I saw the moment it clicked in his eyes. The sudden sharp realization of her methods. “You’re not breaking us up. Stop trying to ruin every single relationship I enter into. Every sub I show interest in, even minute, you work your way in and destroy it. But that isn’t happening this time. Not with her!” He rose to his feet, smacking her hand away when she reached for him. He found his boxers and hopped into them. “Get out of my house, Vega. Our relationship is over.” But he said it with his back to her.
Because he was still her submissive at heart. She’d spent years learning his weaknesses.
“Jaxon, love,” she purred, wrapping her arms around him from behind. She whispered in his ear.
“Why are you doing this to me?” He turned, the hurt he felt weighing down his face. “Why are you using that as a weapon, Vega? That’s fucked up, even for me. That’s … you can’t … don’t tell her!” he shouted, making her stumble back. “I don’t want to throw you out. You either leave like a woman or I’ll have no other choice but to drag you out of here.”
She palmed his cock, licking at his lips with a flick of her tongue when he inhaled sharply. “Think of all the fun we’ve had together. The years of nothing but bliss.”
“Bliss?” He laughed derisively. “That wasn’t bliss. That was pain and dirty sex. That’s all that was. Hell, I did things so you’d punish me. That’s all I wanted. Pain! And that’s all you wanted to give me.”
She gripped his cock harder. “I love you.”
He closed his eyes, shaking his head defiantly. “No, you’re losing someone you’ve had control over since I was seventeen. I know that’s hard,” he said softly, moving to hold her face. “I know how much control means to you, Vega. You cannot live without it. It’s a hindrance I am all too aware of. It destroyed your marriage. It pushed your children away. It made you this way. Bitter, mean. But you’re not that way. You gave me this life.” He waved his hand around him. “You don’t have to be so cold to feel warmth.”
She fell against his chest, sobbing with no sound.
I felt like an intruder. A nineteen-year-old intruder peeking into a relationship I wasn’t a part of.
I slipped out of the room, settling numbly at the kitchen table. That bitch was by far the greatest actress in town. Cold was cold. If it wanted warmth, it didn’t change its temperature. It sucked the warmth and life from someone else.
Vega was a tick latching on to Jaxon’s secrets, sucking him dry in his most vulnerable parts to feed her emptiness. How could I ever fare against a blood-sucking mistress who had her fangs in my master?
All this time I thought it was us in our own way, his darkness, my inability to let go of my light, but really, she was the largest obstacle. In love, we’d find a way to be us. In her, we never would.
She left without a glance my way, even locking his front door with her key for me to hear.
“Bitch.” I searched through his briefcase for his phone and marched upstairs with it, throwing it onto the bed where he kneeled as if in prayer, his head down, hands clasped. “You’re calling a locksmith and changing all the fucking locks in this house or I will.”
His head bobbed in agreement.
“I’m not competing for you, Jaxon. You say you’re mine, then I’m going to believe that. That’s it.”
“I’m yours.”
“And I’m yours. You have to let her go. I know doing that isn’t easy. But she’s toxic. Coming in here like she can. She doesn’t want you happy. She wants you broken. And I swear, if she mentions my age one more time, I’m going to punch her right in her perky nose. Maybe I’m making a concession for you. She ever think of that?”
His head rose. He smiled crookedly within his sadness at me. “It’s crossed my mind once or twice. A man your own age would give you far less of a headache.”
“Yeah, and less bruises on my ass too.” I threw his pillow at him and plopped down on to the bed. “I’m going stir-crazy in this freaking house.” No school, no job, only Jaxon and Sam—my life had become theirs.
“Want to take off?” he asked, a burst of excitement coloring his tone. “Get away?”
I couldn’t help smiling. “Can I bring the spatula?”
He smirked. “Only if I can bring some rope?”
“Condoms?”
“Lingerie?”
“I’ll be wearing clothes?” I rose my brows.
“Right. Perhaps not. I did enjoy spanking your wet covered pussy, though.” He winked, the burning returning to his eyes.
We didn’t need Vega for anything. We only needed us. And in us, there was no apology or questions. There was lust and darkness and what more did we need?
“Can we go to dinner?” I asked, turning the lights off. “A guy’s never taken me to dinner before.”
“We’ll go to dinner every single night. I’m not aware though, Miya, of what normal men do. This is normal to me.” He settled back on his stomach and patted the space next to him. I curled up beside him, running my fingers through his hair.
“Your normal is my normal.” His warm soft lips melted against mine. I had never made out with anyone. My first real kiss had been with Jaxon. And it hadn’t been anything close to normal. But neither had I.
In the morning, I packed for us both and showered while handymen changed every lock on the house that was accessible to the outside. Jaxon limped less as we loaded our luggage into the back of his Lexus. The cold was bitter today. The sky was gray and I could smell snow in the air.
I loved snow.
“You’re missing work again?” I eyed him from the corner of my eye as he got onto the highway.
He looked straight, the sleeves on his white dress shirt rolled up. “They can manage without me.”
Hmm. I couldn’t let his lies slide anymore.
“You could have told me, you know? Getting fired was as much my fault as it was yours.”
His jaw set. “I wasn’t fired. Yet. I was forced to take a leave of absence with pay. Apparently, someone tipped off academics that I’d been seeing a student. It’s not illegal, but until its proven otherwise, which it will be, we never spoke on my personal email, I’m not to return.”
I gawked at him.
“What, Miya? You left me. I couldn’t exactly tell you.”
“Are you out of your mind? How could anyone know that?” The moment I realized who said something, his jaw tensed closed. “That bitch. The moment you tell me about your past, she’ll be a part of it.”
“What if you are too?” he murmured regretfully.
“You know where I’ll be? Right here.” I touched his thigh, rubbing him reassuringly. “With you.”
“Hmm.”
“What are you going to do? Dipping into your savings to buy my scholarship from Sam? After you were put on leave? You really are a glutton for pain.”
“Some pain isn’t as bad as others.” He shot me a look I refused to feel bad for.
“I need some kind of stability. I don’t need a lot, in fact I’m really good at living with none, but a tiny little shred is needed at some point. Like not taking my options away so I’ll pick yours.”
“What options do you miss? Your hole in the wall apartment? The weight of your college scholarship? A degree you did not in fact want? You had no choices, Miya, that were worthy of you. Now you do. Let me worry about my career. Maybe it’s time I create some new choices for myself as well.”
Between his words, I read their true meaning.
He was my stability now.
But the only thing was, I didn’t feel that way. At least not anymore. The variables in the air were too strong to find comfort. He said, and expected me to submit. I’d done that in the beginning, but I had knowledge of his world now, and I didn’t rely solely on him.
And it broke my heart for the hundredth time.
“Where are we going exactly?” I changed the subject.
“I don’t know. It’s winter, most of the vacation homes are probably empty this time of year. I was
thinking we could drive down the coast and pick one?”
He made it sound so easy, like throwing money at the homeowner would give him what he wanted.
Turns out, it was that easy. The moment I saw it built into the coast, I knew I wanted to spend even an hour inside of the beautiful cottage mansion. All stone and glass. He rode along the coast and found the front of the home, punching in the address and finding the contact information on their website. An hour later, we were pulling into the long stone driveway. The owner went through the home, changing the codes to the last four digits of his cell phone before pouring over Jaxon.
It was the first time since class where I saw him interact with another person. His ease startled me.
The owner led us through the gorgeous stone and glass cottage, going on and on about the amenities, sports, and fishing. Jaxon kept up with ease, making the eager homeowner laugh and smile; he hid his limp well. I didn’t say a word, because I’d never mastered the art of small talk. Barely got serious talk.
“So, that’s it. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. There’re cleaning services and call numbers by the main phone. Everything’s stocked except food. If you want, I can have a local grocery delivery sent in?”
“That would be great, thank you.” Jax gave him his hand and shook. “Can you include some merlot wine in there?”
He nodded, giving me a small smile and his hand. “I’ll let them know. I hope you and your girlfriend have a wonderful time.”
“I don’t doubt we will.” Jax slid his arm around my waist, his grin far more indulgent than it had been a moment before.
“Girlfriend?” I asked once he left.
Jaxon let go of his control and groaned, grabbing his ass and limping over to the couch to lie on his stomach. “Girlfriend, submissive—aren’t they interchangeable to us at this point?”
“Have you called any other sub your girlfriend?”
“No.”
I smiled to myself. “I like being your girlfriend.”
“Hmm.”
I giggled, going over to my knees and running my fingers through his hair. He turned to me, gazing into my eyes. “You’re my boyfriend then too, right?”
He smiled softly. “They’re just titles, Miya.”
“Not to me.” I rested my face near his, our lips a breath apart. “I’ve never had a boyfriend before. Or a lover. Or even love. You give me all of those things.” My throat closed and I struggled not to let the burning in my eyes become tears.
His gruff breathing caressed my lips. Softness melted around the dark of his eyes, making them a rich deep brown, like unsweetened chocolate. “Miya, it means so much to me to be those things for you. But I don’t think I can do it the way you need me to. I don’t want to let you down, but it’s all I can seem to do.” He closed the gap, pressing his lips softly to mine.
I kissed him the same way, delicate fearful brushes of my lips. “You’re doing it right now. You let me down, but I let you down too. You thought you were getting a submissive, not your student. Expectations changed. Maybe our expectations of ourselves can, too?”
His kiss transformed slowly, the way we did. Unfurling within our emotions. I lost myself in him, delving my fingers in his hair and moaning at the depth with which he kissed me. My toes curled in my heels.
The doorbell tore us apart. My entire body was liquid want.
“That’s the groceries. Get my wallet out and pay for them, please? Tip, too.”
I shimmied the mound of leather out of his pocket. He spanked my ass as I walked by, giving it a large squeeze. I missed my marks. As I put the groceries away in the fridge, I let my mind wander, growing achy between my thighs at the prospect of another spanking. I found the aspirin and brought some to him with a bottle of orange juice.
“Thank you,” he mumbled, gritting his teeth as he sat up.
“Whatever I want, huh, Master?” I put my hands behind my back and appraised him.
His gaze shot to mine, tipping the orange juice back. “Within reason.”
I frowned. “There’s reason in your world?”
He smirked. “Tell Master what you want, sweet girl.”
“I want a spanking with your hand. Ten hard spanks on each cheek. Back and forth. Then I want you to make love to me roughly.” I was panting before I could finish.
“How specific.” He chugged the orange juice and then set the bottle down. “You’re starting to learn your own limits and desires. I’m proud of you.” He started situating the pillows, making a bed for me beside him. “Undress and then lie across my lap.”
I stepped out of my heels and my jeans and panties, undoing my bra and pulling my long-sleeved shirt over my head. I leaned close and gave him a tender kiss. “Don’t go easy on me. I’ve had some pretty naughty thoughts that undoubtedly deserve a punishment.”
He patted his lap. “Sit facing me for a second.”
I straddled him naked, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, curious.
He looked more tender than bad at the moment. “We will do this. We have to do this, Miya.” He crushed me to his chest, pinning me to him. After a second, he cleared his throat and nodded. “Lie across my lap.” When I had, comfortable on his lap and on the pillows on the couch, he palmed my ass in each hand, spreading my cheeks apart; a rush of cool air kissed my hole. “Tell me one of your naughty thoughts?”
“Well, for starters, the air feels good on my hole. I wonder what your tongue would feel like. Or even your finger.”
He spanked me so deliciously hard. I arched into the pillows.
His hand was suddenly in my face. “Spit into my palm.” I had a lot of saliva in my mouth as it was, my mouth watering from our darkness. I spit into his palm and waited for him to show me what it was for. I felt the glob of wetness fall across my hole. “If it hurts too much let me know.”
He massaged his fingers over my tight hole. It amazed me how natural it felt. How the taboo of such an action was erased the moment it was him.
He eased his smallest finger inside of me, the pressure small and barely there. With his free hand, he spanked me harshly, making me arch and take more of his finger. He knew how to play my senses, to create the perfect mixture of intoxication and overload. I was his bad girl in seconds.
“More, Master.”
His smallest finger was exchanged for his index finger and middle finger. I felt a pinch of pressure as he stretched me a moment before he spanked me once more. My magician wove the most consuming strands of magic. I wanted more, more, more.
I bit into my pillow the deeper he stretched me, the harder he spanked me. His erection pressed into my thighs. After entering me completely, his spankings were marked by him pulling out and shoving his fingers back inside. I came on accident. I hadn’t even known it was coming. One second I was moaning, and the next I was trembling, slobbering into the pillows.
“My sweet girl loves anal?”
I mewled in response.
“You have ten spankings left.”
And he did them well. By the time he was done, he’d managed to make my tight hole in love with him too.
“Your pale ass is so red.” He rubbed me with both hands. I felt him shift and then the click of his phone unlocking. “Look at me, Miya.”
I peered over my shoulder, my hair falling to one side, my eyes filthy as he took a sexy picture of my red ass and face. He showed me. I didn’t even recognize myself. I looked older, confident, my cheeks flushed, my baby blue eyes shining with bad, my hair tumbling in pretty golden brown waves. But it was my ass that made me wet again. Red and with his hand-shaped welts left behind.
“Take another?” I asked shyly.
His gaze warmed, flush with me. “Roll onto your back.” I did, waiting for his next order. “Lean on your elbows. No, don’t touch your hair. It’s sexy like that. Lift one leg. Now look at me the way you looked at me in class. Like you want me to drag you down to my desk, peel your panties to the side in those sexy skirts, and sink deep
ly inside of you. Yes,” he groaned. “Just like that.” He licked his lips as the flash went off, and he captured me in this state permanently.
“Show me.” He handed me his phone and I stared down at it in wonder. “No wonder you like me. I’m kind of hot.”
He laughed raucously. “You’re only now seeing what I’ve been seeing?”
I bit my lip, studying the round swells of my breasts and the pink and pale mound of my pussy, shimmering with my excitement. “Yes. Can I take some of you?”
He shrugged. “If you want, I suppose. I’m not sure how I’ll compare to these.”
I stood, giddy. He looked uncomfortable as I studied him, shifting, eyes uneasy. For a confident man, this seemed to be outside of his abilities. “First, I want one of your face. It’s super gorgeous.”
He quirked one brow, but let me snap a picture. He didn’t ask to see, so I didn’t show him.
“Super gorgeous, huh?” He chuckled, shaking his head at me. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were a nineteen-year-old talking like that.”
“You totally need to shut up. Like, if you don’t, I might keep going, using like a lot of times so you know I’m like super serious.”
His chuckle became a deep laugh, a kind I’d never heard from him. “You’re killing my IQ.”
I snapped a pic of his beautiful smiling face. “What IQ?”
Still grinning, he somehow glared playfully, which was undoubtedly the sexiest look on him I’d seen so far. Playful and master in the same body. This man had my heart so tightly in his fist I craved his strength over me.
“Funny, Miya.”
“Take your shirt off.” I watched him intently through the camera as he unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged out of it, setting it onto the pillows I had been moaning into. “I love your body, Jaxon.” Snap. “Your abs, your chest, the trail of pubic hair between those V thingies.” Snap. “Stand up and take your pants off.”
Dark Master (Dark Masters Book 1) Page 16