Tempting Marcus

by Jan Graham

  He didn’t intend for the flirting to stop, but he accepted the change in her manner would make it easier to concentrate.

  “I want you as mine, Beth, but I want you to know exactly who I am before we commit to moving forward.” Beth opened her mouth to speak, but he continued without giving her the chance. “You think you know me, but I haven’t shown you everything, been open with you as a man should be before encouraging a woman to fall for him.”

  Beth raised an eyebrow in surprise, her lips quirking into a wry smile. Kat suggested he reveal the real him to Beth in small digestible bites. For his benefit, not hers. He decided to start with his dominance and her preferred submission, the part that would play in their lives. After that, he’d move onto the bigger stuff, letting her see the emotional side of him he’d locked away, hoping to never have to deal with it again.

  “So, this is part of me we’ve skirted around, touched on in conversation but never really explored. There’s a difference between being threatened with a spanking and actually getting one.” God this was harder than he imagined it would be.

  First, he felt like an idiot sprouting shit she probably already realized and second, despite his earlier assumption, the intensity with which she now viewed him was doing nothing to ease the boner in his jeans.

  Beth looked around the room. He followed her gaze, knowing she’d be familiar with the equipment from working at The Dungeon. Knowing and doing were very different things though. Some submissives didn’t like pain, some Doms didn’t like inflicting it. Others relished in the sensation and spike of adrenaline they received from the act.

  Beth didn’t strike him as a masochist, loving extreme levels of pain and getting off on it. She also didn’t appear to be a woman who wanted to be submissive twenty-four-seven, luckily for him. He kept his kink mainly to the bedroom, wanting a woman to submit to him as a means of heightening his and her sexual pleasure. Beth was a sassy woman, she liked teasing him and could be a brat at times, something that made him hard beyond belief. However, when it came to her work, her family, what she did or didn’t do outside of the bedroom, Beth liked making her own decisions, and that was fine with him. He didn’t want a doormat in his life, he wanted a partner.

  “I have a pretty good idea of who you are Marcus, and I’m happy to learn anything else along the way.” Beth approached him, her hands pushing his arms open and easing up over his pecs before coming to rest on his shoulder. “I love you, exactly as you are, and if that ever changes, I’ll let you know.”

  A cheeky grin accompanied her last statement, mischief lighting up her eyes. He wasn’t sure if the fact he’d been astonished by the I love you declaration showed on his face. She’d said it in a casual, matter-of-fact tone as if it was something she’d admitted to on many occasions, rather than just the once or twice it had slipped out. He knew she loved him and assumed she’d often thought the words, but as for voicing them in such a confident manner, well, that was new. It was a change he’d not expected or been ready for. He walked over to the stylish leather Wing-backed chair in the corner of the play space and made himself comfortable.

  “Let’s see how well you follow commands,” he grinned over at her. “Strip and stand at attention.”

  His Beth didn’t hesitate, slowly removing her clothing, every movement a vision of beauty and seduction until she stood before him naked. The submissive stance she adopted before him was near perfect. She faced forward, standing with her heels together, toes pointing outward slightly. Her legs were straight, her body erect, her shoulders squared. Her arms hung straight by her side, with her fingers just brushing her thighs. Her head and neck in a perfect vertical alignment. Beth had clearly been investigating the world of BDSM during her time here at The Dungeon.

  Marcus hoped her interest was because of her own need to experience different forms of kink and not solely based on her love for him.

  “I feel the need to inspect you, are you ready for that?”

  As Marcus stood and approached her, Beth changed her stance. Spreading her legs, her feet now braced hip-width apart, she raised her arms up, clasping her fingers together behind her head, her breasts jutting forward as she did. She’d opened herself for him, the position allowing access for him to touch her intimately in any way he saw fit.

  “What a clever girl you are.” Marcus kissed her forehead before walking around her, gazing at her voluptuous form.

  He stroked her naked skin, cupping her breasts, skimming his fingers over her nipples, watching them peak harder. His cock pushed against the zip of his jeans. He was aching to be inside her but refused to allow that just yet. Marcus smiled, delighted in the visible shiver that ran through her body as he slid his hand down the swell of her belly before exploring between her legs.

  “Is this for me?” He stroked his fingers through the wetness between her legs.

  Beth nodded, her mouth opening as if to reply, only to gasp out a moan as he rubbed her clit firmly between two fingers. Releasing her, he smiled before sucking her pussy juices from his fingers and returning to his seat.

  “Here,” Marcus pointed to the floor in front of him, and Beth didn’t hesitate as she walked forward.

  To his amazement, Beth lowered herself down into a kneeling position between his open legs. Again, her submissive position was near perfect. Her back was straight, knees splayed to shoulder width with her hands resting, palms upward, on top of her thighs. She gazed into his eyes with such trust and admiration, it humbled him.

  He didn’t deserve such a beautiful and loving woman. Beth waited patiently for him all these years, never complaining, simply hoping he’d one day lower his guard and accept everything she offered. Today, she offered her submission, something he never dreamed would be possible.

  “Did I tell you to kneel, baby girl?” Marcus asked a smile edging its way to his lips.

  She was adorable as she stared up at him, a tiny crease forming between her eyes and a confused expression filling her face.

  “I assumed you wanted me to kneel, daddy. You did point to the floor.” Marcus shook his head. She’d have to learn to stop anticipating what he wanted her to do. However, in this instance, he let it slide. He could become very used to her sitting at his feet. Hell, he looked forward to having her permanently in his life—his woman, submissive, and lover.

  “You’re happy to submit to me when I require it then?” He knew the answer already, her actions speaking louder than any words ever could.

  “Yes, Sir,” her reply was confident and assured.

  “Well then, I think it’s time we find out how deep a shade of red I can make that ass of yours,” Marcus grinned.

  * * * *

  Butterflies dipped and dived in Beth’s stomach. She’d received spankings before, but not in a proper sense. Her past experiences were more slap and tickle, a bit of fun. Today, she’d have her first real spanking from a man who oozed dominance from every pore. Even when he wasn’t in a sexual scenario, he commanded attention, and right now, as always, he had hers.

  When she’d stood open for his inspection, her heart thundered in her chest. The mere stance of being open for him, to touch and use as he saw fit, made her wet. The anticipation of what he’d do as he roamed around her, his hungry gaze sweeping over her body sent her arousal through the roof. He’d literally inspected her body—running his hands over her possessively, grasping her breast, cupping them firmly, squeezing them tight. He'd done the same with her ass, kneading the globes before sliding a finger down her crack. He’d soaked his fingers in her wetness before savoring the taste of her. Every action a claim of her body. By submitting to him, her body was no longer hers. She handed it over, and he’d do with it as he pleased.

  Even before he’d slid his fingers inside her cunt, she’d been dripping wet. Maintaining her stance hadn’t been easy as he’d pumped and poked inside her, but she’d managed to do it with only the slightest of moans.

  “I was going to direct you back over to the spanking bench,
but I think a more intimate arrangement might be better for your first time.” Marcus tapped the arms of the chair. “These arms should support you nicely as you drape yourself over my lap.”

  Beth stood before positioning herself across the arms of the chair and his lap. The leather fabric was cool against her skin and softly cushioning for her hips and breasts. She could feel the hardness of Marcus’ concealed erection press into her belly as she lowered down onto him and hoped he’d not only spank her but fuck her senseless afterward. Her erect nipples rasped against the leather as he repositioned her slightly. She sighed as his hand glided down her spine before lightly massaging each of her cheeks.

  “What do you want your safeword to be?” he rubbed his hand over each cheek, kneading the globes with firm fingers.

  Beth loved his sensual touch, she only hoped she enjoyed the bite of his hand slapping her ass just as much.

  “Buttercup, Sir.” Adding the title made her nervous. He’d not specifically said to call him Sir, but it seemed to willingly slide off her tongue, considering the position she was in.

  “What a good, respectful girl you are,” Marcus responded. “Now, if you’d like me to stop, just say buttercup. I’m going to go easy on you at first, building the intensity depending on how you respond. Now, tell me, why you’re being spanked?”

  A gentle slap on her left cheek surprised her, she hadn’t expected him to start just yet. He followed it with a light slap to her right. Both causing her to jerk in surprise.

  “Answer me, please,” his tone was firm, he expected an answer, but with each tap on her ass, her mind faltered as her pussy clenched in delight.

  After half a dozen or so gentle slaps, Marcus rubbed his hand over each cheek. She could feel the warmth emanating from his hand or was that her butt?

  “Still waiting,” he prompted, and Beth’s mind kicked back into gear.

  “I’m being spanked for all the times I behaved like a cheeky brat.” His hand landed a little heavier on her rump this time, causing her to flinch in wonder. Despite the added severity, the action continued to arouse her.

  “Behaved like a cheeky brat… what?” The other cheek felt the sting this time, and Marcus wasted no time in repeating the harder strikes against each globe.

  “Sir… I behaved like a cheeky brat, Sir.” Each sting caused her to wince. She tightened her thighs as each biting slap had her cunt clenching in response. When he again said good girl, she moaned. God, she loved him saying that, it aroused her on its own, the accompanying spanking only serving to heighten her response.

  As he rubbed his hand over her cheeks once more, Beth knew by the heat radiating from her that her skin must have flushed by now. She imagined it darkening, first pinkish, then slowly reddening the more his hand impacted her flesh.

  She squirmed as Marcus stopped caressing and began spanking once again harder than before. Beth squealed with each impact, her breast pressing against the leather arm, adding a stimulus that only increased her wetness.

  There definitely was a fine line between pleasure and pain because Beth was feeling both, but the pain swam with a delightful trill of pleasure she couldn’t deny.

  “What an attractive glow of red.” Marcus resumed rubbing his hand over her ass. “Shall I see how much you’re enjoying being spanked?”

  Before Beth could summon a response, Marcus slid his hand between her legs, his fingers exploring her wetness, circling her clit, delving inside her, thrusting deeply. She moaned loudly unable to conceal how turned on she’d become. Her arousal tipped to a fever pitch at the intrusion of his two fingers pumping inside her. She thrust back onto the digits, her cunt tightening around them. Beth edged closer to orgasm, only to have it suddenly taken from her.

  “I said I wanted to see how aroused you were, I didn’t promise relief,” he stated calmly. “Today, you get to come when I say you can.”

  Beth growled out a frustrated groan, receiving a hearty slap on the ass in response which did nothing to ease her urgent need to come. A dozen more spanks made her flesh burn and her body ache for relief. Surely, Marcus knew how much she needed an orgasm. Of course, he did, but he kept up his routine of spanking, caressing, and teasing her until she began to beg.

  “Please Sir, I need to come. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

  Marcus emitted his signature one-word laugh, the Ha sounding more jovial than she’d heard in a while. He was clearly enjoying her discomfort. He eased her up, the devilish grin on his face indicating he had more sensuous torture in store for her.

  “I’m feeling quite aroused myself, pet.” Marcus stood, adjusting the bulge in his jeans, drawing her attention to how horny the activity made him. “Now it’s time to get dressed. Off you go.”

  With a parting slap on her butt, he pointed to where Beth’s clothes lay on the floor.

  What the fuck? No orgasm.

  She needed to come. He couldn’t leave her like this. Her body ached for release. As she put her clothes back on, every action reminded her of that fact. Her hardened nipples rasped against her bra, the fitted top she put on doing nothing to conceal them. Her ass felt like it was on fire, and she longed to see what it looked like. As she slid her G-string on, the elastic waistband rubbed over her flesh, causing her to hiss. The rawness of her flesh rebelled as she pulled up her snug jeans and fastened them. Every step between now and wherever they went next would be an arousing reminder of their time together and provide no relief to her overly horny state. What the hell was he playing at?

  “You’ll go back to my place and wait for me there. I have an errand to run first, but I’ll be home in time for dinner.” Marcus moved to stand by the door and waited for her to join him. “This isn’t over, Beth.

  The lustful gaze he fixed her with before his lips descended on hers as he pressed her back against the door spoke volumes. When he finally pulled back from her, there was only a breath between their lips.

  “You will not touch yourself or seek out an orgasm until you’re with me, do you understand?”

  She understood what he meant by this not being over. Their play session hadn’t ended. Even though they were parting for a brief time, he was still in control, and he expected her submission to continue. Fuck, if that didn’t make her even hornier.

  “Yes, Sir,” she responded, hoping he wouldn’t be gone for long.

  Marcus maneuvered her to the side and opened the door, ushering her out into the hall. Every step made her wish she’d worn different clothing today. Maybe a loose-fitting dress instead of jeans and a snug T-shirt. She paused, turning back to Marcus as he closed the door.

  “Sir, is this payback for all the times I teased you over the years with no sign of relief?”

  “Now, Beth, what makes you think this is about revenge?” Marcus’ lip quirked cheekily. “I’m merely having a little fun. I did mention I enjoy making my subs participate in orgasm denial, didn’t I?”

  Beth scowled at him as he turned to walk away. No… no he didn’t. What on earth had she let herself in for?

  Chapter Twenty

  As Marcus drove to Nik’s private residence, he conducted a critical review on how things went with Beth. He’d left her aching for him, he believed that was a good thing. He didn’t exactly open up to her emotionally, but that would come. Eventually. The exercise at The Dungeon had served its purpose. They’d talked about BDSM, discovered she enjoyed spanking, and was surprisingly tolerant of and aroused by a reasonable measure of pain. He’d started off gently but by the end, hadn’t held back on delivering a substantial whack. Her ass left deeply reddened but not bruised. How do you eat an elephant? One small bite at a time. He could be emotionally open with Beth, it would happen, it was just going to take small digestible bites.

  Marcus realized he’d locked himself away from everyone. Not in a physical sense but certainly an emotional one. It would take time to be freer about who he was, and it wouldn’t be with everyone. Beth, of course, and his team. He held them all at bay, but
they were family, and he trusted them. What he needed to learn to do was show his love and admiration on a real level rather than a perceived one.

  Once inside Nik’s home, he started his search. What were the disjointed words that Nik muttered after his surgery? In the floorboards—at my place—exercising—under the treads. The entire fucking house was floorboards, but at least Marcus knew there’d be a loose one or two somewhere. He didn’t visit his team members in their homes. Just as he valued his privacy, Marcus gave them theirs. If they hung out together, it was generally in the workspace at his place or at The Drover’s Run. They were all so used to leading separate lives when they weren’t on a mission and sometimes, even then, as Nik had been while undercover, Marcus wondered if any of them really were emotionally healthy individuals. His women appeared better equipped at the feelings thing than his guys were, but they didn’t fit in as stereotypical females. How could they when hardened males and deviant criminal scenarios surrounded them each day?

  Marcus smiled when he discovered Nik’s well-equipped gym room. Exercising? It was a good place to start looking. Now, what had treads? A bike? Nope, the floorboards underneath the stationary bike didn’t give when he walked, jumped, and knocked on them. Perhaps he kept a bike in the garage or another room somewhere. He continued to survey the room, his gaze falling on a treadmill. Treads? Maybe Nik was too groggy to finish the word. Marcus inspected the area, moving the treadmill, tipping it over to inspect underneath. Bingo a darkened spot on the floor, looking deceptively like a knot in the wood, proved to be a button. He pressed it, watching as two boards sprang up at an angle. Opening the wood further revealed a hidey-hole complete with everything international authorities would need to track the kidnapped women to their final destinations.

  Nik thought of everything. Most of the names having a photo of varying qualities from when they were in Oshimara’s custody. When he found the picture of the woman, he was looking for Marcus sat in silent disbelief. Sylvie Romano, twenty-eight-years old and the only Sylvie in the catalog looked surprisingly like Kat Maclean. Similar build and coloring but clearly a woman in distress. What in God’s name was Nik thinking? Marcus had wondered how, out of all the women Nik must have come across during his time with Oshimara, he’d pinpoint one he particularly insisted on saving. Was it because she resembled Kat? Or because of the resemblance, the man felt like this woman could be home? Marcus didn’t know, but he’d find out.