I nodded. "Yes, sir," I replied shakily.
"If I remember correctly you enjoyed it immensely," he said salaciously with a gorgeous roguish grin that made my heart flutter. "I know I did, beautiful." He gently tucked one of the loose tendrils of my hair behind my ear. "Do you remember the sweet sting of pain followed by the warm rush of pleasure?" He licked his lips as his eyes darkened and swept over my face. His voice dropped to a low husky tone. "Remember how turned on you were, how wet you were, and how hard I made you come?"
"Y...yes, sir," I whimpered as desire began to throb between my legs.
He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "That was only a taste of what I can do to you."
A shudder fell over me followed by a soft whine of need. My core clenched, and I felt myself growing wetter and wetter. This was all about pleasure, and Gareth would never truly hurt me. I knew that in my very soul. The fear slid away and faded completely.
Gareth abruptly stood. "Up now, beautiful. I have work to do." His tone was brusque and all business now. He reached down for me, and I fearlessly took his hand, eager to follow him deeper into his dark erotic world. He pulled me up and led me over to the St. Andrew's cross. "Face it and step up close."
I obeyed and shivered as the cool wood touched my bare skin.
"Arms up."
I raised my hands up to the leather cuffs, and Gareth began buckling one around my right wrist.
"What's your safeword, Malory?" he asked as he finished and moved to my left side.
"Bourbon, sir," I replied confidently as I looked up to watch him nimbly restrain my left wrist to the cross. I pulled at the cuffs, testing them and savoring the feel of the soft lambskin lining on my skin.
"If you need to stop or slow down, or if it's too much, you will use it immediately. Understood?"
"Yes, Gareth, sir," I said with a nod. "I will."
"Good girl."
He disappeared from my view, and I felt his hands attaching a leather cuff to my left ankle and then my right. He moved away, and I closed my eyes reveling in my helplessness and feeling more and more aroused. I swear I could feel his eyes on me, caressing me and admiring my body.
"You are the sexiest most beautiful woman I have ever seen, Malory Burke," he suddenly said in a soft tone that held tenderness and affection. "It's my honor to worship your body and bring you pleasure."
Suddenly, soft tickles crawled up my back as Gareth trailed the ends of the suede flogger slowly up my spine. I immediately moaned with pleasure.
"The key to erotic flagellation is a slow and steady build up," he murmured as he pulled the flogger away then slid it up my back again. "The sub can take more and get more out of it that way." I heard the whooshing sound of something moving through the air behind me. "Here we go, beautiful."
Thwack! The first strike was loud but surprisingly light against my left butt cheek, a painless tingling caress really. I liked it. More followed, one after the other and alternating sides as Gareth twirled the flogger through the air and slapped the suede against my ass again and again and again. The steady pattern of strikes grew stronger and stronger, the tingling slowly building into a pleasant stinging that warmed my skin and felt amazing as the warmth spread throughout my body. I moaned happily and relaxed into my restraints, closing my eyes and surrendering to the sensations. Then he slowed down, and the flogger softly struck the left side of my upper back, the ends trailing down slowly to my ass. I shivered from the gentle tickling sensation. He repeated it on the right.
"More beautiful?" he asked as he pulled the flogger away from my skin and paused. I almost sobbed from the loss.
"Oh God, yes, sir," I whispered desperately. I never wanted him to stop.
"Very well," he growled out in a low and unbelievably sexy rumble.
He started again, this time building up to stronger blows that stung then warmed delightfully on my skin and flooded my body with sweet euphoria. He began varying the strength and placement of his strikes, spreading them out between my ass, the backs of my thighs, and then my shoulders. The rhythmic thudding noises of each strike mesmerized me as they filled the bedroom and echoed out through Gareth's huge apartment.
"Oh Malory, if you could see what I see," Gareth announced in a deep lust-filled rumble. "Your skin colors red so beautifully, so perfectly. It's breathtaking."
He continued murmuring his appreciation as he worked. I felt myself start to slip away from reality, and time and space suddenly meant nothing. His low voice and each moment when the flogger struck my heated skin were the only things that mattered or even existed anymore. All my worries or cares were gone. I was floating away, relaxed and serene in a bubble of warm fuzzy shelter where nothing could touch me or hurt me. It was pure bliss.
Finally, he stopped and I whimpered out in loss and disappointment, feeling bereft and abandoned. He came up behind me and pressed his body against my back. My skin was so hypersensitive now that I swear I could feel every thread and seam of his clothing. It was all too much. I mewled pathetically, and a small sob escaped my lips.
"Shh, my beautiful Malory," he whispered, his lips brushing my ear as his hands slid caressingly up my arms. "I've got you. You're okay."
His hands glided back down to my shoulders and slid down my sides, skimming the edge of my breasts as his hands moved down to rest on my hips. He thrust his pelvis against my ass, and my tender skin protested even as my pussy throbbed at the feel of his erection pressing against me. I moaned in equal parts desire and displeasure.
His right hand slid between the cross and my pelvis, and his fingers delved down to my pussy. I was soaked, and his fingertips glided easily between my folds and slipped into my aching core.
"Fuck," Gareth rasped through clenched teeth. "So goddamn wet." His voice dropped an octave. "I want you." His fingers pressed in deeper and stroked my velvety walls with firm pressure, making me writhe and whine desperately as pleasure coursed through me. "I want you just like this, helpless and wet for me."
"Please," I begged shamelessly.
Soothing cool air kissed my back as he stepped back. I heard the rustle of clothing, amid Gareth's heavy breathing, and then he was pressing against me again. This time he was gloriously naked, his fevered skin warm against mine. His cock pushed between my legs, and I arched my back in my desperation to have him inside me. He slid into me slowly, inch by inch, his steel girth stretching and filling me so completely that it took my breath away. I sighed in completion as he reached the end of me and stilled.
"Nothing and no one has ever felt like this." Gareth's low voice shook with barely restrained lust. "I can't control myself with you."
His body shook against mine as his ragged breaths panted in my ear, his fingers digging into my hips. I didn't want him to hold back. I wanted him to lose control on me. I wanted the animal I knew was inside him to be unleashed and pounding into me until I flew apart.
"Please," I pleaded again as I clenched my insides around his cock. He gasped as his fingers dug bruisingly into my hips, then he snarled viciously as his control snapped. Yes! It worked just as I intended, and I got exactly what I wanted.
He began fucking me with rough violent thrusts, punctuated with harsh grunting snarls. Each stroke pushed me higher and higher, hitting a sweet spot deep inside me that only Gareth had ever found. When I reached the crest, I ignited in the sweet white flames of a massive release that decimated me. I screamed and screamed as it seared through me in a wave of ecstasy.
When it ebbed, he sent me right up again, skating the edge of consciousness until I finally slipped over and surrendered to the pleasure. I was vaguely aware of Gareth's shouts when he finally reached completion himself, and then my mind slipped into incoherence, and I was blissfully lost.
When I was aware again, I was lying on soft blankets and being held gently as I was coaxed into drinking from a bottle of cold water. The cool soothing liquid felt so good as I swallowed it down.
"That's my good girl," Gareth crooned i
n my ear. "That's my Malory."
The next thing I knew I was lying on my side as Gareth's warm and reassuring presence surrounded me, his chest pressing gently against my back as he spooned me. His strong arms wrapped around my body, his face nuzzling softly against my neck.
"Go to sleep, my beautiful Malory," he whispered soothingly. "I've got you. You're safe. Sleep, baby."
I closed my eyes, and I obeyed...
19
GARETH
A soft whining pulled me from sleep, and for only the second time in the last eight years since I left my ex-wife, I awoke with a woman in my bed and in my arms. This time felt just as frightening and unsettling as the first one last weekend, even if I did purposefully do it this time. My heart rate spiked, and terror shivered through me. I guess I'd been alone for far too long, and I hoped this would get easier with time, because I wanted Malory here. I wanted to let this fear of relationships go. I wanted to try with Malory.
I opened my eyes, and raised my head to peek over Malory's to see Reggie looking intently at me from the side of the bed, needing to go out. I groaned softly. I didn't want to move. The back of Malory's gorgeous naked body was pressed against my front as I held her close to me. I dropped my head back onto the pillow, and burrowed my face into her red hair, breathing in her luscious scent as I reveling in the warmth of her soft skin against mine. My morning erection was cradled between her ass cheeks. Goddamn, I wanted to fuck her again. Holding her felt right, like this was where I belonged, and I wanted to stay here forever.
Reggie let loose an even longer more pathetic whine. I looked again to see that he'd put his chin on the edge of the mattress, his eyes bright and pleading as he stared at me and wagged his tail softly. I feared he'd wake Malory if I didn't take him for his walk.
"Okay, okay," I whispered to him quietly as I carefully unwrapped myself from around Malory's sexy little body with profound regret.
I sat up and gazed down longingly at her beautiful ivory skin. I reached out and traced my fingertips gently over the dusting of freckles on her shoulder. I loved the contrast of my darker skin against her very fair complexion. I ran my hand through her hair. I loved her long flaming red hair, and full soft lips. I loved her big hazel eyes and cute little button nose. I loved her sarcastic biting wit and her kind sensitive heart.
A rush of affection fell over me, and it was overwhelming. I suddenly felt like I was being sucked down a rabbit hole in a free fall that terrified me beyond words. Goddamn it, what was I doing here? Was I falling in love with her already? I was still struggling to wrap my head around the fact that I wanted to keep seeing her beyond a purely physical relationship. There was no way in hell I could fall in love with someone this quickly. No way in hell. It was much too soon.
I shook those scary thoughts away and climbed out of bed. Malory whimpered and rolled over to snuggle her face against my pillow with a soft contented sigh. The blankets shifted, exposing one of her perfect little breasts with its perfect pink nipple. I groaned softly and had to fight the urge to get back in bed with her. I clenched my hands into fists to keep from touching her as I stared down at her adoringly. Cold wetness pushed against the back of my hand as Reggie nosed me and brought me back to reality.
"Sorry, buddy," I murmured and went to the closet to get dressed.
A few minutes later, I was pulling on my coat over the hoodie and athletic pants I'd put on and grabbing Reggie's leash from the hook by the door. I took the elevator down to the lobby, then led my dog outside with a nod to Robert at the security desk.
I was grateful when Reggie took care of business fairly quickly because it was damn cold. I suspected he was in a hurry because he liked being around Malory as much as I did, and wanted to get back to her. My theory was proven correct when I walked back into my penthouse a short while later, and he ran straight upstairs without a second glance at me.
"Traitor," I grumbled with a wry smile as I walked into the kitchen to start the coffee. I needed it to warm up as much as the caffeine. I'd been up most of the night either horny and thinking about fucking Malory again, or actually fucking her. I couldn't seem to get enough of her tight little cunt, and she'd been eager and enthusiastic each time I woke her for sex. Damn, just thinking about it was getting me aroused all over again.
When the coffee started brewing, I went to look in the refrigerator. It was fully stocked, but I'm not sure why I was looking. It's not like I could make anything beyond toast or heating leftovers, but I wanted to offer Malory something to eat besides the bowl of cereal I usually ate on the weekends when Jane wasn't here. I guess I could go out to the coffee shop around the corner where I usually got my morning coffee and breakfast during the workweek. It was pathetic that I couldn't even cook for myself. I was a spoiled rich asshole. I snorted in disgust with myself.
"What's for breakfast?" a female voice suddenly asked right behind me.
"Son of a bitch!" I blurted out as I startled and whipped around to see Malory standing there looking adorable in her leggings and my gray shirt from last night. Reggie stood next to her with a dopey expression as he leaned against her leg, his tail wagging furiously.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly with a warm smile.
She'd pulled her hair up again, and the soft ivory skin of her neck was just begging to be tasted. She stepped closer to peer into the fridge, but I pulled her into my arms instead so I could press my lips to the delicious skin of her neck. I licked and nipped at her until she moaned and pressed closer to me. She smelled like Malory and sex. Goddamn, it was intoxicating. I could have cried when she pulled away.
"What are you making me for breakfast?" she asked as she smiled dreamily up at me. She was just as effected by my lips on her skin as I was.
"Um...cereal?" I asked with a wry smile. "I can't handle anything else since Jane doesn't work weekends."
She reached up to pat my cheek. "You poor helpless boy," she said as she shook her head with a smirk. "Thank God, I'm here." She pushed me out of the way and began grabbing items out of the fridge. "I'm not a trained chef like my sister Lydia, but I'm no slouch." She turned with an arm load of food and eyed me sharply. "Go sit down. You're in my way," she commanded me firmly.
I arched a brow at her impertinence and gave her a hard stare, even though I liked her spunky attitude. I had a certain reputation as a Dom to live up to after all.
She glared right back at me. "You may be in charge upstairs, honey, but you're the novice in here. Now move it." Her hazel eyes flashed green fire as she stared me down. It was so goddamn hot.
"Very well," I relented with a roguish grin. "I bow to your expertise." I went to the kitchen island and sat down on a stool to watch her.
She set all the ingredients on the counter then begin searching through my cupboards for a frying pan, some bowls, and a few spices. Within minutes, she was putting everything together as she told me about her family. I learned that Malory's mother and father loved to cook together, and that love had inspired her sister to make a career out of it. I learned that her mother's death had left a hole in her heart even though she didn't say that out loud. It was there in the way her eyes misted over with pain and loss whenever she mentioned her mother, and the way her hands shook as she spoke about her.
I understood completely, even if I couldn't tell her that myself. Talking about Viv was still hard for me after all these years. I was still shocked that I'd told Malory about it the other day at all. I think she knew how painful it was for me, because she'd never asked about my stepmother since or now. It was like she understood me like no one ever had before. That thought was both comforting and terrifying.
Suddenly, the intercom beeped. I frowned. I wasn't expecting anyone this morning, and I wanted Malory all to myself today. I stood and stalked over to the wall then touched the intercom screen to answer it.
"Yes, Robert," I snapped out in irritation.
"Mr. Caxton," he said uncomfortably. "Your mother is here to see you."
Well, fuck
. This was just what I needed, Malory meeting my mother. This should go well.
I let out a beleaguered breath. "Fine," I answered curtly. "Send her up."
"Yes, sir."
I stood there in silence for a moment as I began rubbing my temples to stave off the headache I knew was coming from dealing with my mother. Go only knew what kind of impression she'd make on Malory. It wasn't going to be anything good, and I was certain to be embarrassed by it.
"Is everything okay?" Malory asked uncertainly from the other side of the room.
"No, not at all," I growled out as I looked up at her with a deep frown.
"Do you...do you not want me to meet your mother?" she asked in an incredulous and hurt tone, her eyes turning sad and unsure. She pressed her lips together like she was trying to keep from crying as she clutched the mixing bowl she was holding tighter.
"No, no, beautiful," I replied reassuringly as I walked toward her. "It's just the opposite."
She cocked her head with a bemused and questioning expression. I took the bowl from her and set it on the counter.
"My mother," I began as I pulled Malory into my arms, "is...well...something else, and our relationship is strained on a good day."
I didn't want to completely bad mouth my own mother or call her the manipulative bitch and self-involved narcissist I thought she was most of the time. What would Malory think of me then? She'd see for herself soon enough anyway. I let out a heavy sigh, then cradled her face in my hand and met her eyes with a worried frown.
"I need you to take whatever she says with a grain of salt. Okay?"
"Oh...um...okay," she replied uncertainly. She eyed me worriedly and opened her mouth to say more, but the doorbell rang and interrupted her.
I gave her a brief reassuring kiss, hoping she wouldn't think less of me after meeting my mother and seeing where I came from, before going to answer the door.
"Darling," my mother announced in a bright cheery voice, like her last visit when I basically threw her out had never happened. That's how Melissa Caxton's world operated. If you didn't like something or someone, pretend it didn't happen, or they didn't exist.
Dark Dominion: Dangerous Desire Book 1 Page 22
