for his mouth. Her breasts felt heavy and achy and in need of his caress. Her pussy, meanwhile, felt worshiped by his unrelenting cock as he drove her higher and higher toward ecstasy.

His lips finally found their way down to her achy nipples. He sucked each one into his mouth. One then the other, over and over, he sucked and licked at her taut little buds. Chloe couldn’t take much more of this. He was literally consuming her with pleasure. His hunger for her was something Chloe wondered if she would ever get used to.

She moaned deeply at the feel of Randall’s teeth biting down on the nipple he had been feasting on. She whimpered. Then he tortured her further by applying pressure to her clit with his finger. “Oh god, Oh, go, oh god,” she cried out as her orgasm came roaring up on her. She couldn’t hold back. She was going to come without permission. She could feel it.

Clamping down on his cock with her inner muscles, Chloe hoped that Randall would feel the little tremors around his cock as he drove into her. His hard and fast pumps may have been what she needed earlier, but now she needed something else. She needed to desperately hear his command for her to come.

Finally, Randall grunted out the one word she had been desperately seeking. “Come.” Chloe exploded into a million tiny pieces of pleasure. Her whole body writhed against him. Her orgasm seemed to consume her into full-blown ecstasy, one she had never experienced before now. It was both heavenly and frightening to know Jon could make her feel so much.

She heard her name fall from his lips as he let go. The feel of his cum jetting deep inside her core had her diving headfirst into another, even more powerful, orgasm that left her both breathless and sated.

He teased her lips with a searing kiss, showing his sole ownership of her. The passion and the love he held for her showed as their lips shifted and rubbed against one another. His hands held her sated body against his as he continued feasting on her lips. The wall, once cold against her skin, was now warmed from their passion. Lowering her hands into his hair, Chloe tugged him closer to her lips, forcing his tongue deeper inside her mouth.

Moments later he released her legs from around his waist and lowered them to the floor. Chloe could barely keep herself upright. Her limbs felt like soggy noodles. She laughed at that thought. Randall had turned her into a soggy noodle. Draping her limp arms around his neck, she tugged him down for another quick mesh of lips upon lips.

They were both sweaty and breathing heavily after he had given her what she needed—him, hard and fast. She took his swollen lips again before he had time to react, and kissed him passionately. Her tongue forged its way into his mouth to taste him. She released his lips just as quickly as she took them.

He leaned his forehead against hers and whispered to her, “I think you killed me, precious.” Chloe laughed at his statement then sobered quickly. Realisation flashed in his eyes and he swiftly apologised.

Saying she almost killed him when there was a threat against her own life was not something they should be joking about, ever. Gathering her up into his arms, he kissed her forehead tenderly then carried her down the hall to the bathroom. Resting her satisfied body on the edge of the bathtub, she waited for the bath to fill with warm water.

Once the bath was half filled, Randall lowered her into the warm, scented water then settled himself in behind her. His arms came around her belly, cradling her tightly against him. Chloe found she never wanted this moment to end. It felt so right having him surrounding her like this. Turning her head to his, she captured his lips in another scorching, demanding kiss. His tongue delved into her mouth when her lips parted without a need to command it.

Sensing his need to say something to her, Chloe broke away from their kiss and gazed up at him expectantly, waiting for Randall to say what was on his mind.

“Chloe,” he murmured to her as he swept some sweat-damp locks away from her face with both of his hands. “You may not remember us. You may never remember what we once had together. I promise you here and now to always show you what we once meant to each other.” He kissed the inside of her hand he held within his. Chloe couldn’t help but gaze up at him speechlessly as Jon added on, “You are and always will be my precious one, my only one, Chloe.”

“What did you just say?” she said to him, her voice barely there from all the emotion swirling around in her heart.

“You want me to repeat the whole damn thing?” Randall shook his head at her. “Don’t you ever listen to anything I say, woman?”

“Yes, I heard you. It’s the last bit I want you to repeat for me, please.”

He proceeded to torture her with his lips, and kissed his way up the column of her neck, causing her to shiver against him. He whispered his words against her skin. “I said, my precious one, my only one.”

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Yet she didn’t say anything. She just stared up at him. “What, precious? What did I just say to get such a quiet reaction from you?” Randall asked her.

She didn’t care anymore if her tears fell or not. Turning around in the bath so she could cradle his face in both her hands, Chloe straddled his thighs. She took his lips with hers, kissing him soundly until she found the right words to say to him.

“It was you,” she said softly to him before kissing his lips again. “This whole time it was you.” Her tears ran freely down her cheeks.

His eyes locked onto hers as he raised an eyebrow up at her. “Me? What about me, precious?”

“It was your voice I heard. Every year on my birthday I heard your voice, heard your words.” Taking a deep breath, she continued on. “‘My precious one, my only one.’ I would hear you whisper those words to me. I just didn’t know, at the time, those beautiful words came from you.”

“Is that a bad thing, Chloe, knowing that I once said those words to you on your sixteenth birthday? Is it a bad thing that I whispered those same words to you now, lover?”

“No, it’s not a bad thing at all. It’s a good thing actually.” She smiled up at him with a watery gaze. Chloe could still barely believe it. She had found him. After all this time she had found the man behind the voice, the man behind the words she treasured so close to her heart. She had found him. She had finally found him.

The man behind the most beautiful words she had ever heard, words she treasured so dearly, came from a man whose warm embrace gave her more strength and love than any other person she had ever known. Right here in her arms now lay everything she had ever wanted in life and in love.

Jon Randall. The man she had given her heart to a long time ago and from whom she had never gotten it back nor wanted it back. Her heart was his. Always would be his. But the love she held for him now was a wasted love. Because the devotion and the passion she held deep in her heart and soul for him would only be ripped from the confines of her being when the bastard targeting her finally made good on the promise to kill her.

In the arms of her lover, Chloe found love, peace, and happiness. She even felt cherished and safe with him. She also found the man responsible for those beautiful words that tormented her every year on her birthday, an exquisite torment she longed to have more of and one she could endure for the rest of her lifetime, but it was all for nothing. Some sick bastard would decide when her time on this earth would end.

In the arms of the man she loved with her whole heart and soul, her life would end with her death. The bastard targeting her would make sure of that and choose when her life ended. Chloe had no control and no way to stop the inevitable. It would happen, her death. It was a certainty. And it would kill Randall if he ever knew how much she loved him.

She might have found the man behind those beautiful words. But it was all too late for them both now.

More tears escaped from her eyes as she crushed her lips to his. Chloe practically crawled on top of Randall’s lap to feast upon his lips. Her hands moved frantically over his body. She needed some way to savour the taste of him. She needed a way to remember what his skin felt like beneath her hands and capture it all to memory so when the one targeting her took her away from Randall, the bastard couldn’t take away this one moment from her. She refused to let the sick bastard take away the feeling of being in Randall’s arms or how his lips moved beneath her own.

Or what it had once felt like to be loved and to belong to a man who owned every part of her being and held her future in his hands and in his heart.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Shaking his head at the reaction he had managed to stir within Chloe from his spoken heartfelt message to her, Randall still couldn’t make any sense of it. She seemed to go into some kind of frenzy upon hearing his words. Unsure how to help calm her down, Randall slapped her still-red ass emerging from the bathwater as she tackled him once again.

Chloe stopped.

Her hazel eyes darted around the room. Cupping her face in his hands, he leaned into her. “Take a deep breath for me, precious.” Waiting for her to do as commanded, Randall stared into her eyes. When she took a deep breath he urged her to take another one, then another. Finally her eyes settled on his and her breathing calmed. Brushing his lips across her forehead, Chloe’s eyes fluttered closed and she clasped against him.

“Rest now, precious,” he whispered quietly to her, cradling her dozing body against him. After a few long moments holding her close to him, Randall slowly rose from the cooling bathwater, lifting Chloe with him. Grabbing a towel from the rack, he carried her into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Without disturbing her while she slept, Randall began drying her damp skin with the towel he brought in with him.

After tucking Chloe into bed to sleep, he kissed her cheek before taking a few minutes to watch her sleep. She seemed so peaceful in sleep and looked so beautiful with her caramel locks spilling over the white satin pillowcases. Her ivory skin glowed, hints of a pink hue dusting it from the warm bath they had just shared.

Drying himself off, Randall left Chloe sleeping soundly in the bedroom and quietly padded naked down the hallway to fetch his jeans from the lounge floor. Once redressed and with a beer in hand, he pulled out a stool at the breakfast bar in the kitchen and sat down. Taking a sip of the cooling amber liquid, he let his mind wonder momentarily, at what the future may hold for him and Chloe.

The thought of losing her was not an option. This scumbag targeting her was going to learn that lesson quick smart. Flipping open his phone, Randall scrolled through his contacts list until he found Mick’s number and dialled it.

Mick answered the phone on the third ring. “Hey, bro, what’s up?”

“Are you able to come over, Mick? There are things I need to discuss with you, but not over the phone.”

“Absolutely, mate. I can be there in forty.”

“Make it twenty, Mick,” Randall demanded to his old friend.

“Oh, shit, things that good, huh?” Mick asked.

“Yep, that good,” Randall said, knowing his tone pitched the urgency of the matter at hand.

“No worries, bro. I’m leaving now, see you in twenty.”

Flipping the phone closed, Randall clipped it to his jeans and took out another beer from the fridge for Mick. Sitting back down on the stool, he was in two minds in whether to call Mary J or not. He needed to find out if she could “babysit” Chloe for a couple of days. He decided to wait until Mick arrived to get his opinion on the matter. Although, Randall had a feeling that his old mate would give Mary J a glowing recommendation.

Right on twenty minutes, Mick parked his big arse of a truck in the driveway. Opening the front door, Randall waited for him to amble up the front steps. “Hey, Mick, thanks for coming over.” He clapped Mick on the back of the shoulder when he walked past him and headed on inside. “Hope I wasn’t disturbing anything when I called.”

Mick just grunted, not giving away anything.

Walking into the kitchen, Randall took his seat again. Mick popped the top of the beer left out for him. Leaning his hip against the kitchen bench he stared across the room at Randall. “So, mate, what’s up? It sounded pretty urgent. Has the sick fuck made another move on your sweet thing or something?”

Clearing his throat, Randall took a quick swig of his beer before answering the question. “Yeah, he left her another message.”

“Shit.”

“Yep, and the thing that pisses me off the most is the bastard’s stepping up his game, too, Mick.”

“How’s he managing that?”

“The latest message left for Chloe, well, let’s just say it wasn’t good, Mick. Not good at all.”

Randall watched as Mick’s eyes roamed around the room. “Where is gorgeous by the way?”

“Sleeping.” Well, Randall hoped she was still asleep. Chloe needed the rest. He had been hard on her this morning and the rest would do her good.

“So what’s the plan? I take it you need me to help you get this fucker, right?”

“Yeah, and I also need you to watch her while I’m on call in a couple of days’ time. Chloe won’t like it but too bad.”

“Done. Don’t worry about her, mate. I’ll make sure your gorgeous is safe as houses while you’re working.” Taking another swig of his beer and swallowing the cooling liquid down, Mick cautiously asked him, “So level with me here, mate. What are we are looking at?”

“Not sure yet. All the evidence or what little we have been able to retrieve has come back clean. No prints or no fibres to identify the bastard targeting her. I’m having all the evidence retested though to be sure.” Randall pushed back on the stool and walked over to the bin, dropping his empty bottle into the trash. He began to pace as he spoke. “What I can’t get my head around is why someone’s targeting Chloe to begin with. Plus he knows about me, Mick. He knows that she’s my lover and that I’m a cop on active duty.”

“So we have a stalker on our hands then. Experienced one, do you think?”

“Perhaps. Shit, I don’t know.” Running his hands through his dark-blond hair, Randall raked his brain for the answers that weren’t there. “Shit.”

“What if the stalker targeting Chloe is only targeting her because she’s an easy target?” Holding up his hand to stop Randall from speaking, Mick said to him, “Let me finish, mate.” With a nod of his head, Mick continued. “Chloe could be a secondary mark because she can’t defend herself. Maybe this bastard is biding his time till he can get his hands on the real target. Have you thought about that scenario, Randall?”

“Who the bloody hell is the real target then if it isn’t her? She has no family here. She only has a handful of friends if that.”

“And she has you, mate. She has you.”

“Yeah, she does.” Randall smirked to himself, remembering how he had taken Chloe up against the wall only hours ago. “Hey, wait up. Are you suggesting that this bastard is only targeting Chloe because of me?”

“It’s highly possible mate, highly possible indeed. We should definitely consider this as a possible angle before we go about dismissing it out of hand.”

Randall paced, his mind working overtime at the suggestion that Chloe wasn’t the main target, he was. Shit, her life could be in danger because of his stupid arse? Fuck. He needed to think logically for a minute. If he indeed was the main target and Chloe had only become a target because she was an easy mark then this bastard would have to know about their past relationship. That would be the only reason why someone would start targeting her on the night he pulled her over.

Chloe had to have been followed that night. The bastard must have seen their reaction toward each other, even though there was no outward recognition on Chloe’s part except for in her eyes. That begs the question, how close had the stalker gotten to her?

Close enough to see the flash of recognition in her eyes?

Did that mean the bastard knew about her memory loss as well?

Hell, was there even a link between his job and her stalker?

Fuck.

Man, his head was killing him just from thinking about all the hows and whys of it all. He rummaged around loudly through the kitchen drawers, searching for something that would ease the ever-present ache behind his eyes. Randall heard the soft, sleepy feminine voice that made him stop and smile at hearing the sound.

“God, can’t a woman get some sleep around here? Why the hell are you making so much goddamn…ahh, noise?” Chloe seemed to stumble in her rant as she entered the room. Randall sure hoped she had thrown some clothes on before coming to find him. The last thing he wanted was for her to flaunt her nudity to his old mate. “Oh, hey there, Mick, sorry, I didn’t know you were here.”

Turning slowly to face her, Randall didn’t bother to hide the slight smirk curving at his lips at the sight of Chloe, standing half naked dressed in only his shirt and nothing else. Hell, the sinful little minx had only managed to do up a couple of the buttons on the front of the shirt she had thrown on. Randall could feel his cock stirring in his jeans at the sight of her. Her gaze drifted over his naked torso, making his dick even harder. Then of course she had to taunt him with her little pink tongue. He watched as it slithered and danced across her oh-so-kissable lips.

“Well, hello, gorgeous. Sleep well?” Mick drawled to her as Chloe stalked across the kitchen floor to where Randall stood watching her.

“Well, I did until someone woke me up, not mentioning any names, Jon.” Chloe turned and winked at Mick before directing her attention back to Randall. “What in god’s name are you looking for anyway?”

“Headache. Need some pills. Do you know where they live?” he asked her before brushing his lips against hers.

“I’ve got some in my purse. I’ll get them for you if you promise not to wake me up again.”

“I can’t promise you that, precious. Not when I have needs that only you can take care of,” he said with a sly smile gracing his lips.

Chloe blushed at his words and the unsubtle meaning behind them. She all but bolted out of the room before Mick could comment or see her blushing. Reaching up for a glass and filling it up with water, Randall waited for Chloe to return with the pills he needed.

When she came marching back into the room moments later, Chloe had all the buttons on the shirt done up and had thrown on some sweatpants for good measure as well. Hell, she looked damn cute with that sleepy look still adorning her face and her hair all messed up, and it made his cock even harder. Groaning inwardly, Randall accepted the pills Chloe popped into his hand, throwing them in his mouth and chasing them down with the water.

Dumping the empty glass in the sink he tugged Chloe into his side. His hand lingered on her hip, showing his old mate his ownership of her. “Are either of you two hungry? Because I know I sure am.”

“Yeah, I could do with a snack, mate.”

“How about you, precious, are you hungry?”

Chloe turned slightly in his embrace and laid a hand on his bare chest. “How about I make us all something to eat and then we can all go sit in the lounge room and discuss whatever it is you were discussing before,” Chloe suggested to him.

“Sounds good to me, gorgeous,” Mick answered.

Randall wasn’t so sure he wanted Chloe involved in this conversation he had going on with Mick. She was too fragile, too delicate. She definitely didn’t need to hear the ins and outs on how they were going to catch the one after her. However, if Chloe was a secondary target then her thoughts on who knew about them when they were teenagers would be invaluable. Also her input on who knew about her memory loss could help figure out who was behind all this.

“Fine,” he grumbled to her. “Sounds good.”

Leaning down, Randall traced the shell of her ear with his lips, while caressing her still-red ass with his spare hand, whispering his warning into her ear, “Don’t go getting any ideas about going after this bastard by yourself, little girl. Or your ass will be mine.” Chloe shivered against him at hearing his words. Good.

Slapping her playfully on the ass, Randall left Chloe to fix some food for them all. Grabbing a couple of beers from the fridge, he handed one over to Mick while saying to him, “Let’s head into the lounge room and continue our discussion in there.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chloe nearly died when she walked into the kitchen and discovered Mick was in there talking to Randall. She hadn’t even known he was coming over. Hell, they were both lucky she was partially dressed when she walked into the room. Christ, she would have died of embarrassment if she had walked in on them all nude.

The only reason she had awoken was all the crashing coming from the kitchen. Of course it had turned out to be Randall searching noisily in the cupboard drawers looking for something to take for his headache and not an intruder.

Pulling out some fixings for sandwiches from the fridge, Chloe tried to keep an ear on what the two blokes were discussing in the lounge room. She could only make out bits and pieces as they both kept their voices fairly low. Well, most of the time. Obviously Randall didn’t like the way the conversation was going at the moment. His voice became louder and more irritable the further the conversation went.

Grabbing a bag of crisps from the cupboard above her, Chloe decided it was time to calm the situation down before they both got into some kind of fistfight. That certainly wasn’t something she wanted to have to clean up after they were done belting the shit out of each other.

As soon as she walked into the lounge room, both men stopped talking and turned toward her. “Well, at least I know who you were talking about then,” she said, shaking her head at them. She held the bag of crisps out to them. “Here, I thought you could make a start on these. Lunch won’t be much longer.”

Mick took the bag from her hand and delved into the crisps like a starved man. Randall on the other hand scowled at her. Resting her hands on her hips, Chloe raised an eyebrow up at him. “What? You’re not hungry anymore?”

“Oh, I’m hungry, precious. Don’t worry about that.”

She couldn’t help but shiver at his tone. “Well, then stop screwing up your face like that. It will only give you wrinkles.” Chloe turned on her heel and left the room then, leaving Mick to almost choke on the handful of crisps he had stuffed in his mouth. She heard Randall tell him to “shut the fuck up” when she left them.

She giggled to herself in the kitchen while she finished preparing all the sandwiches. Telling Randall he’d get wrinkles was funny. God, the man could be so damn serious at times. He needed to lighten up a bit. Sure, she was in danger and discussing it was probably hard as it brought it more into reality. But hell, he didn’t need to scowl at her all the damn time either. Her smart-mouth remark would probably cost her ass later on.

Shrugging her shoulders, she said, “Oh well, too bad. No harm, no foul, right?”

“Who are you talking to, lover?” His words whispered over her, causing a delicious thrill to race throughout her body at hearing his voice.

“No one in particular…” Glancing over her should at him, she said, “What are you doing in here anyway?”

“It’s my kitchen, isn’t it? And thought you might need a hand,” he offered to her.

Chloe narrowed her eyes briefly at him, as she mulled over his cryptic answer. “Oh, well I’m almost—ouch—done.” She spun around to face him, only to discover her was smirking at her. Rubbing at her now stinging ass cheek, she couldn’t believe it. Randall had spanked her ass in the kitchen! Of all the places to be spanked, the kitchen sure wasn’t one on her list. “What the hell was that for?”

He raised an eyebrow at her questioning him and pointed a finger toward the lounge room as he spoke to her. “Do you really think I would let you get away with that sassy remark back there? Or did you think you got away with that one, little girl?”

No, she damn well knew she hadn’t gotten away with it. However, she hadn’t expected him to follow her into the kitchen and spank her ass for it either. That’s for sure. Heaven help her, she could feel moisture dripping from her core. She was so aroused he could take her now if he wanted to. Her pussy was that wet, all because he what? Spanked her ass in the kitchen and spoke to her using that Dom voice of his. Did she not have any self-control when it came to this man? Obviously, she didn’t if her current state of arousal was anything to go by.

It didn’t help her case, either, knowing Randall wouldn’t take care of the ache between her legs because they had company in the next room. Chloe wished she could rub her thighs together for a bit, to release some of the tension building inside her core.

With Randall standing so close to her, her hormones and arousal were fighting against each other to see which one would come out on top. At the moment her arousal was winning the battle. Slowly she inched her thighs closer together, so she could rub them together. She hoped Randall would be oblivious to what she was doing.

She needed to come and she needed it now.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

He knew what she was doing. He knew as soon as he spanked her already tender ass that her pussy would be begging to be touched. So her rubbing her thighs together, oh so innocently, was not going to go unnoticed by him. When Randall had left the lounge room, he had told his old friend to stay put, and not to come looking for him if he didn’t return in five minutes.

So here he was standing in the kitchen with his sassy little lover who was begging to be touched by him. He wasn’t about to deny her or himself the pleasure of a release.

“Stop what you’re doing right now, little girl.” Randall waited for Chloe to respond to his command. When she didn’t, he crowded in on her, forcing her back toward the kitchen bench. “I said stop, Chloe, and I mean now.”

Staring at her, Randall counted quietly to ten. When she stopped he raised his voice a little higher but not loud enough for Mick to hear in the next room. “Spread your legs, little girl, and do it now.”

Slowly Chloe spread her stance for him. She peeked up at him through lowered lashes. Randall could see the heat in her eyes. Oh yeah, she wanted him right here, right now. There was no doubt in his mind that pussy of hers would be aching and soaking wet for him. Just the way he liked it to be.

Crossing his arm over his chest, he stared at her and waited to hear his sub beg him to touch her. Randall knew he wouldn’t have to wait long before the words fell from her pouty, soft lips. Words he wanted to hear. “Please, Jon, please touch me, Sir. Please, I need you,” she pleaded to him.

Hearing her beg him to touch her was so damn sweet and sexy, Randall couldn’t refuse her. Reaching forward, he clamped his hands on the front of her sweatpants and dragged them down her legs to the floor. The fact that she wore no underwear underneath her sweatpants ramped up his own arousal. Chloe stepped out of them without a command needed from him. Running his fingertips up the outside of her bare legs to her waist, her breathing increased under his light touch. Slipping his hands between her thighs he ran his fingertips in a light caress up and down her inner thighs. His fingers stayed clear of her weeping pussy, much to Chloe’s utter disappointment if her whimpering was anything to go by.

“Tell me, precious, do you deserve to come after making such a sassy comment to me in front of company?”

“I–I’m sorry, Sir. I never meant to…oh god…embarrass you.” Her voice wavered slightly from his teasing fingers hovering near her dripping cunt.

Pinching her nipple hard with his forefinger and thumb through the shirt she had on, he growled at her. “That wasn’t answering my question, little girl.” Releasing her tight little bud from his unyielding grip, Randall travelled his fingertips back down her inner thighs as he repeated his question to her. “Do you deserve to come, Chloe?”

“No, Sir, I don’t deserve to come, not after embarrassing you so poorly.”

“Good answer, little girl.” Sliding a hand back up her thigh, Randall slipped a fingertip through the damp folds of her pussy. Gripping her hip with the other hand, he tugged her closer to him and leaned in. “Since you apologised so sweetly, little girl, I will reward you with permission to come on my fingers. After you’ve come, you’re going to get on your knees and suck my cock until I feed you my cum. Nod your head so I know you understand me.” Chloe eagerly nodded her head at him. Her whole body shook against his as it demanded for a release.

Spreading the damp folds of her pussy lips open with one hand, Randall slid two fingers from his other hand deep inside her tight, wet core. “Fuck, you’re so damn wet for me, Chloe.” He kissed her lips hard and plunged his tongue into her hot, moist cavern of a mouth. She moaned against him. When she lifted her fingers to lace them into his hair, he grabbed both of her wrists with one hand and held them down on the bench behind her. Pulling back slightly from his dominating kiss, he nibbled lightly on her bottom lip. “You’re so fucking ready for me, precious,” he murmured hungrily to her.

Her moist, hot core was begging to be filled by him. He needed his achingly hard cock in her hot little cunt, not his goddamn fingers. Shit, his woman was making him crazy with lust.

“Unzip me, little girl. Do it now,” Randall demanded to her.

Chloe reached for the zipper of his jeans with shaky fingers. After she unzipped his jeans and pushed them down to his thighs, Randall reached for her. Lifting her up onto the bench, he tilted her hips up and spread her thighs wide. He gripped the base of his cock and lined up the tip to her weeping entrance. Clasping his lips over hers to silence any moans from escaping, he drove his cock deep into her tight little cunt.

The pleasure that enveloped him was exquisite. Every time he fucked her the pleasure astounded him. He would never and could never get enough of her. Pounding into her again and again, his tongue plundered into her mouth at the same pace he set with his hips. They both moaned at the ecstasy of their embrace as it brought them closer to the edge of release they both been seeking.

Not wanting Mick to hear her scream his name when she came. Randall stilled himself deep inside her core. Releasing his swollen lips from hers, he whispered to her. “You have my permission to come, little girl, on one condition.” Randall smirked at the face Chloe pulled at him when he mentioned there was a condition. He slapped her outer thigh hard with an open hand when she started wiggling against him, trying to get him to move.

“The condition, little girl, is you are not permitted to speak or scream when you come. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Sir. I understand.” Chloe all but whimpered her answer to him.

Once again, he set a blinding pace with his cock into her slick, tight cunt. He could feel himself swelling and hardening even more. His balls tightened up and his spine tingled, a sure sign he was about to blow his load inside of her. Finding her hard little clit with his thumb, he rubbed the little nub, causing Chloe to squirm against him. Brushing back her caramel locks from her shoulder to bare her slender neck to him, Randall sucked and kissed his way up the column of her neck. He nipped at the sensitive skin below her ear, knowing it would push her closer to the edge of release.

With his fingers digging into her hips, he pulled her closer to him to meet his demanding thrusts. He gave the order for her to “come and come now.”

She held his gaze with hers. Her lips were tightly closed as her skin flushed as her orgasm exploded inside of her. Capturing her lips, his tongue plunged into her mouth on her gasp. As he thrust one last time into her core, her inner muscles squeezed his cock, almost choking it, and Randall held still inside her, spilling his load into her hidden, moist depths. Slipping his softening cock from her still quivering pussy moments later, resting his forehead against hers, Randall offered up his praise to her. “That was seriously hot, precious. Thank you.” Chloe smiled up at him. Her hazel eyes sparkling, she was a vision of perfection in her sated state. Before Randall could think, the words fell freely from his lips. “I love you, Chloe.”

She didn’t say anything back to him. Randall knew Chloe loved him. He could see it in her eyes. Feel it in the way she loved him with her body. He could also see it in the way she submitted to him so completely. Chloe might not say the words. For whatever reason, she held them back. Maybe it was because she thought the words were lost on him due to the stalker threatening to take her away from him. Maybe it was for some other reason. Whatever her reasons for not saying those three words, Randall wasn’t about to hold back his feelings for her.

It’s what had gotten him into trouble last time.

Back when they were teenagers, Chloe had uttered those three words to him so freely and easily. At the time it scared him half to death that she could feel that way toward him. A boy from the wrong side of town, a boy labelled trouble by everyone in that snobby town. Except for Chloe. Not once did she believe the hurtful words they labelled him with. Not once did she not believe in him. Chloe had made it her mission in life to make sure everyone around them knew she believed in him.

Her mission had humbled him at the time. Hell, it still humbled him now. It also warmed his heart and soul that Chloe had been so determined to show the world she believed in him and loved him.

Clearing his throat, he said to her, “Well, I guess lunch is served then?” They both laughed at his observation. Helping Chloe hop down from the bench, Randall stuffed his soft cock back inside his jeans, fastening them back up. He then turned and helped Chloe finish getting cleaned up and redressed. Leaning in, he captured her swollen lips when she least expected it. Kissing her gasp of surprise from her lips, he kissed her softly and unhurriedly this time. Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down, trying to deepen the kiss. Slapping her ass hard, Randall growled down at her.

Biting her lower lip lightly before releasing his lips from hers, he warned her. “You don’t dictate how deep or soft the kiss is, little girl, I do. Remember that the next time you try that, you may not like the consequences your actions bring you.” He slapped her ass again when Chloe muttered, “Yes, Sir,” under her breath. “Now we better get these sandwiches out to Mick before he comes in and finds us.”

Chloe blushed at that thought. She obviously had forgotten his old mate was still here. He swallowed the laugh, wanting out at the face she pulled at him then.

God, this woman, she was his everything. She was his heart, his soul, hell, his whole goddamn life. Chloe was his everything. Randall knew he would do whatever it took to keep her alive and in his life, in his heart and in his soul forever.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

As they strolled back into the lounge room, looking sated and relaxed, Mick took one look at them both and cracked up laughing. “Good to see the kitchen still has its many uses,” Mick said, winking at Chloe and causing her to blush as she placed the plate of sandwiches down on the coffee table.

Flopping down on the sofa with a sandwich in hand, Chloe ate silently as the two men started up the conversation regarding the stalker. Randall paced and ate while Mick tried to reason with him about hiring a private investigator, saying it made sense to have someone on the outside who could investigate the situation on behalf of the police force. Mick stated he knew a couple of guys that could do the job, and do it well enough to get close to the one threatening her. Something Randall and Mick hadn’t been able to do so far. That their own combined efforts seemed more like a failure on their behalf only seemed to piss Randall off even more.

There were still no clues on who was behind the threats made. Or why someone had decided to fixate on her.

The tension in the room was high though. Chloe could feel it. She knew by the way Randall spoke and paced that he felt he wasn’t doing enough to stop the threats. She also picked up on his tone, his fear of failing her if they couldn’t stop the fucker in time. Chloe hadn’t dared to mention that she knew her time upon this earth was going to end shortly. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that her life would end soon.

She didn’t want it to be true. God help her, she wished none of it was true. No matter how they planned on capturing the one targeting her, Chloe didn’t want to be taken from this world. She didn’t want to be taken from Jon either. She sighed loudly, rubbing at the ache building in her chest. Randall stopped talking and turned toward her.

“Chloe, are you all right?” he asked her. Not wanting to see his eyes, see the concern held there for her, Chloe lowered her gaze from his and nodded her head, her throat too constricted to try and formulate an answer to his question. There were too many words she wanted to say. Too many words she found herself wanting to scream at the two men who were currently staring at her. Too many choice phrases she wanted to yell at the world. None of them would help though.

Chloe leaned her head against the back of the sofa and closed her eyes. She needed to find a way to block out all the bad stuff in her head. Block out all the threats made and the ones yet to come. She wanted to silence the inner voice of dread in her mind that kept on telling her this sick fuck after her would never stop until he had what he wanted, her dead, however that came. She shivered at the thought of what that creep could do to her once he captured her.

Oh god, don’t go there. She couldn’t allow herself to think that way.

Her stomach heaved though. Bile rose in her throat at the mere thought of having the creep’s hands on her body, on her flesh. Touching her in places she only ever wanted Randall to touch her. She screamed when she felt heavy hands grip her shoulders. Her eyes flew open, only to find Randall’s piercing sky-blue eyes staring down at her. He growled at her then. He sensed her distress. Her body shivered violently beneath his hold.

“Chloe?”

She shook her head at him. “I–I can’t,” she said achingly to him.

“What, precious? What can’t you do?”

“Him. The bastard.” Staring him in the eyes, she told Randall some of the horrible thoughts running through her mind. “I can’t let him touch me, Jon. I don’t want his hands touching me.”

Gently Randall brushed some fallen strands of hair back over her shoulder, causing her to shudder. He crouched down in front of her, cradling her face in one hand while grasping both her hands in the other. “I promise you, precious, the bastard won’t touch you. He won’t ever get close enough to do so. I won’t allow it to happen.”

Chloe knew what she was about to say to him would hurt him. The truth of her words also hurt her. “You can’t promise me that, Jon. You know you can’t. You can’t always be here to protect me.” She shifted her gaze away from Randall’s concerned one. “The bastard’s going to get me, I can feel it.”

“Damn it, Chloe, you can’t say shit like that. And you damn well don’t give up either, do you hear me? Not now, not ever.” Randall’s voice rose with fear from hearing the words Chloe believed to be so true.

“I’m not giving up, Jon. I just know my fate.”

“Damn you, Chloe. You cannot and will not give up on me or on us so easily. You’re stronger than this and together we can beat this fucker. You have to find it within yourself to trust me to keep you safe.”

“I do trust you, Jon. My trust in you is not the issue here.”

Chloe could feel her heart breaking. She could barely get a breath out of her lungs they were so constricted with emotion. She needed space. Needed some distance, too. Rising from the sofa, she shook off the hands holding her to him and ran out of the lounge room.

Hearing Randall curse a blue streak at her retreating ass didn’t stop her from running down the hall to the bedroom they both shared. Closing and locking the door behind her, she then dashed into the adjoining bathroom. She closed herself inside the compact room by flicking the lock on the door. Collapsing to the floor and drawing her knees up to her chest, Chloe let go of the sobs and tears wanting out. Her whole body shook from the force of her cries. Somehow, someway, she needed to find the strength, the courage to fight against this bastard. But those thoughts, those horrible thoughts and the vivid pictures of what that bastard could do to her were too crude to speak out loud. Too vile to mention, let alone think of. What if she said what was in her head right now to Randall, only for them to come true? Oh god, she couldn’t think that way. She couldn’t allow herself to think that way either.

She had to be strong and believe in Randall to keep her safe. But Chloe knew she could never be safe until the bastard after her was either dead or behind bars where he belonged.

Her sobs came out even harsher hearing Randall pound on the bedroom door, demanding her to open it and let him in. She couldn’t. She couldn’t let him see her like this. Couldn’t let him see the defeat she felt to her very soul. Chloe loathed the idea that this creep stalking her made her feel this way. It repulsed her that he had this much control over her own thoughts.

How much more did the sick fuck want to control? He already tormented her thoughts, threatened her life and made her grieve for a life she would never have with Randall.

It made her damn mad, having to put two rooms between the man she loved and her own self. Chloe hated the distance she put between herself and Jon. She needed the breathing space though, even when every cell of her body cried out for him to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. That she would survive this, hell, they both would survive this.

However, right now she needed the distance, needed the space.

Inside she hurt too much from the fear of losing what really mattered most to her. Randall. The fear of losing her heart to the only person who meant the world to her had become too much for her to handle on her own. She didn’t need Randall’s sympathy or his concern right now. She just needed him. Her man, her Dom whom she loved more than life itself.

The sobs raking her body became agonisingly harder only because Randall would never know how much she loved him. Curling her body into a foetal position on the bathroom floor, Chloe tried to find a way to ease the ache inside her. The emptiness she felt ran deep into her soul.

She felt lifeless.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jon stared at the closed bedroom door separating him from Chloe. Damn it to hell. She was shutting him out. He could hear her heart-wrenching sobs echoing from the bathroom, and if she thought putting two rooms between them would somehow stop him from hearing her, well she was dead wrong. With a clenched fist he hammered on the locked door again. “Damn it, Chloe, open the goddamn door.”

His patience was running out. He knew it. Just as he was about to pound the living crap out of the bedroom door again and demand she open it at once, Mick’s heavy hand gripped his arm, preventing him from moving it. Clenching and unclenching his fists, Randall turned to face his friend only to hear Mick caution him.

“Stop, mate. Let her be for now.”

“I can’t bloody well stop, mate,” Randall gritted out to him. “Not when she’s bawling her fucking eyes out in there.”

“You have to. Chloe needs some time and space to figure this shit out on her own. You saw the fear in her eyes, heard the fear in her scream. She’s running scared, Randall. What she needs from you right now is space, so she can figure this out. Then when she’s done she’ll come to you. Then you can spank her ass from not coming to you in the first place.”

Randall grunted at his mate’s last comment, knowing damn well Chloe’s ass would be his after he first listened to her. Cursing out loud, he turned away from the bedroom door and stalked into the kitchen. He needed a beer to drown out the pain coursing through him.

Shit, he couldn’t be drunk when Chloe finally came out of the bedroom seeking his reassurance.

Switching the coffee machine on instead and grabbing a couple of cups from the shelf above him, Randall glanced over his shoulder at Mick. “You want coffee?”

“Yeah, sure. Got any cookies to go with it, or has your sweet thing eaten them all?”

“Nuh, I think she might have left a couple in the jar. Damn, my woman has one hell of a sweet tooth on her.” Turning to face his old friend, Randall scrubbed a hand down his face, suddenly feeling more exhausted than he had before. “Do you know how many packs of those damn cookies we go through in a week?”

“Nope, but I could hazard a guess though,” Mick said with a laugh.

“Too many,” Randall muttered under his breath. Handing Mick over his cup of coffee, he said, “You know where to find the cookies, right?”

“Sure do, thanks.”

“Good. And for god’s sake don’t tell Chloe you ate some of her cookies if you want to keep your balls intact.”

Taking a seat at the breakfast bar, Mick stuffed a cookie in his gob while uttering, “So what’s our next step in catching this bastard?”

“Well, for one thing, Chloe doesn’t spend one minute by herself ever. That’s a given.” Mick just nodded his head at that. Chloe would hate it but too bad. “I also want her all phones tapped. Maybe we’ll strike it lucky and get a trace on where the calls are coming from. Even though the messages are never long enough it’s worth a shot.”

“I’ll make a few calls to make it happen for you, bro.”

“Thanks, Mick, I appreciate that. Also, I think you’re right.”

Mick raised an eyebrow at him then. “Really, mate, that coming from you must’ve been difficult to say.”

“Yeah, well, don’t get to used to it, fucker. This is the one and only time I’ll admit out loud you’re right.” Mick held his hands up in mock surrender. “It’s time for you to call that PI you know so damn well and see what he can find out for us. I want the details of this case to be on a need-to-know basis still though, Mick.”

“Don’t worry, bro, I’ll make sure it stays that way. I’ll make a few calls and see what can be arranged.”

“I also want the PI to check out some of the suspects the Bomb Squad has been investigating recently, too.”

“Why’s that?”

“Call it a hunch.”

“Well, I hope your hunch is wrong this time, because if you’re right, Randall, and this bastard stalking Chloe is going after the women linked to the Bomb Squad, we could have a big fucking problem on our hands.”

“I know, that’s why I want the PI to check it out. Do you want to stay for dinner? At the rate today is going it will probably be pizza.”

“Nuh, thanks for the offer but I think you and gorgeous need the space more than a third wheel tonight.” Clapping Randall on the back, Mick added, “I’ll skate on out of here and make those calls. I’ll be in touch as soon as I know anything.”

“No worries. Thanks again for coming over.”

“Don’t worry about it. I know you’d do the same for me if I was in your shoes.”

“Damn straight I would.” Walking his mate out, Randall stuck out his right hand for Mick to shake. “Thanks again, Mick.”

“No worries, mate. I’ll talk to you later. You take care of gorgeous in there. And go easy on her, mate. Remember she’s fragile. She’s a delicate little thing. She’s nothing like us tough asses.”

Randall nodded his in agreement. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her.”

“Never doubted for a minute you wouldn’t. Catch ya later, Randall.”

Chapter Thirty

Being locked in the bathroom for hours on her own brought forth an exhaustion that weighed heavily on her shoulders. Her eyes were swollen from the amount of tears shed, and her throat was dry and sore from the sobs wrenched from what felt like the depths of her soul. Unsteadily rising to her feet, Chloe stumbled her way over to the shower and turned it on. Ditching her clothes, she stepped underneath the spray of warm water. She moaned in relief as the warmth of the water cascaded down her naked form.

Washing her hair and body thoroughly, Chloe realised she missed the feel of Randall’s hands in her hair and on her body. She missed the way his hands would worship her as he soaped her diligently. “What have I done?” she whispered quietly to herself. She knew the answer to that question. She had shut Randall out when she should have let him in.

With a towel wrapped around her, Chloe padded quietly over to the bathroom door on bare feet. She half expected to find Randall standing behind the closed door when she flung it open. To her disappointment he wasn’t there. Stepping further into the bedroom, Chloe realised Randall wasn’t in there either. In fact the bedroom door was still locked.

Leaning an ear up against the painted wood, Chloe tried to hear if Randall was out there waiting for her to let him into the room they shared and loved each other in.

Flicking the lock and opening the door ever so quietly, she peeked out through the small opening to see if he was there. The hallway was empty. No one was there. Randall wasn’t waiting for her. The hallway had darkened from the day passing into night. A soft glow flickered from the archway leading into the lounge room.

She ditched the towel wrapped around her and pulled on one of his shirts. She managed to do up the buttons on the front of the shirt while making her way down the hall to where the light was coming from.

Standing at the threshold of the lounge room, Chloe looked over to where Randall lay fast asleep on the sofa. The TV was still on with the volume turned down low. An empty bottle of beer and a plate sat in the middle of the low end table in front of the sofa. A lone tear trickled down her cheek as she moved toward him.

Randall. He meant everything to her. Yet somehow she had managed shut him out, when she should have let him in. She had disappointed him yet again with her own actions. All Randall had ever asked of her was her complete submission on every level. It was the one thing Chloe could give to him, and yet she had failed to do it on this very occasion when it had mattered most.

Sighing, Chloe knew then that she had made a few wrong choices today. She didn’t even have that many choices to make at the moment. So when given a chance to make a choice what did she go and do with it? She stuffed it up royally, that’s what she did with it.

Dropping to her knees in front of the sofa, she gently swept back the strands of dark-blond hair from his face. Leaning down, she brushed her lips lightly across his cheek.

“I’m sorry, Jon. I never meant to shut you out the way I did,” she murmured softly to him.

Seeing his eyelids flicker, Chloe leaned back so she wasn’t crowding him. His bright, sky-blue gaze latched onto hers. Her breathing hitched when he reached up to trace a fingertip over her lips. This was the man behind the voice she craved to hear, the man behind the most tender words she had ever heard in her life.

He was the only man to own her heart and capture her very soul. He had made a claim to own them both a long time ago.

Jon Randall would forever have her heart.

He would forever own her.

Her love for him might be an unspoken one, but it was a true one.

In the short time they’d reconnected with each other, Randall had become her whole life.

Gazing down at him now, Chloe knew Randall could see all this and more in her eyes. He would see her crippling fear and the uncertainty of what the future had in store for them. But most importantly, the man who held both her heart and soul in his hands would see the unsaid love held deep within her for him and him alone. Randall would always be her everything. He owned every part of her, just like she owned every part of him.

Pushing back on the sting of new tears threatening to fall, her voice wavered from the emotion rolling through her as she tried to apologise to him. “I’m so sorry, Jon. I never…”

He laid a finger against her lips, quelling the rest of her words. Words that would express her deep sorrow for shutting him out, instead of letting him embrace her fears with her. But none of them mattered now. None of her words mattered. All that mattered, all that was important, was that he was there for her now. That was what mattered most to her.

The two of them were in this together for the long haul, no matter how ugly things got. They both had to learn to lean on each other when times were tough. It was a lesson, and a hard one at that, that Chloe had learnt tonight.

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he kept his voice low and even as he spoke to her, “I know what you want to say, precious. I can see it in your eyes. I’m sorry, too, lover. I wasn’t the man or the Dom you needed this afternoon and for that I apologise.”

“Jon…”

“Shh, no more words tonight. Enough has been said already today.” Rising from the sofa, Randall pulled her up close to him and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “Come, precious. Let’s go to bed. I promise in the morning we can talk more, but right now all I want to do is hold you while we sleep.”

Nodding her head, Chloe allowed Jon to usher her down the hall to their bedroom. Standing near the bed, he reached up and unbuttoned her shirt then let it flutter to the floor. Moving around her, he pulled the covers back off the bed then gestured with his hand for her to get in. As promised, no more words were to be spoken tonight, and he was living up to that promise he made to her. Tucking her in, Randall leaned down, touching her lips tenderly with his. Her heart clenched from the love she felt from his kiss alone.

He pulled away from his kiss moments later, to strip.

Her eyes were glued to him, eagerly taking him in as he stripped the denim jeans from his body. Strolling naked around to the other side of the bed, her eyes watched as his cock stirred to life. Randall ignored her eyes on him and slipped effortlessly underneath the covers to lie down beside her. Curling her naked body up against his, Chloe rested her head on his chest. Hearing the soothing beat of his heart was enough to lull her to sleep.

Randall rested a hand on her hip in a possessive hold, his other arm draped around her shoulders, holding her closer to him. Chloe loved sleeping in his arms like this at night. Here in his arms she was safe and loved. She found herself protected from everything including the one targeting her.

Life felt right when in his arms. More than right. It was perfect.

Chapter Thirty-One

Three days later, Randall found himself back at the station. Mick was covering him on the home front. Going by the conversation he had just had with his old mate, Chloe was giving him all kinds of hell. His sassy little sub was in a mood and she wasn’t giving Mick an easy ride, that was for sure. They had half expected it, though perhaps not to the degree she was giving Mick right now.

The last couple days Randall had spent with Chloe, before starting his next block of shifts down at the station. She had been the perfect little sub. They had talked a lot. Chloe had even opened up about her fears of the stalker getting his hands on her, possibly even raping and torturing her. Upon hearing her fears, Randall had to push back his own rage against the bastard targeting her.

When she uttered those thoughts to him though, Randall found himself at a loss as to how to help Chloe move past them. He wasn’t sure how to ease her mind of her fears. Her fears were valid after all. He wasn’t about to dismiss them. However, he didn’t want Chloe focusing all her thoughts on what might or might not happen if the bastard acted on his threats. So Randall made damn sure Chloe never left his side. Wherever she went, he did, too. Not one minute was she left alone with her own thoughts.

There were, however, pluses in spending every waking moment with each other. The long moments spent curled up on the sofa together, watching one chick flick after another, were the sweetest torture ever. Action movies with lots of fistfights or even some blood and guts would have been preferable. Nevertheless, Randall had given permission for Chloe to choose the movies they watched. Over those last couple of days, he swore they had watched every damn movie Hugh Grant starred in.

Watching sappy romantic shit together seemed to do the trick in easing the tension within Chloe enough for her to finally relax. Plus it had its perks in having her draped all over him, especially when he ordered her to lie naked across his lap. He’d spent hours skimming his fingertips lightly over her naked flesh. There was nothing better than feeling Chloe shudder slightly from his feather-like touch. Or squeezing her taut little nipples with his fingertips and hearing the soft, delicate moans escaping past her lips.

They had made love so many times during his time off, he was amazed she wasn’t sore or sick to death of him coming to her. Now, Randall couldn’t wait to see Chloe again. Even if it was to simply talk to her while he held her in his arms. Hell, he’d be quite content to simply to lose himself in that sweet, fresh scent of hers. Feel her bare skin rubbing up against his.

Or to hear her soft little moans and whimpers when she begged him for release. His lips curved at the thought of making them both hold off their impending orgasm until it was no longer humanly possible next time he took her. The wave after wave of euphoria would be unbelievable, he’d bet.

Everything Randall had commanded of Chloe over the last few days, she had obeyed with barely a grumble. Now, though, it appeared she had her rebel boots on and was raising all kinds of hell on the home front. Maybe she just missed him and hated having a babysitter do his job. Who knew with his Chloe? Hell, it could even be that time of the month again. Chloe tended to be hell on wheels during that time. Randall shuddered at that thought. Poor Mick. “Sorry, buddy.”

He had to laugh though when his old mate muttered something about Chloe hiding the damn bloody cookies from him. You never came between his woman and her cookies. Hell, Randall had to make sure there was a spare packet hidden from her. God forbid they ever run out one day because she ate them all. There was no way he would tell Mick where he could find the spare packet, because if Chloe ever found out where he kept his secret stash there would be nothing left of it. And that certainly wasn’t happening. A man needed his own secret sweet stash for himself and to provide for the needs of his woman.

The brief conversation Randall had had with Chloe over the phone had been a pretty one-sided affair. She had seemed distracted. When he broached the subject with her, she had told him she was “fine.” In other words, she wasn’t, and him being stuck down at the station wasn’t helping matters either. As far as he knew she hadn’t received any more messages. However, Chloe had been having nightmares recently. Vivid nightmares of the stalker keeping her locked up and naked in a tiny room with dirt floors.

One night she’d woken him up from screaming at the top of her lungs in her sleep. He had had to shake her awake to stop her screaming her throat raw. He didn’t give a fuck if she woke the neighbourhood up with her screaming.

It had taken hours to settle her back down. Chloe refused to elaborate on what had happened in the nightmare, more afraid of it becoming a reality if she were to voice the context of the nightmare out loud to him. The reality of it, though, was that she handed the sick fuck stalking her more control over her life by letting him invade her dreams. However, Randall had chosen not to advise Chloe of this. She was stressed enough as it was without him adding his, more than likely unwanted, opinion on top of the shit she’d been dealing with lately. So he listened to what little information she did disclose about the nightmare.

It worried him to no end that Chloe even had these dreams and thoughts to start with. His only hope was to make sure they never came true, that this bastard never laid a finger on her. So help him god, if the stupid fuck was dumb enough to try…Well, the bastard would be wishing he hadn’t by the time Randall was finished with him.

The main reason, though, Mick had called him wasn’t to tell on Chloe. It was to advise him the PI had been arranged. At the moment the PI was heading down to the station for a private sneaky peek at the evidence gathered so far from Chloe’s place. Randall was to meet the man privately investigating Chloe’s case for them at the side entrance to the station.

Slipping out the side entrance door, Randall waited in the shadows of the late afternoon sun for the dude to show up. A few minutes later an unmarked dark Sedan pulled up a few metres from where he stood and a man exited the vehicle. He wore plain clothing. His longish jet-black hair was pulled back off his unshaven face. Tinted sunglasses shielded his eyes from view and gave his face a harsher appearance. Randall got the impression he was staring at another Dom, and a hard-core one if the man’s appearance was anything to go by.

Waiting until the other man stood a mere foot away from where he stood, Randall stuck out his hand to him. “Jake Jackson?”

“Yes,” the PI answered shaking Randall’s hand, “and you must be Randall. Mick said you would be waiting for me and he wasn’t wrong. Please lead the way.” Opening the side door, Randall ushered the PI inside and down the long corridor to the evidence room. Punching in the code to the security panel at the closed door, the door clicked open and they both stepped inside. Randall directed the PI over to the steel viewing bench where he had the evidence laid out for him to view.

“As you can see we don’t have much. Other than a dozen or so voice messages and the dead rose with the letter there’s not a hell of a lot here. We’ve run tests on the letter and the dead rose for prints, fibres and any other fluids that may have been on them.”

“Any word from the lab yet?” Jake asked him. Randall nodded his head. “So what were the results then?”

“No prints or fibres. The other tests came back inconclusive.” To a degree that was near enough to the truth. Randall wasn’t about to tell the PI that a minuscule amount of semen had been found on the letter. There hadn’t been enough semen to get a precise DNA match, but what they did have could be traced back to the fucker once caught though. The information regarding the bodily fluid found was on a need-to-know basis. Not even Mick knew about that little discovery. Chloe definitely didn’t know about the semen either. She was freaked out enough as it was without knowing that some freak had ejaculated on the letter he left for her to find.

“Here are the first few voice messages Chloe received from the fucker.” Pressing the play button on the answering machine they both listened to the sinister male voice issuing his first lot of threats to Chloe.

“My understanding is that you have all her phones tapped now?” Jake asked when the last message finished playing.

“Yes, both her mobile and home phones are tapped. There haven’t been any messages since we tapped them though.”

“Do you have the latest messages left for her here as well?” Jake asked Randall, while viewing the dead rose and letter in the evidence bags.

“Yes.”

Picking up and placing the other small tape into the answering machine, Randall pressed play and they listened to the more recent messages. Every time he had to listen to them, Randall always had the same reaction. An undeniable urge to hunt and kill the one threatening Chloe, to make sure the dumb fuck never threatened anyone else again, including his woman!

“Right, well, Mick’s given me Chloe’s addresses for both work and home. Is there anything else I should know before I head out?”

“Only that she’s currently staying at my place, but the day after tomorrow Chloe will be staying with her friend Mary J for the weekend.”

“Then I’ll need both yours and the friend’s address before I leave. I’ll head over to your place first to speak to Chloe and introduce myself.”

“I’ll let her know to expect you then.”

“Appreciate it.”

Quickly writing down both addresses for Jake, Randall then boxed up all the evidence and shoved it back on the shelf where it belonged. Walking Jake back out of the evidence room, Randall’s mobile starting ringing. Flipping the thing open, he glanced down at the screen to see who was calling him.

“Ahh shit, I’ve got to take this. You right to see yourself out?”

“Yep, I’ll be in touch when I have something.”

“If you can’t get hold of me then call Mick instead and fill him in. He’ll know how to get the information to me.”

“Will do, speak soon.”

Randall watched the PI take off down the empty corridor. Hitting the answer button on his phone and holding it up to his ear, he uttered “talk to me” to his team leader.

Hanging up the phone five minutes later, Randall was pissed. All hell had broken loose on the case he had been working on. The group of thugs, known as the Gang of 39, that he and his team had been tracking for the last few months had moved a shipment of highly explosive material last night. The undisclosed location, according to the source working for the Bomb Squad, was a warehouse located near one of the docks along the harbour. The only problem was the source didn’t know which dock or warehouse it was, and there were at least five possible locations in the area alone.

Fucking perfect. Just what he needed was a bloody wild-goose chase. Not.

There went any hope of seeing his woman any time soon. That thought had just gotten shot out of the water. “Fuck.” Flipping his phone open again, Randall sent a quick text message to Chloe, filling her in briefly on the situation down here at the station. Switching the phone off, he headed down the corridor to the command centre for the debriefing. It was going to be a long arse of day, that was for sure. “Fucking perfect,” Randall muttered under his breath as he stepped inside the command centre.

* * * *

Driving out of the station’s car park, Jake knew there was more to the evidence than what the cop was letting on. His instincts kicked in the moment the cop told him the results of any fluids found were inconclusive. That was a load of bullshit if he ever heard it. They had discovered something. What the police had found though was obviously on a need-to-know basis, something his buddy, Mick, didn’t know a damn thing about either, because if Mick had known he would’ve mentioned it.

When Mick had called him to take on this case, saying it was for an old friend and his lover who was being stalked, Jake hadn’t been about to say no. He had heard the desperation in Mick’s voice. All the evidence the police had collected so far had been minimal at best. However, there was enough to start an investigation on.

The thing that struck a chord with Jake, though, was the dead rose. He had seen that once before, on a case he had been called to assist on a year or so ago. Jake scrubbed a hand over his face. He remembered that one case, the one where he had been too late to rescue the female victim from a violent death.

The young female victim, Emily Townsend, had been only twenty-nine years old upon her death. She had been a victim of a horrendous sexual attack. The bastard who had kidnapped her had also tortured and raped her until she died from the horrific injuries he inflicted on her. Before the kidnapping, the bastard had also stalked her for months and left her threatening messages similar to the ones Chloe was receiving now.

The dead rose…

Had to be symbolic with the way the dead petals were burnt at the edges.

It was a silent message, which came with a deadly outcome for its targeted victim.

The late Emily Townsend had received an identical rose a month before her kidnapping. The sick bastard who raped and tortured her burnt the place down he had taken her to. A ramshackle place out in the middle of fuck knew where.

The victim’s body had been discovered in an outer building that had been rigged to explode, destroying the body and any evidence with it. However, the police investigating Emily’s disappearance had been able to disable the explosives to retrieve her mutilated corpse.

What little evidence the police had been able to retrieve from the victim’s body had also been inconclusive. The small amount of DNA that was discovered didn’t match any felons in either the police or FBI database at the time. There had been no fibres or prints found in the outer building or on the body. This left the police with an unsolved murder that had little to no evidence and no leads.

There had been no persons of interest who could lead the police to why such a vicious crime had been committed. The police report Jake still had stated that the victim had been both a polite and gentle woman who befriended all who came into contact with her. She had been a much-loved daughter of Bob and Grace Townsend and a missed older sister to Henry Townsend. She had no reported enemies, no bad relationships. In fact all her relationships had ended amicably according to the police report.

The only other piece of physical evidence linked to her murder, besides the victim’s body, had been a letter attached to another dead rose found at the victim’s home two days after her body was discovered. It had warned at the time that this was just the beginning.

Jake knew now what that warning meant.

Chloe Watson was the bastard’s next intended victim.

But this time Jake was going to do everything he could to ensure the fucker didn’t get his hands on her. In honour of Emily Townsend, Jake vowed to kill this bastard who would dare to take another life so viciously.

Pulling up at the curb, two houses down from where Chloe was currently staying, Jake prayed that this time he could save the innocent woman from the bastard threatening her. It was bad enough living with the death of the first innocent victim on his conscience without adding another innocent woman to it.

Surveying the other houses along the street the cop lived on, Jake took a few moments to draw in a few deep breaths to steady the rage he could feel burning inside of him. His rage had become second nature to him over the past few years, brought on by too many deaths, deaths that were both unnecessary and unwanted. Jake was pleased to find the cop lived in a fairly secure neighbourhood. The house the cop lived in was locked up good, too, with high-tech security not visible to the unknowledgeable eye. Jake was knowledgeable though and trained to detect the undetectable. So it pleased him to see the cop took the safety of himself and his lover seriously.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Sitting on the far end of one of the sofas in the lounge room with a blanket wrapped around her and dressed in one of Randall’s shirts and a pair of her own sweatpants, Chloe looked on as Mick and the PI who had been hired to help track down the stalker, Jake, talked. Her head throbbed from all the questions and information thrown her way.

Plus, she missed Randall.

She wished that he didn’t have to stay at the station anymore when on call. Surely his boss could see Randall’s dedication to the team and his job by now, enough to at least allow him to go home at the end of every shift.

She knew Randall was working on a big case, and going by the text he sent her a while ago, the case had just blown wide open. Chloe only hoped that Jon wouldn’t have to stay at the station any longer than his shifts allowed for.

Her desperation to see him was something Chloe didn’t want to have to acknowledge to herself. But every day they were apart from one another was one more day she couldn’t be with him. To remember him and what he meant to her.

With the sick bastard closing in on her, Chloe needed Randall to be here with her. She knew it was a selfish thing to need. Randall’s job was important to him, she knew this, but it still didn’t stop her from wishing he didn’t have to work so he could be here with her.

Feeling her mobile vibrate, she flipped it opened and pulled up the text message left for her. She didn’t take any notice of who had sent her the message. She just assumed it would be from Randall, being that he promised to text her once his briefing had finished. However, when Chloe scanned the contents of the message she knew damn well it wasn’t from him.

With a shaky voice she called out to Mick.

Her hand shook when she held the phone out to him to view the most recent message sent to her from the bastard stalking her. Taking the phone from her hand, Mick cursed out loud when he saw how pale her skin had gone. Her stomach rolled. Chloe only just managed not to throw up her lunch on his shoes.

After Mick read the text, he handed the phone to Jake to read. Chloe watched the two men kick into action. She knew that this was the breakthrough they had all been hoping for. The message could be traced to the origin it had been sent from, leading them hopefully to a location to capture the sick bastard.

The latest message was disturbing with its graphic description of what the bastard had planned for her once she was his. Chloe shuddered at the thought of his latest threats becoming a reality.

No, she would not be the bastard’s victim.

If she had learnt anything over the past week, it was that being the bastard’s victim was so not happening. She would not allow it. Randall had taught her enough defensive moves over the past week to defend herself if the need ever arose. Chloe had been grateful at the time that Randall had taken the time to teach her those moves. She knew he would prefer to defend and protect her himself. They both knew that with his job that wasn’t always possible.

Plus it was about time she learnt to defend herself anyway.

There was only one thing that worried Chloe. When the time came and she needed to defend herself from the one targeting…could she do it? Or would the fear incapacitate her and leave her motionless to defend herself against the bastard’s advances?

* * * *

Stepping out of the command centre after the briefing ended, Randall had only just switched his phone back on when it started ringing. Flipping it open and noticing the call was coming from Mick, his first thoughts went to Chloe. With his heart racing Randall managed to keep his voice steady when he answered the call. “Mick, what’s up? Is Chloe all right, man?”

“Yeah, she’s doing okay. She misses you I think, bro.” Randall grunted at that. “The reason I called though wasn’t to discuss your love life, mate.”

“You don’t say. Cut the crap, Mick, and give it to me straight. I don’t have time to pussyfoot around. Shit has hit the fan down here on the case we’ve been working on. It’s all hands on deck at the moment.”

“Shit.”

“Don’t worry, mate. I have made sure you don’t get called in any earlier. You’re on for the day after tomorrow still, plus I needed your ass there with Chloe.”

“Speaking of gorgeous.” The tone in Mick’s voice became more serious, making Randall’s heart beat even faster. “Mate, she received a fairly graphic text message from the stalker.”

“How long ago, and is she all right?”

“Within the last five minutes. She’s a bit shaken up.”

“Put her on the phone.” Randall demanded to his old friend.

Hearing Chloe’s fragile voice come over the phone line saying his name, Randall’s heart ached to be there for her. The need to hold her and comfort her all but consumed him.

“Chloe, are you all right?”

“Yes. No,” she sighed down the phone line. “I don’t know what to think, Jon. The message, it was disturbing in its graphical content. I’m scared, Jon. I don’t want to be but I am. ”

“Shh, precious, you have every right to be scared.” Hell, he was scared for her, too. “I want you to promise me here and now that you will do everything Mick tells you to do. Promise me, Chloe, you will listen to him.”

“I promise, Jon,” she whispered to him.

Chloe sounded tired, almost defeated, too. God, he wished he could be there with her and not stuck down here at the damn station. He couldn’t even sneak out for twenty minutes to go see her, to know that she was indeed all right. Randall would give anything to be able to hold her in his arms right about now. Being that all hell had broken loose on the case his team had been working on, his missing presence would not go unnoticed.

“Good girl. I’m going to leave my phone switched on silent and I want you to text me if you get scared or need to get something off your chest. I’ll try and answer your texts when I can.” Hearing his team leader call for him, Randall cursed to himself. “Listen, precious, I have to go. Text me if you need anything, and remember Mick’s there for you, too. I love you, Chloe.”

Randall ended the call before Chloe could say anything more. He could practically hear the three words Chloe wanted to say to him churning over in that pretty little head of hers. But she held back. He didn’t want to pressure her in to saying them. Chloe would say those words to him in her own time and in her own way. Plus he didn’t really need to hear the words. It was clearly evident in her voice that she loved him and only him.

Chapter Thirty-Three

After the call ended with Randall, Chloe had never felt more alone in her life than she did right at that moment. Even if there were two men standing in the same room with her. Neither of those two men were whom she needed or whom she wanted in the room with her. Neither of them were the man she needed to have his strong arms wrapped around her tightly. Neither of these two men were her Randall.

Yep, the message had sure done a number on her this time around. The stalker probably counted on it, too, the knowledge of which made her feel guilty at her own defeated state of mind. The fight in her, the one she had found within herself, seemed to all but vanish when she read the vulgarity of the message the bastard had sent to her.

Both men were on the phone shouting their demands to the person on the other end of the line. They both wanted results and answers like yesterday. Chloe knew they would have the location on where the message came from soon, being that Jake was on the phone with her phone carrier, while Mick spoke to one of the detectives helping him and Randall with the case.

Rising up from her position on the sofa, Chloe padded sombrely into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. She never normally drank beer other than a sip now and then of Randall’s. Popping the top off the bottle, she swallowed a large amount of the amber liquid down in one scull. Her eyes closed as the beer hit her queasy stomach. Her belly rolled in protest from the beer she had just consumed, “Oh, god.”

“Chloe?”

Shit…Mick. Chloe turned to where Mick stood in the kitchen, concern for her well-being written all over his clean-shaven face. “Yeah?” she offered weakly to him.

“You look like shit, gorgeous, and drinking yourself silly with beer isn’t going to help matters either.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Thanks for the observation, Mick,” she groaned back at him as her stomach heaved again.

He closed the distance between them then with two easy strides. Before she knew it, Mick had enveloped her with his arms. Laying her head on his chest she closed her eyes and imagined she was in Randall’s arms right now. That it was his heart she could hear beating. It was his lips that pressed a kiss to the top of her head. And it was his whispered words of strength she could hear ringing in her ears.

Her eyes stung but she fought back the moisture wanting to leak from her eyes. Releasing herself slowly from Mick’s embrace, she cupped a hand to his face. “Thank you, Mick. I needed that. You know, Mary J is going to be one lucky lady when you snag her.” Mick scoffed at her suggestion that he and Mary J would hook up. The man was obviously keen on the sexy redhead, but he did nothing about it. Men. They could be so stupid sometimes.

“Ahh, thanks, I think. You still look like shit though, gorgeous.”

“Huh, you don’t say. Well, I feel like shit.”

“How about you go lie down for a while. I’ll even come in and check on you if it makes you sleep for a few hours.” Seeing her indecision, Mick decided to throw in the guilt card. “You know Randall will have my balls if he thinks I haven’t looked after you, so you would be doing me a huge favour if you were to rest for a bit.”

“Fine.” she mumbled back to him. “You know it’s cruel using the guilt trip, Mick, cruel indeed.” Chloe half smiled to him as he followed her out of the kitchen and down the hall to the bedroom she shared with Randall.

After Mick checked the room and the adjacent bathroom to ensure all was safe and secure, Chloe hopped onto the bed and slipped under the covers, fully clothed. As soon as her head hit the pillow the exhaustion from the day’s events hit her. Her eyelids became too heavy to keep open. Closing her eyes, she let herself fall asleep. She only hoped she didn’t have the dream again. The one that left her shaken to her very core and left her throat raw from screaming in her sleep.

Plus, Randall wasn’t here to hold her and comfort her when she woke from screaming. No, she would not have that dream tonight. She all but begged herself not to have that horrible dream again tonight.

Chapter Thirty-Four

They were getting closer. They all could feel it. They had the location on where the latest message came from. The location had been a dud in finding anything or anyone. It had turned out to be a highly populated area. So unless the police, Randall, Mick, and Jake were all planning on interviewing everyone and smashing their way through all the houses and buildings there wasn’t much they could do with the information or the location they had.

Now both Randall and Mick were back at the station, working on their own case they had been investigating for months now. Jake meanwhile was out investigating all the information they had gathered so far on her stalker.

Chloe, on the other hand, found herself left with her next babysitter. Only this time she didn’t mind the babysitter chosen by Randall. Mary J was a hoot. The younger woman managed to brighten up the downright pissed-off mood Chloe had arrived in. Her friend’s bubbly presence alone made her forget, just for a little while, all her troubles and her fears.

She and Mary J had gotten close over the past couple of months. They had bonded over the fact they were both relatively new to the area. Chloe enjoyed Mary J’s easy going nature. The slightly younger woman made her forget so easily all that troubled her. After a few glasses of champagne, a manicure, and a pedicure later you practically forgot everything.

Randall would probably have Chloe’s ass blushing if he caught sight of her current drunken state. Yep, she was as drunk as a skunk and loving every minute of it. For the first time in days, Chloe felt relaxed and blissfully unaware of all that had been troubling her lately. And she had Mary J’s great taste in French champagne and friendship to thank for that.

Her phone chose that moment to vibrate, letting her know she had a text message waiting for her. Being too drunk to want to acknowledge the text, Chloe switched her phone off completely before tucking it back in to the back pocket of her jeans.

“So you want to watch a movie or something, sweetie?” Mary J asked her.

“Nuh, I’ve watched so many damn movies lately I’m all movied out.” Giggling to herself, Chloe rose from her spot on the sofa. Staggering over to the stereo system, she turned the music up to the max. Strutting back to the middle of the floor, she began to sway her hips from side to side, letting her body absorb the rhythm of the music.

She even managed to persuade Mary J to join her on the makeshift dance floor, much to the amusement of her friend. Together they danced and swayed their bodies to the hypnotic vibe of the music and giggled at each other’s crazy dance moves.

* * * *

“Hey, sweetie, are you hungry?”

Chloe spun around in a circle again with her arms raised in the air. In her mind her body danced and gyrated up against Randall’s muscular frame on the dance floor. She was so lost to the music she hadn’t even noticed her friend up and leave to go to the kitchen. “What you say?” she said, her words slurring when they fell from her lips.

Giggling again, Mary J asked her if she was hungry. Chloe stopped dancing altogether and stared at her friend. “Actually I’m famished.”

Stumbling over to the stereo to turn the volume down, Chloe then stumbled her way back over to the sofa and ungracefully sat down next to her good friend. She laughed when she saw the amount of food Mary J had brought in for them to eat. Grabbing a handful of crisps she winked at her friend and said, “Wow, that’s a lot of food. Are we expecting company, maybe? Mick perhaps?” Mary J blushed at the mention of Mick’s name, setting Chloe off into a fit of giggles.

“Nuh, sweetie, no Mick tonight. Maybe next time if that damn man gets his act together. I just couldn’t decide on what I wanted to eat so I brought in a bit of everything in.”

“Well, it all looks pretty good to me and I’m sure if Mick were here he’ll appreciate this fine spread, too.”

“You think so, sweetie? I just don’t get that man sometimes. I know there’s something there between us.” Mary J shook her head then and said, “Eat up, sweetie. I don’t want Randall to think I haven’t fed you while you’re staying here.”

Chloe rolled her eyes at her friend as she reached for the bowl of crisps on the table. Geez had Randall threatened both her friend and Mick or something. The two of them seemed pretty determined to make sure she ate, slept and was never left alone for even a minute.

Chloe only half listened to what her friend was chatting about. Her mind was on other things, like how to get some time alone. Leaning her head back against the back of the sofa and munching slowly on a crisp, she wondered what would happen to her if she were to leave Mary J’s place alone. She knew Randall wouldn’t be impressed at all for defying his order, yet again, to not leave the house without Mick or Mary J’s presence.

However, after spending so much time with Randall, she needed some time to be on her own. Don’t get her wrong. She loved every minute she spent with Jon. In fact she treasured their time together.

Nevertheless, she felt suffocated having the presence of another person following her every move watching and waiting to tell Randall on her if she stepped out of line. Even if that fact wasn’t true it didn’t help. Chloe knew everyone was doing their best to keep her safe and protected from the stalker. Still, she needed space to breathe, time alone with her own thoughts, things she hadn’t been able to have over the past week or so. Well, at least not since she had locked herself in the bathroom.

Since then, Randall had made it his mission and both her “babysitters’” mission not to leave her side for more than a couple of minutes. The constant presence of people around her was getting on her nerves. Even before she met Randall, way before the stalker invaded her life, Chloe had always had time for just herself. Time alone, to deal with life in general. Time alone, to enjoy being on her own. Now though she had no other option but to do almost everything in the presence of someone else.

Quite frankly it was starting to piss her off.

Yawning loudly, Chloe glanced sideways at her friend. Seeing that she was falling to sleep, she nudged her awake. “Hey, you ready for bed, sleepyhead?”

“Sleepyhead yourself, sweetie. Yes, I’m ready for bed.”

They both rose from the sofa. While Chloe switched the stereo off, Mary J went about checking the locks on the doors, ensuring everything was secure. Stumbling her way down the hall to the guest bedroom, Chloe glanced back over her shoulder when she heard Mary J traipsing down the hall behind her. “Night, Mary J. Sweet dreams.”

“Good night, sweetie. See you in the morning. Sweet dreams to you, too.”

Walking into the guest bedroom and closing the door behind her, Chloe took a deep breath. A plan formulated in her mind. She might be a little tipsy but she wasn’t that drunk to come up with a plan to get some alone time.

Stripping off her clothes and marching her way into the tiny en suite bathroom, not bothering to wait for the water to heat up in the shower before stepping under the spray of cold water. The coldness of the water would help clear her mind, help her plan her way to freedom. Even if only for an hour to herself, she would be grateful for that time alone. If she didn’t get some time to herself soon, she would go insane, no doubt about it.

Being on the verge of insanity was so not a good look, not with Randall due home to her in a couple of days’ time.

After briskly showering, Chloe climbed into the cold, empty bed and drew the covers up to her chin. She wished she could call Randall to hear the huskiness of his voice. Hearing his whispered words always made her shiver and become inconceivably wet and ready for him. God, it had only been a few days, yet her body craved his presence. Craved the way his bare skin felt brushing up against her naked flesh. She found herself yearning for the way he would possess every inch of her being with his body.

Groaning, she switched off the brass lamp on the bedside table near the bed, plunging the room into darkness. Hugging a pillow tightly in her arms she closed her eyes. In her mind, she imagined the feeling of being wrapped up in Randall’s arms as he held her close to him. She could practically feel the warmth of his nude body wrapped around hers and hear the beating of his heart in her ear.

She could envision it all.

Here in his warm embrace lay her safe haven. In his arms, Chloe knew she would always be safe. She would always be loved. She would always be protected from the danger yet to pass.

Chapter Thirty-Five

With Mary J still sleeping in the room across the hall from her, Chloe crept down the hall and out the front door without her friend noticing. She half expected to see the fiery redhead come barging out the front door as soon as she turned the keys in the ignition to start her car. But there was nothing. No reaction from inside the house at all.

After a late night of drinking and dancing, she could hardly blame her friend for wanting to sleep in. Hell, Chloe wished she, too, could’ve slept in until well after midday herself. Her head was still aching slightly even after taking something for it. Plus, sleeping in was not an option for her today. A few hours of freedom was, however.

Freedom. Such a simple word with a simple meaning. Who knew it could mean so much to her?

Turning onto the street she lived on, Chloe felt this instant eeriness in the air. She couldn’t explain the reasons behind it. She even had goose bumps forming on her arms, causing her to shiver involuntarily when she parked her blue bubble of a car at the end of her driveway.

She even glanced out the front windows of her car, to see if anything was, well, off. She hadn’t been back to her place for a few weeks, and needed to be here. She needed to grab some more clothes so she had something else to wear, other than the minuscule amount clothing she had back at Randall’s place. Plus, Chloe needed to be surrounded by her own things, her own possessions even if only for a short time.

There was no doubt in her mind, once Mary J rose she would alert the men to her disappearance and they’d all be out looking for her. Chloe hoped Randall or Mick found her first. Jake made her too nervous with that foreboding look of his.

Strolling up to the front door, Chloe felt eyes hovering on her. She shivered. Uneasiness rolled throughout her body. She glanced back over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching her. There was no one around. In fact the whole street seemed quiet, far too quiet for a Saturday morning.

It might be only just after ten o’clock in the morning, but that didn’t stop the chaos that comes with Saturday mornings. Normally the kids from two doors down would be out on their bikes playing with the neighbours’ kids from across the road from them. The old couple next door to her place were usually out in the front yard gardening. Plus the street was never short of a garage sale or two on Saturday mornings.

However, none of that was happening this Saturday morning. Nothing was happening at all.

All was quiet on her street. Too quiet.

The eeriness Chloe felt upon her arrival at her home increased the moment she pushed the key into the lock on her front door.

She knew the moment the front door opened without her even turning the key, she had made a dreadful mistake in coming here alone.

In coming back to the place she had called home.

The nightmare she had been having at night was about to become her reality.

He was here.

The sick bastard after her had been waiting for her inside her home.

Inside the house she thought of as her own.

She couldn’t see the bastard’s face, due to the black mask covering his features. His dark clothing, hiding any marks or tattoos on his body, all made him look like a dark-clothed ghost. Swallowing hard at the fear lodged in her throat, Chloe tried to process in her mind all that was happening around her. Everything seemed to transpire in slow motion though, making it difficult for her own mind to comprehend anything when he lunged for her.

She tried to scream.

She tried to back away from him.

She tried to break free from his hold when he grabbed her and pulled her forcibly inside.

She couldn’t. He was far too strong for her to fight against.

Tears, hot, painful tears sprung to her eyes when his fist collided with the side of her face. His leather-covered hand closed over her mouth, preventing anyone hearing her scream.

Why, why did she leave Mary J’s house alone this morning? Why did she think she needed freedom when it was obvious to her now, freedom was not a luxury she could afford? It never had been since the day she received the bastard’s first message. And now she was going to pay the ultimate price for seeking a freedom she didn’t have the right to want or need.

His message of “Die, bitch” was going to happen now. There was no way to stop it. No one here but herself to fight for her own life.

She shuddered upon hearing the front door slam closed behind her, effectively trapping her inside her own home with him. Chloe tried to move her legs in an effort to stand up, but it was no use. Her body gave out and she slumped back down to the floor. When the bastard advanced on her again, she tried to protect herself by curling her body into a ball. It didn’t help. She felt the kick to her ribs and cried out when pain lashed up her body.

Her body trembled uncontrollably from the pain, from fear of what was going to happen to her.

The bastard snagged a fistful of her hair, hauling her to her feet. Chloe screamed out at the pain it caused. More tears leaked from her eyes. She had to fight back. She had to defend herself, it was the only way she could survive this. Another fist caught the side of her face, bouncing her hard against the wall. Her head ached and throbbed from the force of the blows. Her face was bloodied, bruised, and swollen.

In her mind, Chloe could hear Randall’s voice urging her to move to stand up and fight. Not to give up. Gingerly she rose to her feet, pushing past the pain whipping throughout her body, and lunged for the masked bastard. Her fist connected to his jaw and he stumbled back, more from surprise of her attack on him. Nevertheless, it wasn’t enough to stop him. The bastard advanced on her once again.

His eyes, so dark with rage, were the only thing Chloe had time to see before he slammed a fist to the other side of her head. She collapsed to the floor, lost to the pain from the hit. Blackness engulfed her vision. She was vaguely aware of her arms being pulled roughly behind her back. The bastard tied some kind of abrasive material around her wrists. The coarseness of the material burned and rubbed against her bare skin on her wrists. Then to her utter disgust the bastard threw her limp body over his shoulder so hard her sore ribs collided heavily against his shoulder blades, causing her to lose her breath as pain once again exploded down her side. Her body finally gave up on the fight to stay awake and surrendered itself to the darkness of unconsciousness.

* * * *

Jake was surprised to see Chloe’s car parked in the driveway of her house when he drove past. Knowing she’d been staying over at her friend’s place, it seemed odd that her car would be here this morning. Shrugging, he drove on, figuring Chloe was probably hanging at her place with her friend watching a movie or something. Or whatever the hell women did for entertainment these days.

The street did seem quiet though. On his previous drive-bys in the mornings the busy suburban street was usually a hive of activity. Not today. Glancing up at the sky, it seemed, well, eerie. Dark clouds were moving in from the south, a storm expected later in the day.

Rain. Just what he needed. Not.

Jake made a mental note to himself to drive by Chloe’s place once his errands were done. If her car was still there, then he’d drop in and make sure everything was all in order. Putting his foot down on the accelerator, he drove up to the end of the street and headed into town.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Her head throbbed from the multiple blows she had received from the bastard. The skin on her wrists burned from the rope binding them tightly together. Slowly, Chloe opened one of her swollen eyes, peering out from underneath the lashes, realising she was still in her house. And, thank god, still fully clothed. She sighed with relief at the knowledge she hadn’t been sexually assaulted while unconscious. The action of sighing made her chest ache from the numerous kicks to the ribs she had received earlier from the bastard. She was going to be sore for days, if she survived this nightmare.

Not taking into account the punishment Randall would dish out to her for defying his orders. Randall’s type of discipline Chloe welcomed with open arms, loved even. What the bastard had been dishing out to her over the past couple of hours was something else entirely. This bastard’s form of physical punishment was something Chloe had to take against her own will. All because the bastard was fucked up in the head and had decided that she deserved this form of brutal abuse.

In her eyes, this wasn’t punishment. It was torture. Physical torture in the worst way. One of the cruellest kinds of physical torture a human being could do to another human being.

Yes, she might be a woman, which made her weaker than her male counterpart. But Chloe had the will to survive. Something the bastard probably never counted on her having. After all she was just a bitch to him, and a useless one at that. He was wrong to underestimate her though.

Chloe had something that gave her the will to live, the will to survive. Something this bastard had probably never had or believed in. Not that she cared what the bastard believed in. Her will to survive was Randall and the love he offered to her on a daily basis with or without her submission. Then there was the love she held in her heart for him. The love they gave to each other was her greatest form of strength for her own survival.

As she shifted her gaze around, trying to determine where the bastard might be lying low, Chloe tried not to move her body around. She couldn’t draw his attention to her non-unconscious state.

She could still feel him, in her home.

She wasn’t actually sure where he was, but his evil presence lurked nearby.

The faint scent of gas assaulted her nostrils moments later. Then the black steel-capped boots of her attacker came into her line of vision not long afterward. Chloe willed herself not to look up at him, knowing that would only cause him to hurt her more. And she hurt enough to last her a life time. She had to pretend to be still knocked out if she planned on getting out of here alive.

Hearing him grunt out a sting of profanities and other vulgar words, Chloe remained silent and still. Something that was hard to do especially when the bastard swung his leg toward her, the steel-capped boot of his colliding once again with her already tender ribs. Unbearable pain assaulted her. Biting down on her own her tongue, Chloe fought to hold in the scream of anguish wanting to escape past her bloodied split lips. She could not alert him to her being awake.

If he knew…oh god, if he found out that she wasn’t unconscious anymore it could get incredibly worse for her. Chloe knew this, so she screamed soundlessly on the inside. The intensity of the stinging agony racing throughout her body was more than she could handle. More than anyone could possibly handle.

She could feel herself slipping back into her unconscious state. She couldn’t allow herself to be sucked under again. She had to stay awake. Gas leaked from somewhere inside her home. She had to stay awake. The bastard was still inside her home. She had to remain awake to fight him.

Randall. His name, his words, his sparkling sky-blue eyes gave her comfort in her darkest hour. They provided the strength she needed to fight against the blackness clouding the edges of her mind. It would be so easy if she could succumb to the blackness. Then she wouldn’t have to live through all that was about to happen to her. If she let herself be taken by the blackness edging in her mind she could forget.

It was harder to remain awake, knowing that she would remember every little detail of everything the bastard did to her for the rest of her life.

Somewhere inside her, Chloe knew he would come for her. That Randall would find his way to her and rescue her from this nightmare. She just hoped he wasn’t too late. She wanted to scream her fury at the bastard hurting her now. But she couldn’t. When the bastard kicked her in the lower back, her body bucked from the unexpected force. She cried out in pain when he forced her to her feet by pulling her up by her own hair.

The bastard had being playing with her this whole time.

He knew damn well she had been awake.

Her body trembled from both the pain lashing through her and the fear of what the bastard had planned next for her.

With an open hand he slapped her hard across the face. Tears streamed down her bloodied and bruised face when the bastard tore the front of her blouse open. Chloe screamed “No!” at him. He didn’t stop though.

His leather-covered hands manhandled her breasts roughly through the black lace of her bra, bruising her flesh even more. Bile rose in her throat from his touch alone. His hands felt coarse against her flesh. She tried to fight against him in an effort to dislodge the grasp he had on her.

Feeling one of his hands travelling lower down her body to the zipper on her jeans, Chloe thrashed around in his hold even more, screaming “No!” at him.

Her hands still trapped behind her back made it all the more difficult for her to break free from his unyielding grip he had on her. Panic set in when she heard the lowering of the zipper of her jeans.

Her voice shook when she yelled “No!” to him again. Fear lacing her voice, her body shuddered violently from a combination of the sheer terror of his hands on her body taking what he wanted from her and from her own pain.

She had to stop this. She couldn’t allow him to vandalise her body in this way. Couldn’t allow this bastard to touch what belonged only to Randall.

Her body was only for Randall to touch, to explore and to take. This bastard had no right to grope her like this. The bastard had no right to take what didn’t belong to him.

Chloe managed to fight free of his hold on her and stumbled backed away from him. Hearing him yell at her, “You little bitch,” had her edging back even further from him. She couldn’t run though. Her legs were barely holding her up as it was. Her hands still tied behind her gave her no way to escape him.

Seeing him advance toward her, Chloe was determined not to concede to the violence the bastard was about to throw her way. She wasn’t going down without a fight. She at least owed Randall that much.

Suddenly the scent of gas became increasingly stronger in the room. Coughing from the choking feeling the gas gave her, Chloe watched in disbelief as her attacker backhanded her across her already battered and bruised face.

Falling to the ground from the force of the blow, she was vaguely aware of the bastard’s retreating presence. The front door slammed shut. The bastard had the nerve to make his exit via her front door.

Now here she lay on the hardwood floor.

Battered, bruised, and bloodied.

Her torn blouse lay open and loose around her, exposing her bra-covered breasts to anyone who rescued her. One of the straps on her bra had broken loose during the struggle with her attacker. Glancing down, she could already see bruising forming on the half-exposed breast were it had been so roughly manhandled. Her breasts were actually painful from where the bastard had touched her so violently.

Her hands still tied behind her back rendered her helpless to cover herself up. She was too battered and bruised to even move. The strength she had found within herself to ward off her attacker was all but gone now. All she could think about was the pain, the bruises on her flesh left behind from the bastard’s rough handling of her. The marks the bastard left behind on her body.

She felt weak.

She felt ashamed.

Tears leaked from her eyes from the realisation of how awfully close she had come to being permanently violated by that bastard. Her body shuddered violently from the thought. The pain, the bruises on her flesh left behind from the bastard’s rough treatment of her would fade away in time. Physically her body would heal with time. Mentally, though, she wondered if she would ever be able to get pass this attack.

She wouldn’t have given up what belonged only to Randall, not without a fight.

She would have fought her attacker every step of the way.

On the verge of unconsciousness, knowing she couldn’t remain here on the floor, she needed to get help to her somehow.

Feeling her mobile in her back pocket of her jeans, Chloe wiggled her tied hands down till she could grasp the mobile with her fingertips and tug it free from her back pocket. She cursed, remembering the damn thing was still switched off from last night and she hadn’t gotten around to turning it back on yet.

Okay, she could do this. Yes, the smell of gas leaking inside her home made her nauseous. Yes, her body felt like it had done ten rounds with a boxing champ in the ring. She could do this though. Calmly, Chloe felt around for the button at the side and held it down for five seconds, until it vibrated, letting her know it was switching back on. The wait for it to power back up was excruciating.

Once her phone came back online, she flipped it open and hit the emergency button then waited for it to connect to an operator. When the faint voice of the female operator echoed over the phone line, Chloe screeched to the woman her address and brief description of what had happened. The woman promised to have an ambulance there within the next fifteen minutes, and the fire brigade there within five minutes. Chloe sighed in relief. Thank god her house wasn’t far from the local fire department, was her last thought before she blacked out again.

* * * *

She awoke with unfamiliar hands and voices surrounding her. Realising her hands had been freed, Chloe blindly pushed the hands upon her body away. Her eyes flew open when the hands came back. She screamed and cried hysterically for them to get their hands off of her, only to have their hands coming back the more she pushed them away from her. One of the firemen crouched down to her eye level. He told her that she was safe now and they were going to carry her out of here and out to the awaiting ambulance.

Chloe wanted to fight them still, no matter what they told her. She wasn’t safe, not until Randall was with her. “Randall!” She screamed his name as loud as she could over and over again. When the firemen lifted her gently from the floor and began to carry her outside, Chloe knew in her mind she was safe. But her body thought otherwise and thrashed around within their grip.

One of the firemen called out to get Officer Randall here pronto and he didn’t care how they did it, just get him here fast. They knew about her and Officer Randall how? Then Chloe heard Jake’s voice not far from her. Jake was here?

“Chloe, oh god.” Hearing the break in Jake’s voice as he came up to her, Chloe knew she must look as bad as she felt.

“J–Jake…Jon, please,” was all she had the strength to say before pain engulfed her, causing her to cry out.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Jake couldn’t believe his own eyes when he saw Chloe being carried out by the firemen. He wanted to hunt and kill the fucker who dared to hit an innocent woman like Chloe. The rage burning out of control within him was hard to rein in when he caught sight of her delicate face and body all battered and bruised. Blood welled in the cuts to her lips and on her cheeks where the skin had spilt from being bashed. Her clothing was tattered and torn down the front, and bile rose in his throat when he thought about what may have happened to her.

Only hours earlier, he had driven past her place and seen her car there but had failed to stop and check in on her. Kicking at the ground with his foot, he cursed out loud as he pulled his mobile free. Randall, the poor bastard, was going to be beside himself when he set his eyes on the damage the attacker had done to his Chloe.

Jake knew Randall. He was aware he was a fellow Dominant and no doubt once Chloe had healed from her injuries she would feel the full force of the punishment Randall would dish out to her. Although Jake had a feeling Chloe would accept everything her Master gave her and more. Hell, if she could survive this attack on her life, she could survive anything.

* * * *

His phone vibrated in his pocket when he stepped into the command centre for another briefing on the investigation he and Mick were heading up. Flipping the phone open, Randall stepped out into the vacant corridor. “Talk to me,” he uttered to whoever was on the other end, not bothering to check who had called him.

“Randall, Jake here. We have a situation. I, ahh, need you down here now.”

“Where the fuck is here and what the fuck is going on, Jake?”

“It’s Chloe.”

Uneasiness rolled through him as he stammered out, “What about her? What the fuck is going on, Jake? I don’t have time for this shit. Just give it to me straight.”

Randall heard Jake blow out a harsh breath before he answered his questions. In his gut he knew what he was about to hear would haunt him for days to come.

“She’s been attacked, Randall. The asshole beat her up pretty badly.”

“Where is she?” Randall had to rid himself of the pictures running through his brain at hearing Jake tell him his Chloe had been beaten. “Precious,” he murmured to himself.

“Where, Jake? Where is Chloe now?”

“She’s at her house.”

“She’s where?” Randall could feel his rage building rapidly inside him. What the fuck was Chloe doing at her damn house? “Was she there alone?”

“By the looks of it I would have to say yes.”

“Fuck. Shit!”

“I don’t know why Chloe went to her house this morning alone. The bastard must have been waiting for her or something. Whatever her reasons for coming here, you need to get your arse down to her place promptly, Randall. Chloe, she’s- messed up pretty badly and won’t let anyone go near her. You need to get down here fast, for her sake, man.”

Randall was already walking out the police station as soon as Jake had mentioned Chloe’s name. “Leaving now,” he told the PI before flipping his phone shut.

Chloe, his precious Chloe had been hurt by the one targeting her. Randall felt sick to the stomach not knowing what had happened to her. If the attack had been…God, he couldn’t even think it. But what if the attack had been a sexual attack? How could he possibly help her get through this? What could he offer her besides himself, his love and support? Would that even be enough to get them both through this? Could he ever be enough for her again?

Randall scrubbed a hand over his eyes to remove the wetness gathered there. Beating a fist down hard on the steering wheel, he screamed out, “Fuck!”

Grabbing his phone, he sent a quick text message to Mick, filling him in on what was going down at Chloe’s place. He then threw his phone down on the seat next to him.

Backing out of the car park, the tyres of his truck screeched across the black tar as he accelerated out of the station’s car park. Randall didn’t give a flying fuck if he broke every goddamn road rule to get to her. He drove hard and fast to get to Chloe’s place. He had to be with her. He had to see her with his own eyes. He needed to feel her in his arms and hold her tightly against him. He needed to know that she was alive and safe.

God help him if something ever happened to her that she couldn’t survive. His life, well, wouldn’t be worth shit if Chloe wasn’t standing there beside him to share it with, day in, day out.

She was his life.

She was his heart.

She was the air he breathed.

If Chloe wasn’t there with him, wasn’t alive and in his arms where she belonged, Randall would find himself dead within his own body. The realisation of that alone created an ache within him, knowing he’d be lifeless without her.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Turning into the street Chloe lived on, Randall couldn’t believe his own eyes. What the hell had happened to her, to warrant so many emergency services vehicles? Besides the one ambulance parked a few houses down from Chloe’s place, there were also two fire trucks and half a dozen cop cars swarming the suburban street. There was even a goddamn roadblock blocking him from driving any closer to her house.

Pulling over to the side of the road, Randall jumped out of his truck and locked it up before walking swiftly over to the two cops who stood manning the road block. On his approach to them, he pulled free his badge, flashing it to the two cops. Lifting up the police tape, he ducked under it while asking, “What the hell is going on here, deputies?”

“We’ve got a gas leak, sir,” one of the deputies said, pointing in the direction of Chloe’s house. “The woman was lucky to make it out alive after inhaling all that gas.” Randall half listened to what the deputy was saying to him. He tried to make sense of the information but none of it made any fucking sense. A gas leak. It just didn’t add up. Excusing himself away from the deputies, he beat feet and sprinted down to the ambulance. Chloe. She needed him.

* * * *

Chloe sat huddled underneath a blanket in the back of the ambulance. Her body trembled from the pain yet she refused any and all medical attention. “No,” she all but shouted out to one of the paramedics when the woman came at her with a syringe filled with some kind of drug to help ease the pain. The paramedic huffed but stayed back. Chloe knew they were only trying to help her. She didn’t want their help. She just wanted Randall. She tugged the hospital blanket around her tighter, trying to fight off the ever-present coldness trapped within her body.

She wanted to disappear, wanted the pain to go away, and she wanted the nightmare she lived through to never have happened.

Most importantly Chloe wanted her Randall.

Not knowing if or when he would come for her, Chloe refused any and all medical help until he arrived. She had to see him. Had to tell him how sorry she was in once again defying him. The guilt she felt from her own actions was nothing compared to the knowledge at how awfully close she came to being raped by her attacker. She shuddered from that thought.

Lowering her eyes, shame washed over her. So many sets of eyes had viewed her in her darkest hour. They saw how badly her body had been beaten up. They had seen her tattered and torn clothing. They might not know the full details of what had happened to her, but their eyes could see enough to make a clear assumption.

Tears fell from her swollen eyes, sliding down her puffy, bruised cheeks. Lifting a hand up to wipe away the tears, Chloe caught sight of movement out the corner of her eye. Jon?

She whispered his name. “Jon.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

He stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes landed on Chloe’s petite frame. Huddled underneath a blanket, she sat in the back of the ambulance while two paramedics watched on. Randall watched as one of the paramedics tried to approach her, only to hear Chloe yell “No!” to them. She refused medical treatment. What the fuck? His woman knew better than to turn down help when needed.

No wonder Jake had all but demanded to him to get his arse down here. His precious Chloe was causing havoc by not accepting the medical help she so desperately needed.

Slowing his approach, not wanting to scare her, Randall ambled up to the back of the ambulance. He sucked in a harsh breath when his eyes took in the bruising on her face. The bastard that attacked her must have had a death wish, because Randall was going to make sure the dumb fuck died for laying a single hand on his woman.

Her name croaked out from his parched lips. “Chloe.”

Her swollen, battered face turned to the sound of his voice.

“Jon?” Tears ran freely down her cheeks when her eyes landed on him. When Chloe started to apologise to him, Randall moved in close to her. Running his hands soothingly up and down her arms, he was mindful of all the cuts and abrasions marring her skin.

“Shh, precious, you’ve got nothing to apologise for.”

He couldn’t hold back any more. After seeing what the bastard had done to her, his eyes stung with unshed tears. Gently Randall manoeuvred Chloe’s body against him. Laying his head down on top of hers, he let his tears fall soundlessly. He tried not to think about how awfully close he had come to losing her today.

Kissing the top of her head one last time, he eased his arms from around her. Quickly swiping away the wetness from his eyes, he then cupped her face carefully in his hands. Bending down he grazed his lips over the only unmarked part of her face, her nose.

“Precious.” His whispered word was a tortured one.

Feeling her body tremble, he leaned back and gazed into her cloudy, pain-filled hazel eyes. “You need to let the paramedics check you out, lover.”

Hearing her utter “No” again had his Dominant streak kicking into full gear. Brushing his lips over her ear, he whispered. “Little girl, you will let these good medical people check you out. If you don’t I will throw you over my knee and make that fine ass of yours blush.” Nipping at her earlobe, and then soothing the bite with his tongue, he breathed against her ear. “Do you understand me, precious?” Her voice trembled with pain as she said, “Yes.”

“Good girl.”

Standing back up, he nodded to the paramedics to get their gear. Lifting Chloe up, cradling her close to his chest, Randall stepped inside the ambulance and laid her carefully down onto the stretcher. With his fingertips, he gently wiped away the wetness on her cheeks from her tears.

Reaching over, he pulled the back doors of the ambulance closed to give Chloe some sort of privacy. When he went back over to her, she reached out a hand to him. Taking her outstretched hand within his, he sat his ass down on the bench beside her.

The two paramedics went about administering pain relief to her. They checked her vitals and gave her some much-needed oxygen to help her breathe easier after inhaling all that gas. Randall had to hold back the urge to shield Chloe’s body from the two women who were attending her when one of them raised the blanket draped around her. The only reason he allowed them to work on his woman was because they were female. Seeing firsthand Chloe’s tattered and torn clothing, and the bruising covering her body where the bastard had marked her skin, enraged him.

Chloe whimpered as the paramedics poked and prodded her to see if she had any internal injuries or bleeding. Randall grasped her hand and squeezed it gently, letting her know he was here with her, that he wasn’t going anywhere. He felt her faintly squeeze his hand back.

Bending forward, his lips softly caressed her forehead. “Good girl,” he whispered to her as one of the paramedics injected her with a relaxant to help her rest more comfortably.

Soon as they were done checking Chloe out one of the women attending her turned to him. “We’re going to take her to the Royal Hospital in town. You’re welcome to join us on the ride over there, or follow behind us.”

Glancing down at Chloe, he could see she was resting comfortably now, and would not notice him being absent for ten minutes while they all headed to the hospital. “I’ll follow you,” he told them. Brushing his lips to Chloe’s ever so softly, Randall released her hand from his and slipped out the back of the ambulance.

Seeing Jake leaning against the side of one of the cop cars, Randall made his way over to him.

“How is she?” the PI asked upon seeing his approach.

“She’s in pretty bad shape. No internal bleeding by the looks of things. There’s a good chance she has possible rib fractures though and a concussion. They’re taking her to the hospital now.”

“I’ll stay here if you like and monitor things.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that.”

Just as Randall turned to walk over to where he parked his truck three firemen came racing around the side entrance to Chloe’s place yelling for everyone to get back. The place was going to blow. And sure enough, as soon as everyone took cover, a huge fireball erupted. Glancing up over the hood of the cop car he had taken cover behind, Randall felt gutted for Chloe. Her whole home had blown the fuck up. There would be nothing left for her to salvage once the firefighters had extinguished the roaring blaze.

Everything she had owned would be forever destroyed. All her memories, all her possessions, and all her keepsakes would be gone with no way to replace them.

Moving away from the cop car once it was safe to do so, Randall sombrely made his way back to his truck. Climbing into the driver’s seat, he took a moment to stare back at the smoke and flames billowing out from the ruined remains of Chloe’s home. He would be the one to tell her about her home going up in flames. After everything that had happened to her today, Randall be would the one to tell Chloe about her house and about losing all she owned. It was the least he could do for her. That, and also to try and replace everything she had lost today.

Turning the key in the ignition and pulling away from the curb, he headed over to the hospital where Chloe had been taken, too.

Chapter Forty

Forty-eight hours. That’s how many hours she spent in hospital, having multiple tests and drugs pumped into her system. Now that she had been discharged, Chloe finally found herself in familiar surroundings of home. Well, not her home. She was back at Randall’s place, to be more precise. She didn’t have a home anymore. She didn’t have anything other than a few items of clothing here at Randall’s place. All her possessions, everything she had ever owned, had all gone up in flames when the gas leak sparked a fire.

Not that she cared much for the items lost in the fire. They were only things after all. Possessions one collected over their lifetime. Some of the items lost could be replaced. Others couldn’t be. The one item Chloe did feel the loss of was the framed print she had hanging in her kitchen. It had meant something to her. Even the words inscribed on the back of the picture were words she valued close to her heart. Still to this day she had no idea who had given her the print.

Lying on the sofa in the lounge room of Randall’s place, Chloe could picture herself gazing at the swirl of colours canvassing the print. She could see the love the artist portrayed in the painting itself. Now it was gone. Everything she owned had gone up in flames.

Telling herself there was no point in her dwelling on all the things lost in the fire helped to a degree. Besides, not everything had been lost in the fire.

The most important possession in her life today was still very much present in her life. Even if a permanent scowl adorned his beautiful, handsome face. Randall. He was the one who told her about the fire at her place, even promised to take her back to the ruin remains so she could get some, well, closure, she guessed.

She’d been through a lot of shit over the past few days. Any evidence that could have been collected back at her place had been destroyed from the fire. The clothing she had worn on the day of her attack been taken, bagged and tagged as evidence. Plus, she had had to relive her ordeal in excruciating detail in the presence of Jon and two cops, who were total strangers to her. Chloe still had to remind herself almost hourly that she had survived the attack.

Yes, her body might be battered and bruised. Yes, she might be in pain every time she so much as breathed or moved. However, she was alive and she should be sincerely grateful for that.

She knew all this. It didn’t seem to help though.

She shook her head slightly in an effort to remove the despondent mood that seemed to be weighing her down. Carefully sliding her legs off the sofa and gingerly sitting upright, Chloe cringed inwardly at hearing Randall reprimanding her again for moving on her own.

“Damn it, Chloe, if you need to move just ask me and I’ll help you, precious.”

She glared up at him. Not appreciating the fact he was only trying to help her, the flare of anger rose swiftly within her. Chloe knew damn well Randall felt just as helpless in this whole mess as she did. Forcibly she had to hold back the spiteful words wanting out through her cracked lips. Frustration ate at her. She hated being couped up inside even if it had only been a few days. It probably didn’t help matters that she was refusing to take the medication prescribed for her to ease the discomfort from the crack ribs and the beating she had taken.

Breathing long and deep through her nose, Chloe tried to calm herself down. There was no point in yelling at Jon. He had done nothing wrong and didn’t deserve her frustration either. Glancing away from his sky-blue eyes, she whispered her apology to him.

“Chloe, there is no need to apologise. Yes, you’re cranky. I understand that.”

“Thanks,” she muttered under her breath.

Taking her hands in his, Randall crouched down beside her. “I know the past few days have been hell on you, Chloe. I know you are in a lot of pain, too. My only wish is for you to resume taking the medication prescribed for you. You will heal quicker that way, lover.”

“I know.” She shook her head and sighed deeply, regretting the action instantly. Immediately pain shot up her sides, causing her to bite down on her bottom lip to stop herself from crying out in agony.

* * * *

Randall could clearly see how much pain Chloe was in right now. However, he couldn’t force her to take the medication prescribed. Hell, the more he had asked about it, the crankier she had gotten. But he knew forcing her to take something she didn’t want to take wasn’t the right option. Rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, Randall pressed on when Chloe remained silent.

“What is it, Chloe? Is it about your house? Something do with your attack even? Or is it something else entirely that has you so down today?” he asked her.

“I just keep thinking that none of this would have happened if I…”

He lifted her chin up with his fingertip when she didn’t continue saying what had been on her mind. Looking deep into her hazel eyes, Randall could see the despondency shining there.

“If you what, Chloe?” He urged her to continue on opening up to him.

“If I hadn’t gone out in search for freedom, a freedom I wanted so desperately yet didn’t deserve.” She said the last few words in a mere whisper. So quiet were her words that he barely picked up on what she said. “All I wanted, Jon, was an hour or two, tops, to be on my own, with my own thoughts. And not have someone there watching over me.”

Her gaze met his.

Randall could see the strength it took her not to shed the tears wanting to fall.

“I know it was foolish of me to leave Mary J’s house alone. I know I still need to apologise to her for leaving her place without leaving a word of where I took off to. I also know that once I am fully healed I will accept any punishment you’ll give me for once again defying your orders.”

“Chloe, love, listen to me as I’m only going to say this once.” Seeing her nod her head, Randall continued. “I think you have been through enough punishment and guilt without me adding to it. I will not reprimand you this time. However, if you so much as defy my command again I will double your punishment, little girl,” he said, smirking at her.

Chloe couldn’t help but return a faint smile herself.

“Now, speaking of Mary J,” he said to her, “I have invited her over. She has been bugging me and Mick for days now about how you are. So she’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“Oh, shit.”

“This is your chance, Chloe, to mend the bridges broken between the two of you.”

“I know. I guess I’m a little afraid of the reception she’ll give me is all.”

Hearing him laugh softly at her, Chloe asked him what was so damn funny. He only told her, “Nothing, precious. Nothing at all,” before he stood up, dropped a kiss to the top of her head and left the room to go answer the front door.

Randall left the two women to talk and catch up on the past few days’ events while he went out to run some errands and to get the script filled the ER doctor had given Chloe for the pain. After dropping off her script at the chemist, the store next door caught his eye. They were selling particular items that would help replace something lost in the fire. Stepping inside the store, it didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for. Paying for his purchase and having it gifted wrapped for him, he headed back to the chemist to pick up the awaiting script.

At least his gift could replace one thing that he believed had meant an awful lot to Chloe.

Dropping the medicine and his gift on the seat beside him, Randall drove to the next shop on his list of things to do. Knowing Chloe wouldn’t be up for shopping for at least a week or more, he took it upon himself to purchase a few pieces of clothing she could lounge around in while recovering from her injuries. However, he found himself getting kind of sidetracked when his eye caught an array of lacy, satiny underwear in various colours hanging up along the back wall. Knowing Chloe’s preference and taking into account what he liked seeing her in, Randall chose a few sexy pieces of lingerie for Chloe as well as some normal clothing for her to lounge around in. He was glad he had checked out all her clothing sizes before he left the house.

Grinning to himself as he left the store, Randall was beyond pleased with the purchases he’d made for her. He knew Chloe would be thrilled with the few surprises she’d find inside the bags for her. Hopefully his sexy little surprises would be enough to put a smile on her face for a while. It bothered him that she seemed so down on herself today.

Even though it had only been a few days since the attack, Chloe had been closing herself off from him more and more each day. He couldn’t allow it to continue on. She was hurting on the inside as well as on the outside. He knew this. What he didn’t know was what he could do to help her move on, to heal.

Randall recognised he needed to do something, to bring back the sexy, sassy little submissive he loved and adored so much. Hopefully one of the little surprises he had in store for her would help with that. Firstly though, he was going to make damn sure she took her medicine prescribed for the pain. Then they could do something relaxing together.

Stopping at the last shop to pick up the last of the items on his list, Randall then headed back home. Hopefully he’d find Chloe and Mary J joking around and having fun, and not pulling each other’s hair out.

Chapter Forty-One

With Randall’s help, Chloe stepped gingerly inside the bathroom. She gasped at the sight of scented candles all alight and a warm bubble bath awaiting her. Turning slowly to face him, Chloe raised her hands to cup his face. Tears stung her eyes, not from the pain, but from the love she felt for him at the thoughtfulness of his actions. A bubble bath was something she hadn’t had in ages and a luxury she longed for now, with him hopefully joining her.

“Thank you, Jon. I don’t know what I have done to deserve this or you, but thank you.”

Kissing her still-healing lips gently, he told her, “You deserve this and so much more, precious, so much more.”

Suddenly feeling nervous at the thought of being naked around him, Chloe paced away from Randall, needing some distance between them. The bruising from the attack still marred her skin. She could still feel the bastard’s rough hands on her body. Knowing that it was going to take time for her to recover from her attack was all well and good. However, had she not gone to her place at all, none of this would have happened in the first place, right? Even that wasn’t guaranteed. The stalker, her attacker, hadn’t been caught yet. She hadn’t heard from him either and hoped he had moved on. The bastard was still out there though. Watching, waiting to strike at her again.

Shuddering at the thought alone, Chloe shrieked at the feel of Randall’s arms gently encircling her waist. God, she couldn’t even relax enough to have him touch her. Trying to calm her mind and her racing heart, Chloe managed to slip out of Randall’s embrace. The puzzled look on his face as she peeked up at him made her wince. She had inadvertently hurt him by pulling away from him.

“Chloe, what’s wrong?”

Two simple words, forming such a simple question, yet for the life of her Chloe couldn’t find the right words to answer him with.

He said her name again. “Chloe?”

She turned away from his gaze and began pacing as she spoke. “I’m nervous, Jon. My skin is still marred. I’m ashamed of the marks the bastard left behind on my body.” She peeked over her shoulder at him and continued on, “What if I can’t get past this, Jon?” She stopped there, too embarrassed and ashamed to say anything else.

“Can’t get past what, precious?” Randall’s voice was so calming, so full of reason it was like a balm to her overwrought senses.

Turning her back to him, Chloe began pacing again. “I want to be intimate with you again, Jon.” She whispered to him, “But what if I can’t get past the feel of that bastard’s hands groping me. I know he didn’t rape me.”

Stopping in front of the bath and gazing down at the foamy bubbles, an ache started to build up in her chest from the loss of closeness to the man she loved. Her attacker had taken away the intimacy she craved from the man she loved. She only had to look in the mirror to be reminded of what the bastard had stolen from her.

“How can I move past this, Jon? I hate that I can’t handle you touching me, when all I want you to do is touch me and make me forget this ever happened.”

Tears sprang to her eyes. She didn’t care if they fell or not when she turned to face him. There was no shame in letting him see her tears. Only having Randall see the bastard’s marks on her body shamed her.

“I want to be intimate with you, too, precious. However, there is no need for us to rush into it. Together we will take it one step at a time, day by day, you and me together. Then when you’re ready I’ll make slow, passionate love to you, to the point you’ll be writhing in your own desire and all but begging me to let you come.”

“Promise?” she whispered to him.

“I promise. Scout’s honour.”

Staring up into his loving gaze, revelling in the love he held for her, she whispered to him, “Well, there is one thing you can help me with.”

“And what’s that, lover?” Randall said to her while closing the distance between them.

Heat rose to her cheeks from the smouldering look in his eyes. Swallowing down her nervousness, she uttered to him, “Help me undress, please.”

He kissed both her flushed rosy cheeks then her lips. “It would be my pleasure.”

Slowly Randall undid the buttons on the front of the shirt of his she wore, his lips lightly caressing a path down the bruised skin revealed to him. Beneath his gentle, tender touch, Chloe couldn’t stop her body from trembling with both her desire for him and her nervousness of him seeing her naked. Once he had her naked he stripped himself of his clothing then gently gathered her in his arms and carefully lowered her into the warm water.

* * * *

Randall sat behind Chloe in the bathtub. He could feel the little nervous tremors racing throughout her body, as she leaned against him. Softly he caressed her arms with his hands. He needed to keep touching her to know she was alive and here with him. The knowledge of how awfully close he came to losing her…Well, it was going to take him time to get over the initial shock. Just like it was going to take her time to relearn the enjoyment of his touch.

What had happened to her was something neither one of them could’ve stopped. The bastard threatening her had made the threats and acted upon them unsuccessfully in the end, for now.

Neither one of them had failed each other on the day she had been attacked. Something they both needed to remember. They had both done everything in their power to control the situation with the stalker. In the end the stalker had won out. However, Randall refused to let the attack on Chloe come between them.

He was glad though to see her relaxing enough to rest the back of her head against his chest and close her eyes. She even encouraged him to wrap his arms around her waist, just not too tightly. “Ribs, remember. Sore,” she muttered to him.

Even though his eyes stung with tears, Randall couldn’t help but smile at hearing her words. She was coming back to him, day by day, minute by minute. His sexy, sassy little sub would return to him. The Chloe he loved with his whole heart and soul would return back to him piece by piece.

His heart swelled with emotion.

Leaning in, resting his chin on top of her head and closing his eyes, Randall let his words tumble free from his lips, not caring how they sounded to her. “A long time ago I offered my whole heart and love to one woman, Chloe. That woman is you, precious, only you. Together we will get through this. Just believe in us and it will happen.”

* * * *

His heartfelt words gave her a reason to believe. Here in the bath, surrounded by his warmth and his love, Chloe believed they most definitely could get through this, together. As long as she just believed in herself, in their love, and in Randall himself they would get through this.

Together, one day at a time, just like he said.

All she had to do was believe.

And believe she would. Whatever she needed to do to feel whole again, she would do it.

For Jon, she would do it.

Chapter Forty-Two

Almost a month had passed since her attack. With each passing day, Chloe found herself becoming more and more comfortable being around Randall again. He had shown her a great deal of patience and understanding. More than she thought he could offer her. Looking back on it now, it seemed wrong to underestimate him or his love he held for her.

Now, she was ready.

After accepting the advice Randall had given her a few weeks back, Chloe had taken the plunge and seen the therapist, the one the station he was based at used for post-traumatic stress.

She had seen the therapist a few times now. It had helped, much to her surprise. And to her annoyance that Randall had proved to be right yet again.

Nevertheless, she was ready now.

Finally ready to feel his possession of her body with his own.

More than a month had passed since they had last made love.

All the bruising and swelling from the attack had healed.

The bastard’s marks on her flesh were gone.

Mentally and physically, Chloe was ready for the next phase of the healing to process- being intimate with her lover again.

She needed to feel Randall’s possession of her body again, however that came. The ache inside her was too strong to ignore any longer. So tonight Chloe was taking the next step in her healing process. Knowing Randall had been on edge lately, she would give him this gift tonight, the gift of her body, her submission, and, most importantly, her unspoken love. She would surrender her entire being to him tonight. Surrender completely to him.

Dressed only in the soft, lavender lace-and-satin bra with matching panties that Randall had given her a few weeks back, with her long caramel locks flowing over her shoulders and down her back, Chloe padded barefoot into the lounge room. Switching the stereo on and filling the room with an erotic rhythm, she lit a few candles to help create an intimate mood.

Kneeling in the middle of the lounge-room floor in the correct submissive pose, Chloe waited for Jon to come home to her. Sure, he would prefer to see her naked and in her submissive pose, she doubted he would even care at this point when he set his eyes on her.

She smiled to herself, knowing he was in for one hell of a surprise when he came home tonight. He had absolutely no idea she had anything planned for him. Hell, Randall probably assumed they were going to eat pizza and watch a movie on the sofa again. Not Tonight. No, tonight was going to be more than just cuddling up close to each other. Tonight she was going to get hot and steamy with her man, her Dom, her lover. Chloe could hardly wait.

* * * *

It had been a long ass of a day at the station, with the investigations into Chloe’s attack and the case to bring down the Gang of 39 all going nowhere fast. The few raids he and his team had made on some of the warehouses down at the harbour had been, well, an utter waste of time. They had found nothing, zilch. In other words, fuck all. No chemicals, no explosives, not a damn bloody thing.

The Bomb Squad’s team leader was organising yet another raid for a couple of days’ time. Although Randall figured that was just going to be another complete waste of everyone’s time, too. The hell with what their informer said or didn’t say. There was absolutely no evidence that led him to believe any members of the Gang of 39 had even smuggled in any explosive material whatsoever.

As for Chloe’s case, well, that was a whole other story.

The clothing she had worn on the day of her attack had come back with some surprising results. Same went for the evidence collected from underneath her fingernails, which a fellow cop assigned to the case had collected at the hospital when Chloe mentioned she had hit her attacker. A minuscule amount of skin and rubber had been detected. The black rubber would have been easily missed if you weren’t aware that the attacker wore a black rubber mask to shield his identity from his unsuspecting victim. The information regarding the mask and black rubber found was on a need-to-know basis, along with the trace sample of semen found on the letter.

There were also traces of black fibres discovered on Chloe’s clothing, which matched her description of the assailant wearing dark clothing. The skin scraped from her fingernails was still down at the lab. They had no positive results yet, but the lab was still running their tests.

Jake had informed Randall today that he was investigating an interesting link between the Gang of 39’s former leader, Myke Dillon, and Chloe’s stalker. There was no tangible proof that the former gang leader had attacked and stalked Chloe. But Myke Dillon sure did have all the credentials to do it.

Plus, his release from prison two months prior to Randall pulling Chloe over that night a few months back placed the former gang leader at the top of the list as a prime suspect. The police just needed to find the bastard. Myke Dillon had literally disappeared. This meant he had either been killed by a member of the gang he had once commanded or he was lying low. The fact that there had been no sign of him over the past couple of weeks also justified Randall placing the former gang leader at the top of his list. He fit the time line.

Seeing it was after six pm, Randall pushed back from his desk to head home. He had promised Chloe he would be home by six thirty. Saying his good-byes to his fellow team members on the way out of the station’s front door, he sent a quick text to Chloe letting her know he was on his way home to her from his truck.

Parking his truck up the driveway, something in his gut told him he was in for one hell of a good night tonight. Maybe that’s why Randall found he had a spring in his step walking up to the front door. Maybe, nuh, he couldn’t torture himself into thinking that perhaps Chloe was ready for him to make love to her. It had been so damn long since they had had sex, Randall found himself feeling slightly nervous at the thought of it. Nervous like it was his first time with her. In a way it was.

No matter when she was ready to feel his possession of her body again, he wanted it to be perfect for her. She deserved it more than anyone else after everything that had happened. Chloe deserved nothing but perfection from him.

Stepping inside and locking the door behind him, Randall called out to Chloe. When no reply came forth his heart automatically started racing. Fear gripped him in a tight vise. Had the attacker come back? was the only thought ringing loudly in his head as he stepped further inside the house, while calling out her name. A faint whisper of music assaulted his ears. Soft, almost sensual music, music you could make slow, passionate love to.

“Holy shit,” he whispered to himself. Could this mean she was ready for him? “Shit.”

Well, there was only one way for him to find out. Following the beat of the music, Randall headed up the hall to the lounge room. His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest, and sweat was beading on his brow with every step he took. If he was wearing a tie he would have yanked it off by now. Breathe, he told himself, just breathe.

Taking a calming, deep breath, Randall stepped into the lounge room.

Finding his Chloe in a submissive pose was the most breathtakingly beautiful sight he could have ever asked for. Her unblemished skin shimmered under the soft glow of the candlelight. Her gorgeous naked body was only delicately covered in the soft lavender lingerie he had given her. In one word she looked stunning, simply fucking stunning. And going by the way his dick hardened almost instantly at the sight of her, his cock obviously agreed with the sentiment as well.

Thoroughly captivated by her, Randall took a few moments to just admire her.

The flickering glow of the candles in the background caught his attention. Staring at them briefly, seeing the flames dancing against the walls and the melted wax spilling over the edges of the candles, gave him an idea. A very wicked idea. He sure hoped Chloe was up for a little wax play tonight.

Standing behind her, Randall swept her long, soft, caramel locks back with his hand, baring her slender neck to him. Bending down, he ran his tongue up the side of her neck, tasting her skin. She shivered from this single touch alone. “Mmm, you taste delightful, precious,” he murmured sultrily to her.

Moving around to stand in front of her, with a fingertip underneath her chin he tipped her head up. Dipping his head he captured her lips with his. Kissing her soundly, he tasted her sweetness thoroughly. His tongue delved into her mouth seeking out hers. He allowed their tongues to duel for a moment, before dominating the kiss by swamping her mouth with his tongue. Her taste surrounded him, ignited him in such a way Randall knew he would never be the same without her.

Releasing her lips from his, breathing heavily, Randall stared down into Chloe’s molten hazel eyes. Blood surged in his veins. His straining, swollen cock pressed painfully against the metal zipper of his jeans. He was lost to her. His heart, body, and soul all belonged to one and only one woman. That woman was Chloe.

He would be forever lost to her always, only her.

“Chloe.” He whispered her name to her. “Precious, I will ask you one question and you will give me only an honest answer. Are we clear?”

Peering up at him, Chloe answered him with a “Yes, Sir.”

“I want you to totally surrender to me tonight, little girl. Are you able to give yourself completely over to my control tonight, precious?”

She didn’t do a thing, except resume her submissive pose with her hands laced behind her back, knees spread apart, and head lowered with her eyes down. That was all the confirmation Randall needed. Unbuttoning his shirt and tossing it to the side, he toed off his shoes, removed his socks and stood before her in just his faded denim jeans.

Staring down at her, he knew his eyes had darkened with lust and desire she had stirred up inside of him. So goddamn long they had both waited for tonight, and he’d be damned if it wasn’t going to be fucking perfect for her. Giving her the command to rise and remove her underthings, Randall moved the low end table over, placing it in the middle of the room. Clearing the tabletop bare, he pointed to the table and ordered Chloe to lie down on her back and wait for him. Hearing her hiss from the coolness of the timber against her skin had him smirking.

Grabbing one of the low-heat lit candles from the mantle place, Randall went back over to where Chloe lay perfectly still and naked for him. She had the palms of her hands lying flat against the tabletop and her feet planted firmly on the floor. Her hazel-coloured eyes, darkened with her own arousal, peered up at him.

“Beautiful,” he growled approvingly.

He watched a faint whisper of a smile curve her lips.

With a feather-like caress he skimmed his fingertips over her bare flesh. Goose bumps rose where his fingers travelled. Tracing an invisible line on the outer edge of her pussy, Chloe moaned softy from his teasing touch. She was damp but nowhere near wet enough for him. Although Randall knew once he was done with the wax play, Chloe would be more than wet, more than ready for him. She would be saturated with her own juices.

Lifting the candle up to her line of sight, in a mellow, husky voice he spoke to her. “Little girl, you are mine tonight, to play with when I want, how I want. Tonight, you have given the beauty of your body and yourself over to my care. To honour your courage and your strength, I have a pleasurable way to show you how much you have pleased me with your growth as my submissive.”

Tilting the candle sightly, he watched the small amount of cherry-red wax drip onto her awaiting flesh.

Chapter Forty-Three

Chloe hissed out from the heat of the warm wax caressing her skin. She heard Randall’s deep, husky voice whispering over her as he continued to address her. “If at any time tonight you feel overwhelmed or you want me to stop, you say your safe word. Other than that, little girl, I want you to remain still and quiet. Your eyes are to remain only on me the entire time. You may moan and pant to your heart’s content. You will not come unless given the command to do so. Then and only then you may scream and cream all you want.” He smirked down at her.

Chloe nodded her head to answer him, too lost to the pleasure of the pain the small amount of wax Randall had dribbled onto her chest caused to find her voice. She did what he had commanded her to do, remain still and silent with her eyes on only him. He tipped his hand again. A thin river of cherry-red wax dribbled from the candle. The warm wax hit her left breast first. A small hiss escaped her lips from the delicious heat hitting the delicate skin of her breast. She didn’t have time to adjust to the heat of the wax on her skin before more wax trickled onto the flesh of her other breast.

The heat of the wax was intense, but not uncomfortable though. When Randall dribbled a thin layer of warm wax over both her taut nipples, the action had her moaning loudly. Her body was overstimulated by the pain and the pleasure it all caused her. A warm, buzzing feeling settled low in her abdomen. Moisture pooled at the entrance of her pussy. God, why hadn’t he done this to her before now? And how in the hell did this man know this was exactly what she needed tonight? Chloe found herself thinking.

More wax spilled onto her wanting flesh. A thin river of cherry-red wax ran from her chest down to her navel. Over and over again, he covered her skin in thin ribbons of heated wax. Glancing down her body quickly to sneak a peek at his artwork, her body had become his canvas. She was stunned, her skin, her body, his masterpiece. It was simply beautiful. “Jon.” His name fell from her lips in awe of what he done to her.

Hearing him growl at her for speaking his name and for not keeping her eyes only on him, Chloe instantly closed her lips tightly together and stared up into his eyes. Eyes so dark they were no longer sky blue, but navy in colour.

Gorgeous would be the word to describe him, standing there concentrating on the wax masterpiece he was creating on her skin. His bare, chiselled chest was dusted in a light layer of dark-blond hair, his skin tanned from the afternoon sun. His mop of dark-blond hair was clipped shorter at the back and slightly longer toward the front, dampened from sweat caused by the heat of the candles.

She itched to scrape her fingernails down his bare chest, along his torso. To run her fingertips through his hair. Seeing out of the corner of her eye his straining bulge pressing against the denim of his jeans had her licking her lips. The need for a taste of his essence spilling onto her tongue had her groaning at the longing for him to do more to her now.

It was like he had read her mind or something. Suddenly the heat of the wax no longer dribbled onto her skin. His talented fingertips traced idle patterns across her inner and outer thighs. She inched her legs slightly apart, needing him to touch, to take the most heated part of her body, her overheated core. The buzzing feeling in her abdomen grew. More moisture spilled from her hidden depths.

If she had permission to speak Chloe would have begged him long ago to take her. To fill her with his hard, engorged cock. Begged him to possess every inch of her body with his. She loved Randall with all of her being. Right then the three words Chloe wanted to utter to him were on the verge of falling from her lips. The only reason they didn’t fall was because a hard smack to her outer thigh made her mind go completely and utterly blank.

Chapter Forty-Four

Letting his hand come back down on her outer thigh with a resounding smack, Randall smirked at the sight of the rosy handprint left behind on her skin. “I said be still, little girl. Move again and you will be punished,” he warned her.

Watching, waiting for her to react to both his tone and his command, Randall was impressed by Chloe’s self-control. Advising her to control her breathing and not to come, he resumed stroking her flesh with his fingertips.

He could feel her body vibrating beneath his touch. She was so on edge and so close to going over. One caress over her clit and she would probably explode for him. No, not yet. He needed her more on the precipice of her own desire, to make her feel more. He wanted her to surrender to him completely, without her first thinking about doing it.

His fingertips skimmed a path past her outer lips of her pussy and up and around her navel then to her taut, wax-covered nipples. As he flicked the tight little wax-covered buds, Chloe arched her back off the table, moaning. He rewarded her with a “Good girl” remark when she didn’t cry his name out loud, even when he could see the word spinning around in her head. Her eyes were locked on to his, silently begging him for the release her body was craving. Shaking his head no, she whimpered. Such a beautiful sound it was, too.

More, he needed more of her whimpers and soft little moans.

And he wanted more of her juices flowing from her pussy before he would even consider letting her come.

A taste, he needed to taste her before he claimed her as his tonight.

Tonight was for Chloe, not for him.

It was about seeking out her pleasure. He wanted and needed to see it, hear it and feel it.

Leaving one hand to torment her hard nipples, his other hand delved between her legs. “Open,” he commanded to her. Chloe slowly inched her thighs apart. “Further, little girl. I want to see what belongs to me. I want to see my wet pussy.”

Fuck. The sight of her juices pooling at the entrance of her pussy had him nearly coming himself. “Beautiful, precious,” he whispered to her. His fingers danced across her bare folds, something she had done for him recently. “I love you bare, precious. So sexy, so beautiful. I want you always like this.” His fingers traced an outline around her bare cunt. “Always bare, always wet for me.” Lifting his fingers to his mouth, he sucked them dry, groaning at the taste of her sweetness on his tongue.

* * * *

Chloe moaned at his words and from his diabolical touch.

God, she needed him inside her, now.

She had pleaded to him with her eyes, with her whimpers earlier. Nothing, not a thing persuaded him to take what he kept on saying was his. And she was his to take, yet he refused to take, just tease.

So close, Chloe knew she couldn’t hold back the impending orgasm for much longer. She was going to shatter with or without his command and soon.

Staring up at him, pleading once again with her eyes, she felt his fingers slide into her wetness. Whimpering at the sensation of him finally filling her with something, she didn’t care at this point if it was his fingers or his engorged cock filling her. Her pussy ached to be filled, ached to hear his command for her to come.

No sooner had she thought the words than Randall uttered them to her, his voice husky, laced with his own arousal and need, his fingers still thrusting deep into her weeping core as he spoke. “Come for me, little girl. Come hard for me. I want to hear you scream my name, Chloe.”

Her body exploded on his command. Her whole body shook. Her pussy wept with her release. His name fell from her lips a thousand times. Her orgasm never seemed to want to end. Randall kept his fingers thrusting in and out of her, prolonging her release.

Her breathing sounded too loud to her own ears. Her heart raced like she had just ran a marathon.

God, what this man did to her. What he was able to make her feel. There were no words to describe the sensations coursing through her now and during the lead-up to her climactic ending of her own orgasm he had given her.

Randall. Jon Randall. He was her man, her Dom, her heart. Chloe knew she would always surrender herself completely to him. Always.

Hearing Randall’s guttural voice penetrate through her orgasmic haze, saying how he needed to be inside her, how he needed to feel her stretching around his cock, had more moisture dripping from her already sensitive core. Glancing up at him, Chloe could see that he had already disposed of his jeans and stood butt naked before her. With a hand gripping the base of his cock he held it at her lips. Running her tongue over the slit and gathering up his essence, she moaned at the taste of him. When she tried to lift her head up so she could encase her lips around him, Randall stepped back from her and shook his head.

He stood still in front of her, stroking his hardened length. “Tell me how much you want my cock inside of you, little girl. Tell me how much you need to feel my possession of you. And I might grant you permission to feel me deep inside of you,” Randall all but grunted out to her as he continued to stroke himself in front of her. Chloe groaned at hearing his little speech.

Licking her suddenly dry lips, she peered up at him through lowered lashes. Her voice was more of a pant when she answered him. “Sir, please, I need to feel you filling me, possessing me. Please, Jon, I positively ache for you, Sir, only you.”

Her eyes watched him as he continued to stroke himself. She licked her lips again, causing him to growl down at her. He bent forward and took her lips in a hard, demanding kiss, plunging his tongue deep inside her parted lips on her sigh.

Not breaking their kiss, Randall manoeuvred himself in between her parted legs. Chloe felt his dick at her slick entrance and braced herself as he forged deep inside her. They both moaned against each other’s lips from the exquisite sensation his entrance caused. She couldn’t help but squeeze his cock hard with her inner muscles. He reached across her and twisted her nipples with his fingertips. She cried out and arched her back to get closer to his touch. Releasing her swollen lips from his, he then filled his mouth with one of her taut buds. The wax had long ago been removed. How or when? She had no clue.

As Randall continued to pump his cock deep into her core with such intensity, it created a wickedly incredible friction on her innermost sensitive tissues of her pussy. It was almost unbearable to the point that Chloe was so close to going over she could feel the plunge into ecstasy coming at her hard and fast. His warm, sweat-covered body covered hers as he leaned over her. His lips moved from her lips to her breasts then to her nipples then back up her neck to nibble at the sensitive skin below her earlobe. Over and over his lips caressed, sucked and nibbled at her skin until her she tingled all over.

His fingers trailed down her stomach and delved in between her legs to her hard clit. He rubbed and teased the tight bud with the pad of his thumb. The action had her instantly thrashing around on the table. The sensations he gave her and made her feel were becoming increasingly more difficult to contain within her being. She needed to come again, now.

Her nipple popped free from his mouth and he stared down at her. Finally, he said the words she had been dying to hear. “Come now, Chloe. Come for me, little girl.” Lifting her legs up onto his shoulders, he thrust his hips forward, pushing into her as deep as he could go. “Take me with you, Chloe,” he grunted out to her.

Chloe gripped his forearms with her hands and squeezed her internal muscles around his plunging cock. She let go then, taking Randall with her. Her name fell from his lips, just as his name left hers. The feel of his warm cum releasing inside of her set her body on fire. She shivered from the intensity of their combined orgasm. She was both breathless and sated from his lovemaking.

Lifting her head slightly, she meshed her lips with his, kissing him deeply to show him how much tonight meant to her. As their lips moved and rubbed against each other, their tongues mingled and danced together in their own duel.

When Randall slid free from her slick, swollen pussy their combined releases spilled from her core and ran down her thighs. She gazed up at him through hooded lids as he cupped her face in his hands. She could smell the scent of their combined arousal on his fingertips.

He said to her, “Thank you, precious. You were beautiful in your surrender tonight, Chloe.”

His words of approval gave her a warm thrill. Her gift to him tonight, her total surrender to him, was something she knew Randall not only wanted but also needed from her. And it meant the world to her that she was able to give herself so freely to him without a second-guessing it.

Randall helped her up from the table, and her legs shook as she stood her weight on them. He easily gathered her up into his arms and carried her into the bathroom. Turning the shower on and stepping inside, he stood her under the warm water and began washing her from head to toe and everything in between. Chloe couldn’t help but smile at the feel of his hands once again worshipping her body, just like they used to before the attack. She sighed in happy contentment. Finally things were getting back to normal.

Chapter Forty-Five

With Chloe sitting quietly at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, thoroughly sated, Randall went about making them both a midnight snack. Their dinner was somewhat delayed due to him having her again in the shower, then up against the bedroom wall. He had already come to the conclusion that he would never get enough of her. It wasn’t possible to sate the beast inside of him that longed to possess every delicate inch of her body.

He glanced over his shoulder at her sitting there with her long, damp, caramel locks pulled back in a low ponytail. She might as well be buck naked for what little the shirt she wore of his did. Why she was wearing the thing in the first place, he had no clue. Hell, his sassy little minx hadn’t even bothered to button up any of the buttons on the front of the shirt, leaving it hanging wide open and exposing herself to his gaze. Randall had a perfect view of the outer edges of her full, luscious breasts, and her nipples were only just covered, and no more, by the soft cotton material of his shirt. If she were to move just slightly he’d be able to see her rosy little buds as well.

He smirked at that thought alone.

God, he didn’t think he could go another day without wanting to see her, taste her or touch her. His cock was already standing to attention in want for her, all from the way she looked now.

Cursing to himself, Randall refocused on the job at hand, making them both something to eat. Being that he wasn’t that great in the kitchen it needed his whole concentration to make something, well, at least edible.

Hearing Chloe tiptoe over to him a few minutes later, Randall glanced over his shoulder at her as she slipped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulders blades. “Want some help, babe?” she asked him.

“Nuh, I’m all done.” Turning around in her arms, he dropped a kiss to her forehead, and then shoved a plate in her hand. “Here, go sit down and eat before I lose my ever-loving mind and take you on the kitchen floor.”

She cheekily grinned up at him before turning to walk back to her seat. Unable to resist the temptation of his hand on her bare ass, from the flash of skin she gifted him when she turned away, Randall smack her hard on her rear end making her yelp. “Hey, what was that for?”

Raising an eyebrow at her, his hand itched to smack her ass again for questioning him on his action. “Do I need a reason, lover, to feel your heated flesh underneath the palm of my hand?”

“I guess not. Still, you’re not playing fair, Jon.”

“Who said anything about being fair, precious? Fair would be you fully clothed not parading around all but buck naked.”

Doing a twirl for him, she asked him, “You don’t approve of my outfit then?”

“That right there, precious,” he said, pointing at his shirt she had on, “is not an outfit. Now eat.”

Taking her seat, Chloe silently dug into the BLT sandwiches he had made for her. Randall got the impression it took Chloe a lot to bite back the sassy remark wanting out, just from the look on her face. Chuckling to himself at her show of self-control, he sat down beside her and silently ate while sneaking sideways glances at her.

He knew the moment he had been caught watching her. Chloe’s unsubtle move of dropping her half-eaten sandwich onto her plate and the wary glare she threw his way spoke for itself. He had been caught red-handed staring at her. How, could he not stare at her? She was beautiful, sexy, and an intelligent woman, who had the one of the sassiest of attitudes he had ever encountered in a woman. Her sassiness could make his dick harder than stone, and his desire to possess her in every conceivable way known to mankind his obsession. Plus, she was all his. “What?” she demanded of him.

“What do you mean what?”

“Well, you keep staring at me and, well, it’s kind of making me nervous.”

“You don’t like my eyes on you, precious?”

“No, it’s not that at all. It’s—oh, never mind.” Picking up the half-eaten sandwich, Chloe took a massive bite. Randall continued his perusal of her as he finished of his sandwich, knowing full well Chloe could feel the heat of his stare on her.

A thought occurred to him then. The gift. His gift for her, the one he hadn’t gotten around to giving to her as of yet.

Timing was the key in giving the gift. It had to be right.

And so far the timing hadn’t been right, hadn’t felt right either.

Now, though, he wondered if the timing wasn’t damn well near perfect.

Peeking over at her again, Randall decided that the time was indeed perfect. Rising from his seat and dropping his empty plate in the sink, he came over to where Chloe sat eating the food he had prepared for her. “You done then?” she asked him.

“Yep,” he said and dropped a kiss to the side of her cheek while running a hand up and down her back. “I’ll be back in a sec. I want to go get something for you.”

Without giving her any more information than that, Randall slipped out of the kitchen and walked swiftly down to his study. Opening the door and going over to his desk, he pulled open the top drawer and grabbed the keys from it then walked over to the cabinet in the far corner. Unlocking the door, he retrieved the gift he’d placed carefully inside. Locking everything back up, he headed back to the kitchen.

“Chloe.” Randall waited for her to turn around on her seat to face him. “Remember the day after you came home from hospital and Mary J came around to see you and I went out?”

“Yes,” she whispered to him, a frown creasing her brow.

“Well, I brought you something, something I think you loved but lost in the fire. I know it’s not much. I know I can’t replace everything that you lost to the fire. This I guess is a starting point.” Handing over his gift to her, Randall could feel a blush rising up his neck to his cheeks. “I was waiting for the right time to give it to you, and well, there’s no better time than right now.”

“I don’t know what to say except thank you. May I open it now or later?”

“You may open it now.”

Chloe slid off her seat and knelt on the floor in front of her gift. She tore into the wrapping paper like an excited kid on Christmas day. Randall couldn’t help but smile down at her, even if he did feel nervous. Would she even like what he brought her?

Holding his breath as the last layer of paper was torn away, Chloe stumbled upon her words when she spoke to him. “J–Jon, oh god—how did you know?”

“Know that you grieved for a print given to you way back when?”

“Yes,” she whispered through the knot of emotion lodged in her throat.

“I had it inscribed for you. Turn it around and read out loud to me.”

She quickly turned around the painting he had given her. Not the abstract print she’d had in her kitchen, but the actual painting of it instead. He knew the moment her eyes drifted over the inscribing he had placed on the back of the print for her, when tears fell from her eyes. They were the same words he had written on the back of the print he had given to her on her sixteenth birthday.

“How?” she asked him as she gazed up at him with tear-soaked eyes.

“Read them out loud, Chloe. I want to hear you say them first, then I’ll tell you.”

Seeing her swallowing at the lump in her throat and drawing in a deep, calming breath, had him choking up at little, too. She read the inscribed words out loud to him.

“No matter where you are in life or where life takes you, my heart will always belong only to you, Chloe. My love is and forever will be only for you. J. W. Randall.” Gazing up at him, stunned, she asked, “You gave me that print I had in my kitchen, didn’t you?”

Randall nodded his head to confirm that he did give it to her. Chloe reached up for his hand, lacing her fingers with his. “I don’t understand. I mean, I understand but I don’t at the same time. The words are the same,” she said, peeking down quickly at the inscription on the back of the painting. “You didn’t sign your name on the back of the print though.”

“No, I didn’t. More so to make sure your parents didn’t burn it at the sight of my initials.”

“Oh, Jon…”

Leaning the painting up against the wall behind her, Chloe rose to her feet then threw herself at him. She wrapped herself around him tightly, her whole body pressing up against his. “Thank you, Jon, a thousand times thank you.”

Lifting her head from his bare chest dampened by her tears, Randall took her lips with his. He allowed Chloe permission to feast on his lips, her emotions spilling out of her hard and fast as she kissed him with everything she had. Her hands delved into the hair at his nape, drawing him in closer to her. Encouraged by her show of emotions, he skimmed his hands up and down her body underneath the shirt, causing her to shiver against him.

“Jon.” The sound of his name falling from her lips was a desperate plea for more. She wanted him and needed the lover he was to her. She may not have verbally spoken about the love she held in her heart to him, but her love for him was clearly evident in the response she gave him. “I know, Chloe. I know, lover.” He reassured her with his words before picking her up and carrying her down the hall to their bedroom.

His lips never left hers, not even for a moment. This was the reaction he had been hoping for from his woman. Never in his wildest dreams did he think it would actually happen.

Randall realised right then he was more in love with Chloe now than he had been yesterday or even a decade ago when he first became captivated by her.

Chapter Forty-Six

They were all gathered in the command centre awaiting the final orders for the raid about to go down at 0600 hours. The arse crack of dawn, in other words. Randall should be asleep in his bed, with his woman naked and wrapped around him like a second skin. Except he wasn’t. He was stuck at the station at five fucking o’clock in the morning instead.

Yeah, you could say he was a grumping bastard this morning, and there was no way in hell he was apologising for his mood either. Still believing this whole raid to be a complete and utter waste of personnel and tax payers’ money only increased his grumpy-arse mood.

All the intel gathered so far along with the statement from their informer gave them all piss-weak evidence to say the least. His arse of a team leader still had it in his stubborn head that they were going ahead with this morning’s raid. His arse of a boss had even had the balls to say there would be no exceptions, which only infuriated Randall even more. The raid today was going down at the second to last warehouse in the area, down at the harbour.

Once the building was all secured and by the off chance evidence gathered, it would be taken back to the station for analysis at the lab. Highly unlikely anything would be found though. Randall would bet his life and house on that fact. His boss would order another raid soon on the last remaining warehouse if this morning’s raid turned out to be unsuccessful.

“Fuck that,” Randall grunted to himself while taking his seat in the command centre.

Listening intently to his boss inform them all on how the raid would be executed, Randall and his team all surveyed the satellite imagery of the warehouse and surrounding area. There were blueprints of the building spread out on a table. Randall was bent over the blueprints studying the exits and entrance points, when Mick came over to him.

“So what do you think, Randall?” Mick asked him.

“What do I think, bro?” he said, sarcasm lacing his voice. “I think this is a fucking waste of time if you ask me.”

Mick smirked at him. “Rough morning, bro?”

Randall just grunted at his longtime friend and fellow team member and went back to studying the blueprints. Something about this whole raid didn’t sit well with him. Running his fingertip over the print, he memorised the all the exit points.

Turning to his friend, he said, “Mick, something about this raid doesn’t add up to me.”

“Yeah, kind of caught that. So what has your panties in a twist this fine arse of a morning anyway? I would say not getting enough action in the bedroom, but I would be wrong.”

“Shut the fuck up about my sex life, Mick. If anyone is not getting enough it would be you.” Moving away from the imagery laid out on the table, Randall paced. He was aggravated and downright pissed and that was putting it mildly. Not at his friend though. This raid, something about it didn’t quite gel. They were missing something, but what?

Running his hand through his hair, he turned and tugged Mick outside into the empty corridor. He kept his voice low, not wanting anyone else to pick up on his apprehensiveness in doing this raid. “We’re missing something,” he said pointing to the doorway leading into the command centre. “There are facts we don’t have, when we should have them.”

“What are you saying, bro?”

“I’m saying either the informer gave us a bullshit statement or someone higher up is not giving us all the intel we need to do this job properly.”

“Shit, you really are a suspicious bastard, aren’t you?”

“Not suspicious, Mick, cautious, and you can’t blame me for that. Not after everything that happened to Chloe.” He leaned in so only Mick could hear his next words. “If something does go down today, I want you to be the one to tell her. Don’t allow her to be alone, Mick. Chloe will try to push you away. Don’t let her.”

“Shit, Randall, don’t keep saying shit like this.”

“I need to, mate.” Swallowing down the emotion lodged in his throat he pushed on. “Chloe, well, she is everything to me, man. I need to know that if something happens to me out there on the job, she’ll be taken care of by someone I trust with my own life.”

“I’ve got your back, mate, always. If and only if the worst happens, I will make sure your Chloe is not alone.”

He bumped fists with his old friend, and the subject was dropped and closed. They both headed back into the command centre for the final briefing before grabbing their gear and loaded up the vehicles. They all headed out to their designated entry points to wait for the green light to go in.

* * * *

The countdown for entry was on.

This was the part of the job Randall loved the most, when the adrenaline kicked in. His eyes were only on the entry point ahead of him. His mind was completely blank of everything expect for the job at hand. They were all suited up, ready for action.

There were three guys going in through the back entrance and another three entering via the side door. Randall, Mick, and Murphy, another team member, were taking the front entrance. Upon hearing the team leader advising them all, “Green light, go. Go. Go,” they all stormed into the warehouse.

Guns raised, Randall slipped in through the front entrance first. Pointing his finger at Mick to take the left side and Murphy to take the right side, Randall took the middle section. Easing further into the building, through his earpiece he heard the other members of the team swarming into the building to sweep it clean.

Seeing a door which could lead down to a possible hidden cellar, Randall advised he was going in. Hearing his boss tell him to approach with caution had him wanting to tell his boss where to go. But he didn’t.

As he lifted the almost rotten wooden door on the floor open and shined his torch down the wooden staircase, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Something about this was off.

Taking the steps one at a time, they creaked under his heavy, booted stride. Randall swung the torch around on his descent into the dark abyss of a room to get a clearer view. His heart pounded in his ears. Sweat beaded on his brow the further he moved down the staircase. Shining the torch over to the left, the reflection bounced off something metallic down on the floor.

Keeping the urgency of the situation in his voice, Randall spoke quietly into his mic while carefully approaching the metallic box on the floor. “We’ve got a situation here,” he advised his fellow team members and team leader. “Right-hand corner cellar floor, an unidentified object has been located. I want the building cleared. I repeat, I want the building cleared. We have a possible live bomb in place.”

* * * *

They had all cleared out of the building, with no sign of any of the members of the Gang of 39 anywhere to be found. The fact that they had discovered a possible live bomb meant the gang had been tipped off about the raid. Either the informer had talked or the gang had someone working for them on the inside. The raids that had been meticulously planned had been organised under a high level clearance. Only senior members in the Bomb Squad and the police department knew about them. This meant one of his team members or someone higher up in the food chain was a mole. Who though?

Staring into the eyes of his boss and team members, Randall wondered if any one of them had talked as he continued to report back about the explosive device he discovered down in the cellar.

They had measures in place for this, plans if any live or non-live bombs were discovered. Randall grabbed his bomb suit and with Mick’s help he pulled the damn heavy thing on. No words were said between the two of them. Randall knew Mick was remembering their little convo back at the station. Glancing up at him as he slid the helmet over his head, Randall gave his friend a subtle nod to confirm he was down with what he told him earlier.

With the helmet strapped on and the body suit zipped and buckled up he was ready for action. Drawing in a steadying breath, Randall moved out of the makeshift command centre set up in the back of one of the bomb squad’s trucks. He and Murphy approached the building silently.

With Murphy covering the entrance to the cellar, Randall made his way down the creaking staircase. His eyes remained firmly fixed on the live bomb ahead of him. He kept his movements gradual on his approach, and his eyes constantly searched the area around the device, checking for any trigger points or trip wires linked to it.

Nothing linked to it so far.

Crouching down in front of the device, Randall reached out with a glove-covered hand and slowly lifted the metal casing off the top of the bomb, his hands rock steady even if his heart was beating a million miles an hour. Beads of sweat littered his forehead, trickling into his eyes.

Blinking his eyes to remove the sweat gathered there. He spoke into the headpiece attached to the inside of his helmet. “Okay, boys and girls, looks like a regular, everyday backyard bomb. It should be easy enough to defuse.”

Grabbing his wire cutters from the belt around his waist, in the back of his mind Randall knew he had done this a thousand times. Yet his gut instincts were screaming at him to choose wisely. Closing the wire cutters around the white wires linked to the heart of the bomb, Randall snipped them free from the explosive. He watched stunned as the digit clock counted down the remaining seconds in the flicker of an eye.

The whole room shook as the bomb exploded around him. Randall found himself thrown hard against the brick wall. Agonising pain exploded within his body. “Chloe.” Her name fell from his lips before he was sucked under by the blackness shadowing his mind.

Chapter Forty-Seven

Stepping free from the shower, Chloe cursed when she heard her phone ring for what must have been the sixteenth time in the past fifteen minutes. “Can’t a girl even have a shower in peace?” she huffed to herself.

Dismissing the ringing of her phone, Chloe dried herself off and pulled on a pair of skinny denim jeans and a loose-fitting hood jumper, being that it was getting cooler outside these days. Trudging into the kitchen, the damn house phone started ring. Ignoring it and letting it go to voicemail, she headed over to the fridge to start prepping for tonight’s dinner. Candlelight, a hearty meal, and Randall’s company were on the menu for tonight.

Upon hearing Mick’s strained voice echoing over the answering machine, she froze midstep. “Chloe, are you there? Pick up, for god’s sake…Shit!” Alarmed by the tone in his voice, Chloe picked up the receiver.

“Mick, it’s Chloe. Is everything all right?”

“Chloe, where the fuck have you been?”

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry, gorgeous, I didn’t mean to raise my voice at you.” Shit. “Where are you? I have been trying to get hold of you for the past twenty minutes or so.”

“Why? Has something happened? Oh god, is Randall all right?”

“Chloe, where are you right now?”

“I’m at home. Why? Is everything all right, Mick?”

Hearing Mick cleared his throat, Chloe knew instantly that everything was not all right. She just hoped what she was about to hear wouldn’t crush her into a thousand tiny pieces of nothingness. “Chloe, sweetheart, it’s Randall. There’s been an accident.”

“Ohh, god…no…” Drawing in a shuddering breath, she said, “Please don’t tell me he’s…”

“Randall’s alive, sweetheart, but he’s in pretty bad shape. They’ve taken him to the hospital, the same one you were taken to. Can you get down here?”

“I–I don’t have a car. It was ruined in the fire and I haven’t had time to replace it.” Chloe could hear her voice breaking as she spoke. Tears stung the backs of her eyelids but she refused to let them fall. She had to remain strong, for Randall’s sake.

“I’ll send a patrol car around to the house to pick you up and take you to the hospital then. Be ready to leave in ten minutes.”

Chloe ended the call with Mick after saying good-bye. She still couldn’t believe it. Randall had been hurt. She stumbled around the bedroom, packing a small bag with a change of clothes for both her and him. She shoved a few toiletries into the bag as well. God knows how long he was expected to be in there for, or what injuries he had. Mick hadn’t divulged what sort of condition Randall had been in when he had been rushed to the hospital.

An accident in his line of work could only be severe enough to cause injuries requiring hospitalisation, if there was a…bomb explosion.

Collapsing to her knees on the bedroom floor she cried out, “Oh god.”

“Jon.” His name fell from her lips on a hushed, agonising whisper.

After regaining her composure, snatching up her purse and keys from the hall table, Chloe locked up the house and waited on the front porch for the patrol car to pull into the driveway.

No matter how long Randall stayed in hospital for, Chloe was determined to stay with him the whole time. She wasn’t going to leave his side, not until he walked out the damn hospital on his own two feet.

* * * *

The hospital waiting room was packed with fellow officers who served alongside her Officer Randall. On her arrival, Chloe felt out of place, like she didn’t belong there. She knew none of these people, except for Mick. She was a little taken aback by the amount of support shown to her by Randall’s fellow team members.

At first she found herself shying away from their attention, finding their caring and support too much to handle, when the condition of Randall was still so unclear. Jake strolled in to the hospital not long after her arrival and stood quietly near her watching over her. An unspoken agreement, she thought, between him and Randall.

The wait for answers was entirely too nerve-racking, to say the least. The ER doctor had briefly been in the waiting room to advise everyone that Randall had been stabilised and they were still working on controlling the bleeding from the injuries he had suffered. An hour or so later the doctor showed up again asking if any family members were present. Upon hearing the doctor’s request, Chloe walked sombrely up to the doctor and tried hard not to focus on the blood splattered all over the front of his blue scrubs.

Keeping her voice low so only the doctor treating Randall could hear her, she told him. “I’m his newly wedded wife.” The doctor nodded at her and asked her to follow him.

Knowing they might need her to fill out some paperwork for his medical history, Chloe grabbed Mick. They both followed the doctor out of the waiting room toward the emergency department. Her heart raced, making breathing increasingly difficult. She clutched onto Mick’s arm for support. He bent down and murmured something into her ear. But for the life of her, Chloe had no idea what he said to her. His words of probable support meant nothing to her at the moment. Her sole focus was on Randall.

The doctor ushered them both into a tiny, sparse office. The room was cold, Chloe thought, too cold. Rubbing her hands up and down her arms, she tried to focus on what the doctor told them. But she was too cold and numb inside herself to concentrate on his actual words.

Her chest ached when the doctor told her that there was a possible chance Randall wouldn’t make it through surgery. He had lost a lot of blood, and had suffered multiple injuries during the blast. The bomb-suit he wore had protected him from the blast but wasn’t enough to protect him from sustaining multiple injuries.

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes when the doctor told her she could have a minute alone with Randall to say good-bye in case the worst happened and he died on the operating table. She had to be strong, couldn’t show her fear at losing him. She couldn’t allow herself to think about losing him. She couldn’t show any sign of weakness to the man in the blue scrubs by crying. Oh god, what would she do if he didn’t make it through? No, she could not go there, not now. Randall was strong. He’d get through this. Chloe had to keep on reminding herself of that fact.

Mick filled out the medical forms for her when she just stared at them. Chloe knew none of the information they asked of her. Knew nothing about any allergic reactions to any medications or what previous injuries Randall might have suffered in the past. She had never felt so disconnected from the one she loved until now. She realised then that during their time spent together they had not once discussed the important issues like medical history. Sure, Jon had told her he was “clean” to have sex without a condom, but she couldn’t very well put that down on his medical record now, could she.

With the ER doctor’s assistance, Chloe staggered into the curtained-off room Randall was in. The sight of his almost lifeless body lying still on the hospital bed had her paling. If it wasn’t for the doctor holding her upright she would have collapsed onto the hard, cold floor.

“Oh god,” she gasped, to no one in particular.

Nurses were hovering all around him, attaching machines to his body and attending to the drip in his vein feeding him the medication needed. Randall himself was unconscious in a medically induced coma, she heard someone say.

Her heart ached for him. Chloe wanted desperately for everyone to leave the room, to leave her and Randall alone. For him to wake up and tell her this was all a bad dream, a very bad dream. Hearing the doctor behind her clear his throat, Chloe knew her one minute was up. Bending down, she brushed her lips across his forehead. “Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me, Jon,” she whispered into his ear before leaving his bedside.

Standing out near the nurse’s station with Mick by her side, Chloe clutched onto his arm, needing the support. Seeing the medical staff wheel Randall out of the ER room made it all seem so real. They were taking him up to the theatre for emergency surgery. The doctor had told her he would be down to speak with her after the surgery was completed.

When the elevator doors closed and she could no longer see Randall, Chloe allowed Mick to walk her back to the waiting room. As soon as she entered the cold, sterile room a familiar face came running toward her. Mary J. Chloe burst into tears when she felt her friend’s arms encircle her in a bear hug. She held onto her friend, allowing herself to release the agonising pain and the fear that there was a chance she could lose Randall. Her whole body shook from the force of her cries. The other officers in the room discreetly left the room, leaving Mick and Jake alone with the two women.

Chloe was vaguely aware of the two men speaking quietly to each other. What they were saying, she had no clue. Jake left not long after their conversation though, saying something about investigating some new leads. Mick left to go grab some food and coffee from the hospital cafeteria, even though Chloe told him she wasn’t even hungry.

For hours, the three of them sat in the waiting room. Every so often one of the officers who had waited with them earlier in the day would pop in to see if there was any news on Randall’s condition. Mick was the one who spoke to them. Chloe, well, she just couldn’t find the words to speak. Her mind was constantly on Randall, worrying if he’d make it through the operation, or if she would ever get to experience his possession of her body ever again or ever hear him whisper his words of love to her.

A little before midnight the doctor stopped by to see them. Randall had made it through the long operation, which had been successful. There were no complications. Chloe sighed in relief at hearing that. “Right now he’s in recovery and will be taken to a private room in intensive care,” the doctor told them. Then he turned his focus on her. “Being that you’re his wife you can go up and see him for a bit. He will be taken to ICU room 103.”

The doctor left them alone in the waiting room after that.

“His wife?” Disbelief was evident in Mick’s voice as he said, “You told them you’re his wife? Are you insane?”

Chloe turned to face he him and said, “It was the only way they would let me see him. I didn’t think telling them I’m his lover and submissive would pass as family.”

“Oh boy, I can’t wait till Randall wakes up and hears this, gorgeous. You better get used to sitting on a sore ass for a while, because no doubt Randall will have you over his knee for lying to the medical staff, sweet thing.”

Chloe shrugged her shoulders. “So I lied to the doctor? No big deal. I’ll do it again if I feel there’s a need for it, too.” A blush rose to her cheeks at the thought of Randall’s punishment. “I’ll take whatever punishment he dishes out to me, because he would be alive then.”

“Good point, gorgeous, good point.” Grabbing her hand, Mick walked Chloe to the elevator, while Mary J spoke to the remaining members of Randall’s team waiting for an update on his condition. The ride up to the ICU was a rather quiet one. Wiping the back of her hand across her eyes, removing all moisture there, and taking a deep, steadying breath, Chloe stepped out into the corridor when the elevator doors opened.

They found Randall’s room easily enough. Chloe tried hard not to focus on the beeping of the machines or the tubes going into his body. Or the fact his body was covered in bandages. Even the tips of his fingers had cuts on them. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she stared at him. “I don’t know what to say to him or where to touch him,” she murmured.

Mick said quietly to her, “Just let him know you’re here, sweetheart. All Randall would want to know is that you’re here with him.”

She glanced over her shoulder at Mick and told him, “I’m not leaving his bedside. You know that, right?”

“I figured as much. I’ll go advise the nursing staff in a minute that you are to remain with him. That should at least avoid them kicking you out.”

“I’d love to see them try,” she scoffed at him, before returning her gaze back to Randall. His face was covered in fine scratches. Tracing a fingertip around the unscathed area along his jaw, Chloe bent down to whisper in his ear. “I’m not leaving your side, Jon. You hear me? I’m not leaving you, and you most certainly aren’t leaving me either, Sir.”

Resting her head down on the pillow above his shoulders, Chloe quietly sobbed to herself. Mick came over and rubbed her back with his hands as her body shuddered from her sobs. He left the room not long after to go speak with the medical staff. She would be forever grateful for Mick being here with her and detailing with the nursing staff.

Pulling up a chair by his bedside, Chloe made sure she wasn’t in the way when the nurses came in to check Randall’s vitals and change his dressings. Plonking her tired ass down into the ugly lime green chair, she rested her fingertips on an unbandaged part on his arm. She needed to have some form of contact with him, to feel his warmish skin beneath her fingertips. To know that Randall was fighting to stay with her, to stay alive, was something Chloe needed from him.

Chapter Forty-Eight

He’d been in a medically induced coma for four days straight now. However, the doctors had made the decision that Randall had progressed well enough to be brought out of it. So they had given him some drug to help him wake up. That had been hours ago and Chloe still waited for some sign Randall was coming to.

She knew when he did wake up he wouldn’t be impressed when he found out she had hardly slept in days, had barely eaten, and had only left his bedside to use the bathroom. She had showered, forced to by Mary J and Mick. They had all but dragged her into the en suite bathroom and locked her in there. They told her she wasn’t coming out until she showered and dressed in the spare clothes Mary J had brought in for her.

She had only picked at the food they both had pushed at her to eat. No matter what she ate nothing had any taste. Chloe had to force the bits of food she did eat down, knowing Randall would not be pleased if he found out she had forgone food as well as sleep. Not to mention the part about her being his so-called newly wedded wife.

Hell, the idea of being his wife stirred up a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest. Chloe rather liked the idea of being known as Mrs. Jon Randall.

The thought that that would have been impossible if he had died set up an ache in her head and in her chest. She could have lost him.

She rubbed at her temples as pain engulfed her head. She had lost him once already. Ten years ago, he had broken her tender teenage heart. Looking down at him, Chloe realised the reason she couldn’t remember him, couldn’t remember their time together, was because she had blocked it out. Somehow, just the thought of losing him again was enough to trigger her memory and remove the emotional block she had placed there to protect her heart from the pain his departure from her life had caused her.

All those years ago, all those memories she couldn’t recall before now, came flooding back to her in a hurry. The first time she saw Jon after school. It had been an unseasonably warm summer’s day. The sun had blazed high in the later afternoon sky as she ducked into a cafe. And there he stood. His sky-blue eyes shimmered with mischievousness. A shy smile graced his lips when he accidentally bumped into her. Then at her sixteenth birthday party, she had been standing at a table full of unopened presents. Randall had grabbed her hand and pulled her outside. They both ran hand in hand up to their oak tree at the back of her parents’ house. He had given her his birthday gift then. “My precious one, my only one, happy birthday,” he had whispered to her. He had given her the print, just like he had given her the painting of that exact print a few weeks back.

All her memories of her time spent with Randall returned to her. Those missing six months of her life she couldn’t remember, all recalled now.

Brushing back his matted hair off his forehead with her fingertips, Chloe leaned down so her lips were caressing his ear as she spoke to him. “You may have left me once, Jon Randall, but you will not be doing it again. You hear me? Never again will you leave me and break my heart.”

* * * *

He heard a voice, one he recognised, but at the same time the voice seemed too distant, too far away. Randall found himself wanting to reach out to the voice but his arms wouldn’t work. They were much too heavy to lift. His mind too foggy, clouded from the drugs they pumped into him, to figure out whom the voice belonged to. He heard them mutter something about him not leaving them. Where was he going? He wanted to tell them he was in no shape to leave. His mouth wouldn’t work though. It felt like he had sand or cotton wool stuck in there.

His eyes, he wanted to open his eyes. He needed to see if she was there with him. His precious, would she be here? Where he was he had no memory of. Pain, there was lots of pain though, everywhere. His body felt like it had been hit by some hundred-tonne truck.

Randall remembered then the bomb explosion he’d been in. His body had been slammed violently against the brick wall from the force of the blast. Shit, he must be in a hospital then.

He had to open his eyes though to know for sure. Gradually he cracked open his heavy eyelids. Automatically he squinted at the harsh light filtering in through the cracks in the venetian blinds. “Light…” His throat was raw, making the whispered word sound harsher than it was meant to.

Randall heard a gasp, then his name.

He turned his head slightly to the soft feminine voice. “Light, hurt eyes,” he croaked out again.

The blinds were closed and the painful glare finally removed. Opening his eyes more, he saw a tear-stained, angelic face hovering above him. “Chloe,” he said, her name a mere whisper falling from his dry cracked lips.

“Jon!” Her soft hands came upon his face, caressing him. “Thank god, you’re awake.” Her relief echoed in her softly spoken words.

“Awake, yeah,” he mumbled out to her.

Something cold brushed against his lips. Ice. Looking up, he saw Chloe rubbing an ice chip across his lips. Opening his mouth, she slipped the ice chip inside. He moaned, relishing the cold moisture on his tongue. “More?” she asked him.

“More.”

His energy evaporating quickly, more ice brushed across his lips. His eyes drooped down, sleep coming at him hard and fast. The feel of moisture dripping onto his cheek had him realising Chloe was crying. Without opening his eyes, Randall whispered lethargically to her. “Don’t cry, precious. I’m…here.”

“You’re right here with me, alive,” he heard her say before he fell asleep.

Chapter Forty-Nine

For the past few days, Randall had been in and out of consciousness. The combination of the pain and the medication sapped his energy, forcing him to sleep rather than stay awake. And, well, the body healed quicker when you were asleep, so he just went with it. Knowing Chloe stayed with him gave him great comfort. He could feel her presence in the room, even when he was asleep. So rousing from a restless night’s sleep to find she wasn’t in the room with him had Randall slightly concerned. Had something happened to her?

“Hey, bro, you’re awake.”

Peering up at his old friend, Randall asked him, “Where is she? Where’s Chloe?”

“She’ll be back in a sec, mate. Mary J dragged her downstairs to grab something to eat before she fades away.”

“Fades away?”

“Well, close to it. Your woman hasn’t exactly been eating or sleeping properly since your accident.”

“Is that so?” Randall half smirked at his old friend upon hearing this about Chloe. He shouldn’t have been surprised that she wasn’t taking better care of herself. Mick nodded his head. There was something else his old mate wasn’t telling him. Something else about Chloe, he’d bet. “What aren’t you telling me, Mick?”

He watched as his friend glanced over his shoulder, like he was checking to make sure the coast was clear. “Mick, what aren’t you telling me?”

“Ah, how do I put this? You see, Chloe got it into her sweet little head of hers that the only way she could see you or stay by your bedside, was to tell the doctor she was your”—Mick cleared his throat—“wife.”

“Come again?” Randall asked, completely dumbfounded by his friend’s statement.

“She told them she’s your wife, newly wedded if I recall correctly. Congratulations, by the way.”

Randall dismissed Mick’s congratulations remark with a wave of his hand. “Shit. Wow. I don’t know if I should be flattered by it or downright pissed at her for lying.”

“Well, you better figure out which one it is and soon, ’cause I can hear the women coming back down the hall as we speak.”

* * * *

Chloe sauntered into Randall’s room, half expecting to find him still asleep. So she was a little taken aback at seeing him sitting up in bed chattering casually away to Mick. “You’re awake,” she said to him.

His gaze turned to where she stood in the doorway to his room.

“Now, why does everybody keep saying that to me when they see me?”

She gifted him with a smiled. “Because you’ve spent the good part of the last eight days asleep, that’s why.” She walked up to his bedside and stared down into his sky-blue eyes. “Jon,” she sighed softly to him then bent to sip lightly at his lips. God, she couldn’t wait to take him home. Chloe would do almost anything to curl up naked against his body. Just to feel his warmth, to feel his love for her once again.

Seeing his eyes dart to Mick then back to her, Chloe swallowed hard. Traitor, she wanted to say to Mick when he glanced in her direction. He had told on her. Randall knew about her little white lie. Play it cool, she told herself. Don’t admit anything unless he asks, then tell him the truth. Good plan.

Mary J and Mick vacated the room pretty quickly after saying their good-byes, leaving her finally alone with Randall.

“How are you really feeling today, babe?” she asked him.

“How am I feeling? Like shit, precious. Now get your ass up onto this bed and lay down with me.”

She must have had a stunned look on her face after hearing his not-so-subtle order, going by the smug smirk he gifted her with. Chloe couldn’t help but be hesitant in lying down with him. Christ, he was still recovering from his injuries and was probably still in a lot of pain, not that he would tell her of course due to the stupid male pride thing he had going on.

The doctor had already warned them both that physical contact had to be kept to a minimum until Randall made a full recovery. But she missed him. She missed the way his arms felt wrapped securely around her. She missed the way his warm breath tingled her skin when he murmured against it. Randall might need the closeness from her, but she also needed it from him, too.

So carefully she climbed up onto the hospital bed to lie down beside him, and mumbled to him about how the nurses would not be happy with this. “I don’t give a damn about the nurses, little girl. Come. Here. Now.” He held his arms out wide for her to crawl up into. Chloe laid her head down near his shoulder and sighed when his arms came around her.

“I’ve missed you, precious. Missed your warmth, missed your scent. Hell, I’ve just missed you full stop.”

“I’ve missed you, too, Jon. I felt so lost without you.”

“Never again,” he vowed to her.

“Never again,” she vowed back to him.

Kissing the top of her head moments later, he said to her, “There is one thing I’d like for you to clear up for me, little girl.” Chloe winced inwardly as his hand roamed over her denim-covered ass.

“What’s that?” she asked him meekly.

“What’s that? Well, for starters can you please explain to me why you are suddenly my wife?” His hand lightly tapped her ass as he spoke. Luck was on her side as she was aware Randall didn’t have the strength in him to give her ass a firm smack, not yet, at least. But later? Hell yes, later he most definitely would smack her ass soundly and she would relish every second of it, too. “I know I’ve been out of it for the past week or so but I’m sure I would have remembered attending my own damn wedding. Don’t you?”

“I’m sorry, Jon. I never meant any disrespect to our relationship or to you. It was, well hell, it’s the only way to make sure they let me see you.”

“Hmm, so you lied to see me, huh?”

Chloe popped her head up then to stare down at him. She realised then that he would be able to see all the unspoken love she held within her eyes and within her own heart for him and him alone.

“I had to see you, Jon. There’s a difference.”

Lightly he tapped her ass again. Chloe wished then she could feel the heat rising in her flesh from his touch. Who would have thought she’d be wishing for that? But she did enjoy the feel of his hand caressing her butt while he continued to address her. “Honestly, Chloe, I’m rather flattered that you lied to them. I needed you here with me. Even when I was unconscious I could feel your presence around me. You, my precious, made me want to live not just for me but for us as well. Maybe that makes me a selfish bastard for always wanting you here with me.”

“No. Don’t say that.” Her words became forceful as she spoke to him. Cradling his face in her hands, Chloe stared him right in the eyes and said, “You’re far from being a bastard, Jon. I never want to hear you refer to yourself as one ever again. If you so much as mutter it I will spank you.”

He glared up at her at hearing her forceful words. Chloe could tell he was trying to picture her coming good on her promise to spank him from the scowl on his face. Of course she knew better than to actually attempt such a thing. Her arse would be royally spanked if she even so much as hinted at topping him like that, once he was well enough to throw her over his knee that is. For now, though, she liked teasing him and seeing the adorable scowl on his masculine face. It made her heart beat just that bit faster for him and made the love she held for him grow that much fonder.

“Okay, if I’m not a bastard, what am I then, Chloe?”

She didn’t even hesitate in answering his question. “You are my thoughtful, generous lover and Dom. You have showed me nothing but love and honesty since the day I met you. You are the man who I love and adore. I won’t have you any other way, Officer Jon Randall. You will always be my man, my Dom, my heart.”

He stared up at her, absorbing all she said. “You love me, Chloe?”

“Is that all you heard?” Shaking her head at him while smiling, she said, “Yes, I love you, Jon. I have always loved you. I’ve been too afraid to say it before now. I’m not afraid to say it anymore. I love you.”

“Good. I love you, too, precious. Always have, always will. Now, come here. I want your lips on mine now.”

Rising up onto her elbows, Chloe lowered her lips so they were almost touching his. She whispered her words of love to him while gazing into his sky-blue eyes. “I love you, Jon. Only you. Always.” Then she plastered her lips to his, a kiss so searing and passionate it took both their breaths away. Her tongue swiped greedily at his lips, before forcing its way into his mouth to taste him. The need inside her was growing rapidly with every passing second. She had to have his taste in her mouth and desperately needed her hands on his body. When she bit down lightly on his bottom lip, Chloe was surprised when Randall didn’t reprimand her for it. He didn’t even try to dominate the kiss she gave him. She knew then Randall had sensed her need for him. That she needed to feel his lips moving against hers, and to experience once again the passion that could flare instantly between them from just a simple thing like a mesh of lips upon lips.

Lifting her swollen lips away from his, Chloe tried to force some air into her lungs before she tried to speak. “I need to tell you something,” she all but panted breathlessly to him.

“And what’s that, precious, as we’ve pretty much covered the whole wife lie thing.”

“Well, earlier, I remembered everything.”

“What do you mean you remembered everything? I’m not quite following you here, precious.”

“I remembered us. I remember the first time I saw you after school. I remember my sixteenth birthday party and the present you gave me.”

“Well, ahh, shit. That’s good thing right?”

“Yes, it’s a good thing. There is one thing I want to clear up with you though.” Leaning up on her elbows, Chloe stared him right in the eyes to make sure she got her point across to him. “You may have left me once, Jon William Randall. You won’t be doing it again though. Are we clear on that, Sir?”

“Crystal clear, my precious, crystal clear.” He tugged her back down to his lips and proceeded to ravish them to the point it took her breath away. His tongue dominated hers this time, taking from her what he needed and more. Nipping her bottom lip, his tongue caressed the bite mark, soothing the sting away.

“Now, there’s one other thing I want to clear up with you, little girl.”

“What’s that?”

“You and me, we need to set a date for our wedding.”

Chloe was sure her eyes had widened from her own surprise at not only hearing the seriousness in his tone but also from what he just said to her. He didn’t just ask her to marry him, did he? There was no way that was his idea of a marriage proposal, was it?

“W–what?” she stumbled out.

“You know what a wedding is, right? You in a sexy, long white dress, me in, well hell, a suit I guess.” Cupping her face in both his hands, Randall pulled her in closer to him so she could rest her forehead against his own. “I can’t very well have you going around telling everyone I’m your husband, till I am actually your husband in the eyes of the law, now, can I?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“Are you telling me we’re getting married?”

“Ah, so I take it you’re not so keen on the idea. Pity, I was rather looking forward to our wedding night,” he said with a wink.

“Oh, I’m keen, Jon. And damn straight you will be wearing a suit, and a tie, for that matter.”

Leaning up, he kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Whatever you say, precious, whatever you say. As long as you’re naked and cuffed to my bed at the end of the night, I could give a flying fuck if I’m dressed in a monkey suit.”

She smiled down at him then. He smiled right back up at her. “I love you, Chloe, forever.”

“Forever,” she returned to him. “Forever.”

* * * *

Randall lay back down in the most uncomfortable hospital bed he had ever been in. The damn thing even had the nerve to creak underneath his and Chloe’s weight. Cradling Chloe closer to him, she had already drifted off to sleep. Thoughts of getting married swam around in his head.

“Well hell, never thought that would ever happen,” Randall murmured quietly to himself.

Smiling at that fact alone, he couldn’t be more thrilled if he tried. The thought of having Chloe always by his side, until the day God took him from this earth, made his love for her grow deeper and become more precious to him than his next breath. He swore he couldn’t love her any more even if he tried to. Then when Chloe had agreed to marry him, he had seen the light in her eyes and the love she held in her heart for him through them. Randall knew in that moment that he could in fact love her even more. He could love her with both his heart and his soul. Feeling his eyes become heavy, he let them drift closed.

His hand splayed across Chloe’s hip showed his ownership of her to any who entered the room. Medical staff included.

Yeah, sure, he knew there were still things to be sorted out, cases still yet to be solved, including Chloe’s unsolved attack/stalker case. He knew Jake was still on the hunt to track down the whereabouts of Myke Dillon, who was the only viable suspect they had so far as Chloe’s stalker. The skin scraped from her fingernails came back with a DNA match confirming Myke Dillon was the one who attacked her. Now they just had to locate the bastard. With Jake on the case, Randall knew it was only a matter of time until they caught the bastard.

Mick, on the other hand, had his own little mission Randall had given him. To figure out if there was indeed a mole within the Bomb Squad. Murphy’s death, caused from the bomb explosion that led to Randall being hospitalised, reported as suspicious, also left no doubt in Randall’s mind that the bomb left at the vacant warehouse had been planted there. With Jake’s help, he and Mick needed to figure out who was behind it all. But that all needed to wait until he was discharged from hospital.

For now though Randall was going to enjoy the feel of his woman’s warmth seeping into his own body. Take pleasure in her soft, feminine scent floating around him and revel in the love she gave him. Randall found himself surrounded by Chloe’s spoken love.

He knew then he would sleep soundly tonight, knowing his Chloe would always be just that. His.

In every way she was his and he was hers. Always had been and always would be.

Nothing would ever change that fact alone. Nothing.

THE END

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K. R. Haynes currently resides in Tasmania, Australia. Recently, she has turned her love of reading all types of erotic romance novels into a passion for writing. When not writing and brainstorming new ideas for future books and characters, K. R. Haynes enjoys cheering on her favorite AFL team, the Adelaide Crows, reading, and loves catching up with friends and family for a good laugh and a hearty gossip session. And after a long, hard day at work, she loves nothing more than a glass of her favorite Tasmania white wine to end what hopefully was a perfect day.

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