by Lucia Jordan
“I, uh, didn’t bring anything else to wear, so I should probably go home,” she answered as he lowered her feet to the floor and turned on the showerheads.
Burke stood silent for a moment, assessing her, then he said sternly, “That’s fine but remember your punishment last night.” He caressed her still warm cheeks and gave them a quick slap. “I’m not going to have to come looking for you again, am I?”
Her entire body quivered as he continued to stroke her sensitive skin. She shook her head. “No. I’m coming back.” When he continued to look at her with the same sober expression, she went up on her tiptoes and whispered against his lips, “I promise.”
“Okay,” he responded then opened the shower door.
Avery stepped in and turned to him. She looked him up and down and realized she had yet to take him in her mouth. As he adjusted the temperature of the water and the position of the showerhead, she lowered to her knees and gently grasped him in her hand.
“Baby, what are you doing?”
“If you have to ask, I’m definitely not doing it right,” she teased as she licked the tip of his head.
Burke hissed at the contact. “You don’t…” He couldn’t finish his weak protest as her lips surrounded his cock. “Jesus, baby.”
Avery hadn’t given more than a few blowjobs in her life and it had been a while since the last one. She’d never been told she didn’t know what she was doing, but she feared she wasn’t going to please Burke—that her boldness would backfire.
She sucked him deep into her mouth and used her tongue to stroke the underside of his cock. He jerked slightly and she wondered if she’d hurt him, but when she looked up at him and saw the pure euphoria on his face, she knew she was doing it right, which gave her confidence to go further. She sucked him in until the tip of his cock touched the back of her throat. She thought she might gag but in fact she found it very easy to relax and take him in deeper.
Burke’s hands went to her head and she realized what the expression “mouth fucking” meant. She slid him in and out of her mouth, over and over, as he went from hard to rock solid.
“Baby, that’s enough. I’m going to come,” he warned as he pulled out her mouth.
She looked up at him pleadingly. “Please,” she implored. “I want to taste you.”
Burke groaned. He would love nothing more than to come down her throat. “Are you sure?”
Avery nodded enthusiastically as she opened her mouth and took him in again.
He reached down and gently took ahold of her head again. It wasn’t going to take him long as she continued to swallow all of him down her throat. He looked down at her and nearly lost it at how beautiful she looked with her mouth fucking him.
Avery loved how he felt. Steel covered with velvet. She didn’t know if it was her own saliva or his pre-juices that allowed him to slide so easily in and out of her, but it didn’t matter. Blowjobs had never been something she enjoyed, but for some reason, she loved having Burke in her mouth, loved the idea of turning him on enough that she was going to make him come. And she knew she would gladly do this to him whenever he would allow.
“Oh, shit, baby. I’m…” He couldn’t finish his declaration before he felt himself spill into her mouth and down her throat.
As she sucked him dry, she finally released him and stood. “Was that okay?” She wasn’t seeking a compliment from him, just an affirmation that she’d done it right.
Burke pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her before he leaned down and kissed her passionately. “Baby, that was so much better than okay. You constantly amaze me.”
***
Burke’s head wasn’t focused on business. When he’d walked out of his house with Avery, he’d been overcome with fear that she wouldn’t come back. He’d never been afraid to have a woman walk away from him before. The fear made him feel weak and he didn’t like it at all. He was always in control, whether it was business or pleasure, but Avery had him tied in knots. He didn’t know if it was a healthy way to start a relationship, but all wanted was to be with Avery every second of the day. He missed her the moment she was away from him.
His anxiety only increased as he thought about what she would do once she found out about his family and their past connection. If he was this troubled about losing her after only a couple of days, how bad would he be in a week or a month? He already knew his feelings for her would only grow stronger with time, and he was afraid that if she left him, it would crush him.
And how would she feel if she found out from someone else? That would most certainly make her run from him. He would have to tell her. And soon. But not today. Today he just wanted to be with her, to continue to explore their relationship, both in and out of the bedroom.
As the human resources director droned on and on about staffing needs and turnover, Burke’s mind wandered. He couldn’t wait to get this meeting over with so he could rush back home to Avery.
***
Avery entered her apartment happier than she’d been in a very long time. She was so glad Adam had convinced her to go and talk to Burke. She was even more glad that she and Burke had done more than just talk. She wasn’t too keen on the whole spanking thing but, if she were being honest, it hadn’t been too terrible. In fact, once she got past the indignity she’d felt at being paddled, she found the small bites of pain had actually heightened her pleasure. But, she was fairly certain she would do whatever she could to avoid that particularly embarrassing form of punishment in the future.
As she changed out of her dress and rummaged through the closet for a duffle bag to put a few pieces of extra clothes in, as per Burke’s request, her doorbell rang.
“Who could that be?” No one came to visit her except her brother, but he had a key and wouldn’t be ringing the bell.
“Coming,” she shouted as she threw on her bathrobe and padded barefoot out of her room. As Avery looked through the peephole in the door, she groaned. What was she doing here?
Avery took a moment before she yanked the door open and glared at her ex-boss. “What do you want?”
“Don’t take that tone with me,” Margot spat.
“I can take any tone I want with you now, Margot. I’ll ask you again, what do you want? I’m busy.”
Margot glowered at Avery from head to toe then snorted. “Yes, I can see you’re in the middle of something. Getting ready to spread your legs for Burke again?”
Avery had only once ever wanted to hit another human being as badly as she wanted to pummel Margot at that moment, and that had been in a courtroom ten years ago. She’d never thought she could despise another human being as much as the man who had killed her parents, but Margot was quickly climbing up the ranks. Instead of showing her anger, though, Avery decided to hit Margot where it would hurt the most.
“As a matter of fact, yes.” Avery smirked. “After last night, Burke thought it would be best if I stayed with him for a few days. You know, really get to know one another. Although, I’m not sure how much more he could possibly find out about me. After the things we did last night, there aren’t too many secrets between us. You know, the man is hung like a stallion and fucks like a porn star. And honestly, his punishments are…exquisite. To be quite frank…” She reached around and rubbed her backside. “My ass is so sore, it’s hard to sit down.”
“You bitch!” Margot lunged for Avery, but just as she reached out to grab her hair, Margot was yanked back.
“Don’t you dare lay a finger on her,” Burke stated with a menacing calm that stilled the air. He set Margot firmly out onto the porch, away from Avery.
Margot’s mouth dropped open. “What are you doing here?”
“Apparently, saving Avery from a physical assault. Now, turn around and leave or I will make sure Avery presses charges against you.”
“But…but,” Margot sputtered. “You should have heard the things she was saying about you. She was airing your intimate encounters for the whole world to hear,” Margot counter
ed, trying to muster a teary expression.
“Oh, I heard everything she said.” Burke brushed past Margot and took Avery into his arms, looking directly into her eyes. “My meeting was cut short and I couldn’t wait for you to get back to the house.” Then he leaned down and whispered into her ear, “Watching you stand up to that bitch really turned me on.”
Avery couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her mouth. She placed a firm kiss on his lips and smiled. “Then we should do something about that.”
Burke turned and sneered at Margot. “If you’ll excuse us. We have…things to do.”
“This isn’t over, you manipulative little bitch,” Margot fumed.
“Oh, yes it is,” Avery confirmed. “And if you ever step foot on my property again, I’ll call the police and have you arrested for trespassing.” She slammed the door in Margot’s face.
Avery turned to Burke and jolted at the lethal expression on his face. “Did I do something wrong?”
Burke slowly shook his head. “No, not at all.” He closed the short distance between them and took her in his arms. “I didn’t realize how sexy you could be when your claws come out. I like it.”
“Do you want me to show you my claws in the bedroom?” she offered.
“Only if they’re digging into my back as I’m pounding into you,” he affirmed as he swept her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
Whipped Book 3
“So, things are going good?”
Avery couldn’t stop her smile. “Yes, very good. Burke is…something else.”
“See, and you were going to throw it all away because of Margot. I’m glad you took my advice.”
Avery laughed at her brother’s cocky tone. “I am too, but I think he would have come after me eventually. He’s a very…determined man.”
“What do you mean?”
How could she explain it to her brother without telling him the whole truth and shocking him? “He’s, uh, very particular, very obstinate. He knows what he wants and…goes after it. With gusto.”
“Well, that’s good. I’d hate to see you dating some spineless wimp.”
No, she would definitely not use those words to describe Burke. Single-minded, demanding, controlling, intimidating—those would be more appropriate to describe her man. And the thought that he was actually hers made her shiver with excitement.
He was out at the moment, attending a meeting at Dalton, and she couldn’t wait for him to get home. They were supposed to go antique shopping later that afternoon but she was going to do everything she could to keep him home. “How are finals going?” she asked her brother.
“Brutal. Just finished my econ test and I have to turn in my final programming project tomorrow so I’ll be pulling an all-nighter tonight.”
Avery worried when Adam had to stay up all night just to get his schoolwork done. “Oh, Adam. I hate when you do that. It’s not healthy. You’re…”
“Relax. I’ve done it so many times I don’t even notice it. Besides, I work better when the computer lab is empty. There’ll only be a few of us working there tonight so it’ll be fine.”
“Well, okay…” She couldn’t hide the reluctance in her voice. “But just make sure you get some sleep after you turn in your project.”
“I will. I’d better get going. I’m meeting a couple of guys for dinner then I have to hit the lab. Talk to you in a few days. You’re coming to my graduation, aren’t you?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Okay, love you.”
“Love you, too and good luck.”
Avery disconnected the call and sighed. She was so proud of her brother for finishing college. It hadn’t always been easy—money had been tight at times and she’d gone without on more than a few occasions, but he was finally getting his degree and starting his own life. One that Avery wouldn’t be in on a regular basis. He’d be busy with his internship—his new life out in California. She was so excited for him but her excitement was marred by sadness.
What was she going to do with herself now? She’d been focused on raising Adam and getting him through school for the past decade. Every decision she’d made for the past ten years had been with Adam in mind. Now that he wasn’t going to depend on her for anything, what was she supposed to do? She knew what she wanted to do, but it was impossible—ludicrous to even consider.
She thought about how different her life would have turned out if her parents hadn’t been killed, if she had been allowed to finish college, get a degree and live out her dreams. She loved school, loved to learn, and had been looking forward to getting her degree in architecture. Her family hadn’t been poverty stricken, but her parents had struggled to make ends meet. There was never enough money for family vacations or new cars. She remembered her mother had gotten her first new winter coat the Christmas before they were killed. It hadn’t been anything elaborate or fancy, but it had been new, not a second hand purchase.
Avery was going to be the first of her family to go to college, to make something more of her life, to do better than her parents had done. But that chance had been stolen from her by a selfish drunk driver who didn’t even remember the crash.
She at least took solace in the fact that Adam was now the one who was going to do better than their parents, that he was going to follow his dream and do something important with his life.
Life wasn’t always fair, sometimes it was even downright cruel, but she’d done the best she could and made the most of it. Now, she was completely without direction. And it scared her.
“Hey, baby.” Burke found Avery sitting on the couch in the den gazing out the window with a pensive look on her face. He sat down beside her and pulled her close. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m just being sentimental.” Avery sniffled and tried to laugh it off. “I just finished talking to Adam.”
“And you’re feeling sad because he’s moving on with his life,” he surmised.
She nodded. “I’m so happy that he’s graduating, that he got the chance to go to college. And I’m thrilled that he has that internship coming up but…I’ll miss him.”
Burke pulled back and looked at her. “With you two as close as your are and the technology we have to stay in touch, just because he’s moving to the West Coast doesn’t mean you won’t still be in his life. You and I both know you’ll be the first person he calls when he has good news or bad, when he has a question or a problem. You guys will be talking all the time.”
“I know. You’re right.”
“So what else is making you sad?”
Avery didn’t want to admit to what else she was thinking. It seemed so ridiculous. There wasn’t anything she could do about it anyway. And it sounded so petty, even in her own head. “It’s nothing.”
“If it’s bothering you then I want to know about it, baby. Tell me.”
When Avery remained silent Burke decided to slip into Dom mode. “Tell me. Now.”
Avery hated when he did that to get what he wanted outside of the bedroom and she blew out a frustrated breath. “Fine. It’s just that, I had to drop out of college when my parents were killed. I don’t regret it for a minute. It was the right thing to do and I’d do it again if it meant Adam got the chance to have a semi-regular life and a chance to follow his dreams, but, it’s just that…I always wanted to get a college degree.”
Burke frowned in confusion. “I don’t see the problem. Enroll in university and get one.”
Avery laughed. “I’ll be thirty years old in just over a week, Burke. I would look pretty silly sitting in a classroom with kids almost half my age.”
“You shouldn’t care how other people view you. After all the sacrifices you’ve made, all the selfless things you’ve done for Adam’s well-being, you should do this. You now have the opportunity to do something just for you.”
“It’s not just my age. The other problem is money. I’m just about finished with your house. In another couple of days, I won’t have a job.”
She hated to think about what that meant. Would the end of the job be the end of their relationship? She hoped not, but after she put the final piece in place, Burke would have no reason to keep her around any longer. For all intents and purposes they were living together, but he’d insisted she keep her apartment. If he had intended for them to stay together, wouldn’t he have wanted her to give up her own place and officially move in? Was he making sure that she had a place to live when he threw her out? She had no clue, but the idea of not being with him made her even sadder than Adam moving to California.
“You worry too much about money.”
“Says the man who doesn’t have to worry about where his next meal is coming from or how he’s going to pay the electric bill this month.”
Burke pulled her close and kissed her head. “You don’t ever have to worry about those things when you’re with me, Avery. I’ll always take care of you.”
And how long will that be?
It was a sweet gesture but Avery knew she couldn’t allow Burke to simply take care of her. That went against everything she believed in. She didn’t want to a kept woman, and if he paid her bills, that’s exactly how she would feel. “Thanks, but I’ll manage. Anyway, let’s talk about something…”
“I could loan you the money.” Burke knew she wouldn’t take a handout. She’d already complained that her salary was way too much and gave half of it back every week. He had to respect her for it, but the idea of loaning her the tuition would solve her problem…and keep her close to him for a while longer.
“I can’t ask you do that.”
“You didn’t ask, I offered. And I’d like to help. I’d like to see you get everything that you want.”
His thoughtfulness and generosity was overwhelming. Avery didn’t want to turn him down flat and make him angry, so she decided to steer him down a different path. “You know what I really want,” she purred as she snuggled close to him.