by Brooks, Abby
* * *
This might have been the longest day of work for in anyone in the whole wide world since the very beginning of time. Forever and ever. Amen.
Christy-Anne had called in at the last minute with two of her three kids vomiting and not a babysitter in sight. Ruby, a waitress with hair died a violent red, had pulled a no-show. And Lou hadn’t been able to find anyone to cover either shift. So, on the busiest night in the diner’s entire history, Lilah and one other girl had raced between tables, covering the entire diner between just the two of them.
Lilah’s wallet was fat from tips and Lou had even gone so far as to call her a rock star. Like, given her an honest to goodness compliment without even a single if, and, or but to qualify it. Lilah felt like a rock star. She had been so on it today. Rattling off orders, remembering to pick up the little extra thing each and every customer wanted. Finding time to joke and smile with the regulars. The night had flown by but now her feet ached and her bones were weary and all she wanted was a warm bath.
She pulled the rust bucket into her spot and turned her off, silently thanking Cole for whatever he had done to make her reliable. The old Neon might not look great, but Lilah didn’t worry about being stuck out on the road anymore. As she pulled the key out of the ignition, something caught her eye on her doorstep. Well, several somethings.
Were those candles?
She slid out of the car and limped up to her door and yes. They were candles. And a trail of rose petals. Leading right from Lilah’s front door to Cole’s front door. That man! He knew just how to make the simple things feel like big things. Lilah blew out the candles because it didn’t seem like such a great idea to leave them laying around like that and pushed through Cole’s front door.
The rose petals led right up his stairs, a candle flickering on each step. Weariness drained from her as she followed the path he laid out from her and was replaced with excitement and happiness. This little fluttering in her heart and belly. This delightful light that filled her soul. She expected the roses to lead into his bedroom and her body was already getting wound up for another round of fantastic sex and mind-blowing orgasms.
But as soon as she reached the top of the stairs, the trail of candles and rose petals veered off into the bathroom. Cole was waiting by a tub filled with water, a layer of frothy bubbles floating on the surface. He had two bottles of beer, one in each hand, and that vivid smile lighting up his face.
“Oh my god,” she said, dropping her purse to the floor. “How did you know?”
“I stopped by the diner to see you tonight.” He handed her one of the bottles. “I saw the line of people waiting for tables. Saw you and some other girl racing around like pros and figured you were gonna need some TLC when you got home.”
“You really are the bestest of the best,” she said, sliding into his arms.
“And don’t you forget it.” Cole took her by the shoulders and pushed her ever so gently away. “Plus, you smell like fry grease and I want to fuck your brains out tonight. Thought I might like it better if you got cleaned up first.”
Lilah sat back on her heel. “I knew all this had to have some kind of ulterior motive from Cole Bennett.”
“Aww. You do know me, princess.” Cole undid her buttons, one at a time, and slid her shirt down off her shoulders.
“Damn right I do.” She watched him unbutton her pants and slide them down her hips and really hoped he meant to make good on his promise of fucking her brains out. She looked up and found him watching her with a look so gentle, it was out of place on Cole’s face. “What?”
“It’s nothing,” he said, and dropped his eyes to her breasts as he reached around and undid her bra.
She shrugged out of it and it dropped to the floor with a light thud. “Oh, no, there’s something.”
Cole slid her panties down, kneeling to drag them from her hips to her ankles. She placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself as she stepped out of them. There was no way he would answer her question now. Whatever it was he was thinking was still so far in the part that was only meant for Cole that Lilah wondered if she would ever get to know that part of him. She steeled herself for some comment about getting her naked and how hot she looked.
Cole straightened and ran a finger along her collarbone, from her shoulder, up her neck, until he cupped her cheek with his hand. Lilah leaned into his touch.
“I was thinking that I’ve never been this close to someone before. That’s all.” He blinked slowly as if he was afraid to stop looking in her eyes.
“I feel the same.” She smiled and they stood there in his bathroom, her naked and him clothed, his hand on her cheek, holding each other’s gazes and this felt like one of the biggest, most important moments in Lilah’s life. Like she had crossed some kind of line.
She meant what she said. She told him every thought she had. Every worry. Every fear. Every success. She didn’t hold anything back from him. Well, except about her parents’ money. And that little secret hung more and more heavily on her. At first, she hadn’t told him because it was part of the stipulation of the bet her brothers had made with her. But then, as they got closer and closer, it just seemed harder and more awkward to bring up. She was going to have to fix that one of these days. He had been honest about his past. It was time to be honest about hers.
Except now was not the time. Because right now he was helping her into the bath he had drawn for her. Sitting on the toilet in the tiny bathroom and joking with her about his day. He even rubbed her feet, pulling them one at a time out of the water and propping them on the edge of the tub while Lilah leaned back and let the stress of work seep out of her.
“Damn that feels good,” she said as he circled his thumbs into her arch.
“Do you like that?” He moved his hands from her arch to her heel, and then from her heel to her ankle. Lilah opened her eyes and found him staring at her hungrily. He traced a finger up her calf, leaning over the edge of the tub as he found her thigh. She sank a little lower in the water, opening her legs, inviting him to continue his journey.
He stopped about midway up her thigh and let his gaze singe her own. “Are you properly relaxed?”
Lilah nodded. “I’m less relaxed now. You do crazy things to me with your touch.”
“I plan on doing crazy things to you, alright. Are you feeling adventurous?”
Nerves flitted around in Lilah’s head, battling desire for top priority. “What do you mean?”
“Do you trust me?”
“Answering a question with a question is never a good thing.”
“You’re dodging me, princess. Do you trust me?”
Lilah swallowed hard. She still worried about Cole finding some other woman who stole his interest. Still worried that he would break her heart. She knew that wasn’t what he was asking and now was not the time to admit that little fear. “I trust you,” she said and meant that she trusted him with her body. That she knew he wouldn’t hurt her physically, even if she was still afraid he would break her heart.
“Good. Then we’re going to play a game tonight.” Cole’s eyes hardened with this heady mixture of lust and power. “I want you to get out of the tub. Dry off using that towel. Meet me in my room. I want you on your knees. Hands in your lap. Eyes on your hands. Understand?”
Lilah giggled. “How very Fifty Shades of you.”
Cole pulled his hand out of the water and grabbed her face, his fingers reaching around to the base of her neck. He didn’t hurt her, not even a little, but his movement was fast and it scared her. Water dropped from his hand onto her cheek and she blinked furiously, meeting his eyes and thrilling at what she saw. Gone was the playful Cole, the cocky Cole. In his place was someone harder and darker and Lilah couldn’t believe how turned on she was. Her clit throbbed and her nipples beaded up, poking out of the water and aching for Cole’s touch.
“Do you understand?” he asked again, meeting her eyes with just the hint of her favorite smile playing on his
lips.
“Yes.”
“Good.” And with that, he stood up and stalked out of the room. She heard him go downstairs as she got up and drained the water from the tub. Dried off using the towel he had pointed out to her and walked naked out of the bathroom and into his bedroom. She kneeled on the floor and waited for him, trying to feel ridiculous, but the way her body ached and throbbed, the way moisture pooled between her legs, made it impossible to believe that she felt anything but way the fuck turned on.
Finally Cole strode up the stairs. He paused in the doorway and Lilah lifted her eyes from her hands to see his face, knowing full well that if they were playing the game she thought they were playing, she was not supposed to look at him until he said to.
His lips quirked into a smile and for a second, he was her Cole, playful and cocky. “Do you have an idea what you’re getting into?” he asked and the commanding tone was gone.
“I think so.”
“And you’re still feeling adventurous?”
“I think so.” She smiled despite trying to be serious.
“Well, the look on your face, those tight nipples, and the way your chest is heaving with your breath tells me that you’re feeling a little more certain than you’re leading on.” Cole pushed off the wall and walked towards her. Put a finger to her chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze. “Remember, this is just a game. You don’t like what I’m doing and you tell me to stop and I will. You’re in control, here, not me.”
“Don’t I need a safeword or something?” Lilah blushed. Was this really her? Kneeling naked and submissive in front of a man? No one who had ever known her even a little would believe it if she told them.
“Just what do you think I’m about to do to you?” Cole looked concerned. “Are you afraid?”
“No. I trust you with my body.” Lilah looked at her hands. “The thing is, I just really don’t know what you’re about to do to me.”
“Tell you what. I’m not one who gets off on making a woman cry. I know some guys need a woman to struggle and scream underneath them, but that’s not me, princess. You say stop or no, or I don’t like that, and that puts the brakes on the whole deal for me. I get off when you like what I’m doing. But, if it makes you feel better, if you want a safeword, how about you just say peaches and we’re done.”
21
Lilah looked absolutely amazing, kneeling before him, her chest heaving in a mix of fear and excitement, her wide blue eyes trained on his. He tried not to show her how upset he was at the thought of her needing to use a safeword. He did not get off on hurting women. But he did get off on control. Urging them to break their boundaries, to give themselves to him so he could show them just how far their bodies would go.
He didn’t show this side of himself to many women. In fact, it had been a year since the last time he felt comfortable enough to try and dominate someone. The thought of doing it to Lilah, of sharing this piece of himself with her, well … his cock ached at the thought.
He had been planning this night for weeks. Waiting for the right moment to take her as his. To do all the dirty things he wanted to do for her. Things that would have her climbing his bedposts and biting pillows in ecstasy.
“First things first,” he said, adding that hint of command back into his voice, hoping she heard the subtle change in it. “You are not to look at me again unless I tell you to, understand?”
She nodded and dropped her eyes. He instantly missed the contact but, the one thing he knew for sure was that adding little rules and permissions on her actions would best put her in a submissive state. And since this was her first time with this kind of stuff, he would start easy. But later? Once he was inside her, he would command her to look at him because nothing was better than looking into her eyes as she came.
Cole leaned down and tweaked one of her nipples. Rolled it between his fingers. Lilah’s lips parted and her chest heaved. He flicked it a few times, watched it turn red, then lowered to his knees in front of her and drew it into his mouth, caressed it with his tongue, let the warmth of his lips take away all the pain. At the same time, he took her other nipple between his fingers and pinched hard enough to make her gasp. Rolled it and twisted it and then brought his mouth to that breast, kissing and sucking and taking away the hurt.
“Does that feel good, princess,” he asked, his voice low and sultry.
“Yes.” Her voice was breathy and uncertain.
“Yes, what?” He touched a finger to her chin and lifted her face to his.
“Yes, sir…?” The corners of her lips twitched up in a smile. She felt silly and that was normal. He would never stand for her to go around yes sir-ing him in public, but he needed her to trust him in the bedroom and having to call him by a title would put her even further under his spell.
“Good girl.” He smiled and she relaxed. “But you just broke a rule, princess.” He hardened his voice again. “Did I tell you to look at me?”
“I thought you wanted me to. When you lifted my chin…”
“In here, you are to do exactly as I say. Nothing more, nothing less. Did I tell you to look at me?”
“No.” Her cheeks flared his favorite shade of pink and anxiety flared to life in her eyes. He would put that fear right to rest in just a few minutes.
“No, what?”
“No, sir.”
“Well, now you’ve broken two rules. And that means you’ll have to accept your punishment. Stand up, Lilah.” He offered her a hand to help her stand. “Lie down on the bed on your back and reach your arms overhead, grab one of the slats in my headboard and don’t let go.”
She did as she was told, ever so carefully avoiding his eyes. Cole climbed onto the bed and spread her legs, positioned himself between them and blew on her over so lightly. She took a deep breath and rolled her hips towards his mouth. Hot damn was she ever turned on.
“Are you wet, princess? If I slide a finger inside you am I gonna find out how just how much you like it when I’m in control of you? When I have power over you?” He didn’t wait for a response. He slid two fingers into her opening, hooking them just right so he could massage that spot he knew she loved so much.
She gasped and arched her back and he started sliding his fingers along her slick walls. In and out. Her breath hitched and she spread her legs, offering him more room to work. He leaned forward and flicked her clit with his tongue, hard and fast while he kept the slow steady pace with his fingers. He felt her begin to clench around him and pulled away from her completely.
“I asked you a question.” Of course, he had already found his answer. She was wet and ready for him, but he had to play the game, especially after finding how much she was enjoying it.
“What was the question,” she asked, lifting her head to look at him.
He raised an eyebrow. “I think you like getting in trouble, princess.” He flicked her clit with his finger. Gentle at first and then harder. Lilah dropped her head back on the pillow and moaned. He stopped, withdrawing all sensation just as he saw her muscles beginning to clench with the beginning of an orgasm. “Are you wet?” He bit out the words, enunciating the consonants.
“Yes.” Lilah gasped. “Sir... I mean, yes, sir.”
Cole went back to work with both his hand and his mouth, bringing her to the point of orgasm over and over, only to pull away before she could come. Lilah was moaning and panting. Her hips bucking up under him, trying to seek out the friction she needed to finally come. He pulled his finger out of her and slid both hands under her ass, lifting her up towards her face.
“You are not to come until I tell you, do you hear me?” He flicked her clit with his tongue, and then licked her long and slow.
He felt her nod and whimper what sounded like an affirmation. “I need you to use your words, princess.”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
“Good.” And then he clamped his mouth down on her clit, sucking as hard as he could. Lilah screamed against her closed mouth, her hips rolling
in his hand. She thrashed her head against his pillow.
“Oh fuck, Cole! I’m gonna come!”
He lifted his face. “No.” And then he brought his mouth back to her swollen clit and sucked while her moans grew louder and more frantic.
“Please,” she begged. “Please let me come.”
Cole slid his hands out from underneath her and let her hips fall to the bed. He stood and pulled off his shirt and pants, staring at her stretched out on his bed with her legs spread, totally unaware of how fucking hot she looked as he stepped out of his boxer briefs and rolled on a condom.
Without warning her, he kneeled between her legs again, picked up her hips and thrust himself all the way inside her. “Come,” he ordered as he began to move, driving into her again and again.
She detonated around him, coming loudly, turning her head to bury her face in her arm. And still he kept moving. A frantic pace. One that would bring on his own orgasm in a matter of minutes. He watched her, so beautiful. So hot. So his. He claimed her with every roll of his hips, with every wave of pleasure rolling through him.
“Oh, fuck Cole, it feels so good.”
She arched her back, allowing him to hit even deeper inside her.
“Lilah,” he said, his voice gruff. “Look at me. Look me in the eyes.”
She turned her face to his, opening those gorgeous blue eyes of hers and locked her gaze on his. Her breath hitched and caught and her eyebrows knit together. He held her gaze, looking right through to the most intimate part of her, sharing this most private moment as his balls clenched and he came in one hot spurt. He pulled her hips closer to his, bringing them even closer together.
There was a moment of stillness while their breath ripped through their chests. While they panted in the quiet room. While they stared deeply into the face of the other and the frenzy of their orgasms faded.
This. This was the moment he feared the most. This moment of complete and naked intimacy. This moment he had avoided with every woman for his entire life. It had finally arrived. And it was beautiful.
