by Remy Landon
And then, just as suddenly, the flicker was gone. His cool fingers cupped her face as he bent to kiss her. She closed her eyes, parting her lips to accept his tongue. A faint moan of pleasure escaped her. He kissed her softly, deeply, pulling her lower lip into his mouth and nibbling gently. He tasted delicious—warm and minty—and she was thinking of how she could simply kiss him for hours and be completely satisfied when he stopped and pressed his lips to her forehead.
She looked up at him questioningly.
“I've been waiting a long time to get you where I needed you to be, Cassandra. I don't want to wait anymore.”
Oh, God. It's. Starting.
Carlo took her hand. She slipped off her shoes, her heart hammering in her chest as he led her past the living room and down the hallway. It was so quiet in his house. She always liked having background noise in her apartment, the comforting drone of the dishwasher, the cozy sound of clothes tumbling in a dryer. Maybe he would play some music once they got in his bedroom.
The second door on the left was slightly ajar. Carlo pushed it open, and it creaked in protest (at last, a house sound). He put his hand lightly on Cassandra's bare upper back. She quivered in response as he guided her into the room.
Having never seen his bedroom, she had conjured up all sorts of images—some of which had freaked her out. But there was no evidence of a medieval torture chamber—just a very sleek and classy décor, perfect for a bachelor.
The bed, of course, was the first thing she noticed, since it took up a large percentage of the room. It had a simple, contemporary, black frame and headboard and a bedspread with gray and white geometric designs, folded back crisply to reveal a lime green sheet (the color had a pleasing element of surprise). A square black nightstand was on one side of the bed holding an alarm clock, two bottles of spring water and a pewter lamp with a white shade. The room was painted a pearly gray and carpeted in a slightly darker shade, illuminated by evenly-spaced wall sconces and lit to a lesser extent by a cluster of white votive candles on a suspended shelf, their tiny flames dancing underneath the ceiling fan. Along one wall was a black leather loveseat with two lime green pillows flanked by a small end table; opposite this was the master bath.
The breeze from the ceiling fan carried a scent with it. Cassandra sniffed and looked at Carlo. “Vanilla?”
“Yes. The candles. Vanilla is known to increase sexual stimulation in both men and women.” Carlo's eyes feigned innocence.
She smothered a giggle and blushed. Like either of them needed that extra boost. “That's an interesting bit of trivia. You seem to have thought of everything...the bottled water, the candles...”
“I've thought this through, yes.”
He was staring at her again. Jesus, his eyes.
Cassandra folded her arms across her chest, raising her eyebrows in mock disapproval. “I can think of one thing that's missing.”
“Really. And what is that?”
“Music.”
“That was a deliberate choice.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “I want you to be completely focused. And I want to be able to hear every sound you make.”
My God. A long, shaky exhale left her feeling weak and rubbery.
“Like that sound, for example.” His lips were on her neck, nipping and kissing, and suddenly, she was trembling, overwhelmed with all that she was feeling about this night, about this man. Tears sprang to her eyes, and Carlo sensed the change in her.
“Cassandra.” He was gripping her shoulders. “You need to trust me.”
She looked into his eyes, saw the intensity, the hunger, the need. At that moment, wanting him so much, she would have promised him the world. “I do. I do trust you.”
“Then let's start.” His face had softened, relaxed. His voice was pleasant but firm. “From this point forward, you are not to speak or make a sound unless I tell you to. But if there is anything you absolutely cannot do, if you want me to stop what I am doing at any time, you can simply say the word enough, and I'll stop. I need you to be a completely willing participant.”
What did that mean? What would it involve?
“I also want absolute stillness—meaning, I don't want you to make even the slightest movement without instructions from me. That includes no touching me, no shifting position, no motion unless I ask you to do so. Do you understand?”
She swallowed her questions—and her fears—and nodded.
“Good girl,” he said softly. “Now. Go stand in front of the couch, and take down your hair.”
She did as he asked, easing out the pins and elastic and placing them on the small table. She had curled her hair before putting it up, and it fell to her shoulders in long corkscrews.
He moved behind her, unzipping her dress slowly and pausing to place kisses on the back of her neck and between her shoulder blades.
Kiss...unzip...kiss...unzip. She closed her eyes and willed herself not to shiver.
“Lift your arms straight over your head.”
She obeyed. His hands went to the hemline of her dress, lifting it up and sliding it over her head, then draping it gently over the arm of the loveseat. The cool air in the room wafted over her as she stood motionless in her black bra and panties.
She heard him draw in his breath and then murmur. “Beautiful.” He pulled off his black t-shirt, tossing it onto the floor and running a hand through his hair. She longed to put her hands on his broad chest, to trace the outlines of his pecs and abs, to feel his mouth on hers again. But Carlo had other plans for her.
“Get on your knees in front of me, Cassandra.”
The realization of what he wanted sent thrills rocketing through her. She knelt before him, her knees sinking into the soft gray carpet.
“Unzip my pants. I think you know what I am asking. Do you?”
She hesitated, unsure if she should speak.
“I asked you a question, and I expect an answer.”
“Yes,” she answered quickly. “I know what you're asking.”
“Good.”
She moved closer to him, inches away from the bulge in his jeans. The thought of taking him in her mouth both excited and unnerved her. It struck her that Carlo's gratification had become her primary focus.
Slowly, she slid down the zipper, taking a shaky breath as she gently tugged down his jeans and boxers and released his cock. His erection was enormous, and she felt an instant wetness in her panties. Moistening her lips with her tongue, Cassandra took the big head of his cock gently inside her mouth and began to suck.
Immediately, he groaned with pleasure, putting his hands in her hair and gripping it tightly so that it pulled each time her head moved forward. She winced in discomfort but was careful not to let him know. What should she do with her hands? She had the almost insatiable urge to grope his ass as she sucked him, but she was hesitant as this seemed a bit bold. Since she was not allowed to speak, she couldn't ask, so she decided to lightly stroke his balls and hoped that would be acceptable.
He seemed to like this, his fingers tightening their grip in her hair and pulling her head in closer. She fought the choking sensation; his cock filled up her mouth and she found she could not take him all the way in. She was overcome with the desire to have him inside her, fucking her, but that would be his decision.
Cassandra pulled back slightly to ease the ache in her jaw, closing her lips gently around the head of his cock as she licked its underside. He was rigid as stone, his muscular thighs tense and bulging as he braced himself. Giving a long, low groan, Carlo put his hands on each side of her face and took a step back, breathing hard. His cock was straining toward her.
Fuck, she wanted him. She ached for him to lay her on the carpet, right now, yank down her panties, climb on top of her, and shove himself inside. She was saturated, ready for him to take her now.
Carlo kicked off his jeans into a rumpled heap on the floor and pulled up his boxers. Cassandra was still kneeling, looking up at him expectantly. Her neck muscles
were beginning to protest.
Smiling down at her, he caressed her cheek. “You did very well, sweetheart.”
“Thank you.” The words were out of her mouth seconds before she realized she was not supposed to talk without his permission.
He raised his eyebrows, his expression a blend of disapproval, surprise and amusement. “You spoke. Did you forget what I told you?”
Shit. The way he was looking at her. She nodded slowly.
“I'm sure you understand that there will be a consequence for that.” His fingers traced her jawline as she fought against the urge to tremble. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You may answer me.”
She cleared her throat. “Yes,” she whispered.
He sat down on the loveseat. “Lie across my lap, Cassandra. I'm going to spank you.”
chapter thirty-two ~ Carlo
The talk, Carlo had learned, was most of it. A woman in this vulnerable state, listening to him say what he was going to do to her, became aroused to near frenzy. It was a tremendous turn-on for him as well. He knew, without even touching her, that Cassandra was dripping wet for him right now. He could tell by the widening of her sea-colored eyes, by the rapid rise and fall of her chest and the parting of her lips, that what he was doing to her was having the desired effect. She wanted him desperately, and he knew how she wanted him to take her: Rough. Hard. Fast. Tearing clothes off, deep, desperate, open-mouthed kissing, bodies slick with sweat. Tenderness could come later, but right now, Cassandra wanted to be fucked.
Christ, how he wanted to do this for her. And selfishly, of course, for him. He was truly amazed that he'd been able to stop himself from coming in her mouth. Looking down at her, watching his shaft sliding in and out between the gentle pressure of her lips, feeling the wet warmth of her small mouth, knowing how eager she was to pleasure him...he'd pulled out just before the point of no return. He had known she would perform well, but he had underestimated how well. He probably should have waited a bit later in the evening before having her service him, but he had been so eager to feel her mouth on him that he'd risked it. And he had no doubt that he would quickly regain his erection when it was time.
Everything was going exceptionally smoothly. He had made sure the alarm clock was in the appropriate position, testing the video function earlier in the day and determining which areas of the room would provide optimal viewing. He'd moved the loveseat a bit so that it was more in line with the camera; he wanted to utilize this as well as the bed.
He had actually planned to spank her later, on the bed while he stood beside it—order her to lie face down and perhaps tie her to the bedposts. But her speaking without permission just now had prompted the use of the loveseat for her consequence, and he would have the added pleasure of her lying across his lap.
Carlo was just about to repeat his command when Cassandra slowly got to her feet, her chest at his eye level as he sat before her. The creamy globes of her breasts peeked above the cups of the black satin bra she was wearing, and he stared hungrily at the alluring shadow of cleavage, wanting to see the rosy skin surrounding her nipples.
“Before you get on my lap, I want you to take off your bra, and look at me while you do it.”
Cassandra was breathing harder, no doubt a combination of desire and uneasiness at her impending chastisement. He doubted she'd ever had an erotic spanking before, but she was about to get one now, and he felt his own burgeoning arousal anticipating it.
She slid her bra straps off her shoulders and fumbled with the clasp on the front, her fingers clumsy with trembling. He silently praised her for keeping eye contact with him; she had greatly improved in this area.
The bra was off, and she let it drop to the floor, now standing before him in only her black panties, her arms straight down by her sides and shoulders squared. The only indication of her nerves was that her hands were curled into tight fists. He wanted to fasten his lips on each of her pert nipples, but even though it would bring him pleasure, it would also be a reward for her, and he needed to wait on that to see how she handled her spanking.
Moving hesitantly, she climbed across his lap, positioning herself rather awkwardly so that her upper body was on the love seat propped up by her elbows, and her lower half partly on him. Carlo spread his feet wider apart so that she had more of a base to lie across. He looked down at the subtle arch of her bare back, the dip just before the rise of her firm buttocks. He was hard the moment her pelvis came in contact with his cock. He knew she felt it, too; when she shifted on top of him, she gave a barely audible sigh. He would allow that one small sound.
He took a moment to collect himself before beginning. Spanking a few of the others had always been a major turn-on for him, but given Cassandra's effect on him and how hard he was already, it would be immensely difficult not to just take her before he'd done all that he intended. He would have to be very careful. Control. Always.
“Cassandra, have you ever been spanked in this way before?”
She answered in a small voice. “No.”
“You're a little afraid, aren't you? It's all right if you admit it.”
“Yes.”
“I think that part of you wants me to do it. Do you think you might like it?”
A brief silence, and then, a faltering whisper. “I—I don't know, Carlo.”
“That's an honest answer, and I'm glad you feel you can be open with me.” He paused, drinking in the sight of her, craving to touch her, to please her. But first things first. “Are you ready?”
A deep inhale. “Yes.”
“Good. Before I begin, I will promise you that if you accept your punishment well, there will be a reward for you afterwards. I want you to stay completely still. And completely silent. You are not permitted to make any sound whatsoever, or there will be additional consequences. Do you understand?”
Her voice was tremulous. “Yes, I understand.”
Carlo swept her hair off her back and over her left shoulder and slid down her panties, his fingers tantalizingly close to her sex. He placed a firm hand on the middle of her back, and she buried her face in the cushion of the loveseat. “I'm going to begin,” he said quietly.
The first slap against her buttocks was loud, but not hard enough to be painful. He was proud of her for not startling; he'd expected some sort of little jump from her, but she was perfectly still. He alternated spanking the cheeks of her ass: right, left, right, left...each strike becoming a bit more forceful than before. He paused in between, sometimes for several seconds, waiting to see if she would twitch or flinch in anticipation of the slap, but she did not. He gave her a brief respite by gently caressing her before resuming the spanking.
As her skin began to redden, his breathing became ragged and rough with both the exertion and arousal. This was not about hurting women—it had never been about that. It was about submission—about having women completely under his control—and Cassandra was doing incredibly well. He needed, though, to check and see if she was getting any pleasure from this, so he could determine if he should continue. Checking would also give him an opportunity to touch her as he so desperately wanted to do.
Carlo slipped his hand underneath her. He could feel the dampness and the heat even before he went inside. Fuck. This was excruciating. Steeling himself, he slid two fingers inside her. God, she felt so tight. And just as he'd hoped, she was wet and slippery. She was enjoying this.
He pushed his fingers a bit deeper inside her as his hand came down to spank her one final time. She remained motionless. “Oh, sweetheart,” he murmured. “You were such a good girl. And now I'm going to give you a little reward.”
She was still face down on the loveseat. Her breath was coming in muffled gasps. He knew she wanted to cry out, moan, do something to release her pent-up sexual energy, but she hadn't. He would reward her, but within the reward would be one last test. He would ask her to continue to be silent and still, and then if all went well, he would fuck her.
Reluctantly, h
e eased his fingers out of her and pulled her panties over her now-pink bottom. He would have to bear his hard-on a little while longer. “Get up, Cassandra, and go lay on the bed. On your back.”
She slowly brought herself to a standing position. Her face was flushed, and a few stray pieces of hair were clinging to her cheeks and mouth. She quickly combed her hair with her fingers until it framed her face in dark red waves. Carlo felt a jab of guilt; she looked bewildered and would not meet his gaze. He quickly turned his focus to rewarding her.
Cassandra lay down on the bed, legs straight and close together and arms crossed over her breasts. Carlo walked over to stand beside her. “Spread your legs for me,” he said quietly.
She did as he asked and closed her eyes.
“No movement or sound, sweetheart.” He worked one finger into the leg opening of her panties, grazing it lightly over the soft, swollen folds of flesh. “I think you want to be fucked as much as I want to fuck you,” he breathed. “But first, your reward.”
Carlo climbed onto the bed with her, positioning himself so his head was over her pelvis. She raised herself off the mattress as he worked her panties down her legs. He glanced up at her before he began, wanting to see what she was feeling. Her face was fierce with concentration, her eyes squeezed shut. And then, just before he looked away, he saw a single tear slide out from the corner of her eye.
His breath caught in his throat. What was this? The one tear...it affected him more than if she had burst out sobbing, because she was trying to hold it in. Most likely her intense desire overwhelming her, wanting this night for so long, combined with what he had asked of her—this was all so new to her. He hoped that was it and nothing more.
He returned his attention to pleasing her. His lips hovered over her glistening sex, and he blew on it softly before lowering his mouth onto her. He kissed her first, then used the tip of his tongue to lightly lick her slit. It was an incredible rush to tease her like this; he knew it required all of her willpower to obey his no-movement command. It would be a good test for her.