Prince of Darkness vs Prom Queen 03

Silently and slowly, he pushed the window aside. It was easy to hoist himself up. Good. There was a chair right under the window. Perfect for him or any marauder to use to gain easy entry. What the hell was she thinking? Didn't she understand the meaning of security? Obviously just about as well as she understood the meaning of submissive.

Donovan stepped down from the chair and glanced around. She had been so grateful when the owners of the ranch said she could live in the room. She had described it perfectly. It was far from luxurious, but she had made it comfortable and cozy. This was where she had spent many years after her parents couldn't be bothered with her and had basically pushed her out of their lives. Not for the first time he wondered how they could have done it. They should have treasured her as much as he did.

Stealthily he made his way over to the bed. There was just enough light to see her. With her silky, soft blonde hair feathered out across the pillow, she looked like a beautiful, sleeping princess from a fairytale. Tempted to wake her with a kiss, Donovan instead leaned over and gently touched her cheek. He saw her glorious, blue eyes starting to open.

She moved swiftly, and as her knee connected directly with his balls, she heard a low agonizing moan. Instantly awake and out of bed, Laci snapped on the bedside lamp just in time to see Donovan, doubled over, slump sideways onto the bed.

"Donovan?? You scared me half to death!" She was obviously shocked at the sight of him in the room. "What are you doing here?"

It was his own fault. He should have guessed. She had been a Prom Queen. She could split a leaf cleanly in half with one stroke of a whip. She had a fabulous ass. She baked the best damn cookies in the world. She knew how to 'insta-fuck'. She was a blue-eyed angel. Of course she could kill a man with one well-placed knee to the balls. Why should he be surprised?

Arms wrapped around himself, eyes squeezed tightly shut, face pale and contorted in pain, Donovan could only choke out a single word, "Dying."

"Donovan, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was you. C'mon, lie back and try to relax." He was shuddering and moaning as she helped him slowly recline and lie back on the bed, then removed his shoes. "Are you all right? Do you want me to call a doctor?"

He shook his head. "No. Ow! It's not that bad. Ow! I think that damned unicorn," he groaned, "prevented the full impact of your deadly knee." He was moaning. "Ow! He's staring at me again. I think he's enjoying this. I'm almost certain he's laughing at me."

He winced as she sat on the bed at his side and reached for his belt buckle. His hand covered hers. "Could we save tying privileges until later?" he asked, his forehead furrowed with pain. "I'm not really in the mood at the moment." He groaned again

"Donovan? Seriously? You're in this much pain and you're thinking about sex?"

"Laci, as long as you are anywhere near where I am, and I am breathing, I will probably be thinking about sex. Ow!" He started moaning again.

Shaking her head in disbelief, she unbuckled his belt, unfastened the waist of his slacks, and unzipped the zipper. "Lie still and hush. I'm only trying to relieve the pressure on your lower abdomen. Would some ice help? Are you sure you don't need a doctor?"

"I'm sure. Ow! No ice, but could you help me take off my jacket? I think I'd be more comfortable."

Reaching over, she unbuttoned his shirt, then gently stretched out his arm and pulled both the sleeve of his shirt and jacket off. Carefully, she did the same with the sleeves on the other side. "Can you sit up a little?" she asked. As he did, she helped support him then pulled the garments away, tossing them on a nearby chair. She helped him recline again, not missing how much pain the small effort caused.

There were beads of sweat on his forehead, his breathing was shallow and his face was so white, she was afraid he was going to pass out. She went into the bathroom returning with a damp cloth. Folding it, she placed it on his forehead. Sitting next to him she rested a hand on his bare chest, trying to comfort him and help him relax.

Finally, he opened his eyes, looking at her with a mixture of gratitude and pain. She could see he was still hurting, but his breathing was starting to return to normal and he had color back in his face.

"Please, would you mind turning off that bright light?" he asked. Reaching over, she snapped off the lamp and the room was again in dim shadows. "Thanks. Would you happen to have any aspirin?"

"Sure. How many would you like?"

"Ow!" Donovan was shifting on the bed, to try and make himself more comfortable. "Ow! I'd say ten, twelve bottles would work out well. Do aspirin come in kegs?"

Rolling her eyes, Laci went into the bathroom while Donovan watched her from his position on the bed. As always, she looked beautiful. She'd almost turned him into a eunuch, and she hadn't even messed up her hair. How the hell did she always look so damned good?

Returning to his side, she handed him two aspirin tablets and a glass of cool water. After swallowing the pills, he gave her the glass. She placed it on the table, walked to the other side of the bed, and slipped under the blanket, pulling it up over both of them.

She turned on her side to look at him. "Donovan Corbett, you require a lot of maintenance."

He turned his head to look at her. "Laci Corbett, you're a walking weapon."

"What did you expect? I opened my eyes, saw the silhouette of a man standing over me and I reacted. You're the last person I ever expected to have breaking into my room. Is breaking into women's bedrooms a regular habit of yours?"

"I should think it would be fairly apparent I don't do it too frequently. I am clearly not very good at it." He moaned again.

She looked at him with concern. "Are you going to be all right? What can I do to help? Sure you don't need a doctor?"

He took several deep breaths. "No doctor. Just a couple of hours of rest. This would probably be a good time to tell me if you have any other hidden assassin skills I should know about? Any black belts I've never seen? Any other weapons you've mastered? Ow! Guns? Daggers? Flame Throwers? Light Sabers? Do I need full body armor or will a bullet proof vest suffice? How about personal injury insurance? Should I upgrade my coverage? Ow! Damn that hurts!"

"Donovan, what are you doing here?"

He looked over at her again. "Oh! Ow!" Maybe a few extra groans would make her feel sorry for him. Sympathy could work to his benefit. So could simple honesty. "You're here."

"But you said you'd never come to the ranch."

"I didn't have an affair."

"I know that. I never thought you did."

"Then why'd you move out of our bedroom six months ago? Do you know how hard it's been for me not having you there at night? I haven't had a good night's sleep since you left. And don't think it's escaped my attention that you never answered my question about the flame thrower."

She couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Donovan, it's been less than a week since I moved out of the bedroom."

"Seems a lot longer," he grumbled.

"And when something upsets the balance in your world, I've discovered it's best to leave you be and let you work it out for yourself. Sometimes you need to be alone."

"And were you ever planning to let me in on that little secret? You can leave me alone without leaving me alone, you know. Ow! It gives me too much time to think. Ouch! Too much thinking leads to bad choices. I think I've proved that."

"Want to tell me the rest?"

"No. You'll think I'm an idiot. You'll try to incinerate me with your hidden flame thrower." She just looked at him, not saying a word. He sighed. "All right. I heard you and Trent in the garden talking about how much you hated your husband and I thought you were talking about me. That's when I did what I did. Then I found out you were reading from some fucking script. See? I'm an idiot. A total, aching, every inch in pain, may not be able to walk for a week, idiot."

"Want to tell me the rest?"

"No." He sighed again. "Yes. Laci, we have very different ideas about being in control and submitting. I like control. I thrive on it, and then you come along and suddenly I'm not sure I'm doing it right. It's not good for a Dom to have control and not have control both at the same time. It confuses the slaves. I also find it highly unfair, that I am finally in bed with you again, and for the moment, at least, I can't do anything about it, and yes, I am thinking about sex. Again."

"I believe that is what is known as poetic justice."

"Very funny."

"Master Donovan, my love, I am not oblivious to how difficult things can get for you, but did it ever occur to you that you don't have to be perfect all the time? You're already pretty perfect just as you are. I know you think you're not always in control, but I think you're doing fine. You may not be able to control me, but you are in full and complete control of my heart and you always will be."

"Ballbuster. Flame thrower. Whip wielder. Psychologist. What else don't I know about you?" As he turned to look at her, the movement caused pain to be reflected in his face.

"Lie still, and try to relax. Are you sure you're okay?" She sounded concerned.

"I will be." He leaned back and took a deep breath. "Are we good?"

"We were never bad."

"Would you move over here, a little?" he asked. She hesitated, then shifted closer. As his arm went around her and pulled her towards him, he was breathing harder."

"Donovan, stop. You're in pain." She tried to move away, but he was holding her tightly against him.

"Yes, I'm in pain, although that's most likely not the only reason I'm breaking out in a cold sweat. I've missed you and it would help if you'd stop moving so much. It would also give me great peace of mind if you would move your knee a little, just in case I say something you don't agree with."

Her lips twitching with an amused smile, Laci shifted slowly, nestling close to him, her head resting on his hard chest. She was aware of his ragged breathing as she asked, "Is this better?"

"Much. Ow! Just give me a minute, okay?" She tried not to move as he took several more deep breaths. She could hear and feel his heart pounding, rapidly. After a couple of minutes, she could tell that his breathing and heart rate were returning to normal, as she stayed still, enjoying the feel of his arm around her. "Stay here. I feel a lot better when I'm holding you. Everything's better when I'm holding you."

For a moment she didn't move, then she snuggled closer, relaxing against him. "Okay, but only if you promise to try to relax. Are you comfortable?"

"As comfortable as I can be, and I promise."

"You know, Donovan, maybe next time you think you hear something that you might or might not really be hearing it would be good if you talked to me about it. I might be able to help."

"That's part of the problem. You always help. You always know what to do and what to say and you always make everything perfect. You've made my life so much better and what have I done for you? I've done nothing for you. Nothing except give you grief."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I'm injured. It's the best I can do."

"Donovan, I have a good mind to kick you again." She could feel him flinching. "Remember what I told you about my past? Imagine how I felt coming home, discovering my mother had walked away? I wondered for years what I had done wrong to make both parents not want to bother with me. Then you came along and made me feel cherished, like the most special person in the world. I never have to wonder how you feel. I know you love me and you always will. That's what you've done for me."

He was quiet for several minutes. "No one has ever said anything like that to me before."

"And they damn well better not ever say it in the future. You're mine, Master Donovan. Every inch of you, your controlling tendencies, obsessive, compulsive habits, every paddle, every conclusion you jump to without looking first, and every bit of your insanity. It all belongs to me."

"Victor is partially responsible for the insanity. Trust me on this...do not ask him about tacos."

"Got it. No tacos, and I would agree about his sharing responsibility for the insanity, but you would be lost without him."

"I know," he agreed reluctantly.

"How about trying to get some rest?"

"I love you, Laci."

"I love you, Donovan." She snuggled closer. He heard a small sigh, and within minutes, he could tell she was serenely asleep, her soft curves nestled next to his body, her head resting on his chest. Did all angels fall asleep so quickly and easily?

Other than some lingering pain, he was completely content lying there, holding her, looking into the shadows, stroking her soft hair. He had the most perfect wife in the world and she accepted him for who he was. Life was good and getting better. Of course, there was still the matter of the flame thrower, but as long as she kept it away from Victor, he could learn to live with it. Damn fool would probably burn down the house trying to make his own spicy wings.

Chapter 6 Try to Make Me Go to Rehab -- Yes! Yes! Yes!!

It was still dark when Laci felt Donovan nuzzling the back of her neck. She had turned on her side and he was spooning, his front to her back, his arm holding her close. As she wriggled closer to him, she felt his bare skin and could immediately tell his injury from the previous evening was far from permanent.

Turning over, she smiled at him. "You're awake early. How are you feeling?"

He had to smile back. "Not quite 100%, but better than last night. It would probably be good if you kept your knees at a safe distance for the next day or two."

"Donovan, I really am sorry. I had no idea you'd come up here. I was caught totally off-guard."

"I know, and it's partially my fault for sneaking in on you, but other than a little soreness, I'm fine. I'm also glad you're able to defend yourself, should the need arise, just as long as it's not against me. At the moment what I'm most looking forward to is getting back to our own home and our own bed. We have an anniversary to celebrate tomorrow."

"I know. One whole year. Did you bring any ranch clothes with you?"

He frowned slightly. "Hi. Have we met? Donovan Corbett. Dom. Compulsive neat freak. Tailored suit maven. I don't even know what ranch clothes are? Jeans? I haven't worn jeans since college, and even then, only when it was necessary."

"I'm going to have to take you shopping. Your ass will look great in a pair of fitted jeans."

"Thank you for the compliment, and no jeans."

"Okay."

Lying back, he groaned. "Why do I sense jeans in my future?"

"After breakfast I'm going to take you to meet Prince."

"I've already met your unicorn. He hates me."

"Virgil doesn't hate you. He helped you just last night."

"He always stares at me. Wait. What do you mean Virgil? I thought he was Prince."

"Well, first he was Virgil, and then he was Matthew, and then he was Prince, but there's the horse, Prince of Darkness, and there's you, Prince of Darkness, and it was getting confusing, so I went back to Virgil."

"What happened to Matthew? I thought you liked that name. It's better than Virgil."

"I love that name. It's one of my favorites, but we're going to name someone else Matthew and what's wrong with Virgil. He likes it."

"Virgil is a terrible name. It's bad enough he sits in our bedroom staring at me, but it's even more unnerving to have someone named Virgil sneering at me. I think he's jealous."

"Donovan, you do realize we're talking about a stuffed toy, right?"

"Of course I do, but he's still fucking creepy and I hate the name Virgil."

"Maybe I could call him Victor. It'll be nice having two Princes and two Victors."

Donovan was silent for a minute. "Virgil's not that bad, and if he likes it, I guess we should respect his wishes." Damn she was good. Some of his best executives couldn't beat the system like she could.

"Thank you, Donovan." She leaned over for a kiss.

Virgil. Who cared what the damned unicorn's name was? He could sleep in the closet so his beady little eyes wouldn't be watching everything. As long as Laci was happy, Donovan was happy.

At the moment, Laci seemed very happy. She was kissing his jaw. It felt really good. She always made him feel better. When Laci was working her magic, he didn't have a care in the world. She was moving her feathery soft kisses down the side of his neck. He loved that. It always made shivers run up and down his spine. Damn she was good at kissing. She was kissing his chest. That always made him sigh in contentment. If it made her happy, he'd convince Victor to change his name to Virgil. Hell, if she'd keep kissing him the way she was kissing him, he'd change his own name to Virgil. Virgil Corbett. Master Virgil. Maybe not.

He was so relaxed. All was well with him and Laci, and she had forgiven him even if he hadn't actually needed forgiveness. Her kisses were going lower and lower and that meant only one thing. He should probably stop her. He still needed a little recuperation time and he wanted to make sure he was in top shape for his anniversary. He'd give her one more minute than he'd stop her.

He hoped she was going to like the bracelet he was giving her. It had taken him hours to design it and he'd driven the jeweler crazy making sure it was exactly right. It was simple and elegant, studded with blue diamonds to match her ring. Oooh! That felt so good. He really was going to have to stop her. Just another minute. One more minute.

He could remember the first time he saw her. Even then she'd been a little intimidating, the way she'd examined him with her eyes but kept her distance. He should have approached her that night. Uh-oh! She was ducking lower and under the covers and she was doing that thing with her nails. Oh wow! Oh that felt good! But he had to stop her. In a minute.

She wanted him to meet her horse. Technically it wasn't her horse, but according to Victor the damned horse was in love with her. Laci had taken Victor and Marian to visit the ranch and he had come back with enough stories to annoy Donovan for a week. Like he was supposed to believe some big stupid horse was in love with his wife. Right. Oh! Wow!! Damn that felt good! How the hell did she do that flickering thing with her tongue on the tip of his cock? It was like she had a double jointed tongue. Who the hell had a double jointed tongue? Oh Damn! One more minute. Just one.

Victor said the fucking horse was actually flirting with her. How the hell did a horse flirt? Even better question: how would Victor know if the horse was flirting? Hmm? Oh WOW! Just one more minute.

Victor. Did Trent and Victor get into any trouble on their spicy wing trek? It probably wasn't the best idea for the two of them to be out wandering by themselves, but if they had any problems, Marian was there to help. Still, Trent was concerned about being in the tabloids and an outing with Victor could lead to just about anything. It was a Hollywood headline waiting to happen: TRENT NICHOLS AND UNIDENTIFIED MALE COMPANION FOUND SHACKLED TO TABLE IN SPICY WING PLACE. Just might give him something to hold over Victor's head for a while. OH FUCK!! She was doing that thing again. She was flickering that spot under his cock. How did she always manage to find it? Had she marked it with a damned Sharpie? Fuck that felt good. Wasn't he supposed to stop her? Just one minute. Maybe two.

He'd never asked Laci about any of her sexual experience before him, but sometimes he wondered. Like how in the hell she knew how to do what she was doing. Oh damn! FUCK! Was he moaning? He had no idea who could be wandering around the ranch, so he was doing his best to be silent. Moaning? That wasn't him and besides, she was going to have to stop in another minute. One minute.