Page 27 of The Inquirer

“Yellow.” Her voice was soft, but I didn’t hear any fear in it.

That was her signal to take it slow, that she wasn’t sure how she felt about what I wanted to do. Not all subs or Doms have two safe words, one for proceeding with caution and one to stop immediately, but I always thought it made things easier because ‘punishment’ could be such a broad subject that what I had in mind might or might not bother her.

I held up the rope. “Roll over and put your hands behind your back.”

Her lips curved into a smile, and she did as she was told, crossing her wrists at the small of her back automatically.

“I take it you’ve done this before,” I said as I climbed onto the bed.

I straddled her legs and let muscle memory set up a quick release column knot. It wasn’t as complex as some knots I’d used in the past, but it’d hold her, and if she used her safe word, I’d be able to get her out of it easily. The entire point of this was to help her, not trigger another attack.

“From your side of things, yes.” She turned her head so her voice wasn’t muffled.

“Good,” I said. “Then you know how to get out of it if you need to.”

Satisfied that she wasn’t going anywhere unless she had to, I moved back down her body and pulled her legs apart. I had to grit my teeth as I rolled on the condom. I’d handled this much foreplay without coming before, but Nyx tested my self-control like no one else ever had.

I put my hands on her ankles and let them leisurely make their way up her long legs, appreciating each curve of her calves, the dip into the back of her knees. Her butt was perfect, two firm globes that fit right into each of my hands. I ran my thumbs along either side of the crease as my hands slid up over her ass to her back. I leaned down, kissed the fire inked at the small of her back, and then did what I’d wanted to do from the first moment I’d seen her tattoo.

I traced it with my tongue. The fire first, and then followed the smoke up her spine to where it turned into feathers. By the time the feathers became a phoenix on the back of her neck, she was squirming and making the sexiest little gasps and moans.

“My little firebird,” I whispered in her ear before lightly biting down on her earlobe. “Are you ready for me?”

I reached back and slid two fingers inside her. She yelped in surprise, but there was no pain in the sound. She was wet as she pushed back against my hand. I bit her shoulder, and she cursed.

“I’m in charge,” I reminded her. “You take what I give you.” I kissed the middle of her back. “I’ll get you there again.”

She made a frustrated sound but stopped moving. Well, she stopped trying to control how I was working my fingers into her. She didn’t stop squirming, but I wasn’t sure if she even could.

It didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to make her wait any longer because I couldn’t wait either.

I tipped her hips up to give me the angle I wanted and then slid inside with one smooth stroke. Her body shuddered under mine, muscles tensing, squeezing, and it was all I could do to keep from losing it. My fingers curled into the sheets on either side of Nyx’s waist, my knuckles turning white. I exhaled between clenched teeth and closed my eyes.

Starting line-up, Chicago Bulls, November 1, 1996. Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman. Playing against the Boston Celtics. Final score, 107 to 98.

Some guys recited baseball stats to get their minds off coming.

I liked 1990s basketball, specifically the Chicago Bulls. I didn’t have to use it very often, but it worked.

I opened my eyes and pulled back until just the tip remained inside her. Without a pause, I surged forward again, bringing us to that place where we were as close as two individuals could physically be. Keeping one hand on her hip, I grabbed her bound wrists to give me leverage and then took her with deep, relentless strokes that had her crying out, her fingers curling and flexing. Over and over, I drove into her, the angle letting my cock drag over her g-spot with every thrust.

“Bradyn, please!” Her voice shook with desperation. “I can’t…I can’t…I can’t…”

“You can.” I growled the words, the pressure inside me almost too much to stand. “Come again. Let me feel it.”

She shook her head, curses and unintelligible sounds pouring out of her, but not her safe words. She pulled at her restraints but didn’t do anything that would actually get her free, even though she knew what to do if that was what she really wanted.

She trusted me to get her where she wanted to go.

“Fuck.” I could feel myself losing it.

I slid the hand on her hip around and down until I could slip my fingers between her legs. Two circles around her clit, and then two taps were all it took to send her over the edge.

And not a moment too soon, either. I buried myself deep and followed.

Thirteen

Bradyn

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