Breathe

by Lauren Jameson

  They had known each other for only a couple of days, but he found that he cared what she thought. The intensity of his reaction to her was making his head spin.

  Mattias, his pilot, stepped from the cockpit of the plane into the spacious sitting room, where he and Samantha stood.

  “Samantha, this is Captain Mattias Wright, my private pilot. He’ll be flying us to Vegas tonight.” The captain saluted, and Elijah watched as Samantha mouthed the words “private pilot.”

  “It’s a pleasure to fly such a beautiful woman.” Mattias took Samantha’s hand and bent to press a kiss to it. Her mouth parted slightly in surprise, and Elijah knew that she had taken note of the fact that the captain, while at least fifteen years older than her, was a good-looking man.

  “Can I get you anything before we take off, Mr. Masterson?” Mattias closed and latched the door with the smooth competence that had impressed Elijah when he’d hired the man. Seeing that Samantha was busy looking around the plane, Mattias turned to his boss and winked with approval.

  Elijah felt a flash of jealousy, but not the searing burn he’d experienced when he’d come across Samantha at the club with Angelo. He’d hired Mattias both because of his impeccable flight record and because the man hadn’t batted an eyelash when Elijah had told him of some of the things he might see on private flights when Elijah brought a woman on board.

  Mattias didn’t mean any disrespect. It was an innocent wink. And the man couldn’t be blamed for appreciating Samantha’s incredible beauty.

  “If you wouldn’t mind opening some wine, Mattias.” A beam of the setting sun outside the plane fell across Samantha’s face as Elijah spoke, and he felt that strange twisting around his heart again.

  This woman was special. He had to take care with her.

  “Anything in particular, Mr. Masterson?” Mattias asked.

  Elijah shook his head, his eyes still on Samantha. “Feel free to choose. Thank you, Mattias.” The only wines on board would be ones that Elijah appreciated, so he wasn’t concerned. The pilot returned to the galley, and Samantha grinned up at Elijah, looking for all the world like a kid in a candy store.

  “I can’t even believe this.” She did a giddy pirouette on the plush carpet, her eyes wide. “I’ve only ever flown coach. And then only once.”

  Elijah studied her as he planned out his next move. He knew she was no gold digger—she’d initially refused the amount of money he’d tried to pay her for the sculpture, something no self-respecting social climber would ever have done.

  So he was eager to spoil her. When Mattias returned, he took both glasses from the man’s hands and handed one to Samantha himself.

  “Taste this.” He lifted his own glass at the same time that she did, sipping at the ruby liquid in the glass, recognizing the smoke and dark plum and cherry flavors that hit his tongue.

  “Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Excellent choice.” He nodded with approval at his pilot, who nodded back.

  “Will there be anything else before we take off, Mr. Masterson?”

  “As a matter of fact—” Elijah sipped again, looking at Samantha over the rim of his glass as she sipped. “How is it?” he asked her. She ran her tongue delicately over her lips, and he felt his cock begin to pay attention.

  “It’s the best wine I’ve ever tasted,” she answered simply, staring at the glass as if it held the secrets of the universe. “I—I’m not sure I can get used to this kind of thing.”

  Elijah knew that she was referring to his wealth, but the moment was as good as any for transitioning to what he had planned next. He cast a quick glance at his pilot, and couldn’t miss the gleam in the man’s eyes.

  “I’d better distract you, then.” Nipping her glass from her fingers, Elijah set it on one of the mahogany coffee tables that dotted the massive cabin.

  “Take off your dress.”

  Samantha looked at him sharply, as if she hadn’t heard him properly.

  “What?” Her voice was incredulous.

  “Did you not understand me?” Elijah felt the rush of blood that came when he started breaking in a new submissive. It was a mix of pleasure, of anticipation, a hint of that heady, almost indescribable rush that came when he and a submissive entered their own little world.

  Samantha didn’t question him again and he was proud of her for that. It was very bad manners to question your Dom in front of others. But she looked at him, looked at Mattias, then looked back at him.

  She was wavering; he could see it in her eyes. Again Elijah wondered just how far she would take her submission, because no matter what she claimed she wanted, she hadn’t experienced enough of the lifestyle to show a true commitment to it.

  Pride was a rush to his head when she clasped the hem of her sundress in her hands. He watched those same hands tremble a bit as she slowly raised the dress up, revealing her long, shapely legs, the swell of her hips, the curve of her belly.

  Her breasts came into view, and then her dress was off. She clutched it in front of herself, a shield, then tossed the dress down in front of him.

  “Are you happy now?” she asked. More than anger, Elijah heard the tremble of fear in her words. Unlike his ex-wife, she wasn’t acting up simply for the attention—he could see that she was genuinely unnerved. As a Dom he enjoyed pushing a sub’s boundaries, because that was what was most needed. But it was his duty to show them why he did as he did.

  “Take your hair out of your braid. I want to see it loose. And I will be happy when you obey my orders with my pleasure in mind.” Samantha frowned but pulled the elastic from her braid, combing her fingers through the long plait until it hung loose in thick waves.

  Stepping forward, Elijah gave her body a leisurely perusal, then cupped her breasts in his palms.

  “Elijah,” Samantha squeaked, and though he thought the sound was about the cutest thing he’d ever heard, he refrained from smiling. He needed to teach her how she should behave with him for this to work between them.

  He silenced her with a stern look.

  “You offered me a month of complete submission. Are you reneging?”

  There, he thought. There was her Achilles’ heel—her pride. Her honor.

  She would do what she had said she would, or would at least try her very best.

  “No,” she replied as boldly as she could. “I’m not reneging.”

  They would have to work on her tone, but right at the moment Elijah found that he was enjoying her fire.

  “Good.” He rubbed his thumbs over her nipples, watched her eyes blur even as she struggled to look over his shoulder at Mattias, to see if the other man was watching.

  Elijah knew that Mattias’s eyes would be fixed on Samantha, just as his own were. She was absolutely stunning.

  “I’m pleased that you obeyed my order. But I’m not happy about the way in which you did it.” He pinched her nipples, watched her jerk from the touch, noted that her breath didn’t seem to come any faster.

  It confirmed his suspicions that pain wasn’t big on her list of kinks. That was fine. He could take it or leave it himself.

  “You need to be disciplined. And since you displayed attitude in front of the captain here, I think I will allow him to administer your punishment.”

  Samantha’s eyes widened as she sucked in a great mouthful of air and looked up at him with wide eyes. She again looked at Mattias, then at Elijah, and he could see her nervousness in the visible tension in her muscles.

  He also noted the way that her nipples puckered. Her mind may have rejected the notion, but her body did not.

  “Mattias, you have five minutes. In those five minutes you have full access to Samantha’s breasts. You may do whatever you wish to them.” He stepped back and gestured the other man forward. “And I intend to watch.”

  “Elijah!” Samantha cried out. “You can’t be serious!”

  In two steps he was in front of her, one hand held tightly at her waist. The other he plunged between her legs, rubbing through folds
that he found slick and ready, just as he had expected they would be.

  He plunged his fingers in and out of her slick chasm several times, causing her knees to buckle and a small cry to leave her lips. Then, once he had her attention completely, he withdrew his hand, holding it in front of her face.

  Her slickness shone on the tips, and he could smell her, the scent inviting him to bend her over one of the couches scattered throughout the sitting area and to plunge between her ready thighs.

  She wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.

  “I’m going to go easy on you for now, because you’re very, very new to this.” He kept his voice quiet, but knew that his confidence and dominant nature rang out in his voice. “But if you continue to speak to me in this manner—if you continue to question me—you will be punished.”

  He watched as her defiance wavered.

  “Punished how?” she asked warily. Though he pushed the thought to the back of his mind, he wondered again why her questioning wasn’t angering him. Rather, he just wanted to delve deeper, suspecting that if she submitted in the end it would be the most beautiful thing he’d ever experienced. “Like . . . a spanking?”

  Elijah felt his lips twitch, but he swallowed his smile.

  “No, I don’t think I’ll use a spanking.” He studied Samantha, letting his stare linger on the glistening curls between her legs. She might have been acting out with nerves, but she was thoroughly aroused.

  He decided on her punishment. “If you question me again, you will give Mattias a blow job.”

  Samantha’s entire body tensed and her mouth fell open. It was a reminder to him of exactly how new she was to the kind of life he lived, but if he backed down it would be a disservice to them both.

  He saw her swallow hard, her eyes sparkling. He waited for what he thought was her inevitable protest.

  He was very surprised, and very pleased, when she snapped her jaw shut and nodded stiffly, casting her eyes down to the ground.

  Maybe this was what drew him so much. She was inexperienced, and she had a temper that made it hard for her to submit, but she was determined. She knew what she wanted, and she was going after it.

  “You will enjoy what Mattias does to you as if I was the one touching you.” Releasing Samantha completely, Elijah stepped back and allowed the other man to take his place. “You do not have a say in whether this happens or not, not unless you use your safe word. Your body is pleased by the idea, and I will be pleased by your acquiescence.”

  He didn’t spell it out any further, knowing that she was quite capable of making that last connection on her own.

  You can feel free to enjoy this, because I have given you permission, he thought.

  Samantha opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it, and Elijah felt a surge of triumph. Seating himself on one of the sofas, he shifted until his erection was as comfortable as it could be while trapped in his pants and watched as Mattias raised his hands to Samantha’s naked breasts.

  “Don’t feel the need to keep quiet on my account,” his pilot said, grinning as he stroked his fingers over Samantha’s pale skin. “If you want to protest, I sure don’t mind delaying our flight for your punishment.”

  “Oh!” An unintelligible sound escaped Samantha’s lips when the older man’s hands began to massage her flesh. She stood completely still, though Elijah could see her muscles trembling with the effort of doing so.

  “Beautiful,” Mattias said reverently. Elijah knew that the man wasn’t at all dominant, didn’t participate in the lifestyle at all, but he clearly enjoyed having a willing woman in front of him to play with.

  Samantha cast a nervous look at Elijah as her nipples hardened and contracted. He understood that she was asking for reassurance that she was allowed to enjoy this, and he was happy that she thought to look to him already.

  “It’s a heady thing for a man to see another man wanting what is his,” Elijah spoke quietly, watching as Mattias lowered his mouth to one of Samantha’s nipples and her hips rocked forward just the tiniest bit. “And you are mine. Your body is mine. I can do whatever I want with it. All you can do is enjoy it . . . or not.”

  As if his words threw open a floodgate, Samantha threw her head back with a moan, then threaded her fingers through Mattias’s hair. Elijah had to stifle a laugh as she pulled a bit too vigorously and the other man hissed at the sting.

  “Sorry.” Samantha eased her touch, but arched her back to allow Mattias better access to her breasts. The man chuckled around a mouthful of her flesh, kneading the breast that wasn’t suckled into his mouth with long fingers.

  “Don’t apologize.” Mattias sounded breathless. Elijah knew how he felt. “This is the best job perk I can imagine.”

  Samantha nodded, then closed her eyes. Elijah watched, entranced, as the pleasure played over her face. Her hips shifted restlessly, and he knew that she felt empty, wanted to be filled.

  He wanted to be the one to fill her, and soon. Yes, very soon . . . but not quite yet.

  “Time’s up.”

  Both Samantha and Mattias moaned as the captain pulled his mouth away from her nipple with a wet sound of suction.

  The captain wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then looked over at Elijah. “Thanks,” he said. Unembarrassed, the man reached into the waist of his slacks and adjusted his obvious erection. He groaned ruefully. “It’s going to be a long flight.”

  “Thank you, Mattias.” Elijah nodded at the other man with sincere thanks. He was more than aware of how hard it was to walk away from this woman.

  “Anytime. I mean it.” With a nod Mattias disappeared through the cockpit door. “Get seated and fasten your seat belts, please. We’re preparing for takeoff.”

  “Noted.” Elijah waited until Mattias had closed the door behind him before turning to Samantha. Her skin was flushed a beautiful shade of pink, her nipples swollen and damp from Mattias’s attentions.

  He wanted her so badly he had to fist his hands to keep from touching her. But he needed her to see that her submission was not ultimately about his carnal satisfaction.

  At least not always.

  “Come here.” He seated himself again on the couch, pulling out and fastening the hidden seat belt.

  Warily Samantha approached him. The closer she came, the more potent her smell of musky arousal became.

  Elijah’s mouth watered with the need to taste.

  “Sit down.” He patted the seat cushion behind him, loosening the seat belt. Samantha cast him a forlorn look.

  “May I put my dress back on?” She looked so cute that he was tempted to allow her to do just that.

  But he wanted her naked and accessible to him. And more than that, he wanted her to be aware that all he had to do in order to have her was to reach out next to him.

  “No.” He waited, patiently, as she huffed out a breath and seated herself beside him. Her fists clenched, then released, as if she wasn’t quite sure what to do with them.

  “Hold still.” Elijah fastened the seat belt over her naked flesh, then reached for the blanket that hung over the back of the sofa. He tucked it over her body.

  He mourned the fact that he could no longer see her naked skin, but if she caught a chill it would be his fault.

  Once she was tucked in, Elijah reached for his laptop, then settled back in his seat. He powered on the computer and prepared to get some work done, though he was hyperaware of Samantha pressed against his side.

  “Um . . . now what? Sir,” she added hastily when she caught his raised eyebrow.

  “Now I simply want you next to me as I work.” What he really wanted . . . no. He couldn’t think about what he really wanted, or he wouldn’t be able to hold out for even another minute. She’d given herself to him, true enough, but he sensed she needed some time to think about what had just happened. “You will drink your wine and relax.”

  He stroked a hand over a lock of her curly hair, then pressed a kiss to her temple. He caught her puzzled glance as he tur
ned back to his computer, and hid his own answering smile.

  That she didn’t truly expect to be cherished made doing it all the more pleasurable. And though she couldn’t know it, they had only just begun.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Samantha awoke in the dark, sleep clinging to her thoughts like delicate cobwebs, and a wave of pleasure driving deep between her thighs like a tornado.

  “Oh my God!” She struggled to sit up, to gather her thoughts, and found that she couldn’t.

  Her arms were handcuffed to something above her head. And the sensation between her legs overwhelmed everything else.

  “Have a good sleep, little cat?” She recognized Elijah’s voice instantly, though she couldn’t see him in the black of the room.

  “Oh . . . oh!” The vibrations between her legs increased, driving her higher still. Her hips bucked and she pulled at the handcuffs, reaching for something, something she needed more than her next breath.

  “Don’t fight it. You’re going to come for me. It’s not your choice.” Elijah’s voice was to one side of her, and she surmised that he was sitting or standing next to the bed she was lying on—and it was a bed, because she could feel the softness of a pillow caressing her face, the mattress bending beneath her movements.

  She felt a hand slide between her legs, driving the vibrator deeper. Elijah pushed the device in, then pulled it out nearly all the way, causing Samantha to dig her heels into the bed and thrust up with her hips.

  “Now!” Elijah pushed the vibrator in to the hilt, and the sensations vibrated throughout Samantha’s womb. The tidal wave started in the tips of her toes, rolling over in a crescendo that she was powerless to stop. She thought she might have screamed, but couldn’t have been sure, she was so lost in the sensations.

  When the tremors finally subsided, Samantha found that the vibrator had been removed from between her legs, and she felt strangely bereft without it. A light began to glow in the room, increasing in brightness. She turned her head, blinking, to find Elijah with his hand on a dimmer switch.