Chapter Thirteen
People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
“Tilt your head back.”
Natalie did as Dexter said, supporting herself with her arms as warm, clear water flowed over her hair. Coconut permeated the air, surrounding them in the scent of sunshine as Dexter retrieved another pan of water from the sink.
She watched as he stood, turning his back toward her.
With his shirt off to keep it from getting wet, she watched the only part of his body she’d seen: his wide chest, thick muscular arms, and toned torso. She’d been nude ever since she arrived, and yet she’d never seen more of him. The disparity suddenly filled her thoughts.
She’d never seen any man naked. She’d seen pictures, but never of an erection. She’d felt his against her, through his jeans. Natalie knew how hard he could become when he rubbed himself over her, but through his clothes, she couldn’t gauge anything else.
It had been over two weeks since she’d asked him to let her come. By the time it happened, she’d done more than ask. Her body and words begged for relief.
At first, he’d used his mouth. She would say it was his tongue, but as the memories tightened her core, she knew it was more. With her positioned over his face, he described his view. If he’d meant to embarrass her, it hadn’t worked. Instead, his words turned her on, primed and ready for what would come next.
But she wasn’t ready.
What Dexter did with his mouth lifted her higher than anything she’d ever done to herself. Sucking and nipping, he’d worked her into a frenzy until she was no longer conscious of her actions. Holding the headboard, she writhed as her hips rocked and breasts heaved. The tension within her built until she was sure something within her would break. She’d never been wound so tightly. Just as she thought it would happen—that her orgasm was imminent—Dexter told her to stop, that they were done.
Stop? She could barely comprehend his command.
She didn’t want to stop. Her body begged to disobey. She’d willingly take his punishment, if she could just have more of what his mouth could provide. The scene came back.
With her knees on either side of his face, she stared down into his eyes. His lips glistened with her essence as her pussy sat inches from his chin.
“You heard me. Don’t make me repeat it.”
If he repeated himself, she would be punished. But she wasn’t thinking straight. “Please, Dexter. I-I’m so close.”
His shiny lips smiled. “I know. I think you can wait a little longer.”
Her entire body shook with need. “I can’t.”
His large hands splayed over her hips as he lifted her off him and onto the bed.
“Did I…?” She didn’t know how this worked. He’d been the one to direct her position. Maybe she was supposed to have done something else. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, bug.” He kissed her cheek, leaving her own scent on her skin. “You’re perfect.”
“Then what happened?”
“It’s time for your bath.”
Her bath? Now?
Submerged in the sweet scent of lilacs, he offered her the relief she’d wanted. The price was her speech. She needed to tell him how it felt to ride his mouth, how his tongue, lips, and teeth had felt on her core. And how it made her feel when it ended without resolution.
Natalie’s description was simplistic and honest. It felt good and when he stopped, she was heartbroken.
“And now, do you still want to come?”
“Yes,” she answered too quickly. She didn’t wait for him to tell her the price; she knew she’d pay whatever he wanted. “I’ll do anything.”
His grin widened. “Anything is a big promise.”
Her breasts heaved in the warm water. It was the first sweet-smelling bath she’d had in a month. The water was even warmer as the silky salts coated her skin. “Anything,” she repeated.
Dexter took her hand and helped her stand. In the clawfoot tub, she was nearly his height, but not quite. Doing as he led, she stepped to the floor and stood with her hands on the side of the tub with her back toward him. Water slid from her skin, pooling near her feet.
Even the cool air didn’t dampen the heat of his touch as his fingers roamed her body, tweaking her nipples and moving down to her need.
Natalie shifted as the pressure within her rekindled, stronger than before.
“Talk to me,” he commanded.
“Please, Dexter, touch me.”
His lips found her neck. “Don’t let go of the tub.”
She nodded. Words had become difficult to form. His kisses continued stoking the flames of the fire inside her. Through his jeans, his erection pressed against her behind. Over and over his lips roamed. No longer foreign, they left a trail of hot coals as she craved more of his touch.
When his nips became bites, she screamed out, “Please…”
“Who do you belong to, Nat?”
He’d said her name. It was almost too much.
“You,” she panted. “I’m all yours.”
“Who’s your king?”
“You, Dexter.”
“Who do you kneel for?”
“Only you.”
Her legs shook as his fingers found her folds. She gasped as one, and then two digits slid inside her. Just as she had with his mouth, she rode his hand, bouncing on the balls of her feet to the rhythm he established. He stoked the fire he’d started, fanning the flames hotter than before. It was as he found her clit that his deep voice confirmed her answer.
“Mine, you’re my Natalie.”
The world spun as she cried out. Fireworks detonated as relief exploded through her system. The pleasure was so intense that it teetered on pain. Her fingers blanched as she rode out the orgasm, her skin covered in perspiration as she came harder than she ever had. Her swollen clit ached as her insides spasmed. Her legs quivered and face fell forward. And then his hands were gone. The sound of his zipper brought her back to reality.
Her breath caught in her chest. Now that she’d come, the idea of him being inside her was terrifying. Yet she’d promised anything.
“Dexter?”
Her hands trembled on the edge of the tub.
“Don’t turn around.”
She closed her eyes. He’d given her what she wanted; now it was time to pay.
As she braced herself for his cock, the bathroom filled with Dexter’s moans. His breathing hastened. Yet he wasn’t inside her.
Natalie longed to turn around, to see what she only heard. Her mind filled with the erotic image of him pumping his erection. She was certain that was what she heard, and then a deep roar vibrated off the walls as warm liquid splashed over her ass and back. It continued as the warmth dripped down her legs.
Nearly two months ago, she’d tensed at his touch. Now his cum coated her skin and all she could do was imagine what it would be like to have seen his hard cock. And then the zipper signaled the end of his pleasure.
“Give me your hand.”
He hadn’t told her to turn around, so she didn’t. She lifted her right hand as he directed her back into the tub.
“One more time,” Dexter said, telling Natalie to lean her head back as he again poured warm water. The memories of that day made her nipples bead as she concentrated on the muscles in his arms, the way they flexed as he rinsed the conditioner from her hair.
Usually, she had her hair trimmed every six weeks. It was overdue, but Dexter liked the way it flowed over her shoulders. Sometimes he’d even braid it. The first time he’d done it, she found the attention intimate. Now when he did it, as with the placing of only one chair, the action frightened and shockingly excited her. It signaled the beginning of a particularly taxing Dexter-time, one that would leave her skin moist with perspiration and possibly bruised.
Today’s Dexter-time had been a braid day. After he’d secured the end, he directed her to the bed. Like a lamb off to slaughter, she willingly obeyed. Whatever he had planned wouldn’t be as bad as it could be if she fought. She’d learned that lesson early in their relationship.
It was funny that in her thoughts she described what they had that way—a relationship. That reasoning helped her cope with the reality.
Once her hands were bound above her head, he removed clamps from his pocket and showed them to her. Lying in the palm of his hand, the shiny silver contraptions looked innocent enough, but she knew the truth.
“Nipples or clit?” he asked.
Her pulse increased. She’d never had a clamp on her clit. What would that feel like? How badly would it hurt when he placed it, and worse, when he removed it?
Dexter’s head shook. “You had a choice.”
“Nipples,” she answered.
He kissed her nose. “You hesitated. You were overthinking. Tell me what you were thinking.” As he spoke he tweaked her nipples, twisting and teasing as they morphed to hard points.
“I was thinking…” It was hard to concentrate as he worked her body, kissing and sucking as her breasts grew heavy. “…about what you said…about the blood coming back.”
“How painful it can be?”
“Yes. I don’t want to use the clamps anywhere.”
“But I do, bug.” He hadn’t used her name since that one afternoon. “And it’s all about pleasing me. You know that I enjoy your pain as much as your pleasure.”
She tugged on her wrist restraints. It wasn’t like she thought she had a choice. “Oh…ouch….” She bit her lip to keep her words from spilling out. Tears filled her eyes as he tightened the clamp around one engorged nipple.
“That’s it.” He leaned down and kissed the tear away. “Your tears are nearly as sweet as your pussy.” He secured the second clamp.
Natalie had learned that if she ignored the pressure, concentrated on something else, the initial pain would subside…until he removed them. He spread her legs, tightening her insides. Maybe he’d let her come. She could concentrate on that.
“No!” Her hips bucked and screams echoed as the clamp tightened over her clit.
Dexter’s lips kissed her folds. “You hesitated. You lost your choice.”
And then his fingers were inside her, working her pussy, bringing more circulation to her clit. The closer the orgasm, the more painful the third clamp became.
How could something feel so good and hurt so much?
“Please, Dexter, don’t make me come.”
“But you like to come.”
Even in the tub, the memory brought moisture back to between her legs. And then Dexter ran his hands over her wet breasts, causing her to flinch.
“Are they still sore?” he asked, pinching the bruised nipple.
“Yes,” she whimpered.
“How’s your clit?”
“It still hurts too.” She couldn’t believe how easily it had become to talk to him, to answer his questions.
“Tell me your thoughts.”
“Before I was remembering today, I was thinking about the time you came behind me.”
His eyes widened. “You were?”
She nodded.
“Go on.”
“You’ve let me come so many times since then, yet you only did that one time. Can I…?” She suddenly felt unsure.
“Can you what?”
“Can I help you?”
She waited and watched. Though his eyes grew a deeper shade of ocean blue, Dexter didn’t answer. She’d almost forgotten her offer by the time he helped her from the tub, tenderly dried her body, and after directing her to the mattress, coated her skin with lotion. She became transfixed on the man above her. With each aromatic application, his muscled torso flexed, making the indentations of his abs more defined. His large hands—the ones that could cause both pain and pleasure—gently caressed her tender body. At times like this, witnessing his restrained power, Natalie understood what his words never uttered: it took more strength for him to control his actions than to wield a crop or cause her tears.
There was something in that realization: the knowledge that she could give him an outlet for both, taking his bite and allowing him to make it better with a kiss, caused her heart to swell. Maybe she was going crazy.
“How, bug?”
Dexter didn’t need to say more. She knew what he was asking. How was she willing to help him?
“I’ve never seen a man…I know we’re going to have sex. I think I’m ready, but first, can I touch it?”
“So only your hands?”
She shrugged. “And maybe my mouth.”
Dexter groaned. “It’s time for your dinner.”
“Maybe this once, we can eat later?”
He stood. “Off the bed, Nat. Kneel for your king.”