Command

by Sierra Cartwright

  “Am I intruding?”

  Heart thundering, she opened her eyes. Grant stood there, wearing a pair of swim trunks. The first view of his nearly naked body didn’t disappoint. Even in the dim light, she saw the definition of his biceps, the flatness of his stomach. God, did he have a six-pack? Or was her imagination supplying wished-for details?

  His legs were powerful, thighs massive.

  Because the trunks were loose-fitting, it was difficult to see whether or not his dick was hard.

  Regardless, he unnerved her.

  Without conscious thought, she wrapped her arms around herself. Then she realized how ridiculous that notion was. He’d seen her naked, and he’d exposed her more than any other man ever had. “I’m sorry if I disturbed you when I got up,” she said.

  He shook his head. “I wasn’t asleep. Mind if I join you?”

  “I’ve been in here a while, so I was leaving anyway,” she said. Lied. To cover her sudden bout of nerves, she gave a half smile. “It’s all yours.”

  “Stay?”

  “I…”

  He descended the two steps into the tub and sat down across from her. “How are you doing? Everything okay?”

  “Strange bed,” she hedged. “I was having a difficult time unwinding.” At least that was the truth.

  “Are you sore?” He paused. “Anything you need to talk about?”

  In the past, she had always pretended things were okay, even if they weren’t. Somehow, she’d become a master of evasion, something else she wasn’t proud of.

  She knew her time at Grant’s home was limited. They’d made significant progress yesterday, and with the two of them working together, they’d nail down the idea of the virtual assistant. Then Bonds could put an entire team on it to work out the nuances of the artificial intelligence. There were details, certainly, but the gist of the idea was already there.

  So if she was ever going to experiment with being bold, now—when there was little emotional risk in a relationship that was naturally short-lived—was the time.

  “My pussy is a little tender.” Aria uncrossed her arms. “But I was tossing and turning, replaying our scene.” Then she admitted the truth, “I was wondering if there’d be a next time.”

  “Were you hoping there would be?”

  Since he’d shown up, the temperature seemed to have increased. She scooped damp hair back from her neck and piled it atop her head, even though it wasn’t likely to stay. “I was.”

  “Was my way okay with you?”

  She wriggled around and felt her hair tumble down. “Evidenced by the number of orgasms, yes. I still wanted to have sex, but when you left me alone, I was confused.” She looked at him through the steam that rose from the water. “I wondered why.”

  “Are you wondering if I find you desirable?”

  “Honestly? No.” She met his gaze. Even if she had doubts, the desire in his eyes would banish them. “I felt your dick through your pants.” For her, that comment definitely counted as bold.

  He grinned. “Constant hazard when you’re around.”

  “So?” she prompted.

  “I’m learning about you, watching your reactions. You’re learning about me, my instructions. You’re figuring out whether you want to submit to me—and you’re probably considering what that might mean. I want to give you experience, but not too fast. Remember the portrait?”

  “How did I know you were going to say that?”

  “Patience.” The smile he gave her was quick, real, disarming. “Foreplay. BDSM and sex are closely intertwined, but they can exist side-by-side. I don’t have to fuck everyone I spank.”

  “This woman, you do. I have rules, too.”

  Humidity made his hair curl a bit, and that entrancing lock of blond fell across his forehead. “You may not want to have sex with every guy who ties you up. If you’re at a club, you may want to try out a different Dom, male or female.”

  That idea of being with someone at a club was outside her current thinking. And that she might let a female dominate her? “Do you love messing with my paradigms?”

  “Is that what you think I’m doing? Messing with them? Then I need to be clearer, Aria. I intend to obliterate them.”

  An erotic thrill lanced her. So he did plan to continue playing with her.

  “I want to watch you masturbate.”

  “You’re coloring outside my lines again.”

  “That’s what I want,” he told her. “And it’s what you want, as well.”

  Until today, until him, she hadn’t known she had lines to color outside of. He was showing her dimensions of her own sexuality. It scared her. It thrilled her.

  “Get out of the tub and dry off,” he instructed her. “Then kneel on a towel and get yourself off.”

  She let her mouth fall open.

  “Get to it.”

  That tone… Implacable. Response-inducing.

  “Coming again will help you to sleep better.”

  No doubt that was true.

  Aware of his intense regard, and grateful for the dim lighting, she moved past him to climb up the steps. She snatched up a towel, dried off, then folded the fluffy cotton and dropped it to the floor. All the while, he stayed in place.

  Watching him, her body heated as much from the water as from his command, she knelt.

  “Moisten two of your fingers with your mouth.”

  Never breaking the spell created when they gazed at each other, she put two of her fingers in her mouth and sucked on them.

  His jaw was set in a solid line, and she knew she was having an impact on him. The knowledge was heady, and it made it easier for her to do what he’d said.

  She got her fingers wet, then moved them between her legs to find her clit. It was still swollen and tender, so the slightest touch made her lean back. “Ah,” she said involuntarily.

  “Pull back the hood and also spread your labia.”

  Earlier she’d had the television. Now, there was nothing to distract her.

  Even though he wasn’t touching her, she realized he was completely dominating her. That made this even more intense.

  She surrendered to the sensation, the moment, sliding her fingers into her pussy, keeping her labia parted, remembering to play with her clit.

  Because she’d been thinking about him, her body had been more or less aroused since they’d finished the scene in the living room. It took her only a minute to reach the edge of an orgasm.

  “Tell me before you come.”

  “I…” She moved her left hand so she could pinch her nipples and squeeze her breasts. If he were touching her, she couldn’t be more turned on than she was right now.

  “Close?”

  Her body started to shake.

  “That’s it, fuck yourself with your fingers, little Aria.”

  His voice was magic, taking her higher.

  Suddenly she could no longer support her weight, and she moved her knees farther apart, getting better leverage. She let go of her breasts, and used her thumb pad to vigorously rub her clit as she fucked herself, inserting her fingers all the way to the knuckles before she pulled them out and drove them back in. “I’m close.” His earlier words played in her thoughts, and she amended her statement. “I’m close, Sir.”

  “I can smell you from here,” he said. “Wait. I’ll count backward from ten, then you can come.”

  It wasn’t possible to wait, she knew.

  “Eight. Wait. Concentrate on what I asked from you rather than on your pleasure.”

  That was impossible. Aria continued to rub and fuck. She had to squeeze her ass cheeks to fight off the ripples that threatened to explode inside her. Never, ever, had she tried to hold back an orgasm.

  The sound of his voice faded, and if he was still counting, she couldn’t hear him.

  “Now.”

  She tipped her head back, spilling hair across her shoulders. With a ragged scream, she climaxed, her pussy pulsating around her fingers.

  Aria drop
ped her left hand to the floor to help prop her up.

  When the world righted itself and she moved her head back to neutral position, she saw him standing in front of her. She hadn’t been aware that he’d even moved.

  “Thank you for doing what I said,” he said, offering to help her up.

  “I’ve never had this many orgasms in one day.”

  “Give me your fingers.”

  Wordlessly, she extended her hand. He sucked the juices from her, prolonging the fuzzy feeling in her psyche.

  “You’re delicious, Aria. Everything about you. Now let’s get you to bed.”

  He shucked off the water from his body then wrapped a towel around his waist. She scooped her clothes from the floor and walked from the room, aware of him following her, conscious, but not embarrassed by her nudity.

  “You’re sashaying.”

  “Yes.” She looked at him over her shoulder. “I am.”

  Outside her bedroom door, she paused. He smacked her butt, hard, igniting nerve endings.

  “You might want to behave.”

  “Or I might not,” she replied.

  “There’s more to come.”

  “Including your cock?”

  “Including my cock.”

  * * * *

  It’d been a long time, if ever, since he’d had such a physical reaction to a woman. Grant reminded himself that Aria was a neophyte, and that he was enjoying introducing her to his world, but that was only part of it.

  The truth was, he liked her, considerably more than he’d anticipated. He liked her bravery, her curiosity, her company, her brain. And hell yes, her womanly, curvy, welcoming body.

  Hard to believe that it had only been thirty hours ago that he’d gone for a long swim because he’d been pissed at Julien’s interference.

  Last night, after she’d gone to bed, he’d been unable to sleep. Ideas for scenes had clamored in his head. For the first time in years, he was thinking about something other than work.

  And now, before the sun was even up on a long winter day, he was setting up his makeshift dungeon, and he was filled with energy.

  He dragged over a bale of hay and rested it at an angle against a sawhorse. It wasn’t a good substitute for a woman’s body, but it would allow him to get some practice before he introduced Aria to the feel of his lash. To protect his equipment, he draped a blanket over the hay.

  After he’d ended things with Kathleen, he’d all but given up the sexual part of his life. Since then, he’d spent the night with only a couple of ladies. By mutual accord—or really, due to his lack of attention—the relationships had drifted apart and ended amicably.

  On occasion, he attended play parties in Santa Fe. While he’d flogged a handful of women, he hadn’t gotten them off afterward. And he hadn’t sought them out, even though one woman had bluntly knelt in front of him and asked him to be her Dom.

  For Grant, it was more complicated than that. He didn’t want just a sexual submissive. He wanted a woman who could also be a friend, confidante, partner.

  Tall order, he’d told himself.

  Even he realized the expectation was absurd and that he was setting himself up for a lifetime of loneliness.

  Until now, that hadn’t bothered him.

  So far, what he was sharing with Aria was different than he’d experienced before. Her reactions were honest. The more he gave her, the more she seemed to want, if her sensuous, intentional sashay had been anything to go by.

  He knew his reaction wasn’t just from the fact she was residing beneath his roof. Even if they’d met elsewhere, he’d have sought her out. It seemed sex and sass were his new favorite turn-on.

  Sending her to bed after spanking her hot little pussy had been difficult. He’d enjoyed holding her after the scenes and—as she’d pointed out—his cock had definitely been hard. He’d ached to sheath himself in her. All along, he’d been intending to do exactly that, and that was why he’d grabbed the condom.

  But when he’d returned to her, he’d realized that it wasn’t enough to fuck her and send her to bed. He wanted more time together, including an actual scene. He’d already tortured her pussy, and he hadn’t been able to resist the temptation to spank the already-swollen flesh, giving her a taste of what she would be getting herself into with him.

  From her first question about the portrait, he’d been truthful about his expectations. He realized that his kink wasn’t everyone’s kink. As he’d said, he could probably have vanilla sex with her and get off. But, with her, that wasn’t enough.

  After rolling his shoulders, he picked up a flogger—a weighty thing made from elk hide dyed purple. It was a custom-made piece, and he’d bought it at a specialty shop just off the plaza in Santa Fe. He’d never had the opportunity to use it on a submissive’s unmarred skin.

  He tested its weight, flicking it back and forth a bit.

  Then he pictured where he’d need to land it if the hay were actually Aria’s curvaceous derrière.

  He landed a couple of lashes gently, getting accustomed to the feel, checking how far to stand back, then he practiced his backhand.

  For long minutes, he tested his stance, his grip, the pressure.

  The next hit was extraordinarily hard. When he repeated that on her body, a searing red stripe would appear on her skin. The image etched itself indelibly on his imagination.

  After he was confident with the flogger, he switched to a crop. Honestly that was one of his favorite implements for a more advanced scene. The flapper could work almost like a single-tail, and the rod could be used in place of a cane.

  He practiced different positions so that he could land it lengthwise as well as across a sub’s body.

  Finally comfortable, he grabbed a round piece of felt. He moved it to several different locations to test that he could strike it exactly where he wanted.

  Several dozen hits later, he nodded in satisfaction. Now he couldn’t wait to see Aria.

  He returned his implements to a cabinet that hung on the wall before putting everything else back into storage. After that, he had Molly turn down the heat and reset the room’s program. He had a bit of a surprise in store for Aria.

  Hoping she was awake, Grant grabbed his coat and headed back to the main house.

  When he’d walked over earlier, he’d shoveled the pathway, and since the storm had passed, it was still clear.

  Along with the dog standing in the foyer, wagging his tail, the scent of fresh-brewed coffee greeted him. Sharing the house had its advantages. Despite himself, he grinned as he rubbed his hands together.

  “Morning,” she said.

  Aria stood in the kitchen, hands wrapped around a mug he didn’t recognize. Her hair was still rumpled, and she wore a robe over a pair of yoga pants. A container of creamer sat on the counter with its lid up. He noticed that she hadn’t moved more than six inches away from the coffeepot. Which meant, obviously, she wasn’t a morning person.

  And he was absurdly happy to see her. “Is it safe to approach?”

  “Do you have chocolate?”

  For breakfast? He was smart enough not to let the question exit his mouth. “I’ll get you as much as you want—if you share the coffee.”

  “You drive a hard bargain.”

  “You don’t have to pour it. Just step away slowly.”

  “How far?” She brushed back wayward strands of hair.

  All he could think of was wanting to see the locks spread out on his pillow.

  “How about I make you chocolate chip pancakes?” he offered.

  “You have the ingredients?”

  “Probably. Daniella is my housekeeper. She bakes every once in a while when she’s here. I keep a stash of her baked goods in the freezer. Top shelf, if you’re interested.”

  She drained her mug and grimaced at him. “Okay, I’ll share the coffee,” she said grudgingly.

  He grabbed a mug and filled it, adding a dollop of organic half and half. He offered his cup in a mock toast. She clinked rim
s with him.

  While he gathered the ingredients for his protein drink and her pancakes, she filled her cup a second time.

  “Did you travel with your own mug?”

  She showed him the handle. “Big, and it has that notch at the top so I can keep a good grip on it.”

  “What’s the saying?”

  “With enough coffee I can rule the world.”

  “So there’s your secret.”

  Midway through her second cup, as the griddle was sizzling and he dumped his berries and tofu in the blender, she asked, “Can I help with anything?”

  “So it does work? Instant human, just add coffee?”

  “Precisely.”

  He was content to have her in the kitchen, even if he did have to work around her at times. By the time he’d transferred the first batch of pancakes to a platter, she’d set the table. He poured an ounce of his drink into a separate glass then began moving food and syrup to the dining room.

  “How’d you sleep?” He slid into his seat and put the extra serving of protein drink in front of her.

  “Amazing. After everything, I didn’t think I would, but with that mattress and the blackout panel, I thought I might stay in bed until noon.”

  “Any lingering effects?”

  “In a bad way? No.” She took a bite of her pancakes, then let her shoulders fall as she sighed. “Look, Grant, I’m just telling you straight up, if you want me to leave, ever, you’re going to have to stop making food like this.”

  “I’m glad you approve. Try the protein drink.”

  “I was afraid that was for me.”

  “You wrinkled your nose.”

  She held her fork in front of her. A drop of syrup fell to the plate. “So did you when I asked for chocolate.”

  “True enough.”

  After swallowing her bite, she downed the contents of the glass in a single drink. “It’s good.”

  “How do you know? You didn’t taste it.”

  She grinned. Yeah. Sass and sex were his two new turn-ons.

  A few minutes later, she finally approached the subject that he’d been waiting for. “I noticed that you cleared a path to the garage and to your dungeon.”

  “Want to know what I was doing?”