Our Darkest Maze

by Sarah Bailey

  “Mmm?”

  She laid her hand on my chest, right above my heart.

  “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

  I shook my head. The weight of it suffocated me all over again. I couldn’t face it. None of it.

  “Please.” She kissed my chest, “I want to help you.”

  “It’s time for you to come work in the office with me. I’ve let you coast along in the store long enough. I expect you to step up now, Logan.”

  I felt sick to my stomach as my dad’s words replayed in my head over and over.

  “Fucking you helped me.”

  She merely pressed more kisses to my chest.

  “I’ll start then. My dad came to talk to me. He’s been giving me the silent treatment, but today, he was being nice, which is weird. Turns out, he wanted me to tell him where I’d been when I was with you. I can’t tell him. He told me I wasn’t allowed to get involved with you back when we first met, and I doubt he’ll have changed his mind. Said he didn’t want me being with someone who’s subject to tabloids and gossip.”

  I stiffened at her words. The gossip rags were the exact reason my uncle didn’t want me involved with Aurora. The irony almost had me laughing. Neither of our families wanted us together. All because of fucking public perception.

  “So, you’re going against Daddy to see me?”

  “You already knew that.”

  “I thought you didn’t want to disappoint him.”

  She curled a hand around my neck, stroking her fingers along the fine hairs there.

  “I want you more than I care about disappointing him.”

  She tipped her face up to me, those eyes full of conflicting emotions. As if telling me the truth cost her something. Every part of me screamed. I wanted to tell her I felt the same way. That my family and their stupid reputation didn’t matter. She didn’t know it was the real reason I shouldn’t be doing this. And because it mattered a great fucking deal, I couldn’t tell her. Not when it would make her feel like shit.

  I leant down and kissed her instead, hating myself and this situation. When I pulled away, I rested my forehead against hers.

  “My dad told me he’s done letting me work in the flagship store. He wants me to step up.” I closed my eyes, letting out a harsh breath. “I knew it was only a matter of time… but… I wasn’t expecting it when I went to see my parents today. I’m not… ready. I don’t think I’ll ever be ready.”

  My voice had taken on a shaky note. It was as if the force of my emotions threatened to choke me alive.

  “Is that why you wanted to see me?”

  I nodded, unable to speak any longer. What the hell happened to us? When had it become okay to bare our fucking souls?

  She cupped my cheek, stroking her thumb along the bone.

  “I’m here,” she whispered, “I’m right here. You’re not alone.”

  My arms tightened around her. I couldn’t open my eyes. I was scared of what I’d see there. Scared of her expression. So fucking scared of what was happening between us.

  I can’t want you like this. I can’t need you, Rora. I can’t.

  But I did. I really fucking did.

  “Rora.”

  “Shh, we still have time. I’ll make it go away. Let me take care of you.”

  She dropped her hand from my cheek and replaced it with her lips, kissing my face and running her fingers down my chest. I didn’t stop her from stripping the clothes from our bodies the next minute and pushing me on my back. And I certainly didn’t stop her from making me hard before she straddled me, making sure to wrap my cock up first. I watched her ride me, her tits bouncing with my hands banded around her thighs. She did exactly what she told me. She took care of me, allowing me to get lost in her body. I had never felt closer to a person in my life than I did right then to Aurora Knox.

  When I held her at my front door after our hour together was up, I nuzzled my face in her hair and never wanted to let go. I had to because she couldn’t stay.

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Rora, I…” I swallowed, “You deserve more than this.”

  She shook her head.

  “Doesn’t matter what I deserve, only what I choose. Don’t make me regret my decision. Don’t prove me right about you being heartless, Logan.”

  My chest hurt because she would regret getting involved with me before the end. This was all my fault for pursuing her when I saw her again in Cabana. My fault for wanting a girl I shouldn’t.

  She raised her head and let me kiss her, not waiting for me to respond. Probably a good idea since I had no answer. I watched her walk down the corridor to the lift after I let her go, dreading the horror I felt at her leaving.

  How long would it be before things collapsed?

  How long did I have left to hold on to her?

  Would it completely ruin me when I had to let her go?

  I only had one answer to those questions. Aurora would come to see me as a heartless bastard who’d used her, but deep down, I would be heartbroken and lost without her light in my life.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  It didn’t take me long to break again and need to see her. Our time together was finite. I wanted to make the most of it. Not to mention Aurora was digging her way under my skin and making me need her far more than I should. The way she’d cared for me during the week had me realising how important she’d become.

  To show her my appreciation, I’d made dinner instead of ordering in. I was decent enough at cooking, having learnt from my mother. She insisted I needed to be able to take care of myself when I moved out. Liora Benson was nothing if not practical. Besides, her cooking was heaven. It’s why my whole family always preferred dinners around my parent’s house when we had get-togethers. She always put on a feast.

  When I opened the door to Aurora, she was smiling and fuck, if she didn’t look stunning. Her golden-hued eyes were shining with delight as she stepped forward, going up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on my lips.

  “Hey,” she murmured against my lips, running her nails through my hair.

  “Rora.”

  My hand curled around her waist, wanting her body flush with mine. But as much as I wanted to pin her up against the wall again, dinner was ready. Food first. Sex later.

  “You okay?”

  “I’m better now you’re here.”

  I kissed her again to prevent her from commenting on my statement. Aurora melted into me, her hand coming around my back and clutching my t-shirt. I moved us backwards into the flat, allowing the door to shut. My hands went to her hair, tilting her face to gain better access to her sweet mouth.

  “Fuck,” I groaned, “You have no idea how much I want you, little masochist.”

  Her lips were glistening when I pulled back, giving her a smile.

  “Come with me.”

  She raised an eyebrow as I dropped her face and took her hand instead, pulling her further into the flat. I waved at my small dining table, having set it for two.

  “Take a seat.”

  Aurora faltered, looking up at me with confusion.

  “What’s this?”

  “I made dinner.”

  She looked between the table and me. It was a boyfriend sort of thing to do, but I’d made it clear we weren’t in a relationship. I wanted to treat her right. Or as well as I could. Aurora deserved much more than anything I could offer her.

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I wanted to. Sit.”

  I let go of her hand and walked into my kitchen area, stirring the noodles I’d left bubbling on the stove. Aurora slid her coat off and put it over the back of the sofa before taking a seat at the table. She didn’t speak whilst I finished and dished up two plates full of salmon with sesame, soy and ginger noodles. I brought them over and set them down before pouring two glasses of white wine. Taking a seat, I waved at her to tuck in.
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  She picked up her knife and fork, eyeing me with a strange expression. I waited for her to take a bite. Her face transformed and a slight groan left her lips.

  “Oh my god, this is so good,” she murmured before her eyes flicked down and she dug in properly.

  I smiled and started on my own plate. I tried not to have too many takeaways and cook for myself most of the time. It was easier to eat healthy when you knew what was going into your food.

  “I had no idea you could cook,” she said after a few minutes of us eating in a companionable silence.

  “Mum taught me. She’s way better than I am. My whole family is obsessed with her food.”

  Aurora smiled and reached over, stroking her fingers down mine, making my skin prickle. Fuck, I wanted more of her touch. I needed everything about this girl in my life.

  “Mum and Eric have tried to teach me a million times, but I still suck.”

  “You admitting to having a weakness?”

  She scowled and snatched her hand back.

  “No, shut up.”

  I gave her a wink before stuffing more salmon in my mouth.

  “I bet there are a ton of things you suck at. We don’t have to be good at everything in life,” she continued.

  I shook my head, swallowing before taking a sip of wine and sitting back.

  “True. I’m good at the important stuff like cooking… and sex.”

  The way her eyes darted away and her face went a little pink had me chuckling.

  “I can neither confirm nor deny that considering you’re the only man I’ve been with.”

  A fact which aroused me far more than it ever should. Being her first meant something to me, though I would never tell her. If I allowed Aurora to see the effect she had on me, I doubted I’d be able to walk away. She had no idea how I desperately wanted to make her mine. How the only time I felt remotely at peace was in her presence. She calmed me. Made me feel alive.

  “I think you just don’t want to stroke my ego.”

  She flicked a hand out.

  “You have a big enough one as it is.”

  Her words only made me grin. No one had ever complained about my bedroom skills. Well, I hadn’t always been good at sex. The first time I slept with a girl was a complete disaster. She’d been with a guy before but she was painfully shy and didn’t know how to tell me what I should be doing. I only dated confident girls after that experience. They were more on my level. Probably why Aurora made my dick hard. She had such a fucking smart mouth, and the way she carried herself was sexy as fuck.

  “Perhaps I need to fuck you so good, you have no other choice but to sing my praises.”

  “Can’t your ego handle being shit at sex or something?”

  I shook my head.

  “If a girl told me I hadn’t satisfied her, I’d ask her what she wanted me to do differently or how to make it better for her. It’s not just about me and my pleasure. The best kind of sex is when you’re both enjoying it. It turns me on when you beg for more. When you tell me how good it feels. Seeing a woman in ecstasy is the hottest sight imaginable. Watching you come is like a drug to me. Fucking intoxicating. My ego wouldn’t get in the way. It would only make me want to try harder.”

  Aurora blinked. Then she looked down at her plate, tucking back into her food. She had no idea how hard I’d tried to make her first time good for her. How it was important to me she felt comfortable and happy.

  “I like what you do to me… a lot,” she murmured before she brought her fork up to her mouth.

  “Is there anything else you’d like to try with me?”

  She chewed her food and swallowed before meeting my eyes.

  “Sexually?”

  “Yeah.”

  She contemplated my words for a long moment. I would do anything she asked. Teaching Aurora new things turned me on in a way nothing else did.

  “You like being in charge, right?”

  “You noticed.”

  She gave me a look.

  “Yes, Rora, I like to be in charge, but I won’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

  Her free hand tapped on the table.

  “I want you to restrain me so I can’t escape. I want to feel like I have no control. I need to know what it’s like to be at another person’s mercy… at yours.”

  I had to work hard to keep my expression impassive. Her request made my dick twitch. The very thought of her fully submitting to me was like all my fantasies bundled into one.

  Fuck me.

  “I want you to finish your food, after which you’ll strip down to nothing and wait for me to tell you what to do next.”

  For a moment, I thought she might tell me to fuck off, but she didn’t. Aurora merely continued eating like I’d told her to.

  “Before we do this, if at any time you want me to stop, I will, okay?”

  “Yes, Logan, I know.”

  Neither of us said any more whilst we ate. I watched her for any signs she was going to change her mind, but there were none. When we were finished, I cleared the plates, popping them in the dishwasher. As I straightened, I noticed Aurora had stood up and was methodically removing all her clothes. My eyes roamed over the inches of skin she’d exposed. My mouth went dry knowing she’d obeyed my command.

  If she wanted me to restrain her, I would. I walked into my bedroom and selected a tie from my wardrobe before snagging a condom too. I took it back out into my living space. Aurora stood by the table, her body completely bare.

  “Turn around and put your hands behind your back,” I told her when I reached her.

  She did as I asked, showing me her back. I wound the tie around her wrists and knotted it, making sure she was secured. Then I leant down to her ear. She shivered as my breath dusted along her skin.

  “Does this scare you, little masochist?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  I stroked my fingers down her arms, watching goosebumps appear all over her skin.

  “Does that fear turn you on?”

  “Yes.”

  Bringing my hand up, I rested it between her shoulder blades and pushed her forward. Aurora went willingly as I bent her over the table, pressing her face into the dark wood.

  “Stay right there and spread your legs.”

  Her stance widened. My eyes were drawn between her legs with her pussy on display for me.

  She is without a doubt the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.

  I took my time stripping out of my own clothes, making her wait. Aurora squirmed on the table, the anticipation clearly making her crazy. She certainly wasn’t expecting me to drop to my knees, my hands landing on her behind and spreading her wide for me. I buried my face in her pussy, my tongue tracing every inch.

  “Logan,” she whimpered, “Fuck.”

  She rocked back against me, encouraging me to continue. I smiled before tonguing her clit. Her moans were delicious, as was her wet little pussy when I slid my fingers inside. I wanted to draw this out. Make her come apart on my tongue until she was panting and begging me to stop. Her submission gave me such a fucking high.

  I worked her up until she was quivering on the edge of an orgasm. She hadn’t once told me to stop, merely took what I had to give her.

  “Logan, please,” she begged, “Please.”

  I fucked her harder with my fingers, grazing my teeth over her clit. She detonated on me, crying out as her restrained wrists shifted on her back. Watching her come apart made my cock throb, but I didn’t touch myself. The knowledge I’d be inside her tight pussy soon enough kept me from doing anything about my own state of arousal.

  I continued to pleasure her, sending her soaring higher.

  “Fuck, Logan, I can’t… it’s too much.”

  Even as she said it, I didn’t let up, wanting to prolong her climax as long as I could. She wriggled and tried to move away from me. I held onto her hip, keeping her pinned to the table. I b
acked off a little but kept fucking her with my fingers and gently licking her clit.

  “Oh god, please. No more.”

  Her legs trembled and her body shook as I sent her over the edge a second time, knowing she could take it.

  “Logan!”

  My name came out all strangled and breathy. She panted, her chest heaving. The vision before me had me at a loss for words when I sat back. Her pussy was drenched and her body was covered in a light sheen of sweat. I’d done that to her. Made her fucking putty with my tongue and fingers.

  Getting to my feet, I snagged the condom I’d left on the table and rolled it on. I placed a hand on her lower back and leant into her. My hand wrapped around my cock. I stroked it up and down her soaking slit. She whimpered but didn’t tell me no. Her hips pressed back, asking me for more.

  “You want me to fuck you, little masochist?”

  “Please.”

  “Tell me where you want my cock.”

  “Inside me… I want… I want your cock in my pussy. Please, give it to me… please.”

  Without giving her any warning, I thrust inside her, sinking my cock halfway. She lurched forward and moaned. I continued to press deeper, not allowing her to adjust to my length. Her hands shifted on her back and her body bowed. A grunt left my lips. She was hot and wet. It was fucking everything.

  “You going to take it all, hmm? Take what I have to give you.”

  “Yes,” she moaned, “Yes, yes, fuck me.”

  In all my fantasies about what sex would be like with Aurora, it never occurred to me she’d want to give me all her control. Maybe it’s what she needed. I’d teased her about it, but it happening was another thing entirely.

  Pulling back, I slammed inside her again, setting a punishing pace. It’s what she’d asked for. To be at my complete mercy. Her moaning only got louder. She arched her back and kept begging for more. Kept asking me to use her. And I obliged, adoring the way her body felt against mine. How soft her skin was under my fingertips as I gripped her hips in an iron hold to gain enough purchase to fuck her without restraint.

  There was no feeling like letting go entirely. Being in a moment of pure passion with another person. All your walls were down and it was just you and her. Nothing else in the world mattered but the two of you. It’s what this felt like. We were lost in each other. In the blinding intensity of our mutual pleasure. The world wasn’t even a blip on our radars.