Mastered

that warm, hazy cloud that she didn’t immediately register Drake’s presence in the room. Not until he wrapped his hand in her hair, bunching the strands together in his grasp and pulling slightly so her head came up was she fully aware of the fact that he was standing right behind her.

Then he pushed forward, forcing her face to the mattress, instructing her to turn so her cheek was pressed against the bed and she could breathe. Then to her utter astonishment, he pulled both her hands behind her to rest in the small of her back and began looping rope around both wrists, tightly restraining her.

A protest lodged in her throat and she swallowed it away, refusing to show any resistance to the first display of Drake’s dominance. Sexually. The forceful way he had her do his bidding excited her. That she had absolutely no control over the situation only heightened her anticipation. Already her breaths were coming in small pants. Every muscle in her body was rigid. Her nipples were so rigid that any pressure against them was sheer torture, and a pulse had begun between her legs that had her twisting restlessly in an effort to relieve the ache.

“Do not move,” Drake said harshly, causing her to jump and refocus.

He reinforced his dictate with a sharp smack to her bottom. At first it stunned her as fire spread over the cheek he’d not so delicately spanked, but almost as soon as the burn and the pain began, pleasure immediately took over, sending a warm glow over her skin. She was dizzy, balancing on the razor’s edge between pain and pleasure, and Drake was apparently an expert in knowing a woman’s limits.

She closed her eyes at that thought or it would ruin her entire night. She didn’t want to know how many women had come before her or would come after. She only wanted to experience all the pleasure Drake could give her, no matter how long their relationship lasted.

His palms massaged the globes of her bottom and then his fingers dipped low, one sliding inside her vagina, and he delicately fingered the walls as they desperately clenched around him, wanting more, wanting him. Not just his fingers. She wanted all of him.

Now that she knew she could accommodate his size, she was eager to enjoy his possession of her as often as she could. Because she knew deep in her heart that there would never be another man who would pleasure her as Drake would. There would never be another man so in tune with her who would go to such great lengths to give her what she wanted and needed.

“Tonight is for me,” he murmured. “There will not be a single part of your body that will not bear the mark or feel of my possession. I’m going to brand you so there is no question as to whom you belong to, body and soul.”

She sighed, closing her eyes as she languidly allowed the forceful words to wash over her like a gentle mist. She needed this. Wanted it. The realization was swift and shocking. But after being the caretaker for so long, always the one to take over and make decisions and to accomplish whatever needed to be done, for once someone was doing those things for her. Taking away the necessity of her making all the decisions and bearing the responsibility. With Drake she could simply let go and enjoy being under his control.

“My angel can take a lot,” he said. “You look like and are such a fucking innocent. A rarity because of the treasure you are, beautiful on the inside and out. But you mask an inner strength most men don’t possess, so I have no doubt you can take whatever I dish out tonight and that you’ll enjoy every bit.”

She shivered and a soft moan escaped her parted lips, and Drake squeezed her ass with one hand while probing even deeper into her pussy with his other hand. She’d already grown to know when he was pleased by his body language and the way he touched her, and she knew he liked her response, her simple moan of acceptance and of arousal.

Something Drake had said in the very beginning floated across her mind. You don’t get to tell me no. Ever. It should have alarmed her because she was at his complete mercy, and he could do whatever he chose in this moment and there was nothing she could do to stop him. But she didn’t want him to, and she realized she trusted him as much on a physical level as on the emotional level she’d already acknowledged. This man would not hurt her. Even though he’d said tonight was about him, she had no doubt that she would derive every bit as much pleasure from it as he would.

He delivered another stinging smack to her other cheek, and this time she didn’t jump and the pain didn’t even register because she knew that pleasure would instantly override any initial discomfort.

Another low moan escaped her breathlessly and he swore softly as he eased his fingers from inside her.

“You like that,” he said, his satisfaction evident in his words. “You went so fucking wet around my fingers when I spanked that sweet ass. And I’m going to fuck that ass, Angel. But I’m going to work you up before I do. I’m going to make you so mindless that you’ll beg me to fuck your ass.”

Her eyes widened with shock because she’d never even contemplated anal sex. It was definitely at the top of her list of “hell no” things she never wanted to experiment with. But with Drake? Not that he’d give her any choice, but she found herself not so unwilling to try—and accept—whatever he chose to do to her.

“I won’t hurt you, Angel,” he said softly. “I’ll push you. I’ll test your limits. And while you’ll ride the edge between pleasure and pain, you’ll feel far more pleasure and you’ll also learn that when a man knows what he’s doing, pain is pleasure. The mixture can be heady and unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. But it’s my job not to take you too far and to make sure the pleasure far outweighs any pain you feel.”

The sincerity in his voice made her melt, and she suddenly felt eager for him to begin. She wanted to experience every single thing he’d promised. She twisted and squirmed restlessly, her body already going up in flames at mere words. How much more intoxicating would it be when he put into action those things he’d promised her?

It earned her another smack on her plump ass, something he didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he’d acted nothing but approving of her body, imperfect as it was. She had a smaller waist, but it was far from flat and it was squishy in places, much like her breasts. But her hips flared, giving a rounded shape that seemed almost out of proportion to her waist and even her breasts. And her backside was plump, too plump for Evangeline’s liking, which was why she rarely wore form-fitting clothing.

The only problem was that since Drake had prearranged most of the clothing she had purchased, it had nearly all been form-fitting and what he considered sexy on her.

Nothing he’d said, either verbally or in his body language, suggested he found anything wrong with her “plumpness.” Evangeline’s girlfriends rolled their eyes and reprimanded her every time she used the word plump when describing herself, but what was the use in lying to herself? She had a mirror and she could see she was not what society viewed as the perfect woman. And Drake, who could have much more desirable women with the flick of his fingers, had chosen her and grew angry when she downplayed her assets or lack thereof, and he very bluntly told her it was bullshit.

And then she remembered that night when he’d said in a very straightforward manner that in no way appeared to be him saying stuff to placate her, that the other women had treated her as they did because they weren’t as beautiful as Evangeline, and that hers was a natural beauty that most women spent hundreds of thousands of dollars chasing but could never achieve what Evangeline had been gifted with naturally.

How on earth was she supposed to react to that?

She knew she wasn’t ugly, but neither was she anything earth-shattering. She was simply average. In between. And yet Drake saw her differently. It was there in his eyes when he watched her, unaware that she studied him covertly. For whatever reason, he was attracted to her, and furthermore, she had a hard time believing he did all the things he’d done for her in their very short acquaintance that he regularly did with his other women.

He’d ensured that her friends and family were taken care of because he hadn’t wanted her to have that worry any longer. He wanted her to relinquish all control and cede ultimate power to him. God, she liked—no, loved—the thought of that way more than she should as an independent woman well used to providing for herself and her family with no help from anyone.

Drake’s voice broke into her contemplation, a bite to his voice.

“Are you here with me, Evangeline? Because if there’s something else you have to be doing, by all means don’t let me keep you.”

She blinked and turned as much as she could so she could look at him, and she nearly flinched at the undisguised anger in his voice.

Shit. She’d checked out on him, and she doubted anyone ever made that mistake.

“I was thinking,” she said softly, honestly. She knew no other way to be, even to her detriment.

“About?” he prompted in an icy tone. “Because when I’m fucking you, I better be the only goddamn thing on your mind or we have a serious problem here.”

“I was thinking about how beautiful you make me feel,” she said, her voice so sincere he couldn’t possibly think she was being deceitful. “I’ve never felt beautiful before. Not until you. It’s an unnerving sensation and yet it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world. And . . .”

She paused, but Drake was still looking at her, though his expression had lost the iciness and anger.

“And,” he said, more gently than before.

“That while I already acknowledged to myself that I trust you, on an emotional level, I realized here and now when you could do anything to me you wanted, that I’m utterly powerless and helpless tied up, in your bed, and that I’m no match for you physically, that I know you won’t hurt me. I know that, Drake.”

He looked bemused, as though he didn’t know how to respond to her impassioned statement.

“I’m sorry if it appeared I wasn’t paying attention to you,” she said quietly. “All I was thinking about was you and the anticipation of what you will do to me. I don’t want you to hold back, Drake. You were right. I am stronger than I appear and I won’t run screaming from your apartment because you show me everything you’ve told me will eventually happen. I want the real you and everything you can offer me both physically and emotionally.”

She was very careful to keep the word financially out of her statement, and she knew he recognized the omission as well. She never wanted him to think she was with him for what he could provide financially. It would only cheapen what they had, and she wanted nothing to tarnish the beauty or progression of their relationship.

His entire expression softened and there was no longer any hint of anger or annoyance reflected in his eyes or his tone when he spoke to her again.

“Do you have any idea how rare it is to find someone as refreshingly honest as you are?” he asked in a husky voice.

She closed her eyes self-consciously, heat scorching over her face at the way he looked at her. As though he could see so much more than others could about her. Even her friends. What her girlfriends thought was a fault and something that would only bring pain and embarrassment for Evangeline, Drake clearly saw differently.

She sensed that this was a man who’d endured a lot of dishonesty in his life, which very likely explained why he was a very blunt, straightforward man. He didn’t sugarcoat things or try to appease others.

And she supposed it made sense that if he hadn’t had many people in his life who were honest, and he was a man who told the unvarnished truth, that he would appreciate those same qualities in Evangeline, whereas she saw it as simply being herself and deceit not being part of her nature.

It hadn’t gone unnoticed by her that his men, those he trusted most and who seemed to be more than the average, run-of-the-mill employees, shared all of the traits Drake possessed. Blunt, straightforward, no tolerance for bullshit, and like Drake, they absolutely commanded obedience and respect from those around them.

“Look at me, Angel,” Drake said in a firm command that had her eyes flying open so she could once more meet his gaze. “Never are you to feel shame because you’re an honest, genuine person. They’re rare and unfortunately they are also the people who tend to get taken advantage of the most. I never want you to think that’s what I’m doing here. I want you. I intend to have you. But in no way will I ever take advantage of you.”

“Sometimes I’m too honest,” she whispered. “Not everyone wants to hear the truth, and not everyone wants to know what I’m thinking at any given moment.”

His hand slid over the curve of her backside and then to her inner thigh, rimming her entrance with one finger.

“I always want to hear the truth,” he said in a very serious tone. “Especially when it comes to you and what you’re thinking or feeling. I never want you to feel as though you have to lie to me about anything. If I don’t have that from you, then it means two things. That I’m not doing my job right, and it also means I have failed to maintain your trust. Neither of those is an acceptable scenario.”

She breathed out a sigh of relief. For so long she’d had to guard her words so carefully, not ever wanting to inadvertently hurt anyone’s feelings. It was hard to go against something so solidly ingrained in her by her parents. But she also refused to outright lie, so more often than not, she merely said nothing at all.

“It means more than you’ll ever know that I can be myself with you, Drake,” she said, staring deeply into his mesmerizing eyes.

He added another finger, stretching her, making her moan. Her eyelashes fluttered closed as pleasure raced through her body, leaving a fiery trail as though she’d been burned by his mere touch.

“Open your eyes. I want to see you when you come,” Drake said, all vestiges of gentleness and tenderness erased from his tone and features.

She shivered because once more he’d slipped so easily back into the role of the ultimate dominant male demonstrating his power and control over his woman.

She obeyed instantly and knew he approved of her obedience. Maybe to others his body language didn’t broadcast much at all. Or the nearly imperceptible change in his eyes. But she had already learned what each expression meant, or at least the ones she’d been subjected to so far.

And then a thought occurred to her and she frowned, searching out his gaze as he continued to lazily finger her.

“I thought you said tonight was for you,” she said in a husky, sexy-sounding voice she didn’t even recognize.

His eyes glittered and his smile was almost cruel looking against the harsh lines of his face. The man was one sexy beast of an alpha male. There was not one thing about him that didn’t do it for her. She hadn’t imagined men like Drake even existed except in fiction.

He was a man feared by others, recognized for his power and predatory nature. As a rule, she’d always avoided men like Drake, so she had no explanation for why she’d been so inexorably drawn to him and his dominant nature. Even now she should be terrified. Not anticipating every single one of the things he’d promised to do to her.

“Angel, if you don’t think me getting you off when you’re on your knees, ass thrust in the air and you soaking my hand when I make you come isn’t for me, then you are very wrong. Yes, tonight is about me. It’s about what I want and what I want to do to you. And watching you go off at my touch, my tongue and my dick? Yeah, that’s all for me. What man’s world wouldn’t light up when a woman who looks like you is all tied up in his bed like the innocent angel you are?”

Her chest tightened to the point of pain because damn . . . What could she possibly say in response to that?

And then she could say nothing more at all because Drake began pushing her harder, using one hand to explore her most tender and sensitive flesh while using the other to alternate lightly flicking her nipples, stroking her breasts and belly and then sliding his hand down her spine before administering another swat to her bare behind.

She was panting, knowing she wouldn’t hold out much longer but God, she didn’t want it to end, no matter that he’d promised her that this was only the beginning.

She began to tremble violently, leaning further down into the mattress because her arms wouldn’t support her weight. Her orgasm was building into an enormous, overwhelming entity and she wondered whether she’d even remain conscious through it. She was too mindless, completely out of control, and had no semblance or cognizance of anything but Drake and his touch, the sound of his voice.

She couldn’t think. She could only feel as she spun wildly out of control, inching closer to the yawning abyss and into the moment when she flew over into free fall with only Drake to catch her, to protect her, as he’d promised he’d always do.

“That’s it, Angel,” Drake said, his voice rough and laced with arousal. “Let go, but do not look away from me at any time. When you come, I want to see those gorgeous blue eyes grow hazy and watch the pleasure that I’m giving you and know that no other man will see what I will be seeing. No other man will have what you are giving to me or be able to give what I give to you. You are mine, and before this night ends, you’ll know who owns your body and soul.”

It was hard not to completely surrender to the moment and close her eyes as her entire world shifted after Drake’s impassioned statement of truth. His truth. His rules. She was his to own, to possess, and never would she have thought such simple words could forge a direct route to the very heart of her. Was this—Drake, his dominance—what she’d been missing in her life? The answer formed instantly and insidiously snaked its way through every cell in her body.

But she focused on Drake, as he’d commanded, her gaze locking with his, and it was the electric spark forming an instant connection with him that went far deeper than the physical pleasure she was feeling that finally hurtled her over the edge and into sweet oblivion.

It felt as though she fragmented and then shattered into a million tiny pieces, but now that her eyes were locked with Drake’s, she couldn’t break away for anything in the world. Seeing her pleasure reflected in his gaze was the most erotic, powerful thing she’d ever experienced in her life.

And in this moment, she felt completely safe, as if nothing could ever hurt her again. As long as she was in Drake’s arms, nothing could touch her. The outside world ceased to exist. Her former life, her way of life, faded, evaporating until there was only here and now and the world she’d willingly walked into. Drake’s world. Maybe it made her crazy for being so impulsive, so out of character for her. But she wasn’t crazy about one thing. Whatever this was between her and Drake was all too real. So real that it frightened her, but at the same time she was also gripped by a sense of true belonging, something she hadn’t felt since the day she’d left her parents’ home to move to New York and work.

And now that she had that, had Drake, she wanted him and everything he had to offer more than she wanted her next breath. In time her natural fears and concerns would work their way out. She had to believe that, because she wanted this too badly to consider even for a moment what her life would be like after tasting something so beautiful and all-consuming.

How could she ever go back to her old life after experiencing the world where Drake made all the rules and answered only to himself, and others around him answered strictly to him? He’d introduced her to an exciting, colorful world, not one steeped in gray and the monotony of her day-to-day routine, performing her tasks and taking care of her responsibilities by rote.

She purposely shoved away all thoughts of a world where Drake didn’t exist, not wanting anything to ruin this moment when Drake claimed her, exerted his dominance physically, the only part of their relationship that was as yet uncemented.

She was only partly aware of him stripping off his clothing as her breaths came erratic and heavy in the aftermath. Before she could even process the explosive effects of her orgasm, and the fact that she was still quivering from head to toe and the throb between her legs was already crying out for his touch once more, he roughly cupped the globes of her ass and pushed up and outward.

The huge head of his erection prodded at her opening and he thrust hard, shock rippling through her body as her swollen tissue fought his forceful invasion. He had such a tight grip on her ass that she knew she’d wear his marks for days to come, and she loved the fact that whenever she sat for the next few days, she’d feel that reminder of his possession of her, and that she’d wear the signs of his ownership and dominance.

He withdrew until she could feel his cock barely rimming her entrance, and then he thrust into her more powerfully than before, a gasp escaping when she realized she’d taken him to the hilt and that she could take no more of him.

This was nothing like the first time, when he’d been so exquisitely tender and gentle, taking her slowly, with reverence that had brought tears to her eyes. And then his words, about how she needed the first time with him to be the way her first time with any man should have been.

His warning that it wouldn’t always be like that hovered in her mind, because now she was getting a taste of what was to come and what being with him would entail, and it excited her, aroused her, so much that she could already feel the welcoming edge that signaled the slow climb to another orgasm.

She felt impossibly stretched, felt the burn deep inside her that blurred the nearly indecipherable line between pain and pleasure, melding the two seamlessly together until all she knew was sheer ecstasy.

“Going to ride you hard and long, Angel. And then I’m going to have that sweet mouth and then that even sweeter ass. And then I’m going to come all over you and mark you, so that you’ll know precisely who you belong to.”

She shuddered violently, mere words sending her closer and closer to another explosive orgasm. She loved the descriptive and explicit way he talked. Low and dirty but so very sexy. His words were as provocative and arousing as his touch.

He began driving into her, ruthlessly opening her to meet his powerful forward surges. His hands slid to her hips, his fingers digging deep as he held her firmly in place and then yanked her back to meet his next thrust.

Then one hand covered her bound hands while the other went to tangle in her hair, pulling hard, so that her head was lifted from the bed and she could see him, legs apart, hunched over her behind as he penetrated her deep and then remained there as he stared at her.

For a long moment, they simply shared, without words, the power of the magnetic pull between them. As if both were helpless to end it. She didn’t want it to end and judging by the brooding, determined look on his face, he felt the same as she did.

Then he closed his eyes, his big body shuddering against hers as he slowly withdrew from her aching body.

He walked around to the side of the bed and then lifted her so she was on her knees, her hands still tied behind her back. Then he got onto the bed, positioning himself so she was between his splayed thighs and his back rested against the headboard.

He pulled her down, framing her face with his hands, and positioned her mouth over his engorged erection.

“Open,” he said roughly. “But don’t move. Don’t do anything but remain how I’ve positioned you while I fuck your mouth as hard as I can.”

Bent over as she was, hands tied behind her back and Drake grasping her head, directing her movements, she had no choice but to follow his dictates.

He lowered her head once her lips parted and pushed in hard and deep, stopping at the back of her throat with a guttural groan that vibrated through his penis and into her mouth. His hands tangled in her hair, lifting it up and away from her face so he could have an unimpeded view of her sucking him off.

She wished she could see the erotic scene. Just the fact that she was giving this man so much pleasure had already reduced her to a quivering glob, her senses so heightened that she was precariously close to orgasming from the sheer act of pleasuring him.

She hummed around his enormous erection and was rewarded by another inarticulate, strangled noise erupting from his throat. She smiled around his cock and relaxed so he could have complete, unfettered access to her body and whatever he chose to do.