The Master (16 page)

“Nothing pleases me more than to hear that.” He stroked her cheek and smiled. “I am honored you trust me enough to gift me with your tears.”

She felt so soft and inviting in his lap. How easy it would be to lower his head and taste her. But not only could he not afford to kiss her, she’d also been through an emotionally intense scene. He reached behind the couch and took the waiting orange juice.

“Drink for me, little one,” he said, holding the straw up to her lips.

When half the juice was gone, he fed her chocolate. Then she finished the juice and snuggled deeper into his embrace. He ground his teeth together, hoping she didn’t feel his hardening cock. He’d planned on her being sassy and insolent, but the affectionate side of her surprised him. And the combination drew him in.

He held her for a long time before shifting her a bit. “I need to care for the welts, little one. Can I put you on your stomach here on the couch?

She nodded lazily against his chest and he moved her as gently as possible so she was positioned on her belly with a pillow under her head.

“I’m going to massage you,” he said. She already appeared calm and relaxed, but he massaged her back and shoulders, moving slowly toward her waist, skipping over her backside and easing any possible tension from her legs.

Only when he was assured that she was as relaxed as possible did he take ointment and ease it over the marks he’d made. She flinched at the start, so when he finished, he went back to massaging her.

He loved the way she felt under his hands. Soft and pliable, sighing when he touched certain places. He wanted to feel her skin on skin, nothing in between him and her body. But she was so self-conscious about her back, and he’d promised her he would wait for her to tell him when she was ready for him to see. He placed a hand on either side of her waist and started to pull the dress down.

“Please stop,” she whispered.

“I’m just pulling your dress down, little one, nothing more.” Surely she didn’t think he’d take the dress off.

“I know.” She took a long breath. “Please take it off instead.”

“Sasha . . .” he started, but didn’t know how to finish.

“I want you to. I don’t want to hide anything from you anymore.” Her voice was pained. “Please, Sir. Touch me.”

Calling himself every bad name he could think of, he slowly inched the dress up. He shouldn’t be doing this. She was too emotional at the moment. But she’d said please and he wanted
to see her so badly. And when she’d said, “Touch me,” he was done for.

Leaning over, he whispered in her ear, “I’ve wanted to touch you for so long. Feel you. See you.” He took the zipper pull at the top of the dress and lowered it. “Thank you, little one.”

She pushed up on her arms, slightly lifting her chest to help and he dragged the zipper completely down and pulled the dress over her head.

He froze when he saw her back. Covering her beautiful skin was a web of scars. His chest constricted and his breath caught in his throat. Thinking of how the scars got there—the force of the whip, the inexperience of the wielder—he shook his head.

“Sasha, I . . . I . . .” He tentatively touched one of the larger lines.

“Don’t tell me you’re sorry.” Her voice was pained. “Everybody says that and I
hate
it. Like they could have done something. Like they could have stopped it.”

With both hands he palmed her shoulder blades. “I wasn’t going to apologize.” He lowered his head to the top of her spine and brushed his lips across the scar there. Against her skin he whispered, “I was going to say, I wish I could have taken it for you.”

A soft gasp of surprise shook her shoulders and without giving it further thought, he trailed his lips down one long puckered line. By the time he reached the swell of her hips, her skin was covered in gooseflesh.

“Oh, god,” she moaned.

In response, he lifted his head and traced another scar with his finger, softly peppering kisses along the way. Taking his time, he gave each mark the same treatment, lavishing her skin
with tender touches and warm kisses. When he finished, she was trembling.

“Please,” she whispered in a coarse voice and turned slightly so she could see him. “Cole, please.”

“Oh, Sasha.” He cupped her cheek and brought his lips down on hers. Her taste was a combination of sweet from the juice and salty from her tears. He couldn’t stop himself from pulling her closer so he could have more.

She twisted in his arms, her own attempt to draw them closer, but she winced at the movement and he cursed his disregard of her backside.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have . . .” he started, pulling back.

But her arms stopped him. “Don’t stop.” She shifted toward him again and he saw her try to cover the pain. “Please?”

Her eyes held the look of longing he so often noticed in her expression. And how could he turn her down, this exquisite beauty who knew so much pain and asked for so little? The truth was, he didn’t want to turn her down. He wanted to hold her and bring her so much pleasure, the painful memories slid away, never to be remembered.

He stood beside the couch, his mind decided. “Not on the couch. Let me take you to the bedroom.” She moved as if to stand, but he put a hand on her shoulder. “I said, let me take you.”

“I can walk.”

“And I can whistle ‘God Save the Queen,’ but that doesn’t mean I’m going to do it right this bloody second.” Before she could protest further, he gathered her in his arms and lifted her from the couch.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and he carried her down the hall to his room. With her head tucked under his
chin, he could smell the lemon mint scent of her hair. He wondered if her skin smelled the same and kissed the top of her head.

He gave a silent prayer of thanks the house was small. Holding a naked Sasha in his arms, impatient to touch her, and curious about her smell was chipping away at his control. He joined her on the bed once he had her reclining on the middle of his mattress.

He put a hand on either side of her head so he was leaning over her, smiling down at her. “Ah, yes, this is much better than the couch. I’ve dreamed about having you naked and in my bed.” His voice fell an octave. “And in my dreams, I always start like this.”

He lowered his lips to her neck and started to explore her body. In the last month, he’d learned and observed so much of her. He knew of her reactions and how she responded to certain things, but naked, she was an entirely new person. From the swell of her breasts to the gentle slope of her collarbones, his fingers were hungry for the feel of her and his mouth was thirsty for her shape. Earlier in the day she gave him her tears, but now he craved her moans, her gasps of pleasure, her breathy whispers, and he took and reveled in every one.

He kept her on the edge, not letting her fall over until he once more made his way up her body. Wanting to watch as she finally let go, he trailed his hand down her belly until his finger brushed her clit.

“Give me your pleasure, Sasha. Let me see you come.”

“Oh, god.” Her back arched while his finger rubbed faster and faster. “Like that.”

“Like that or like this?” He shifted his hand so he could push
a finger inside her while still working her clit and her hips lifted, trying to draw him deeper.

She gave a loud gasp and her body froze as her internal muscles clenched around his finger. Wanting badly to keep his movements up and push her toward another orgasm, he forced himself to withdraw his fingers instead.

Watching her come had been better than his best wet dream and his cock was uncomfortably hard, but he did his best to ignore it. He rained kisses along her neck and cheek, then turned her to her side and curved himself around her body.

“Rest now, little one.” He engulfed her hands in his and brought them to nestle against her breast. “Let me hold you whilst you sleep.”

He held her until her deep even breathing signaled her sleep and he realized how uncomfortable he was. He still had his suit on and while his shirt had dried from where Sasha wet it with her tears, the vest had wrinkled under his side and his shirt sleeves had ridden up his arms. Not to mention he was wide awake.

Sasha would probably sleep until morning, so he gently pulled away and got up, covering her with a sheet when he left the bed. He stopped briefly in the bathroom to change before heading to his office to work on his research.

His head shot up when she walked into the office some time later. Then he glanced at the clock and realized two hours had passed. Sasha looked pale and vulnerable wrapped up in the sheet she’d taken from his bed. Fuck, he wanted to rip the sheet off and pleasure her until that lost look of hers was gone forever.

“Am I disturbing you?” she asked.

He slipped his glasses off and put them on his desk. “No, I
got caught up working. I’m sorry you woke up alone. I meant to be there.”

She shrugged her shoulders and looked to the floor. “It’s okay.”

“Your body language suggests differently.”

“No, I get it. You had to work and you weren’t sleepy.” She said the words, but she still wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“Look at me, Sasha.”

She sighed, but lifted her head. Her eyes looked wet.

“There now,” he said softly. “Tell me what’s wrong. Honestly.”

Her spine straightened and she looked as if she was getting ready to tell him to fuck off when her shoulders slumped. “I thought . . . after . . . you would . . . we’d . . .”

Damn, she was sexy when she got all flustered. He raised an eyebrow.

“Ithoughtwe’dhavesex,” she said in a rush.

His cock, which had been slowly stirring, shot to full attention. “Ah, I see.”

“I mean, why only do half the job? Why stop just getting me off once? Why not”—she paused for a moment—“finish it?”

He drummed his fingers on top of the desk. “For several reasons, actually. One, I’d just caned you and I can’t imagine you weren’t in some discomfort. Two, you were highly emotional and I didn’t want to take advantage of the situation. Three, the expectations I set out from the beginning were very clear about sex.” He pushed back from his desk. “Shall I continue?”

“No, makes sense.” She looked back to the floor and bit her lip. “I get it.”

“Funny.” He stood up and made his way toward her. “I don’t think you get it at all. Because if you in any way think that I
didn’t have sex with you because I don’t find you desirable, or because I don’t want you, you definitely don’t
get it
.” He took her hand and pressed it against his erection. Dropping his head, he whispered in her ear, “I didn’t want to only do half the job. I didn’t want to stop at getting you off once. And it’s taking all my strength not to rip that sheet off your body so I can, in fact,
finish it.”

Sasha jerked her hand out of his grip, took a step backward, and in a move that left him momentarily stunned, let the sheet drop to the floor.

Hell and damnation, she was gorgeous. She was still too thin and he feared she was still too emotional, but he wouldn’t be alive if the sight her standing before him, naked, with her head held high and that
just what are you going to do about it
look in her eyes didn’t turn him on.

“Now look what you went and did,” he said in a low and even voice when he could speak again. He let a finger trace her collarbone. “You just changed the rules. I certainly hope you’re prepared to handle the
ramifications.”

A
nticipation electrified her body and every nerve ending she had was hyper aware of the man standing before her. Not just standing, though, he was taunting her, tempting her, and threatening to overtake the space, the very air, she breathed.

“I think,” he said as he lazily traced her collarbone from one shoulder to the other, “that you have no idea what you just unleashed. You have no idea how much I’ve been holding back.” He took a step forward, further invading her space, and wrapped his hand lightly around her throat so his thumb rested in the hollow of her neck. “I’ll give you five seconds to pick that sheet up and go back to bed. Do that and it’ll be like nothing happened. Stay here and I’m finished holding back.”

She wasn’t about to pick the sheet up. She only hoped he couldn’t see how much she trembled.
Please don’t be teasing me,
she came close to saying. She didn’t want him to hold back anymore.

His lips curved into a lazy smile when her time was up and she hadn’t moved. “You’ve changed the boundaries of our arrangement. We’re going to discuss what that means.” He paused for a second, and she feared he would tell her to go back to bed. But instead, his smile grew wider. “Tomorrow.”

She’d barely processed his words before his hand was in her hair, pulling her head back so she was forced to meet his hungry gaze. “Right now, I’m going to show you what happens when a bratty submissive accuses me of doing a job halfway.”

Then she could only process him because his mouth was on hers, hard and demanding and allowing room for no other thought. His kiss before had stoked a fire in her body; this one set that fire free to consume her.

He pulled away only so he had room to nibble his way up her neck. He bit her earlobe and whispered, “This time I’m not going to finish until you’ve been thoroughly fucked and when I do finish, it’s going to be with my cock buried as deep as I can get it inside you.”

She whimpered in need. Was it possible to orgasm from words alone? She didn’t put it past him to try. Though she had a feeling it wouldn’t take long, she was already a quivering mess.

“Is that what you wanted when you came into my office and dropped that sheet?” He snaked his hand between their bodies and thrust two fingers inside her. “You need my cock here? Filling you up? Stretching that cunt as I push inside deep and hard?”

Her legs wobbled and she nodded.

“Words, Sasha. Give me words or you get nothing.”

“Yes, Sir.” She swayed against him, high on lust and need. “That’s what I want.”

“Then that’s what I’m going to give you and that’s what
you’re going to take.” He gave her neck one last hard nibble and then stepped back. “And to start with, you’re going to take it in your mouth.”

She dropped her gaze to his groin and swallowed.
Fucking yes
, she couldn’t wait to taste him. He unzipped his pants, pushed them down, and stepped out of them. He didn’t have underwear on and,
hot damn
, the size of him made her pussy ache with need. She wanted to have him inside her right then and hoped he didn’t wait too long to take her.

“Stop looking at it and suck it.”

His voice snapped her back to attention and she scurried to her knees. She moved as quickly as possible, but tried to remember everything about the moment: the hard muscle of his thighs as her hands traveled up the back of his legs, the tight and unyielding way his hands fisted her hair, and his sharp intake of breath when she slid her lips over his tip and flicked her tongue against him before sucking him deep.

“Fucking hell, I knew you’d feel good.” His hands held her head steady while he pushed inside. “Take me, Sasha. Take every damn inch of me.”

He gave her time to adjust to him, but he wasn’t leisurely about it. She had only enough time to feel somewhat comfortable before he pushed deeper.

“There you go,” he said, holding still. “A little more.” And he went deeper.

She moved her hands to feel how much more of him there was, but he slapped them away.

“Keep your hands on my thighs and concentrate on using your mouth to make my cock feel good.” With one last rock of his hips, he hissed, “There. Fuck. There’s all of it. Now suck it hard. Suck my cock.”

It had been months since she last gave a blow job, but she used everything she knew to get him off and bring him pleasure. He guided her head with his hands and she worked his cock with a combination of sucks and licks that had him moaning.

“Fuck, yes. Your mouth feels so good.”

He kept up his movements, using her solely for his pleasure, and she loved it. Loved how she affected him and loved having him in her mouth. She braced herself for his release, but he pulled away with a grunt.

“Bedroom. Now,” he commanded, stripping his shirt off.

Her heart raced as she stood to her feet. She meant to head to the bedroom, but was momentarily stunned by the sight of him naked. The man should never wear clothes. Covering up a body like his was a crime against nature.

“You can take your time and look later.” He sounded faintly amused. “But right now I want you on all fours in the middle of the bed. Facing the headboard, offering yourself for my use.”

His words broke her out of her stupor, but only because the thought of waiting for him that way was such a turn-on.

“Yes, Sir,” she said and walked out of the office. She tried to walk as normally as possible, but his gaze was hot on her back and heated her entire body.

She alternated between excitement and
holy shit, what have I done
as she made her way down the hall. No sound came from behind her, but she felt his presence all the same. It took all her willpower not to peek over her shoulder while she got into position.

His words repeated in her head and she was acutely aware of her submission to him. In fact, she wasn’t sure she’d ever felt more submissive than she had waiting on the bed for him.

She heard him enter the room only because he wanted her to. A soft shuffle of feet and a gentle rustle alerted her that he was there. She held as still as possible.

The bed dipped slightly with his weight and his hands brushed her backside. “How are you feeling?”

“Not too sore, Sir.”

“In that case, I’ll have to adjust my stroke next time.”

She gasped as he pressed on a welt. “I meant not too sore to”—she paused, looking for the word—“to continue.”

He kissed one cheek. “Good.” His hands ran up her body and gently pushed her forward so she rested on her forearms. “This first time will be rather quick. I need to be inside you too badly to go slow. But you’re allowed to come whenever you wish.”

“Thank you, Sir.” She was already so turned on, she knew it wouldn’t take much for her to come. For at least this first time she could simply enjoy and not have to worry about holding out.

His hands caressed her backside, careful to avoid her welts. And then, his fingers slid between her legs and dipped into her. “It makes me so hard to feel how wet you are for me. Knowing how much you want me.”

“I do, Sir.” She moaned as his fingers started pumping in and out of her. “So bad.” It had been ten months since she’d been with anyone and until that very moment she hadn’t realized how badly she craved the feel of a man inside her. The last time had been with Peter. Her body tensed at the memory.

“Sasha?” Cole’s fingers stopped.

“Sorry. Had a small flashback. Please don’t stop.”

“I need you to be sure.”

“I’m sure. Please.” She’d never forgive herself if he stopped. “I need this. I need you.”

“If you’re certain, I want you to ask for it.” Ever so slowly his fingers started moving again. “Beg me.”

The sensual slide of his fingers ignited her once more. “Please. Fuck me.” She gasped as they went deeper. “Oh, god. Yes.”

“How many people are in this bed?”

“Two, Sir.”

“Whose cock did you just suck?”

She was pretty sure his fingers were moving faster. “Yours, Sir.”

“That’s right. It’s just me and you and what we’re doing.” He pressed her g-spot and she gasped. “Nothing and no one else is allowed. Understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

He shifted behind her so his cock pressed against her ass. “I can’t wait to take you here. I’ll get you to the point you’re practically begging for it. I’ll have you desperate for my cock in your arse.” He moved his cock lower. “But tonight I’m going to fuck this cunt.”

She spread her legs wider at the feel of his tip against her wetness and almost whined when he didn’t press forward.

“Feel that?” he asked. “My dick seconds away from pushing into you? Are you imagining what it’s going to feel like when it spreads you open and starts to sink inside?” He teased the tip along her slit. “Can you feel yourself stretching to accommodate my thickness? And you suck in a deep breath because I’m still pushing into you and I whisper you’ve only taken half.”

She wasn’t sure she could stand another second without having him inside her. She wanted it so much, she ached. “Please, please, Sir.”

He eased the tip into her. “Once I’m inside, I’m not holding
back. It’s going to be hard and rough and I’m going to fucking own you.”

She thought he’d take her then, but instead he withdrew only to tease her again by pushing just the tip in. “Oh, fuck. Please,” she begged and rocked her hips back to take him deeper.

He slapped her ass and withdrew. “Not yet.”

She bit her lip to hold back further protests. Damn, but if he wasn’t trying to kill her with anticipation, she didn’t know what he was doing.

“You feel so good.” He entered her again and went deeper. “Better than any fantasy.” He pulled out. “So fucking hot.”

He was playing her now, bouncing the tip of his cock in and out with short shallow thrusts. Never before had she felt so tightly wound, so on edge, so ready to be taken. And still he was just barely entering her. With each withdrawal, she braced for his returning thrust to fill her completely, but it never happened.

She fisted the sheets as his slight strokes continued. “Sir, please, I beg you.”

“Think you’re ready?” He pulled out and held still.

She nodded into the sheets and he slapped her ass. “Words,” he said. “Use them.”

“Yes, Sir. I’m ready.”

He placed a hand on either side of her waist, holding her steady. “One solid thrust and I don’t stop until I’m buried to the hilt.”

She held her breath and he pinched her right side. “Breathe.”

Obediently, she took a lungful of air, and on her exhale, finally felt him push his way in. He felt larger than what she recalled from when she had him in her mouth and she bit the sheets as he continued his possession of her.
Fuck, the feel of him.
She couldn’t remember ever being so completely stretched and filled.

“Oh, my god,” she panted when he stopped moving and she felt his groin against her backside.

“Damn, Sasha. The sight of my cock spreading your pussy and the way it took me in.” He rocked his hips forward, driving her into the mattress. “I have to fuck you now. Brace yourself.”

That was all the warning she got. Before she could take her next breath, he’d pulled part way out and thrust back into her in what began a relentless pounding rhythm. His seemingly unrestrained use of her drove her to climax almost immediately. Yet he continued to thrust into her, each stroke feeling deeper and harder than the one before.

“More,” he said, slipping a hand between her legs and rubbing her clit, while never breaking rhythm. “Fucking give me another one.”

Her second climax caught her off guard and when it passed, he pulled out.

“On your back. I want to watch you come this time.”

She felt out of breath, but she rolled over and saw him stroking his cock. Damn, he was a sight to behold. “Two times is rare, Sir. Three never happens.”

He pushed her legs apart and settled between them. “It’s happening tonight.” Taking his cock in hand, he lined it up with her entrance and reentered her, the length of him touching her in new ways with the change of position.

“Look at me, Sasha.” He started moving within her again. “When I take you like this, your eyes are to be on mine.”

Little by little she felt him lifting away the layers of safety she surrounded herself with for so long. He was doing it little by little in small subtle ways: a touch, a word, a look. She met his
eyes and was struck by the intensity in them. Instinctively, her body began to move with his, meeting him thrust for thrust, longing to draw him deeper, wanting him to claim her completely.

“That’s it, move with me,” he said, taking her legs and wrapping them around his waist. “Positioned like this there’s nothing allowed to come between us.”

He was close, she didn’t think he’d be able to hold out much longer. His breathing was coming faster and his muscles were strained. “Come with me, Sasha,” he panted. “Let me see you come.”

His hand pressed against her clit, different from what he’d done before and somehow the warmth from his skin, combined with the push and pull of his body in her and the desire in his eyes, had her body spiraling toward another climax.

“I can’t.” It was too much, she couldn’t handle it. The pleasure was too much.

“You can.” He thrust hard and rocked his hips.

Her body shook as her third orgasm swept over her. “Oh, god. Thank you.”

“Fucking beautiful,” Cole whispered and then crushed his lips to hers and gave in to his own climax. He held still, gasping in expended effort as he released into the condom. He held her for several long minutes, stroking her hair and pressing kisses to her flushed face.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, leaving the bed only for as long as it took to dispose of the condom. She meant to crawl under the covers while he was out of bed, but just the thought of moving took more energy than she could manage and when he made it back to her, she hadn’t moved.

“Come here, little one.” He slid between the sheets and held
a corner up for her. Any thought of moving to her side of the bed was banished as he slipped his arms around her and drew her close, so her back pressed against his chest.

Normally, she fell asleep after sex. She should be tired considering the last hour, not to mention the caning. But any thoughts about closing her eyes disappeared with the feel of Cole’s arms around her. Especially once his thumb started caressing her arm. Apparently, he wasn’t sleepy, either.