Persuasion

by Stone, Piper

  I watched as he took a sip of his cognac, doing everything I could to control my breathing.

  “You don’t want to disappoint me, princess. Now do you?”

  “No, sir,” I answered, my words barely audible.

  “Then crawl to me and ask for what you deserve.”

  Very slowly I dropped to my hands and knees, the thick leather of the cuffs chafing the skin of my wrists and ankles. I inched forward, the clinking sound of the steel chains shackling me giving me another round of shivers. I was required to please him in every manner, whether his command held pleasure or pain.

  A husky guttural sound pushed past his lips as I slowly made my way toward him, the feel of the cold concrete biting. Even in the shadows, I could see his beautiful blue eyes shimmering from their adoration of me.

  Of his prize.

  Of his pet.

  Of his slave.

  He stood with his feet apart and the moment I crouched between his legs, he reached down, stroking my hair. “You’ve been a very bad girl today. Haven’t you?”

  I pressed my face against the leg of his trousers, rubbing my cheek up and down in languishing motions. “Yes, sir.” The answer came easily.

  “Then ask for what you need.”

  As I peered up into his eyes, I knew what I had to do. “Please spank me, sir. Punish me for all my sins.”

  “You will have exactly what you desire. Then I’m going to fuck that tight asshole of yours.”

  I was dragged back into reality, my heart racing. Oh, hell, no, he wasn’t going to fill my fantasies or entice me any further. I’d had too much to drink, nothing more, my inhibitions exposed by a ridiculous round of excitement. Panting, I braced for another volley, his words of ‘only five more’ echoing into my mind. Could I actually want something like a dominating man? Did I need strict discipline in my life?

  No. No. No!

  I’d spent years racing away from the kind of dark dominance that I knew dwelled within the Russian. I refused to tumble backwards.

  I was flustered, the heat on my cheeks matching the redness on my bottom. When he smacked the belt again, I pressed my face against the cool wood. Oh, God. This was insane. This was powerful.

  This was never going to happen again.

  An odd series of sensations swept into me, a strange rush of electricity that I couldn’t understand. I could swear I’d fallen into a beautiful moment of bliss, allowing me to break from my chains.

  Then the belt was brought down again. And again.

  When I knew I couldn’t take any more, his seductive voice swallowed me into a cocoon. “You did very well, fairy princess.”

  I felt yet another rush of anxiety as well as excitement as he crawled his fingers under my dress, caressing the skin on my back. I was forced to close my eyes, trying to prevent the intensity of yet another craving trampling every last resolve. I wanted to scream at him, tell him to get the hell away from me, but the sensations were far too dazzling.

  “Are you wet, little princess?” he asked, his tone rippling with a dark and edgy vibe.

  “No,” I answered quickly, sucking in my breath. Hearing his chuckle made me cringe. He knew I was lying.

  “As with everything in life, with pleasure there must be periods of anguish. Do you understand?”

  The soft murmur and the way his hot breath managed to cascade all the way down to my exposed neck was far too... enticing. “Yes.” Why was I bothering to answer him? Why was I giving him any satisfaction whatsoever?

  Because you crave him.

  Oh, my God. I was far too disjointed to argue with my inner voice, my mind reeling from the way my body continued to respond to him.

  The way the rough pads of his fingers continued exploring, shifting down the insides of both of my legs sent sparks of light floating in front of my eyes. A deep rumble rose from his throat, the incredible baritone forcing goosebumps to pop along every inch of my body. I gripped the edge of the table as he pushed my legs further apart, his fingers digging in. He was taking full control, as if he already owned me.

  As if I was nothing more than his possession.

  I bit back a whimper as he drew circles on the tops of my thighs. My pussy actually ached, longing for his touch. I was mortified once again, unable to think clearly.

  “Excellent,” he stated even more commandingly. “You could be trained to understand the ways of surrender.”

  I was lulled into another fantasy, unable to decipher sinful from sane.

  He shifted a single finger up along the crack of my ass, taking his time to brush the tip up and down. “I can provide you with the most incredible moments of rapture.” As he rolled his fingers along my swollen pussy lips, I was unable to stop the moan from escaping my lips.

  His breathing seemed labored as he toyed with me, finally dipping his fingers just inside.

  How could this be happening? I realized I was shifting my hips, bucking slightly in an involuntary manner. My God. I was enticing him, preparing to beg him to finger fuck me. This was insane.

  “Would you like that, princess?” Was his question rhetorical? Was he trying to lure me into some dangerous web?

  “I... I don’t know.”

  Huffing, his obvious disdain at my answer was following by two hard smacks against my pussy lips. “You will never lie to me again, princess. If you do, your punishment will be severe.”

  He pinched the outer folds of my labia between his fingers, creating a wave of discomfort, but I knew within seconds, he could cause intense anguish.

  “O-kay,” I answered, my throat squeezing shut.

  “And you will learn respect.”

  “Yes, sir.” The answer seemed to float from my mouth. I didn’t even call my father ‘sir’ and never had.

  As he muttered several words in Russian, I became lost once again in the velvety tone, every cell in my body rippling from the increased energy. My mouth remained dry, my heart racing and as he once again slipped his fingers into my pussy, I jutted my hips to meet his gentle push.

  “Mmm... You do respond well,” he whispered, plunging in and out several times.

  The pleasure was exquisite, reminding me that I hadn’t experienced the joy from the touch of a man in so long. With every drive of his long fingers, I was pushed further into a beautiful nirvana. I was aware he’d added a third then fourth finger and when he flexed them open, his actions becoming more brutal, I couldn’t stop the series of whimpers escaping my mouth.

  “Oh. Oh. Oh.”

  “Such a bad little girl,” he said slowly, sliding his hand along my spine before wrapping his fingers around my neck. “Keep your legs wide open for me, princess.”

  There was no question whether I would obey. I craved his touch, the unexpected ecstasy that he was providing. I knew the guilt would return, even hatred of the man and this moment, but for now I was embroiled in my own personal bliss.

  Damn the rest of the world.

  Damn the controlled woman who pretended to have the world by the balls.

  I kept my eyes clamped shut, my legs wide open, and my grip on the table white-knuckled as he had his way with me. He was even more brutal, the force shoving me up and down on the slick table.

  “So wet. So very hot. Do you hunger for my cock inside of you?”

  The question was easy to answer, but I bit my lower lip, struggling to say anything.

  A single hard crack of his hand followed by several slaps to my pussy was enough of a reminder.

  You can’t lie to him.

  “Yes. Okay? Yes.”

  The Russian pinched and twisted my tender tissue, finally driving his thumb directly into my asshole.

  The pain and shock were instantaneous, the humiliation returning.

  “No!”

  “Answer as required,” he barked.

  “Yes, sir! Is that what you want to hear?’ I was exasperated, my mind struggling with my common sense to kick him in the groin, to stop this madness.

  But I knew I woul
dn’t.

  Instead, I was prepared to beg him to continue, allowing me to come.

  He squeezed his hand around my throat, another reminder that he’d taken charge of the situation. “I do think we understand each other, princess.” Another growl erupted from him, so animalistic in nature. But at least he continued finger fucking me, thrusting savagely, his thumb remaining planted inside my puckered hole.

  And I loved it.

  I wasn’t certain how long the incredible experience lasted, but as a climax swept into my system, pushing up from the glossy crimson color of my painted toes, I let out a bedraggled moan.

  The husky guttural sounds he made created a series of quivers dancing up and down the length of my body. While he didn’t stop, even thrusting harder and faster, I knew without a doubt he was furious with me.

  For coming without permission.

  For disobeying him.

  The rambling thoughts in my mind were ridiculous as well as short-lived as another orgasm rushed into me. I was shaking all over, stars floating in front of my eyes and I struggled to catch my breath.

  When the pure filthy rapture was all over, I could swear I heard the sounds of him sucking juice off his fingers.

  I remained where I was, struggling to squash the humiliation. I knew I’d have difficulty sitting for the remainder of the night. A chuckle of raw embarrassment threatened to surface, smashing the last of my tough girl persona.

  “As I said, you need to leave the party and this incident will be forgotten.” The change in his tone was profound. Gone was the hint of seduction, the blatant need for full domination. Now he was all business.

  As if I meant nothing.

  As if he’d won this round of a very provocative game.

  Damn him!

  “Whatever you say,” I managed.

  He delivered two hard smacks with his hand as an obvious reminder.

  “I mean, yes, sir.”

  I felt the weight of his chest against my back, his hard body and throbbing cock telling me in no uncertain ways what he wanted to do to me. As he shifted his hips back and forth, I became lightheaded.

  “I suggest you don’t cross me, printcessa. I always make good on my promises.” He nipped my earlobe before darting his tongue inside my ear.

  The intensity of the moment was incredible, the electricity soaring between us like a live wire. I closed my eyes as he dragged his tongue down the side of my neck, chuckling darkly.

  “You are as beautiful as you are dangerous, fairy princess, but you’ve met your match.”

  His husky words were even more thrilling, the statement a challenge that I might not be able to ignore. “I guess time will tell.”

  As he eased away, I struggled to make sense of everything that occurred, finally managing to ease up from the table. My legs shook as I attempted to drag my dress down and over my bruised bottom, leaning over until I was able to adjust the strap on my high heel. I was mortified at the entire experience, but it was time to turn the tables and give him exactly what he deserved.

  I took a few seconds before turning around to face him, trying to calculate exactly what I was going to say. I couldn’t stand the flush on my cheeks or the fact I was still lightheaded. There were several nasty and vile things I wanted to do to the man. The second I managed to shift in his direction, my anger was firmly reestablished, crushing any sense of desire.

  He stood with the same smirk on his face as before, his eyes filled with an extreme level of lust, but there was something else. His expression screamed that he was superior, as if we’d been playing a game.

  I planted a smile on my face as I swaggered closer. If the man truly believed he could get the better of me, he was wrong.

  Dead wrong.

  I allowed my gaze to shift ever so slowly from his face to his still throbbing cock then back up, inching just close enough.

  To aim the broken bottleneck at his jugular.

  The man was too quick, snapping his hand around my wrist, bending it until I was forced to drop the remnants of the bottle.

  “Tsk. Tsk,” he said casually. “And I thought we’d been able to come to an understanding.”

  “Ouch! You’re going to break my arm!”

  “I guess you should have thought of that before attempting to kill me. I can see how much you enjoy playing games, princess. You need to be very careful who you select as the second player.”

  “You may have won this round, but I assure you that will never happen again,” I hissed.

  He towered over me by several inches even in my stilettos, and as he lowered his head, I was ready to let out a high-pitched scream.

  Until he crushed his mouth over mine.

  Until he thrust his tongue past my lips.

  Until he dominated my entire being.

  He yanked me closer and even as I beat my fists against his chest, I could feel my body’s betrayal once again. I was drawn to him for all the wrong reasons.

  Craving him.

  As the kiss became a passionate roar, my mind nothing but a blur, I heard his guttural sounds. He was all beast, primal in every manner.

  And he was taking what he wanted.

  When he finally broke away, he shook his head several times. “You have the capacity to be trained. If only I was able to do so. I suggest you scamper away, saying your goodbyes to our host. Given it’s a beautiful night, I’m certain you can find other marks to further fuel your true hunger.”

  The moment he let me go, I slapped him hard across the face. Smiling, I took several steps away from him, snatching my purse and fighting to gather the items I had indeed stolen from several of the guests. I had my reasons. His expression of amusement was exactly what I’d expected. “You’re right. This is an incredible night. Perhaps my next mark will learn what it means to cross me, darling Zorro. Have a wonderful evening. Somehow, I have the distinct feeling that you won’t.”

  He grabbed my wrist once again, this time the hold more of a sweet caress. “You don’t know who I am, my lovely princess, but one day you will understand. One day you will learn what it means to embrace extreme desires, longing for everything that I can and will give to you. But only,” he whispered as he held up his index finger, “if you learn to obey every. Single. Command.”

  I was sucked into the blackness of his eyes, my entire world pushed into a vacuum. The dark and dangerous man believed he could use me.

  Own me.

  That would never happen. No man had the ability of breaking me.

  Chapter Four

  Kostya

  Challenging.

  Infuriating.

  Enticing.

  There were several additional words that could describe the feisty vixen including formidable. Sadly, she had no idea who she’d come up against. My cock remained as hard as a rock even after several minutes. I checked my watch, furious with myself for coming to the end of my allotted timeframe. I’d prided myself in punctuality in all things. The attribute had proven to keep me from the wrong end of a barrel of a gun more than once.

  I’d never broken my own protocol, allowing any vice to grab my attention. I remained furious with myself, the lack of control worse than the fact my concentration had been broken.

  That had only happened once before, my penance severe, the scars on my back a permanent reminder that I’d failed in my duties.

  I’d accused her of playing a game, but what the hell had I been doing, the masquerade party aside? Given the circumstances, I had a terrible feeling if there was a next time, no one would be victorious.

  I’d allowed her to leave alone, but I certainly wasn’t a fool, trailing behind her almost immediately, watching her every move from the shadows. My instincts and observations were keen, considered exceptional; however, I trusted no one.

  Not even a sexy, long-legged blonde.

  At least she’d kept her end of the bargain, taking less than a minute to say her goodbyes to Mr. Worthington before slipping out the front door. Her head remained lower
ed in obvious humiliation as she walked out into the night but she’d looked back once, her eyes darting back and forth.

  As if she was searching for someone.

  My cock stirred again, my balls tight as drums. I rubbed my thumb across my lips, savoring the flavor of her. Champagne, scotch, and cinnamon. The combination was filthy erotic. The thought of her lingered for a few seconds before I shut down all concept of personal desires.

  My task remained.

  I moved immediately to the rear set of interior stairs, making certain no one in the house noticed my actions.

  As the schematics of the house had denoted, the small library was located in Wyland’s private wing, the expansive set of rooms just as garishly decorated as the entire downstairs. He was certainly a man of interesting tastes. I made no sound as I entered the room, easily killing the security system. A single light was on, the green glow from the banker’s lamp adding warmth to the dark man cave. I scanned the area, using a specialized detector to search for hidden cameras or listening devices. While there were none, I was aware of the very sensitive alarm system surrounding the safe holding the diamond.

  Unlocking the panel securing the solid steel box was simple. I pressed the timer on my watch, preparing for the difficult part. As I stood back, eyeing the very expensive piece of security, I eased the small tool bag from my pocket. I would need to render the electronic pulsing system inoperable within twenty seconds or an alarm would sound, likely contacting the local police.

  I knew with certainty that Wyland had the police chief in his pocket, paying the man well for protection as well as silence. No one seemed bothered by Wyland’s criminal activities.

  I hunkered down, using a concentrated LED light to locate the various blue bars crisscrossing the safe. Ten seconds left. I had one chance at this. After selecting the specialized tool, one that had been crafted by a brilliant engineer, I took a deep breath. As they said, no pain, no gain. After placing the small black box over what I believed to be the correct beam, all I could do was wait.

  And I wasn’t a praying man.

  Two seconds.

  One.

  The entire string of beams flipped off, allowing me to smile before giving a nod to the engineer who resided somewhere in Turkey. The rest was easy enough. I’d cracked many safes during my tenure with the mafia, recruited from the streets by a man initially known as the Executioner. His Godfather role had come soon after. My penchant for violence as well as my talents with regard to almost every type of security system had been nurtured for their benefit.