Chapter Five
Brenna hurt all over, but she had never felt so alive, so unbelievably good. An erotic ache overrode the ghost pain, or perhaps it mingled with it until she couldn’t tell where one started and the other stopped. Her muscles coiled so tightly they quivered in spastic bursts. She needed release, but every time it crept close, Kostas would pull away, stopping before she could reach satisfaction.
“Brenna?”
“Hmmm?”
“I need your focus. You seem to have retreated into your head.”
“Yeah, well, I need something, too. Multiple things would be even better.”
His big hands kneaded her breasts, pinching the too sensitive nipples. “If you do not center your attention on the moment, I will call it a night and leave you unable to deal with the consequences.”
“You wouldn’t abandon me still tied up.”
“Do you know that for certain?”
Did she? Trust washed over her. Yes. “I could simply call Eve’s name.”
His hands left her. “Is that what you wish?”
“No!” Heat crept up her face as she protested too quickly. “I mean, I agreed to this. I’ll see it through.”
His quiet moan eased her embarrassment. He trailed something velvety up the inside of her thigh. “Does that mean you agree to the conclusion of our night, as well, or merely the first portion?”
Did she? Kostas had been so sweet. So considerate. How could she walk away and leave him unsatisfied? On the other hand, she had contacted the one-night stand site to get her life and confidence back, to overcome fear and pain, so she could move on. Drew hoped she’d return to him, but the idea made tears soak into the mask. She had no right to ask her best friend to sacrifice so much for her.
Her thoughts danced in a dizzying whirl until Kostas snapped something against the tender flesh on the inside of her thigh. The unexpected slap ripped a sharp cry from her, followed by another and another as he continued to smack her thighs, belly, and breasts. Wide, flat leather stung her exposed pussy.
The cuffs cut into her wrists when the last hit ripped through her. “Stop, please.”
The darting whip stilled immediately and returned to its sensual caress. “Are we done?”
Understanding rang in his voice, but so did a cocky arrogance. “Did I say the word?”
He chuckled. “I stand corrected. Perhaps you will enjoy this more.”
She heard the buzz before a vibrator nudged against her slit. Finally, something normal. She relaxed too soon. Kostas slipped the rotating, vibrating dildo inside her and pressed down against the plug lodged in her rectum. Raw desire pulsed outward and upward. Before she could adjust to the sensation, he tipped the toy up and worked until he bumped her G-spot. She cried out again. Embarrassed by her clear reaction to his every touch, she bit her lip, desperate for a shred of dignity.
The crop snapped against her nipple again as Kostas turned the vibrator. Two tiny fingers twisted and hummed over her clit as her ass came alive with opposing pulses. He continued to wield his strange magic, melding the pain into intense pleasure. “Kostas, please, I’m going to come.”
He began to pull away, but she bucked upward, and he thrust to meet her. “Let go, little sparrow. You are safe in my hands.”
Such a macho thing to say, as if a woman needed a man to keep her sane during an orgasm. She wanted to resist, to tell him off, but the tension had built too long. He rocked the toy deeper while he found her clit with his mouth and sucked. The tension twisted to an unbearable level. Fear, pain, desire, and joy burst through her skin as he nipped her and jerked the plug from her backdoor at the same time. Her body shuddered, arching high, convulsing as she rode out the most incredible orgasm of her life. Only the faint scent of his captivating aftershave and his quiet reassurance permeated the cloud of sensation. Without effort, he grounded her and kept her safe.
***
Kostas tossed everything from the bed, untied her legs, and moved up to tug Brenna gently into his arms. She snuggled against his chest as aftershocks continued to ripple through her. He fought the urge to plunge into her, to mark her as his own. Instead, he rubbed her back in long strokes. “Are you all right, sparrow? Did it work?”
“You mean did months of fear and pain disappear with one incredible orgasm?”
He grinned. “Too much to ask?”
“Probably, but I feel better. The ghost pain has subsided, and I can’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed.” She tried to move her arm, but the cuff held. “Are you going to take these off me?”
“Thinking about it.”
“But you’re hesitating. Why?”
“I am not ready for you to see my truth. There is a reason behind the mask.”
Pressing her lips to his chest, she offered him wordless comfort. “I’ve shown you my scars. Whatever it is that you’re hiding can’t be any worse.”
“What did you decide about part two?”
“Are you changing the subject?”
“For now.” He slid his hand down her side and caressed the slight curve of her ass. She had always been slender, but there was not enough meat on her bones to keep his sparrow alive. “You should eat more.”
“I usually do. I just haven’t been able to keep much down since the accident.”
“My mother would love to fatten you up. She would bake kourabiedes and baklava or eggplant moussaka.”
“Oh, Drew made grilled eggplant moussaka for me once. It was amazing.”
He stiffened. “Who is Drew?”
“My best friend. You actually remind me of him a bit, though he’s lost most of his accent from living in the States.”
“But he is only a friend, I assume, since he did not stop you from coming to me.”
“He tried. I didn’t listen.”
His hand tightened on her hip. “Why was that?”
“He deserves better than a cut-up freak.”
Kostas grunted and tweaked her nipple sharply. “Have you learned nothing today? You are a fantasy, Brenna, too perfect for any man.”
“You haven’t seen Drew. He would make Adonis self-conscious.”
Goose bumps rose on her skin as he nibbled his way from her shoulder to the tiny hollow behind her ear. “Then you are his physical equal. Is he an ass? Is that why you run from him?”
She laughed, and the light sound tugged at his aching cock. “I tell him that, but it’s not true.”
The innocence in her statement made him smile. “So, what is it then? Why would you relegate such a godlike man to the sidelines?”
“How is it your business?”
He covered her impertinent mouth with his, kissing her until she strained toward him. When he lifted his head, her lips were swollen and moist. He tasted her again, though it did little to appease the yearning firing below his belt. “I want to make love with you, Brenna, to truly feel your passion directed at me, but that would be impossible if you love another.
Her luscious mouth tipped downward. “I don’t want to discuss Drew. Tonight is about us. Two people with complementary needs and desires reaching for one another. Don’t make it more complicated than that, Kostas.”
Her refusal to see beyond the moment hurt. He needed her. Not for the night or a week or even a brief affair. He wanted forever. “If you tell me no, I will understand, but I will not settle for less than all of your attention if you give yourself to me, even for a single night. If another man has a hold on your heart, say so, and I will walk away.”
She pressed her lips to his chin in silent promise. “Drew’s my friend. That is all he can ever be. Now, take these cuffs off me so I can touch you. Allow me to fulfill your fantasy, Mr. Drakos.”