Burn (18 page)

She licked leisurely from base to tip, letting the head rest precariously on her lips before sucking him back in and sliding her mouth down until her chin rested against his sac. She swallowed, milking the head with the back of her throat. He groaned, rewarding her effort with a twitch, and his fingers grew more aggressive at her breasts, eliciting a groan of her own.

“I’ve imagined you so many ways,” Ash said in a strained voice. “Tied up, ass in the air, my mark on your skin. On your hands and knees, me taking you from behind, in your ass, in your pussy. You on top of me, riding me. Me eating your sweet pussy while you suck my dick. You name it, I’ve imagined it.”

She shuddered, her body trembling almost violently as the images he provoked fired through her mind.

“I won’t always be this easy, baby,” he murmured. “It’s hard to hold back, but I don’t want it to be too much too fast.”

She tore her mouth away from his cock and stared up at him, her fingers wrapped around his erection. “I don’t want you to be easy, Ash. That’s not why I’m with you. I want what you can give me. I
need
it.”

He cupped her face in his hands and looked down, his expression tender. “I love that you want that from me, Josie. I just want to make sure you’re ready for it. You’ve been through a lot and the last few days have been hectic and stressful for you.”

“Yes, they have,” she agreed. “But do you know today was the best day? The first day in longer than I can remember where I was utterly content. I was happy, Ash. Because of you. Because I was here. I sat in your living room painting, and all I could think was how content I was to be here, working, anticipating the moment when you called to let me know you were on your way home.”

His eyes softened and went liquid green, the color almost electric. “You take my breath away.”

“Now,” she said, rocking back on her heels as she positioned her mouth to take his cock again. “When do we get to the kinky part?”

chapter sixteen

Ash was nearly undone by the sight of Josie on her knees, her mouth around his dick, just like he’d imagined so many times since seeing her that first day in the park. Now she was his. In his apartment. His life.

He knew she’d given him a precious gift. He didn’t look beyond the fact that she offered him her trust. She’d placed her body and heart in his hands, and he’d do whatever it took to protect both. He’d never take for granted what this beautiful, courageous woman was giving him.

He slid his hands through her hair, curling the strands around his fingers as he leaned into her. Deeper. Each stroke the most exquisite pleasure he’d ever experienced.

He’d had many women. He’d been honest with Josie about that. But she was different. And he couldn’t even say why definitively. There was something about her that just spoke to him on a different level. Made him think about permanency when that had never been an issue in his past relationships. But then, him and Jace fucking the same women could hardly be classified as actual relationships.

It had been years since he’d spent any time with a woman one-on-one, and he found the idea appealed to him now. Josie appealed to him.

She was on her knees before him, utterly submissive, and not only submissive, but she wanted the same things he wanted. Enjoyed the same kinks he enjoyed. There wasn’t a more perfect woman for him. Of that he was certain.

He sank deep into her mouth, twitching at the back of her throat before sliding back out, enjoying the rasp of her tongue over the sensitive underside of his dick. Then he withdrew, watched as her eyes, aquamarine pools clouded with desire, found his.

Wordlessly, he extended his hand down for hers to help her to her feet. As soon as she’d risen, he pulled her into his arms, crushing her against his chest. He kissed her, almost forgetting in his urgency to possess her mouth that he should take care. She still wore bruises. Her mouth was still tender. Yet it hadn’t stopped him from fucking her mouth, even as gentle as he’d been.

“Let’s go into the bedroom,” he said gruffly. “I’ve been hard on your mouth. For now I’ll focus on other portions of your delectable body.”

Her eyes flared with heat and anticipation. She’d asked him for kinky. He sure as hell could accommodate her there. His hands itched to redden her ass, to see his marks of possession on her body. It was a primitive urge that completely overtook him. He wanted to own her, for there to be no question as to his ownership.

But as he guided her toward his bedroom, he acknowledged that he didn’t want just to own her body. He wanted to own her heart. And while he would possess her body in short order—as he’d already possessed her once—it would take much more effort and time to own the parts of her she held most dear. Her heart, mind and soul.

He wanted them all. Wouldn’t settle for anything less than all of her.

Now he just had to convince her.

“Get on the bed. Lie on your stomach, hands behind you at the small of your back. I’ll come to you as soon as I prepare everything.”

She caught her breath and color suffused her cheeks. He could see her breathing had sped up and excitement reflected in her gaze. Her hand slid from his, leaving him bereft of her touch. Then she walked to his bed and positioned herself as he’d directed.

He collected the items he needed from his closet. A leather strap. He was confident it would bring her—and himself—great pleasure. A length of rope.

He dropped the rope on the bed and then positioned his knee between her splayed thighs. He gathered her wrists in one hand and then began coiling the silken rope around them, binding them together.

She gasped softly. He could feel the tension coiling in her body.

When he had her wrists securely tied, he stepped back.

“Up on your knees,” he said firmly, injecting a bite of command into his tone. “Ass in the air. Cheek against the mattress.”

She struggled upward, and he reached underneath her, splaying his hand over her soft belly. He helped her upward until her knees found purchase in the mattress and she rested her face against the bed.

Satisfied with her position, he stepped back again to retrieve the leather strap.

“Have you done this before, Josie? I don’t want it to be too much. You need to let me know what you can take.”

“Yes,” she whispered. “And I can take a lot, Ash. Don’t hold back. I . . . need it. I want it.”

He leaned forward, blanketing her with his body. “If it’s too much, at any time, you say stop. Understand? It all ends with that word, darling.”

A shudder rolled through her body. She liked endearments. He liked her reaction every time he used them.

Then he stepped back once more and smoothed a hand over her plump ass.

“Twelve,” he said. “Twelve marks you’ll wear on your skin. When I’m certain you’re with me, we’ll graduate to more. But for now, we start at a dozen.”

She nodded, her eyes closed, her lips tight with anticipation. He didn’t make her wait any longer.

The first snap of leather against her skin was loud in the silence. She jumped, the red immediately blazing across her ass. Then a soft moan escaped her lips, the sound intoxicating to him.

Again he expertly delivered the blow, the other cheek this time. Red shimmered, coloring her skin, the contrast between the paler, untouched skin and where the leather had kissed beautiful and striking.

She squirmed restlessly as he administered the third, fourth and fifth. By the ninth, she was softly begging. More. Harder.

“The last three, Josie. They’ll be harder. And then I’m going to fuck your sweet ass. Think you can take that?”

“Ash.”

His name came out a moan. A desperate plea. Yeah, she was with him. More than with him. He was holding back, and she didn’t want that.

He allowed more power into the tenth stroke, watching her closely, how she took the pain. It was there, at first. But just as quickly as the pain registered, she converted it, pushed it away and embraced the pleasure.

Her eyes, open now, were soft and dreamy, as if she’d escaped into another world.

He wasn’t used to tempering his movements, to holding himself back. He’d held back with Bethany, that night he and Jace had been with her together, because Jace wouldn’t allow him to do anything but. But Josie was important. Different. He wanted to cherish her. Be gentle and patient, even when she herself exuded impatience with his reserve. There would be plenty of time for him to give her everything. For now he wanted to make sure she was with him every step of the way, that he didn’t cross the line and cause her more pain than pleasure.

He gave her the eleventh and then paused, savoring the last, wanting her edgy and needing. She twisted restlessly, arching back. He didn’t even know if she was cognizant of the way her body begged for more.

“Twelve, Josie. Take the last. Give it to me. Everything you have.”

He brought the strap down, harder than the previous times, taking care not to hit the same spots he’d hit before. The crack sounded. Her surprised yelp faded into a moan. A soft, sweet sigh of pleasure that prickled the hair at his nape and dove deep under his skin. His dick was rigid, so hard it was painful. He wanted inside her body. Deep in her ass. It was the one part of her he hadn’t possessed yet, the final hurdle in his complete ownership of her body.

He dropped the strap, impatient to be inside her. But he held himself back, forcing himself to take the care he needed to ensure she could take him with no pain.

He took his time applying the lubricant, stretching her opening, adding one finger and then two, applying the gel inside and out. Then he squirted more into his hand and rubbed it down the length of his erection.

A groan escaped him. His dick hated his hand. It wasn’t what it wanted. His cock wanted inside her.

He pushed forward, cupping her rosy buttocks in his palms before spreading them so her opening was bared to him. Then he circled his erection with one hand, palming the base, and guided it against her entrance.

She presented the most erotic image, kneeling, ass presented, her hands bound and secured at the small of her back. Utterly helpless to do anything but take whatever he gave her.

He tucked the head of his cock to the puckered opening and began to press forward, taking his time and exerting patience he hadn’t known he possessed.

She moaned as he began to push inward, stretching her tight ring around the thick width of his dick.

“Don’t fight it, baby. Push back and let me inside,” he soothed. “It’s going to feel so good when I’m inside you.”

He reached underneath her, circling her waist, his fingers splayed wide against her belly. Then he lowered his fingers, delving into the damp curls to find her clitoris. As soon as his finger brushed over the taut bud, she jerked in reaction and he took advantage of that burst of pleasure to thrust hard.

She gasped as her body opened, surrendering to his invasion. He closed his eyes and breathed harshly through his nose as he fought off his release. God, she was so tight around him, gripping him like a fist. And he was only halfway in.

He stroked once more over her clit, exerting just the right amount of pressure, and when she began to buck back toward him, he used his strength to push himself the rest of the way in. To the balls. She enveloped him, swallowing him whole. His thighs rested against her ass as he heaved for breath.

“I’m close,” she whispered desperately. “I can’t hold it off, Ash. Oh God.”

He moved his finger, just for a moment, waiting for her to catch up. He didn’t want her to come yet. It would make his possession too painful. She needed to be with him the whole way. The minute she orgasmed, the edgy build-up would be lost and he’d hurt her.

“Not until I do,” he commanded, withdrawing a bit so he could push back into her. “And I’m not ready yet, baby. You feel so damn good. Going to enjoy this sweet ass a little longer before I come inside you.”

She moaned again, her ass clenching hard around his cock.

He withdrew and thrust forward again, careful to keep his fingers from her clit. Then he touched her again, testing just how close she was to falling over.

The moment her body tightened, he took his finger away again, earning him a desperate sound of agitation and impatience. He smiled. So responsive. So fucking beautiful. And all his.

He was balls-deep inside her ass, no part of her body untouched by him. She wore his marks on that beautiful ass. And still she wanted more. Fucking perfect.

He began to thrust harder. Rhythmically. A drive to completion. As soon as he felt his balls draw up and the rush begin to hurdle over him, he began to stroke her clit again, wanting her with him. Wanting them both to fly over that edge together.

With his free hand, he curled his fingers around her bound wrists, gripping the rope, holding it and using it to pull her back hard against him to meet his thrusts. She let out a sharp cry, one that worried him for a moment because he feared he was hurting her. But she was thrusting back against him, desperate for more.

“Get there, Josie,” he rasped out. “Come for me, baby. I’m there. I’m coming. Fuck me.”

His fingers never left her clit, even as his own orgasm swarmed over him. The room blurred around him. He closed his eyes as he strained into her, as he yanked her back to meet his demanding thrusts.

The first spurt of his release was painful. Edgy. Overwhelming. Still, he continued to thrust, bathing her insides with his hot semen. Until it seeped from her opening and ran down the inside of her leg.

The visual spurred his orgasm to further heights. Seeing the evidence of his possession on her body was supremely satisfying. He’d never been so gratified before.

His name tore hoarsely from her mouth. Her entire body tightened. Her fingers balled into tight fists underneath his hand. Her body shook and trembled and then she slid down, her knees losing purchase on the bed. He went with her, his hand sliding from between her legs to brace himself on the bed so she didn’t bear his full weight. But he let her have some of it. The feel of her beneath him, of the way he blanketed her body, hit him hard. He loved it.