by Tessa Bailey
Feeling unusually lethargic, she turned to leave. And came up against Jonah’s hard body. His hands circled her wrists to keep her close as he searched her face. Weighed her reaction to what she’d seen. Even now, she could hear the woman’s cries increasing in volume behind her. Somehow that sound, along with the leather slaps of the flogger, was provoking something to life inside her. It should be a negative feeling, but it felt thick and heady and good. The dizziness she’d been assailed with upon exiting the elevator came over her in a fresh wave, this time more intense, coupled with a not-so-subtle nuance of longing. Jonah’s body, unyielding against her softer curves, felt like an aphrodisiac. Having his barely harnessed lust living and breathing so close to her own toppled a few more of her defenses.
“Caroline.” His voice held command in it, layered over concern. “I’ll bring you back downstairs right now. Just say the word.” He brought his forehead down to hers, eyes darkening, pulling her deeper. “But I don’t think you want that. Do you, baby? I didn’t expect that.”
Caroline shook her head, praying sanity would return, but it didn’t do the trick. Could she go with this man, let him touch her, in this place, and look at herself in the mirror tomorrow morning? Right now, daylight seemed like the distant future. Inconsequential. Now was what mattered. Getting rid of the damnable ache. “I don’t understand it,” she said, the words practically inaudible.
Jonah, obviously sensing her teetering on the edge, trailed his lips down her neck, nearly causing her knees to buckle. She was too sensitive. Every touch, sound, sight, felt wrapped in gauze. Nothing could stop her from twining her arms around his neck and rolling her body against his powerful frame. Jonah’s breath shuddered at her neck, turned into a groan.
“That hot, throbbing feeling. The one between your legs. I know it’s there, sweetheart, and it needs me.” He nipped at the inside of her arm. “Come with me now and I’ll bring it screaming out of you.”
Chapter Four
Jonah swallowed an expletive when Caroline swayed toward him, as if he’d cut some tight, unseen tether inside of her. That reaction only served to amplify his need for her. No, not only her reaction, but specifically her not understanding it, then literally leaning on him for support. It further stiffened his already full, aching cock, that sudden desire to protect and…teach. She would deny it until her beautiful face turned blue, but her actions translated to her wanting guidance. An explanation of why she liked what she saw, instead of being repelled by it. His body, his mind, gave him no choice but to be that man for her. In a split second, it became everything driving him, keeping him standing.
Already, he’d broken the club’s rules, rules he’d created, by bringing her up here without the interview process and signing the usual consent forms. Now it seemed he would be breaking his own personal rules. On top of leaving the control room to approach her at the bar, he had every intention of getting her alone and taking whatever she would give him. God, he didn’t know what about this girl inspired him to leave his self-discipline in the dust, but he intended to find out. His instincts told him she needed him, even if she didn’t know why. And hell if he didn’t need her, too. If she refused him now, letting her go wouldn’t be easy. It would be damn near impossible.
Jonah dropped his hands to the flare of her back, just above her bottom, clutching at the material of her skirt with tight fists. “Caroline, I’ve never begged a day in my life, but I’m about to come dangerously close.”
He let his breath warm the skin of her neck, damp from his kisses, warming her with his lips when she shivered. “I don’t want what she’s having. I don’t want pain. I want…”
“Me?” Jonah held his breath.
“I don’t know. I—”
“I won’t make you hurt, Caroline. I want to pleasure you too badly.” He tugged her earlobe with his teeth. “No pain. Just me.”
A heavy beat passed. “Yes. Just you.”
His relief was surprisingly short-lived. Why? She’d just given him what he wanted. Jesus, he was already in trouble. One night without kink wasn’t a problem for him. He might prefer to restrain her, to take a riding crop to her backside and drive her to the point of begging, but he didn’t need it to find pleasure or release. With this woman, he had a feeling it would take next to nothing. No, his lack of relief came from the fact that he couldn’t deny himself his vices forever, and he already wanted her more than once—treacherous thoughts he shouldn’t allow himself, since he suspected she didn’t feel the same way, despite the way she was fitting her lithe body against his, rubbing against him and purring like a cat.
“What if I told you myself and pain are synonymous?” He tipped her chin up and groaned at her lust-dazed expression. “Would you leave?”
“Is this leading to an ultimatum? Pain or nothing at all?”
“God, no. It’s not an ultimatum.” He smoothed a thumb over the beginnings of a frown between her eyebrows. “I’ll never take you further than you’re willing to go, especially this first time.”
“First and last. There won’t be a next time.” There it was. She’d said it quickly, like ripping off a Band-Aid. But that’s not how it felt to him. The sting didn’t fade immediately but lingered, like the effect of a right hook. “Please don’t let me change my mind,” she finished with a whisper.
Her quiet plea reverberated in his head as if she’d shouted it. Turn down one night because she wouldn’t allow him more? Was he insane? Her fingers raked up his chest, as if exploring some unknown territory, breasts rising and falling, faster and faster in her excitement. For him. This moment, right now, would have to appease him. There was no other choice. “I suppose we’ll have to make the most of it.” Without another word, he took her hand and led her down a dark hallway lined with doors. Rented rooms. He shouldn’t take her here. He should bring her upstairs to his apartment, but he’d never make it. She’d get away with a screaming fuck in his elevator, and whether she liked it or not, he intended to make sure walking away without a backward glance wasn’t an option.
Jonah splayed his hand on the heavy wooden door at the very end of the hall but didn’t open it right away. He tugged Caroline in front of him, savoring the feel of her trapped between the solid oak and his body. “When we are together like this, Caroline, you will call me Master.”
Time slowed as her gaze shot up to his. “And if I refuse?”
He’d told her he wasn’t issuing ultimatums, but he wouldn’t budge on this. Hearing her call him by that name possessed too strong a pull. He needed it from her. “It will please me if you call me by that name. And when you please me…” His hand slid down her thigh and underneath her skirt, rising to cup her pussy, drawing a thready whimper from her lips. “I’m more inclined to reward. Do you want to be rewarded?”
“Y-yes.”
“Then you know what to call me.” He tightened his hold between her legs. The back of her head hit the door. “But you should know something upfront.”
Her breath escaped in degrees. “What’s that?”
“It’s not just a word. Think about that before you agree.”
They both struggled during her breathless silence. His mind told him to take back the demand, but some untapped part of him wouldn’t allow it. Finally, thankfully, she gave a single nod. “Since this is only for one night, okay.”
Lust whipping through his veins, Jonah pulled her into the room, giving her mere seconds to scan the dimly lit, medium-size space, complete with a coverless bed, with those inquisitive eyes. Mere seconds before he turned her toward the wall and placed her hands palm-down high above her head. His breath escaped in a rush when he molded his body to hers, forcing her up onto the wall. Christ, she hit him in all the right places.
A discussion needed to be had here, but he could barely think with his dick nestled snugly against her ass. He didn’t intend to let this go anywhere she might be uncomfortable with, but he still had a responsibility toward her. The protectiveness he felt toward her extended
to himself. “Pick a safe word.”
Her body stiffened ever so slightly. “What? I…”
“You won’t need it.” He rotated his hips, and Caroline moaned. “Choose one anyway.”
“D-dumpling.”
“Of course.” His head dropped down on her shoulder with a groan as he gave in to the urgency to grind against her. “Sweetheart, you have an incredibly tight ass.”
“Likewise.”
Her response surprised a laugh out of him, but it vanished when she spun around in his arms and tried to kiss him. The frantic expression on her face told him exactly what was taking place in her head. She didn’t want anything resembling a connection between them. Simply needed him to slake an urge. Not happening, sweetheart. He’d already made too many concessions tonight, and they ended now.
A gasp escaped her when he let her slide to the floor abruptly. He gave her no time to recover, crowding her back against the wall, forcing her to tilt her head back to look up at him. His thirst for dominance, always so close to the surface, was quenched by the new awareness in her gaze. He’d be willing to bet she’d never let a man dictate her actions or make her want to submit. She didn’t want to like this side of him, either, but she did. He could see it in the way her eyes went unfocused and glassy, dipping to his mouth, his throat. The way her body went pliant in degrees, meshing with his hard form.
“I control the pace of this, Caroline. You’ve set your boundaries, so now I dictate the rest.” He leaned down to speak against her forehead. “Do I make myself clear?”
He could practically see the steam shooting straight out of her inner-feminist’s ears, but she didn’t pull away. Didn’t stiffen. There was a battle taking place inside of her, but desire for him won. Thank God. “Okay. Yes.”
Jonah released her chin and began unbuttoning her shirt slowly, deliberately. “Excellent. Now close your eyes.”
…
With each button, Caroline’s heart pounded faster within her chest, until it drowned out her accelerated breathing. Every so often, his fingers would brush over the thin lace material of her bra, sending a jolt of electricity to her core. Her nipples were stiff, painfully so, by the time he finished. Between her legs, the heaviness grew intolerable. She could actually feel herself dampening second by second, a warm, delicious flood of heat that pressing her thighs together wouldn’t alleviate. Wanting to shout at him to hurry, she bit her lip to remain silent.
Jonah rewarded her by tossing the shirt onto the floor. Then in one swift motion, he yanked her skirt down to her ankles. The unexpected action made her gasp. Her eyes flew open. Suddenly, Jonah had her facing the wall and was flush behind her again. He’d removed his shirt, and being in contact with those muscles encased by hot flesh felt like nothing she’d ever experienced. He was smooth and hard and wonderful at the same time. She wanted to turn around and get an eyeful, but their positions prevented her.
“I told you to keep your eyes closed, Caroline.” Her eyes snapped shut, but not quickly enough. “If I were your master, this is when I’d be turning your perky backside a bright shade of pink. But I’m not. And why am I not enjoying that privilege?”
“Because I asked you not to,” she gasped.
He laid an open-mouthed kiss on her neck. “That will always be the case. Relax and try to trust me.” His palms smoothed over her bottom, molding the flesh in his big hands, turning her insides to jelly. “It’ll be worth it.”
His presence at her back disappeared briefly. Feet braced shoulder-width apart, hands high on the wall, wearing nothing but her black bra and panties and high heels, Caroline felt incredibly exposed. She waited for humiliation to streak through her system, but shockingly, none appeared. It felt as though someone else inhabited her body, someone who craved being on display, knowing with full confidence Jonah liked what he saw. If she were even one iota more conscious, Caroline imagined she would be ashamed of herself. But Caroline had apparently left the building. Her usual fastidious, control-freak self hovered above, watching with rapt interest. Yet Hover Caroline somehow experienced every lick of anticipation, heat, and incessant need just as intensely as her daring replacement.
Music began to play, filling the room. It was a Radiohead song. Dark, winding, and bass-heavy. A moment later, when Caroline felt the feather skim across her belly, her breath caught on a whimper, but the sound was swallowed by the pulsing music. Another simple, light dusting over her navel and yet somehow, it made her sag against the wall. Jonah gripped her hips and steadied her immediately. She wanted more of his touch on her fevered skin, but it left her, once again replaced by the feather. It swirled up and down her belly and ribcage until her stomach began to tremble.
Finally, she felt Jonah’s hand coast up her abdomen and unfasten her bra at the front with a twist of his wrist. Caroline somehow resisted opening her eyes to witness his powerful hand in such close proximity to her breasts, but she felt the wispy material caress her leg as it fell to the floor without a sound.
“I’m going to leave your sexy panties on for now,” Jonah rasped in her ear. He swirled the feather around one hardened nipple, and Caroline had to bite her lip to keep from moaning. “Another contradiction. I watched you sit down at the bar and cross your legs as tight as a drum. Now I see you’re wearing panties that barely cover your pussy.”
His use of such a raw term sent a shudder racing through her. “They came with the matching set,” she managed.
“Caroline?” He glided the feather up the inside of her thigh. “Shut up.”
Her surprised laughter came out in a rush, but it turned to a groan when Jonah dragged the feather against her damp panties. It was exquisite torture that made her sex clench. And it wasn’t nearly enough. The barrier of her underwear muted the sensation. Without second-guessing herself, Caroline curled her fingers around the edge of her panties and yanked them down her thighs, praying he would find some way to give her relief soon.
Behind her, Jonah growled. In warning or approval, she didn’t know. She felt his breath, warm and harsh, on her neck. “Impatient girl. I’m trying to take this slow and you’re making it goddamn impossible.”
“Touch me.” Caroline Preston was actually begging. She couldn’t care less. Throwing caution to the wind, she met his eyes over her shoulder. “Please, Jonah.”
His tortured gaze fell to her mouth. “I left your panties on as a reminder not to fuck you senseless against the wall. What’s going to stop me now?”
Caroline didn’t have an answer for that. At that moment, she couldn’t recall them deciding not to have sex together. Had they decided that? What the hell for? She opened her mouth to pose the question, but Jonah spoke first.
“Do I need to remind you again that I’m in control here?” His voice cracked like a whip, infinitely different from before. This is Jonah the Dom, she realized, ignoring the unwelcome thrill that came along with that knowledge. “Get your hands back up on the wall immediately before I forget myself.”
Breath racing past her lips, pulse hammering, she did as he commanded. The first touch of his fingers between her legs almost wrenched a scream from her throat. Until that moment, she hadn’t been aware of exactly how close she was to the edge. How far the explicitness of the situation in itself had pushed her. With an iron will, she forced herself to remain still.
He tapped a single finger over her clit. “When is the last time you were properly fucked, Caroline?”
She couldn’t hold back a moan, her knees starting to tremble. “W-what? I—”
“Never. The answer is never, because I’ve never fucked you.”
That one thick finger traced along her opening, then eased inside her in a slow, slick push. Already, she could feel herself tightening around him, liquid decadence gathering in her belly, waiting to be expelled. She wouldn’t last. Just a little more and she’d be sent flying. Having his skillful touch between her legs had her hovering on the brink, but when Jonah began tracing her nipples with the feather as well, Caroline
nearly imploded.
When he spoke, his voice had deepened to an unrecognizable degree. “Maybe it’s better that I don’t fuck you. This impossibly tight pussy would involve a lot of time and trouble for me.” He worked another finger inside with a grunt. “I’d need to eat you, baby. For hours. Just to get you ready. And even then, I’d have a motherfucker of a time sinking as deep as I require.” Keeping two fingers lodged deep, Jonah began worrying her clit with his thumb. “Would you be worth my trouble, Caroline?”
“Yes. Yes.”
“Unquestionably. I could come right now, simply by kissing your pouty fucking mouth.” His middle finger hooked inside her and teased that secret hidden spot. “How does that make you feel?”
Release within her reach, she squeezed her eyes shut and cried out. “I love it.”
“You’re goddamn right you love it.” He pumped his finger deep inside her continuously, while keeping the circular pressure on her clit. “Not half as much as I’m going to love proving it. Come on, baby, give up that first orgasm so I can see to your second.”
Caroline tried to force oxygen into her lungs but couldn’t. Who speaks like that? Her nipples swelled with each touch of the feather, until she could feel a tethered line connected between her breasts and her core. Sunbursts formed behind her eyes as the orgasm sped close, gripped her, and catapulted her to somewhere otherworldly. Caroline was only given a scant moment to brace herself against the chaotic rush, severing her ties with reality, when Jonah spun her around and forced her chin up while she was still mid-scream.
“Perhaps it won’t take as long as I thought to get you ready for me.” Jonah laid his hands flat on the wall above her head. In one swift movement, he dipped his knees and levered her against the wall, holding her off the floor with his hips and nothing else. Caroline moaned and writhed when she felt his erection between her legs, hard as steel. “I bet you’d like it now, wouldn’t you? You’d like me to unzip my pants and fuck you so hard you won’t be able to speak for a week?”
