by Angel Payne
“Say it,” he growled, as if his mind had a window into hers. “You want me to ‘do it,’ to topple your walls, Ava? Then tell me—and make it count.”
Ruthless man. Incredible Master.
He knew how to bring her heart and spirit home, beneath his rule, willingly merging her will with his. “Yes.” Desperation turned it more into a gasp than a word. “Sí. Mi maestro. Sí.”
She raised her head a little, wanting him to kiss her. Dios, needing the command of his mouth on hers. Ethan pressed closer, letting her nude flesh feel how close he was, filling her senses with his scent, a masculine mix of rain and pepper and arousal. She let her lips part a little, her balance swaying as she anticipated the heady invasion of his tongue on hers.
It didn’t come.
He swiped one of his thumbs across her mouth, instead. The stroke was a rough precursor to the push he gave the digit all the way in, making her moan from the salty taste of his skin. Ethan’s graveled growl harmonized with her as he pumped his flesh in then back out, a primal emulation of what she hoped he planned on doing to other parts of her body…with other parts of his.
“Come here,” he finally directed. He left his thumb in her mouth while clasping the back of her head with his other hand and pulled her back to the conference table. The treatment was feral and brutal, a collar and leash short of yanking her like a naughty pet—and she loved every moment of it.
Ruthless man. Incredible Master.
Only Ethan could do this for her. He knew when she needed things harsh, as well as the perfect limits to which he could push without going over. Sometimes she wondered if the man possessed a secret mental drone that he sent into her mind on recon missions when she was sleeping, taking pictures of all her secret sexual fantasies. If that was the case, then she officially gave him clearance for more flights.
There was a chair at the head of the conference table, styled in the same fashion as the others only bigger and statelier. It might as well have had Commander etched into its leather back, since that was blatantly its purpose.
He let her go in order to pull the chair out and settle into it, his legs braced apart, both hands sprawled around the armrest ends. He was a warrior of Wall Street crossed with a starship captain, making her more achingly aware of how she stood before him, naked except for her fishnets and wanting him in about five hundred ways. Craving to do things for him…if he’d only let her…
“Kneel.”
Starting with that.
She lowered as gracefully as she could until she was on both knees before him. When he widened his thighs, she looked up, grateful to see a whirlwind in his eyes that urged her closer. Mierda. With the midnight intent in his gaze, the tension working beneath the scruff along his jaw, and the thick hair falling over his forehead, he was pure carnality poured into human form. She couldn’t stop staring, and she was glad he let her.
He kept her gaze bound to his as he lowered his hands to the fly of his pants. The clink of his belt and the grind of the zipper made physical imprints on her senses, making her shiver as violently as if he’d reached down and stroked her trembling clit. She didn’t even try to hide her gasping reaction. As if she’d want to. The moment she sighed, it unleashed more signs of desire on his face, twining the ribbons of connection tighter between them, inciting one pleading word to her lips.
“More.”
Ethan’s face hardened in all the most perfect ways. As he scythed into her with the power of his gaze, he sliced out a hand into her hair and around her nape. He pulled hard, guiding her down, undaunted in his command—
Giving her exactly what she needed.
As the beautiful bulge in his underwear grew beneath her gaze, he growled one more perfect order. “Take it.”
Ruthless man. Incredible Master.
All hers. Hot. Hard. Delicious.
CHAPTER FOUR
He’d gone to Heaven.
Ethan pushed out a weak laugh. That had to be the most shallow, stupid, guy kind of thing to think. But he’d be hard-pressed to remember—yeah, he really was going there—any other moment in his life when he yearned to stop the clock for a very long time.
She’d always been so fucking good to him with her mouth, but now…it was like Ava had never tasted him before today. With every thrust of her mouth on his cock, she pulled and sucked and licked with serious care, as if trying to memorize every inch of his penis via her throat. He felt adored, even worshipped. He was warmed in ways that went beyond biology. There was music beyond her sweet little hums, vibrating through the sensitive mushroom at his tip until he had to clench his thighs to hold his climax back. And he swore there was magic in her fingertips as she tunneled beneath his pants and clutched his hips, gripping for purchase as he controlled her pace with his hold on her ponytail.
Control. Wasn’t that the ironic word of the day? He was fast losing his, falling spellbound to this woman, who awed him with her sincere need to please, with how her desire seemed to mount in proportion to his.
On a tight grunt, he finally pulled her back. Ava moaned in protest, but he secured her head tighter. “Eyes up here,” he directed—though when she complied, exposing him to the depths of her gaze, he almost regretted the instruction. Her indigo irises belonged on a she-cat, radiating nothing but raw animal need. “Damn,” he grated. “You’re really hungry for this, aren’t you, sunshine?”
Like the feline she so potently evoked, she gave him a little nod. “Oh yes, Sir.”
He arched one brow at her in a deliberate taunt. “Even though we’re in the penthouse office, and I’m in this suit, and the kitchen will probably be bringing us lobster tails for lunch?”
She dipped back down, attempting a little lick at his dark red crown. “Lobster’s not what I want in my mouth right now.”
He’d been saving a teasing grin to give her along with the brow. It faded as his cock twitched, instantly telling him whose side it was on here. “I should seriously fill your throat with cum for that.”
Her pupils dilated. “Sí. You should.”
He rebuked her with a thick growl. She’d deliberately stressed her accent for the comeback, which made his dick respond with another aching jerk. While they both watched, it sprouted a huge drop of pre-cum. Ava stared as if his erection had turned into a bar of fucking Godiva.
“Go ahead,” he said, “but enjoy it well. I’ve got other plans for how you’re going to take my cock inside you today.”
He loved watching the color that flared to her cheeks as she bent her lips to his erection one more time. With her eyes still lifted to his, she rolled her tongue several times around the base of his glans, spurring a harsh hiss from between his teeth. Finally she moved back to his head, sipping off the liquid there with a needy moan. Holy fuck…
“All right.” He had to push the syllables out as he forced his cock back into his pants and feverishly zipped up. He didn’t bother with his belt, though. Very soon, it was going to come in handy for other purposes.
The same comprehension crossed Ava’s face while she watched him pull the leather free from its moorings. As she emitted a breathy Spanish expletive, he let out a chuckle. This was one of his favorite parts about being the woman’s Dominant…these moments where he pulled an action that stunned her enough that she let go of herself, allowing him to play with her thoughts. Though real apprehension bolted itself on her features, he also watched her nipples bead harder and her tongue dart across her lips. A little fear went a long way when it came to moistening this woman’s pussy.
He rose but left her kneeling in front of his chair. She knew better than to move, but he also anticipated her stealing glances at him as he took the long way around the large conference table. In this case, he actually counted on it. He wanted her to see him picking up her purse from where she’d left it on the table and reaching in to retrieve the lube he’d prestocked there—along with the tube of red lipstick she’d also tucked inside.
A grin snuck across his lips as he watc
hed the puzzlement that pursed hers.
After striding back around to the head of the table, he braced himself in front of Ava again. She kept her head down now, embodying a flawless submissive’s pose, stirring him to stroke the top of her head in appreciation. He sifted the tips of his fingers through the cascading curls of her ponytail. They were as curvy, silken, and perfect as the rest of her. That lush beauty, along with the generosity of her heart and the loyalty of her spirit, blew him away every day. How the hell could she ever lose sight of her own worth…not see the splendor that he did every time he beheld her?
He vowed to make her see that more clearly.
“Up,” he bade softly, using one hand to help her stand. With the other, he pushed a couple of buttons in the table. Two holes flipped open, clearly meant as cup holders, on the left and right of the big boss laptop bay. He eyed the distance between the circles and nodded, pleased with himself. This would be perfect.
Ava’s mind, which sometimes trumped his in the arena of kinky possibility, snapped to its own conclusion a second later. “Caramba.”
He smirked. “You know that shit only encourages me, baby.” Though he seriously wanted to fuck with her head a little more, keeping her off guard was the higher priority. Without preamble, he grasped both sides of her waist and swung her up, placing her ass perfectly in the laptop bay. Since that naturally hiked up her thighs, he slid his grip down to both her legs, then spread her wide. When he reached her feet, he shot her teasing mope while easing off her heels. “Take a memo, Ms. Chestain. The next time we order a conference table, the cup holders need to accommodate hot heels.”
“Of course, Mr. Archer.” Her breath chopped out of her in quaking spurts as he took off her other shoe, and positioned her heel into that cup holder. She supported herself on her elbows, watching him with fervent focus as he glided both hands back up her legs…approaching the flower that was now spread and ready for him. “W-will that b-be all, Mr. Archer?”
He took his time about shaking his head, instilling salacious intent to every inch of it. “Not by a fucking longshot, Ms. Chestain.”
“I s-see. All right, then. Wh-what else can I get f-for you?” She went on battling for breath as he traced his fingers up the seams between her pussy and her thighs. Christ, she was glistening for him. Her clit peeked from between the wet folds, begging for him to take a taste. “Coffee? Tea? Me?”
“Wrists,” he returned. As much as he longed to dive his face into her sex and devour her through the first of many orgasms, he stuck to his plan. That began with pulling off his belt as she lay back on the table and dutifully held up her arms. She made him ten times harder as she emitted adorable little mewls while he wrapped the leather strap several times around her wrists. He finished off the bondage by leaving a sizable lead off the end. It always made sense to have a few ways of guiding one’s subbie, and he found the tongue useful right away, letting him yank her close for a tender but teasing assault with his lips on hers.
“Ay dios mio,” she rasped when he was done. Her gaze was hooded, her cheeks flushed, and her lips full with blood from kissing him…and sucking him. Ethan ran his tongue along the seam, sneaking in another taste along her smooth teeth.
“You taste like lust, sunshine. And cum.”
“I want more,” she entreated. “Please, Sir?”
He pulled away reluctantly. “Lie back, Ava. We have a little lesson to go through first.”
She scowled, openly disgruntled—and suspicious. “Last time I looked, this was an executive office, not the training room.”
“Hush,” he admonished, straightening to stand upright between her legs again. “Extend your arms over your head.” As he trailed the tips of his fingers along her inner thighs, he emphasized, “You are open to me now, Ava. You are open for me. Tell me you understand.”
She let out another quivering sigh. She loved it when he caressed the insides of her legs, and they both knew it. “I—I understand, Sir. Ohhh, thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome, sunshine.” He invoked the words slowly, giving them all the force of three other words that resounded in his heart. I love you. I do, Ava. So much. “Does this make you feel good?”
Her skin shivered and pebbled as he explored around her kneecaps and down her shins. “Ahhh, yes. Really good.”
“And beautiful?”
“Yes…yes.”
“And special?”
“Yes. Always. With you, Sir…always.”
He stopped and clamped hard into her lower thighs. “No. Not always.” As her muscles tensed, he persisted. “Not last night. You were with me last night, and yet you fell prey to people who wanted to tear you down. And you let them.”
Her eyes closed. She turned her head, clearly trying to hide from him, which was impossible with her arms stretched out. “Last night was about a lot of things, okay?”
“I know that, baby.” He eased on his grip. After a second, he skated his hands up to her waist and tenderly held her there. “I know we had a massive curve ball thrown at us—”
She cut him off with a huff. “Try a whole inning’s worth.”
“That’s fair,” he conceded. “But it’s also life. It’s going to be our life, whether it’s my mother, or my job, or your job. You remember the first day we saw each other again, on the set? When Bella hijacked your day by sending you to the villa to coordinate her party?”
She realigned her head and opened her gaze back up to him. “How could I forget?”
“We managed to turn that curve ball into a home run, right?”
“Hmmm.” She giggled. “Right.”
A smile rolled over her lips, breathtaking and bright. It’s beauty spread to the rest of her face. She took his breath away when she looked like this, her dimples deep and her eyes alive, but telling her that wasn’t going to sink the lesson in. Making her see it, not just in her mind but in front of her face, was the only way to make it stick.
He could absolutely arrange that.
As he pushed his hands up to her breasts before slowly teasing her nipples, he gave her a new command. “Tell me how you feel right now.”
At first, she flashed him a saucy version of her are-you-fucking-serious glower. But when she looked harder and understood his deeper context, she visibly tamped her frustration. “You’re not making it easy to focus on that answer, Sir. Not when you…touch me like that…”
“I strongly beg to differ.” He let her see how the curves of her body made his teeth clench and his nostrils flare. He let her feel it by sliding his fly against her pussy, stimulating her with the hump of his straining cock. “Besides hot, horny, wet and wanting, how do you feel right now?” He scraped his thumbs across the gorgeous red tips of her nipples, tormenting her, adoring her.
“Ohhhh! Mmmmm…”
“Lovely.” He squeezed her tips harder. Nudged his hips tighter inside hers. “But not answers. I’m waiting, Ava.”
“All—all right!” she retorted. As the storm howled harder at the window, her voice dipped into a raindrop-soft rasp. “You—you make me feel…treasured.”
“Treasured,” he echoed. “That’s good.” He kissed her softly in thanks. “Very good.”
“Thank you, S—what the hell?”
Her protest came too late. Not that he would’ve let it halt him. As he’d planned, her deep red lipstick made an ideal marker for writing the word diagonally across her torso. From her right hipbone to her left breast, she was now branded: T-R-E-A-S-U-R-E-D.
“What else?” he prompted her again. Damn. Forming the words was harder than he thought—but so was his cock. Gazing at his writing across her body brought a surge of possessive lust he hadn’t anticipated but sure as hell wasn’t going to deny.
The change in his tone wasn’t missed by Ava. Her smile got wider, her tone huskier, as she supplied, “Desired.”
He rumbled his approval before writing the word up the inside of her left thigh. Ava lifted her head to watch him do it this time. Her eyes
glittered, betraying her own decadent delight in his branding job. “How about bonita?”
He smiled and nodded. The Spanish word for “beautiful” was a perfect choice—and a great excuse to give his letters some fancy flourishes as he inscribed it to her opposite thigh. Ava rewarded his creativity with some throaty laughs, along with a little gyration of her hips that tempted his thinning self-control.
He didn’t help that effort by letting the lipstick continue a few inches past his finish point…until he started tickling the edge of her labia with it. Her breath hitched, acting like a thread around his cock. He must have been insane for worsening the pressure as he bent and inhaled the heady scent of her desire, but once he was that close to her essence, he couldn’t stop.
“Mui bonita,” he murmured while leaning in to kiss her tender tissues. “Te adoro, Ava. Me excites mucho.”
“Ethan!” All the muscles beneath his lips clenched. The aluminum cup holders clinked in their casings as she writhed. “Dios, please tell me we’re almost done with the vocabulary lesson.”
He made her endure a roguish chuckle as he nudged aside her labia with his tongue, then gently licked the hard ridge of her clit. “But why? You’re giving me so many interesting new words for the list, baby.”
Her thighs quivered as her pussy flowed. “Like ‘exasperated?’ And ‘frustrated?’”
“Hmmm. More like ‘lubricated.’”
As he rose, he tossed aside the lipstick and opened his pants once more. He let out a ragged snarl as soon as his cock broke free, punching against her outer folds with throbbing insistence.
“And lathered,” he added. Dear fuck, wasn’t that the case. No matter how hard he fought it, her channel sucked his erection nearer with its hot, tight temptation. He was already an inch inside her by the time he grabbed for the lead on his belt, hauling her back up against him with one brutal pull.
