“Recollections are all that I’m going to have left, Mary. These memories of you branding my room as yours will stay until this place is no more. Once made for the person I would hold dear, you’ve tainted it. Tainted me. All for what? For a man who’s going to truly hurt you. You’ll get no pleasure from Jordan. Not anymore. You want to know why?”
Embers of fear began to glow from deep within and I couldn’t speak.
“I’ll tell you.” Slade’s fingertips traced down my spine, making me shiver. “It’s because I’ve poisoned you, just as much as you have me.” Lower they dipped, until they connected with my pussy. My head fell to the arch. Slow circles massaged over my clit and made their way down to my opening. Never breaching, but constantly stimulating.
“Repeat the safeword.”
“Recollections.” The answer almost got caught in my throat at the symbolism. Was this goodbye for good? Was he leaving to San Francisco, never to return to me before I left? Tears stung my covered eyes at the thought. We might not have gotten to know each other that well, but I wasn’t ready to leave. The thought of going back to my father was sickening. Marrying Jordan, even more so. I’d said I could overlook the trafficking, but it was a lie. I’d never be able to ignore the disgusting crimes for as long as I lived.
Pain exploded into my ass out of nowhere. I hadn’t been expecting it. Too deep in my thoughts to even remember he’d already had the paddle in hand. That he’d already made me repeat the one word that tore into my being.
“Count and thank me.”
“One. Thank you…Master.”
I hadn’t forgotten to call him by his title. I knew who Slade was. Had I more time, I could have shown him how a true slave behaves. He could have molded me into his perfect pet. That was impossible now, wasn’t it? My father would get me back and I’d have to go if I were to bring Lily safely back to Slade. But then what? I’d go home? My father would push Jordan and me together, and…whack!
A sob left my mouth. “Two. Thank you, Master.” And, then, I would marry him. I knew I would, because I knew my father. I always bent to his requests. Nothing would change. I could move away, become independent, but he wouldn’t let me go. He couldn’t. His life was too important. After all, he had every intention of becoming President someday. The leader of our country couldn’t have a rebellious, screwed up daughter. That just didn’t happen in his world. Or in anyone else’s. If he couldn’t control his own blood, how would he take charge of a crisis if one hit? No. I’d be forced to marry one of the men who’d led me to the situation I was in now. And I had no one to blame but myself. I’d gotten on the yacht. I could have fought Slade more. Maybe I would have won. Then again, it was me Slade was after. He would have found me at my home, too.
Whack! “Three.” Before I could thank him, hands buried in my hair, pulling me back to my knees.
“You’re not here, Mary. Get out of your head and give yourself to me. I want all of you. Every fraction of your mind.”
The tingling continued even though he’d removed his grip. Although he said he wanted all my attention, I couldn’t get one thing out of my mind. Would this be the last time I saw him? My mouth opened, but I couldn’t ask. All I knew was what I wanted… needed from him.
My body was lifted so suddenly that my hands reached out, blindly. I didn’t have to feel far. Slade cradled me. An act he loved to do and I happened to enjoy. There was something softer associated with it. Like a form of protection, he made me feel safe—My world spun, or maybe it was the blindfold keeping me captive from seeing the outside world, but as revelation dawned, I couldn’t help but search my mind. When had I felt this safe before? Ever?
Cold pressed against the middle of my back as I was set down. With a firm grip, he grabbed my arm, lifting it. The buckle was fastened tightly and I bent my wrist, testing the strength. One after another, he fastened my other hand, along with my ankles. My legs were spread eagle. I knew I was on the Saint Andrew’s cross and it made me wet knowing Slade was standing in front of me, somewhere, ready to take my pain with every motion of his hand.
“You’re going to count and thank me again.”
“Yes, Master.”
What sounded like a small moan filled the space. Did it turn him on to have me at his mercy? God, it had that effect on me. I was hot and ready for him.
The sound of leather sliding into each other as the strands flew through the air only registered a split second before the flogger burned into my thigh, wrapping around to the inner-most part. My jaw dropped while I sucked in air. The paddling I could take. Floggers, if used hard enough, they had the ability to crack my resolve.
“One…Thank you, Master.” Speaking quickly became a chore as I got to seven. My legs appeared to grow heartbeats of their own. Multiple ones, wildly pulsing across my legs like living things. Up and down, to the sides. They were everywhere.
“I’ll never forget this, Mary. Fuck, you’re so damn beautiful wearing my marks. This will always live within me.”
Footsteps approached and his hands rubbed against the welts. The heat pouring from my skin felt feverish. Lips pressed into mine and I met his kiss with such tenderness that I even surprised myself. Our tongues slid against each other, slow, feeling. For what, I wasn’t sure. More? Something that went beyond the bond of compatible partners? Passion. Real passion. That’s what this was. We’d had it during our other sexual episodes, but there was a differentness about this that caused a weird uneasiness to flutter in my stomach. Almost nauseating, yet nothing about what we were doing was turning me off. It was quite the opposite.
“May I ask something of you, Master?”
The blindfold was taken off and I had to blink a few times before my eyes could adjust. Slade brought his hand up, tracing over my mouth. “Ask me, Mary. Ask me anything.”
My lips encased his finger, kissing the tip. Fear should have been prominent when it came to what I was about to say, but it only lurked, hiding in my many shadows.
“Will you take me to bed? I have a gift I wish to give to you before you leave me.”
For a few seconds, all Slade did was stare into my eyes. No remarks. No questions. Just a million silent reassurances. I could trust him to make my first time right. I wanted him to be the one who got the only thing I treasured. No way was I giving my virginity to Jordan or anyone else.
Not once did Slade turn away as he unfastened my arms and legs. It was as though he was an expert, unbuckling me in one swipe at every restraint, but I didn’t care. Didn’t give a shit about anything but his weight pressing into mine. And, it would. Soon enough.
Hands gripped the back of my thighs and he pulled me to straddle his waist while he walked to the bed at the far corner of the room. He paused mid-step, taking a look at the large black silk sheets resting on top.
“Not here. This memory needs to be made in our bed.” Our. Had I really claimed it that much in my small span of time since I’d been here? He spun for the door, and for once, I didn’t care about nudity. Marcio or Brace could have been outside and I would have seen no one but my captor. My master. Slade. The man who I’d branded into my chest forever.
The door flew open as he headed for his room at a fast pace. Within seconds he was easing me to the bed and pulling off his clothes.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” He swallowed hard. “I’m going to be truthful with you. Once I start—
My hand rose, cutting him off. “I’m not going to want you to stop. My mind is made up. It has to be you. I want it to be you.”
Slade’s nude body reminded me of a lion as he slunk down and hovered over me. The thickness of his cock rested on my stomach and I couldn’t imagine not feeling his weight everywhere. Even there.
Knocking had Slade’s eyes narrowing.
“It’s time, Mr. Roberts.”
“Get the fuck away from my door, Marcio, or I’m going to fire your ass. Do not come back, either. I’ll go to you.” The shout had me pressing my lips together so I wouldn�
��t smile. Slade turned back to me and didn’t pause in taking my mouth. His body moved against mine and it wasn’t long before his length slid against my slit in a motion that had my nails digging into his back.
Slade reached down and eased a finger inside of my pussy, only to have another join. I’d gotten used to the size, but his cock was so much bigger. What I’d gotten before was painful, but he hadn’t even had the thick tip inside. Maybe only half. How was I going to take him?
The faster his fingers eased in, the more I pulled at him.
“Fuck, I want you so bad.” His fingers disappeared, only to be met with the underside of his cock. Not once did we stop kissing for long. My arms wrapped around his neck and I gripped tightly. Pressure nudged into my opening from our frantic movements and it drove me on, tempting me for more.
“Slade. Please.”
More pressure and stretching, then his withdrawal. Over and over, he had me opening for him. Each time, I felt him get deeper. I was so wet, his width was sliding in easier with each small movement.
“Hold onto me, darlin’, and try to relax.”
Relax. That word wasn’t even in my vocabulary at the moment.
My hand cupped his face and his lips met mine just as he surged forward. My wall broke, forever disappearing with his one thrust. The pain was more than I expected. I wasn’t sure if it was that or the loss of the only innocence I had left that caused a tear to escape. Fire burned my insides around his cock and I rotated my hips to make it stop.
“Shh. I’m about to make it all better.” With Slade’s slight withdrawal, the sensations changed. My eyes widened and my body grew heavy with the most amazing feeling of pleasure. The next thrust buried him in me completely. My arms tightened around his neck, but the movement within took the discomfort away.
Moans poured from my mouth and Slade picked up the back of my thighs, urging my legs to grip to him. The difference in depth became apparent immediately as he pushed into uncharted territory.
“Who do you belong to?” He lifted enough to meet my gaze.
There was no hesitation to his question. I knew the answer as if it were an automatic response. And maybe it was. Me, Mary Hagen, was owned. “You, Slade. I belong to you.”
“That’s right. You’re all mine now.”
But, for how long? Wasn’t that the ultimate question? Not right now, Mary. Think about that later when Slade is gone. You’ll have nothing but time. You can contemplate everything then. That unknown need that had been plaguing me now since I met Slade reared its head, and for the first time, I felt within reach of satisfying it. The feeling was building, more than any orgasm I’d ever had. I knew this was a different kind, but a new one all the same. This trigger rested within me, right where Slade was pushing his cock.
“I can feel how tight your pussy’s getting. Finally, I'm going to feel you come around me. I’ve dreamed about this almost every night now.” His hips ground into my clit making the euphoria bubble within me. More and more, the climax built and I was almost afraid at how powerful this release was going to be.
“I need…” My head shook in aggravation as it wouldn’t come.
“Let me show you…if you dare.”
A dark smile spread across his face and I knew he was about to do something that was going to leave a mark on me deeper than any knife wound he could inflict. This one would be to my brain, buried deep within my memories. The root to my foundation of sex. He was about to ruin me for future lovers. I knew that as much as I knew I’d be disappointed with anyone but him, and I welcomed it. “Show me.”
The instant pounding, combined with the perfect pressure against my clit tore my orgasm from me like I’d never owned it to begin with. The spasms crashed hard in waves of soul ripping ecstasy. They were all for Slade. Each and every one I screamed his name through, giving them to him just like I gave him my body, my virginity, and a part of my soul. Regardless, whether or not I was here, in his care, I’d belong to him. We’d shared too many dark moments together. They’d bind us through time, more than any golden band you could remove from your finger.
“Fuck. You’re too tight. Too fucking good to continue. I don’t want to stop. I don’t want this to end.”
My eyes searched his desperately and I said the only thing I could. The only thing that made sense to me. “Take me with you. This doesn’t have to stop here. We still have at least another week. Maybe two.”
A moan tore from his mouth as his lips crushed into mine. Heat poured inside of me as his come shot deep within my pussy. The force had my nails raking into his back, setting off another orgasm that I wasn’t prepared for. Slade didn’t stop until I was gasping for air underneath him. My eyes would barely open against the high I felt. Slowly, he lifted his upper body, still keeping us joined where I never wanted to be separated.
“If you go, I won’t hide you away. Are you prepared for the stir that’s going to cause? Especially since you’re supposedly dead? Rumors are bound to flourish with people seeing us together. That could be bad for your daddy. Bad for your future with Jordan.”
“Bad for Lily?”
“No. It won’t affect my sister. They’re not about to pull out the stops now. She’ll be okay.”
Bad. That word repeated in my brain. That’s exactly what Slade craved. He didn’t want me with Jordan. I could tell. Then again, maybe he pretended to care more than he did. As for us being seen together, it was going to cause more of a stir than he knew. A fucking media frenzy on all of our ends. The Billionaire Bachelor and the Governor’s dead Daughter. Stir. No. San Francisco was about to get rocked with a fucking earthquake, the likes they’d never seen. One, by the name of Victor Hagen.
Chapter 12
Slade
The battle played heavily on Mary’s face as she looked down at our bags. We were packed and ready to go. The baroque embossed dress Mary wore hugged to her curves perfectly. The red color made her beauty shine. The moment she had walked out of the restroom from getting ready, I did a double take from my desk. The high neckline covered her bite marks and bandaged chest, and the length went all the way past her knees.
She stood there in the four inch black Jimmy Choo’s just staring at the three suitcases that held her clothes. The natural make-up she wore made her face glow. She was gorgeous. Stunning, even. If she would have walked through my building looking as she did now, no doubt I would have gone after her. Shit, who was I kidding? I would have even if she’d been wearing jeans and a T-shirt. There was something about her that pulled me in. My attraction to her was uncontrollable.
“I’m not going to go.” Mary’s hand pushed against her stomach. “I can’t. You want to show me off and I’m afraid if that were to happen, my father will figure out what we’re doing. He might try to keep Lily or call the whole thing off. I can’t risk being the cause of that.”
For her to care about someone she didn’t even know to the extent that she was had me walking toward her. Such a big heart my Mary had.
“He will not call it off. I have a plan.” I pulled Mary in front of the dresser, wrapping my arm around her from behind. “If we call the authorities, tell them there’s been a mistake. That you haven’t been killed in a boating accident, that you’ve been with me, then that covers our ass, legally. We’ll go in. You can talk to them. We’ll tell them we’ve been on a romantic getaway here at my place in Washington. We hadn’t even heard the news. Your father will no doubt say he couldn’t get ahold of you so he didn’t know we were together. It’s perfect.”
I pulled her hair back off of her shoulder, kissing her neck. “As for your father, I have a week or two left before you have to leave. You’re innocent in me wanting to show you a good time. After all, he has every intention of marrying you off. I’ll tell him you needed enjoyment before you’re shackled to that piece of shit, Jordan. You don’t have a choice. We’ll meet him for dinner. You’re to look down almost the whole time. Show him who you take your orders from. He’ll believe it.”
Mary turned in my arms and looked straight ahead at my chest. “Are you sure this will work?”
Her not looking at me was driving me crazy. I lifted her face. “Who am I? Of course it’s going to work. I get what I want and in this case, it’s for me and you to have a good time before this switch. Well, if you even want to call it that. We’ll get Lily and you can tell your dad to piss off. It’ll be fine.”
Slowly, she shook her head back and forth. “Slade, I can’t do that. I can’t just tell him to piss off, like you say. He’s my dad. I have to go back.”
I blinked. Once. Twice. Then went over her words again. “Go back? To marry Jordan?”
Mary tried to step back from my arms, but I wouldn’t allow her to.
“Answer me, damnit. Are you seriously considering marrying him?” The silence was answer enough. I grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the door. Marcio was waiting just outside. “Is Terrance ready?”
“Yes, Sir. We’re all set to go.”
“Good, get the bags.” I pulled Mary down the stairs and to the helicopter with her barely able to stay steady on her heels. It didn’t get better after that. For the whole ride, she stared out of the window, ignoring me. If this was the way it was going to be, we were going to have no problems fooling her father. For the life of me I tried to figure out why in the hell she was even giving this ridiculousness any thought. It was insane. Absurd. The more I let the possibility eat at my mind, the more I raged. She was mine, damnit. No one else’s. But could I make her stay? I knew that answer…not happily.
The flight blurred by in hours of thought. How was I going to fix this? Convince her that even if she went back, she didn’t have to get married? Was there any way to get her to believe it? She was giving in. Giving up. Letting her father win. Just like I was doing.
The city came into view and I stared at the Bay Bridge. My penthouse had a perfect view from the wall length windows. We’d be landing on my roof in a matter of minutes, and I was dreading it. I’d waited for this moment since I’d decided Mary was coming. Now, there was no excitement in showing her my place. She probably didn’t even want to be here anymore.
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