by Leah Brooke
She cried out when Gabriel lifted his head, feeling isolated and abandoned at the loss. Shaking with need and emotion, she took one shuddering breath after another, her knees buckling in reaction.
* * * *
Gabriel caught her against him, murmuring soothingly to her as he ran his hands up and down her back, savoring the feel of the sleek muscle quivering under his hand and the silkiness of her skin. “Shh, baby. I’ve got you. Take a deep breath, my love. That’s it. And another. Good girl.”
Tense with need, Gabriel held her trembling body close, filled with delight that he’d been right about her.
She’d marry him.
He could see the acceptance in her eyes.
Thrilled that the woman he loved more than his own life, and whose passions matched his own, finally belonged to him, he rocked her gently, running his hands over her in an effort to calm her.
He had far more planned for her, and knew that he had to get her settled before he continued. He planned to keep her in a fog of lust for most of the day, letting her settle briefly before arousing her to even greater heights.
By the time he took her to the playroom that night, she would be so consumed by need, she’d beg for release.
He knew it would take every ounce of control he possessed, but he needed to show her the kind of mind-numbing pleasure he could give her, and that he was strong enough to handle her at her most demanding.
Afterward, when she settled, he’d love her with a tenderness that would destroy the last of her defenses.
His cock jumped when she lifted her head to look up at him, the need for reassurance in her eyes fulfilling his most dominant urges. Knowing that she counted on him to guide her filled him with a satisfaction unlike any he’d ever known.
It settled something inside him, easing the last remnants of the apprehension he’d felt since arriving on the island.
Cupping her cheek, he ran his thumb over the ball gag. “You’re so beautiful, my darling little sub. You respond so deliciously. Look at you, all decorated and exposed for your Master. Now, your Master needs something more from you.”
The flare of vulnerability and lust in her eyes made him desperate to have her, but his needs would have to wait.
At least some of his needs. The need to have her mouth under his couldn’t wait any longer, and with a groan, he unfastened the gag and tossed it aside, bending toward her.
To his surprised delight, she leapt at him, her soft lips hard and demanding against his.
Fisting his hand in her hair, he cupped her chin, taking control of his kiss. Nipping her bottom lip hard enough to make it sting, he growled in his throat, a warning for her to submit.
Her whimper, filled with hunger, fed his need for her, and for the way of life that had become so much a part of him. Her tongue came out to tangle with his as she came to her toes to press herself closer.
The swell of love and desire for her threatened to choke him, and using the hand fisted in her hair, he pulled her head back, thwarting her efforts.
Lifting his head, he stared down at her, his love for her growing even stronger. “No, my pet.” Releasing her jaw, he slid a hand down to the chain attached to her nipple and tugged, her soft cry of both pleasure and distress like a stroke to his cock.
Still holding her head back, he ran his hands over her, delighting in the feel of her.
The freedom to finally have her this way—to be able to do whatever he wanted to her—both thrilled and humbled him, and he vowed to himself that he would spend the rest of his life surrounding her with love and the security she probably didn’t even realize she needed.
Tugging her nipple again, he smiled coldly, amused at her sharp intake of breath as her eyes clouded with pleasure. “You have some lashes coming to you, don’t you, my pet?” Lifting the whip, he held it in front of her face, teasing her lips with the small, flat piece of leather on the end. “Kiss it.”
Trembling with need, she did it, her eyes flashing with rebellion.
Satisfied that she’d recovered enough to continue, Gabriel raised a brow, his smile falling. “Now that you have your hands tied behind your back, you’re going to have to work harder to keep your balance. Turn around and bend over.”
Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth as if to speak, snapping it closed almost immediately, her gaze going to the whip in Gabriel’s hand.
“Remembered you’re not supposed to speak, did you? Very good, but your hesitation at obeying me has earned you a few more.” He slid his hand over her soft belly and began stroking her delightfully exposed clit. “The good news, my pet, is that you’re not going to receive your lashes all at once. I plan to space them out so they last all day.”
Her eyes widened again as she pressed her lips together and turned away from him.
With a hand at her back, he guided her forward. “Bend over. I want to see that ass. You’re going to have to spread those legs wide to balance yourself. If you fall, we start over. More, darling. I want that ass high in the air.”
Once she was in place, bent over, and with her thighs spread wide, Gabriel moved to stand behind her, his jaw clenching at the sight of her puckered opening, now completely exposed, clenching over and over. Her thighs glistened with her juices, making his mouth water to taste her.
To emphasize her vulnerability, he ran a finger over her delicate puckered flesh, pressing just hard enough to increase her awareness there.
Smiling at her moan and at the fresh rush of moisture that coated her thighs, Gabriel kept his tone cool. “Your ass wants attention, doesn’t it, my pet? Your tight little opening keeps winking at me, demanding my attention.”
He ran his fingers up her inner thighs, letting her know she couldn’t hide her arousal from him. “Your thighs are drenched. All that bitching about being in charge and not being able to submit, when what you really need is a man who knows how to draw all that passion from you and be willing to do whatever it takes to satisfy it. Those other men in your life didn’t have a clue about handling you.”
Straightening, he ran the tip of the whip down the center of her ass, using the piece of leather to tease her puckered opening, smiling when she moaned and shivered.
“Guess where you’re going to be whipped first, my love. Brace yourself. Five, my pet. Remember, if you fall, we start over.”
Preparing to help steady her if needed, Gabriel lifted the whip, intending to create an awareness that would last the entire day. He’d touch her there often to keep the sensation alive, counting the hours until he could take her ass, fucking her long and slow until she surrendered completely, and accepted that they belonged together.
Forever.
* * * *
Kelsey’s thighs trembled with the effort to remain still, her knees turning to rubber at the first lash of the whip on her puckered opening. “Oh, God.” Her breath came out in sharp pants, the sting on her most vulnerable opening sending her senses soaring.
Following almost immediately came another, and she almost fell to her knees, but caught herself at the last second. Breathing harshly as the sting spread, Kelsey couldn’t hold back her cries of shock, of overwhelming sensation as she fought to keep her balance.
Gabriel caught her by the material circling her wrists, the tug to her shoulders forcing another cry from her. Wrapping the hand holding the whip around her waist, he yanked her against him. “Poor baby. I guess you’re not going to be able to hold yourself up.”
Lifting her to a standing position, he ran a hand over her hair, his eyes dark and watchful. “Since you can’t stand, you can drape yourself over my lap.”
Slumping against him, Kelsey clenched her bottom, whimpering and shifting restlessly at the sharp awareness there.
To her surprise, Gabriel freed her hands and dropped gracefully onto the sofa, sitting back with the whip in his hand, gesturing toward his lap. “Now.”
Knowing he wouldn’t give up until he’d delivered three more lashes to her bottom, and not about
to do anything to end what she’d found with him, Kelsey swallowed her pride and draped herself over his lap with as much grace as she could muster.
God, she craved the lash of the whip again. Craved his attention. Craved the hunger he ignited inside her.
His hand ran over her back in a possessive gesture that made her stomach quiver. “Very good. Since you’re not spread the way you were before, I want you to reach back and spread those ass cheeks for me so I can finish whipping that tight little hole.”
Lifting her face from where she’d buried it against his shin, Kelsey had to turn slightly to see him, shaking so badly, she had to hold on to the sofa. “You can’t be serious!”
Her bottom hole still tingled, making it impossible to stay still. Just the thought of more strikes with the whip there almost made her come on the spot, but Gabriel’s penchant for forcing her to contribute to her own surrender made him an even more dominant lover than she’d ever imagined.
A dark brow went up, his eyes glittering with satisfaction. “Four more words. Four more lashes. I’m really enjoying that temper, darling. Now, spread your cheeks so I can finish. Because of your hesitation, we’ll start over.”
Kelsey’s pussy and ass clenched, every movement tugging the chains and heightening the awareness in her clit and nipples. Struck, and desperate to hide the mini orgasms that raced through her, she hurried to obey him, scared he would notice.
Spreading herself made her feel even more vulnerable than when he did it, something she hadn’t counted on. She relaxed her hold almost immediately, shaken at being so exposed.
Gabriel pushed her hair back, running his hand over it as though petting her. “Those little orgasms just aren’t enough, are they, my pet? They’re just going to make you even more sensitive.” He ran the tip of the whip over her opening. “It’s going to be a long day for you, I’m afraid. Spread yourself wider. More. That’s it. Stings, doesn’t it, darling?”
Before she could answer, he delivered two strikes with the whip.
Crying out at the ensuing heat, Kelsey fought to remain still, her ass clenching involuntarily at the stinging heat. “Oh, God. Please. Please. Oh, God. It hurts. It burns.” Loosening her hands to ease the stinging, she kicked her legs against the intense sensation, her movements tugging her chains and driving her need higher.
“Keep those hands where they are. Spread yourself, Kelsey. Get control. You’re not telling me you can’t handle a gentle whipping, are you?”
Kelsey gritted her teeth when he stroked her stinging hole, shocked yet again at what an intimate and dominant man she’d tied herself to. “I can handle it.” Biting her lip, she spread herself again with shaking hands, her breathing much harsher now.
“Very good.” Gabriel shocked her by using his fingers to spread her even wider, and delivering three rapid strikes to her delicate opening.
Kelsey’s breath caught as he set the whip aside, letting it out on a moan when he began to run his hands over her from her shoulders to the backs of her knees and back again.
“You can let go now, baby.” He caressed the cheeks of her ass with long, slow strokes, his other hand teasing the ends of her hair.
His firm hands worked their magic, relaxing her tense muscles while leaving her pussy, ass, clit, and nipples screaming for attention.
After several minutes of silence, Kelsey turned her head to find him staring at her back, seemingly in no hurry to move.
“Gabriel?”
Without turning his head, he shifted his gaze to meet hers. “I knew it would happen. I walked into this with my eyes wide open. Still, I didn’t expect the force of it.” Lifting her, he got to his feet, steadying her with firm hands wrapped around her upper arms. “Love isn’t even a strong enough word for what I feel for you.”
With her body still shaking with need, she reached for him, her chains tugging at every movement. “Gabriel. Damn it.” Blinking back tears, she dropped her forehead to his chest. Struck by the irrationality of craving every intimate touch, but not willing to let him see her cry, Kelsey smiled through her tears. “I love you. It’s your fault. You made me. I still don’t know how you did it. I have no idea how you make me want the things I want.”
Turning away, she evaded his arms and put several feet of distance between them. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she kept her back to him, wiping away tears that just wouldn’t stop.
“Damn it. You make me so emotional. I hate being emotional.”
His hands closed over her shoulders, startling her as she hadn’t even heard him move. “I love every nuance of you. Your strength, Your temper. Your passion. Your sweetness.”
Running his hands to her neck, he tugged the chains attached to her nipples. “I know that you love me.” Sliding his hands down her body, he wrapped them around her waist. “I also know that you’re going to panic and try to run as soon as you realize how much.” Nuzzling her neck, he touched his lips to her ear. “I’ll come after you. I won’t let you run away from this. No matter where you go, I’ll find you and bring you back where you belong.”
Shivering in delight, Kelsey turned her face to his lifting her chin. “I won’t run.”
“Good. That’ll save us a lot of time, and I want to enjoy every second with you that I can.”
Turning in his arms, she flattened her hands on his chest, her tingling clit and bottom driving her insane. “I’m being agreeable. Does that mean you’re going to take me to bed now?”
Gabriel smiled. “No. We haven’t finished yet. By the time we do, you’ll know the agony I’ve gone through the last several months waiting for you.”
Chapter Twenty
“Spread those legs and keep them spread.”
Gabriel’s eyes glittered with erotic intent as he ran the tip of the whip over her nipple. He’d adopted that cold, dominant expression that never failed to excite her, an expression that sent shivers of alarm through her despite the fact that she trusted him to keep her safe.
She didn’t know how he did it, or how the slight edge of fear could heighten her arousal so much, but with Gabriel, anything seemed possible.
Leaning against the back of the sofa, she tightened her hands on the top to brace herself, arching into his touch as she rested her bottom on the edge. Moving carefully, she spread her feet, enjoying the warmth of the smooth marble beneath them, which had been heated by the sunlight streaming in through the large wall of windows.
Standing in the band of sunlight, warmed by it, Kelsey stared up at Gabriel, who somehow remained completely in the shadows.
He looked so dark, so breathtaking as he stared down at her, sliding the whip back and forth between his fingers. Larger than life. A formidable force.
Hers.
The black whip, which appeared so menacing against her skin, looked small in his hands, but his familiarity with it was apparent.
Mesmerized by the leather strip at the end, she sucked in a breath as it moved closer. A rush of moisture escaped to trickle down her inner thighs as the small, rounded strip of leather touched her nipple.
She drew in a shuddering breath as Gabriel moved the leather back and forth over her nipple in a slow, devious caress that moved the tiny chains over it and drove her nearly insane.
The slow, deliberate strokes went on and on, torturing her.
Tormenting her.
Sending sharp arrows of pleasure to her clit, and making her tremble so hard that the small chains continued to tease her other nipple and clit.
It wasn’t enough. She needed more.
Fisting her hands at her sides, she cried out, her hunger too strong to contain. “Damn it, Gabriel. Do it!”
Tapping the underside of her breast with the leather, Gabriel shook his head, the cold threat in his eyes intimidating her more than she would have liked to admit. “Behave yourself.”
Finding a man who could intimidate and excite her the way Gabriel did was something she’d never planned for, but now doubted she could live without. “I don’t
want to behave. I want to come, damn it!”
The whip came down on her nipple with a snap, the sound penetrating just seconds before the sting of it hit her system.
Crying out at the shock of pain, she reached up to cover her nipple in an automatic move to protect herself, gasping at the startling rush of pleasure to her clit.
Gripping her chin, Gabriel moved close, his eyes nearly black. “Put those fucking hands down or I’ll restrain you.”
Realizing her mistake, and her show of weakness, Kelsey struggled to get herself back under control. Need clawed at her, the heat at her nipple adding a dimension of hunger that threw control and inhibitions out the window.
Gabriel’s icy voice got through the sexual fog surrounding her, and shaking uncontrollably, she managed to put her hands at her sides again, gripping the back of the sofa in an effort to keep them there.
The leather strip touched her still-tingling nipple, making her jolt, the slightest touch like an electric current shooting straight to her slit.
Sliding a hand to her waist, Gabriel tugged at the chain attached to her clit. “You need something more, don’t you, my love?”
Furious that he wanted her to admit it out loud, but knowing that he wouldn’t satisfy her until she did, Kelsey tilted her head back to meet his gaze, stilling at the emotion in his eyes.
Dark and filled with love and a need unlike anything she’d ever seen before, his eyes held her captive.
“Gabriel?” It came out in a choked plea as emotion overcame her.
Her body was on fire for him, her heart swelling with love for the only man who’d ever made her feel.
Touching a fingertip to her other nipple, circling it with a gentleness that brought her to her toes, Gabriel watched her closely. “Yes, my pet? Tell me. Tell me what you need.”
“I need you, damn it! I want you so much it hurts. It’s stupid and crazy, but I want to feel it. Make me feel it, Gabriel. God, I love you so much I ache.” Tears blurred her vision as she began to cry, the need and love for him welling up inside her until she couldn’t breathe.
