She watched him dip a spoon into the delicious swirl of chocolate, lift the spoon up and Sophia thought he'd give it to her, but his course changed bringing it to his own mouth. He made a sound of content, like a small groan deep in his throat, and with eyes shut.
"Oh, no," Sophia said, seeing him dip his spoon into the glass again for more, "is this punishment?" He'd make her watch him eat that deliciousness?
"Punishment? Do you really think I'm that evil?" He scooped chocolate mousse onto his spoon again, making her mouth water, before he treated himself with another taste.
"I know your style, Mr. Archer."
"And I'm starting to discover yours." Dark eyes moved to her lips. "Open."
Sophia couldn't turn down chocolate, especially chocolate served by James. She parted her lips and let him feed her. Dark chocolate with a hint of blueberries swarmed her mouth, and her eyes shut involuntarily as she savored the rich taste. Everything he'd served just made her feel hot.
"Good?" he asked, making her eyes snap open. He watched her intently, taking in her quickened breath and tinted cheeks.
She nodded.
"More?"
"Please," she whispered, her fingers tightening their grip on the counter. It was decadently delicious, and she happily parted her lips for another taste and he kept the spoon there until she'd cleaned it. His eyes changed; there was a small shift to the already deep earthly brown that made them darker and decisively wicked. The sound of the spoon hitting the sink was barely noticeable because her attention was all on him, and next their lips met, his hand sinking into her hair. Heat crawled up her legs and torso, and she met him with equal want, parting her lips for him.
He scooped her up from the counter while she wrapped her legs around him and let him carry her upstairs.
Her feet touched the floor in his bedroom next to his bed, and James loosened her arms locked around his neck. His expression was hard. "Take your clothes off," his gaze lowered, "all of them."
Sophia reached her arms behind her back to pull the zipper down. She let the dress pool by her feet. Feeling him watching her, she slowly removed her underwear. Maybe it was the wine that made her feel so confident, or maybe it was just his hot gaze giving her a welcomed boost. Stripped to the skin, she stood before him and on her intake of air, her breasts brushed against his chest. He lifted his hand and sunk his long digits into her hair, scrunching her locks in his fist and pulled, forcing her chin up.
Her body, never having experienced real pleasure before she met him, began to hum; a slow, carnal crawl edging down her spine making her nerves stand on edge. Her knees turned weak. His bossiness turned her the hell on. The corner of his mouth lifted in a curl, as if he knew. He leaned closer, his cheek nearly touching hers, and he spoke lowly by her ear, "I'm going to spank you. A fair punishment to your little game, don't you think?"
A breath hitched in her throat. He hadn't done that since their first night. She recalled the pleasure he caused. "Yes, sir," her voice came out shivery. All the while watching her, he moved to loosen his tie. How could he make that into a mesmerizing thing? She loved his hands, whether they were on her skin or not.
"Bend over the bed."
She did what he said, almost surprised by her quick reaction to his command. The promise of pleasure got to her.
"How'd you feel when I tied you up, Sophia?"
She swallowed, keeping her eyes forward. The memory of Nova and its guests brushed through her mind, followed by James's introduction after taking her back Monroe. The blindfold, in addition to the restraints, showed her something brand new. Wasn't he there? Didn't he remember her relentless orgasms and her never-ending cries? Of course he did, he just wanted to hear her say it. "I've never felt anything like it. I wasn't aware it could be that… satisfying."
"Link your hands together behind your back."
She heard him walk, and upon returning, she felt soft silk caress her skin. He looped the ribbon around her wrists tightly, not giving her an ounce of space to move. She rested the side of her face on the mattress, her heart in her throat.
Sophia gasped, feeling his hand run up her thigh, closing in on her heat. He stopped, grabbed ahold of her thigh, and distanced her legs further apart.
"I want access to what's mine." Stroking her lower back and bottom, he said, "I'll give you ten. I want you to count them."
"Yes, sir," Sophia answered, her heart hammering faster. She was torn between being turned on and scared, her body tense, fingers grasping the smooth silk.
She jerked when his hand came in contact with her skin, hearing the sound fill the room. "One," she said, wincing. He smacked her again, a bit harder, the sting blossomed across her backside and her nails dug into the fabric of the silk, surely ruining it. He awaited her response for each whack, and if she delayed, he'd punish her a little more on the next.
"Five." It left her lips as a breath.
"Sorry?"
"Five," she spoke more clearly. "You heard me," she muttered under her breath.
"That remark will give you five more," he spoke, voice low, and she knew he wasn't kidding.
"Six!" she squealed as the burn of his hand flooded her skin. "Oh, Jesus."
"I heard that one," he murmured, and his hand soothed her positively aflame skin. Pleasure ensued, and she pushed her buttocks against his palm for more contact but he withdrew.
"Seven…"
Sophia's grip on the silk loosened, her body losing its tense pose, accepting her punishment and the heat permeating her skin. "Eight," she moaned. A finger slicked through her wetness, teasing her entrance before his touch disappeared.
"Don't come," he instructed as he rained more blows to her scorching skin, dividing them across both her sensitive cheeks.
"Nine…" her mind fogged, "two?" She lost count and mind; luckily, he didn't seem to care for her counting, and then she moaned into the sheets. Realization struck her: she could climax, her inner muscles clenching hard. She found the strength to keep it at bay somehow, biting her lip hard when his fingers snuck between her legs again. She quivered, whimpered, feeling him push two fingers into her dripping slit before pumping them inside her.
"Hold it, Sophia. You're not allowed to come."
She gasped when he delved inside further, pushing her sanity to the brink. "Please," she begged and clutched the material confining her. She'd loose her mind if she didn't follow the pull.
"No." The low sound of his rejection caressed her further, and she felt her spinning mind distancing, a fraction from plunging into freefall. She focused on her breathing, focused on stabilizing it. Tears pushed at her eyes because she did the exact opposite her body demanded of her.
"Good." He touched her ass, atop a spot that burnt in contact with his palm.
"You're cruel," she spoke, and, by God, she meant it.
"With good reason. You'll understand."
No, she couldn’t. Though angry, she sucked in a breath when his finger touched her where she needed it the most. She wriggled to further the friction on her clit, near desperate for something to give.
"Now, Sophia," he said, and thrust two fingers inside her again. She buckled, the pleasure too overwhelming for her and that sure thrust was all she needed. Her inner muscles tightened around his fingers, and she cried out with the rise of her orgasm. Seconds later, while she still tried to collect her shattered mind, his cock replaced his fingers in her pussy. He wrapped her ponytail about his fist and with a tug he made her follow him in order to avoid pain, lifting her from the bed and up on tiptoes. The back of her head touched his shoulder, her fingertips brushing his hard abdomen from her bound state.
He picked up her fading orgasm and rekindled it.
I can't, not so soon…
"You will come again," he commanded, his hand on her waist constricting, dimpling her soft flesh. He must've read her somehow; he always did.
His pace quickened, filling her, possessing her. Sophia's lips parted, reaching for oxygen to feed her s
tarving lungs.
His lips moved up her neck to her ear and caught her earlobe between his teeth. The soft sting of pain sent pleasure tumbling through her, making Sophia moan. His grip on her hair tightened.
"Tell me," his voice rumbled, "you enjoy being my dirty little slut."
Sophia blinked her eyes wide open, caught off guard by the thrill his words sent through her. He'd never called her anything like that, yet her skin heated and made her muscles clench around his cock deep inside her. He chuckled, easing out of her again before sinking inside painfully slowly. "Tell me, or I won't let you come. I can tell how wet that made you, so don't play the shy card. You're hugging me so damn tight."
"Oh, God," she whimpered, stars flashing behind her closed lids. A sharp slap to her ass made her recoil. "Yes," Sophia whispered abruptly, her fingertips digging into the tie holding her arms trapped behind her back. "I — I love being your slut!"
He held her tighter against his body and whispered hoarsely, "Good girl." He withdrew completely from her pussy before settling himself deep again; faster, harder, and then her mind soared with an abrupt climax, and she feared her sanity wobbled like a spinning top ready to tumble. Her gaze swayed and in the next moment, complete darkness consumed her.
Coming to, she found herself lying down on her back.
James watched her with a frown from a standing position. She pondered how long she had been out, seeing he had slipped into a pair of boxers.
"What happened?" she mumbled, but her words came out too slurred to grasp. He picked her up. She felt languid, spent, and once he deposited her further up the bed and joined her, she curled up against his chest as much as she could; a reflex she couldn't stop. Her hands were still bound.
"Are you all right?" he murmured, and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. He moved to her bound hands and undid the ribbon before massaging her wrists.
She lifted her head and nodded. "It was a little intense," she sighed, still collecting herself.
"I know." He kissed her. After drawing a cool sheet over her, he wrapped her in his arms.
In the early hours of morning, Sophia awoke in his arms. She stretched as much as she could in her locked position and it had her butt brush against his groin. She froze, feeling his arm around her waist curl tighter, dragging her to him another inch. She gasped, feeling his breath on her neck. A warm hand moved to her stomach and ventured to her abdomen where he pressed her lower body gently into his hard, male one, making her heart beat wildly in her chest. He parted her legs slightly, and next she felt the hard length of him brush her slit.
She couldn't decipher if it was real or part of a naughty dream, her mind still wobbly. Whichever, she didn't want it to stop. She whispered an intangible plea, voice still useless after sleeping.
"Good morning," he murmured by her ear, voice thick, urgent, and more sinful than ever. She felt his length brush against her pussy again and she couldn't stop her bottom from grinding against him.
Sophia trembled and tried to move her hips to further the friction but his grip on her turned iron — all in control. His lips teased the skin between her neck and shoulder. He bit her gently, and it set fire coursing through her. The edge of pain urged pleasure.
"Do you want me to take you like this?" he asked, his teeth nipping her again, harder, just when he nudged the head of his erection against her clit, forcing a moan from her lips. "From behind?"
Sophia grew dizzy, her pleasure fueled by both his movements and words. "Mm," she sighed, unsuccessfully repositioning her body. He kept thrusting against her, his hard length sliding between her folds back and forth, rubbing her clit each time. She nearly came, but of course, he knew so beforehand and stopped her from reaching her high by slowing down. He was in charge, keeping her right on edge where he had her begging and panting. He was torture and pleasure all at the same time and she couldn't imagine one without the other.
He reached down and caught her clit between two fingers before circling them lazily. She gasped, stilling completely while he explored her with his skillful hand. "James," she whimpered, feeling herself grow even wetter. Her juices spilled onto his length, making James groan against her ear before sucking her earlobe between his lips. She felt his cock teasing her opening, around and around, threatening to enter her.
"Tell me what you need," he demanded, urging the head of his cock inside, only to let it pop free. Sophia couldn't quench the moan pushing past her lips when he repeated that action. She'd barely awakened, but she was wide-awake.
"Fuck me," she begged, the words trembling. "I need you inside of me. Please."
"Sweet Sophia," he mused, his nose touching her ear, his words warming her skin and after a couple of moments, he slid home in one hard thrust. Her fingers clutched the bedsheet, her eyes closing. She tipped her head back to rest on his shoulder, that small movement causing her to bend her back and jut her chest out; his hand was there at once and squeezed one of her breasts.
"Ah!" She pushed into his palm further, her entire body trembling when he circled his wicked thumb over her nipple. He thrust inside her and combined with his lips fluttering over the pulse in her neck, Sophia came hard. His own orgasm followed as well, expressed by his quickened thrusts before he stilled inside of her, his breathing ragged. He gripped her hips and didn't let go until several seconds passed, and she reveled in his possessive grasp.
"Fuck," he muttered hotly by her ear.
Sophia moved so that she could look at him and grinned. "Good morning, sir."
James chuckled, his hand sliding to her butt to give her a quick smack. She yelped, jerking from the slight sting, causing her to get even closer to him. Her eyes darted to his face to find mirthfulness there.
"Shower," he spoke against her forehead and kissed her, then proceeded to lift her out of bed and into his arms. Sophia wasn't about to decline a steaming shower with him.
"I'm sorry," James said, leaning against a wall downstairs while Sophia jumped around trying to put her shoes on.
"No. I forgot the time," she mumbled, jerking her head to the side. "Where's my phone?"
James drew a hand through his damp hair. "It's in your purse. You checked ten seconds ago."
"Oh, right," Sophia shook her head. "Gosh, I'm sorry. I just really have to get to work."
"I have a car waiting for you."
"Thank you." She looked over his shoulder into the living room, to the blinds shutting out the morning light. "You know, they say Vitamin D is supposed to be good for you."
He lazily sent a glance to the shut windows. "Eh, they do their own thing. The building has them on a timer."
"Okay," she gave a laugh before walking up to him. "Thanks for last night." Just when she was about to kiss his cheek, he turned and caught her lips while an arm snuck behind her back. She sighed when he parted.
"Work." He smiled, and Sophia's eyes widened.
"Work! Bye, I'll see you later!" She picked up her purse and headed straight for the door without looking at him again. She'd surely run right back if she did and she was already late.
11.
COMPROMISE
Sophia greeted her friend with a bright good morning when finally reaching her desk after having changed clothes in Monroe.
"You're an hour late," Agnes quipped, looking annoyed. "I've covered for you, barely." She watched Sophia sift through a stack of papers.
"Thank you."
"Was it Archer that kept you?"
"Uh," Sophia blushed, "well, it wasn't entirely his fault. He'll arrive late for work himself!"
"He's a billionaire, Soph. He does whatever the hell he wants."
"Don't give me that lecture," Sophia sighed, glancing her friend's way. "I've covered for your escapades as well, you know. Even for an entire weekend."
"I know you have," she said. "I just don't want you to lose grip on reality."
Sophia tensed. "I'm not. I messed up once. It won't happen again."
Agnes's face remained blank, and t
hen she shrugged before turning toward her computer. Sophia frowned, wondering what her problem was.
---
She ran nonstop throughout her workday. Chris was supposed to help her meet and greet two guests while she took care of an event for a phone company. The event boasted guests from all around the world, but he never showed up no matter how many texts she sent him. The Italian couple seemed a bit miffed when she reached them ten minutes too late, but she smoothed it over by booking them a massage appointment before their gala tomorrow.
Minutes before her workday was over, Chris showed up in front of her desk. She couldn't keep from rolling her eyes.
"Thanks for the help," she said in a clipped tone. She was starving, her feet hurt, and she feared she looked worse than she felt. The only thing keeping her upright was the fact she only had to take the elevator to reach Monroe and a soft bed.
"Something came up," he said.
Sophia wanted to punch him, but refrained from doing so by tightening her fists by her sides. This was Chris, as simple as that. He never changed, never freed himself of that air of superiority he wore like a badge of honor.
"I'm hoping everything is all right with James," he said, giving her a pointed stare. "I hope you're taking care of my future investor."
Sophia closed her eyes shortly. "I don't think hotels are in James's interests, businesswise."
"Neither are animals but he donated millions to help that animal shelter they talked about in the news a while ago."
"Oh? That's so swee — I mean, I'm sure he did that because of compassion!" Sophia glared at him. "Are you seriously comparing yourself to wounded animals in need of shelter?"
"Whatever." Chris rolled his eyes. "You're going to persuade him. He adores you. Act like it's a gift for you."
Sophia wanted to shout at him, but forced her repulsion to simmer down. She just wanted to leave.
"I will see you next Monday," she said, voice monotone, going back to clear her desk.
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