hips as she came – again – my mouth still pressed against her, my tongue moving across her clit in light strokes that drew out her pleasure until she begged me for a reprieve. Giving her one last, long lick, I finally raised my head, unable to stop a smile that I knew was smug.
I propped myself up on my elbows and let myself have a minute to enjoy the visual of Nyx’s naked body. When she was aroused, her chest flushed and her light pink nipples became tight and hard. The way her breasts moved as her breathing began to slow was enticing enough alone. I’d marked those too. There was also a matching bruise-like mark on the inside of her thighs.
“Fuck.” Her voice sounded almost rough, probably because she’d been screaming my name not too long ago.
I really hoped none of the Huxleys had been outside.
I climbed off the bed and bent down to brush my lips over hers. I started to turn away, but she reached up and grabbed my wrist.
“It’s all right.” I took her hand and raised it to my mouth for a kiss. “I’ll be right back.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” I leaned over her again, but this kiss lingered. “I need a condom.” I took two steps toward my dresser and then looked back at her. “Unless you want us to be done…”
She shook her head. “I want more.”
Her eyes no longer had that haunted look, but there were still shadows.
Giving her a smile that I hoped would chase some of that darkness away, I winked at her. “Your wish is my command, firebird.”
“You do know that’s a car, right?”
I picked up a condom from the top drawer, and on a whim, grabbed a length of rope too. As I turned back to her, a question popped out. “Are you giving me attitude?”
Shit. I hoped that wasn’t something her bastard abuser had asked her. I hadn’t even thought before I’d said it. I’d just been in Dom mode. Then she shivered, heat flooding her eyes.
Fuck.
I hadn’t thought it was possible for me to get harder.
“I’m going to punish you for that.” I paused, waiting to hear her safe word.
“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