Dark Lessons

by Julia Sykes

  “But not yet,” he murmured, dipping his head closer to mine. “Time to play.” His lips brushed across my mouth in the lightest teasing contact.

  Abruptly, he stepped back. I swayed toward him, and his hands closed around my shoulders to steady me. My sex throbbed with need, and he’d barely touched me.

  “Let’s get out of here.” I urged breathily, deciding I didn’t want to play darts. I wanted more time with Jason; one hot, carefree night before I committed myself to my career. “I’m staying across the street. We can go back to—”

  “Not yet,” he refused, his rich voice colored with amusement. “We still have a wager to settle.” He gave me a crooked grin and released me, drawing away completely. He stepped back and waved toward the dartboards. “Ladies first.”

  Shaking myself, I struggled to find my composure. My entire body felt oddly weak, and I wasn’t at all certain I’d be able to aim straight. I didn’t mind losing to Jason, but I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of the whole bar.

  That thought helped me still my trembling fingers. Now that Jason had given me some space, I could feel the other men’s eyes on me again. The huge guy in the leather jacket watched me with undisguised interest, and he sized up Jason. He was clearly ready to challenge the man who’d captivated all my senses.

  I wasn’t remotely interested. I spared him a single cold glance before finding the confidence to saunter over to the dartboard. Jason chuckled beside me, keeping pace. Even though he was no longer touching me, I could feel the raw sensuality rolling off him. It kissed my skin like a palpable touch, and my sex pulsed.

  He picked up the darts and pressed them into my hand, allowing his fingers to linger for a few seconds longer than necessary. The strange weakness flooded my system again, and I struggled to keep my legs from sagging beneath me. All my instincts urged me to fall to my knees before him.

  “Don’t disappoint me now,” he ordered sternly. “I want a proper challenge. I know you’re good.” He positioned his body behind mine, his hard chest pressing against my back. He gripped my wrist and lifted my arm to the proper height to aim at the target. “Focus,” he commanded evenly.

  The world fell away around me, and I honed in completely on my task. My hand steadied, and the target was clear before me. He released my wrist, and I delivered a perfect shot, the dart embedding itself in the bullseye.

  “Good girl,” he rumbled.

  My body felt oddly light, my mind blank except for the pleasure at his praise and the goal set out before me. I threw the darts in rapid succession. Within seconds, I’d managed a perfect score.

  “Impressive,” he remarked. “Maybe we’ll tie.”

  His hands closed around my shoulders again, and he guided me away from my stance in front of the target, placing me at a high table near the competition area.

  “My turn,” he said. His fingers curled into my flesh briefly. “Stay.”

  Compelled by his command, I remained where he left me, watching him move toward the target with predatory grace. He removed my darts from the board and took his place to make his shots.

  My focus was ripped from him when a large hand settled on my hip.

  “Nice shots, gorgeous.”

  I blinked and looked up—way up—at the man who touched me. It was the guy in the leather jacket who’d been watching me since I’d come in. His thin lips were drawn back in a lustful smile, and his dark brown eyes were sharp with hunger.

  “Lose the suit and hang with me,” he urged. Unlike Jason’s commands, the order left me cold. My skin crawled where he touched me. I took a step back, and his hand instantly shot out to grip my upper arm. “Come on, baby. I know you’re friendlier than that.”

  I fixed him with my most glacial stare. “Take your hands off me,” I demanded levelly. “Now.”

  He didn’t release me. “Don’t be like that, sweetness. I’ll show you a good time.”

  “I’ll give you three seconds to let me go,” I warned.

  A dark brow rose. “Or what?” he challenged.

  “Or I’ll break your nose,” I said, a simple declaration of fact.

  He threw his head back and laughed. Fuck three seconds, this asshole was going down.

  He evidently didn’t expect a woman half his size to strike, so he didn’t even flinch when my fist flew at his face, landing squarely on his nose with a satisfying crunch. Blood instantly poured down over his lips.

  “Fucking bitch!” he shouted, clutching at his ruined nose. He lunged for me, his fist swinging.

  Before I could react, Jason appeared between us. He caught the man’s fist easily, bending his arm back at unnatural angle and forcing him to his knees.

  “Do you yield, or do I need to break your arm?” Jason asked, coldly controlled.

  “Jason!” I exclaimed in warning. My assailant’s three large friends had decided to join the fight. They barreled toward Jason, and I stepped in just in time.

  My body moved without thought, my muscles remembering how to fight after hours of training. I heard the man with the bloody nose cry out again, and the dull crack let me know Jason had broken his arm, just as he’d promised.

  But the sound was periphery. I focused on the first of the three men rushing at us. He lunged for me, and I sidestepped, landing a vicious kick to his knee as I moved. He went down with an agonized shout. I didn’t take a moment to think about the damage I’d done; I needed to focus on the other two men coming at me.

  But it turned out I didn’t need to. When I looked past the fallen man, I watched as Jason took down the last attacker with a brutal blow to his throat. The other man was already on the ground, clutching his stomach and moaning.

  “Get the fuck out of my bar.” The bouncer’s roar called my attention away from the fight. He slapped a baseball bat against his palm menacingly.

  Jason held up his hands and took a step back from the bleeding men strewn out on the ground at our feet.

  “We were just leaving.” He ensnared my hand in his and pulled me along in his wake as we rushed out of the bar.

  Chapter 2

  Natalie

  I let out a burst of adrenaline-fueled laughter when the cool night air kissed my heated skin. I’d never been in a real fight before. It was undeniably exhilarating.

  Suddenly, Jason caught me up in a fierce embrace and crushed his lips to mine. The kiss was nothing like the teasing seduction he’d shown me so far. In the bar, he’d touched me with the barest brush of his hand, his mouth. Now, he branded me with heat, his tongue tracing the seam of my lips and demanding entrance. I gasped in a shocked breath at the sudden, electric contact, and he took advantage of my open mouth. His tongue delved in, tangling with mine. Visceral lust quickly swept aside my surprise, and I speared my fingers through his glossy black hair, tugging him closer. He nipped at my lower lip with a growl.

  The light hit of pain and the warning rumble connected with my primal brain in a way I didn’t fully understand. After the brutally efficient bar fight, giddiness rushed through my system, making my blood fizz in my veins. Jason’s raw dominance in the way he handled my mouth brought forth a facet of my sexuality that was somehow both stronger and softer than I’d ever known. The riptide of desire for him was nearly overwhelming, driving me into a frenzy, and yet his teeth against my lips and the firmness of his fingers on my hips kept me trembling and compliant in his hold. I wanted to rub myself against him, to find any stimulation I could when my every nerve ending was alight with need.

  Despite my physical desires, my fingers unknotted from his hair, my palms skimming down his cheeks and neck to rest submissively against his sculpted chest. I felt his muscles flex beneath my fingers, and a low sound of his approval rolled against my tongue, vibrating into my chest before sinking lower down in my body. My core heated and clenched, aching for him to fill me, to fuck me. I melted against him, my entire body softening and shaping to his hard, masculine frame.

  He pulled back just far enough to allow me to gasp in
a much-needed breath, and his emerald eyes caught mine. “You’re incredible,” he murmured against my lips. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

  “Does it matter?” I panted. I didn’t want to talk about my life or my reasons for being here. I might be fiercely attracted to him, but Jason was a stranger, and he didn’t need to know about my plans at the FBI academy. All we would have was one scorching hot night together, and I certainly didn’t want to waste any time talking.

  He grinned savagely. “I guess not,” he allowed. “Where are you staying?”

  “This way,” I urged, stepping out of his embrace so I could lead him across the street to my motel room. Although he followed me, his fingers closed around my wrist in a possessive grip that very clearly let me know I was not in control, even if I was momentarily taking the lead.

  Within minutes, we were standing under the fluorescent lights outside the motel as I fished the key out of my pocket. I hadn’t bothered taking my usually overstuffed purse to the bar, so I was able to make quick work of my task.

  As soon as I got the door open, Jason pushed me inside, spinning my body so my back was pressed against the wall. He slammed the door closed with a kick, and his big hands began tearing at my clothes as his mouth found mine again. I gasped against his hot lips, shocked and aroused at his intensity. I’d had rough sex before and thoroughly enjoyed it. Jason’s actions boded for an extremely hot night.

  His fingers fisted in my sweater, and he pulled it up my torso, his calloused palms making my skin pebble as they skimmed along my abdomen. I lifted my arms so he could fully remove the garment, and he quickly ripped it off and tossed it aside.

  Catching onto his frenzied desire, I returned his kiss with fervor, my tongue tangling with his as my fingers fumbled at the buttons on his crisp white dress shirt. Before I managed to get one free, he caught my wrists and pinned them against the wall above my head, holding them in one hand. His other cupped my jaw, tilting my face up so he could plunder my mouth more deeply. I shuddered and softened. Despite the lust raging through me, I couldn’t seem to help submitting. It wasn’t like me to surrender to a man’s strength so easily, but I’d never been kissed by a man like Jason.

  He pulled back, ending the kiss. I stared up at him, wide-eyed and panting.

  “You’re mine for the night,” he declared. “I’m in charge, and I’m going to give you more pleasure than you’ve ever known.”

  “And how would you know that?” I managed in a weak attempt at a challenge.

  He brushed his knuckles down my cheek, keeping my wrists pinned with his other hand. The firmness of his grip contrasted with the gentle touch on my face, making my head spin. He was a study in contradictions: hard and unyielding, but tender and careful. Although I wouldn’t be able to escape him in this position, he wasn’t holding me cruelly. He’d subjugated my body, but he wasn’t hurting me.

  “Because beneath all your fire, you’re a sweet submissive, and I don’t think anyone knows it. Not even you.”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked, genuinely confused.

  “You like when I take control.” He squeezed my wrists for emphasis. My sex contracted in response, and I squirmed against him. He smirked. “I could tell as soon as I touched you for the first time. You sauntered into that bar, confident you could take on any man who challenged you. And after how you handled yourself in there, I know you could. But when I Topped you, you melted.”

  “Topped?”

  He cupped my cheek in his big hand. “I dominated you, kitten. I took control, and you loved it.”

  “Kitten?” I demanded, not caring for an overused endearment. “Is that what you call all your one-night stands?”

  “No,” he said earnestly, and the slight surprise in his eyes let me know he wasn’t lying. “I’ve never called anyone that before.”

  “Then why did you?”

  One corner of his lips twisted up in a cocky smile. “Because I know you’re a strong, capable woman, but I’m going to make you purr.”

  My core contracted, and I struggled to maintain a hard mask. “What if I don’t like being called kitten?”

  “You do.”

  I tried my best to scoff. “You think you know everything.”

  “I know enough.” Keeping his hold on my wrists, his free hand dipped between us. He deftly opened the button at the front of my jeans, and his fingers slipped beneath the elasticized band at the top of my sensible blue cotton panties. His touch danced over my clit. I rocked toward him, but he explored farther, sliding his fingers through my embarrassingly wet folds to press inside me. He filled me slowly, and I gasped at the intrusion. He watched me intently, his bright green eyes trapping me as securely as his hold on my wrists. “Good little kitten,” he rumbled. My inner muscles squeezed his fingers, and a humiliating whimper slipped through my lips.

  His low, arrogant chuckle made my core clench again. “You see?” he said, his warm breath fanning my neck as he leaned in close. “You love it. You want to be my good little sex kitten, don’t you?”

  “Jason,” I said tremulously, struggling to hold on to some semblance of control.

  “Sir,” he corrected.

  “What?”

  “Address me as Sir. I’m in charge tonight. I know this is different for you, but if you let go and trust me, I promise I’ll make you come harder than you ever have in your life.”

  I bit my lip, hesitating. Could I trust a man I’d only just met? This was insane.

  “Say yes, kitten,” he commanded, his voice dropping impossibly deeper. The sound vibrated through my bones, and I shivered in delight.

  This felt so good. What harm could come of it? We would only have one night of wild sex.

  “All right,” I agreed, deciding to engage in his game.

  His chin tilted back, and he seemed to grow suddenly taller as he stared down at me. “I want you to beg me,” he said, still coolly controlled.

  “What?” I asked again, aghast at his demand.

  “Beg me to fuck you,” he said, leaning in close. His lips ghosted across my neck, his teeth nipped at my throat. “Beg me to make you mine. I want to hear you say it. I need to know that you trust me before we continue.”

  “I… Yes. I trust you.” I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. If he wanted to, he would have tried it by now. He wouldn’t be asking for my permission.

  “Then beg,” he whispered against my throat, the words sliding over my skin.

  I shivered. “I… Please. I want you to fuck me.”

  “Sir,” he prompted, his voice taking on a dark edge. It made my core flutter around his fingers.

  “Please fuck me, Sir,” I panted, aching for him to take me. I wanted him to shove down my jeans, free his cock, and fuck me hard.

  His fingers curved against the secret spot at the front of my inner walls, and I moaned as pleasure lit up my system.

  “Such a sweet little kitten,” he praised. His warm approval heated my insides with more than simple lust. “We’ll get to that part later.”

  He slowly withdrew his fingers from inside me, leaving me feeling desperately empty. I whined at the loss, but he hushed me with a quick brush of his lips against mine. Then he released my wrists and hooked his fingers through the top of my jeans and my panties. He pulled them down in a smooth motion, sliding down my body as he dropped to his knees before me. I stared at him, panting in need. I wanted to tangle my fingers in his thick black hair and guide his mouth toward my sex, but I remained still, trembling with the effort of resisting my carnal urges. After the way he’d dominated my mouth and my pussy, I knew he wouldn’t approve of me taking charge. He was utterly in control, and I’d willingly surrendered to him.

  He pressed a feather light kiss directly above my clit.

  “Please,” I begged, sweat beading on my brow with the effort of resisting the impulse to rock my hips toward him.

  “Shhh.” His breath blew across my heated lower lips in a cool stream as he gently silenced m
e. A small, strangled noise of pure need teased the back of my throat, but I didn’t speak again. He gently gripped my ankles, one after the other, guiding me to step out of my flats and jeans, leaving me wearing nothing but my bra. Once he’d stripped me, he eased my thighs apart with a firm grip. Suddenly, his thumbs parted my pussy lips, and he studied me intently, as though my sex was the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen. I watched him with rapt attention as he toyed with my wet folds, exploring my shape and the slick readiness that coated my swollen folds.

  “This is a very pretty pussy,” he said, his voice rough with lust. Although he was on his knees before me, there was nothing supplicant about his position. He boldly examined my most intimate area, as though he had every right. As though he owned every forbidden inch of me.

  Finally, he mercifully explored me with his mouth as well as his hands. Keeping my folds parted with his thumbs, he traced my entrance with the tip of his tongue. I cried out at the teasing contact, my entire body wound so tight with anticipation that even the light touch sent bliss crackling through my system.

  I couldn’t help myself; I lifted my hips toward him, and I buried my fingers in his thick hair. He nipped at my clit, grazing his teeth over the hypersensitive bud. My knees collapsed, but he caught me, his strong arms bracing beneath my ass to keep me from falling. His low, triumphant laugh made me shiver. He had me exactly where he wanted me: wet and needy and thoroughly chastised.

  He got to his feet, lifting me as he righted himself. Suddenly, I was in his arms, cradled against his hard frame. I only had a moment to revel in the strength of his hold before he turned and abruptly dropped me onto the bed. The sensation of falling made adrenaline spike through my system, and a giddy giggle bubbled from my chest when I landed safely on the soft mattress. I felt drunk, even though I’d barely touched my beer in the bar. It was Jason; he was utterly intoxicating. I was completely enthralled, and I couldn’t have broken free from his power over me even if I wanted to.