by Fallon Blake
“What kind of assumptions?” His eyes held a gleam of amusement.
Indie groaned and looked at the floor. “Um…I thought you were a pretentious, arrogant show-off.”
He laughed.
“I know, I know. Look at me, who am I to judge, right? Well…I’m sorry. You couldn’t be further from who I thought you were.”
“Mmm, do I feel a compliment coming my way? Go on, go on.”
“You’re just completely unexpected and I like that you keep surprising me, that’s all.” She shrugged.
“Ah, you like surprises, good to know. I have to admit the fugu was a bit flashy. I’ll tell you a little secret. It wasn’t the big moment I thought it would be.”
“You’re kidding right?” She watched as he pared down the fingers of the root, leaving the longest still intact, then began to shape it.
“No, I’m not. I was young and arrogant when I decided to conquer that mountain. I’d wanted to make a name for myself. It’s an expensive, exotic fish that has a huge mystique because it’s toxic. I fought to bring it to the States for what? To feed wealthy people who get off on being able to boast that they dared to eat deadly blowfish? I’d say pretentious fits. So in a sense, your assumptions were spot on.” He continued to carve the long root until it was smooth and tapered.
She’d never seen ginger prepared that way before.
“I spend a lot of time around models. Trust me, I know arrogant and pretentious when I see it and you are neither of those things. Color me curious, what’s with the ginger?”
His lips curled in a devilish little smile. “Have you heard of figging?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’ve worked with fresh ginger before. I’m sure you are aware that it can be rather…warming.”
She nodded.
“Do you like anal play?”
Okay, now she was worried. “Um, what does that have to do with the ginger?”
“Answer the question, Indie.”
“Yes Sir, I like anal play.” And just like that they’d gone from normal conversation to Dominant and submissive.
“I’m going to give you a small taste of what will happen later tonight so that you know what to expect,” he told her as he sliced a small, thin piece off the root. “Spread your legs.”
She hesitated. Ginger was a potent spice and the juices from it had the potential to burn if you, say, rubbed your eyes or put it somewhere really sensitive.
He stood in front of her and placed his hands on the counter, caging her in. His gaze held hers for a breath. “You have to trust me, Indie. I’m not going to push you beyond what you’re capable of handling. Now open your legs.”
She suddenly felt silly for being afraid. It was only a tiny piece of ginger, not a burning hot coal. Okay, trust. She spread her thighs apart, exposing her pussy.
“That’s my girl,” he said, placing the small sliver between her folds and directly on her clit. “I want you to close your legs and hold it there for a bit. If it gets to be too much, just tell me.”
“Okay.” The piece of ginger was cold at first then the skin around it began to tingle. Warmth flared to life and spread from her clit down. The feeling was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. It was sort of like those warming lubes that sex shops sold, but that comparison wasn’t quite right. This was more potent, vivid. The heat grew, building steadily. Indie’s breathing increased as the burning did. She shifted a little and wow, it intensified quite—
“So what were we talking about?” Banner asked.
Indie blew out a breath. “What?” She couldn’t concentrate with all this warmth…heat. It was hot…and God, she was fucking horny all of the sudden.
Banner rinsed the carved root, which looked remarkably phallic, and put it in the freezer. He planned to put that root in her ass? Holy shit. That would be—
“Warm yet?” he asked her with a hitch of one eyebrow.
“Yes,” she groaned as she watched him turn and pull a container from the fridge. He set it on the counter and approached her.
“Open,” he commanded and she automatically obeyed, spreading her thighs. He removed the little piece of ginger and popped it in his mouth. “Nice and spicy,” he said, giving her a wicked grin. Good Lord the man was trying to drive her crazy.
The heat had abated some, but the throbbing in her clit had not. She squirmed on the counter. She really wanted to come right now.
“All in good time, my girl. All in good time. Are you hungry?”
“Oh I have a voracious appetite.” She knew he wouldn’t miss her double entendre.
“I’m betting on it.”
Chapter Five
It was a beautiful evening. Too beautiful to spend it indoors so Banner had set them up to have a casual dinner on the back deck while she’d made a phone call to check in with Aimee. He was glad she had someone she trusted enough to be open with about something like this. It was rare to find that outside the lifestyle. Aimee must be a hell of a friend.
It was sunset. He was seated on one of the plush, all-weather sofas. Indie sat naked on a huge throw pillow at his feet. Life was good.
“Aimee says hello.”
“Did you tell her what a sadistic pervert I am?”
She burst out laughing. “No. But I did say that your creative use of food isn’t limited to what we’re eating. That was all I told her. She’ll be foaming at the mouth for details tomorrow.”
“You were supposed to say, no, honey you’re not a sadistic pervert,” he teased.
“That actually remains to be seen, but lucky for you I like sadistic perverts.”
“You might come to regret those words later.”
“Promises, promises.”
She shifted from her spot between his legs and opened her mouth to accept the grilled prawn he offered her. She not so subtly licked his fingers as she took it from him. He almost groaned aloud. He knew feeding her would be nothing short of an erotic experience. How long would he last before he picked her up and carried her into his bedroom? At this rate, not long. His cock had been rock hard all damn day as the image of her coming replayed over and over in his head.
“Mmm, that’s really good, Banner.”
“Glad you like it. The recipe is simple—”
“Wait, don’t tell me,” she said as she licked her lips, a look of concentration straining her pretty features. “Garlic, lime, cilantro…a bit of cayenne, and…soy?”
“Very good. My girl has an impressive palate.”
Her grin was all teeth and dimples. “Why thank you.”
He dangled a prawn in front of her and she eagerly took a bite, nipping his fingers with her teeth this time. They sat there in comfortable silence as he fed her bits of seafood and spears of grilled asparagus, all of which she ate with relish. He loved that she wasn’t afraid to eat. He loved that her boldness had grown as she’d become more at ease around him. And he loved watching her unfold before his eyes. “Can I have some wine please?” she asked.
He grabbed the glass of chardonnay from the table next to them and held it to her lips. Tilting it back, he gave her a sip. Taking care of her in this way—giving her wine, feeding her, sharing conversation while she looked up at him—had been exactly what he never knew he’d wanted. Something warm and content settled into his chest. He couldn’t already be falling for her, could he?
“Oh I could really get used to this,” Indie said, leaning back against him.
“You took the words right out of my mouth.”
A pained, anxious expression flashed across her features for a mere second and then it was gone. Well, she hadn’t looked as if he’d threatened to kidnap her this time. That was an improvement.
“So tell me, now that you’ve done what you set out to do with your career, what’s next for Banner Faust?”
“This is all hush, hush—would ruin my reputation for being arrogant and pretentious—but I decided to donate the profits from Craving for Death to a local autism charity. One of
our staff has a son who was diagnosed this year and it’s been a rough road for his family. It felt like the right thing to do.”
“Why didn’t you advertise that for the event? It would have been great publicity for you.”
“It had more than enough allure to be profitable on its own. Our sales were higher last night than they’ve ever been. Honestly, I wanted to do something meaningful for once and making it about me just didn’t seem right.”
“See, there you go proving me wrong again. I’ll keep quiet about your closet altruism, but,” she arched a brow at him, “it’ll cost you.”
“I don’t think you’re in any position to make demands,” he murmured, reaching down and caressing her breast.
“Oh, you’re going to make the demands then?” she asked with a flirtatious smirk.
“Yes, and right now I’m going to demand that you unzip my pants and take out my cock.”
He watched her eyes sober then darken with lust.
She did as he ordered, slowly undoing his fly then pulling his boxer briefs down over his fully erect cock.
“Touch me, Indie.”
She wrapped a firm hand around his cock.
“Light…slow. I like to be teased.”
With the tips of her fingers, she caressed his shaft just as he’d ordered. She brushed the crown with her thumb then drew light circles just below the ridge on the sensitive underside. She looked as though she were studying every ridge, vein and curve of his anatomy. Damn, it was incredibly sexy. A small drop of pre-come formed at the tip. Indie looked up at him with questioning eyes.
“Use your tongue,” he ordered.
Her tongue darted out and licked the little bead away. He sucked in a quick breath as she swirled her tongue around the head. Some women plowed on, rough, fast and abrasive, but not Indie. She licked him as if she were savoring a decadent piece of candy. The gentle, delicate way she handled him made him a little bit crazy, which was exactly what he wanted. Agonizing anticipation made for the best orgasms.
When she suddenly took the entire shaft to the root, he moaned, feeling himself hit the back of her throat. She held him there for a moment before she began to suck him in and out, going from base to tip at a slow, torturous pace. She showed no signs of gagging, or stopping for that matter. His balls tightened and goddamn, he was almost ready to come.
“Stop,” he barked out the order.
She froze with his cock at the back of her throat and looked up at him. She was a fucking sight with her lips still wrapped around him. It was nearly enough to push him over the edge. Fuck, he needed to get it under control. He wasn’t going to orgasm after only a few minutes of head as if he were some horny teenager.
He took a deep breath and when he was sure the danger of climax had passed, he grabbed a handful of her hair at her nape and gently forced her to release him. He pulled her up to meet his lips in a bruising, hungry kiss. She kissed him back just as hard, shoving her tongue into his mouth, matching him with her own desire.
“You…are bad girl,” he whispered against her mouth. He stood and gently helped her to her feet. He tucked his dick back into his briefs and zipped his pants then picked her up, cradling her to his chest.
She squealed in protest. “Oh you don’t have to carry me. I’m not that light.”
“Shut up, Indie. One derogatory word about that gorgeous body of yours and I’m going to take it as a personal insult since I think you’re fucking perfect.”
She slipped her arms around his neck and sighed almost as if she didn’t believe a word he’d just said. He couldn’t quite figure it out. She was a model and seemed comfortable, even confident, in her own skin. That dickhead ex-boyfriend of hers must have done a serious number on her self-esteem. Hopefully he would get what was coming to him.
Indie knew she wasn’t perfect, but hearing Banner say he thought she was, more than once now, should have made her smile. Instead it made her wary. Why couldn’t she just live in the moment? She desperately wanted to trust and believe him, but it was damn hard when she was terrified he would work his way into her heart only to break it. Like Matt had.
“Stop thinking so much,” he told her as he carried her through the house and into his bedroom.
“Spank me, Banner,” she blurted out.
He set her down and studied her for a long moment. “I won’t go easy on you. Make sure it’s really what you want.”
“Please?” Her need made her voice sound thready.
“I have to get something from the freezer. When I return I want you to tell me why you think you need to be spanked.” He turned and left her sitting on the edge of the bed in disbelief.
Inwardly she groaned. How the hell was she supposed to tell him? She’d agreed to be open with him, but she hadn’t thought she would have to be this open, this naked. He wanted to strip away all her defenses. He wouldn’t let her hide from him.
She felt her eyes widen as he came through the door. He held the carved ginger. Her heart beat like a hummingbird in her chest. That was going in her ass. Had he planned to plug her then spank her? The thought thrilled and unnerved her.
He stood before her and waited.
“Okay,” she sighed. “I need it…because you’re right. I over think everything and for once I just…why is this so hard?” She rubbed her hands over her face.
“Revealing parts of yourself you’ve never showed to anyone is never easy. I need to know what you’re looking to get out of this before we begin. If I’d thought you just wanted kinky sex, I wouldn’t have asked. But I think what you’re looking for goes beyond a slap and tickle. Doesn’t it?”
What he’d said was true. Very true. It was scary how well he saw her. Her need to explore submission went much deeper than the thrill of taboo sex. Finally giving voice to her secret desires should have sent her into a panic. It didn’t. Instead she was relieved.
She took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “You’re right. I want more than just kinky sex. I want to be free of all that crap that constantly runs through my head…the doubts…the what-ifs. More than anything, I want to feel safe enough to just let go for once. I want to be able to live in the moment.” She shrugged. “I just…don’t know how to do that.”
“Thank you,” he whispered then gently kissed her forehead.
Silently she thanked him for not pressing her to say more or trying to wrap up the moment with some form of sentiment or sage advice. He’d just let her say what she’d needed to say. It felt damn good to let it out. Now she was ready for whatever he had in mind, greedy for it actually.
“You know, I almost forgot about that,” she said nervously eyeing the root he held. The size of the plug he’d carved wasn’t the cause for her nervousness. It was thin, only slightly wider than a finger and tapered. It was the heat it would create in that intimate place. Her cheeks warmed at the thought.
He grinned. “You’re blushing.”
“You’re about to stick a ginger root up my ass, I think I have a right to blush.”
He laughed. “What am I going to do with you and that mouth of yours?”
“Kissing would be good,” she said with a nod.
He leaned down and tenderly kissed her. She opened, sliding her tongue along his. She wanted more, craved more, but he pulled back.
“On your hands and knees.”
The authority in his voice made her shiver. She’d waited too long for this, to be dominated, ruled, owned. At that very moment, that’s exactly how she felt.
She climbed onto all fours in the middle of the bed.
“Back up until your knees are close to the edge,” he ordered.
She obeyed. When she turned, she lost sight of him. Where had—oh.
A warm, wet tongue licked her slit. His hands slid up the backs of her thighs then spread her cheeks. The stubble from his chin prickled her plump lips as he pressed his face between her thighs and lightly sucked on her clit. A finger slid inside her pussy and she whimpered. The small sound became a loud
moan as he began to lap and lick her with his tongue and fuck her with his finger.
“Is this for me? This beautiful wet cunt?”
“Yes,” she managed.
He inserted another finger, filling her, caressing her G-spot. She rocked back, fucking herself on his hand. A quick, harsh slap on her left ass cheek brought blood rushing to the surface of her sensitive skin. She yelped.
“Don’t move unless I tell you to.”
“Yes Sir.”
Slowly he withdrew his fingers, wet from her pussy, and brushed the puckered hole above it. Her body tensed as he eased a fingertip into her ass. The small twinge was over before it really registered.
“Relax, Indie.”
She buried her face in the soft duvet and tried not to tense as he probed deeper.
He licked the rim of her ass around his inserted finger, leaving her wet with saliva. She trembled as he inserted a second finger and quickly adjusted to the additional width. He gently stretched her as he moved and shifted. She knew the ginger would replace those fingers soon. She couldn’t believe she was anxious for it.
“Fuck, you’re tight.”
She smiled into the mattress at the lust in his voice.
He pulled out and something cold pressed against her entrance. “Push out.”
She did as she was told and felt the tapered end of the root as it passed the little ring of muscle. Damn, it was cold. He kept up the steady pressure until the length of it was seated firmly in her ass, leaving the thick base to rest between her cheeks. The full feeling of having the plug in her ass was delicious and naughty and she loved it.
The bed dipped as he sat down beside her. “I want you face down on my lap.”
He’d spread his legs wide to give her plenty of support and she draped herself across his thighs. Her hair brushed the hardwood floor as she lay head down, ass exposed, staring at his feet. He ran a rough palm over her lower back and down the curve of her buttocks. The way he touched her, lovingly as if he cherished her, made more than her pussy ache.
The chill from the ginger was gone and a small tingle began deep within her. Banner’s hand came down with sharp crack on her flesh. Not too hard, but enough to leave a good sting. Again, another slap to the same cheek. He rained down a series of blows in the same place until that entire side of her ass was heated, inflamed.