by Cynthia Dane
“Ever what?”
Jasmine’s fork shook between her fingers. Looking Ethan in the eye was next to impossible right now. “You do the BDSM shit with her?”
Ethan’s expression did not change as he went from gazing at her to the food still in front of him. He did, however, shift uncomfortably in his seat. “She was before I really got into that.”
Oh, boy, those are some implications. “Really got into it?”
“Naturally, I was interested long before that. She and I dabbled. That’s all I’ll say about it before things start getting awkward between you and me next.” Ethan stabbed his food and drank more wine. “I can’t deal with two women feeling that way toward me right now.”
Jasmine couldn’t blame him.
“That reminds me, though…” Ethan leaned toward her, voice lowering to a seductive murmur. “I wasn’t going to bring it up until later, but you and I should have a talk about… us.” His fiancée must have given him the most “Now what’s the fucking problem?” face, because Ethan was quick to explain. “I’ve been thinking about a lot of things recently. What with us getting married and all… there is still so much for us to do. As a couple, that is.”
“Yeah, and we’ll hopefully be together for an awfully long time.”
“I know that.” Ethan polished off his wine and dropped his fork onto his plate. “Let’s discuss it after dinner.”
“All right.” Jasmine leaped up and started grabbing dishes. “Dinner’s over.”
She asked him to put the leftovers away while she got started on the dishes. Once upon a time, Ethan used to say, “Don’t bother. Why are you doing that? The cleaning lady will get it tomorrow.” Then he realized there was no reasoning with Jasmine when it came to dishes being left in the sink. Like I’m going to make some woman do my dishes for me. It was one thing for Belinda to do it back home. It was quite another for a woman Jasmine barely knew to waltz in three times a week and shake her head at the ant colonies growing in Ethan’s penthouse kitchen due to neglect. He’s got me to do them, and I’ve got shame. That was a powerful impetus.
Ethan surprised her by appearing next to her at the sink, grabbing dishes she had rinsed off and putting them into the dishwasher. Even though the man grew up poor and probably had his share of chores, it had been a long time since anyone handed him dishes to load in a Whirlpool.
“How was your day? Trusting you didn’t have to chew anyone out. Unless it was your cat. I know how you two get.”
It was the sort of evening Jasmine should have appreciated. Ethan was conversational, helpful, and probably on the verge of seriously flirting with her. Yet Jasmine was less than impressed with the world, in part because what happened at the restaurant kept surfacing in her memory. Ethan wanted to know how her day was? She would tell him. In great detail. Including the rumor possibly going around that she was pregnant, and that was why they were getting married so quickly. Also: magical pussy.
“Well,” Ethan said, the corner of his mouth twitching as he slammed the dishwasher door shut. Jasmine dried off her hands while her fiancé pushed some of her hair away and touched the bottom of her earlobe. Stop those tingles right now. “You do have a pretty great…”
“Don’t.” Jasmine smacked his shoulder, meeting the unsuspecting strength beneath. Oh, the man could cut a shirt. He did right now. Always fucking with her libido whenever he walked around without his jacket and tie on… At least he knows how to get me wet. Not that she wanted to be right now, mind. “Or do. I don’t care.”
Ethan zoomed in on her mood like a mosquito would single her out in a crowd. “Don’t get involved with that shit, Jasmine,” he said, demeanor suddenly serious. “I know you know that.” She turned her head away from him, still gripping the sink. “But I also know I need to tell you that. Those people are toxic. They go after you because they think they can get away with it. You know what? A lot of them will, unfortunately. Yet you should know that nothing they say is true. I will always defend you.”
Why the fuck am I trying not to cry? Jasmine grunted in defense. “I know you will. You punched your ex-business partner in the face for me.”
“I would do it again.”
He sounded so fervent that Jasmine couldn’t help but smile. He always knows how to make me feel protected. Ridiculous to think – let alone assume – Ethan could protect her from everything. He had a lot of money, and a good deal of power, but at the end of the day he was still a mortal man… but he was the mortal man in her corner. Jasmine knew it was love when he burst into Jackson Lyle’s huge mansion determined to save Jasmine and anyone else caught up in Jackson’s hell. We had broken up before that. He did it because, at the very least, he knew he couldn’t leave me to that monster.
“It doesn’t matter how much you say it, though. It will still hurt to hear that shit and know that people think I’m stupid or your future trophy wife. If they even think I’m worth a trophy.”
“First of all, I would never think of you like that.” Ethan turned her waist, so at the very least Jasmine’s chest faced him. Her head was slower to follow. “Second of all, if I had to have a trophy wife, I’d pick you over anyone else. Because you’re hot.”
He squeezed her waist to reiterate this point. This man is halfway to motor boating me, too. Jasmine cracked a smile. “You would fuck anything that moves. Shut up.”
“I mean, because I could, doesn’t mean I actually would. You know how I am. Mr. Serial Monogamy.”
“At least you’ve had a consistent type.” Jasmine reached behind him and started the dishwasher. Ethan stepped with a start at the roaring sound commencing in the kitchen. “Only one blonde in the mix that I know of.”
“Are you trying to tell me I have a type, Miss Bliss?”
“It’s obvious. You like your pale-skinned brunettes. The darker the hair, the better.”
“You got two out of three yet. If we’re talking purely about the physical…”
“Oh, we are.” Jasmine allowed herself to be swallowed up by his arms.
“Then you forgot a great ass and great tits.”
“Only great, huh?”
“When it comes to tits and ass, I’m a man of few words. I prefer to show my appreciation through how quickly I can get all over them.”
“Uh huh.” Jasmine rubbed her forehead against his chin fuzz. “You wanted to talk about something?”
Ethan lightened his grip on her. “Not here. Let’s talk in the bedroom.”
Jasmine followed his lead, turning off the lights behind her, save for one security light. It was still brightly lit in there, however, thanks to the twinkling city lights outside the window. Unless she was going to sleep out there, though, Jasmine was not wont to close the curtains.
Her fiancé stood in front of a specific bureau drawer, where he kept a hefty supply of the types of things a man of his preference liked to use. Does he want to have kinky sex tonight? He was in that type of mood. Whenever Ethan was lighthearted and playful, he usually upped the ante in the bedroom. Or when he was really, really upset about something. Then he took it out on Jasmine. Me and my magical pussy. She shut the door behind her and waited for Ethan to speak.
“Have we ever used these?” He pulled out a long, metallic chain. “I don’t remember why the hell I got something like this. Bit garish.”
Surely, one of your exes was into it. One time Jasmine expressed interest in experimenting with latex. Next thing she knew, Mr. Cole had every outfit and implement she could possibly want. Not that they used hardly any of it. “Not really. I think you used them on me once, but they pinched. Keep it to the silk and leather.”
“I agree.” Ethan dumped the chains on the floor. The clatter was disruptive enough to give Jasmine a light heart attack. “I’ll get rid of it.”
“Doing some spring cleaning in the perv drawer, huh?”
“Thought I would get rid of the stuff we don’t like or use.”
“You mean cleaning out all the women you used to have.”
Ethan stole a glance over his shoulder. “What’s the point of keeping such things if we don’t like them?”
Jasmine approached, hand snaking up his back as she looked down in the drawer. “Keep the glass nipple clamps. Those are fun. In fact, get some to keep at the house.”
“I was going to.” Even so, Ethan scoffed. “This thing needs to be organized. Mess.”
“Whatever you say, hon.”
He snatched her wrist and brought her hand up for a kiss. Jasmine’s gasp echoed in their bedroom. “I say a lot of things, don’t I?”
“You always make sure they count.” Jasmine was purring without realizing it. Suppose I do want some of this… Ethan, her, the bed… maybe some of the stuff in this drawer. When was the last time she had a spreader bar around her ankles? Christmas?
“Then I suppose now is a good time to talk.”
Jasmine shook him off her and went to sit on the edge of the bed. She patted the space next to her. Ethan hurried to close the bureau drawer and join her, the mattress sinking beneath his weight.
“I love you.” Ethan kissed her hand again, then lightly on the lips. “You’re the greatest thing to ever happen to me.”
Jasmine knew how these conversations went by now. “But?”
“No but. Only…”
“Uh huh. But.”
“But there’s still so much left for us to explore.”
“You said something like that earlier.”
“Now I’m going to explain.”
Jasmine leaned back on her arms. This would be good. Or infuriating. There was no in between with a man like Ethan. He didn’t half ass anything.
“The more I think about marrying you, the more I realize how much I love and want you.” He said this, and yet he remained a respectful distance. “I also remember that once upon a time I made a promise to never marry a woman whom I didn’t explore everything I wanted to do to her with.”
Jasmine went from nodding to holding the perfect pose – never wavering, never questioning. Just a small statuette waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Aren’t there things you’ve wanted to do?”
“What do you mean?” Jasmine was almost afraid to let this conversation continue. “You mean… sexually?”
“Not just sexually, although that’s a big part of it, isn’t it?”
“You’re starting to freak me out a little, Ethan.”
“I mean exploring things both in and out of the bedroom. We don’t do a lot of role playing anymore. Is it because we’re complacent, or because we’re too busy to make time for one another like that?”
Jasmine felt at her bare neck. He rarely takes out the collar, that’s true. “You’ve been the busiest I’ve ever seen you these past few months. I don’t know what that has to do with me, though…”
Here he came, one arm looping around Jasmine’s midsection as he kissed her shoulder and then the top of her ear. His breath blew in, shudders ripping through Jasmine as her whole body conspired against her and turned her into the very thing Ethan wanted – a sexually available woman ready for anything.
“You trying to tell me you don’t like the kinky shit?”
“Not all the time… but I get your point.”
“I thought you might. Would be a shame to have a girlfriend who didn’t want to spend half her day exploring the darker sides of her sexuality.”
“What are you even going on about?” Jasmine was starting to blush, which meant she would soon become more malleable than dough. In Ethan’s expert hands? If she weren’t careful, she would be having an orgasm in five more minutes and not know how they reached that point so quickly.
“I’m talking about doing things we’ve both wanted to do but never got around to doing, whether it’s equipment or role-play situations. You know that drawer we have over there? I only want it to be filled with things we both want. This apartment and our house need to be rid of the past. I want to focus on the future. I’ve realized that I need to treat my relationship with you more like a business… in that there is only learning from the past, but we always continue forward.”
His lips bit the collar of her dress, tongue lightly grazing her skin.
“I see… that’s not a bad outlook.”
Now it was Ethan’s turn to get to her instead of the other way around. “But?”
“But with you? I never know what to expect. Sometimes it’s kinda scary.”
“Surely by now you know you can trust me.”
“Trusting you and feeling confident are two different things. Even after all our time together, I’m still getting used to the things you’re into.”
“We’ll take it slow,” Ethan reassured her. “There’s a lot we can do together. Although…”
Jasmine waited for it.
“Why don’t we start tonight?”
Chapter 4
“This is one of my favorite positions to have you in.” Ethan’s voice was an intoxicating growl. His hand? Squeezing her hip, the inside of her thigh so hard that Jasmine whimpered. “You look so ready for me.”
Jasmine lifted her head off the pillow and grazed her lips against his. He would like me like this. Her wrists were bound in front of her, resting against the pillow. She wore nothing but a sheer, baggy white T-shirt with not a lick of cloth or silk beneath. Ethan merely had to hold his gaze with hers and she melted, sinking against their bed as her legs slowly opened to let him between them. He did not partake. He was too busy gazing at the length of her body, getting hard in his trousers as he thought about what he wanted to do to her. Everything. He’s going to do everything to me.
“I am,” she whispered, high off the scent of his aftershave. “I’m waiting for you, Ethan.”
His palm cupped her breast through her shirt, the muscles in the back of his hand becoming more prominent the harder he clutched. Fuck, he’s so strong. Jasmine was an utter fool for a man who could show her not only his silent strength in everyday situations, but actual strength… in the bedroom. Oh, in the bedroom!
I never stand a chance. He says drop to your knees and it’s like I hear a siren going off. Sometimes Jasmine hated herself for it. She always prided herself on being a woman who didn’t fall easily to men. Then again, it wasn’t that she was opposed. Her problem was that there were so few men worthy of her feminine airs and body. Ethan? He was worthy of all that and more.
“Are you going to give yourself to me, Jasmine?” No woman could withstand that seductive tone. Jasmine had fallen for it on their first date – or was it a job interview? – and kept falling for it ever since. It took a lot of anger and dissatisfaction on her part to say no. Even if they were in the middle of a disagreement that would last a week or more, she could always count on timeouts that included sex like this. As if to remind her that, deep down, they fit together and would find a way to work through their temporary troubles.
She moaned softly, his fingers pinching her nipple until it was hard enough to cut through her shirt. “I’ll give you whatever you want.” She closed her eyes and fell back against the pillow. Someone’s other hand rubbed her ass. It didn’t carry the foreboding of an upcoming spank, but it was stern nonetheless.
Ethan wanted to own her. Command her. A long time ago, that made Jasmine wary. Now? It made her wet and desperate.
“I want you. Right here.” He didn’t mean the bed. He meant between the legs. Jasmine got that loud and clear when he pulled her leg up in the air and went straight for the source of her arousal.
“Oh!” Jasmine cried out in the sudden pleasure it brought – an intimate touch meant to rile her up like Ethan was.
She didn’t yet know what he had in mind. So far, this foreplay was par for Ethan’s usual course of lovemaking. He liked tying her up. He liked getting rough with his hands, showing off how virile he was before she even had the chance to feel his hardness. Jasmine knew it was for her as much as it was for his own amusement. What better way to make sure the little woman was more than ready for
what was to come? Hard, maybe rough sex. If they were getting like this, the sex was probably not going to be sweet and gentle. Heaven forbid.
Yet Ethan had promised something new tonight. Something he had always wanted to try with her. Jasmine wasn’t sure what it was, but she would probably like it.
Until then, the dirty talk was free to continue.
“I want you,” he growled in her ear, his hand continuing to squeeze whatever it could find. That’s my…! Yeah, yeah, and that was his finger burying deep within her. Jasmine could barely feel it at that angle. That wasn’t a detriment to either of them. It only meant it was a bigger surprise than she bargained for. Now, if it were two fingers… “I want to fuck you until you scream. I want to hear you be so loud tonight that I’m drowning in your voice. Do you understand?” His finger shook inside her. “Don’t hold back.”
He fingered her harder, that other digit sneaking in when Jasmine least expected it. Her bound hands trembled against the pillow as she unleashed any and every sound bubbling up her throat. Oh, fuck. Giving herself completely over was a treat. There was no shame in deriving so much pleasure so quickly with a man like Ethan. He didn’t call her names for it. He didn’t deride her for it. If anything, Jasmine was perpetually rewarded for her eagerness and ability to come almost on command. No other man could make her do that. With Ethan? Looking at the man’s domineering demeanor long enough could make Jasmine shake in climax – even more true if he had his fingers in her.
“Do you know what I love most about fucking you, my flower?” Oh, no. Oh, no no no. Was that a third finger? Was he going to do it? Usually Jasmine wasn’t receptive enough unless he had something else inside her first. To part the ways, so to speak. “How good you feel inside. It’s too bad you can’t appreciate it like I can. Because every time you shudder?” He pushed into her, hard, to prove his point. “You tighten around me. Every part of you. The soft parts, the coarse parts… I hate it, in a way. It drives me crazy. Makes me lose control. You think it’s bad when it’s my fingers? Imagine how it feels when you tighten around my cock and cover it in cum. All while you cry out in the greatest ecstasy.”
