Page 51 of Hero Worship

I pulled almost all the way out, then sank back in with agonizing slowness and he let out a long, low groan. When I wrapped my hand around him again, the touch was feather light, just enough to tease, nowhere near enough to satisfy.

"Wonder how long you can keep pretending," I mused, keeping my strokes light even as his hips tried to push into my grip. "You're shaking," I observed, keeping my thrusts torturously slow, my grip on his cock frustratingly light.

He tried to push back, seeking more, but I held his hips firmly in place.

"Ah ah. You don't get to move. Remember? You're supposed to be asleep."

Another muffled whine behind the gag, his fingers clenching in the sheets. I could feel his control fracturing, feel how desperately he wanted to arch into my touch, to demand more. But still he kept up his act, even as sweat beaded on his skin.

"I could do this all morning," I murmured, though my own control was hanging by a thread. The way he fought to stay still and quiet, was the most erotic thing I'd ever seen. "Keep you right here, desperate and aching, until you break. Until you show me how badly you need it."

They clenched around me violently at that, their body shuddering. So close to breaking. I leaned down, letting my lips brush their ear.

"Maybe I'll finish and leave you wanting," I suggested, voice rough. "Take you to those clubs tonight, knowing you're aching for release." I punctuated this with a particularly deep thrust. "Knowing you're desperate for me while you try to catch Roche's attention."

A muffled protest escaped around the gag. I rewarded them with a firmer stroke, thumb sliding over their tip where they were leaking steadily.

"That's it," I purred. "Getting harder to pretend, isn't it? Harder to keep control." I twisted my wrist just right as I stroked him, feeling him throb in my grip. "All those months of training you to maintain composure under pressure… Who knew all it would take to break you was this?"

The tremors running through his body were constant now, his breathing harsh around the silk between his teeth. His hips made tiny, aborted movements like he couldn't quite stop himself from seeking more.

"Want to know a secret?" I murmured, nipping at his ear. "I love watching you fight it. Love knowing that any second now, you're going to break for me."

His moan was definitely desperate now, muffled but unmistakable. I could feel how close he was, how hard he was fighting to maintain his act. Just needed one final push...

"But maybe you don't want it badly enough," I mused, slowing my hand to an almost complete stop. "Maybe I should just—"

He broke with a violent shudder, wrenching his head up from the pillow. A stream of muffled begging spilled around the gag, his body arching as his act finally shattered. Gone was any pretense of sleep or surrender. Now he writhed beneath me, desperately seeking more.

"There you are," I breathed, tightening my grip. "That wasn't so hard, was it? My perfect weapon, so desperate for my cock that you can't even maintain that famous control."

He sobbed behind the gag, hips bucking frantically now between my hand and my cock, and my control snapped.

"Mine," I growled, slamming into them hard. "Come for me. Show me how much you want this."

His whole body seized as he came, muscles locking around me while he spilled hot over my fingers. Tremors wracked his body, and tiny, nonsensical sounds came muffled through the gag. The way he clenched around me pushed me over the edge. I buried myself deep as my own release hit, marking his insides to match all the bruises outside.

As the aftershocks faded, I eased off slightly. Their body was limp beneath me now, trembling slightly. I reached up to carefully remove the gag.

"You with me?" I murmured, pressing soft kisses along their shoulder.

Their answering hum was pure contentment. They smiled against my skin as I pulled them closer.

"Always so quiet after," I teased gently, nuzzling their neck. They responded by tangling our fingers together, squeezing once.

We lay there breathing together, letting our hearts slow. The mission could wait a few more minutes. Right now, I just wanted to hold them, memorizing how perfectly we fit together.

After all our training together, all that careful distance... I finally had them exactly where we both needed to be.

My hands were steadyas I studied my reflection in our hotel's full-length mirror one final time. My dress was a weapon, black silk that whispered against my skin with every movement, the architectural details concealing more literal weapons beneath. Ash's marks from this morning were hidden under fabric and makeup, but I could feel them with every step. A constant reminder of who I belonged to, even as I prepared to play bait for a murderer.

I'd done my makeup like armor, sharp enough to cut. The kind of face that would catch Roche's eye without screaming desperation. I'd learned to weaponize the waypeople's gazes lingered when they couldn't quite categorize me, their uncertainty making me both more intriguing and more dangerous. Everything about my appearance had been designed for a purpose, from the precise wing of my eyeliner to the way my dress highlighted both strength and vulnerability. The perfect lure for someone who collected beautiful things and broke them.

"You're spiraling." Ash's voice cut through my thoughts as he appeared in the mirror behind me, every inch the wealthy crime novelist in his perfectly tailored suit. His hands settled on my hips, possessive even through the silk. "I can see it in your eyes, baby. Come back to me."

I leaned back against his chest, letting his solid presence ground me. "Just getting into character," I murmured, already feeling that familiar electric thrill race through my veins.

This wasn't my first time playing bait for a predator. I'd built my career on understanding people's desires, their assumptions, their blind spots. They saw what they wanted to see—beauty, vulnerability, submission—while missing the steel beneath. Their inability to see past surface categories was always their downfall.

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