by Linzi Basset
“Get out! I didn’t invite you in.” Sage stomped her foot as she glared at him from where she still stood in front of the door.
“And yet, here I am.” He glanced around appreciatively. “Nice and inviting little place you have.” He gestured at the coffee mugs in the tray. “Any chance of a cup and a muffin for me?”
Sage was tempted to ignore the request but at least preparing a fresh pot of coffee offered her the opportunity to try and put the frayed edges of her mind back together. She needed to get a grip over her emotions. It would be disastrous if Cole Sawyer knew to what extent their encounter the previous night had affected her.
Affected me, my ass. It completely floored me.
So much so that twelve hours later, she still couldn’t get over it. At this point, she wondered if she ever would.
She slammed the door shut and went to pick up the tray before stomping into the kitchen. The knowing glint in his eyes told her she was fooling herself. He was a powerful Dom. There was no way he wouldn’t know what effect he’d had on her, especially since she lost control over every aspect of her body once he took over. He’d molded it to his will, wrapped her mind within the tentacles of his domination so tightly, no matter how hard she struggled, the web kept her trapped within its hold.
Yes, Sage Porter. You are well and truly fucked!
Dawdling too long in the kitchen didn’t seem wise. Besides, the sooner he left, the quicker she could start breathing normal again. She rushed finishing the coffee and used the tray as armor as she walked back into the sitting room. Armed with an extra strong cup of coffee, she sank into the chair and immediately began chomping on a muffin. Anything to keep her tongue from running away and getting her into trouble.
“Such hospitality,” Cole teased as he leaned forward to pick up his cup from the tray where she’d placed it without offering it to him.
“I’m very hospitable … to invited guests,” she mumbled around a mouthful of decadent muffin.
He bit into his and moaned delightfully. “I didn’t realize I was so hungry and I have to say, this is the best chocolate chip muffin I’ve ever tasted.” He glanced at her. “Made it yourself?”
“Yes.” She took a sip of coffee and heaved a deep breath. It served no purpose to avoid the inevitable. The sooner she addressed the elephant in the room, the quicker he’d leave. “Surely you can understand why I can’t go on the road trip.”
He finished chewing and took a sip of coffee. The look he flashed at her didn’t fill her with confidence. The sofa that was her pride and joy and usually looked so big and plush, appeared minuscule under his large, muscled frame. She swallowed back the drool that formed in her mouth as her eyes trailed over his body. He looked hot as fuck with tight jeans and a black t-shirt that hugged his huge biceps and chest. She stared mesmerized at the rippling muscles as he leaned forward to place the mug on the tray.
“I’m afraid not. Why don’t you explain it to me?”
Sage glared at him and straightened her shoulders. “Last night … you and me. We …” She cleared her throat as the words got stuck in her throat. Her cheeks flared hot as she shifted under his intense regard. “Or do you suffer from short-term memory loss?”
“There’s nothing wrong with my memory, Ms. Porter, however, I fail to see what it has to do with the road trip.”
She had no doubt she looked like a fish out of water gasping for breath as she gaped at him. Was the man insane?
“It has everything to do with it! You spanked me and … and …” her hand fluttered in the air, “you know! You're my boss for heaven’s sake. You can’t expect me to go with on the trip and pretend nothing has changed between us after … after that.”
“By that, I suppose you’re referring to me fucking you.” He stroked his chin. Her loins twitched at the grating sound of the short beard against his skin.
For fuck’s sake, how could even that sound sexy?
“Hmm … you’ve been in the Lifestyle for two years, Sage. Surely you know how Domination and submission work?”
“Of course, I know but how is that relevant?”
“Sexual domination, Sage, that’s all I’ve ever been interested in. Going on the trip has nothing to do with it.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m still not going.”
“Yes, you are.”
Sage jumped up and planted her fists on her hips. She leaned forward and snapped in a slow, clear voice, “I am not going and you can’t make me.”
Chapter Five
Sage realized her mistake the moment the words echoed back at her. She cursed herself silently. She should’ve known better than to be so bold toward a Dom such as Master Cratos. Her breath caught watching the muscles in his chest and arms ripple as he got up with deliberate slowness. The darkening of his eyes was the only thing that registered before he was walking toward her. She retreated, step for step, until she was pressed against the wall, his hard body flattening her softness.
“You should know better than to challenge a man like me, my pet.”
“I’m not your pet,” she managed to croak.
Sage swallowed the excitement that surged to the surface. The hardness of his body reminded her of his heavy frame pinning her to the spanking bench as he fucked her. She felt lost in the sound of his dark voice that flowed through her mind like the soothing taste of a single malt whiskey.
“Aren’t you?”
He tilted his head slightly, which drew her gaze to his wide high cheekbones and square jaw. She noticed for the first time, a sexy dimple in his chin that begged to be kissed. He had rugged good looks that were anything but classically attractive, but he had a magnetism that she found hard to resist. His full lips curved upward when he noticed her eyelids flutter.
“No, I’m not.” Her voice sounded pathetic and anything but assertive. His muscles rippled against her hands when she pushed against his chest, desperate to put some distance between them so that she could breathe. “Get away from me, you big oaf.”
“Try saying it with conviction, little one, and I might.” He leaned in to brush his lips over hers.
“Stop doing that.” She tried to sound firm but the husky whisper didn’t deter his lips from trailing over her cheek to nibble on her earlobe.
“I’ve been wanting to feel your skin under my lips for a very long time.”
His words penetrated her hazy mind and all she could do was slump in the wake of the power it had over her. A long time? Could it be that he’d secretly been as taken with her as she’d been with him? Or was this just a way to win her over? Her mind went blank as his lips closed around her earlobe and he sucked, gently tugging on it. A surge of arousal shot to her loins and set her clitoris throbbing with need.
“Ohmm … I ... you ...” She sighed as his roving lips latched onto the furiously pulsing vein in her neck in an intimate kiss. This time, the hot shard that tore into her loins and caused her eyelashes to flutter, was the conduit for Cole to explore further. His hand gently fisted a tuft of her hair and tilted her chin back.
Sage watched in fascination as he lowered his long dark eyelashes—a surprising contrast to the rest of his chiseled, manly features. She blinked and promptly stumbled on a novel feeling.
She was overcome by the strangest emotion; a sensation of equanimity that transcended her into a new era, releasing the chains of the needs and desires buried deep inside her. She stood shaken in the wake of it. It was as if he’d reached inside her, weaving around her soul until he found all the insecurities that had been hidden behind a façade of nonchalance.
It was eerie to think he knew what was going on inside her. With desperation for some space between them, she flattened her hands against his chest and pushed. It was as ineffective as the effort to hide her innermost desires from his knowing eyes. She swallowed as his broad shoulders rolled in response
“Let me go.” Her voice turned husky as she struggled to regain her composure. She’d closed herself off from emotions for years. Fr
om allowing herself to feel anything for any of the men she’d been involved with. Memories of moving from one foster home to the other due to her mother not wanting her love child were more than enough to harden her heart. She’d made a promise to herself at a young age that she would never allow love to rule her life.
Now, she had no idea how to classify, least of all cope with the emotions flooding her. Lust, passion, and desire were sensations she could deal with, but the emotional cocktail that swirled in her mind was overwhelming.
His chuckle was dark and sent a ripple of lust through her.
“There are a lot of things I’ll grant you, Ms. Porter, but letting you go, right at this moment, is sure as hell not one of them.” His eyes roamed over her face. “You have no idea what your beauty does to me, do you?” His gaze locked onto her mouth. “I’ve been yearning to kiss you, Sage … so fucking long.” He leaned in to bite into her lower lip and sucked on its luscious fullness.
A flash of heat raced down and unleashed a warm flush of essence inside her pussy, forcing Sage to clench her muscles against an influx of pheromones that lingered between her thighs.
Oh, my freaking god! Sage shivered, completely overwhelmed by the feel of his warm lips taking sweet possession of hers. She’d dreamed of this … but heaven knew, nothing could’ve prepared her for the intense sensuality of his possession.
Cole lifted his head and traced her small, beautifully shaped nose with a fingertip, gently caressing the vestigial depression beneath. He gazed at her pouty lips, swamped with a longing to lose himself in their swollen lusciousness again. He was enchanted by her fresh, innocent look that was as sultry as it was seductive. Sage Porter packed a mighty punch and took his breath away.
He tightened his fist around the silkiness of her luxurious auburn hair that tumbled in thick waves down her back.
“Know this, my lovely Sage. Now that I’ve had a taste of you, nothing and no one is going to keep me from what I want. Not even you.”
“Earlier you said sexual domination stays at the club … what is it you want from me?” She sounded breathless and she puffed in a couple of breaths.
He smiled as he caressed her chin between his fingers.
“Do I really have to spell it out?” His gruff voice still echoed in her mind when he delivered a hard, open-mouthed kiss on her lips that unleashed a fresh wave of arousal to wash over her.
Cole’s firm mouth slanted across hers, dousing her with so much passion she found it hard to breathe. He released her chin and wound his arm around her body. His hand settled on her buttocks and he yanked her hard against him.
“Fuck, you’re so soft,” he groaned into her mouth as her softness yielded to the hardness of his arousal. His lips gentled, turned from coercive to seductive. He reached beneath her hair, below her ear to gently caress her cheek with his thumb.
Sage was helpless in his grasp. It didn’t help that she recognized he was a master at seduction. Without giving it a thought, her arms circled his neck to curl in the short hair at his nape. Wild cadences vibrated her nerves, overwhelming her with sensations completely foreign to her. She sighed and stopped fighting as euphoria deluged her mind. She pressed against him and reciprocated the kiss with a punch of passion that he’d sparked to life inside her.
Good lord, Sage. You have to stop. You know he’s dangerous. He’s the one man you have no defense against. You know this! Stop!
Her body, however, refused to listen as she melted against him.
Cole was overwhelmed by the sultry sensuality and her uncontrolled surrender. His hands rejoiced in the lushness of her curvy body as they roamed over her back and hips. The desire she’d unleashed inside him the previous night, once again scorched through his body. He was shaken by the intensity.
He was a hard man. One who lived for the moment and trusted his instincts. He didn’t fight the one filling his mind—that this was where he belonged. With her, molding her tight against him and more than anything, buried deep inside her. His lips left hers to trail a line of fire down her throat in urgent, hot nibbling kisses.
“Cole, please,” she gasped, her eyes rolled back in their sockets as sensations flooded her mind with each caress.
“I love my name on your lips, little one.” He squeezed her breasts softly. He found her nipples through the thin cotton top. gently tugging and pinching the already aroused nubs.
“You have to … stop,” she puffed out in a woeful tone.
“I don't think so. Especially since your body is telling me exactly the opposite.” He taunted her with hot lips scorching the soft valley between her breasts. “I am in awe of the effect you have on me,” he said against the curve of her breast.
Sage was stunned at the words floating through her mind. To hear this Herculean Dom admitting his feelings made her feel all powerful. Her breathing faltered with the sensual invasion of his hand in the black leggings she wore. His fingers made their way under her lace panties and cupped her bare mound. He leaned back to look at her, allowing his large hand to rest against the warm nest of her female bits. She whimpered when her pussy flushed in response, boldly coating his fingers with her essence.
“Are you sure, Sage?” His eyes had turned darker, as dark as the inky blue of a midnight sky.
“S-sure about what?” She could feel herself losing the battle against his strong pull. It was becoming more and more difficult to concentrate on reality. How could it be any other way, when his touch flung her high and left her floating on a cloud of erotic bliss?
Cole stared at her with close intensity. Her eyes flared as he moved his palm with slow, circular motions over her clitoris, followed by agonizingly slow movements up and down her slit. He exalted at the wetness that eased his touch.
“I love how you come alive so beautifully under my hands.” His dulcet tone kept her senses attuned to him as much as her body begged silently for more.
The catlike mewl that escaped her lips was followed by a wild orbit of her hips against his hand. His thumb teasingly circled her clit as his fingers simultaneously dipped playfully inside her slit to rub the moistness over the pulsing nub.
“Your arousal enhances your beauty and the scent it offers … fuck it’s the most delightful bouquet ever to have filled my senses.”
“Ohh … stop, please,” Sage moaned and then continued to whimper in puffs of, “Oh-oh-ohhh,” as Cole rubbed her clit. Hard and fast, to be followed by soft pats on the tip. In between, he dipped his finger inside her slit to keep her slippery and wet under his ministrations.
“Are you sure, Sage?”
Cole’s voice reached her as if from afar. She was drenched in the tension building inside her body. She could feel the climax clawing at her loins. She thrashed frantically against his hand. Her breathless cries of passion were a melody of lust in his ears. It was a sound he buried deep inside him … one he intended to hear many times more.
“A-about what?” Sage blinked as she tried to make sense of his question. Her eyes were misty, swirling with deep gray flecks that turned her green eyes into a tumultuous sea during a storm.
“You told me to stop.”
“Lord,” she puffed. Her eyes closed as he pushed two fingers deep inside her pulsing heat and pumped them in and out in a slow, deliberate rhythm. “God, that feels so good.” Her breathing turned shallow and choppy. She clawed at his arms to keep herself grounded. “No. Don’t … please don’t stop.” Her gasp sounded like a plea of sanity when he found the swollen ganglia at the front of her vaginal wall and tapped it gently.
“Why not?” he demanded in his deep, gruff Dom voice, watching her with burning eyes.
“I need to come. I’m there, please … just take me over.” Sage reiterated her need with a quick orbit of her hips and a throaty moan. She was completely lost in the sensations flooding her body and mind that she didn’t notice the ominous gleam in his eyes. His jaw turned rigid as he watched her with salacious intent.
Heat emanated from her skin, turni
ng her hot wherever he touched. She was on fire; helpless against the rush of blood through her veins every time he rubbed his fingers over her clit. He rotated his hand, brushing his thumb over the swollen nub with every thrust of his fingers inside her pussy.
“Please … now!” She was on the verge of imploding. “Ohh, fuck.” Her cries turned to panting moans of torment. Her hips gyrated against his hand in a dance of fiery passion. She only needed one final push … just one. “Holy hell!” Her cry was raw as he ripped open her blouse and pushed down her bra. He leaned down to suck a succulent nipple into his mouth. He drew on it with deep, hard tugs. “Ohh, sweet lord,” she whimpered as her body arched in a bow. Shards of heat stabbed at her loins. Her body turned rigid as she felt the rush of the climax unfurling deep inside.
Cole straightened. Sage wailed as he pulled his hand out of her leggings and took back a step. “Hmm … no, I think not.”
Sage stared at him in shock. His gaze was enigmatic, hard and filled with promise. An amused smile curled his lips. He tapped his fingers on her lips. “Now, be a good little sub and don’t climax until you have my permission.”
“Don’t tell me you’re l-leaving?” She stammered as she watched him stride to the door. “You’re not seriously going to leave me like this?”
“No? I guess you were still too deep in the cocoon of euphoria to register what I said.” He opened the door and pinned her to the spot with a dark look. “Let me repeat it, just in case. We don’t want you to spend most of the first day of the road trip wincing with every bump I drive over, now do we? Do not climax, Sage … at least not until I tell you to. Be good, my little sub.”
“I’m not your sub!” she sneered as he walked through the door.