Page 216 of Ashes of Sin and Stardust

“I honor my Sir with my service.”

“I am not a problem.”

“I am not an inconvenience.”

“I am special.”

“I am beautiful.”

“I belong to Reuben Weston.”

He brought me intomy bedroom and climbed onto my bed with me. Reuben held me in his arms and rubbed a sweet, cooling lotion into my skin to soothe the burning from his affectionate abuse. His flogging had left some pretty welts on my skin, and I found myself tracing the lines with my fingertips.

He caught my wrist and held it up to his mouth, and I felt his teeth graze my skin. I felt a little floaty, like I was halfway to a trance.

Flashes of our scene came back to me. Did he really think all those things about me? That I was smart, brave, beautiful? That I wasn’t useless, and that I honored him? It was hard to believe anyone could feel those things about me.

I knew my friends tolerated me, but I was pretty sure Reuben was one of the only people in the world who legitimatelylikedme.

“I want you to do some writing tonight, like we discussed. See if you can remember what set you off. I’d also like you to write down some of those statements I made you say. Whichever ones you can remember. Okay, little bug?”

“Yes Sir.” I leaned against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and pulled a weighted blanket up around both of us. He had taken his shirt off after I’d covered it in tears and makeup. Tucked up in his arms against his bare chest was the best possible place I could be right now, and I was all warm and fuzzy.

I lifted a finger and traced the tattoo on his chest. The anchor and the whip, intertwining with each other to create the traditional BDSM triskelion. Knowing him and what he did, the name of his dungeon and the logo made more sense now.

“How are you feeling?”

“Safe.”

“You are safe. You will always be safe with me.”

“I know.”

He stroked my hair and nibbled on my shoulder.

“Hey, Reuben?” I looked up at him again. “How come you don’t kiss me that much? Do you not like it?”

It was something I’d noticed in hindsight, but not really something I thought about often in the heat of the moment. I was usually so focused on what he was doing, not what he wasn’t. It wasn’t until later when I thought back on it, thinking back on the details of our scenes, that it would hit me that he didn’t really kiss me that often.

As an answer to my question, he turned me around in his arms so I was straddling him. I loved sitting on his lap like that, his large strong legs between mine. Sometimes I could feel his cock pressing against my leg or my pussy.

One hand snaked around my waist, and he pressed against the small of my back so I was flush against him. With his other hand, he gathered up my hair and gripped it hard in his fist.

“Have I ever kissed you in a way that makes you think I didn’t enjoy it?” His face was close enough that I could feel the heat of his breath against my cheeks. His eyes filled with desire as he stared down at me.

“Um, no, actually, which is why I ask.”

“Hm...” I swallowed as his eyes roamed my face. Licking his lips and tilting his head slightly, he leaned closer to me. I froze in anticipation, letting my eyes fall closed.

His lips nearly brushed against mine as he spoke in his low, growling voice. “I love your mouth. Icraveyour mouth in ways I cannot begin to express. Your lips, your tongue, the taste of you... I dream of your taste, and the filthy, depraved things I will do to your mouth.”

Holy shit I was close to an orgasm just because of the way he was talking to me. He was barely touching me, but I felt my nipples tingling as if he were rubbing them. My stomach dropped and I gasped at the feeling of his lips just barely touching mine, a whisper of a feeling, as he spoke to me in that soothing, enchanting tone. I tried to lean into him, but he had a good grip on my hair.

“I am very, very careful about when I kiss you, monster. Because I intend to condition you. One day, every time I kiss you... youwillcome for me.”

“You... you can do that?” I gasped, my eyes flying open.

A slow, evil smile spread over his face. “Oh, little bug. I can do so much more than that. Now... are you sure you want me to kiss you?”

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