Beyond Ecstasy (Beyond #8) (13 page)

She stepped free of the denim and her shoes at the same time and kicked both away, then paused in her underwear, as if knowing he'd want a moment to admire her.

There was plenty to admire. The white lace was teasingly innocent but so transparent he could see the darker tips of her nipples through the sheer fabric. A tiny black bow between her breasts matched the one perched beneath her belly button. Her lips curved gently upward as she reveled in his appreciation.

She was beautiful, but he'd had his fill of confining himself to simply looking at her. “All of it, Jeni.”

She eased one strap off her shoulder, letting it slink down her arm as she reached back and opened the clasp. The fabric clung to her breasts, and she peeled it away before dropping her hands to her panties.

She stopped there, her thumbs hooked under the satin, and stared at him.

They were back in the woods again, her quiet defiance a crackle of electricity between them. A game, only this time they'd discussed the rules in advance.

This time, he could play it. “Last chance, Jeni. Take them off, or I'll do it for you.”

Her breath caught, jagged and loud in the quiet darkness, and she dropped her hands to her sides.

Little lacy panties were probably expensive as fuck in the sectors. That was the only thing that kept him from tangling his fist in the fabric and tearing it from her body. Instead, he caught her around the waist and dragged her to him.

He snapped his legs shut, pinning her between them, and rubbed his thumb across that little black bow. “This is what you wanted that night up on the hill, isn't it?”

“Always.” Her hand clenched on his forearm, testing the tiny flex of muscle every time his thumb moved. “Show me how much you need me. How you'll take it if you have to.”

That was what she wanted, to be
taken
, hard and rough. It gave him perverse pleasure to do the opposite, to tease his fingers across her belly and edge her panties down with the softest of touches. “I'll take you when I'm ready.”

“Will you?”

A gentle challenge, but he refused to rise to it. He skimmed her underwear lower, until he had to shift his legs to let it fall to the floor. Before she could move, he trapped her again. “You'll see, won't you?”

“I guess so.” Her hand drifted up, over his shoulder to his damp hair. “I missed you today.”

“Yeah?” Her breasts were temptingly close. All he had to do was lean forward, and his lips grazed one tight point. “Thinking about you got me through it.”

“The tunnels?”

“Mmm.” He traced his tongue around her nipple, then drew it in his mouth and sucked hard enough to arch her back and elicit a whimper. “There. That's what kept me going.”

Jeni bent her head to his. “It had to be more.”

He hid his smile against her skin as he trailed his fingers down her back and across her hips. “No, it was mostly the noises you make. The noises I
make
you make.”

She laughed softly, her breath stirring his hair. “I like being a little silly with you.”

He liked it, too. Not just the laughter, but the
trust
. Nothing left you more vulnerable in the sectors, more utterly exposed, than joy. All your weaknesses on display, your heart naked and begging to be shattered.

He rewarded her courage with another slow brush of his lips over her wet nipple. “Be silly with me. Be
Jeni
with me.”

Her amusement faded as she gazed down at him and touched his face. “I've never been anything else. Not with you.”

“I know.” He tightened his grip on her hips and eased her back a step. “Sweet, beautiful Jeni. Give me what I want, and I'll give you what you need.”

She regarded him for a moment, her eyes burning with anticipation, then nodded quickly—and he knew this was one time she wouldn't fight him, wouldn't make him push.

Instead, she stretched out across his lap. She lifted her bare feet, crossed at the ankles, and braced herself on his leg and the edge of the chair, precariously balanced—but perfectly arranged for whatever wicked things he might care to do to her.

His heart thumping, Hawk smoothed his hand along her spine and down, tickling her legs. She shivered under his touch, so eager for what came next. The power of the moment swelled inside him as he gently repositioned her, tugged her closer, and braced an arm across her back to hold her in place.

She wanted this,
needed
it, and yet she was probably still wondering if he had it in him. If the slow stroke of his fingers or the tenderness as he squeezed her ass meant he couldn't be rough, couldn't be mean in all the ways she wanted him to be.

He was meaner. Mean enough to get off on making her wait for it.

And
that
was an uncomfortable enough thought to prompt action. He caressed her one last time before raising his hand and bringing it down in a gentle slap. Not hard, just enough to sting, but the sound cracked through the room, and Jeni jerked in his grasp.

He repeated it on the other side, savoring the sound and her reaction. “Here's what we're going to do.” He rubbed her pale skin, though it held only the slightest hints of pink—so far. “After each time, you can say
harder, please
or
thank you
. Do you understand?”

She squirmed on his lap. “Yes, sir.”

Sir
. A word for commanders. For leaders. A word that screamed power, and it fell from her lips like a prayer. He was already so fucking turned on that her squirming would be a special sort of torture, but it was nothing compared to how hot it was to bring his hand down again and have her release the breath she was holding on a sharp exhalation.

“Harder,” she gasped. “Harder, please.”

He tightened his arm around her, holding her more firmly in place, and let his hand fall again. Color rose where he struck her, bright pink that he knew would deepen to red, and he craved it with a guilt she banished every time she begged for him to hit her harder.

She needed it. It couldn't be wrong if she needed it.

Everything outside the flickering circle of candlelight slipped away. There was only Jeni, her body responding to his touch as if he'd been made for this, to hold her tight and hurt her just the way she wanted. His blows came harder and her pleas broke on ragged sobs, but when he slid his hand down to her thighs, they were wet with her arousal, and every time he struck her, she said the same thing.

Harder, please
.

The words came farther and farther apart, punctuated by tremors that shook her whole body. Her head fell forward, baring the back of her neck as her hair cascaded down. She was tense but somehow also limp, trembling, when the pleas stopped altogether.

“Jeni?” When she only whimpered, Hawk scooped her upright on his lap and snuggled her against his chest. Her head tipped back on his arm, revealing dazed eyes and tear-stained cheeks. “Hey. Look at me, honey.”

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she turned her face to his shoulder instead.

“Jeni.” He made his voice firmer and caught her chin, tilting her face up. His heart still raced, but more from fear than excitement. “You need to stay with me.”

“I can't…” Her voice trailed away as she wiggled, then shivered through a moan. “Your jeans—”

Oh
fuck
. He shot to his feet, cradling her to his chest and cursing himself. Rough denim against spanked skin—it had to chafe like hell. He carried her to the bed and kicked off his jeans before stretching out next to her. “Better?”

“Shh.” Her fingertips brushed his lips. “It wasn't bad.”

“No,” he agreed, smoothing the damp strands of hair back from her forehead. “You were liking it just fine, I could tell. But you worried me, not answering.”

“Sometimes I go a little woozy.” Jeni trailed her fingers down to his collarbone and scratched him lightly. “It's all right.”

He caught her hand and held it against his chest, unable to let go of his concern. If she was too dazed to look at him when he asked, how could he trust that she'd stop him before he took things too far? “Are you still woozy?”

“Yes.” She shoved at his shoulders, but not to push him away. When he rolled to his back, she followed, climbing over him with a predatory gleam in her eye.

Woozy, maybe—but not out of it. When her hips settled over his, her thighs spread wide, her pussy slick with need and grinding down against his cock, it took everything in him not to flip her over onto her knees and drive into her. To ride her fast and hard while he admired the marks he'd left on her skin.

Soon
. When he understood her well enough to know when she'd had enough and when she needed more. For now, he was content to grip her hips to steady her. “You did good, Jeni. So good. You would have taken more for me, wouldn't you?”

“Yes.” She rocked her hips until the head of his cock rested perfectly against her pussy, then stopped. She hovered there, one heartbeat away from driving down against him. Waiting.

Waiting for him to decide. To take or deny, reward or punish. The tangible weight of the responsibility pressed in on him. If he wanted her to, she'd balance just like this—thighs burning, body aching, nerves overloaded. She'd do it until she collapsed, because of the piece of leather wrapped around her throat and the promise it represented.

Everyone was right. He'd understood what the collar symbolized, but not what it
meant
. There was knowing what Jeni liked to drink or how her mood impacted her hairstyle, and then there was
this
. Knowing when a whimper meant
too much
, and when it meant
keep going
. When glazed eyes and a trembling body called for gentle handling, and when it called for
more
.

He'd asked for too much, but he wasn't giving it back. He'd learn to be worthy of what she'd given him, even if it meant asking for help.

And he'd learn by watching. He tightened his grip and flexed his hips, watched her face as he pushed up into her.

Her breath caught, and she nodded quickly before smiling down at him. “See?” She met his thrust as she leaned over him, so close that her hair spilled across his chest. “It's all right.”

It was better than all right. She was hot and tight, and their bodies fit together as if they'd done this a hundred times already. He splayed one hand at the small of her back and guided her in another lazy rock, shuddering almost as hard as she did when his thighs brushed the heated flesh on her ass.

She hissed in a breath and followed him down, grinding against him. “Hawk…”

He gathered her hair with his free hand, wrapped it around his fingers, and urged her to look at him. “I got you,” he rumbled, forcing every word past gritted teeth. Her pussy clenched around him, tempting him with selfish oblivion, but he kept his thrusts slow and guided her into each one. “Come on, Jeni.”

Thrust after thrust, the sizzling tension built. But instead of speeding her movements, Jeni slowed even more, until all that was left was the flex and sway of their joined bodies as she stared down at him.

Sheer, beautiful agony. He dragged her closer and groaned against her cheek. Her skin tasted of salt, of tears, and he licked his way to her ear before nipping it sharply. “Let me feel it. I want to know how hard you come when you can still feel my handprints on your ass.”

She whimpered and buried her face against his neck. Her hands skated up his sides, then beneath him to grip his shoulders as she tilted her hips. It turned the slow grind into something charged and fervent, a fire that blazed out of control a heartbeat later.

She came with a moan she muffled against his skin, the sudden bite of her teeth burning through him. The pain crashed into the pleasure of her body pulsing hot and wet around his cock, and he almost followed her over the edge as swiftly as he had last night in the barn.

Too easy. Pride rioted, and he was moving before he could stop himself. Jeni was still shaking when he spilled her to the bed and flipped her onto her stomach. He barely had to touch her hips—she came up on her knees willingly, desperately, so eager that his hands shook as he dragged her thighs wider and drove deep into her still-clenching pussy.

She cried out with relief and something darker, something almost like anticipation. The cries melted into words as she closed her fists around the blanket—the words he'd demanded of her. “Harder. Please.”

The paler skin of her back brightened to red on her ass. The marks of his hand, vivid and raw, and he ran his fingertips lightly over them just to feel her shudder again before he gripped her hips and eased back.

Then he drove into her.
Hard
.

Jeni moaned. She begged, pleaded, but it was her silent reactions that strained Hawk's control. The way her skin flushed, the fine tremor in her thighs that only intensified as he kept fucking her. The way she arched back every time he pulled away, as if she couldn't bear to have a single moment of contact end.

They were the key to the puzzle that was Jeni, everything he needed to learn her. To understand her.

To master her.

She bit her arm as another orgasm swept through her, the sharp bite muting even sharper cries. His rhythm faltered as she tightened around his cock, coming so hard that the clench of her inner muscles turned into the sweetest torture. Pleasure arced down his spine and settled as a knot at the base, a pressure he could barely deny.

Grinding deep, he slipped his hand beneath her to find her clit. She squirmed, gasping, but trying to escape the demanding press of his fingers only rubbed her tender ass against him. “Keep coming,” he commanded, increasing the pressure of his circling fingertips. “I don't even have to fuck you, Jeni. I'll get off just like this, feeling your pussy squeeze tight because you can't stop getting off on me.”

“Hawk—” Her voice had gone rough, hoarse.

She pulsed around him, hot and irresistible, dragging him down. He clenched his eyes shut and tried to hold back. Just a little longer, just a little—

“Thank you.
Thank you
—” The words dissolved into a shriek. She bucked back, so hard that he had to drive her hips to the bed to hold her in place. The dam inside him burst, flooding him with pleasure so razor-sharp it cut to the bone.