by Jayne Rylon
Damn his persuasive velvet speech. He turned her on, promised relief.
“Do you want to learn about us?”
She trembled in his hold, sloshing droplets onto her breasts where they emerged from the depths. “Yes.”
“Yes what?”
She’d never given the title Master to anyone. Certainly not her trainers. Even after tonight, she wasn’t ready. The best she could do escaped instead. “Yes, sir.”
He frowned but didn’t object.
“If all you want is an orgasm, I can give it to you with thirty seconds of feasting on your clit.” He growled. “You need more, don’t you? Would you like to play?”
“Yes.” She amended her insistence. “Please, sir.”
“That’s better.” He smiled. “I won’t go easy on you, Lily. Not tonight. Not ever. You know the rules. Hell, you’ve made up a few of your own I’d imagine. I’ll never disrespect you. If anything, I’ll push you harder. Take you farther than you suspect possible.”
“Thank you, sir.” Gratitude rolled off her tongue, surprising her with how right it sounded.
“Nice.” He shoved off the bottom of the tub, water now lapping at his pierced nipples.
Had she rested on the floor, her mouth and nose would have been underwater. She shivered.
Cool tile shocked her calf when he propped it on the wall of the tub. She blinked at where it rested beside the taps. The long ornate spigot extended well into the huge tub, maintaining proper scale.
When Jeremy grabbed her other ankle and lifted it, she deciphered his intent.
A giant moan flew from her chest when the laminar flow splashed over her mound.
“That’s right.” He supported her shoulders and sat so that his head was directly over hers as he monitored her breathing. “I bet it feels nice on that naughty pussy.”
Her eyes rolled back as he adjusted her position. He reached between her legs, spreading the lips of her pussy with two fingers. Water poured over her clit, gentle yet insistent.
“Ah!” She couldn’t manage anything more coherent.
Jeremy’s mouth descended, kissing her tenderly. She dipped a little lower, the roar of the water changing, deepening as her ears submerged below the waterline. Her eyes popped open, locked on his.
“Shh. I have you.” He nuzzled their noses. “You trust me, yes?”
She nodded.
“Let me hear it, Lily.”
“Yes, sir. I trust you.” And somehow it was true. She’d seen his ultimate goodness during Malcolm’s funeral and their fight to rescue her sister. Nothing had ever attracted her to a man so much as his integrity. Someone that noble would never break a promise.
“Are you sure?” He stared deep into her eyes.
She whispered, “Positive.”
“I know. And that’s why you gave yourself to me tonight. That’s why you climbed so high earlier. It had nothing to do with Sex Offender. Not at all. It was the faith you had in me to guide the experience that drove you to the edge.”
“Arrogant much? Maybe it was the dozen men who fucked me.”
“I think it might have been closer to fifteen.” He shook his head. “Would you like a demonstration?”
“How?”
“Does the water feel good?” He infuriated her by diverting her curiosity. At least, she thought he had.
“Yes, sir.” She would have squirmed if her muscles took any direction from her brain. If she could align her clit a little better she’d come within five seconds.
“Really great, even?” He taunted her by shifting her the fraction of an inch she required for direct stimulation. Spasms began deep in her pussy.
“God, yes.”
He chuckled. “Okay. You think about that for a minute, alright. Enjoy while I wash your hair. Feel free to come as much as you want.”
Confusion set in. He’d been on the verge of a revelation. Then he retreated. Docile. Generous. The ease of the moment disappointed her a little. How sick was that?
Still, it didn’t keep her clamoring nerves from soaking up the pleasure. She had to feed the growing hunger.
Jeremy poured a dollop of shampoo into his hands then massaged it into her scalp. The pressure of his broad fingertips became the only thing keeping her afloat beside her heels, hooked on the ledge. The delicious weight of his hands easing the tension from her head combined with the consistent flow of the water. Pleasure ramped up the delight suffusing her until his thumbs, climbing the nape of her neck to the base of her skull, triggered her orgasm.
She panted as a pleasant release throbbed in her pussy. Nothing like the intensity of her earlier adventure. If this is what he’d planned to show her…
Lily sighed as she settled from the meager peak, afraid to open her eyes and let him see that he’d failed.
“Very pretty.” He didn’t seem too worried. “Sweet. Gentle.”
She tried to wring more from the last vestiges of her pleasure. No use.
“Now, let me rinse your hair then I’ll put you to bed.” He purred near her cheek. “Take a deep breath, Lily.”
She did as instructed. Anything to finish this exchange and make it to bed where she could bury her face in the pillow and hide her disappointment in sleep.
Jeremy let go.
Lily plummeted beneath the surface of the tub. Her heels kept her legs elevated while her head sank and sank. She attempted to thrash, to kick to the surface. Her drained body wouldn’t respond. Nothing happened.
Giant bubbles glugged to the surface as she shouted for help.
No sooner had she opened her mouth then Jeremy responded. He whisked her into the delicious air, wiping her eyes, tilting her head to make sure no water ran up her nose as she sputtered.
“That’s what I thought,” he murmured, “You’ve got nothing left physically to fight with. Your body has disappointed you. You’re complete at my mercy, Lily.”
The pulses between her legs amplified as she accepted the truth. She lay in his hands, completely reliant on him for not just her pleasure but also her safety. Her life depended on him. What greater trust could there be than that?
Another wave of ecstasy crashed over her without warning. Apparently her pussy hadn’t heard the news. Sex Offender may have made the reaction possible. It didn’t account for why her first climax had been ordinary, meek, when this one wrung her dry.
“Feel how it changes everything?” Jeremy rained kisses over her cheeks, her lips, her chin and her forehead. “The power I wield makes all the difference. It’s the same on my side. Watching you come like this will tear me apart. I swear I could shoot from watching you surrender.”
“Yes, sir.” She groaned. “More. I need more.”
“Are you sure?” He kissed her cheek. “Are you ready?”
“Are you?” She raised an eyebrow. Surely he hadn’t experimented like this in years. Not since…
“How can I disgrace you? If you trust me, I think it’s fucking time I believe in myself.”
“Do it.”
He stared at her and shook his head. His hands trembled where they supported her neck.
“Please.” She panted as she relished the water surrounding her limp arms, which floated on the surface. “Jeremy, I have faith in you. Do it. Sir.”
They inhaled in unison.
Then he lowered her by degrees, controlling her descent.
Sound distorted. The crash of water over her clit thrilled her before it smashed into the tub, creating a dull roar in the alternate universe surrounding her. She opened her eyes, observing her mane drifting in the tub. It entangled both her and Jeremy in the mass of wet strands, binding them.
The throb in her clit built in tandem with the burn of her lungs. Long before she could panic, Jeremy brought her to the surface.
“More,” she whined. The ball of passion pulsing inside her had grown brighter and brighter with every fraction of a second she lingered underwater. “Longer.”
“I won’t risk your safety. Ever. I’m ho
lding my breath with you Lily. When it becomes the tiniest bit difficult you’re coming up.”
“No.” She would have stomped her feet if she could have, screw her reputation. She had to have more. “Longer.”
The rush of the water didn’t seem to soothe her or build her closer to the elusive orgasm she’d seemed so certain of moments ago. She had to have relief—had to come.
He lowered her again. This time the pleasure was instant. It swamped her the moment her lips descended into the depths.
Jeremy’s stare pierced the surface. It clashed with hers, locking on her eyes for any hint of distress. She wondered if he could read the rapture there instead. She chased the building desire as it blossomed. The idea of surrendering to it frightened her a little.
It had the potential to level her. She blinked a few times in rapid succession.
Water sluiced off her body as she crested the surface.
“No, no, no,” she cried out, robbed of her orgasm. “So close. More. Please.”
Jeremy growled as he bit her shoulder. “Once more, that’s it. This is a dangerous game. Only one more try. Show me how much you trust me. Show me how much it matters.”
He dunked her.
Ripples raced through her abdomen like a shock wave. The liquid pouring over her pussy, still at the waterline, enhanced the mind fuck he delivered. She exploded, thankful for the liquid cooling her off so she didn’t spontaneously combust. Somewhere in the far reaches of her mind she noted the silvery strands of Jeremy’s come swirling around her an instant before he fished her from the tub.
Lily continued to climax, her body racked with contractions potent enough to jerk her limbs. She flopped on the deep pile of the bathmat—as big as an area rug in most homes—like a fish out of water. Jeremy followed her down, blanketing her, echoing her moans and gasps as he ground against her slippery skin.
“Oh God,” she cried out as the relief knocked her toward unconsciousness. “Better. So much better. Than anything. Anyone. Thank you…Master.”
Jeremy stared at the woman out cold on the bathroom floor. He reached for a towel, using the corner to dab a tear from his eye. Thank God she’d missed that.
Hearing the title had always thrilled him. But earning it from her…
Jesus.
He took extra care in drying her, worshiping every curve and plane of her flawless form. His fingers shook when he gathered her hair and wrapped it in another wide cloth. He swiped himself off with a few hurried passes of the damp terrycloth then bundled Lily into his arms.
Rocking her as he walked, he wasn’t surprised she didn’t rouse even a bit from her unnatural slumber. Today had tested them both. He tucked her into the center of the enormous, canopied bed, drawing the luxurious sheets over her porcelain skin. The bruises on her body called to him, urging him to place a gentle kiss on each before they were obscured by the down comforter.
He craved nothing more than to crawl in beside her and wrap her in his arms, promising to shelter her from anyone who would dare to hurt her. Before he could, he had one more thing to do. Yes, he’d satisfied her temporarily.
Tamed her.
Quenched the need driving her.
But it wouldn’t last.
Until the men in blue returned with the antidote, Lily would suffer periodic relapses. He had to be ready. As much as he would love to fuck her—long and slow—through the worst of the storm, his attention wouldn’t be enough.
He scrubbed his hands through his hair then strode to the door naked. Fuck it. Not like the two men in the lobby hadn’t seen an exposed dude before. Hell, they weren’t wearing much more than him at the moment. They wouldn’t blink at his display.
Well, maybe.
Ben studied him as he relayed the list of supplies he required. He’d spotted several of the items on the stage and the remainder in the holding pen where the captives had been prepped. Lily had found a way to spare all of the victims the horrors the evening could have brought. It seemed only fitting that the tools intended to break them should provide his slave relief.
His slave?
He paused his instructions.
“Is that all?” Ryan tilted his head when the hesitation stretched too long.
Shit, when had he claimed her? In his heart, he admitted he hadn’t. She’d branded him the very first moment he’d laid eyes on her strutting through Black Lily in the best disguise he’d ever seen. No, that wasn’t true. Her Mistress side wasn’t a front. It was another part of her. One he would have to support or risk destroying the woman he was coming to…
“Master Jeremy?” Ben tapped his elbow, startling him. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah. Shit. Sorry.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Tired. She’ll also need one of the fucking machines. You can leave everything inside the door. I’ll see to the setup myself.”
“I’ll be back in thirty minutes tops.”
“Thank you. With any luck, she’ll sleep a few hours through at first. After that, it could get rough.”
Jeremy returned to her. He angled the screen of one of his laptops, which occupied the surface of the nightstand, toward the bed. The abstract screensaver cast a soft glow over their resting place. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be afraid if she woke up disoriented. Not that Lily would panic. She’d assess the situation and react accordingly, as life had trained her to do.
He crawled beside her in the nest of plush covers then tucked her to his chest. One day he hoped her instinctive defenses dulled. They would if he did his job right.
The split second of indecision she’d demonstrated—when she held his fate in her hands yet chose to submit—had convinced him. Her scars stopped short of her soul. Maybe his did too. Because every time he looked at her, something inside him, something long dormant, stretched before rattling the bars of its cage.
Damn. So brilliant.
Jeremy played with her hair. Damp strands ensnared his fingers. He twisted the end of a lock and painted moisture across her slightly parted lips. Shiny, flushed, soft. They called to him, begging him to steal a tiny taste.
“Sweet dreams, Lily.” He kissed her good night, allowing himself to stare a minute more at her nestled there like an angel on a cloud.
Electrocuting his balls would be the least she’d do if she could read his thoughts.
Grinning, he situated her in the curve of his body.
A soft sigh drifted from her when she settled into his embrace.
Jeremy buried his nose in her raven tresses, wound his arm around her waist and scissored their legs. His hand naturally palmed her breast. He relaxed for the first time in months, resting during the eye of the storm.
Chapter Twelve
Lily squirmed. Discomfort prodded her to shift despite the haze of half-sleep muddling her brain. She dipped into unconsciousness and back a dozen times before the simmering longing in her center refused to allow her to rest a moment longer.
She blinked as she ran through everything she could remember, starting with leaving her room, zooming past her pampering to the captivity that had followed and the epic session on stage. As soon as her mind caught up, slowing to relish the recollection of her aquatic adventure, she relaxed.
Broad male fingers painted a tender line across her cheek. Her pupils dilated in the dead of night. Focus returned bit by bit, no matter how long she wished to savor her memories.
A soft light in the corner created an unnatural dusk from somewhere over Jeremy’s shoulder.
Jeremy.
“Four hours,” he murmured, “You slept longer than I would have thought.”
“Guess you wore me out.” Holy shit, what had happened to her voice? It sounded like she’d eaten a bag of broken glass.
Lily whimpered when the bed rocked though he didn’t leave her for more than an instant. His arm slithered beneath her shoulders and elevated her torso before he touched an ornate crystal glass to her lips.
She would have glugged the cool liquid. Instead, he canted the glass
so only a trickle at a time ran over her parched tongue. After a few swallows, her throat seemed to function better and he increased the refreshing stream until she’d drained every last drop.
“There, better?”
“Yes, thank you.” She yawned and scrubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, trying to ignore the urge to climb on top of him and ride. Had he been any other man, the thrill of using him to satisfy her urges would have appealed.
Jeremy granted other opportunities. The luxury of entrusting someone to tend to her didn’t appear very often—as in never before. She didn’t care to waste the chance.
Especially not after the gluttony of the prior evening.
“I won’t take all the credit, but I did my best.” A grin crossed his full lips. Then it was erased, a slight frown in its place. “How do you feel?”
She turned her head, increasing the pressure of his hand on her cheek. “Okay.”
“More specific.” He cataloged her answers as he lay on his side, hovering over her.
“Sleepy. Achy. Horny.”
“About what I expected.” The caress of his lips over hers had her sighing. “On a scale of one to ten, how bad is the horny part?”
She considered lying then dismissed the folly. He would cut through her bullshit like a knife through butter. “Seven point five two.”
He laughed. “Thanks for being specific.”
“Planning on fixing it?”
“Not if you address me with that sassy attitude.” He nipped her lip, making her hips thrust in his direction. His hand dipped a little more, his fingertips resting on the base of her throat. An embarrassing gurgle left her at the hint of pressure. “Shh. Just taking your pulse. I wouldn’t…”
Before she could assure him she didn’t fear his touch, he nodded and moved on.
This time he pinched her hardening nipple between his finger and thumb.
“Don’t think you can read my vitals there.” It’d be worth earning a spanking to make him smile again.