Power: Power Series #1

by Victoria Woods

  I straightened up as well as I could, despite my legs feeling like jelly. “Lie down.”

  He rose to his feet, towering over me. The intensity of his hazel eyes burned brighter than I’d ever seen. For a second, I thought he would challenge me. Instead, he walked to the side of the bed and dropped his pants, freeing his erection, then lay back, with his upper back resting against the headboard.

  I stood at the foot of the bed, unable to look away from the beautiful man in front of me. His tall frame covered the entire length of the bed. Ripped muscles topped with a massive, throbbing cock lay waiting for my next move.

  My eyes never left his as I slipped the straps of my bra down. My hair had fallen out of its bun so I moved the tendrils over one shoulder to undo the clasp, then gently tugged my bra loose and dropped it onto the floor, leaving myself stark naked except for the stockings on my legs. I placed a knee on the bed and crawled over the man waiting for me. I was on all fours over his body when my face met his. I licked my lips, eyeing his bottom lip, then placed a kiss on him. Our mouths started to move in unison—licking, sucking, devouring.

  He broke our kiss, panting with need. He was the picture of composure in public, but in bed, he was wild and untamed. I knew it would ruin me in the end, but I had to attempt to tame the beast before me. I noticed the sash from my dress still around his neck. I tugged on one end to free it.

  His lips spread into a sly smile. “What is my jaan planning to do with that?”

  I stared at him without giving away my thoughts. “Are you afraid?”

  He answered with a question of his own. “Should I be?”

  “Yes,” I replied after a beat.

  His smile grew wider. He offered me his hands, crossed at the wrists. “I should have you know that I’m usually the one tying people up.”

  “You’ve never had anyone do this to you before?” I thought I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear him say it. When this relationship was over, I wanted him to remember me for something that he had never experienced before. He had, without a doubt, fucked a lot of women, but he would remember me.

  “No,” he answered in his deep voice.

  I smirked, enjoying his answer. “Good. I like a virgin.”

  He chuckled at my witty retort. I wrapped one end of the fabric around his wrists, tying a knot around them.

  “There’s a hook behind the headboard,” he said.

  I looked at him in confusion. His eyes darted to the other tail of the sash to show me what he meant. He hadn’t been kidding about being the one who tied lovers up. Jealousy shot through me at the evidence before me. I grabbed the sash with more force than necessary, pulling abruptly on his wrists, then looped the fabric through the hook and tied another knot. My breasts rubbed against his face in the process. I sat back, admiring my work—his arms over his head, leaving him fully at my mercy. I loved this feeling of having total control over him.

  “Do you have any condoms?” I asked. I assumed he kept a store of them in his nightstand drawer.

  He looked at me with annoyance. “No. I need to feel you.”

  “You’re the one who said this wasn’t a commitment. I’m not going bare if you’ve been with other women. Like strippers.” I couldn’t help but add that last jab. I was illogically immature when it came to the idea of him with other women.

  “Trust me, I’m clean,” he said.

  “How can you know that?” I argued.

  “Because I just do.”

  Unhappy with his answer, I remained stubborn. “I’m using protection, even if you are clean. I don’t trust your whores.”

  He sighed with frustration at my snide remarks. “Amelia, there hasn’t been anyone else since you.”

  “Oh,” I replied quietly at his admission. I had assumed he was seeing other women after he’d demanded that things remain casual between us. I had thought for sure he had slept with that stripper.

  Emboldened by the power I held, I lowered myself onto his bare cock. My pussy felt tight as I made my way down his length. I moved slowly to give my walls a chance to stretch to his size. I finally reached the base, and all the discomfort I had felt was replaced by the urge to move.

  I slid up and down, my cream coating his shaft. The lubrication allowed me to move faster. My tits bounced in his face as I worked him harder. He moved his hips up to meet me, giving me more friction when my clit rubbed against his skin.

  “Jaan, I need you to get there. I can’t hold on any longer,” he grunted through clenched teeth. Sweat dotted his brow.

  My leg muscles burned from exertion, but I couldn’t stop. Hearing his need to release only pushed me harder. My belly muscles tightened as I chased my own release.

  My body tensed up as I rode Shyam harder. “Shyam,” I screamed. Suddenly, like a dam releasing water, I came as pleasure rushed through me.

  He pounded into me harder as I rode the waves of my climax. “Amelia,” he shouted as he filled my pussy with hot cum.

  I collapsed onto his chest out of exhaustion. My body stilled as I listened to his heartbeat slow to a steady pace. The rise and fall of his chest as his breathing relaxed soothed me.

  Something was missing—I longed for him to hold me against his body. Then I remembered he was still tied up, and I rose to my knees and undid the restraints. As he rubbed his wrists together to massage them out, I noticed the ring he always wore. I had seen it a few times before, as well as on Jai, but had never asked about it.

  “Do you always wear that ring?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he answered lazily, tired from all that we had just done.

  “Why?”

  He took it off and handed it to me. It was heavy, solid metal. The silver material shone in my hands. I slipped it onto my thumb, but it still was loose.

  “It’s our family ring. Jai has one, too. All dealer families in India have one.”

  I studied the design on the face of it—a snake in the shape of an “S,” with black diamonds for eyes. “What does the snake mean?”

  “It’s a king cobra, our family crest,” he replied as his fingers stroked the skin on my thighs.

  “Does that mean Tarun has one?”

  “Yes, his is made of yellow gold, with a Bengal tiger on it.”

  I knew his headquarters was in Bengal. “Because his base is in Bengal. Makes sense. What’s the significance of the cobra?”

  He had softened inside me, but I didn’t want to move just yet. I felt our juices leaking out of my pussy and coating his skin as I continued to straddle him.

  “Everyone thinks that to be the best, you have to be the biggest and most obvious predator. The cobra may be small, but it is adaptable to any situation. It hides where you least expect it and strikes without warning. The venom is so fatal that it can take down a grown man with one bite.”

  My thoughts wandered to how dangerous this man was. Often, when I was so wrapped up in our intimacy like when he kissed me or shared stories about his family, I forgot that he was a killer.

  I couldn’t think of a better way to phrase my next question. It was probably better to just bluntly ask it. “Do you enjoy killing people?”

  He considered it for a beat before responding. “Would it scare you if I said I did?”

  Yes. He had warned me that he was a monster. I shouldn’t have been taken aback by his response. He had given me fair warning. I knew what he did and how he did it. Nevertheless, I was still stunned. I didn’t think a person could ever get used to hearing that their lover enjoyed killing people.

  I shifted on top of him out of unease. His dick hardened under me again. He got off on my fear.

  He rolled me over, pinning me to the bed. His eyes were full of intensity. The ring was still hanging loosely on my thumb. “I warned you, jaan. I’m not the good guy. I’m the snake who’ll bite you when you’re not looking.” He nipped at my neck. I yelped at the sting.

  He pushed himself back into me, pumping with quick strokes. I gasped with need.

  “
Are you my mongoose?” he groaned.

  “What?” I managed to ask between breaths.

  “The one animal who can kill the cobra. Will you be the death of me, jaan?” He deepened his angle into my pussy, hitting me at that perfect spot that made my toes curl. This man knew my body so well.

  “What if I just want to tame the snake?” I moaned.

  “You can try, my little mongoose. But you could also get yourself killed in the process.”

  Heat spread between my legs at his threat of danger. He rode me with such force that I was blinded by ecstasy. We found our release in unison. I lay under him, my arms clinging around his neck and my body spent.

  “My sweet mongoose, we’re far from done for the night.” A mischievous smile spread across his face as he slithered down my body for more.

  XXI. Amelia

  I had been working non-stop all morning manually configuring altered images of the photos that Jai had shown me of Vik. Hopefully, one of these would match up with any suspected photos of Tarun that the men might capture. I was putting all my hopes on the possibility that some similarity between the two brothers would trigger a match. I hoped I was right. It was a long shot, but I didn’t have much to go on without any current photos of Tarun. I would have to just pray it worked.

  I looked at the time. It was nearly noon. I sat back in my chair and stretched my arms overhead. My muscles were sore from the weekend—deliciously sore. Shyam had worked me relentlessly all night and into the early morning hours. He dropped me home afterward, and I had spent the next day in bed catching up on sleep and resting my body.

  It had felt good to dominate him in bed for a change, even though the night had ended with him taking over. I loved commanding him and seeing how eager he was to please me. That was probably how he felt when he had me at his mercy.

  I had gained more confidence in the bedroom. Nat used to call me a prude because I would cringe every time she shared stories of her sexual escapades. I hadn’t thought I would have the courage to ask for what I wanted in bed, let alone tie up one of the world’s most powerful drug dealers and ride him until I came around his dick. My pussy walls clenched just reliving the memory.

  I stood up from my chair and decided to grab lunch. I had chosen one of my new outfits today—a charcoal-gray pencil skirt, a black blouse with slightly puffed sleeves, and coordinating cable-stitched tights. I had added some black chunky-heeled loafers for comfort.

  Maybe I’d eat outside today. The weather seemed fair, slightly overcast and chilly, but no rain. I grabbed a throw blanket from my sitting area and headed downstairs to one of the lower-level cafeterias. The kitchen near my office was amazing and the staff was more than accommodating, but I wanted to enjoy my lunch in a more low-key environment—though, granted, the entire building was fancy. I just wanted to grab a tray and eat outside like a regular employee at Sethi Tech.

  The cafeteria was busy since it was rush hour. The food here was still classier than anything I had gotten used to eating at my old job. I grabbed a plate of spaghetti Bolognese and a bottle of sparkling water. I eyed the elaborate pastry counter, with its rows of decadent desserts. My mouth watered at the sight of the chocolate mousse torte. I asked the lady behind the counter for a slice and loaded it onto my nearly full tray.

  The air outside was crisp and heavy. Snow would be making its first appearance of the season soon. I could feel it.

  The deck was serene, despite nearly all the tables being occupied by employees. There was a fire pit in the center of the deck that gave the area a cozy feel, and the view was astonishing. I could see the tops of tall skyscrapers looming overhead. In the distance, I could hear the faint honking of car horns, but I was so high up that it wasn’t disturbing at all.

  I found the last vacant table and set my tray down. Draping my throw blanket around my shoulders, I slipped out of my shoes and curled up cross-legged in my chair under the warmth of the fabric.

  I took a bite of my pasta. Steam wafted from my plate, mixing with the cold, ambient air. I closed my eyes, savoring the tangy and meaty flavors. Nothing beat comfort food on a cold day.

  A man’s voice interrupted my food-gasm. “Hey, Amelia.”

  It was Blake from the financial department, tray in hand. He had helped me set up the stock options I’d received when I was hired. Yes, Amelia Becker had stock options! Most of the employees were offered them as a benefit of working for the company. It wasn’t an extravagant amount, but it was a nice bundle that I could leave to earn some interest. Maybe I could use it to buy Mom a new house someday.

  “Oh. Hi, Blake,” I replied, trying to swallow my pasta so I wouldn’t seem like a pig talking with my mouth full.

  Blake was tall and easy on the eyes. He looked like an Abercrombie model with blond hair and classic good looks, especially in his cardigan, light-blue dress shirt, and tan slacks. He looked like he had been a surfer before he relocated to the city.

  “You seem really into your pasta. I kind of wish I got that instead of this sandwich.” He looked down at the baguette sandwich on his tray in mock disappointment.

  I giggled. “Whatever…that looks amazing too!”

  He grinned. “Nothing compared to comfort food like pasta on a cold day, though.”

  “I completely agree!” I smiled at how coincidental his comment was.

  “Well, I just wanted to say hi. I’ll see ya around,” he said, turning away to look for an empty table, but he was out of luck. He turned back to me. “I guess everyone else had the same idea before me.”

  “Want to join me?” I asked, pointing to the empty chair in front of me.

  “You sure you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all.” I really didn’t mind the company. I hadn’t made any new friends since I had been at Sethi Tech, so I welcomed new conversation.

  Setting his tray down, he asked, “Do you eat out here a lot?” He took a bite of his sandwich.

  “No, this is the first time I’ve been to this cafeteria.”

  “I bet the dining room is amazing on the top floor,” he said, wiping the corners of his mouth.

  “I’m afraid I haven’t used that either. I tend to just eat lunch in my office.” I usually got so carried away with my work that I didn’t want to leave and interrupt my train of thought.

  “That’s a shame. This building is like a luxury hotel. You should take advantage of the perks.”

  I shrugged. “I guess I’m just used to quick lunches from my old company.”

  “Where’d you used to work?” he asked with genuine interest.

  “IP Innovations. It was a startup, but Sethi Tech acquired it,” I replied, taking a sip of my water.

  “Yeah, that happens a lot when Sethi Tech is involved.” He took another bite of his sandwich.

  “How about you? How long have you been working here?”

  He put his sandwich down and wiped his hands on his napkin. “About two years. I used to live in Huntington Beach before I moved here.”

  “Let me guess—you used to be a surfer?” I took a bite of my torte and moaned at how luscious it tasted on my tongue.

  He stared at my mouth as I took another bite from my fork. Clearing his throat, he replied awkwardly, “Um. Yeah. How’d you know?” He directed his eyes away from me and back onto his plate.

  I knew it! He was a California boy. “Just a hunch. What made you move all the way out here?”

  “College,” he said.

  “Me too. Where did you graduate from?”

  “NYU.”

  “Oh, really? I did too!” It always excited me when I met someone from my university. I knew the odds were high, since it wasn’t far, but it was still exciting.

  “I wonder if we ever crossed paths there. Were you in any sororities?” he asked, excited by the coincidence too.

  I nearly choked on my water. “Me? Sorority? No way.”

  “Not a fan of Greek life?” He smirked.

  “No, nothing like that. I was just kind of a lone
r. I guess I still kind of am.” I redirected my gaze to my plate. I felt awkward discussing my lack of social depth.

  “That’s why you’re a prodigy.”

  I looked up to see an expression of genuine kindness on his face. Confused by his answer, I asked, “What?”

  “Come on. You don’t think people talk? You’re young and beautiful, so naturally, people are interested in you.”