A flicker of regret crossed her face. "I know. Hartley told me."
Her answer ripped through him, driving the breath from his lungs. He struggled to maintain his calm expression and forced himself to ask the next question. "You didn't want me to find you again, did you?"
His razor-sharp gaze took in her pause. The seconds stretched and he waited to see if she'd try to lie to him. He almost wished she would, because he valued truth among all the virtues the most. But damned if she didn't tilt her chin up and say the cutting words.
"No."
He nodded, admiring her at the same time he took the hit.
"I wasn't ready for more than one night. I knew I was moving to Vegas and I wanted a clean slate."
"Fair enough." He made sure he sounded casual, even though his gut churned. Funny, the first time he falls hard for a woman and she had no intention of having more than one night of sex. If it wasn't so screwed up, he'd laugh in irony. "That leads to my final question. We both signed up for something tonight; something we wanted fulfilled. I need you tell me yours."
This time, she averted her gaze and began to turn. Oh, no, if they were going to do this, he was following the path all the way to the end, whether either of them liked it or not.
He snapped his voice like a whiplash. "Don't turn your back on me, Scarlett."
She froze. Her lower lip trembled, but she managed to square her shoulders and face him again. "I'm sorry, Sir."
The title knocked him back like a sucker punch. Damn her. He ignored his rapidly pounding heart and pushed on. "You will answer my question. What was your fantasy?"
Those inky eyes widened, filled with a churning mix of want and apology; of need and regret. "I wanted to feel like I did that night with you." Her voice broke. "Free. Powerful. Seen." A shudder wracked her body. "I can't go back to the way things were. Before...you. I need it again."
"You need the BDSM," he said in a clipped voice. "You need the feeling you get when you surrender."
"Yes."
"Have you visited another club? Been with another Dom since me?"
She shook her head, then caught his warning glance. "No, Sir. I joined the club Chains but I haven't played yet."
"Why not?"
"Because I've been afraid. Jonathan and Cruz introduced me to Blasphemy, but I don't know anyone here yet. I've been trying to get my nerve up."
His chest tightened. A hard, empty ball of ice lodged in his gut. Of course, she didn't want him. He could be anyone. It just so happened he gave her the first satisfying experience in the BDSM lifestyle, and she hadn't met anyone else.
She didn't miss him at all. Only his talent as a Dom.
The irony shred him to pieces. She'd haunted him for months, and now that she was finally in front of him, she only wanted him for the sex. The bond he'd believed they found had only existed on his side. His fantasy had been to find a woman just like her to fall in love with and claim forever.
Hers had been for more great sex.
He smothered the raw pain of rejection and studied her. Even now, her chin tilted up with a pride that was part of her, even as her body already seemed to soften in his nearness. Fine. He couldn't claim her heart, but damned if he wouldn't claim her sweet body and brand himself on her forever. She'd never be able to fuck another man without thinking of him. Never be able to submit to another without remembering what he alone could give her.
Shattering, mindless, blinding pleasure.
So be it.
"Do you remember your safe words?"
She jerked in surprise. "Yellow to slow down. Red to stop."
"This time, you will not forget to address me as Sir or your punishment will not be fun like the last time. You will not speak unless spoken to. Remove your clothes and stand in front of the window with your hands clasped behind your back, feet wide apart. We are officially in scene."
He began to unbutton his cuffs.
Chapter Eight
SCARLETT SWAYED SLIGHTLY, but kept her focus on the man before her to complete the task he'd given. Her body leapt to attention, greedy for everything he could do to her, but her heart squeezed with pain.
He was different this time. Cold. Distant. As if her words had ripped away the aching tenderness and left only the dominance. A lump rose in her throat but she'd been the one to make the rules. She'd left him. The flash of pain in his eyes seared her vision, and almost drove her to her knees. Dear God, she hadn't meant to hurt him. Now her actions seemed cruel--leaving him behind without a good-bye after the intimacy they'd shared.
Her gaze roved over him, greedy to savor every inch. He wore black pants and a formal white shirt with the collar unbuttoned. Slowly, deliberately, those talented fingers unbuttoned each cuff and he rolled up the sleeves, exposing the gorgeous ink on his muscled arms. His scent rose in the air, a heady combination of earth and spice, as primitive and sexual as the man. With his face uncovered, she noticed his nose had a slight bend, as if he it had once been broken. Stubble clung to his chiseled jaw and emphasized the fullness of his lower lip. His features were craggy and a bit rough, which only added to his sensuality. But it was his eyes that held her mesmerized; a swirl of smoke and ash; fire and ice; emanating a fierce energy that shimmered from his aura and pinned her helplessly in place.
He'd given her an order.
She needed to obey.
Her trembling hands tugged off her tank, and she had to wriggle the skirt down over her too wide hips with a little shimmy she prayed was halfway sexy. He watched her under heavy lidded eyes, then held out his hand. She gave him her clothes, then walked slowly to the window. A shiver bumped down her spine at the feel of the cool air over her bare skin, kissing her nipples and contrasting deliciously with her already heated pussy. She felt his gaze probing, sweeping over her nakedness, and she walked proudly, remembering his pointed lesson of believing in her own beauty.
She clasped her hands behind her back, parted her legs, raised her head, and lowered her gaze to the floor. Then waited.
Silence settled in the room. She stood patiently and had no idea how long had passed before the air stirred and his shoes appeared in her vision. Her nostrils flared when she caught his scent. Her skin pulled tight and she tried hard not to squirm as arousal throbbed in her core. The raw vulnerability as she stood before him, like a prized possession, thrilled her. Her busy mind slowed and her world began to shift, narrowing to this moment.
"I own your orgasms. I will tell you when to come and how many times. If you please me, you may get this." He stroked his cock, hard and long and tenting his pants. Her mouth watered. She'd never been overly enthusiastic about blow jobs, but the thought of her kneeling before him, her tongue stroking him to release, his rough hand guiding her to exactly how he liked to be pleasured--shuddered through her in raw, primeval need. As if he caught her thought, he made a murmur of approval and circled her like prey.
His hands stroked down her spine, cupping her ass, then dipped between her legs to spread her wide. His thumb played with her hard clit and his index finger sunk inside her, stretching deep, wresting a moan from her lips.
"You're very wet," he said in satisfaction. "Do you like being on display for me? Knowing I own every inch of this body--every wet, greedy hole and every strand of hair on your head belongs to me. Do you enjoy waiting to see how I'm going take you, with my tongue or fingers or my cock?"
"Yes, Sir."
He slipped out and began to probe her ass, his thumb playing with the tight hole where no man had ever been. Her muscles tightened, but he kept up the pressure, slipping into her up to his knuckle. A blast of pain melded with a strange, sinking sort of pleasure--a dirty, shameful heat flushing her skin. "Have you had someone take your ass?" he asked in a dark voice.
"No, Sir."
"It's better I prepare you for the next Dom. He'll want to take that pretty ass and own it."
Her mind rebelled at the thought of a stranger penetrating her there. She only wanted Leo to introduce tha
t type of pleasure. But she kept quiet as he walked away. She heard the slide of a drawer, and then he returned to stand beside her. The squirt of a bottle cut through the air, and she shifted slightly.
A sharp slap vibrated against her ass. "You will stand completely still at all times."
"Yes, sir," she gasped. Tingles shot through her, but her mind was too distracted by what he was doing behind her. Oh, God, her ass probably looked huge from this angle, and if he made her bend over what if he thought--
Another slap shook her. She gasped at the sting.
"Do I need to demonstrate how I feel about this body, Scarlett? Or would you like another lesson?"
"N-no, Sir."
"Give me the words."
She closed her eyes but forced herself to say it. "My body is beautiful."
"That's correct. Now, I'm going to plug this beautiful ass and admire my handiwork. Bend over and grab your ankles. Then you're going to take three long, slow breaths."
"Yes, Sir."
He assisted her with a firm hand pressing her back down. Her mind fought the image of her ass stuck in the air, while a different type of heat uncurled inside, spreading out like licking flames. Something hard pushed through the ring of muscle, and she took another deep breath, trying to accept the invasion rather than fight it. He worked the plug back and forth, slowly and deliberately, and on the final breath, the muscles gave way and the plug sank all the way in.
"Very nice."
Oh, it was strange. Like something foreign had invaded her body, and didn't know whether to push it out or pull it in deeper. She wriggled slightly, and then he tapped the plug and vibrations spilled through her lower body. Oh, that felt good.
"Straighten up."
She did. He moved away again, and she heard the clank of metal scraped on metal. The opening and closing of a drawer. She desperately wanted to turn her head but knew that would gain her a punishment, and she was too excited to see what he'd do next.
When he came back, he held a spreader bar and two strips of black cloth. "It may get hard to keep your feet apart this whole time, so I shall give you some assistance." When she remained silent, he arched a brow in warning. "Did I hear a response?"
"Oh! Thank you, Sir."
He knelt in front of her and attached both ankles to the bar. Her legs were now spaced widely apart, her pussy on full display. "Ah, that's better. Now I can see those puffy, pink lips begging for me. Your needy little clit is hard already, little one. Do you ache?"
"Yes, Sir." Her words came on a breathy gasp.
"Very good. Let's get you a bit of help with your hands."
"Thank you, Sir."
He wrapped the soft cloth around her wrists, binding her arms so they lay against her lower back. He stepped back, studying her at his leisure, his finger tapping his lower lip in thought. "Beautiful. Almost done. We just need the blindfold."
Her eyes widened. "Blindfold, Sir?"
His voice hardened. "Is this a hard limit you didn't previously specify?"
"No, Sir."
"Good, then you have your safe word." He took the final cloth and covered her eyes, tying the knot behind her head. Darkness fell and surrounded her. Without her sight, her senses were more alert, ears pricked for sound, body bracing for the unknown.
"Are you ready?"
She swallowed. "Yes, Sir."
"Good. Just one simple thing." She stiffened, but already knew what was he was about to say. "Don't come."
She held back a tortured groan and swore she'd die before disobeying. "Yes, Sir."
"Very good, little one."
At first, Scarlett wondered if she was imagining the feather light touches over her body, skimming flesh as soft and faint as a butterfly's wing. The sensitive curve of her shoulder, the dip of her belly, the back of her knee, the hard tip of her nipple. It took a while for her mind to stop calculating the next touch, or sift through her churning thoughts, but as he kept bestowing touches on her starved skin, a quiet began to grow inside.
She softened, becoming fluid under his fingers, caught in the delicate web of sensation.
The air hissed. The thump of the flogger reached her ears right before the pain exploded on her ass. She jerked, moaning, then arched under the stinging heat as pain morphed into something more. He whispered in her ear, dirty things, beautiful things, kissed her nipples and licked them in apology. She arched for more of his wet, hot mouth, giving in.
The flogger blasted her again on her ass. Her thigh. Raining blows in quick succession that stopped almost as quickly as it started, leaving her a trembling mass of nerves and hurt and hot, throbbing need.
More whispers. Soft strokes over her belly, fingers diving into her pussy to rub and pluck and tease, urging her hips to rock against them in greed, arousal dripping from down her thighs, and then--
The flogger on her inner thigh.
She clenched and groaned, trying to close her legs, but his tongue was licking at her ear, biting her lobe, telling her she was perfect, and beautiful, and his good girl, and his fingers rubbed her skin, taking away the sting.
Until the flogger began again.
Caught in a world of heaven and hell, she began to beg, desperate to escape the flogger, desperate for more. The orgasm hovered, growing bigger, like a tsunami ready to break and shatter her into pieces.
The last lash ripped a scream from her lips. Her safe word hovered on her tongue, ready to be uttered.
Then he was licking her pussy and sucking her clit, his thumbs parting her swollen folds and fucked her with his hot tongue and dragged her back to the edge, where she hovered mercilessly, begging to fall.
"Sir? Please."
"Not yet." His fingers slipped around and played with the plug, twisting and moving it in and out in gentle motions. Sensation spilled through her, tightening the muscles in her belly and pelvis, adding to the ferociousness of her looming orgasm.
"Oh, God, please, please--" she begged brokenly, desperate, mad with need. He dragged his tongue over her throbbing clit and plunged three fingers deep into her pulsing channel. "Come."
She exploded. Tears streamed from her eyes as the brutal pleasure tore her apart, her body wildly bucking against him as he continued licking her, gripping under her thighs to tilt her up to his hungry mouth, keeping her from collapsing.
The fabric tugged around her bound hands, releasing them. Her world suddenly tilted, and she was lifted up in the air, then dropped onto a soft mattress on her back. His vicious growl raked across her ears, along with the sound of a zipper. Still shaking from her orgasm, her feet secure in the spreader bar, Scarlett waited, surrendering completely to everything and anything he wanted to do to her.
His thick cock pushed inside, and with one strong thrust, he was buried to the hilt. She gasped, unable to move, just allowed to take as he pounded in and out of her pussy with a violent need she embraced. She chanted his name and sunk into every sensation he forced upon her--the sting of the plug in her ass, the burning tightness of her pussy clenching around him, the ache in her thighs and arms, and the endless need choking her more...more...more...
He roared her name as he came, his fingers digging into her hips. She savored the slap of his thighs against hers and how his teeth sunk into her neck when he shuddered with his orgasm.
She lay on the bed, feeling like a broken ragdoll, well used. She felt him leave the bed and heard the rush of water in the bathroom. The spreader bar was released, and he rubbed both of her ankles, flexing her legs. With gentle motions, he flipped her over and urged her to kneel so he could slip the plug out. He disappeared again, and when he returned, the blindfold fell away from her eyes.
Scarlett blinked against the rush of light. Stared into his dark eyes. Then lifted her hand to stroke his rough cheek.
His voice was a low rasp, filled with aching tenderness. "Are you okay, little one?"
Tears stung her vision. She was empty and full at the same time. A tide of emotion rushed in, squeezing her insides
, and she choked on the need to tell him she was wrong to leave him, wrong to think she could forget him, wrong to believe this wasn't more than one beautiful night. She only knew she'd die if the coldness came back into those eyes.
"Please don't leave me."
He bent forward and touched his forehead to hers. "No, sweet Scarlett. I'm not going anywhere."
He pulled her in tight against his chest. His heart beat steadily in her ear. The scent of sex, sweat, and musk filled her nostrils. Contentment unfurled, blooming like a neglected flower suddenly given water and light, and she gave in with a long sigh, closing her eyes and cherishing this man and what he had given her.
Chapter Nine
IT WAS HAPPENING AGAIN.
Leo held her close, stroking her back as she relaxed so trustingly against him. How could she incite such violent lust one moment, and heartbreaking gentleness the next? His one goal to concentrate only on sex had already crumbled under her wide, pleading eyes and trembling lips.
She'd already gone halfway into subspace and he'd only scratched the surface of where he could take her. The way she opened up and allowed him to push her edges; the beautiful way she surrendered under the flick of the flogger and stroke of his fingers, shattering around him with such truthfulness, he was almost driven to his knees.
This is what he'd always craved. A woman who could offer all these things.
But was it the sex or him? The BDSM experience or him?
"Leo?"
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and pushed away his doubts. "Yes?"
"Where'd you get all that equipment from?"
He chuckled. "I had everything stored beforehand in the cabinets. Do you really think I'm an unprepared Dom?"
He felt her smile against his chest. "No. I guess I was expecting you to bring a bag like a doctor."
"I like keeping my submissives off balance."
Her nails curled into his shoulder. "Do you have many submissives?"
He'd never try to make her jealous. Honesty was everything to him, and another reason he loved BDSM. The communication between partners was key to the intimacy. "No, Scarlett. I've played with various partners throughout the years but haven't had a serious relationship in a while. I was traveling with the Navy for a number of years, and became kind of a wanderer, always looking for new places to settle. I haven't been tempted to change my lifestyle for a woman yet."