Her breath quickened as something in his tone registered. He’d made that last promise and exposed a bit of his hand. Yes, this was business, but he, too, would walk away from this experience with something. He wasn’t as detached as he pretended. He felt something for her, be it greed, possessiveness, affection, or respect, she wasn’t quite sure, but it was evident how much it pleased him to always claim ownership of this virgin part of her.
Strangely, she was glad to give it to him. Her emotions were betraying her common sense and she needed to cool it. The problem was, every second he interacted with her the more emotionally invested she became. She didn’t know how to shut off that part of herself.
His body lifted, his hand slowly dragging down her spine, fingers tripping over each vertebra. Her insides tugged as his fingers worked her desire higher and higher. Withdrawing his touch, he bent and spread her cheeks wide. Her eyes closed as his inspection weighed on her.
“So tight.” He smacked her behind as he released her cheeks. “I think a bit more oil would be appreciated.” Again, he doused her ass with lubricant, which she appreciated. See how considerate he is of your comfort . . .
Gritting her teeth, she willed her heart to stay out of it. “Thank you, Sir.”
“Such pretty southern manners.”
She had to smirk. It was a well-mannered southern insult that got her into this mess, but she knew better than to comment on his ironic praise.
He stepped close, the heat of his cock burning her back entrance as trepidation bit at her. He pressed and her body instinctively tried to escape his hold. So many emotions. So many rapid thoughts and fears. The pleasure vanished with the first pinch of tightness as he fit his cock against her opening and she panicked. “Penguin. Penguin.”
The pressure disappeared. “Are you hurt?” There was obvious concern in his voice.
She breathed fast, her bottom quickly recuperating from the sense it was about to be ripped in two.
“Answer me, Collette. You have permission to speak.”
“I panicked. I’m sorry.”
“Did I hurt you?”
“It hurt.” She swallowed. “For a second.”
He was silent for a moment. “A good hurt or a bad hurt? Please be specific.”
“A scary hurt. I don’t know if I can do this.” Her jaw locked in frustration. She wanted to try this and she wanted to try it with him. The sudden shame at not being able to do something he desired caught her off guard, knocking the breath from her and rocking her to the verge of tears. She desperately wanted to be an adequate partner for him, regardless of the limited time in which she’d have the right.
His body folded over hers as he softly whispered into her ear. “What do you want, peach? If you want this to stop, it will.” His lips pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“I want . . .” To please you. “I’m ready now, Sir. I was just scared.”
He was silent for a long moment. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Yes. Please do it.”
“All right, Collette. We’ll continue. If you need to stop again, you know what to do.”
She nodded again and exhaled as his body lifted off hers, but he didn’t return where he left off. Her brow creased as his hand softly trailed down her spine, his fingertips taking a slow exploration of her sides, tracing each dip and curve. Her breath sucked in as his mouth pressed to her behind and his palms glided firmly up to her arms.
“Relax. Feel my touch. Know it’s me and think of all the times my body has brought you pleasure. Relax and feel, peach. I won’t hurt you.”
The tension in her shoulders eased as her eyes closed. Every press of his hand filled her with comforting warmth. Her worries subsided, and desire to meet his needs the way he met hers slowly kindled. She was ready. It was amazing that, for as demanding as he could be, he was equally patient and always insistent she be ready for each step forward.
This time when his cock pressed to her back entrance, it was slick with oil applied directly to his skin. She whimpered as he gently probed the tight muscle, stretching it with little dips of his thick cock. It seemed the entry was the difficult part. The deeper he went, the more her pleasure intensified. Her skin began to sweat as she lifted to her toes, her calf muscles throbbing. He held her cheeks wide and suddenly he was in.
Bearing down, she let out a harsh breath and swallowed.
He leaned over her back, blanketing her. His breath left in a gust of heat, sending chills down her arms. When he spoke, his voice was strained, a husky rasp thick with desire. “How do you feel, peach?”
Her nipples tightened against the covers as the dark need in his gravelly tone sank into her, warm and rich. Neither of them was unaffected by this act. “Full. Very full, like I’m going to tear in two, but at the same time, I feel cocooned and wonderful.”
His body shifted, applying pressure to her insides as he again kissed her back. “I’m very proud of you for trying when you were afraid. It shows exquisite trust. You honor me.”
His hips rocked with the slightest motion, barely withdrawing, but stimulating a sensation deep inside her. She groaned and her back bowed of its own volition, as if her body needed more. Never once did his presence inside her escape her every thought.
Her emotions, again, took hold as she blinked back tears. There was no pain, only delicious pressure. “I’m so wet.” She breathed out the confession before her common sense could pull it back.
His fingers briefly caressed her folds and he cursed. “It’s a beautiful thing, your body’s reaction to mine.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“You’re welcome.” She sensed it immediately, another wall erecting between them. He might be a master of many things, but mostly he was a master at separating reality from fantasy. He withdrew and her body pulsed with emptiness.
“Oh God.” She lowered her face and clenched her ass, willing the hollow feeling away and suppressing the fear that this would be another abrupt halt to their intimacy.
“Up on the bed, peach. Now that you’ve had a cock in your ass I’m going to show you how it feels to be fucked by one.” Relief overwhelmed her as he guided her onto the mattress. “Lie flat. Legs together. Get comfortable.”
He wasn’t finished with her, but there was a definite change. Where had the closeness gone? She hadn’t imagined it. She’d felt it in his harsh exhalations and heard it in the tone of his voice. Chances were, if she could lay her hand on his chest his heart would be thundering as hard as hers. This was not one-sided. It couldn’t be.
He climbed on top of her, straddling her thighs and pressing her hips into the bedding. Her eyes shut tight as he spread her again. “Beautiful.”
She expected him to sink into her, picking up where they left off, but he didn’t. His mouth trailed over her shoulders as he whispered, “Beautiful, Collette.” A bit of the closeness came back to her. His hands coasted over her flesh, feather light and almost reverent. “Your body responds to mine so nicely. Tell me what you feel.”
So much. “Desire. Need.”
Leaning up, he fit his cock to her opening. “Is this what you need?” He edged only deep enough to stretch her slightly.
That was a start. “Please . . .”
His moan echoed her own as he sank into her. His strong body pressed into her soft curves as he slowly rocked over her. Picturing his strength and perfect formation as his chest lifted with each dip into her, she felt her arousal double.
Her hands fisted the bedding as his fingers closed over hers, pressing them deeper into the mattress. Mesmerized, she stared at their entwined fingers as he consumed her. His breath chased over her neck, teasing her damp curls. His belly glided against her spine as his gravelly moans met her ears and his intensely male scent filled her lungs.
It was by far the most intimate experience of her entire life.
“
Sir,” she rasped.
He paused, and she regretted interrupting him. Buried deep, his body braced over hers. “Yes, Collette?” So soft was his voice in that moment she found herself breathless once more.
Words escaped her, at least the pretty sort that could accurately express what she was feeling in that moment under his total possession. “Thank you for . . . this.”
He growled, dark and hedonistically, as he pulled back, driving into her again. She gasped at the stimulating fullness, her pelvis digging into the mattress.
“Do you like my cock in your ass, peach?”
It wasn’t so much the physical act that was getting her high as the implied possession. He had her, pinned, pegged, and ready to beg. “Yes, Sir. Thank you.”
“Thank you for what?” He thrust again.
Her flesh tingled as arousal turned to a sort of essence surrounding her. She bathed in the sense of everything outside of that moment, outside of him and her, letting go. “Thank you for showing me how good your cock feels filling my ass.”
His breathing turned labored. Cupping her jaw, he turned her face and slammed his lips to hers, driving his tongue deep into her mouth as his body thrust into her. “You . . .” He whispered over her lips as he continued to hold her face and kiss her. “Why do you always know what to say?”
He seemed angry yet pleased. His touch was intense, but anything less would have been superficial. It seemed that being inside her like this unleashed a part of him she’d yet to witness. It called to her compliant nature and had her bending to his every touch, a malleable body from which he could take his pleasure.
Her mind spun as he thrust harder and harder, his hips slamming into her ass. He released her face, and her mouth opened as she called out his name. The harder he pounded, the more she wanted. It seemed her ass could take a much harder fucking than her pussy, and this act seemed to be freeing demons caged long ago.
“Who owns this ass?”
“You do, Sir.”
“And what do you say when I give you my cock like this?”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Faster, he drilled into her, and suddenly something deep in her sex connected with her unraveling mind as her breasts pressed into the bedding. He possessed her mind, her body, and—she was pretty certain—a part of her soul no other would ever claim. Quickly, like a lit fuse chasing a powder line, her body tensed and flooded with unprecedented pleasure. “Sir, may I . . .” God, there would be no stopping it.
He drove into her harder. “You have my permission. Come.”
Her mouth opened on a cry as her toes curled and her body ignited. He groaned and withdrew. Heat streaked her back in pulsing jets as her legs trembled and her mind blanked. There was only the space in between, no lines dividing, no him, no her, only them, only energy and sensation, dark and throbbing.
Warmth spread inside her as her body burned, and everything seemed different, as if she’d been initiated into a world of carnality she’d never visited. Cool pressure gently prodded her behind and she grumbled, her body too oversensitive to tolerate the slightest touch.
“Be still.”
The pressure disappeared and her body was lifted and folded, pulled into a cozy niche that smelled incredible, like male ego and authority. He rocked her in his arms, laying kisses on her eyelashes and cheeks. “You did very well, Collette. Very well as always.” His voice turned hoarse. “Good girl.”
Her mind tried to hold on to his words, but they slipped away as she floated off on a dream, safe and secure. There had never been a more peaceful place to rest than in his arms.
***
Collette awoke in what felt like the middle of the night surrounded by pitch black. Heat surrounded her as Jude held her close to his body, his leg wrapped around her and grounding her in place. Carefully, she shifted his weight off her. They were definitely in his bed now, the curtains on the frame closed around them.
“Where are you sneaking off to?”
She stilled and smiled. “I’m starving. What time is it?”
“Probably close to eight.”
“Do you mind if I go find food? I can bring a tray up.”
He stretched in the darkness, his hand sliding over hers and squeezing in such a tender and evocative way that it rendered her shocked for a moment. For someone who thought it imperative they not lose sight of the nature of their association, he sure had a strange way of showing it.
“Go ahead. I’m going to shower.”
She leaned close and he stilled. Brazenly, she pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Sir.”
His hand hovered over her hair for a moment, then gently feathered down. “Go before I eat you.”
She giggled and slipped out of the bed. Outside the curtain, dusk flooded the room with deep purples tinged in gold. The house was chilly and she didn’t know the trick for using the locked door to her room, so she grabbed one of his shirts on the chair and slipped it over her shoulders.
Her body demanded attention before anything else. Taking a quick detour to her private bathroom, she cleaned up. There wasn’t much to take care of, being that he’d tended to her when they had finished. Still, she wanted to be at her best for him. With her hair pinned high in a clip, she quickly washed off in the shower.
As she dried her body, her gaze snagged on the mirror. She’d been quick, so the room had barely steamed. Her hand fluttered to her chest as she stared at her reflection, a knowing smile tugging at her mouth.
It was likely imagined, but her eyes appeared wiser and her skin held a healthy glow. Her gaze drifted to the locked charm dangling from her wrist, and she sighed. “Take it easy, girl. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
In the kitchen, she used a small platter and filled it with grapes, cheese, and some almonds. Swiping an open bottle of wine and two glasses, she returned to his bedroom.
The spatter of the shower told her it was still occupied. The soft sloshing sounds of water, different from the steady drizzle a vacant shower sang, sending her mind on a carnal fantasy as she imagined his hard body slick with soap and flexing under the stream of hot water. How breathtaking his naked form was. She briefly considered joining him, but as she placed the tray on the nightstand the water shut off. Damn.
She stole a grape and removed his shirt, then slipped onto his bed and waited. On a whim, she shifted to her knees, wanting to present her gifts in a proper manner. He appeared with a damp towel slung low around his defined hips and stilled as he caught sight of her. “Pretty peach.”
She grinned. “I brought you some snacks to nibble.”
He walked slowly to the bed, never taking his eyes off her. “I see that.” Leaning close, he brushed his lips over hers and pulled back as she tried to meet him halfway. “I think I’ll nibble this peach for a moment.”
Nudging her backward, he climbed onto the bed. His towel fell to the mattress, damp and cool. Sliding her knees apart, he kissed down her belly and slowly licked her.
Lifting her arms over her head, she sighed and stared at the chandelier as he slowly pleasured her. His touch was gentle, a delicate massage that built and cooled like a slow summer breeze.
His tongue slid between her folds, skillfully sipping from her. No one had ever done that so carefully without the urgent rush to make her climax. His fingers never entered her. He used only his mouth, and used it in the tenderest way possible.
Slowly, her pleasure peaked. Soft moans broke the silence, buffered by the drapes partially surrounding the bed. Everywhere he touched took her further along this sensual journey. Her skin seemed to awaken as his palm glided up and down the bottom of her thigh.
Delicately, his thumb strummed her clit as his hand caressed her legs, knees, and feet. His mouth took over as the fingers of his other hand pulled gently on her nipple. Like the waves born in the middle of the sea, her pleasure formed and grew.
Her cries picked up pace as the intrepid beat of her heart fled into a steady gallop.
When the wave finally crested and broke, she felt as though every part of her shattered and skittered away, only to pull back into itself—whole again.
He collapsed next to her and reached for a cluster of grapes. “I’ve developed a fondness for peaches.”
She grinned, her fingertips following the rapid pulse of her heart as she caught her breath. “You’re very good at that, Sir.”
He held the grapes over her lips and she bit one plump ball off the offering. Juice filled her mouth as she sank her teeth into the fruit.
“I’d say we’re equally talented in terms of oral sex.”
They munched in silence, Jude holding the plate on his chest and feeding her a morsel of whatever he fed himself.
“How do you support yourself, Collette?”
Her mind shifted at the question. “I’ve been single a long time. A girl only needs so much beyond a cell phone and an apartment.”
“No shoe fetishes to feed?”
She grinned. “No. I have other fetishes to worry about.”
He turned and studied her. “Such as?”
She shrugged. “Look where I am.”
How perfectly he’d named Fernweh. When she first discovered its existence she’d looked into the name but found no English translation. He must have picked up the term during one of his trips overseas. The German word, as she understood, indicated a longing, a deep desire, strong enough to push a person toward the unknown and pull them away from the world they’d always lived within.
She had such a yearning—fernweh. The unquenched yearning only subsided to a tolerable ache once she’d met Jude, which wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
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