but he kept his distance, surveying her the way a man might study a slab of meat, but there was a sultry tinge to his gaze. He arched a finger in a circle, wordlessly demanding that she turn around so he could see all of her. She did. It made her head spin.
Ah, but that was nothing, nothing to when he touched her. His palm was rough against her skin, warm, calloused. He drew it down her spine and over the curve of her ass, only stalling a moment for a squeeze. He made a noise, something deep in his throat. Something feral.
He turned her again and skimmed over her breasts, pausing to take her tender nipples between his fingers in a tight pinch.
She hissed in a breath.
His gulp rocketed around the silent room.
She could tell he was struggling to contain himself. It was evident in the tremble of his touch.
“Kneel on the bench.” His voice, wreathed with intent and impatience, wobbled.
Sucking in a deep breath, she crossed to the bench—little more than a stool covered in velvet. He positioned her the way he wanted, with her belly over the seat and her ass high. The velvet was soft, but it abraded her hypersensitive nerves.
Hell, this whole scene abraded her nerves.
She was naked. Bare. Splayed before him. Utterly helpless.
Well, not utterly.
At least, not until he pulled her hands behind her and bound them with a length of Velcro.
“Try to get free,” he suggested. Surely it was a suggestion.
No matter how she twisted or turned her wrists, she could not loosen the ties.
He grunted with satisfaction.
She winced as his palm skated over her ass again. She knew what was coming, craved it. Ached for it. And yeah. Fuck yeah. His hand fell.
Once.
Twice.
Three times, four. Again and again in a crazed rhythm, pausing every now and again to heighten her tension. Relentlessly, he covered her, reddened her ass. Awoke her soul.
She loved it, but she couldn’t resist the urge to try to avoid the next smack, which pleased him, judging from his murmurs, his chuckle.
“I love to see you squirm,” he said.
Which made her squirm more.
With exquisite skill, he worked her, leaving no spot untouched, no nerve unfried. And through it all, she burned. She was breathless, weeping, dripping when he stopped. Still, she nearly wailed. More, something deep within howled. More.
He kicked her legs farther apart and she sucked in a breath. And then, when she felt the scrape of Velcro around her thighs, she whimpered. Yeah. He had. He had tied her legs apart.
“How are you doing, Roni,” he whispered into her hair. “Are you okay?”
“Y-y-y-yes.” A lie. She wasn’t okay. She was aching.
“Yes, Sir.” A snarl.
“Yes, Sir.” She swallowed the drool in her mouth. Tried to toss her head so she could see, but in this position, it was hopeless. He had her draped over the stool on her belly, with her hands behind her back and her legs tied apart; her breasts were exposed, untouched. Her nipples pebbled. They ached for attention. She wiggled a little. “Please.”
“Can you take more?” This he said as he drew a heinous finger along her slit, dabbing at her throbbing clit.
She sucked in a breath. “Yes. Yes. Please.”
The slap, straight to her core, shocked her. “Yes, Sir. Please, Sir. Come on, Roni. Don’t be difficult.”
“Yes, Sir.”
He rewarded her by sinking his fingers, three of them, deep into her. It was glorious. Delicious. Devine. She nearly came. But he would not allow that. “Ah, ah, ah. Not until I give you permission.”
Holy fuck.
Her body shook.
He wiped his wet fingers on her ass, which was nearly soothing, and then he turned his attention to her breasts. Plucking, pulling, teasing, he drove her higher. At the same time, he toyed with her clit, circling it, scraping it, tugging until she wanted to dissolve.
“Sterling…” she hissed as she felt her orgasm approach.
He stilled. “Did I give you permission to call me that?” A bark. “You call me Master or Sir when we’re like this. Understand?”
“Yes, Master. But…”
“But what?”
“I can’t… I can’t… I can’t take much more.”
In a heartbeat, he retreated. It was cold in his absence. His voice was incongruously warm. “Do you need to take a break?”
“No!”
“Then what can’t you take?”
“The teasing. Please…” She gulped and then added, because she knew she probably should, “Sir.”
His chuckle made her shudder. It was ominous and wicked.
She flinched as something soft touched her clit. She nearly howled when she realized it was his breath.