by Julia Sykes
Bracing my hands at his hips, I broke our kiss and slowly sank to my knees, keeping my eyes locked on his as I settled into the submissive position.
His nostrils flared like a predator scenting his prey, and his eyes blazed.
I reached for his belt, easing his shirt up for better access. When my fingers brushed over his bare skin, his muscles rippled and danced beneath my touch. I leaned forward and pressed a reverent kiss to his abs.
“Marisol.” He groaned my name, and his calloused fingertips trailed through my hair.
I captured him in my gaze once again. “I trust you, Raúl.” My fingers trembled as I reached for his belt, but my voice was steady. “Do you trust me?”
He gave me a solemn nod and a low hum; a primal response from deep in his soul.
Warmth settled in my chest as the last of the tension between us cleared away. Our relationship was complicated, but that didn’t mean we had to be cruel when difficult subjects came up. We cared about one another.
I knew he would never hurt me. I wanted to promise him the same.
This vulnerable position I’d put myself in—this act of giving—quieted my mind. As I freed his cock from his jeans, the desire I’d so brutally denied us both pulsed back to life.
His impressive size was a little intimidating: the thick, throbbing length; the bulging vein; the purple head, glistening with a bead of precum.
My trepidation sent a thrill skittering down my spine. It shuddered into my core, reawakening the ache between my legs. My clit throbbed almost painfully, and the cool air that kissed my hot, bare sex felt like a cruel, icy caress.
A low, tormented moan left my chest as I flicked out my tongue to taste him for the first time.
His fingers tangled in my hair on a harsh curse, and his cock throbbed, jutting closer to my lips. I gave him what he so fiercely desired, exploring his length with my tongue, learning the shape of him and all the places that made his hips jolt toward my face. With each reverent lick and kiss, I showed him how much I valued him, how much his pleasure meant to me.
It elicited my own pleasure, not only lighting my body up with lust, but also fulfilling a deep need to serve, to ensure my partner’s happiness and contentment.
Raúl’s increasingly filthy curses and firm grip on my hair assured me that he would be fully satisfied, and the knowledge made a gentle wave of bliss wash through my entire being. The soul-deep satisfaction transcended my physical desire, quieting the deeper ache of my denied lust.
I sank into the pleasure, and a happy hum slipped through my lips as they caressed his cock.
Both of his big hands bracketed my cheeks, his thick fingers twining in my hair. He tipped my head back, dragging my gaze to his burning green eyes. His granite jaw ticked, and his sexy scar was drawn deep into his sensual lips.
“I can’t be gentle.” He growled the warning through gritted teeth, giving me one last chance to pull away.
The fact that he was giving me the choice pulled me deeper into his thrall, and he seemed to grow impossibly taller; my dark god, towering over me.
“I trust you,” I whispered. “I want you.”
The last shred of his tenuous control snapped, and he pressed his cockhead to my lips. He didn’t pause or wait for me to take him into my mouth. His fingers tightened in my hair, lighting up my scalp with little sparks of pain as he anchored me in place for his pleasure.
He pushed forward, and his hard length parted my lips in an unyielding glide. His total control washed over me in a heady wave, freeing me from all responsibility. There was no worry, no fear, when Raúl utterly possessed me. There was only his pleasure and my blissful submission.
My eyes closed, and I welcomed him deeper on a moan.
“Look at me,” he growled, tugging sharply on my hair to harness my full attention.
My gaze snapped to his, and his fierce, beautiful face became the center of my world. His luminous eyes flared with something like awe, and his jaw tightened with a fresh burst of savage lust. He thrust deep into my mouth, pushing in far enough to make me gag.
He eased back immediately, but the harsh planes of his stony face held no mercy. He allowed me just enough time to draw a breath before pushing all the way back again, sliding more slowly this time. Keeping me locked in place with his grip on my hair, he tested how far I could take him, drawing back each time I gagged before repeating his ruthless exploration.
He found a rhythm that allowed him to go deeper, timing his thrusts with the breaths he permitted me.
Tears steamed down my cheeks; a physical and emotional response to his complete domination of my body. He somehow claimed me and released me at the same time, and I floated on the intoxicating rush of his power.
His thrusts came harder and faster, and his cock pulsed on my tongue. I opened my throat, welcoming him to drive deep.
He came on a feral roar, and his hands clamped down on the sides of my head as he released his seed into my mouth. I took everything he gave me, eager to surrender to all his desires.
He finished on a groan and pulled out, allowing me to gasp in my first full breath since he’d started fucking my mouth. The rush of oxygen went straight to my head, and he caught me as I swayed.
I wasn’t the only one who was lightheaded. Raúl dropped to his knees, catching us both in a firm embrace. He collapsed onto the floor, pulling me down with him.
When I was draped over his chest, he cupped my nape and took my mouth in a slow, languorous kiss.
I’d healed the wound that I’d inflicted. Raúl trusted me. We could work out the rest in time. For now, I was perfectly content to snuggle in his strong arms.
Chapter 18
Raúl
I wasn’t sure how long I laid on the floor of my workshop, content to settle between the cool concrete at my back and Marisol’s gentle warmth against my chest. My body felt heavy, like after a long day pounding and shaping iron. The familiar, calming exhaustion quieted my mind, providing release from the aggressive impulses that constantly threatened to test my control over my own actions.
But this time, there was no soreness accompanying the peaceful, sated state. Attaining this quiet euphoria hadn’t required me to push my body to its limits.
Marisol. The soft, petite woman in my arms was a tiny miracle, offering me the sweetest release I’d ever experienced. Her trust in me—her eagerness to soothe me and give me pleasure—transcended sexual ecstasy. No one had ever done something like this for me.
Marisol’s sweet submission had been strengthened by her gentle insistence. She’d given herself to me, but she’d been the one to initiate the scene. She’d dropped to her knees and touched me with something like reverence, soothing away all the pain that’d blackened my mind when she’d compared me to Gehovany.
I trust you, Raúl. Do you trust me?
Fuck, she’d been so vulnerable in that position, but she’d managed to strip away all my defensive anger and bitterness. She’d made me vulnerable, too.
And the end result felt so fucking good. I could’ve laid here for hours, simply indulging myself in petting her silky hair and tracing the delicate contours of her lovely face.
As my capacity for rational thought slowly returned, my satisfaction sharpened with a greedy edge. I wanted more of this. I wanted more of her.
“I brought you into my man cave to show you something.” My voice came out deep and rumbly, as though I’d been sleeping for hours. “We’ve gotten a little distracted.” I twirled a lock of her raven hair around my finger, and a small smile tugged at my lips. “I made something for you.”
Her eyes immediately lit up, and her giddy grin hit me square in the chest.
“You made me something?” She dropped her cheek to my chest, nuzzling closer in an open show of affection and gratitude. “Thank you.”
My rumbling chuckle wrapped us both in calm joy, and I savored the perfect moment.
“I haven’t even shown it to you yet,” I teased. “It’s a little early
to be thanking me.”
She propped her chin on the back of her hand, capturing me in her warm, melted chocolate gaze. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s wonderful. You’ve been so attentive already, so generous with your gifts…” Her eyes began to shine. “The flowers mean everything to me. You heard what I said about how much I miss my family, about our lives in Comitán, and you gave me something more precious than I ever could’ve imagined. Now, you’ve made something for me with your bare hands. It doesn’t matter what it is. This is…” She swallowed, her words turning thick with emotion. “You’re so good to me, Raúl.”
A tiny sun burned in the center of my chest. When she looked at me like this—like I was some kind of hero—the sensation was utterly foreign, too wonderful to be real.
But I was ravenous for more. I coveted my little lamb more than ever, and I’d do everything in my power to bind her closer to me.
Wrapping my arms around her, I carefully sat up, making sure both of us were steady enough to get to our feet. When my head didn’t swim too badly, I stood and offered her my hand. She grasped it immediately, accepting my support without hesitation.
The molten heat in my chest pulsed, filling my body with a warm glow. A wide grin split my lips as I led her to the far corner of my workshop, where I’d stored her gift.
We reached the huge, black canvas I’d draped over it, and I released her hand. Gripping the rough material in both fists, I kept my eyes locked on hers as I pulled it free to reveal what I’d made for her.
Her rosebud lips popped open on a gasp, and her hands flew to her heart, wrapping together as though in prayer.
“Oh, Raúl,” she breathed. “It’s beautiful.”
She stepped beneath the arbor I’d fashioned for her out of black iron. Unlike my usual, bluntly crafted furniture, the piece was all soft curves and whimsical coils. The double arches that formed the frame were set three feet apart, held together with delicate, wide lattice work. I’d worked for hours to bend iron vines that crept and curled over the structure; a completely unnecessary addition.
When her dainty fingers traced the outline of a thin leaf of metal ivy, the soft sigh that left her lips changed my thinking. The frilly addition was the most necessary part of the entire piece.
“I thought you might like to put it in the garden,” I offered. “You can grow something new to climb and cover the arbor. Maybe some jasmine. Whatever you want.” I said the last with more weight. I wasn’t just talking about her flowers.
I would give Marisol absolutely anything to keep this awestruck light shining from her breathtaking face. Her features practically glowed like some otherworldly, unattainable being.
My hands closed around her waist, forcibly anchoring her to the earth, tethering her to me.
She turned to me with an incandescent smile and pressed her palm to my cheek. That tender touch locked me in place more effectively than manacles, binding me to her, just as I wanted to bind her to me.
“It’s perfect. The most perfect gift I’ve ever received. Thank you, Raúl.”
The open trust in her wide, shining eyes unleashed the hunger that’d been subdued by her sweet submission. A wicked fantasy that’d developed in lurid detail during the hours I’d spent hours crafting this piece surged to the forefront of my mind. I’d indulged in it as I’d worked, my thoughts consumed with Marisol, but I’d seemed like an impossibility; simply a perverted little scene for my private enjoyment.
Now, the need to make it real descended upon me like a maddening compulsion. I would have Marisol exactly as I wanted her, in the position I’d obsessively fantasized about for days.
She’d proven to me that she reveled in my power over her. She would love every second of her forced surrender.
“Stay.” I gave her waist a little squeeze to reinforce my command before I stepped away from her to get the items I needed.
She compliantly remained exactly where I’d placed her, directly underneath the center of the arch. Judging by her relaxed posture and the contented smile that curved her lips, my little lamb wasn’t remotely suspicious of my intentions.
Her complete lack of fear made the sun in my chest burn hotter, fuel for my savage hunger.
I reached the small counter set by the sink where I washed up after finishing a metalworking session. A clean, slightly rough white cloth was folded on the shelf, waiting for a much more perverse use than drying my hands. I found a pair of blunt-tipped shears in the drawer and made a small cut in the fabric. A little force from my fists ripped the cloth down the middle, leaving me with two strips that would be just long enough to suit my purpose.
When I returned to her, I tucked the shears into my back pocket, but I kept the cloth in one of my hands. Her gaze fixed on the stark white material wrapped ominously around my fist, her head cocked with curiosity rather than trepidation.
She didn’t edge away at my predatory advance; my prey waited for me to devour her, an innocent offering to sate my most vicious needs.
As soon as I entered her personal space, imposing myself on her, she tipped her head back to welcome my brutal kiss. My cruelly satisfied growl rumbled into her pliant mouth, rolling through her body in a delectable shiver.
Keeping her locked in my kiss, I captured her wrists and pulled them together in front of her. She barely tugged against my trap when I wrapped one strip of cloth around them, binding her.
I tore my lips from hers, and she sucked down the deep breath that I’d denied her.
Her lush lips were swollen from my assault on her mouth. She watched me with slightly glassy eyes as I pulled on the tie around her wrists, forcing her arms above her head.
A merciless, triumphant grin twisted my lips as I secured the loose end of my makeshift rope over the arched iron frame that surrounded us. Seeming to surface from a daze, her eyes tightened, and she tugged harder against her bindings.
But it was far too late for that, and she wouldn’t have had a hope of escaping my trap even if she’d struggled with all her might. My weak little lamb was helpless in my ruthless hands, utterly powerless to resist any depraved thing I wanted to do to her.
Something between a whimper and a moan caught in the back of her throat, a sound so delicious that it set my teeth on edge.
She wasn’t sobbing or screaming for release. Marisol was just as lust-drunk off our perverted power dynamic as I was. She’d been made for this. She’d been made for me.
I allowed her to writhe for several long seconds, drinking in the sight of my beautiful captive. As her predicament sank in, she fell deeper into my control rather than succumbing to panic. Her lips parted on little panting breaths, and each heaving expansion of her lungs made her cleavage strain against the structured bodice of her pretty lavender dress.
My mouth twisted in a wicked smirk, and I reached for the shears in my back pocket. Moving slowly, I raised them between us, allowing the light to glint off the steel blades. It caught in her wide eyes, flashing over them in a flicker of fear. When the blunted tips of the cold metal touched her heated skin at the little hollow between her collarbones, a shudder rolled outward from the tiny point of contact.
A high whine slipped between her lips, but she didn’t beg for me to relent. She thrived on the thrill of erotic fear, dancing at the dangerous edge with me.
I dragged the shears down her sternum, pressing a thin white line into her flesh that immediately flushed to dark pink. I would never cut into her golden skin, but the light scrape heightened her adrenaline response. She coiled tighter in her bonds, all her muscles tensing while she remained utterly still, forced to freeze beneath the threat of the blades.
My low, cruelly amused chuckle wrapped around her curvy body in dark tendrils, binding her in my will just as thoroughly as I’d bound her wrists to the iron arbor.
All my senses sharpened, focusing solely on my prey. She became the center of my world: my pretty Marisol; my precious possession to toy with as I wished.
When the tips of the shear
s reached her dress, I snipped the fabric, just as I’d cut the cloth ropes that held her at my mercy. Metal clattered against concrete as I dropped the blunt blades to the floor.
Her eyes flew wide with understanding just before I fisted the cotton and wrenched my arms wide, ripping the delicate garment straight down the middle.
Her shocked cry mingled with my vicious snarl in an intoxicating, violent harmony.
With the dress split to her waist, only the thin straps held it on her body. I quickly snapped them as easily as twigs, and the garment cascaded to the floor in a watery slide.
Her golden skin pebbled beneath my hungry gaze, and her dark nipples tightened to needy buds.
I palmed her breasts, indulging in her perfect softness beneath my rough hands. I squeezed hard enough to imprint little flares of pain into her tender flesh, eliciting a gasp from her sensual lips. Her nipples pressed into my palms as she arched into my touch, straining for more contact.
She shivered under my cruel grin, and I pulled back slightly, denying her the stimulation she craved. A heady rush buzzed through my brain as I watched her wriggle and whine, amusing myself with her needy struggles and utter powerlessness to obtain more pleasure than I allowed her.
I waited until her high-pitched sounds of protest melted into a low moan of blissful surrender, and she stopped straining against her bonds. She settled into them, panting from the exertion of her useless struggles.
Her eyes were wide and glassy, fixed on my face like I was her own personal god.
I controlled her pleasure. I owned every inch of her delectable body. She’d yielded her will to me, surrendering herself completely to my ruthless power over her.
All for me. All mine.
Her peaked nipples still begged for my attention, and the intoxicating scent of her arousal permeated the air around us. I intended to drive her into a frenzy of need before I’d finally reward her with my merciful touch on her most sensitive areas. She would weep for her release, but I wouldn’t permit her to come until I was finished feasting on her delicious body.
