Chapter Five
How could a woman not feel special when a man looked at her as if she were a fantasy come to life?
“Eat,” Thallium said, nodding at her plate. “You’ll need to keep up your strength.”
“Will I?” She trailed the tines of her fork across her lower lip and pouted. “What ever shall we be doing in this tiny cabin for two whole weeks that would require me to have my strength?”
With his mouth full of ham, he gave her a tight-lipped smile and a shrug as wickedness glinted in his gray eyes. Oh, he had an idea, all right.
“Tell me about this group you work for,” she said, desperate for more information about this intriguing man.
“I can’t. We don’t exist.”
“You can’t tell me anything? Not one tiny little detail?”
Cockiness slid into his grin. “We’re really good at hiding.”
“And?”
“That’s it.”
“No, really.”
Nothing. Not a word. Not a sound. Just a lift of his brow as he finished cleaning his plate.
She blew a raspberry in his direction and stood. “You’re terrible.”
Thallium stopped her as she reached for his plate. “I’ll get them.”
“You cooked. I’ll clean.”
“Athena, I’ll do it.” He jumped from his chair and blocked her way to the kitchen sink.
“I’ve got it, Thall.”
He latched onto the plate in her hand and pulled. “No. I’ve got it.”
“Why are you fighting me on this? I can clean a few dishes. I’m not an invalid or weak.”
“I don’t think you are w-weak. I’m here to provide for you.”
“Doing dishes is providing for me? You don’t have to take care of me.”
“I know—I’m not.” His eyes darted around the room as if the walls would give him the words to explain what was going on in his head. “I want, I need to…serve you.”
Serve you. The hairs on her neck stood on end at the way he phrased those words. “I don’t know if I understand.”
“I was, am, a good Marine. I follow orders. It makes me feel safe. I complete a task. I’ve done a good job. That’s my reward.”
“So, that’s what this is about? Your orders are to take care of me, so this is just part of your job?”
“No—yes, no. My orders are to protect you.” His eyelids lowered with desire. “To serve you, that’s on me. I want to serve you in any capacity you will have of me.”
“And by any capacity…”
“Any capacity,” he said in a husky timbre that left no doubt to his meaning. “I am yours, Athena.”
“Why?”
Excuse me, girlfriend. Why are you questioning this? Here is a hunky man wanting to fulfill your every desire. What is the problem?
What was the problem? The problem was he was a hunky man she had known for less than twenty-four hours. And by the way he spoke, it sounded as if his wish went beyond just sex. A whole lot more.
“Why do you want to serve me?”
“I told you. You are an amazing woman. Strong. Brave. Gorgeous. Sexy. Is it so hard to imagine I’d want you?”
“But why do you want to serve me? Because it sounds like what you want is for me to be in control.”
His breath caught and a light flared in his eyes before he schooled his expression.
Ahhh. Now it was all becoming clear.
“Is that what you want, Thallium? Are you submissive and you want me to be your Domme?”
As his breathing escalated and his gaze bounced around the room, she grew afraid he was going to hyperventilate. He swallowed hard and answered so softly, she almost didn’t hear it. “Yes.”
Fuck. Watching him admit his submissive side was hot.
“Have you had a Domme before?”
“Not a regular one. I’ve been to a few clubs. P-played a little. Then I died and couldn’t go out anymore.”
“I’ve never played. Nick and I would get kinky, but he was always the one in control. Our play was more for sport than a lifestyle choice. We did have some members who claimed to be Doms, but they were posers just looking for a reason to beat on their girls. Except for Slipknot. He was a true Dom. I’d watch him and his lady, see the love he had for her and the way she submitted. It was beautiful. The day they went straight, moved out of state and away from the club, I cried for joy.”
That slip of a memory put all of the pieces in place. Thallium had grown up in an environment beyond his control, then had gone right into the military, which took the option of control away from him. It was no wonder why he’d thrived in that regimented environment. Following orders, responsible only for your actions, the lack of stress that comes with having to lead. The leap to having that need fulfilled sexually was not that large to make. If done well, his submission would be a magical thing to witness.
But to be able to experience his submission for herself?
Did she dare?
She lifted her hand and placed her palm on the center of his chest. Beneath his sternum, his heart pounded as if he were running for his life. She suspected that was partially true.
“I can’t promise I’ll be perfect, but I’ll try.”
All of the breath he had been holding whooshed out and he swayed on his feet.
“What’s your name?” she asked. “Your real name.”
He blinked a few times. “Tim. Timothy LaStrange.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Tim. Now, take off your clothes,” she ordered, and sauntered over to the bed where she sat on the edge of the mattress.
Before she had a chance to settle in, Tim had tossed his shirt on top of the forgotten dishes and was tackling the fly of his pants.
The eagerness with which he followed her command made it difficult to maintain a stern, dominant expression, but she did her best to temper her grin and asked him, “Did you come last night? After you left me? Did you sit in that sexy car, in the dark, and imagine all of the ways you could fuck me in the backseat, and spill your load?”
His chuckle was strained. “I thought of ways to fuck you, but I didn’t come.”
“Why not?”
“You hadn’t given me permission.”
Holy shit. She bit back a moan. He was killing her.
He pulled his pants off.
No underwear.
Oh. My. God.
Obviously, the man was going to be built, but she didn’t realize just how perfectly sculpted his physique was. He was built like an arrowhead, with his wide shoulders tampering down to a narrow waist. Hell, even the striations of the muscles of his abdomen narrowed to the meaty cock that hung heavy from the juncture of his thighs. Scars puckered the skin across his ribs and legs, but all that did was add an air of danger to his sexuality.
It took everything she had within her to hold still and not tackle him like a bitch in heat and ride that pole into oblivion. What had she done to deserve such deliciousness?
Well, duh. She must have died. That’s what happened. The night before, those assassins had killed her and Thallium was actually an angel sent to take her to heaven. Why else would she be sitting in a cozy little cabin in the middle of nowhere with a sex god standing before her? The gods had paid her for her service to her fellow man.
“What’s wrong?” he asked softly. Although he stood tall, the fingers of his right hand feathered the jagged scar that ran across his thigh. “Do I not p-please you?”
The hesitancy in his question stopped her from sputtering with disbelief. Apparently he mistook her excellent impression of a wide-mouth bass for disappointment, because he looked at her with uncertainty through the veil of those ridiculously long lashes.
At first impression, it might seem as if he were fishing for a compliment, but after hearing about his background and seeing the scars that marred his body, she sensed the insecurity was well ingrained.
She stood and crossed to him until the tips of their toes touched. She reached up and laid her hand on his cheek and waited until his gaze met hers. “You please me. Very much.”
A breath shuddered past his lips, and his shoulders relaxed. Circling him, she took note of the scars that ran from his neck all the way down to his feet. There were dozens of them ranging from short nicks to long jagged lines that measured several inches in length. There was a particularly nasty collection in what look like a horrible burn that ran from his shoulder blades down to his spine.
“Can you tell me about these?” She asked and placed her hand on the center of his back. “Or is their origin a closely guarded secret?”
He burst out with a chuckle. “Actually, they kind of are.” He drew in a breath and then another. “My team and I were on a container ship that was hit by an IED. We escaped out of a hole in the side of the hull. Still don’t remember how exactly. Floated down the Moscow River a few miles and washed up on shore. I was one of the lucky ones.”
Right above the reddest, angriest scar on his back was a tattoo of a dual-headed bike engine with wings sprouting out of the top. She traced the outline of the tattoo with her finger. “And what about this?”
“That is a secret.” The note of finality in his voice told her he wasn’t joking and to not press for answers.
Circling back around to his front, she looked him in the eye again. “Never, for one moment, think that I do not find you completely irresistible.”
A small smile graced his lips and he nodded.
She returned to her seat on the bed. It was time to take things up a notch. Or twenty.
“Wrap your hand around your cock and start stroking. Go on,” she said.
His eyes widened at the sudden change of subject, but he wrapped his hand around his heavy erection.
“When was the last time you came?”
“Three days ago,” he replied.
“Were you with a girl?” Just the thought of him being with another woman made her want to punch something.
“No.”
Thank the Lord. “Then what were you doing?”
He clenched his jaw and his lips pulled back over his teeth as he picked up the pace of his strokes. “Looking at pictures of you.”
“Of me?” Ooo. What a delightful surprise.
“It was the day we were given your assignment. They had pictures of you.”
“Doing what?” Holy hell. Were there naked pictures of her running around somewhere?
“Walking. Talking with club members. Shopping. Riding on the back of a bike. They were just you being you.”
And that got him hot?
“Do you have a thing for older women, Timothy?”
“No. Strong women.”
Damn, the man knew exactly what to say to inspire her naughty side. “Show me. Show me how you touched yourself when you looked at my pictures.”
With a groan, his head fell back and the grip on his cock tightened as he stroked himself over and over with a slight twist of his wrist. He reached with his other hand to cup and fondle his balls. Fuck, she could come herself just by watching him play.
“Come closer,” she said. “I want to see that pretty cock up close.”
He stumbled closer and as he neared, she gripped the hem of her T-shirt and whipped it up and over her head. He gasped as he gazed at her nearly naked form. She was so wet, her panties had soaked through, making them transparent.
Precum pooled on the tip of the bulbous head of his cock and looked so tasty, she had to lean forward and stick out her tongue. The liquid collected into a big fat drop that fell onto her tongue.
“You taste so good,” she said after she swallowed it down.
“Oh, God,” he moaned and the veins in his forearm stood out as he stroked himself harder and harder.
She cupped her breasts and pushed them together. “Do you want to come, baby?”
“Yes. P-please.”
She closed your eyes and inhaled. God, she loved his stutter. “Come for me,” she ordered. “Come in your hand.”
At her words, a stream of cum shot out the tip and splashed across her breast. A cacophony of moans and groans erupted from his throat as he caught the rest of the stream in his palm.
“Sorry. Mistress. Sorry,” he moaned as he shuddered through his orgasm.
A Dom would’ve probably taken offense that their sub had disobeyed an order and gotten them messy in the process. But she was so enamored over the fact that she made him lose control so easily, she wanted to clap her hands and bounce on the mattress like a little kid who was presented with their favorite toy.
But uninhibited glee would not do. Thallium’s submission was not a game. He trusted her with a piece of himself, and he deserved her respect to see to his needs.
“You naughty, dirty boy,” she said and shook her head. “Did I tell you to hose me down?”
“No, mistress. I’m sorry.”
“Mistress. Hmm… I don’t know if I like that word. Reminds me of the whores my husband cheated on me with. What else would you call me?”
His eyes flashed. “My queen.”
“‘My queen.’ I like that. You will call me ‘Athena’ or ‘my queen.’ Now, as for this.” She gestured at the line of cum running down her chest. “Clean me up. With your tongue.”
Nicolai would have acted as if she had asked him to cut off his dick if she suggested he put his mouth anywhere near where he had just come, but not Thallium. He dropped to his knees and placed his open mouth right on her skin and licked up the trail of cum. His tongue drew little circles across her sternum to the curve of her breast, licking and sucking until he drew the tip of her wet nipple deep into his mouth.
“That’s enough.” She pulled back, even though she wanted his mouth on her for a lot longer. The idea was to punish him, not let him play with her nipples. “Let’s see how much stamina you have. I want you to make your cock hard again but this time, I want you to use that hand.” She pointed to the hand filled with his cum.
He didn’t even hesitate and wrapped his hand around the stiffening rod and cum seeped out between his fingers. Watching him as he kneeled before her with his knees spread wide, desire tightening his features as he stroked his cock, was one of the most depraved thing she’d ever witnessed.
And she loved it.
She loved every second. Felt light-headed with the power and naughtiness of the entire scene. An ache grew between her thighs that was so painful, she couldn’t keep still and shifted in her seat. If she rubbed her legs together any harder, she could start a fire in her lap.
“M-my queen,” he said with a sigh as he fought to keep his eyes open. “You are so beautiful when you look at me that way.”
“What way is that? Like I want to eat you alive?”
“Yes. And more.”
“I do. I want to do so many nasty things to you.” So many possibilities ran through her mind, she didn’t think there was enough time in the world to play them all out. But first, she needed a little—okay, a lot—of satisfaction before she broke down and screamed with sexual frustration. “When was the last time you slept with a woman?”
His eyebrows jumped in surprise. “About a year ago.”
“Who was she?”
“No one special.”
“Tell me. I’m not going to go after her and do her harm.” Maybe. “Who was she?”
“Girl at the bar. One-night stand. Can’t even remember her name.”
“Did she make you feel good?”
“Good enough. Not even a fraction of what I’m feeling now.”
“Are you trying to flatter me?”
“No, my queen. Just telling the truth. No one has made me feel like I d-do right now.”
If it was a line, it was a good one. But all along he’d been straight with her, so she saw no reason not to believe him now. “When was the last time you had a blood test?”
He gasped and his nostrils flared. “Six months ago. Returned from a mission in Africa.”
“Were you given a clean bill of health?”
“Yes.”
She couldn’t help herself and licked her lips. “I haven’t been with a man in over a year. And years ago, I made sure I could never have any more of that bastard’s babies.” She slipped off the edge of the bed and straddled his lap. Taking his hand, she licked the remnants of cum off his palm as she ground her pussy against his erection. The sensation of his hot skin against hers made her eyes roll with pleasure. “It would be a damn shame to cover such a magnificent piece of manhood with latex. Don’t you think?”
His breath hitched and his hips jerked beneath her. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Do I need to locate a condom?”
That feral look of his that she had come to love came over his face and his nostrils flared again. “No.”
She wasted no time and reached between them to position the crown of his cock against her opening then began the long slide down.
Oh, it had been a while since she had something so thick inside her. The stretch was a delicious burn as she worked her hips up and down, taking him in an inch at a time. Sweat collected along her upper lip and her lungs burned as if she were running a quarter-mile, but she was determined to take him in all the way.
Thallium gripped her around the hips, his fingers dug into her backside, but he let her set the pace, rising and falling as she saw fit.
Finally, their pelvises connected as she reached the base. For several moments, they stared into each other’s eyes and panted, her with strain and Thallium with restraint. The need for more burned in his eyes. Desperation for her to move and take them to the ultimate end.
But she didn’t move. At least visibly, but she worked the muscles of her pussy and squeezed him tight with a rolling motion until his eyelashes fluttered and he moaned, “P-please.”
“Not yet. I’m relishing how you feel inside me. How thick, and hard, and absolutely delicious.” She shifted her hips back and ground her clit to the root of his cock. “Ah. That’s so good.”
A whimper broke past his lips and she chuckled. She rose up on her knees, then dropped back down.
Okay. That was good too.
She rose up then dropped back down again.
Actually, it was fucking fantastic.
Damn, it was a toss-up as to what she liked best, sliding up and down, or grinding back and forth, so she did both and soon had Thallium biting back curses as she changed up positions.
“Open your mouth, baby,” she ordered, and popped her nipple into his parted lips, which he promptly sucked into his mouth with hard pulls.
How she wished she could dig her fingers into his thick blond hair, but the strands were so short, all she could do was clutch at his scalp and pull his head tighter to her breast.
Harder and faster she rode him, racing for the cliff. That sweet bliss of absolute mindlessness. This time was for her. She was taking what she wanted, and she wasn’t giving a shit about anyone else.
“Oh yes, yes, yes!” she shouted. “Tim!”
She wrapped her arms tight around his head and smothered him in her breasts as an explosion of sensation erupted from her clit, traveling up her body and out of the top of her head while she screamed with ultimate satisfaction.
The fall from glory was long and slow. Her muscles frolicked and twitched with sexual pleasure. Yet Thallium was still hard inside her pulsating pussy, his cock hard and throbbing as he waited for her next command.
“That was so good, baby.” She purred into his ear then leaned back to cup his face between her palms. “But you’ve made me hungry for more.”
With a swivel of her hips, she began to ride him again. Staring into his eyes, she saw his gaze drift to her shoulder again and again. Each time he grew harder and harder inside her.
“What do you see?” She touched her shoulder and felt the small indentations of his teeth from the night before. “Do you like that? Do you like seeing your mark on me?”
“Yes,” he panted.
“Do you want to mark me again? Inside? You want to mark me with your cum?”
“Yes, my queen. God, yes.”
“Do it. Come inside me.”
He tilted her hips and shifted his weight on his knees and drove deep and hard, striking her in places she had never before been touched.
“Oh my God,” she screamed and hugged his sweat-slickened shoulders as he pounded inside her over and over again.
She wasn’t going to survive. The pleasure was too much.
“Timothy,” she screamed, and his eyes rolled back into his head as he shouted with her.
His cock erupted and jerked inside her as she crashed against the shore, shattering into a thousand pieces in his arms.
Heaven help them if their enemies discovered them at that moment. She hadn’t the strength to lift an eyelash, let alone escape from the clutches of doom.
She didn’t even have the strength to collapse properly—she just flowed alongside him as he wilted to the floor on his side, cradling her against him. For long moments the only sound in the tiny cabin was the occasional crack and snap of the wood burning inside the stove and their harsh breathing.
Finally, Thallium shifted, rolling her onto her back before he sat up on his knees. Through sleepy eyes she watched as he gazed down upon her and swept his hands from her shoulders, over her breasts and down to the tops of her thighs. Gripping her around each thigh, he pulled his cock out of her, and she felt the rush of emptiness as it slipped away.
The look on his face, the rapture, the sheer possessiveness with which he looked at her unlocked a piece of her heart and she knew. She belonged to him. He may have asked her to take control, but now she knew she was the one enslaved. The one who was powerless to the urge to give him what he needed. To put that look on his face, to make him scream, pushing him beyond all realms of self-control.
For the next two weeks she would revel in what this little bit of paradise provided. Stock up on the memories and take them with her to wherever she ended up, for she knew no one would ever again match the passion Thallium alone could provide.