Sanctuary (5 page)

Every now and then he glanced over at her as he drove, but they didn't speak. She was glad. She was afraid too much talking would break this sensual spell. She wasn't ready to give it up.

They reached her building and he found a spot in front. All gentleman again, he came around to her side of the car, opened her door, helped her out. She was a bit wobbly on her feet and he steadied her, his strong arm looping around her waist, so that she was right up against him. She caught a whiff of that masculine, woodsy scent and it went straight to her sex, soaking her.

“Here, give me your keys, Devin.”

She pulled them from her pocket and handed them over. It felt good to let him take over, take care of everything.

“…that's my job, to take care of you.”

Yes. So nice.

She gave him her apartment number and he bundled her into the ancient elevator that held the papery, moldy scent of old books.

“I went to Paris once,” she told him. She could hear the dreamy tone in her own voice.

“Did you?”

“I visited the catacombs beneath the city, those ancient caves lined with the skulls and bones of thousands. I've always thought this elevator smelled exactly like the dim entranceway there.”

He laughed, a low, soft chuckle. “Does it? I've never been in those catacombs. Did it frighten you?”

“Not at all. It was fascinating and even beautiful in its own way. Does that make me morbid?”

“Maybe it makes you someone who is attracted to the unusual.”

“Maybe. I hadn't thought about it that way before.”

Perhaps it wasn't so odd after all, what she'd done tonight. That this supremely kinky man was there with her. That she was about to…what? She shivered all over imagining what might take place.

He didn't let go of her as the elevator creaked up to her floor, his body deliciously solid against hers. The doors slid open and he moved with her down the hallway, found her door and inserted the key. The door swung open and he pulled her inside.

It was warm in her apartment—she must have left the heat on. In the dark it seemed womblike. Safe, yet incredibly sexy at the same time.

Shaye was still holding on to her. She didn't ever want him to let go.

“Devin.” His voice was a deep whisper.

“Yes?”

“Tell me if you want me to leave and I will.”

“I want you to stay.”

He pulled her closer, until she swore she could feel the hammering beat of his heart through the clothing that separated them. She peered through the dark, could see the silhouette of his face only inches from hers.

Please kiss me.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I want you to be sure. Because it isn't really fair of me to ask this right now, after you've been played for the first time.”

“I know what I want. I want
you
.”

Please touch me.

“Jesus, Devin.”

He crushed her body to his and kissed her, hard. She opened to him immediately and his hot, slippery tongue found hers. Her sex clenched, her whole body trembled with need while they stood just inside her door, making out like a couple of lust-crazed teenagers.

He drove his tongue into her mouth and his hands were everywhere, sliding her coat from her shoulders, moving his mouth away only long enough to tear his shirt over his head, then hers. Then he was on her again, his lips seeking out her neck and fastening on to the tender flesh there. She shivered with desire as he licked and sucked. Holding on to him, her fingers dug into his shoulders. She wanted her clothes off, wanted to be naked with him.

“Devin,” he crooned against her neck, his voice igniting a new fire within her.

Pushing her back up against the door, he kissed his way down the front of her body. He drew his hands over her breasts and her nipples went hard against his palms even through the heavy lace of her bra. Her sex was drenched, wanting him to touch her there. His kisses were hot, sending heat lancing through her body, straight to her core. It was even better when he opened his mouth and dragged his tongue over her skin.

“Shaye…please…”

He seemed to know exactly what she meant. With quick, clever fingers he undid the clasp on her bra and it fell away, leaving her naked and needy. He worked his way back up her body, pushed her breasts together with his hands and bent to tease her nipples with his hot, wet tongue. God, it felt good. So damn good she almost needed to come just from this. When he took one nipple into his mouth and sucked so hard it hurt, the pain was pleasure at the same time, and she only wanted more.

He moved to tease the other nipple in the same way, sucking, biting, pulling it hard into his mouth, making her moan. She ran her hands over his broad shoulders. He was so big, so well-muscled. She could hardly wait to see what the rest of him looked like, felt like.

Yes.

He lifted her skirt, pushed the edge of her soaking panties aside and sank down to brush his lips across her aching pussy. She arched her hips.

“So damn sweet, Devin. Like warm honey,” he murmured. “I have to know, have to taste you. Spread a little more for me. Yes, that's it.”

And then he dove in, fingers and tongue and lips, probing, stroking, then finally sucking on her clit until she thought she'd explode.

When he pushed his fingers inside her, she did. She came, hard, in a flash of brilliant, blinding pleasure. She was burning hot all over, shaking as her pussy clenched and she fought not to cry out.

He stood slowly, snaking his way up her body. Every place his bare skin touched hers was like a tiny climax in itself. Finally, he reached her face and caressed her flushed cheeks with his hands, his mouth, a soft fluttering of small kisses.

“Jesus, you are too perfect, Devin. So damn responsive. And I'm so fucking hard for you.” He pressed his hips into hers, and she felt the solid ridge of his erection beneath his jeans. She knew instantly she had to have him inside her.
Now.

“I need you, Shaye.” She was breathless, barely able to speak. “Please.”

“Ah, you ask so nicely. So prettily. But I can't do this, Devin. As much as I want you. It's irresponsible of me to have you now, like this.”

Panic went off like a thunderbolt in her chest. “Why?”

“I told you earlier, it would be taking advantage of you, after playing you tonight.” He kissed her then, a soft brush of his lips against hers, and she could taste her own salt, her desire, on his lips. “Don't think I don't want you. I want you so damn much it hurts. But I will suffer so that you can think about it after you've had time to calm down, to come back to earth.”

She started to shake her head, but he silenced her with another kiss. His lips were sweet, soft against hers. He pressed his erection against her again, the hard ridge sinking into the flesh of her belly.

His voice was a rough whisper. “You see how much I want you? How I need to fuck you? But I won't. It's my job to remain in control. But I can still give you pleasure tonight. Is that what you want, Devin?”

She wanted him, all of him. But she understood what he was doing and why.

“Yes. I want you to stay with me. Please.”

His hands were on her breasts again, teasing her taut nipples. “Then I'll stay. And I'll make you come, little Devin. Over and over. Until you beg for me. And only then will I know that's what you really want.”

He pinched her nipples and she yelped. But the pain quickly turned to burning desire.

“Yes, that's it,” he murmured, his gleaming gaze on her breasts. “You can take it. You'll take a lot more tonight. Are you ready?”

Was she? Right now she felt ready for anything he wanted to do to her. She was in his hands. And she was too far gone, too filled with aching lust, to think about anything else. Tonight she belonged to him.

“Yes. I'm ready.”

Chapter Four

He didn't know how he'd manage to keep himself under control tonight, but he had to do it—keep it all together. But he also had to be
there
with her, present in the moment.

He hadn't been so turned on, so fucking out of control, over any woman, ever. He
had
to have her. In whatever way he could without completely breaking the code he lived by as a Dominant. That code meant he was responsible for her wellbeing while she was under his hands, but all he could think about right now was putting his hands on her. And frankly, putting his cock in her, but that was out of the question tonight. He could hold back that much. Oh, but he would touch her all over. All that porcelain skin that looked so cool but was so hot beneath his fingertips.

He couldn't let himself think about how hot and silky her pussy was. How wet and ready. Too much. No, think only about pleasing her. About making her come apart.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkened room he could see the outline of her hot little body. He could hear the panting edge in her breath. Just the sound of it made him throb for her.

He wrapped a hand up in her long, silky hair, twisting until he felt the strands pull against her skull. It was meant to make her yield to him, yes, but he had to touch that glorious hair, like strands of dark fire. She moaned, and he knew he had her—that he could do anything he wanted and she wouldn't deny him. It was taking everything he had to keep his head together, not to take advantage of her vulnerable state.

He pulled her head back, baring her long, slender throat. He bent and tasted her skin again, sucked a bit of that tender flesh into his mouth. Almost as sweet as her hard little clit had been. Another long, hard throb in his cock at the thought.

Fuck. Pull yourself together.

He picked her up with a deep growl and carried her to the sofa, laid her down and slipped her skirt off over her long legs, then the scrap of lace panties. She looked so soft and open lying there. And again he had to beat back the animal in him that wanted to jump on her and fuck her senseless.

He pulled in a few deep breaths, trying to ignore that floral scent of hers that drove him crazy. Once he had himself under control he began a slow exploration of her lush little body.

Her skin was like pale satin in the blue moonlight coming through the living room window, and just as smooth. He ran his palms over her stomach, her thighs. Her muscles tensed everywhere he touched and she squirmed a little under his hands. What would she feel like under him? Under his body, her lean thighs spread wide, his cock pushing into her?

“Just feel me, Devin,” he told her. “Leave your arms at your side. Yes, lie quietly for me. Focus on what you're feeling. Let the rest go.”

Another quiet moan from her. Then a sharp intake of breath when he cupped her breasts in his hands. They were gorgeous—about the most perfect breasts he'd ever seen on a woman. And her nipples were coming up hard again under his palms. Too tempting. He pinched them between fingers and thumbs, smiled when she squealed. Even more at the sharp, panting breath that betrayed her pleasure.

“You like that, don't you? You like the pain.”

The word was a single quiet breath. “Yes.”

He squeezed her nipples harder, then gave a sharp pull.

“Oh!”

“What is it, Devin? Tell me what you're feeling.”

“Like I'm…oh God…”

“Tell me.” He twisted the hard nubs in his fingers.

“I…it hurts. But it feels too good.”

He pinched harder and she groaned. “I knew you'd like the pain. I could see it in you the moment I laid eyes on you.”

Jesus, her body responded to everything, pleasure or pain, in the same way. And he was rock hard, touching her, hearing her moans. He leaned in and took one nipple between his teeth and bit down.

“Ah!” She arched off the sofa, into his mouth.

Yes, she loved it.

He sat back and looked at her for a moment. There was so much he wanted to do to this woman. For the first time in his life he was at a loss over where to begin.

He pulled in another deep breath, ordered himself to calm down. Then he slipped one hand between her thighs, into that damp heat. His cock gave a hard twitch. He could not believe how soaking wet she was. She writhed, spread her lovely thighs for him. Almost too much for him to take, but he had to do it, had to make her come. There was nothing he wanted more in the world right now.

He went to work with both hands—one hand inside her, moving his fingers in and out, the other hand teasing her clit, tugging and pinching. She was panting in seconds. After only a minute he felt the hard clench of her inner walls around his plunging fingers, heard her long sigh. Her body shook as though a small earthquake ran through it, and her hands came up and fisted in her own hair.

Too fucking beautiful. But he was hardly done with her.

He leaned in and kissed her fevered forehead, whispered, “Devin, do you have any toys?”

“Toys?” Her voice was still shaky from her climax.

“A vibrator?”

“Yes. In my nightstand.”

“I'll be right back. Don't move.”

As he walked down the narrow hallway he smiled when he heard her mutter, “As if I could.”

He found the bedroom easily enough and turned on a bedside lamp. He was pleased to see the big antique bed with its four carved wooden posts.
Nice.
Plenty he could do in a bed like that. But he'd have to think about it later. Next to the bed was a small nightstand, another antique, and in the top drawer was a nice collection of toys. He found one of those butterfly vibrators women loved so much, but what he really wanted was something more phallic. He shuffled a paperback book aside and found it, a large pink vibrator, textured all over with a raised dot pattern. Nice piece of equipment. His cock burned just thinking about what he could do to her with this thing.

He returned to the living room and found she was right where he'd left her.

“Good girl,” he told her quietly.

He knelt on the floor beside the sofa. She was watching him, those green eyes impossible to really see in the dim wash of moonlight. But he could tell by the cadence of her breath that she was right there with him.

He used his hands to part her thighs.

Skin like a baby's. Jesus.

Concentrate.

He let his fingers tease for a moment at her slick hole. “You're so damn wet I could slide this thing right in.”

“Yes. Do it. Please.” An edge of desperation in her voice. He knew exactly how she felt.

He switched the vibrator on and let the tip rest against her clit. She groaned and he pulled it away. Let her lie there and pant. Let her want it before he pressed it again over her mound. Just when she started to squirm he moved it away.

“Please, Shaye.”

God, he loved that begging tone. “Please what?”

“Please touch me.”

“Like this?”

“Oh yes…”

Pleasure rippled through her like a long beat of thunder. It hit her core like a blow. Her body convulsed with the first wave of climax. He pulled away once more.

“God, how can you do this to me? It's pure torture.”

A small laugh from him. “That's my specialty, isn't it?”

Her body was shaking with that keen edge of orgasm that hadn't quite gone away. Or maybe it was just beginning again.

“Shaye…”

“Come on. Breathe into it, Devin. Ride it out.”

“I can't.”

“You can. And you will. For me,” he demanded.

For him. Yes.

She could do anything for him.

She gritted her teeth when he touched the vibe to her clit again, sending sharp, jittering shards of pleasure through her.

“Hold on to it, Devin.”

She pulled in a gasping breath, blew it out. And just when she thought she had it under control he pinched her nipple, hard. She came up off the couch, her whole body rising, burning.

“Calm,” he told her, his voice a deep rumble of command.

She'd never heard that tone from him. But calm? She was completely gone and she knew it.

Please let me come. Make me come!

But all she did was moan aloud. She was trembling all over.

“Focus on my voice. Do you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“Hold it back as long as you can. And when you're sure you can't hold it any longer, you'll have to ask for it.”

She groaned again. “Can it be now?”

A small, evil laugh from him. “No.”

His hand was on her thigh, moving her legs even farther apart. Then he laid the tip of the vibrator on her clitoris. His touch was light—all she could feel was the gentlest vibration, but pleasure coiled like a serpent in her sex, spread out, making her arms and legs shake with need.

At the same time he pinched the tender skin at the juncture of her hip and thigh. So painful, but the pain turned immediately to pleasure, impossibly ramping up the sensation between her legs.

“Please, Shaye.”

“Not yet. Hang on, Devin. I know you can do it.”

He pressed the vibe a little more firmly against her and she bit her lip. Her climax threatened with a sharply honed edge, the pleasure achingly intense.

“I can hear your breath, little Devin. I can hear your need in it. Do you need to come? Tell me.”

“Yes,” she panted. “I need to come.”

“Ask nicely.”

He shifted the vibrator, slid the tip into her, holding it so the heel of his hand ground onto her swollen clit at the same time. Her pussy clenched hard around the vibe. Pleasure moved through her in rippling waves. Burning hot, scorching her.

“Please!”

Please, please, please…

“Please what, Devin?”

Oh, he was going to make her say it. But she didn't care now.

“Please make me come, Shaye. Please let me.”

“Ah, that was nicely done. Perfect. Come for me now, Devin. Come into my hands.”

He moved the vibrator, thrusting it into her, out again, circled her clit with his hard palm. And she came…and came undone.

Her climax slammed into her like a wall of pleasure, moved through her pussy, her limbs, her head, like a sweet tide.

So good…

He kept at it, pumping the vibrator inside her, his hand grinding against her clit. Her body shook with the force of it. She was drowning in pleasure. She became nothing but sensation, the focal point her sex, his hand, the pulsing vibrator buried deep inside her.

“Shaye…oh God…”

Still he worked her, drawing out the last quivering tremors, until she was too weak to move.

Finally the last trembling threads of her orgasm faded away. He seemed to know instinctively when it was over, sliding the vibe from her body. He pulled her into his arms, into his lap as he sat on the sofa. She leaned her head against his chest and inhaled deeply of his scent, so dark and earthy, so
him
.

Her body was in love with him already.

What had made her even think that? But she was too languid with the afterglow of a shattering orgasm to think about it—or to think about anything, really.

He stroked her hair, her cheek, her shoulder. So nice. So sweet. Such a contrast to the wicked way he had treated her body only moments ago. She loved that, the contrast of sexual abandon and this…tenderness. What else could she call it?

Devastating.

Oh yes. He was the kind of man a girl could really fall for. Except she wasn't that kind of girl. This night with him did not make her a submissive. Not like that. Not like the kind of submission she'd read about. She'd been the strong one for far too long. She'd had to be in her family—or what was left of it—her mother and herself. Nothing would ever change that, not even this man with the amazing hands, the sensual instincts that read her body like an open book.

“Devin?”

“Hmm?”

“What's wrong?”

“What? Nothing.”

“Then why did you just close up?” he asked, his voice soft.

“I don't know what you mean.”

“Your whole body tensed up. You crossed your arms over your breasts.”

“Did I?”

A long moment of silence, then, “Do you want to talk to me about it, whatever it is you're thinking?”

“I…no. It's nothing.”

But that wasn't true. Maybe it was what he'd done to her tonight—“playing”, as he called it. The orgasms. The gentleness of him now. But she wanted to tell him. Wanted to tell him what she was thinking, about what had happened to her to make her feel like letting go of control was some sort of sin, some failure on her part. She didn't understand this yearning to let him
know
her—wasn't sure if she was thinking clearly.

His voice was a quiet rumble, with her ear still pressed against his chest. “It's something. But you don't have to tell me now.”

She sighed and relaxed into him again. He felt so good. They stayed there for a long time, until she almost drifted off to sleep, her mind hazy. Then he began to stroke her skin, his hands drifting slowly over her arms, her shoulders. She let her muscles unwind, melted into his touch while he slid one hand over her waist, her hip. It was so easy to open for him so that he could stroke the inside of her thigh, stoking the banked flames of lust.

He pushed her down so that she was leaning back against the arm of the couch. With one hand he caressed her breasts, while with the other he cupped her mound. She moaned, her sleepy body absorbing the sensation. Desire buzzed through her system, yet she could barely move.

“Yes, that's it, Devin. Lie back and let me do it all, touch you the way I want to.”

He slipped one finger into her soaking wet cleft and her hips arched toward his touch.

“I love that, to see you respond,” he murmured. “To know you like it when I do these things to you.” He pushed two more fingers into her, making her pussy clench with need. “Yes, you love that, don't you, when I fuck you with my hand?”