The Rules We Live By

Dani stared out the window as the scenery went by. They'd sat in traffic for about forty five minutes at one point and Nico had barely said ten words to her. He'd listened to the radio, hummed along and commented on a news story, but other than that, he'd be silent as he drove. The rest of the drive had felt like an eternity to Dani anyway. Time seemed to pause altogether and she was anxious. She didn't know what to expect at this point. What had started as a romantic weekend now had her worried. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt and then rolled her head on the back of the seat so she could watch Nico. They'd left the highway about ten minutes ago and her anxiety had kicked up a notch when they had. She wanted to gauge his mood, but as usual he was simply Nico; calm, cool and sexy as hell.

He was wearing his sunglasses, but he caught her eye over the top of them when he turned to his right to check the traffic before taking the turn.

"You okay?"

She nodded and turned back to the window.

"You're acting like a spooked dog Danielle. What the hell is wrong with you?" His voice was calm and even.

Dani turned to look at him and he'd removed his glasses as they sat at a four way stop. She didn't like the way his eyes were on her face. It was like he was getting into her head already. "Stop that." She held her hand between his face and hers.

He frowned and his eyebrows drew together just as the car behind them blew its horn. He sighed, took her hand, checked traffic and moved through the intersection. Once they were moving again he spoke, still holding her hand. "I will not stop and you will not tell me what to do. Right now, you'll answer me. I asked you if you were okay. A nod is not an answer. I thought we'd addressed this, but here we go again Danielle. With the exception of you not having use of your mouth, when asked a question you will answer me with words. So, I'll ask again. Are you okay?"

She looked at him, slightly puzzled about when and how she might not have use of her mouth, but then she nodded. "Um, yes I'm fine, but I guess I'm just anxious. We've never done this and I don't really know what to expect."

His expression softened some. "We're together all the time. This isn't much different." He smiled and gently squeezed her hand.

"But you're already enforcing new rules." She turned toward him, happy he was finally talking to her and she could express some of her anxiety to him.

He nodded. "Rules you agreed to learn when you'd wear my collar."

She gasped and her eyes went wide "Is that what this is? But, I…I mean…you asked if I'd take your collar, then it never happened." She stared at her lap. "I wasn't sure you still wanted it. You hadn't brought it back up. You never…" She sniffed.

"God Dani, if I wasn't driving I'd spank some damn sense into you." He laughed. "We've been so busy with Lindsay, Juliette and even TK. There's your work, my work, and getting Ray Jay's legal shit figured out. It's been an insane few months." He paused, took another turn and then slowed into a more residential area before he continued. "On top of all that, I wanted to make sure you understood what you were getting with me. We moved into what we had pretty fast. I needed you to realize it wasn't a passing turn on for me. I need this on a regular basis. I wanted you to be sure."

She turned in her seat and narrowed her teary eyes at him. "Mr. Careles listen carefully; you have ruined me for ordinary men. I no longer have dreams of being swept off my feet on a beach and being made love to. Now, if my dreams involve a beach I'm usually kneeling in the sand as I watch you soak a thick bamboo cane in the ocean before you use it on me." She smiled. "I don't want what I used to have. I want what you give me. I need you and every damn thing you bring me on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean I'm not afraid of messing up. This is new for me."

"You know I love you Danielle and no matter what happens, that is never going to change."

She smiled. "I love you too."

"Good." He pulled the car into a long driveway. He glanced at Dani and then at the house. "We're here."

Her eyes shifted forward and she took in the two story house. She giggled. "This is a cottage?"

Nico smirked. "That's how it's listed in the Pittman assets, yes." He undid his seatbelt and exited the car at about the same time Dani did. He met her by the trunk and motioned to the property lines. "There's a good bit of property with the house as well."

She followed his hands and nodded as she looked around. "When I become uber rich, remind me to list my house, the one I own now, as a shack, okay?"

He nodded. "Duly noted, now grab our bags and I'll get the rest."

Dani nodded. "Okay." She reached for the bags as she stared up at the house.

"Danielle." Nico leaned in behind her and pressed her against the rear of the car. His hands were suddenly on her breasts, pinching harshly along the sides. "Is that an appropriate response?"

She gasped at the sudden assault. He'd barely touched her all day and now he was fully pressed against her with his hands on her breasts and then his knee slid between her legs and her dress was riding up. She bit back a moan and then she did moan when his teeth scraped her neck and he sucked and bit at her ear. "Oh god…Nico…" Her hands gripped the bag she held.

"I asked you a question." He pulled the skirt of her dress up higher, completely exposing her lower half. He pulled back and ran his hand over her ass. The thong he'd chosen left him plenty of skin to explore.

She suddenly realized her ass was exposed; outside, in broad daylight. She felt herself go bright red and she tried to pull away. "Please, Nico…" She dropped the bag and moving to push her skirt down she shoved at his hands.

He landed a hard slap on her ass.

She stopped.

"Good girl, now listen to me Danielle." His voice was stern and if she could have seen his face she would have seen the deep set frown on it.

She caught her lip in between her teeth, nodded and then took a breath as a vague sense of calm settled over her. Breathless she said, "Yes, Sir."

He nodded and she felt it against her cheek just like she felt his breath against her neck and his growing cock against her ass. She tried not to moan, but she couldn't hold back the shiver when he ran his hand over her ass again.

Nico knew Dani didn't even know she shifted her posture, but he saw it immediately. She'd straightened, her head came up, her stance widened and her shoulders went back. He rewarded her with another slap. He believed in symmetry after all. When she moaned this time, he grabbed the top of her panties and pulled upward even as he pressed against her from behind.

The sudden pressure against her core, the heat from where his hand warmed her ass, the fact that she was almost naked from the waist down in a driveway…all of it had her breathless in seconds and when he pulled upward in a rhythm that made her have to go up on her toes as the lace of the thong made her tender flesh even more sensitive, she thought she would die. "Oh my god…please…Sir."

He smiled and pressed his mouth to her ear. He inhaled and then spoke. "Usually, you're so astute Danielle, but for some reason not today." He kept teasing her with her underwear. "I know you're nice and wet now aren't you?"

She didn't hesitate this time. "Yes Sir." She nodded and turned her head as much as she could to see him. She pressed her ass against him, but when she did he stopped playing with her and she moaned.

He kissed her neck. "You sit still and I'll give you what I want you to have. You move and you lose everything." He pulled back to see her face and laughed at her frustration. He kissed her nose. "There are rules, that's what this is about and usually you figure that out. Like when we play at my place. You understand when you get there you are under a different set of rules than you are at your house and you almost always behave that way once we get there ." He cocked his head to the side and watched her swallow. Her eyes were wide and on his the entire time he spoke. He watched her lick her lips and almost gave in and kissed her then, but he didn't. He took a breath and tried to remind himself what he was doing and why he was doing it. "Well, rules are the same here, Danielle. Understand?"

She nodded and moved from foot to foot as he tugged on the thong again. He did it in a way so that it slid across her clit and if he didn't stop she felt like she might cum. "Yessss Sir."

"Good and you're going to learn a few new things, but we have a couple of things to do first." He pulled his hand away, turned her toward him and cupped her cheek. He kissed her. He took his time with her because he needed to. His tongue slid across her lips and then dipped inside and she let him in eagerly. He knew exactly what she'd do and how'd she'd kiss him back and before she reached for his shoulders he grabbed her wrists and pinned them against the small of her back. He ravaged her mouth once he had her hands.

She had no leverage and she was forced back against the car again. She felt small, fragile and again was reminded that she was almost naked in the driveway, but his mouth drove that thought out quickly. And then he pulled back and smiled down at her as she panted up at him. She stared at him, still barely three inches from her as she struggled to breathe and to think. Her lips were swollen and they tingled. She was swollen, wet and hot between the legs as well. "Sir?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

He smiled and released her hands. "We need to get things into the house now Danielle."

She nodded slowly. "Yes Sir." She pushed away from the car and reached to straighten her skirt, but her eyes found his before she did and she saw the wicked smile on his face and she knew before she even asked. "May I pull my skirt down Sir?"

He shook his head. "No, I like it just the way it is. Carry our bags in and then you don't have to come back out." So far, she'd been mostly protected by his body, the raised car trunk and the curve in the drive, but when she moved to the porch she'd be more exposed. He wasn't concerned. It was virtually impossible to see anything from the road and there were no views from the neighbors, but a stray jogger could possibly see something, but they would have to be looking and he highly doubted anyone would be looking.

"Ye…yes Sir."

Nico stepped back as Dani picked up the bags and raised her chin. He watched her flush a deeper red and then she turned and with the sexiest strut she had, made her way to the porch. He watched until she was there and then he picked up several grocery bags and followed. He waited purposely to enjoy the view, but he also wanted Dani to have to wait just a little longer. Doing this went against everything in her, but she was doing it for him and he was enjoying it for that reason. It wasn't going to hurt her and she was so fucking sexy it was killing him. He unlocked the door as she waited on the porch and then he stepped back for her to enter.

Dani stopped in the foyer, unsure where to go, so she waited on Nico. He moved around her. "Follow me, the alarm panel's in the kitchen." There was a beeping and he kept moving swiftly until he found the panel and punched in a code until the beeping stopped. He smiled at Dani. "The code is 28714. I'll text it to you if you need me to."

She nodded. "That would be good." She glanced around the kitchen and set the bags on the counter. It was gorgeous and she was still processing the view out the window. "Wow…it's amazing." She moved toward the large bay window.

There was a smile on his face at the one on hers. "I know, even Marshall liked this place and he was difficult to impress, which was why he bought it…well one of the reasons anyway." He motioned back to the front door. "I'll be right back, there are a few more bags." He raised an eyebrow. "Feel free to look around." He smiled and headed back out the door.

Dani watched Nico go and wondered what the hell was going on in his head. Hell, she wondered what the hell was going on in her own head. She was half drunk on lust and she wanted him to fuck her over the damn marble countertop in front of the bay window where anyone passing on the beach could see. Not that there were many people on the beach this time of year, but hey. Speaking of which, her skirt being up around her waist in the drive had her hotter than she'd been in a long time and right now she was sure she might drip down her leg if her thong wasn't pulled up so tight. "Mmmm…" She smiled and that thought made her nipples harden and everything tingle all over again and she pressed her legs together.

The thought that he'd brought her here to finally, actually, really put a collar around her neck…she lifted a hand to her neck and swallowed. Emotionally she didn't know how to feel, but physically it turned her on beyond belief. She forced her feet to move out of the kitchen into the open living area. The furnishings were a mix of new pieces and handmade pieces leather and aged woods, repurposed by local craftsman most likely. There were some antique pieces throughout as well. Dani noticed the original art on the walls and shelves also. She whistled because the furnishings probably needed insured for more than the cost of her house itself.

She paused at the portrait above the fireplace. It was more suited to a bedroom since it was a nude, but the two things that struck her most were first, the picture appeared to be of Gabrielle and if it wasn't it sure was of someone who looked a hell of a lot like her, and second the woman was on her knees with a collar around her neck. The only other thing in the painting was a pair of legs in boots off to the side.

"I'll take that down."

Dani jumped and put her hand to her throat.

He smiled and pulled her back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. He settled his lips by her ear. "I didn't mean to scare you." He looked up at the painting but let his hands slide over Dani's breasts. "Gabrielle doesn't know that still exists. Marshall told her he destroyed it years ago." He smiled when Dani shivered. "I forgot to have the cleaners take it down."

She gasped when his fingers pinched and pulled at his nipples. "If it weren't her…Oh god…" She lost track of what she was saying as his right hand moved down her belly and pushed aside the crotch of her underwear.

He growled in her ear. "I'd like to have you painted like that Danielle." He slid a finger inside and teased her slowly. "Or maybe while you're begging me for more." He tweaked her nipple as he added another finger. "Would you like to sit for a painting Danielle?"

She moaned and nodded, not really sure what he was asking, but knowing she wanted whatever he was giving her. "Yes Sir…please." She moved against him, needed more, she was close.

He made a sound in his throat and then he pulled his fingers from between her legs. "Mmm, not good baby. You sit still, you get. You move and you lose." He winked at her as he turned her around and then he held his fingers to her mouth, tapped her lips.

She didn't hesitate and drew his fingers into her mouth. She sucked as if she was sucking his cock, her eyes on his the entire time. She tried to seduce him into giving her more, but she knew it was a lost cause at this point. He had his agenda and getting her off right now, wasn't on it.

He smiled and pulled his fingers from her mouth, though he'd rather just fuck her. He motioned to the painting. "I'll take it down later. First, we need to get the food put away, then show you the rest of the house, then…well then dinner I think. Sound good?"

"Yes Sir." She smiled at him and glanced around the living room again. "Can I ask you something though?"

He nodded.

"So, what exactly did Marshall do here?" She was wondering at this point. "The painting is pretty damn…um, obvious."

Nico laughed. "Oh Danielle, I told you things were less than savory." He took her hand pulled her in for a hug. It was warm in the house and he pulled back and took off his jacket. He looked over the woman in her dress pulled up and raised an eyebrow. "I think you're overdressed at this point. Why don't you get more comfortable before we go any further?"

She smiled, thankful she could change. "Great, I left the bags in the kitchen." She bounced up and down. "I'm excited to see what you packed me."

His smiled widened and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Whoa there Dr. Santino, you don't need the bag just yet." He stepped closer and reached for the where the dress was bunched up. "Hands up."

Dani swallowed. Oh no he didn't mean…he couldn't mean, but she had no choice other than to put her hands up over head slowly and let him pull the dress over her head. She wasn't shy about being in her bra and panties with this man, but it would be weird if she had to be that way in the house. She dropped her hands and watched his face.

He smiled and draped the dress over the back of the sofa and then turned back to her. "Turn around Danielle." When she didn't hesitate it sent a small thrill through him. "Good girl." He let his hands slide over the soft skin of her shoulders and down her arms and he watched the goose bumps bloom on her flesh as she shivered. His fingers ghosted over her upper back and lower back, then down over the tops of her breast, her belly and then back up and he savored the tension that ran through her with each touch. He let his fingers settle over the strap of her bra and he unhooked it and slid it down her arms and tossed it to where her dress was. Then he moved to her front and kissed her neck, then bit lightly, moving over her skin with his teeth and his tongue. He felt her sway into him. "Stand upright Danielle with your hands at your side."

"Yes…god, yes Sir." Her voice was far away.

He slowly went to his knees as he bit down her chest, not harsh, but not lightly, until he got to her nipples and then he latched on, suckling the left and she moaned, her head fell back and her hands fisted at her sides. "Oh…please…yes" Her head snapped forward when his sucking switched to the sharpness of teeth. "Ohhhh…mmmmm…."

Nico pulled the nipple between his teeth, stretching, scratching. He watched her face and as he did his hands pulled her panties down her legs to her ankles. He repeated the same treatment to her other nipple, but brought his hand up the inside of her now naked thigh this time. He was inches away and she was already slick. He kept his eyes locked on hers as he pulled his mouth from her breast and smiled up at her. His index finger stroked her thigh, but he didn't touch her where she needed it.

Dani panted, eyes glazed as she watched the man kneeling up at her. "Please Sir…don't stop."

"Don't stop what Danielle?" He ran his finger through the cream on her thigh. Through the crease there from front to back and then across the well groomed line of her pubic hair, but he avoided her where she needed him most.

"Hurting me." The words were past her lips before she realized what she said. She wanted him to touch her clit and to fuck her, she wouldn't lie. Hell, she needed to cum, but what had made her hottest was him hurting her breasts. The biting, the pulling, earlier it was the spanking.

He stood and took a step back because he wasn't ready to end their night and she was pushing him toward that. "You're testing my limits Danielle." He smiled at her. "I have plans on making you hurt, but we need to talk, and right now isn't the time for either…even though I really want it to be." He took her hand. "Step out of the panties."

She glanced down and only then realized he'd pulled them down, so she did what he asked and stepped out of the thin strip of lace to stand naked in the living room. "Do you want me to dress in anything else?"

He shook his head. "Nope, ditch the heels too." He cocked his head. "You warm enough?"

She thought for a minute. It was warm in the house, so at least at the moment she was plenty warm. She nodded. "For now I am, yes."

"Good, but if you get cold, you tell me. Let's get the food put away. Then I'll show you around." They headed back to the kitchen and unpacked their food. There was wine, scotch, salmon, potatoes, feta, cheddar, prosciutto, fresh veggies for a salad, asparagus, eggs, French bread, half and half, coffee beans, olives and several other food stuffs and paper goods.

Dani was happy to see that the cupboards were well stocked with staples that were not expired, but of course Nico would have known that. And honestly, they wouldn't have starved since there was plenty of pasta and flour, beans and canned tomatoes. Dani definitely could have made due if she'd had to.

When they were done Nico pointed to their bags. "Grab the bags and I'll show you the rest of the house."

Dani's eyebrows pulled together. Obviously, he was still upset, or playing the power card or whatever. Fine. She picked up the bags and followed him. The moved back to the living room.

"Well, you saw this room, but again, this is the living room and then the formal dining room is this way." He moved off toward the left and behind the kitchen and what looked like it may have once been a sunroom was now a very open dining area surrounded by glass on three sides with the most gorgeous view of the ocean and beach.

Dani's mouth opened as she stared. "Oh my…"

Nico moved behind her. "I know." He wrapped his arms around her and simply enjoyed the feel of her naked body against him. "I think I'm going to lay you out on this table at sunset and watch the sun dance on skin while I lay the cane to your ass."

She dropped the bags on the floor with a gasp. "Sir…"

"Now I know I'm going to do that." He chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Then I'm going to fuck you against the window Danielle."

"Oh god Sir."

"That gets you wet doesn't it?"

She nodded very slowly. "Yes Sir, but I'm afraid."

He smiled. "Trust me baby."

She closed her eyes and swallowed. She did and she always would. He saved her baby girl's life. He'd been there for her when no one in the world was and he made her blood sing. "Always."

He let out the breath he'd been holding. He knew he was pushing her and every time he did he hoped, he prayed, but she still hadn't let him down. He wouldn't do what he just said. Not because he didn't want it, but because it could hurt her reputation, his reputation and their reputation with the Hawks. There were other ways to get what he wanted. He would have the windows treated, but for now the fantasy was enough.

He kissed her cheek and nodded. "Good girl, I want to show you the outside, but you probably should put on a robe since it's a little chilly. Hang on." He lifted their bags from the floor and set them on the dining table. He opened the one he'd packed for her and pulled out the robe inside. He held it open until she slipped into it.

Dani hadn't seen this robe before. It was a knee length deep red color, thick terry robe and it was very nice. She belted it and followed Nico to the sliding doors between the dining and living room.

"And here is the patio." He opened the door with flourish.

Dani stepped outside and stopped. "You never said pool, hot tub and freaking Club Med like backyard."

"You didn't ask about the yard. You asked about the house."

She walked around the patio and then up the few steps needed to take in the view she stopped at the edge of the landscaping and stared out past the dunes and into the ocean. She wrapped her arms around her when the breeze picked up and sent a chill through her. She glanced down the beach and noticed that they were suitably isolated where they were. The patio allowed for privacy, but there were stairs up to a deck or that continued over the dunes down to the beach.

Nico watched her and then joined her at the little path. "Let's go upstairs and finish our tour." He held out his arm with a gallant smile and waited for her to take it.

"This place is actually yours now?" She asked as they climbed the steps.

"As long as I decide to keep it, it is." He paused at the top and turned her around to take in the view. "I'm still trying to decide. It's a huge tax burden, it's a risk in hurricane season and I'm not sure how often I'd use it, but then now I have you in my life…" He took her hand and kissed it. "So, that's something I have to reconsider." He sighed. "I've always liked it here though and Marshall would have me meet him here sometimes just to unwind. It's a good place for that, especially since it's so close to the city."

Dani nodded. She understood that completely. It felt like it was a totally different continent, but they were literally just down the road from her house. "It doesn't even feel like the same island."

He laughed. "I know what you mean." He tugged her hand toward one of the two sets of French doors and around the comfortable outdoor furniture. "Up here there are two master suites."

"All this space and only two bedrooms? Didn't he ever have more than one guest?"

"Oh Danielle, the man always had guests." Nico pulled a set of keys from his pocket and opened the door. "After you."

She moved into the room and she smiled. Like the rest of the house, it was beautifully furnished. By the windows there were two overstuffed chairs overlooking the beach arranged in a nice conversation area. Beyond that the king sized bed and dresser sat in all its glory and it was beautiful craftsmanship. "Wow."

"It's handmade and antique, shipped from Jamaica. Marshall used to rattle off its provenance like it was royalty." He smirked. "But that's all I remember, that and it's beautiful." He watched Dani's face and loved every second of it.

She looked at him. "If you ever find more out, tell me." She stepped toward the bed and let her hands run over the wood. She could almost feel the warmth of the sun soak into her skin. "It's amazing."

He nodded at her and reached for her. He pulled the belt from the robe and slipped it from her shoulders. "You are amazing." He put the robe on the bed and motioned to the rest of the room. "Let's finish the tour." He let his hand slide down her back and lingered on her ass, but that was all before he moved on. "This is the sitting area. There's TV, internet and a library here as well."

Dani was suddenly hyperaware of her nudity and his lack of it, but she moved toward the far end of the room. There was more leather furniture, a large LCD TV and one long wall full of books as well as a desk with a laptop. The TV was set above a fireplace. It was basically a small living room inside the bedroom. "Why leave the bedroom?"

"There were days when he barely did." He frowned and then he pointed to the a set of double doors. "Bathroom and closet are there."

Dani stepped into a bathroom that was the size of her entire bedroom and bathroom combined. "You could fit the entire offense in here."

Nico snorted. "Marshall might have tried that if he'd thought about it."

"So, does the other bedroom look like this one?"

"Almost, not quite as big and the sitting room is half the size, but the bathroom is an exact replica."

Dani squinted.

"Why the squint?"

"You said two bathrooms, is there actually one downstairs as well? Also, you said game room and I haven't seen that, where is that?"

Nico smiled. "Well, there's a half bath downstairs off the laundry area and there's another out in the pool house." He pulled her against his chest and looked down at her. "The game room is up here. I just haven't gotten to it yet."

"Oh."

He pressed against her belly. "I need you so badly Danielle. What do you think about that?"

She gasped, her mouth suddenly dry. She licked her lips and wished they were as wet as she was between her legs. "I think I'd be happy to give you anything you want right now Sir."

"Really?" His lip quirked up. "Anything?"

Her thoughts raced. Did she just say that? Anything? Had she really, really just told Nico Careles that she'd give him anything?! She was pretty sure she was insane. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her breathing was irregular. She nodded, since at that moment it was the only thing she could do. "Yes…oh god, yes Sir."

"Then let me show you the game room Danielle and the reason Marshall left me this house."