Page 35 of Immersed
“No more talking,” the stranger murmured, voice hypnotic. “Just feeling now. Just us.”
The fingers at Levi’s throat remained in place as the stranger’s other hand drifted downward, reaching the waistband of his jeans. The metallic clink of his belt buckle seemed obscenely loud in the quiet room, each sound another nail in the coffin of his dignity.
“You came to me this time. You chose me. Sought me out. Found my sanctuary.” His fingers slipped beneath the leather, tugging it free from the loops with agonizing slowness. “That means something, Levi. That means everything.”
Levi tried to shake his head, to deny the twisted interpretation, but the pressure on his throat increased, warning him to remain still.
“I d-didn’t—”
“Shhh,” the stranger soothed, releasing Levi’s throat only to pop open the button of his jeans. The zipper rasped downward, tooth by metal tooth.
With a rough tug, he pulled Levi’s pants down his hips, exposing his thighs to the cool air of the abandoned office. His pupils dilated at the newly revealed skin, nearly swallowing the mismatched irises.
“Look how beautiful you are,” he whispered, trailing his fingers along Levi’s inner thigh. “Absolutely perfect.”
Levi squeezed his eyes shut, unable to bear the hungry gaze. A sharp slap against his cheek forced them open again.
“No,” he commanded, voice suddenly harsh. “You’ll watch. You’ll see what I do to you.”
The touch alternated between bruising grips that would leave fingerprint-shaped marks and delicate caresses that raised goosebumps across Levi’s skin. The unpredictable pattern created a disorienting confusion between pain and unwanted sensation, making it impossible for Levi’s body to prepare for either.
The weight across Levi’s thighs shifted as the stranger repositioned himself, settling more heavily, more intimately. His hands moved to Levi’s shoulders, pinning him against the floor.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered, his breath hot against Levi’s ear. “I’ll be gentle.”
Fingers hooked into the waistband of Levi’s boxers, tugging downward with excruciating slowness. “Make a sound for me,” he urged, voice rough with desire. “I want to hear you say my name.”
Levi bit down hard on his lower lip, drawing blood in his determination to deny him what he wanted. The metallic taste filled his mouth as the fabric slid lower, exposing him completely to the cool air and the stranger’s hungry gaze.
One hand slid beneath Levi’s lower back, lifting him slightly while the other continued its exploration. The stranger’s hips ground downward in a deliberate rhythm that made Levi’s body respond despite his mind’s desperate rejection.
“Your cock is responding to me. You can fight it all you want, but why? Give in. Let me have you.” His fingers dug into Levi’s flesh hard enough to bruise, claiming ownership through pain and control. Each mark seemed to delight him, evidence of his possession written across Levi’s skin.
“I’ll make it good for you,” he promised, his breathing becoming irregular. Something shifted in his expression again—the predatory confidence flickering, revealing something almost vulnerable beneath. “Better than dying. Better than anything you’ve ever felt.
The stranger’s hand moved to cradle Levi’s face. His face held a desperate need that hadn’t been there before—a vulnerability that seemed jarringly out of place on his features.
“Will you say my name?” he asked, voice uncertain, almost pleading. “Say ‘Asher.’ Please.”
The request caught Levi off guard. Something about the plea cracked through Asher’s façade of control, revealing a glimpse of something almost human beneath the monster.
“A-Asher,” Levi whispered, the name bitter on his tongue.
A shudder ran through Asher’s entire body at the sound of his name on Levi’s lips. His eyes closed briefly, like he was savoring the moment.
“Again,” he breathed, leaning closer.
“A-Asher,” Levi repeated, and this time he felt something else in the name—not just bitterness, but power. Information. A weapon.
Through the terror and unwanted arousal, through the pain and humiliation, Levi found a core of cold, calculating focus.
He needs this. Needs my response, my participation. That’s his weakness.
I have one chance. One choice left.He couldn’t escape. Couldn’t overpower Asher. Couldn’t endure what was about to happen. But he could choose how this ended.
With a surge of desperate strength, Levi yanked his impaled hand upward. The knife tore through flesh and muscle as he ripped his palm free from the floorboards, sending hot sprays of blood across both their faces. Asher recoiled, his features contorting with confusion.
“What are you—?”
