She’d done promotional research.
She’d done the dishes in the break room.
Her gaze zoomed to Knox. There was one thing she hadn’t done today.
Shiori pushed her chair back and stood. “Pick a fight with me.”
Knox looked up from his desk. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Say something cutting like you used to.”
“Why?”
“Because I always secretly got a thrill out of verbally sparring with you.” Sauntering across the room, she said, “Insult me.”
“Is this some kinda test?”
“No.” She reached his desk and spun his chair around, pressing her hands into the armrests. “Say, ‘Jesus, She-Cat, why didn’t you just do the log-in reports in crayon since it looks like a second-grader did them?’”
“Funny.”
“Or how about . . . Ms. Hirano, your attitude sucks balls today.”
Knox raised an eyebrow. “Maybe because you had my balls in your mouth last night?”
“No, you never said sexual things to me before.”
“At least not to your face.”
She smiled. “See? Stuff like that.”
“Kitten, I don’t know what you’re after here. Is this a Domme game?”
“No. It’s a you and me game. While I love the fact we’re getting along so well, I miss that back-and-forth we used to have.”
“What do you want to do about it?”
“How about if we start this over?” Shiori straightened up. “Play along.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“When I walk in, act like it’s the first time you’ve seen me today.”
Knox still seemed confused, so she hoped he picked up on what she wanted.
To make the scene authentic, she shouldered her purse and slipped out the door, closing it behind her. She wandered down the hallway, careful not to get too close to the training room.
After five minutes had passed, she opened the door and meandered in, slamming it shut behind her.
“Wow, you’re here before the crack of noon today, She-Cat?” Knox said with total sarcasm. “That’s two days in a row. Are you hoping that’ll put you in the running for Employee of the Month?”
“Bite me, Ob-Knox-ious.” She tossed her purse on her desk.
“I’ll pass since I doubt you’ve had a rabies shot recently.” He smirked.
“I’ve gotta give you props for not giving up. Even when your jokes always suck ass, gosh darn it, you keep on trying to convince me you’re funny.”
Knox flashed his teeth. “Maybe it’s a cultural thing, Shitake. American humor escapes you.”
“Of course that’s it.” She smacked herself in the forehead. “It’s a language barrier.”
“Glad you’re coming to terms with your limitations.”
Why the fuck was this getting her hot? Her heart raced. Her belly had butterflies. Her face felt warm.
“How about if we cut the crap? I looked at your so-called log-in reports,” Knox said snidely.
“And?”
“And why are they in Japanese?”
“Because Japanese is my first language?” she replied.
“How in the hell am I supposed to read them?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s the thing, Knox. Those reports aren’t for you. Which I’ve told you umpteen times, not that you ever pull your head out of your ass long enough to listen to me.”
The hard muscle in his jaw flexed. “You finished them in another language so I couldn’t double-check your data? Real mature, She-Cat.”
“I don’t need you going over those reports like a teacher checking my homework.”
“How do I know you’re not trying to hide something?”
“Are you fucking serious right now? What could I possibly be hiding?”
He shrugged. “Maybe you’re having parties in Ronin’s penthouse since you’re the only one with access to it.”
“Parties?” she repeated. “You really think I’d jeopardize my brother’s privacy as well as his trust in me?”
“Like I said, I don’t know. That’s why I need to read those reports. You could be having rooftop keggers up there every Saturday night for all I know.”
She stalked over and slammed her hands on his desk. “Am I even supposed to know what that means? What the fuck is a kegger?”
Knox’s gaze had turned molten. He was just as turned on by this as she was. “Keggers. Wild parties with kegs of beer where the goal is to get drunk, lose articles of clothing, and see how stupid you can act.”
“That sounds right up your alley, Ob-Knox-ious. Is that why Ronin didn’t leave you a key to the penthouse?” she asked sweetly.
“Yeah, well, he had to give you some kind of token since he left me in charge of the dojo.”
“You are such a dickhead.”
“Yeah? Baby, you’ve taken bitch to a whole new level.”
Shiori leaned closer. “I wish we were on the mat right now, Godan, because I’d pound that smug fucking face of yours into the ground.”
Knox’s big hands circled her wrists and he got nose to nose with her. “You have that backward, kitty-cat. I think you’d like me pounding your hot little body into my mattress—not the training mat. And I’d be more than happy to oblige you, but I’d probably have to gag you first.”
“You’d have to pin me first,” she shot back. “And we both know who’s got the better skills when it comes to takedowns.”
“Don’t tempt me to prove you wrong.”
They were so close they shared the same air. Fire danced in his eyes, and she could smell the heat of his skin. The embers that’d been smoldering between them ignited.
“Knox.”
He didn’t answer; he just brushed his mouth across hers. Once. Twice. “Is this what you missed, kitten?” he murmured against the corner of her mouth.
“Yes.”
“Me too.” He angled his head and ran his nose from her temple down below her ear. “What are we gonna do about it? Because right about at this point in the conversation is where you’d walk away.”
“If I walk away this time, will you follow me?”
“Without a doubt.”
She nuzzled his cheek, breathing in the scent of aftershave and arousal seeping from his skin. “Do you have a condom?”
“Since fucking you is now a reality and not a daydream?” He planted a hot kiss below her ear. “Baby, I shoved a whole box in my bottom drawer.”
“Hoping I’d fuck you in the dojo, Shihan?”
“Always.” His lips followed the shell of her ear. “Since we are in the dojo, which is my domain, Mistress rules don’t apply. So get your ass in the supply closet and wait for me.”
Here was a test. Technically, Knox was right; he called the shots at Black Arts. But since this was about sex, it should be her show.
Isn’t it your show? You made him act a scene out with you. This is the result. You letting him have control and making sure he knows it’s only because you allowed it adheres to the Domme-sub rules you’ve established and isn’t him pushing boundaries.
When Knox whispered, “Play along,” her internal debate ended.
Shiori sought his mouth and kissed him hard. Reminding him who had the power and she’d exercise it whenever it suited her. Then she pulled away and crossed the room to the small supply closet in the corner without looking back.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
KNOX rubbed his hand over his mouth as he watched her walking away.
That ass. Jesus. It called to him like the gravitational pull of the moon.
The second the supply-closet door closed, he yanked open the bottom drawer and ripped off a single condom package.
He forced himself to wait another minute before he chased after her, which gave him a chance to plan how this encounter would play out. He understood the leap of faith she’d taken, offering him th
e chance to take charge—he sure as fuck didn’t want to blow it.
Shiori’s role-playing game had gotten him all kinds of worked up. It reminded him of the months they’d gone back and forth nearly every day. And he was man enough to admit it’d gotten him hot then too.
The minute was up.
As Knox crossed the room, he wished his shoes made more noise on the wooden floor so she could hear him coming for her. The hinges squeaked on the door when he opened it slowly. He closed it behind him and locked it, then took a moment to study her, building her anticipation.
Shiori stood in front of the window. With the way she’d angled her head, the sun shone on her ebony hair, and a section reflected as fiery red. When he started toward her, he saw her hands tighten on the ledge.
Two floor-to-ceiling shelving units flanked the room on both sides. Since this was an old building, the ceilings were high, as were the windows. He’d always thought using this as a supply closet was a waste of good space—until now.
Knox moved in, pressing his body to hers. He reached beneath her arms to begin unbuttoning her blouse and rubbed his lips against the back of her neck. Her scent teased him—warm skin with the hint of spice. After he’d managed the buttons, he stripped off her blouse and her bra.
He groaned at feeling her soft, bare skin beneath his hands. “I love touching you.”
“I love the way you touch me,” she admitted. “And I need you to take your shirt off so we’re skin to skin.”
“Anything for you,” he said into her hair. He made quick work of ditching his shirt and pressed his bare chest to her naked back.
A small hiss escaped her.
She’d worn pants today. His hands followed the contour of her upper torso, down her sides to her hips. He traced his finger along her waistband, just to feel her quiver from his touch. Then he unhooked the clasp on the inside of her pants and pulled down the zipper, all the while letting his mouth drag openmouthed kisses across her shoulders.
As soon as her pants were loose, he pushed the soft fabric down her hips and over the curve of her ass until they pooled around her ankles. “Step out of them and kick off the shoes.”
Even when Shiori shifted sideways, he kept his hands and his mouth on her, not only in a show of control, but as a constant reminder he couldn’t get enough of her.
Knox put his lips at the base of her neck, following the ridges of her spine with his tongue all the way down until he had to drop to his knees. Now her mouthwatering ass was right in his face.
Nice.
He hooked his fingers into the sides of her black panties and pulled them down, eliminating the last barrier between them.
When she kicked her underwear aside, he tapped on the insides of her calves as a signal to widen her stance.
Then he teased those dimples above her ass with his lips until the fine hairs stood on end and she tried to rub her thighs together. It was very tempting to give her a good, hard smack on the ass to make her stay still, but he wasn’t sure how far he could push her. So he opted to distract her, pressing against her lower back and changing the angle of her hips.
Her breathing had become erratic, and he glanced up to see her breath fogging the window.
He allowed himself a small grin before he zeroed in on his next target. Moving his hands down the outside of her butt, he placed his thumbs just inside the crack of her ass so he could pull her cheeks apart. Then he dragged his tongue down the split, lifting her slightly so he could reach that pink pucker.
Shiori cried out, “Oh god,” at the first wet lash of his tongue.
He swirled his tongue around the outside of the tight rosette, lapping at it until the muscle loosened. Then he jammed his tongue inside.
Another loud gasp echoed to him and he felt her legs start to shake.
His cock pulsed. He’d gotten so lost in the chance to touch and taste Shiori however he wanted that he’d forgotten his body’s needs.
That’s your submissive nature. Making sure your Mistress is satisfied before you are.
And for once, his male ego didn’t argue. It just urged him to get on with it.
After one last long lick where he got his first taste of the juices flowing from her pussy, he pushed to his feet. Somehow he managed to get his pants down and the condom on one-handed because he kept a hand on her at all times. When they’d first become physical, she’d demanded some part of him be touching her all the time. And now he needed that connection as much as she did.
Knox planted a kiss on her shoulder. There was a ledge above the heater that might be rough on her knees, but it put her at the perfect height. Keeping hold of her hips, he said, “Knees on the ledge and then I want your hands on the window.”
As soon as she’d gotten into position, he rocked his pelvis to her ass. He held his cock in his left hand and spread his right hand between her hip bones, adjusting the angle and allowing his middle finger to connect with her clit.
And another swift intake of breath as he stroked her there.
He pushed inside her pussy slowly. Once he’d filled her with his cock, he said, “Hard and fast.”
Her “Yes” came out with a whimper.
Knox pulled out and impaled her. Again. And again. The sound of skin slapping against skin and Shiori’s soft grunt each time he bottomed out inside her echoed in the small space.
Now the window had a wider patch of steam from their combined heavy breathing. Her back was slick with sweat, as was his chest, making them stick together.
He rubbed on her clit gently, knowing she didn’t like aggressive touches at the start. But the harder and longer he pounded into her, the wetter she got, and he could increase the speed of his strokes.
When Shiori’s body went stiff beneath him, he grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her head aside to get at her neck. At the touch of his lips to her damp skin, goose bumps erupted and she moaned.
“I love fucking you. I love everything about how we are together. The sounds, the scents, the tastes, the feeling of your body moving against mine.”
“Knox . . .”
“Do you like the way I fuck you, Nushi?”
“Yes.”
He sucked the tender skin below her ear. “I want to take that sweet little asshole of yours like this someday. Getting it good and stretched out with my tongue before I ram my cock in hard.” He nuzzled the back of her neck. “Tell me you’ll let me do anything to you that makes you scream when you come.”
“Anything.” She panted. “Anything I tell you to do.”
“Tell me what will make you come now.”
“I’m so close. Faster on my clit. And your mouth—”
“I know where you want my mouth,” he growled. Then he pulled harder on her hair, forcing her to give him access to the spot she was protecting. He latched on to it with his teeth and sucked hard, flicking her clit and managing to keep the slamming rhythm of his cock.
He knew the instant she started to come; one hand left the