Completely and utterly at his mercy.
The vibrator was incessant, his mouth on her clit a painfully perfect rush that had her pleading to herself to wait. Deep breaths did nothing to abate it, especially not when his thumbs dug into her thighs, holding her still for him. James knew every inch of her, knew every trick to her body, and it was going to ruin her.
Every cell in her body tensed, concentrating on the tiny bundle of nerves that filled her awareness until there was only the pleasure and the agony of holding it back. Like patching a fractured dam with papier-mâché — there was a limit to what she could take.
“MASTER!” She cried, pleading for permission, and he sat up, pressing something that amped up the vibrations inside her. Tears sprung to her eyes, desperate not to come, not to fail him.
“You will not come until I’m inside you, understand?” James’ voice was cool, clear water in the maelstrom inside her head. A spiraling storm that threatened to consume her, panting breaths and buzzing nerves, but he worked the rope and one ankle was free.
“Yes, yes, Master. I’m trying, but—” Her other ankle came free and he grasped her legs behind the knees, bending them up towards her chest, and then out to spread her wide. As she whimpered she saw he was smiling. A wicked, gleaming smile as he looked down at her.
“Listen to me, Thalia. As soon as I’m fucking you, you may come as many times as you can.” Taking his time, James slowly eased those soft black pants down his hips. The deep V angling down to his hard cock, and she lifted her hips, wanton and needy, but he had already come and he teased her. “I love the way you look right now, pet.”
“Please,” she begged, but he only chuckled.
“All flushed, your beautiful eyes wide, the way your short breaths make your chest rise and fall…” Leaning forward he braced a hand to the side of her ribs, catching one leg over his shoulder as he brushed his hard cock against her clit in a merciless tease. “The way your body reaches for me, and I know how much you want to come.”
“Yes, I do—”
“But you won’t until I give you permission.” James reached between them, his thumb stroking her clit as his erection pressed into her belly. A scream escaped between her teeth, trying so hard to obey, to be obedient, to not come without him inside her.
Just hold on.
The constant hum of the vibrator was going to be the end of her as he leaned down to kiss her, the clash of his tongue to hers a lightning strike, their moans caught in their mouths. Hers desperate and urgent, his satisfied but still hungry. He broke off to growl, “Beg me, pet.”
Drawing in a deep breath she whined and then babbled out every useless thought. “Please, please fuck me, Master. I need you, I need to feel you inside me. I have to or I’m going to snap. Please, I don’t want to disobey you, I don’t want to disappoint you, I just need—”
In one single movement he tugged the little vibrator free and he hovered at her entrance, hard cock teasing, stroking, but then he pressed forward just enough for her breath to catch. “I love you,” he rumbled, and then he thrust deep. Soaking wet, she provided no resistance as he filled her to the brim, folding her legs even further as he plunged inside.
“Ah, Master, fuck, I love you too!” Thalia arched off the bed as much as she could, fists tightening on the other side of the cuffs that still kept her arms drawn tight, and then he pulled back and rocked forward and everything blazed into white light. Every muscle tightened, ecstasy thundering through her veins to fill every spare inch of space inside her. The tension amplifying to a crucial point, a dangerous tipping point, before it exploded into a million tiny dots of electric energy, humming through her nerves as the orgasm crashed through her.
So much teasing, so much delicious pain and pleasure, interwoven until it was indiscernible.
Somewhere outside of herself she could hear the moans and sighs and whimpers as she came, but it was all blurry. Hazy as James brushed kisses against her neck, continuing to thrust, fucking her through the first orgasm and straight into the second. Barely able to catch a breath at the surface before she was flooded again. Bliss, pure and wonderful, her soft cries caught against his lips as he captured her mouth, but she didn’t care about breathing as her body pulsed with light.
Each sinful thrust was a delicious friction, angled perfectly to send her past the breaking point until she was nothing more than liquid heat as James bit down on her shoulder and came deep. His cock jerking inside her as he found her lips once more, sighing her name against them as they both held still, linked. “You’re mine,” he whispered.
“Forever,” Thalia answered back, her body languid as he slid from her, but he stayed right beside her. Warm and perfect, each brush of his touch over her skin exactly what she needed.
In a few moments he had the rope untied from the cuffs on her wrists and she curled up on the bed. Exhausted, delirious from all of the decadent pleasure and delirious pain, she still fought sleep as she felt James move in close behind her.
He tugged the sheets up and then leaned back to flip off the light beside the bed, even though plenty of light flooded in from the bathroom and living room. “Baby?” he whispered, brushing her hair back from her face as she fought to keep her eyes open.
“Yes, Master?”
A soft chuckle and he brushed her cheek, tilting her chin up to capture her lips in one more, gentle kiss. “You do know you’ve made me the happiest man alive, right?”
Smiling as she fought sleep, she shrugged a shoulder. “You may be the happiest man, but I’m the lucky one.”
“I thought we cleared this up today,” James mumbled as he wrapped an arm around her and tweaked a nipple before his arm settled at her waist.
“We did, I announced it first.” Yawning, Thalia ended up laughing as he groaned and pulled her closer to his chest.
“You know, I hope that these bungalows Katherine suggested have enough space between them… because I plan on making you scream like that for the next week and a half.”
Unable to stifle the laugh, Thalia twisted at the waist to look up at him. “You’ll kill me if you torture me like that for a week and a half.”
“Oh, pet, don’t be dramatic. You’ll be just fine.” James grinned, mischievous and loving. “Do you really think I’d ever put you at risk?”
“Never,” she answered with complete confidence, smiling as she turned back to the pillow. “I love you, James. I never thought I’d get this kind of happily ever after — but then again I never thought I’d meet someone like you.”
“If anyone deserves a happily ever after, baby, it’s you.” Pressing a kiss to the side of her head, James drew up the covers and wrapped her in his warmth. “And we both know I’m the lucky one. Now sleep, because tomorrow we start forever, and that’s a very long time.”
“Hmm…” She sighed, yawning as her eyes closed. “With you, I don’t think forever will be near enough.”
“We’ll just have to see, won’t we?” James kissed her shoulder, and she smiled, letting sleep overtake her. Tomorrow was the long flight to their honeymoon, nine days in paradise, and then they’d come home for forever.
A forever with James.
A forever where they started a family.
A forever filled with every wonderful and kinky thing that made them them.
It was the kind of future she had never expected, the kind of future that they had both fought for, loved each other hard enough for, all so that they could live happily ever after.
The End
“There are darknesses in life,
and there are lights,
and you are one of the lights,
the light of all lights.”
Bram Stoker
End Notes
I hope that this story brought you all the joy that it did me to see the Purgatory gang back to their usual antics, the genuine affection of Kalen and Maggie, the acceptance of Evelyn, Henry, and Katherine — and, really, the absolute love between James and Thalia. Th
ey are the light at the end of the tunnel, the bright spot in the darkness, and I hope that you love the end of their story as much as I do.
I have plans for other stories in this universe, but there’s nothing else to tell for them. Thalia and James have their happily ever after, but there were two very special scenes that didn’t fit into the flow of this story that I wanted you all to have.
Keep reading to get a very sexy scene from Thalia’s branding at the club just before the wedding, and then an exciting flashback into Kalen and James’ first summer together, bouncing around the BDSM clubs in Europe.
It may seem cliché, but I cannot say enough how much your support has meant to me. The Thalia trilogy was my first step out into the wide world with my work, and the open arms on Lit, and on Amazon, have made me the author I am today. As much as you love James and Thalia, I love them just as much. It’s why they (and all of you) deserved this book.
<3 Jennifer Bene
The Branding
Three days before the wedding
“Analiese!” Thalia leaned forward in the limo to get the other woman’s attention, almost shouting to be heard over everyone else in the car. “Where’s Nick tonight?”
“Meeting us,” she answered, a small smile tugging at her lips. “He wouldn’t miss this.”
“Miss what?”
“Oh, no.” James tugged her back against the seat. “Don’t try and get Analiese in trouble now, you’ll find out what’s waiting for you soon.”
“Come on!” Looking over at him, Thalia groaned. He had his prince charming smile on, wearing a black on black suit cut perfectly to his frame, but she ignored how sinfully gorgeous he looked and turned towards the sea of knowing smiles on her friends’ faces around the limo. “I don’t get why it has to be a surprise.”
“Because it’s more fun that way,” he answered, tucking her tight against his side. “Just relax and enjoy yourself, tonight is about you.”
“Actually, it’s about both of ye,” Kalen corrected, grinning as he nudged James.
“True.” Nuzzling against her neck, just below her ear, James brushed his lips over her skin, trailing his hand up her thigh. “And there are so many things I want to do to you tonight, pet.” The low purr of his voice sent a flush of heat to her cheeks, and a flurry of kinky thoughts through her head.
“Like what?” she whispered.
“So impatient.” He squeezed her thigh, just firmly enough to ache, and her hips lifted from the bench seat before he pressed her back.
“Master...” A whine tainted her voice as his fingers worked their way under the hem of her dress, a quiet hum of pleasure answering in his chest.
“Tonight is our celebration, and I want to taste you. I want to hear you cry out in pain, and gasp in pleasure. I want to hear you beg for release.” He nipped her skin, and a shiver rushed through her, pussy clenching in response to all he promised.
“We’re not going to dinner, are we?” Thalia asked, breathless, and his soft chuckle was right against the shell of her ear.
“No, pet, we are not.”
“One of the clubs?” She whimpered as his fingertips traced her panties, her breath catching in her lungs.
“Such a smart girl.”
Licking her lips as her mouth went rapidly dry, Thalia felt her heartrate pick up. “Why are we all in black tie then?”
“Because it’s a special occasion, pet. Very special.” James moved his hand back to her knee, pressing a kiss to her cheek as the limo rolled to a stop. “And we’re going to stay right here while they get things ready.”
“Right, we should go in, sir.” Maggie’s cheeks were flushed as Kalen slid his hand from between her legs, catching her mouth with his for another kiss.
“Yes, blessing, yer right.” Kalen turned to the rest of the group in the limo and grinned wildly. “Antonio, if ye will get the door?”
“See you in a few.” Antonio winked as he stepped out, before helping a smiling Julie onto the sidewalk, and a moment later the limo was empty except for the two of them. The door shut with a loud clap, and Thalia was filled with a tingling, nervous energy.
What do you have planned?
James smiled, turning on the seat to face her as he took her hands in his. “Do you remember when Kalen said I was making one of your wishes come true tonight?”
“Yes, Master.”
His eyes were dark, bottle green when he lifted them again. “I’ve put together something very special to do that, but I want you to know that if I misunderstood, if what I have planned is not what you want — I expect you to tell me.”
“What… may I know what wish this is?” she asked softly, barely able to hear herself over the pounding beat of her own heart.
“It will be very clear as soon as we go inside, pet. I just wanted a moment to ensure you understood that this is about you and I, about my commitment to protect and care for you as your Dominant.” Lifting his hand, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek to keep her eyes on his. “And while your submission has never been a question, I think that this is what you were hoping for when you told me you wanted to be mine.”
“Forever,” Thalia finished, and the prince charming smile was back, but with a much more wicked gleam.
“Yes, pet, forever.” The kiss was warm and soft, a promise, and even as lost as she was trying to think of what he could possibly have planned for tonight, she knew that James meant every word. That he would never put her at risk, never betray the complete trust she had in him.
He was everything she hadn’t known she wanted, needed, in her life — and she wanted to be his forever. However that looked tonight, she already planned to say yes.
Another lingering kiss, and then the dull vibration of his phone interrupted them. Pulling it free of his pocket, he let out a slow breath. “Alright, they’re ready for us. Remember what I said.”
Biting her lip, Thalia nodded, fighting the torrent of butterflies in her stomach. “I’ll be fine, Master.”
James chuckled, tugging her lip free with his thumb. “I’m sure you would be, pet, but this is still your choice.”
Nodding, her nervous energy making her antsy to be stuck in the car, she practically bounced on the seat. “Yes, Master, I understand. Can we please go in now?”
“Of course.” The door opened, and it felt like a blur as the limo pulled away behind them and James led her into one of their favorite clubs in the city. Smaller than many, exclusive when it came to the memberships, and absolutely beautiful.
Yet, in all the times they had been there, she had never seen the foyer this empty. The bar was vacant, the door for coat and bag check closed, but the warm, golden light still glowed across the rich carpets. Master Sean, the owner of SW3, waited for them wearing a black on black suit, his hands held in front of him.
“Good evening.” He inclined his head, smiling. “Are you ready to go inside?”
James reached over and took her hand, squeezing lightly. “I believe we are.”
“Wonderful, everything is prepared as requested.” Sean led them down the hall beside the stairs, pausing where one of his security personnel guarded the entrance to the club. “If you need anything, you know simply to ask, but otherwise the dungeon is yours for the night.”
“Thank you, Sean.” James shook the man’s hand, and Thalia offered a small wave and a smile, before they started down the well-lit, lushly carpeted stairs.
“Did Master Sean say the dungeon is ours?”
“Yes, pet, it’s just us tonight.” The answer was soft as they approached the bottom of the steps where the final door stopped them. “You, me, our friends, and one special guest.”
“Wow,” Thalia whispered, unable to imagine the cost of renting out SW3 for an entire evening.
Winding his fingers into her hair, James suddenly clenched his fist and bent her head back sending a tingling ache down her spine that made heat flood between her thighs. “Just remember, pet, you are mine regardle
ss of what you choose. Understand?”
“Yes, Master,” she breathed.
“Good girl.” The softest of kisses brushed her lips before he broke away to open the door, moving her into the room ahead of him with his fist still wrapped in her hair. The lights were dim across most of the dungeon, but a single spotlight flooded a table draped in black cloth. All of her friends stood to the sides, forming a pathway to the table and the serious looking man standing behind it.
Words wouldn’t have come even if she’d tried to speak. Her throat was dry, nerves buzzing in anticipation, as James led her towards the table. Everyone that had helped her and James along were there, smiling silently, which was an impressive feat for Chloe and Lauren who stood on either side of Brad near the door. Ethan and Clair stood opposite. Then Nick and Analiese, Julie and Antonio, and finally at the end of the path by the ominous table were Kalen and Maggie. Standing on either side of it like they would be during the wedding. Best Man and Matron of Honor, except tonight it truly felt like they were bringing the magic of Purgatory into SW3 for the night.
“Strip and kneel, pet.” James commanded as he released her hair, but he tugged the zipper of her dress down a few inches before he moved in front of her.
“Yes, Master.” The answer was automatic now, her submission wrapping around her like a comforting blanket. This was always when her mind went quiet, when the world melted. When James looked at her like that, when his voice thrummed with power, she was free. No more questions, no more nerves, just a perfect calm.
Her black dress fell in a pool around her ankles, followed by her panties, her bra, and then she stepped out of her heels. Kneeling, she folded them together, and Maggie moved forward to gather the material from her and set it aside.
Forming into a proper kneel, Thalia rested her hands on her thighs and bowed her head, but James wasted no time in lifting her chin so her eyes were on his. Pupils dilated with that thin rim of bottle-green that told her just how aroused he was to see her like this.
Tying the Knot (Thalia Book 4) (The Thalia Series) Page 11