Elliott didn’t request her soul now, he took it.
Ecstasy slid through her from the hard slap of his hand. As the punishing smack sent a loud slap to echo in the room, she screamed, “Ten.”
He angled her head back and turned it slightly to the side. Then he frowned at her. “Never ignore yourself again. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”
“Yes, sir.” She ached, throbbed in every place she could for his cock. “I’m sorry for disappointing you.”
“No, Mary”—his fingers gripped her hair tight and he brought his face close to hers—“You are only disappointing yourself.”
Chapter Five
Perplexed by Mary, Elliott untangled his fingers from the soft strands of her hair. He couldn’t make sense out of why a woman so in tune with her submission hid from it for so long. He had plans tonight, plans that he realized he couldn’t proceed with, considering she quaked beneath his touch.
Regarding her on the bed, he suspected part of her reaction was from missing a Dominant’s hand, but the other reason he suspected was due to an emotional response from a submissive not being in her role. Her body and her mind had been clearly struggling for what it needed, and now that she got it, she was unable to process the emotions.
He needed to be careful with her.
Mary was special.
A low cough at the door caught his attention. When he lifted his head, he discovered they had garnered an audience. Mary must have realized it, too, since her trembling only increased. The crowd didn’t surprise him. Mary was a new submissive to the party; everyone was likely curious about her.
He clenched his jaw, sensing that the others watching aroused her by the way she wiggled into him, but he wished they’d go away. Mary was breaking wide open and he didn’t want anyone to witness it.
Odd response, he thought, since he had never much cared before. He liked others watching him. Christ, he got off on it. If he’d known a submissive liked it, too, he never refused a crowd. That in itself meant something.
There was a specialness in his connection with Mary—something he immediately recognized when they first met at Dmitri and Presley’s for dinner—almost as if he’d been with her for a lifetime. She seemed connected to him—her soul unable to lie to him.
So passionate.
So free.
Exactly what he’d been looking for in his life.
He said to the crowd, “You may all stay until I order, then leave and shut the door behind you.”
Everyone’s gaze was locked on Mary. Elliott figured they understood why he made the request. He knew—without a doubt—that Mary was going to suffer an emotional drop after their scene.
One he suspected would leave her in tears.
Elliott had seen it before, yet knowing Mary would experience such a purge of emotions made tension roll through him. He didn’t like her this way, so vulnerable. In fact, he found himself wanting nothing less than to see this edge removed from her tonight.
Once he received nods of understanding from the crowd, he kept his hand on Mary’s bottom, showing her he was there with her. That she wasn’t alone, and that he wouldn’t leave her. No matter that he had wanted to play more and draw out this scene for as long as he could to simply enjoy this electric spark between them, as a Dom, with years of experience, he knew better.
Pushing her tonight would leave a devastating mark. She couldn’t maintain the level of shaking, and he wouldn’t make her suffer through these emotions. Mary needed to shed the edge, and more so, she needed to be held by a Dominant.
Then they needed to talk before they went further.
He slid his hand behind her, slipping it between her thighs and discovering her wet and ready. Not wanting to draw this out, he pushed two fingers inside her and moved them in and out gently. Her moans immediately washed over him.
As he pumped his fingers in and out of her soaked cunt, Mary moaned with each stroke. He moved in a steady rhythm, then noticed by the angle of her head, she was staring at their audience. Elliott wondered if she could even see them or if she was blinded by emotion. The trembling and heat of her body almost seemed fevered with passion.
Her inner muscles clenched around his fingers and he called out to their audience, “Leave.” He paid no attention to the noises moving outside of the room. He stayed focused on the beautiful body calling to him to give release. To take what she offered and return the gift with gratitude.
When the last of the spectators left and the door was shut, he flipped her over, resting her back on the bed with her bottom hanging off the mattress. He stepped between her spread thighs and took her mouth. He pressed his lips against hers, kissing her in a way that felt more right than any kiss had before it. Each swipe of his tongue with hers wasn’t a simple embrace, it was passion personified. She wasn’t begging him to take her higher, she was waiting for him to offer her an orgasm.
And she was there.
Leaning away, he quickened the stroke of his fingers in her slick heat. He curved his hand, hitting her G-spot, and he saw her response in the widening of her eyes. Now wasn’t about ecstasy, it was about making her feel better. Probably better than she’d felt in years, he suspected.
He stroked her fast and forceful, in an up-and-down motion, pulling at her climax. She gasped, gripping his arm, digging her fingernails into his flesh. He stared at her…this beauty…loving the way she grabbed on to him before orgasm.
An angelic expression swept across her features as she closed her eyes. Her breath hitched, chin lifted, and her moan was so real and honest. Elliott’s heart opened to her; the stunning sound would forever be imprinted on his mind. Then she arched her back, and she screamed out her pleasure, with a flush creeping over her chest.
He inhaled the sweet scent of this woman.
Mary hid nothing now. She exposed herself to him in a raw purity that branded him. All her pain and her loneliness lay in her expression, so exposed it made him withdraw his fingers and instantly gather her in his arms. His chest constricted, but he couldn’t look away from her.
Lying beneath him, her eyes finally opened, and he only held on to her more tightly. Her lips parted and then shut and her tears came hard. Yet her soft whimpers tore at him, because now she showed him what she had lost.
A part of herself.
Her mouth opened again and only a squeak came out. Elliott shook his head, cursing her damn corset, wanting to be as close to her as possible. He lay on his side, tucking her against him. “Shhh…don’t talk.”
She stayed silent and sobbed against his shoulder.
Elliott shut his eyes, overwhelmed by her. Mary needed him now, and that was one of the most satisfying feelings he had felt in years. A submissive depended on him. Not for sex, but for an emotional exchange. There was something so unexpectedly perfect about it that it changed something inside him.
Warmed parts of him that he wasn’t sure had ever been touched.
He brushed his hand over her heated bottom, tucking her head under his chin. “Stay right here, darlin’. Right here in my arms.”
—
Time passed in a blur. Mary hadn’t known how long she’d been crying, she only knew that she finally stopped. Part of her felt foolish, sobbing in the arms of a man she barely knew, yet somehow she also felt appreciative and thankful it was Elliott.
He had stayed silent, simply embracing her, as if he never intended to let go. Such a long time had passed since anyone had hugged her like this, like a lover. Not like a mother or a friend. As if the world was perfectly aligned simply because they were hugging each other.
She had missed such affection, possibly even the length of time in his strong hold.
Maybe she hadn’t realized how much until now.
Pressing her face against Elliott’s chest, moisture from her tears lay between them. His arm was locked onto her, making her feel as if no harm could come to her if she just stayed right there.
After a long breath, she recognized the cry was m
ost definitely therapeutic. For the first time in longer than Mary dared to count, her mind was quiet. She didn’t think of the past or future; she stayed in the present. She lifted her head, wiping the tears off Elliott’s chest and her face before leaning her head back against his strong arm, looking to him.
He stared at her with warm yet powerful eyes and asked, “Better now, darlin’?”
She nodded, feeling her cheeks flush. “That wasn’t quite the reaction I was expecting when I arrived tonight.” She had expected pleasure and pain, and a mind-blowing orgasm that had her screaming for all to hear. She certainly wasn’t expecting to be cuddled in the arms of the Dom she played with in such an intimate way. “I’m sorry for falling apart like that.”
“Don’t be.” He shifted slightly, leaning against his arm to face her. “Quite the release you had there, hmm?”
“I…” She paused, drawing in another long breath. “I didn’t know it would be that intense…or that I couldn’t hold it all in until I was alone.”
“You should never deal with anything like that alone.” He watched her with furrowed brows. “Can you share with me why you reacted so strongly?”
Another thing that proved Elliott wanted to get deep into her head. If it was simply his Dom duty to take care of her after the scene, he’d ensure she was safe, back to her solid self, and in a good mental place, but he wouldn’t be so interested in the why.
Before, she wanted to keep it all in. Now, she couldn’t find any part of herself wanting to refuse him. More than anything, she felt the need to share what she’d experienced with him—she wanted to be heard. “I think I forgot what it feels like to be touched so intimately.”
His gaze softened. “I know losing your husband must have been horrible and heart-wrenching. I can understand why you’ve been hesitant to move on.”
She stared at the starry sky she saw through the big window across from her and then returned her focus to him. “It’s not that I didn’t think about it. It simply never seemed like the right time to get back into the lifestyle. I was busy with my kids, healing them and myself. I had to make sure that we were all okay without Charles. Somewhere along the line, I guess I forgot what I needed.”
Warmth touched his features as he dragged his knuckles gently over her cheek. “You were being a good mother.”
She gave a small nod and sighed, enjoying the way his gaze held hers, so focused and attentive. “I also never had the right opportunity to play or find someone with similar interests.”
He brought his elbow up on the pillow and rested his head against his hand, gazing down at her. “Because you wouldn’t play at Club Sin?”
“Exactly. It’s not the right crowd for me,” she replied, admiring him. Elliott was a handsome man, one she could appreciate. Her gaze swept over his thick chest and chiseled arms before she looked to his face and added, “Honestly, once our children were born, Charles and I kept play to the club. We didn’t mingle with others in the lifestyle much in our everyday lives, except for Dmitri. Charles and I thought it best we kept the two worlds very separate.”
Sympathy sounded rich in his voice as he said, “So when your husband died you didn’t know anyone else who could help you find a place to play that would make you more comfortable?”
“Well, it took two years before I even thought of playing again,” she admitted, sliding her hand between her face and the pillow. “Before that, it honestly hadn’t even crossed my mind.”
“Then when you had the cravings again, what happened?”
I realized how much I missed Charles. She shrugged. “I did search some online communities, but, again, after being with Charles, it was hard to imagine myself with anyone who wasn’t an experienced Dom. Most men I found on those forums, who attended clubs, were quite young.”
He brushed a strand of hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. “You could have asked Dmitri to help you.”
If only it was that easy. “Dmitri and I hadn’t really seen much of each other over the past years. Or not until recently, I should say.”
His brows rose. “Why is that?”
“Because he reminded me…” She swallowed deeply, unable to say the words.
“Of all that you lost.”
Mary swallowed back the sudden emotion in her throat. She didn’t want to think of Charles and she wanted to be there with Elliott, though her heart couldn’t forget what it’d fought so hard to remember.
Elliott paused, his eyes searching hers and tenderness reflected in his features. “Just to be clear, you’re telling me that you tried to forget what you needed to be happy, as if it wouldn’t finally catch up with you?”
“Yes.”
He frowned. “That’s a shame, darlin’.”
She held his gaze, feeling that haziness in her mind that she used to experience after a scene, along with the entire body abuzz. Her heart warmed in gratitude toward Elliott. This sensation was something she’d wanted for too damn long. “Thank you for tonight. It was…”
His smile was gentle. “Like coming home?”
“Yeah.” She sighed. “Just like that.” Moving closer to him, she embraced the heat of his body, allowing the quiet to encase her. No noises came from outside the room, and she wondered if all the guests were still there, or if everyone had left now.
It didn’t really matter. Not to her. Now she enjoyed him.
Many more minutes passed and he continued to hold her tight, so she asked. “Is this the plan for the rest of the night?” No sex. No more play. The thought didn’t appeal to her. Being this close to Elliott made electric energy run through her, and she knew a simple touch from him would draw all that heat back between her thighs.
“Yes, Mary, this is my plan tonight.” He pressed his lips against her head. “Sometimes a woman needs pain. Sometimes she needs pleasure.” He tipped her chin up, capturing her gaze. “And sometimes what a woman needs more than anything else is to be held.”
“You think that’s what I need, sir?” She wasn’t sure she agreed.
He smiled, and it did amazing things to his eyes, making them soften in the most trusting of ways. “It’s not what I think you need. It’s what I know.”
Chapter Six
A soft knock sounded on the door and Elliott slid out of bed, glancing to Mary lying in the bed. She was tranquil, breathing deeply. It’d been ten hours since she’d drifted away, and two hours since he had woken. He had watched her sleep, wondering if maybe she hadn’t slept that well in a long time. No lover had ever relaxed so peacefully in his presence.
Warmth slid into his veins and his smile felt good.
Last night, when he heard of Mary’s pain, his heart reached for her. It was clear from the second she mentioned her husband that his death had devastated her, and even more apparent that she hadn’t completely moved on yet. Though, from her heated reactions to Elliott, he understood that deep down she wanted to, but she simply didn’t know how.
With a final look at her, seeing her dark hair curtaining her face, he turned away. He fought the urge to stay right there with her while he entered the living room, finding it empty of last night’s guests, as he expected. Being so late in the morning, Elliott assumed most had gone home, or possibly were in another hotel room.
Another knock sounded at the door before he opened it. The young server greeted him with a smile. “Your breakfast, sir.”
“Please come in,” Elliott replied quietly, so as not to wake Mary. Once the server pushed the cart into the room, Elliott grabbed his wallet from the back pocket of his slacks and took out a bill, then handed it to the waiter. The young man looked at the money with obvious gratitude. “Have a wonderful day, sir.” He turned on his heels and shut the door behind him.
Elliott took the lid off the tray, finding everything he had ordered—all types of berries and warmed croissants, along with two fresh cups of coffee. He placed the cover on the piano, then pushed the cart into the bedroom and noticed Mary awake and smiling at him.
“Morning,” she said, a little groggily. “I slept awhile, didn’t I.”
He gazed over her face, seeing that the makeup she had worn was smudged under her eyes and her hair was disheveled. He couldn’t hold back his smile, he liked her a little messy. “A good twelve hours, I would say.”
“Wow.” She sat up, her corset still firmly in place. “I haven’t done that in years.” Her smile came quick and full of wit. “Must have had something to do with a Dom, a flogger, and an orgasm.”
He chuckled. Though what he liked most was that she hadn’t attempted to fix her hair or makeup, either. She was okay with herself, done up or messy. That confidence was attractive. “Lovely compliments from a pretty mouth.” He winked at her pinkened cheeks. “Are you hungry?”
She nodded.
“How do you take your coffee?”
“One sugar.”
“Strong, but a little sweet,” he murmured, adding the sugar to her mug. “Much like yourself, darlin’.” He glanced up, noted her blush deepening, and his returning smile was instant.
She accepted the mug from him, took a sip, and smiled. “Perfect. Thank you.”
“You’re quite welcome.” He joined her on the bed and reached for one of the strawberries, then placed it in front of her mouth. “Open up, darlin’.” She frowned at him, but her hesitation didn’t deter him.
Last night she had told him she had been the one to take care of many people, always caring for others before herself. Elliott thought that quite possibly Mary was the one who needed to be taken care of. Maybe she forgot how good it felt to be cared for. How, as a Dom, he enjoyed pampering a woman in his care. That together they could take care of each other. He assumed that Mary had gotten accustomed to becoming second, and even more so, not thinking it a requirement that she should be put first.
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