by Erika Wilde
She looked him straight in the eyes. “In that case, I’m sure Rick would be more than happy to educate me.”
For the second time that evening, jealousy burned like acid in his stomach, making it difficult to keep his composure calm and collected when she was clearly trying to get a reaction out of him. In fact, he had to deliberately push his fisted hands deep into the front pockets of his black pants, knowing they’d be safer there than having them available to reach out and grip hold of her hair and haul her mouth up against his so he could give her a taste of exactly what he was capable of.
After a long, drawn-out moment, she released a weary sigh. “Look, I’m going to be honest with you, Mac. I’m not looking for anything more than sex right now. I’m pretty focused on my business for the foreseeable future considering how fast it’s growing, so the last thing I want is to be tied down to any kind of relationship that comes with expectations that are manipulative and emotionally draining. Been there, done that, and it didn’t end well,” she said, piquing his curiosity about said relationship. “But it’s been too long since I’ve been touched by anything other than my battery-operated boyfriend, and I’ve been curious about certain things based on what I’ve heard Jillian, Raina, and Paige talk about.”
“What kind of things?” he asked before he could stop himself from speaking the words out loud. Because she definitely had his attention and he was dying to know details.
The faintest hint of pink swept across her cheeks, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the atmosphere of the club and everything going on around them or the images in her head his question conjured. “The thought of being tied down or restrained during foreplay or sex intrigues and excites me.”
Her fantasy was shared without shame, making him appreciate just how open and honest she was about her desires compared to the quiet, demure women he hooked up with at the club.
“It’s something I want to experience,” she went on, her chin lifting a few obstinate inches. “And if you aren’t interested in being the man to show me what that’s like, then I’ll find someone who is.”
She started to walk away to do just that, and he automatically reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her . . . because the goddamn thought of any other man having what he wanted so badly made him feel more than a little crazed.
Annoyance flashed in her eyes as she met his gaze. “You can’t have it both ways, Mac,” she said, calling him out on his indecision.
There was no doubt in his mind that she was dead set on finding another man to accommodate the scene she’d just laid out for him. She was forcing him to make a choice, and he wasn’t a man who liked ultimatums. He gave them, and didn’t like being on the receiving end of her demand, even if he understood why she was issuing one.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Her bold, confident stare wreaked havoc with his own wants and desires. If he released her arm, he’d have to live with the fact that he’d let her walk away, because he didn’t do regrets, and there would be no second chances. And if he held on tight and guided her up to his private room, he had no doubts that he would probably push her to her limits more than was wise.
His nostrils flared as he inhaled deep breaths that did little to calm the surge of adrenaline already filling his veins at the thought of giving them both what they craved. She wanted to be restrained and forced to obey his commands, even though her likely insubordination would be met with some kind of discipline. He was certainly capable of doing that, with immense pleasure. And for him, Mac just wanted her out of his system . . . a few authoritative games they’d both enjoy and a good, hard fuck so he finally knew what she felt like wrapped around his dick when she came, and the intrigue factor of Stephanie Randall would no longer be a temptation, but rather an itch he’d scratched so he could move the fuck on.
He relaxed his hold on her arm and let his thumb caress that sensitive skin under her bicep. She visibly shivered, and the frustration in her eyes softened, while her nipples hardened against the tight material stretched across her chest.
“Are you sure you want to play with me?” he asked, wanting to make sure she knew exactly what she was getting herself into before he whisked her away to somewhere more private and away from prying eyes. He wanted Stephanie all to himself, with no interruptions.
“Yes,” she said, licking her bottom lip.
God, that soft, lush mouth and the filthy things he wanted to do to it. He wanted to touch it, kiss it, fuck it . . . “Consider yourself warned, then,” he told her, “because as soon as you and I are alone, you’re going to play my way, understand?”
She nodded, slowly but eagerly. “Yes.”
“My rules,” he reiterated, leaning closer to her. “I’m the one in charge tonight, not you, so do not try and top me from the bottom.”
A small, wicked grin threatened to spill across her lips. “And if I do?”
Jesus, she was already being defiant and sassy. With any other woman, that impudent behavior would have irritated the hell out of him, but with Stephanie, all that daring bravado turned him on like a fucking light switch.
“If you disobey me or try to get the upper hand, you’ll be disciplined accordingly,” he said, meaning it. “If at any point you’re uncomfortable with anything that is happening between us, your safe word is red. Say it, and everything will end, no questions asked. The words stop and no are pointless and irrelevant since you are protected by your safe word, and if you use either one, you will be punished for crying wolf.”
“Okay,” she said, agreeing to his terms.
He knew he was being a hard-ass about that last condition, but his reasons were based on that personal experience where lines had been blurred and he’d been accused of sexual assault. Without being able to use the words stop and no, it kept Stephanie’s needs for what she truly desired clearly defined in any situation and eliminated any confusion or second-guessing on his end of things.
Bottom line, she had two distinct choices . . . enjoy the erotic games they played or, if the situation became too overwhelming, she could safe word out.
“And one last thing,” he said, wanting to make sure he covered all scenarios. “If your mouth is otherwise occupied and you can’t speak and you want to end whatever is happening, snap your fingers and the scene will stop immediately.”
That fascination was back in her eyes, her entire expression warming with excitement and impatience. “I got it, Mac,” she said, giving him the verbal consent he needed to hear from her. “I’m ready for this. I’m ready for you.”
Before he came to his senses and changed his mind, he slipped her warm hand in his and led her all the way up to the private room that was off-limits to everyone but him.
* * *
Stephanie had no idea where Mac was taking her. Not that it mattered, considering she’d follow him anywhere he wanted to lead her tonight. As they climbed the staircase up another level, then kept on going until they reached a fourth floor of the mansion, where it was marked PRIVATE, she could feel the sexual energy vibrating off of Mac. Now that they’d agreed to this little tryst and she’d acknowledged his relatively simple rules, he was a man in charge and unwavering in his desire for her.
Finally, she thought, as a delicious shiver of anticipation rippled through her. For months now he’d been doing everything in his power to deflect their attraction and downplay the chemistry between them. Tonight, that was all going to change. She was finally going to discover what it was like being under this man’s power. And even though she was a strong, decisive woman who was capable of standing on her own two feet without depending on a man to take care of her, there was something incredibly thrilling, and a bit freeing, about the decision to give herself over to Mac sexually. Of being restrained so she had no choice but to let go and trust him with her body and her pleasure.
Yes, she was so ready for this. And so ready for him.
They reached a door with a keypad beside it, and he quickly punched in a series of numbers, and the lock unlatched to
let them in. She expected to walk into a fully equipped playroom, but was instead surprised to find that she was now in a small, private apartment-like setting that had a living area and connecting kitchen. To the right was what appeared to be a bedroom, but he guided her to the left toward another closed door that he opened with another quick code.
She only had a couple of seconds to see where he’d taken her—into a room decorated in black and chrome and furnished with an array of erotic equipment, fixtures, and apparatuses—before he closed and relocked the door, then pushed her up against the nearest wall. Her lips parted on a startled gasp as he shoved all ten fingers into her hair so that her head was cradled between his big hands right before his mouth crashed down on hers, releasing all the pent-up lust that had been building between them for what seemed like an eternity.
The kiss was hot, hard, and hungry—and aggressive in a way that made sure she understood that she was now in his domain, and he was the one in control. His tongue swept deep inside, his firm lips insistent on hers while his hips and thighs pinned her lower body in place. She could feel the thick length of his erection digging into her lower belly, and desire flashed white-hot through her and straight between her legs.
A low, masculine sound rumbled up from his chest and the fingers in her hair clutched a little tighter as he angled her head for another onslaught of pleasure. His mouth plundered hers unapologetically. She’d never felt so consumed by a kiss and so conquered by a man, and he wasn’t even inside her yet. Everything about Mac was highly intoxicating, and even a little dangerous considering how big and strong he was, and how easily he could bend her to his will.
Except there was no bending necessary. She was an enthusiastic participant to his physical and verbal demands, even if she did enjoy making her acquiescence a bit of a game for him. Her defiance seemed to push him to the edge of that cool, calm control he always exuded, and there was something a bit thrilling about being able to get under this alpha man’s skin.
When her lips felt swollen and tender from his voracious kisses and her body soft and yielding against the hard planes of his, he finally lifted his head. They were both breathing hard, his eyes heavy-lidded as he glanced down at the upper swells of her heaving breasts that were close to spilling over the top of her strapless dress.
“Goddamn,” he growled in a dark tone as he released one hand from her hair and skimmed it over the curve of her hip and around to her ass. He squeezed her flesh through the too thin fabric and pressed her tighter against him. “I ought to punish you for coming to the club in this dress, with no bra and no fucking panties on.”
She shivered at the threat in his voice and didn’t hesitate to dare him. “Are you sure I’m not wearing any panties?”
He arched a brow, his eyes glittering with heat and sin as he boldly brought his hand around to the front of her thigh. Holding her gaze, he dragged his palm slowly up the inside of her leg, building the anticipation of his touch and making her sex pulse as she waited impatiently for that first decadent caress, in the precise spot where she needed it so damn badly.
His fingers finally reached bare flesh, confirming what he already knew as he rubbed two long digits along her sensitive slit. She moaned as the delicious tension of an impending orgasm welled inside her, and it took effort to keep her palms flat against the wall beside her when she wanted to press his hand more firmly between her legs.
A triumphant smirk curved his mouth. “Yeah, no panties and you’re soaked,” he murmured, stroking her much too leisurely. Two thick fingers explored and pushed inside her, deep enough to make her whimper with need, then drew back and deliberately teased. “Your pussy is so fucking soft and slick. From watching that ménage?” he asked.
His thumb swiped across her clit, just enough to keep her body desperate for more pressure, more friction. “No,” she managed to say as he continued circling and massaging that aching nub while she rocked her hips against his hand to encourage him to stroke her harder, faster. Much to her frustration, he kept to his own unhurried pace. “I’m wet from kissing you and imagining your mouth and tongue . . . elsewhere.”
“Jesus, Steph,” he rumbled as the hand in her hair twisted harder, so he could tip her head back and stare down at her upturned face. “Where do you want my mouth and tongue?”
The tingling against her scalp, that slight sting of awareness, made her nipples tighten almost painfully. “I want them where your fingers are, between my legs.”
“Yeah?” Another wicked grin as he penetrated her body once again, driving her mad as he slid his fingers in and out a few times. “Maybe if you’re a good girl I’ll make that happen.”
He removed his hand from her pussy, and with his gaze holding hers, he sucked on his wet fingers. “Soft, slick, and so fucking sweet, too.”
His filthy statement added to the heat and arousal pouring through her. “God, Mac . . . ”
He shook his head, cutting her off. “Not Mac. Tonight, while we’re playing, it’s Brent, my real name,” he said as he pressed his thumb against her bottom lip and pushed it inside her mouth so she could taste herself on it. “That’s the name I want to hear when you come for me.”
With that new rule in place, he moved away from her and walked to the middle of the room, back in control again. “Take a look around,” he said, the wave of his hand indicating all the various devices at their disposal. “What would you like to try? What interests you the most?”
“Besides you?” she asked, surprised he was giving her a choice.
“Yeah, besides me, since that’s a given,” he replied as he turned back around to face her. “Do you want to be bent over the spanking bench? Or maybe you’d enjoy being tied up and gagged?”
The latter held no appeal to her. “Tied up or spanked? Sure. Gagged? Not so much.”
“I’ll take that into consideration, depending on how sassy that mouth of yours gets,” he said, a touch of humor in his voice as he strolled back toward her. But with every step he took, his expression gradually took on that authoritative edge that made heat and anticipation simmer low in her belly.
“What about having your ass paddled until it’s pink and tender?” he suggested, and when he stopped in front of her, his brown eyes were dark and daring. “Or maybe I should just demand you drop to your knees and suck me off.”
If he was trying to shock her, he was going to have to try much harder. His dirty words were merely a suggestion, but she’d never been one to back down from a taunt, and Mac was no exception. She reached out and attempted to open his belt to release the erection straining the front of his pants, and to show him she was game for anything, but he quickly grabbed her wrists and pulled them away before she could slide the leather strap through the buckle.
“Look at you, already taking over,” he said with a tsking sound. “I didn’t actually make the request, sweetness. Then again, maybe you’re looking for a little discipline?”
She tipped her chin up, brazen and bold. “Maybe I am.”
A devious look flickered in his eyes, right before he pulled her toward the St. Andrew’s Cross in the room. Instead of solid wood, this one was padded in black leather. “Since you can’t seem to keep your hands to yourself, restraints are definitely in order.”
He pushed her backside against the large X-frame, and she didn’t resist as he lifted one arm and began fastening a leather cuff around that wrist, then did the same to the other, so that both of her hands were secured out to the sides and above her head. The first stirrings of excitement unfurled inside of her, followed by another flash of anticipation when Mac tucked his fingers into the top of her dress and peeled it down to her waist.
Suppressing her groan was impossible as her breasts were freed and the cool air caused them to tighten into firm mounds. Mac looked his fill, his gaze both hot and appreciative.
“You have great tits,” he said, his voice rough with arousal as he took them both in his hands and squeezed hard. “Let’s see what your pain threshold
is like so I can decide on the best course of punishment.”
He pinched and twisted her stiff nipples, eliciting an acute twinge of discomfort sharp enough to make her suck in a startled breath. It definitely hurt, but not enough for her to use her safe word.
But he wasn’t done yet. His fingers continued to pluck at those now puckered crests as he lowered his head and latched onto one of her breasts. He sucked deep, using his teeth to scrape and bite those tender peaks until a soft cry slipped past her lips and her body jolted from each of those intense sensations. Only then did he use his tongue to soothe the throbbing tip before he gave her other breast the same abrasive treatment.
By the time he was done with his sensual torment, she was so turned on she could feel her own wetness coating the insides of her thighs. She rubbed her legs together to ease the increasing ache blooming between them, but he inserted a foot between hers to keep them wedged apart.
“You don’t get to come until I say you can,” he said, his tone stern as he shoved her dress down her hips, then crouched lower to help her step out of the circle of fabric.
He left her heels on her feet as he quickly secured her ankles to the frame, then stood back up. Other than her shoes and the rhinestone necklace, she was completely naked and he devoured every inch of her with his hungry eyes as he unbuttoned his white shirt, then shrugged out of it, giving Stephanie her first look at his hard, muscular body.
For a man nearing his forties, he was in amazing shape. His chest was solid and defined with a light sprinkling of dark hair, and she wanted to drag her fingers, or her tongue, along the ridges bisecting his flat stomach. She watched, riveted, as he unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, and pushed them off, along with his shoes and socks, leaving him in a tight pair of black boxer briefs that molded to his strong thighs and the impressive, mouth-watering length of his erect cock.
