Dammit.
Sitting up in the quiet cabin she looked across the aisle to see James working on his laptop. For a moment her pounding heartbeat faded, the buzzing in her ears of all her thoughts whirring by quieted, and she just felt – good. His blond hair was almost in his eyes, he needed a haircut, and he was running his thumb across his bottom lip like he did whenever he was deep in work. If they’d been at home she would have grabbed a book, or her own laptop, and sat on the floor by him just so she could occasionally lean against his leg, and he could brush his fingers through her hair. It was a habit she refused to give up regardless of how overtly submissive it was. She liked it, it made her feel centered and calm. She liked to watch him work and just feel that comfortable closeness of not having to talk, but still being near each other. And she really needed that feeling right now. James must have felt her staring because he paused his work to look up at her from the blue glow of his screen. He arched an eyebrow and sighed.
Baby, you should try and sleep,” he whispered across the aisle, “it’s a very long flight, and you do not want to be exhausted when we get there.”
“I can’t sleep.” She whispered back, crossing her legs to sit in the middle of the seat-bed so she could see him clearly.
“Why not?” He tilted his head, giving her his full attention, his eyes evaluating her from head to toe in an instant as he tried to figure out what was wrong before she answered. That was the Dom half of her boyfriend, always on high alert for her safety and well-being. Finely tuned instincts dissecting her body language, tone, facial expression, and probably a lot of other things that he used all the time to read her like a book. Sometimes his questions were more rhetorical than anything, just a request for her to speak what he’d already figured out.
Thalia wasn’t that good at it, and that meant she couldn’t tell if he was sincerely asking or if he already knew the insane doom and gloom spiral her brain had just taken her on while she was trying to fall asleep. Either way, she had to answer. “Honestly, my brain won’t shut up. I’m thinking about -” she breathed, “ - everything at once.”
James closed his laptop and slid it into his bag before he opened his arms. Thalia was across the aisle and in his lap between one heartbeat and the next, her whole body melting against his. “Is it because I bribed you into taking this trip to meet Katherine?” His words were quiet against her hair.
“You didn’t bribe me, I agreed to go.” Thalia took a deep breath, inhaling the warm masculine scents of his skin and his cologne that were clinging to the comfortable sweater he was wearing. He was still rocking the yacht club look effortlessly, and a smile tugged at her lips as the comparison popped back up in her head.
This trip was bringing up a lot of old thoughts.
“Baby, I hired you an executive assistant for the week we’re gone to make sure not a thing would be missed at Nirvana, I booked a vacation next month for you and the girls in Provence, and got us tickets to every Broadway play you even blinked at for the days we’re in New York City.” James tilted her chin up and kissed her through the smile on his lips, “I absolutely bribed you.”
“You also booked us first class in this ridiculous plane.” Thalia smiled back and James chuckled softly.
“See? I bribed you.” James kissed her again and it was like his touch alone could replace all of the cortisol in her system with endorphins. Stress melting away into fizzy pleasure. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really. It’s just me over-thinking everything.” She leaned into him and murmured against his chest, “I love you.” His arms tightened around her, and she loved how warm he was. Would the flight attendants throw a fit if they found her coiled up in his lap asleep?
“I love you too, baby. So much.” He sighed, the fingers of one of his hands intertwining with hers, his thumb tracing circles across her skin as they sat quietly. The steady staccato of his heart was her favorite lullaby, but her nerves and her brain wouldn’t shut up enough for her to fall asleep. “You are not going to sleep, are you?”
There he went reading her like a book again.
“I’m trying.” She mumbled, her frustration leaking into her voice.
“Alright. Get up, and go into the toilet by the bar. Be very quiet and leave the door unlocked. Now.” James’ voice was clear and direct even in the hushed tones he was speaking. Dom voice. A shiver rushed over her skin as she leaned back to look up at him. His eyes were dark green and promised so much if she took the challenge he offered.
The grin that covered her face caused his lips to twitch up as she slid off his lap and moved quickly. When she pressed the door to the bathroom closed a moment later her heart was pounding so hard in her ears she was sure someone would hear it. They had been in the air a couple of hours so people were likely not paying close attention, but she had already been on edge and the tense excitement of what he had planned only ramped it up further. The door opened and her breath caught.
James filled the space as he pressed the door closed behind him and slid the lock into place. Everything about him overwhelmed her. When he reached forward to pull her lips against his the kiss ripped the last of the air from her lungs. His mouth moved against hers with the kind of heat he rarely displayed outside of the flat, and she felt the moan in her throat as she held on to the front of his sweater like she was seeking an anchor. He was hard against her as he pushed her back until her knees met the toilet and she was forced to sit on the seat. James pulled back until there was barely an inch between their lips, “There is only one thing I want you thinking about right now, pet, and that is how you’re going to please me.”
Thalia’s lips felt swollen from the kiss and she managed to nod against his hands as the sweet calm of submission moved over her like a fogbank. One of James’ hands slid to the back of her head and twined in her hair, tightening his grip until tiny fireworks burst inside her as arousal swept her up and she was wet and warm and waiting for his command.
There is nothing better than this.
“Hands behind your back. Move them and I’ll punish you, pet. Understand?” James was all firm control as he stood over her, watching her closely as she obeyed and clasped her hands behind her.
“Yes, Master.” Thalia whispered the words, her urge to be touched or to touch him was all she could think about. Everything else faded into the ether as James released her hair, unbuckled his belt and shifted his jeans down his hips. Then his boxers came down, and finally he had his cock in his hand. Hard, velvet covered steel and her mouth watered like she could already taste him. Thalia leaned forward but James caught her by her hair to hold her back.
“Is this what you want, pet?” James’ voice was a soft growl, his own arousal darkening his tone as he slowly stroked himself. It was a torturous tease that had her lips parting as she nodded, her breath coming in short pants. “You want me to use your mouth? Fuck your throat?”
Thalia moaned at his words, her pussy growing wet as he let her move a little closer before jerking her head back again. His fist tightened in her hair as he waited for her response. “Yes, Master, please, use my mouth, fuck my throat, whatever you want.”
James held her an inch or so from the head of his cock, precum forming on the tip that tempted her to flick her tongue out to taste it. But if she did he might very well send her back to her seat with nothing. “What are you thinking about right now? The truth.”
“How much I want to taste you. Please let me taste you.” Thalia was begging, as quietly as she could with the whine in her voice, but it seemed to have been the answer he wanted.
“Open. You don’t need to do anything but take it, pet.” The head of his cock brushed her lips and she opened them to let him in. She moaned against the hard flesh, wishing she could touch the wetness pooling between her thighs as he moved against her tongue. He started with slow, shallow thrusts, guiding her head with his grip in her hair, and all of her focus stayed on keeping her lips tightly sealed against his skin so she could suck him
in with each forward thrust. To give him as much pleasure as possible even as he worked to take it from her. He pushed against her throat and she swallowed to let him in, and he held there while her body fought the initial panic. The intense submission of relaxing against his grip, of trusting him, let the feeling of suffocation pass just before he pulled back enough for her to steal a breath. His hand tightened in her hair and he thrust harder, back into her throat, then out to skate the head of his cock over her tongue.
Thalia pulled in air before he released the hold on his control and he began to fuck her throat in earnest. Saliva pooled in her mouth, overflowing when he drew back to coat her chin, making wet sounds as he thrust hard, bruising her throat. His groans slipped past his lips when he pulled in a breath before gritting his teeth as he tried to stay quiet. A swell of excitement washed over her that she was the reason for his straining self-control. She felt his cock push into her throat again and James braced a hand on the wall, harsh breaths above her as she struggled to ignore her own urge to draw in air. He slid completely from her mouth, strands of saliva connecting them for a moment before he pulled her upright by her hair. James ran his tongue over his lip as he wiped his thumb across hers.
“You look incredibly hot like this, pet.” His lips twitched into a smile as his eyes devoured her, his hand inching down her body. Cupping her breast, pinching her nipple through the bra, following the curve of her waist – and then deftly unbuttoning the top of her jeans. “Drop your jeans and your underwear, and face the wall. I’m going to fuck you, and you can come as long as you’re very quiet. Understand, pet?”
“Yes, Master, thank you, yes, I’ll be quiet.” Thalia’s pussy clenched against the promise of having him inside her, and she scrambled to obey until her clothes were pooled around her ankles and James was bending her forward. He traced a finger up her slit and she shivered.
“So wet. Did you like me fucking your throat, pet?” There was laughter in his voice. This was one of those rhetorical questions.
“Yes, Master.” She spoke softly, biting her cheek to try and stifle the grin on her lips. Instead she wiggled her hips and he squeezed her ass in response, his fingers digging in sharply.
“Tease. Bite down on something if you can’t be quiet, pet. All the fun stops if you make too much noise.” James brushed against her pussy and she fought the urge to push back. He was in charge and if she moved he’d drag it out, he’d tease her until she was pleading. She’d beg now if he’d only ask her too, the heat between her thighs was pulsing with the rapid pounding of her heart. Just when she thought he might have opted for the teasing path, he thrust hard inside her. Thalia clapped her hand over her mouth and tried to swallow the moan that rose up, James’ groan was likely louder than he had meant it to be as well and he froze inside her as they both gained control.
Her body trembled waiting for him to move inside her again, to fill and stretch her again and again until she fell apart. “James...” she whimpered and he answered her with a thrust, his hands at her hips to pull her back against him hard. Then he really started to move and she kept her hand over her lips, her teeth clenched tightly to try and stay quiet as their gasps filled the small space. Pleasure bounced off her nerve endings until it was a steady thrum inside her, increasing in frequency until she felt like she was stretched tight in her own skin. Reaching for the edge she bit down on her hand and James pushed her over as his fingers found her clit and rubbed her in quick circles. The tension snapped with a release like fireworks inside her head, their embers fading to leave behind an empty euphoria that left no room for worries or concerns, and James joined her. His cock kicking deep inside her, his seed filling her in pulses, and as they both came down from their highs, floating back to themselves, their heavy breaths were all she could hear.
Thalia’s legs were shaking when she felt James press a kiss between her shoulder blades as he slid from her. “Good girl. You did wonderfully.” His hand slid over her ass again to squeeze her flesh. “Ready to sleep now, baby?”
“Mmhmm...” she murmured, listening to the tinkling sound of metal as James put himself away. He chuckled as he helped her tug her clothes back on, turning her to press her against the wall with a deep kiss as he zipped and buttoned her jeans. She was melting against him, the buzz of her orgasm still strumming merrily under her skin. James grinned at her and opened the door, moving her out ahead of him. A flicker of concern that a flight attendant might be waiting for them surfaced in her head, but there was no one. The cabin was dim and quiet, and theirs were the first seats. He tucked her into the seat-bed, laying the blanket out over her as she made contact with the tiny pillow.
“Sleep well, baby. I love you.” A soft kiss on her temple was the last thing she was really aware of as her body finally gave up its hold on consciousness and she dropped into dreamless, sated sleep.
“Well, how was the flight?” Katherine smiled at them as they stepped inside the restaurant to find her waiting. They had landed at JFK, gone to the hotel for a few hours, and then taken a car to meet her for dinner. She was beautiful. Long blonde hair like her brother’s, shocking green eyes, and she was in some kind of wool dress that Thalia was pretty sure was designer.
Thalia blushed, thinking of what they had done on the plane, but fortunately James wasn’t so flustered. He stepped forward and they kissed each other on the cheek, “It was just fine, Katherine.” He half turned to look back at Thalia and smiled, “Katherine, this is Thalia. My girlfriend.”
“You are lovely! Why would he keep you a secret?!” Katherine laughed and stepped forward, kissing Thalia on the cheek before she could react. “He can be completely daft, but I am sure you know that. Let’s sit down so we can chat. I want to know positively everything about you.”
“Katherine...” James groaned, but his sister ignored him, hooking her arm through Thalia’s to lead them to the hostess who smiled politely and nodded, taking them to a small table in the upscale restaurant. Once again, Thalia felt the class divide like a wound she couldn’t stop picking at. They ordered wine and a selection of food called the chef’s tasting menu, and then Katherine’s eyes were back on her.
“Alright, tell me all of it. How did you two meet? How serious is this? Are you a gold digging slut just trying to catch my dear brother with that innocent, pretty face of yours?” Katherine had a pristine smile on her face, like a beauty queen who had just said she would choose to end world hunger. But Thalia’s heart was in her throat, her stomach wanting desperately to upend the bag of pretzels she had eaten at the hotel. Her mouth was too dry as she tried to think of a way to answer that wouldn’t ruin everything before the trip had even truly begun.
“Katherine! Bloody hell -” James hissed across the table at her but Katherine waved a hand at him.
“It’s a valid question and I want to hear her answer, James. Hush.” Katherine was looking at her again, still smiling. From the outside it probably looked like a calm, friendly dinner. Inside Thalia felt like the earth was slipping out from under her feet.
“I - um, I’m not... I -” Thalia stumbled as she tried to answer and Katherine’s eyes flickered with amusement.
“Let’s start with this. Did you know my brother came from money when you met?” Katherine picked up her wine and took a sip, waiting for her answer. Thalia thought back to being on her knees in Marcus’ living room, those green eyes staring at her until she could feel his gaze like a physical touch. Everyone in that room had to have had money, including James. They couldn’t have been there without enough to at least be a contender for buying her.
“Enough, Katherine. You do not get to speak to her like that, I love her. I brought her here so you could meet her, not attack her! If this is how you’re going to act, we’re leaving. Come on, baby.” He pushed his chair back and stood up and Thalia shook her head. She couldn’t, she wouldn’t, be a wedge between the two of them.
“James, wait!” Katherine reached across the table, a nervous energy in her voice.
“You’ll answer?” Katherine was looking at her, appraising, and Thalia nodded trying to think of how to phrase their unique meeting in simple terms.
“I did have an idea, about James. When - where we met, it was an exclusive party. I think most of the people there had money. But that’s not why I love him, I swear, the money has nothing to do with it.” Thalia was talking with her hands and she forced herself to keep them in her lap.
“I pursued her, Katherine, not the other way around. I am not a fool. I know when I’m being hunted for my money and my connections.” James was glaring at Katherine while trying to maintain a calm demeanor in the restaurant. If they had been anywhere else Thalia was sure he would have yelled.
Salvaged by Love (Thalia Book 3) (The Thalia Series) Page 13
