I gave her no time to respond, wrapping the silk around her eyes and securing the tie behind her head. I stepped back to admire my handiwork, the silk a stark contrast to her fiery hair and pale skin. Her breath was coming faster now, the satin slipped with her every inhalation.
 
 My hands explored her as if I were a sculptor, molding her body to my liking, altering her to suit my desires. I paid homage to her skin with my touch, reveling in her softness. This was an act of possession as much as it was pleasure.
 
 Her breath hitched as I brushed her hair away from her neck, baring the delicate skin of her throat. I nibbled there, my lips grazing her pulse point. I felt her quiver beneath me, but still, she made no sound. Impressive.
 
 Teasingly, I nipped at her earlobe, my tongue flicking out to taste her. She was salty-sweet, like forbidden fruit. I wanted more. My hands roamed over the landscape of her body, committing every inch to memory.
 
 Trailing kisses along her jaw, I nuzzled her neck, pressing gentle open-mouthed kisses to the sensitive skin there. My lips roamed, leaving a trail of damp kisses down to the valley between her breasts. Pausing there, I placed a soft kiss on the paler skin.
 
 Lower I went, following the gentle slope of her abdomen until I reached the edge of her panties. I slid them over her hips, down her thighs. She lifted each foot obediently, allowing me to rid her of the final barrier. Now, she was completely bared to my gaze.
 
 I took a moment to admire the vision before me. Her skin glowed in the soft light. The flush that spread across her body was a testament to her desire, even as she fought to remain silent.
 
 My fingers traced patterns on her thighs, inching closer to the core of her. She was wet, swollen, glistening with need. I chuckled darkly, my breath ghosting over her most intimate flesh.
 
 “So responsive. Shall I tell you how I plan to use this wicked tongue of mine?”
 
 As my lips hovered just above her clitoris, she shuddered, her head thrashing. I could almost hear her unspoken pleas, the unvoiced demands. Her body was beseeching me, even as her lips remained sealed.
 
 I lowered my mouth. She tasted of lust and desire, a delicate combination that made my head spin. I feasted on her, lapping at her essence, relishing the way she bucked against my mouth.
 
 I curled my fingers at her hips, holding her still as I plundered her deeply with my tongue. Her thighs fell open wider, silent acquiescence to my unspoken demands. She was soaked, her essence coating my tongue, and I growled in satisfaction, my thumbs pressing into the soft flesh of her inner thighs.
 
 She was close, so close. I could feel her teetering on the edge. Determined to push her over, I slipped two fingers inside her, curling them to find that sweet spot that had her crying out… in her mind.
 
 I stole her breath, claiming her with my mouth as I suckled her clitoris. Her juices flowed over my tongue, her arousal intoxicating as I drank her in. My fingers thrust in a relentless rhythm, faster, harder, until she was keening with pleasure, but still, she remained silent. Frustratingly so.
 
 I admired her tenacity in keeping any sound from escaping her lips, but a part of me wanted to win this challenge. I was quite certain an orgasm wouldn’t make her speak, so I tried another tactic. Time was flying by, and I didn’t have much left before the timer rang to signify the end of our challenge.
 
 Without warning, I pushed her shoulder with gentle force, making her tumble backward on the mattress. The sudden intake of breath in surprise was almost her undoing, but she recomposed herself, bracing her elbows to prop herself up, even if her eyesight was still blocked. My tactic was no longer to worship her body but to beat it into submission through pleasure.
 
 That was when I started a wicked and cruel game of orgasm denial.
 
 I knelt between her thighs, spreading her legs wide as I settled more comfortably on the mattress. My hands skimmed up hercalves, her skin soft and supple beneath my touch. Her muscles trembled as I caressed her, but still, she kept her silence.
 
 “Your body betrays you,” I whispered, my mouth hovering over her inner thigh. “Even if your lips remain sealed, your body sings to me. It whispers how much you want this, how much you need it.”
 
 I nuzzled her soft skin. I teased the sensitive spot behind her knee, my teeth nipping lightly before my tongue soothed the spot.
 
 Her hips lifted off the bed, an unspoken plea for more. I smiled against her skin, enjoying the sweet torture I inflicted. My hands traveled up her thighs, pausing just shy of her core. Her breath came in short, sharp bursts now, her body arching into my touch. Her hands reached forward, knotting into my hair—or at least, so she tried. I grabbed her hands, pinning them down momentarily. Yet another display of my control over her.
 
 “So responsive,” I murmured. “Shall I give you what you crave, Laurel? Or should I make you wait a little longer?”
 
 I saw her knuckles tighten around the bedsheet underneath my grip. I chuckled, the sound reverberating through her body. Slowly, I released her hands. Surely, she’d learn not to take what wasn’t hers yet by now.
 
 “Exquisite.” I breathed, my thumb tracing the delicate skin just above her pubic bone. I ghosted my fingers over her sex, feeling her slickness coat my skin. “But you can’t speak, can you? You can’t beg me to touch you. To taste you.”
 
 Her chest rose and fell rapidly now, her breasts heaving with each breath. I lowered my head, my tongue tracing the path my fingers had made. Her arousal coated my tongue, and I sighed with satisfaction, knowing I had reduced her to this.
 
 With gentle strokes, I caressed her sensitive bud, my fingers slipping and sliding through her wetness. I explored, finding that magic spot within her, and she bucked, her hips lifting offthe bed. I pushed her back down, holding her still with my hand on her abdomen.
 
 “Not yet,” I whispered, my breath stirring the curls between her legs. “You won’t come until I say so. And it’s entirely up to you how merciless I may feel.”
 
 My tongue flickered over her clitoris, swirling and dancing, but not quite giving her what she needed. Her body begged for release. I enjoyed her soft flesh with my cheek, inhaling her scent.
 
 “Your body is lush with need, but I want to hear your voice. I want you to beg me.”
 
 Her hands flew to her mouth, her fingers covering her lips as if to hold back any sound. I smirked, the motion tugging at my lips. I tickled her clitoris with the tip of my tongue, swirling and flicking, pressing and releasing. Her hips bucked, a silent demand for more, but I denied her.