“Good, little mortal?” I asked sardonically. I already knew it was. No doubt, her climax had been felt throughout the heavens and Earth.
“Oh, yes, Master.” She bit her lip as she finally rose to meet my amused expression. Finally, able to maneuver for the first time, her hands shifted to my chest, her fingers grazing over the dark hair she seemed to find so fascinating. “Thank you.”
I nodded approvingly at her good manners. Cathy was not only gorgeous, smart, and powerful, she was proving one other very important thing. She could be trained. Trained to meet my needs and trained to heighten her own.
“Up now,” I commanded softly. “Remember what I told you?”
The pools of heat at her cheek burned brighter as she recollected my warning. “Yes, Master.”
I steadied her as she lifted from my rock-hard erection, climbing gingerly onto all fours at the other end of the bed. For one moment, I just took in the sight of her—the reddened curve of her pert ass as it stretched out before me, that tight-little anus I was yet to claim but undoubtedly would one day, the enticing wet cunt that called for me to fill it again—it was all there for me to ponder as I climbed up to join her. Cocooning her body, I wrapped my musculature around her femininity as I breathed into her nape.
“Remember what else I warned?”
Her face lifted, twisting to regard me. “That you wouldn’t be gentle?”
“That’s right.” I smiled at her overawed expression. Cathy was still clearly caught in the contradiction I offered. All the craving that clawed at her for me, despite the moral objections in her head, and yet there she was bent and begging to be mine again. “This is one of my favorite positions, and I intend to fuck you in it as often as I can.”
She inhaled as her head lowered, her mind finally quiet as the sense of submission poured over her. This was it. The true moment of surrender when she knelt, not in my binds, but in the blissful captivity of her own desire. It was not I who held her prisoner now, but the passion that burgeoned in her soul, the need that only I could satiate.
Pressing the head of my cock at her sex, I eased past her lips before plunging hard, just as I had promised. The sound of her cry made me heady, my balls aching as I slid back before slamming into her again. The claiming of Cathy was almost complete, but her possession had only just begun.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Cathy
That was it then. God had forsaken me, or perhaps, to be brutally honest, I had forsaken God. Wrapped up in the arms of the beast, I knew relief and comfort for the first time, assuaged of the weight of responsibility and not sorry to see the back of it. I had thought my life had direction, a worthy, moral cause to keep me warm during cold, dark winter nights, but I hadn’t known what I was talking about. This sense of completion, of consolation, had more value than the smug, self-assuredness I had known before, and as Satan’s arms wrapped around my middle and drew me toward his still raging cock, I sensed the fight in me slipping away.
I wanted this, didn’t I? I wanted to crawl and beg for him, to come on demand for him. I craved the role as much as I coveted this cozy aftermath, and whatever my duty, I could not think to regret my choices. I would thrive here, between the satin sheets, and whore myself for him. I’d take his shaft whenever he wanted, lick, lap, and plead to order and be blessed with the permanence of this tranquillity. I could still remain in my house, protected by the incantations and history of my ancestors. I would not forget my light altogether, merely diminish the flame for the time being. For now, at least, I was content as his concubine.
He laughed, the sound gentle as it vibrated past my ear. “Concubine? Is that what you are?”
“I think so.” Snuggled into his erection, I couldn’t see those dark eyes, but I imagined them, envisioning the glint in his gaze, that awe-inspiring way he could turn me into a puddle of need with only one look. “Is that your plan, Master?” I probed boldly. “To keep me here as your paramour?”
“Not here,” he corrected me, the prison walls that were his arms hardening around me. “But yes, I am going to keep you.”
“Not here?” I tried to twist and meet his gaze, concerned about the change of tack, but those prison walls would not let me. Satan hadn’t mentioned anything about us moving from my house, and I had no desire to do so. The time spent with Damon in perdition had already taught me what happened to my strength when I stepped outside the protection of my own domain, and God knew, Satan could overpower me with ease as it was. “Then where, Master? I do not want to leave.”
Once more, his chuckle flowed over me. “It does not matter what your opinions are.”
My brows knitted, the first spikes of anger spoiling the contentment I had so enjoyed. “It does not matter?” This time, I fought harder as I turned my body, managing to at least see the arrogant smirk painted across his face as I struggled. “How can you say such a thing, as if my views have no value at all!”
“It is as you yourself have said it,” he continued. “You are my paramour, here to be wrapped in my attention, but not to direct and govern. Your opinions are not important, Cathy. For the time being, at least, wherever I go, you shall follow.”
I swallowed at the assertion, imagining all the awful implications of his words. As though a reckoning had just landed over me, the real truth of my plight hit me. This wasn’t just about the sensual and delicious sex he offered or even the way he made me feel. This was about the rest of my life. About my choices, where I lived, and what I did. About who I was. It was everything. “No,” I concluded, wriggling free of one roaming palm, only to be captured by another. Satan was everywhere I went, ruling my body and my mind with maddening ease. “I do not want that. I shall not have it!”
“You shall have no choice, little mortal,” he reminded me darkly. “And if you insist on this tantrum, I shall take you back over my knee, but this time, you will meet my lash.”
“Please, no.” I clenched at the thought, even as I cringed inwardly at my pathetic response. Much though I had reveled in the brunt of his palm earlier, I had no desire for a reprise. Whatever arousal the deed had invoked was long gone, buried in the layers of panic his announcement had produced, yet still, I was impotent. Where was the strong, feisty heroine of light now? How had she been curtailed by gentle words, seduction, and one fraught spanking?
“You need not worry.” I slid back toward his body, whatever resistance I’d shown as sure to crumble as sandcastles in the tide. “I will make it good for you, Cathy.”
He pressed his lips into the side of my neck, his fingers at my breasts, kneading them roughly. “You shall know only pleasure and the contentment of sleep. You will be more cherished than any mortal before you. I shall keep you safe.”
“Safe?” I tipped my head back against his chest, frustrated tears burning in my eyes as I struggled against his hard body. “The only thing I need saving from, Master, is you.”
“Careful.” He whispered the word into my skin. “Do not antagonize and do not start what you cannot finish.”
“I only mean you are the threat.” I sniffed. “What else is there to need protection from?”
“There are a great many dangers in Hell,” he assured me. “And while I am the most ancient, others are cunning and strong, and all of them will want you.”
My heart raced at his warning, threatening to leap into my throat as his words replayed in my head. “Others?” I stammered. “In Hell?”
“Yes, sweet Cathy.” The mocking tone was back in his voice again, riling my indignation even as I fought to contain it. I did not want to find myself back over his lap today. I was vulnerable enough without the additional onslaught. “You are coming home with me. For now, at least.”
“No.” The oxygen seemed to be disappearing from the air around me, my breathing shallow even though he had given me plenty of space to breathe. “No, I can’t.”
“Cathy.” There was amusement in his voice. “We cannot stay here for the rest of time. I have matters that
need to be managed—issues to be dealt with. Even with the help of my princes, a dominion as enormous as mine cannot be abandoned for too long. I must return to lead it.”
“Then go,” I panted, blinking into the half-light around us. I had no idea what time it was anymore. Time, like reason, seemed to be falling from me like water at a weir. “Leave me. I shall behave. I will stay and wait for you if that is your command.”
“Come now.” He drew me into a sitting position, his arms like slate around me, warm in the heat of passion, yet now, as cold as stone. “You cannot expect me to believe that weak promise. Lulled you have been, but you are not under my spell, Cathy. Not completely, and if I leave you now, your light shall shine from within again. You will reject me.”
“No,” I insisted, though I didn’t know why. It was obvious he was right. My powers would rise with his absence, and I would forget what it was about the beast that had been so appealing in the first place.
“Exactly,” he concluded, though I hadn’t shared the thought. “No, you must accompany me.”
“But, but…” My words were staccato now, demonstrating the anguish pinballing around inside, a hot frantic panic I had never known before because he was serious; I could sense it in his tone and his body language. Satan meant to keep me, but worse, he was going to drag me into Hell to prove the point. “You said you would keep me safe!”
“And I shall, no harm shall befall you.”
“N-no harm!” I spluttered. “But I’ll be dead, Master.”
He snorted, evidently entertained by my impromptu performance. “Of course, you will not be dead. Whatever would make you think that?”
My brows creased with confusion. “Isn’t it obvious? Only dead mortals go to Hell, don’t they?”
He spun me in his arms, and I landed over him, my palms pressed into the satin on either side of his enormous expanse of chest. “Ca-thy.” He sang my name as if it were a childish lullaby. “I concede you are correct for the majority of mortals who end up in my domain but do not be fooled into thinking that is your fate. I have already said I will not annihilate you, and I meant it. You shall be very much alive, living as my guest, in my private chambers. No demented souls shall be able to reach you, and neither shall any of my kin. You will be my own personal Jesus.”
He winked at me, and I clenched at the gesture, in spite of myself.
“Captive, you mean.” I stared down at him, sensing his hands at my hips. “I will be your prisoner there, just as I am now.”
“Yes.” He grinned, revealing a row of near-perfect teeth. “You will be subject to my governance, but I promise there will be more revelry than rules. More to look forward to than to fear. That is the benefit of cavorting with the lord of sin, after all.”
I pulled in a shaky breath, trying to wrap my mind around the things he had told me. “Don’t do this, Master,” I pleaded, appealing to whatever facet of the beast had any affection for me at all. “Please. My place is here. Even if I am not a Guardian, my place is still with other mortals, living, breathing people who need my help.”
His grin widened. “You tried that line already, I think?” His brow rose. “With Damon? You told him you would continue your life here and be on hand to service his sexual demands.”
“I did,” I replied, aware of the heat rising to my face with the admission. “And it worked before he went away.”
“It did not work.” Satan’s tone was lower. “For us, at least—for my kind. Fucking you was one thing, but it was not sufficient to dull the light you produce. Your powers were still supreme. Damon did not contain you properly. Even now, in the neverending tangle of our lust, you are still strong, Cathy. Stronger than any woman I have ever known, and far fiercer than any man.” He winked at me. “That is why you have given me no choice. You are coming with me, little mortal.”
My thoughts were wild at the certainty of his tone. He was, as ever, so self-assured, and squeezing my eyes closed, I imagined the faces of all those who would be crushingly disappointed by my fall from grace. Sevvy was the first person I considered. Her gray ringlets bouncing in my mind as I envisioned how upset she’d be at my behavior. I had been wrong not to tell her fully about my predicament. I knew that now, but it was too late, of course. Too late to summon her here to help. Too late to explain.
Severyn wasn’t the only member of my family that came to me, though. Many of the females in my bloodline were strong, though most had not chosen to continue the old ways and become Guardians, their potency played out in many sectors of society. I contemplated Clare, daughter of my mother’s eldest sister, and her work at the United Nations, and then of Penny. She was the daughter of my mother’s youngest sister, and using her passion for writing, had gone on to be one of the bestselling authors of our time. It wasn’t the same forte I harbored, but their assets were there for all to see. They were compelling, influential women, playing their parts in the world.
Making a difference.
“What if I resist?” I lifted my chin, defiant even now, after so much debauchery. I had fire burning in my veins. I had to remember who I was—not allow the devil to take me over entirely.
The devil in question pawed at my ass, splaying my cheeks widely. “We can play this game for all eternity if it rouses you, but one thing will remain the same. My will is more potent than yours, my resolve endless. Resist all you want, Cathy. You are bound to lose, and when you do, you will be punished for your impertinence.”
I sighed into his chest, writhing against the ungainly position he now held me in, no doubt intended as another illustration of the power he wielded. This was like one erotic nightmare. Constantly horny, the fog of arousal never seemed to clear, and in its haze, I was unable to think properly. Unable to formulate a decent plan, to figure a way out of Satan’s maze. Though the fortitude of my ancestors was still with me, swirling like the early morning mists, they weren’t enough to help me discover a way out now.
“That is because there is no way out,” he assured me with dazzling, dark knowing eyes that drilled into my soul. “Concede or counter—the choice is all yours, but know this, Cathy. In the end, you will fall. My darkness will extinguish your flames, and the shadows will flourish once more.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Satan
If we did not leave soon, I would grow weary of this game. This endless butting of heads, the way Cathy would try to counter me, only to be put back in her place again. It was good fun, of course, good sport to tame the woman, a task made especially exciting by the fact she was a Guardian—a threat to my kin—but we had played the game now. Its gloss was wearing thin. It was time to leave, and as I noticed the tension fall from her shoulders, I decided it must be soon.
“If we must leave, then please, at least allow me some time to get organized.” She rose from my chest, her tantalizing breasts pressing into my flesh.
“Organized?” I repeated. “What is there to do, Cathy? Everything you want will be available to you. Your every need will be catered to.”
“I just need some time to prepare,” she insisted, imploring me with those big blue eyes. “Please, Master. I have affairs to put in order. You can stay with me every moment to check on me, but please, just give me half an hour.”
My brow rose at her request. I had not expected it, and searching her thoughts quickly, it was not clear what she hoped to achieve, but I was pleased with the way she had addressed the need. At least she had settled down, recognizing my permission was required, even for a small task such as this. “You may have thirty minutes,” I conceded. “Tell me what you will require.”
“Just a pen and some paper.” She blinked at me imploringly, her heart beating passionately inside her delectable chest.
“You want to write?” For some reason, I found the idea amusing. It was not what I anticipated at all.
“I just want to collect my thoughts,” she explained. “I know it probably doesn’t make sense to you, but to me, it’s important.”
“And if I give you this important thing, you will cede to my desire and come without a fight?” I sensed an easy victory for a change, and I wanted to pounce on it. “You will acknowledge me as your master and give yourself to me, body and soul?”
“Have I not already?” There was no malice in her tone now, no cutting sarcasm, just a tired resignation that roused my so-recently satisfied libido. “But yes, I shall acknowledge you as my master. I…” She inhaled, stumbling over the correct words. “I see I have no choice.”
I smiled at her miserable expression. “Come now,” I cooed. “Things are not so bad, Cathy. You are to be captured by a worthy adversary. A creature who recognizes your significance, who will worship and adore you.”
“Just so long as I yield?”
“Precisely,” I agreed. “Plenty of mortals face worse circumstances than this. Most will never know the attention or sexual ecstasy we have created together. They will never find someone to listen to them, to understand them, to take the time to set their souls alight.”
Her gaze fell to my chest. “I suppose so,” she admitted grimly.
“You will adjust,” I told her. “It is the way of all things. Mortals must accept the change thrust upon them by gods and angels. Now, to this pen and paper. Is there somewhere you need to be to utilize them?”
Her gaze lifted to meet mine again, surprise flickering there. Evidently, she had expected me to make her use them here, between the satin sheets I adored so much, but I was feeling strangely generous. Cathy had pleased me with her concession, and even though it was less than enthusiastic, it had its merits. She was starting to understand her place in the world. It would take time for true acquiescence, but that was okay. I had all the time in the universe.
Damn Me: A Paranormal Demon Romance (The Demonology Series Book 4) Page 17
