H is thumbs stroked over my inner wrists in a slow, almost mesmerizing pattern, and I decided I had to adjust my mental list of erogenous zones – the inner wrist had never once made it onto the list, but that would have to change now. Every time my pulse bumped against his thumb, it was like I felt the echo of it in my breasts, down lower in my core. A line connected those pulse points and the slow strokes against my wrists was drawing that line tighter and tighter .

"You shouldn't have any kind of bad memories tied to sex. I hate that all I did was hold you here..." He tightened his hand just the slightest, his eyes locked on my face. "And it sent you back ."

"No, it didn't!" But I protested too much. I could tell by the look in his eyes. "I mean...I'm fine right now ."

"You should be fine every time. When a man touches you, wouldn't you rather think of just him? Just pleasure ?"

"And how am I supposed to do that?" I challenged. "Erotic reconditioning ?"

He chuckled. "Does such a thing exist? I'll sign up." But then his face sobered. "Maybe you need new memories, something else to cling to that might blot out the ugly ones...something that can replace the dark ones ."

"What are you suggesting?" I asked warily, instinctively jerking my hands away from him and scooting back out of his reach .

"Do you trust me?" He bent forward over me, his bulk causing me to sway backward a little .

"I already told you yes ."

"Can I have your wrists ?"

Some wild, crazed part of me already knew what he was suggesting, and I was torn in two. A smaller, scared part wanted to shove him away. But the other part, the part that did trust him took control before I even made a conscious decision...and I found myself holding my hands out in front of me, tightening my belly muscles so that I stayed in position, half raised up as he bent over me .

"Thank you ."

All he did, though, was kiss my palms, one at a time, then lower them to the table beside me before guiding me back into a sitting position .

"We're going to...play," he said, pausing a bit before explaining. "If you decide you want to stop the game, you tell me. But you need to pick a word other than stop or no ."

Nervous now, I laughed a little. "What is this, some sort of D/s thing? Are we going to play Master May I ?"

"Do you want to?" he asked, sliding me a look from under his lashes. "We could start with something easy. Like, you could ask...master, may I take off my sweater... and work our way up to master, may I suck on your cock ?"

A punch of heat hit me so hard in the chest, for the next few seconds, it was almost hard to breathe .

"You like the sound of that, don't you ?"

"Ahhhh..." was about all I could manage as I tried to uncross my eyes. I was still untangling my tongue – and my mind – from the scalding hot image of me on my knees in front of him with my mouth open as he fed me his cock. I'd never done that, hadn't ever wanted to, until that very moment .

Jake's mouth closed over mine in a deep, almost bruising kiss that set my heart to racing. His hand rested on my throat, his thumb tucked into the hollow and his palm curved over the arch where I could feel my pulse slamming away. "You do," he growled against my lips. "I can see in your eyes, on your face...and you licked your lips like you were already tasting me there. Is that what you were doing ?"

"Yes."

The harsh groaning sound he made against my lips was so erotically charged, it had my nipples drawing into buds so tight, they hurt. Without thinking, I arched against him, shoving my breasts into his chest in an effort to ease the ache .

But Jake pulled away, his hands on my shoulders. "Before we go any further, you need to tell me your word ."

"My..." Shaking my head, I met his eyes. "I don't know...oh ."

"What's your word, Michelle ?"

Embarrassed now, and a little uncomfortable, I looked away from him. Fat, fluffy flakes of snow were falling from the sky and there was frost forming on the window of his apartment. Without thinking, I responded, "Frost ."

"Remember it," he said before shoving his hand into my hair and yanking, forcing my head back, my mouth up as his lips crushed into mine .

Remember it ...

Remember what ?

I could barely remember how to breathe when he was kissing me like this. The taunting, tormenting, deep kiss seemed to last forever as he tasted me, as he invited me to taste him, his tongue stroking over mine, exploring every corner and hollow of my mouth. Breathless, I moaned when he finally kissed a line to my neck, nuzzling that spot that seemed to light a fire in me. But his mouth barely grazed me, the sweater remaining a barrier while his hands toyed with the hem .

He seemed to like the way the rich, deep rose clung to my curves, and I really liked the way his hands kept wandering all over me, but I wanted it out of the way. Squirming a little closer, I waited for him to tug it off .

"If you want something, Michelle," he murmured into my ear, "you'll have to ask for it ."

I sucked in a breath and wondered if he had been serious about that Master may I thing .

"Are you expecting me to call you master?" I asked, not quite able to silence the nervous laugh that echoed in my voice

"No." His voice was rough. "I don't want to be your master. I want to be your lover. I want to show you things you've never dreamed of, and I want to take away the fear that haunts your eyes. But I want you to ask for what you want. And I want you to beg for things you never even imagined .

"So, if you want me to do something, you need to ask...and the longer you wait, the longer it's going to take me to give you what you want ."

The sensual threat in his voice was so enticing, I wondered if it was meant to be a punishment or a promise .

But this was new territory, and I didn't know how to handle it. Instead of testing him, I whispered, "Will you take off my sweater ?"

Finally, his hands grasped the hem but before he started to drag it upward, Jake asked, "Why do you want me to take it off ?"

"I want you to touch me," I said, with no hesitation at all. I didn't even have to think about that response .

Jake snuggled his nose against my neck. "Good girl ."

As he dragged it upward, a shiver raced through me. It wasn't just because of the chill in the room although it was cooler than I liked. I couldn't describe all the emotions crashing through me. I was used to the rush of adrenaline and the thrill of desire he could bring me. Or at least I was becoming accustomed to it. Still, there was a new, erotic uncertain edge burning inside me, which was the root of my unease .

I couldn't say I was afraid. It wasn't fear inside me. But I certainly wasn't calm either .

At least I hadn't thought I was .

But then, just before the sweater could clear my head, he paused, leaving it in the perfect position to temporarily blind me. A thin edge of fear settled inside, and I had to wonder if I would be able to do this after all .

Blood roared in my ears, but over that thunder, I heard his voice, speaking to me, the words crashing together, making little sense, but steadying me .

There were levels of fear, something I'd learned long ago. I used to love riding roller coasters back before my uncle had burned all traces of the adrenaline chaser out of me .

Maybe some of what I felt was a newer, darker yearning for excitement, craving something wicked and unknown .

Jake's hands went to my neck, freeing the simple gold chain I wore around my neck from my sweater, taking what felt like an inordinate amount of time on such a simple task .

Maybe he was. Maybe he did it on purpose to acclimate me to these heightened levels of sensation. I didn't know, and I didn't think to ask .

By the time he had the sweater free of my head, I was burning all over, a prickling hot flush sweeping over my entire body .

The moment the sweater fell free of his hands, Jake thrust his fingers into my hair and pulled my head toward him. I braced myself for his kiss, but it didn't come right away. He hovered just a breath away from my mouth .

"You are so beautiful," he said dragging each word out as he stared at me. Then he traced his tongue along the curve of my lower lip, but he took the kiss no further. Instead, he sank down, going to his knees in front of me .

From under his lashes, he slid me a look. "Close your eyes. Don't look until I say you can ."

I gave him a halting nod, not sure what to say. Lowering my lashes, I sank my teeth into my lip and waited .

The touch came lightly, a fingertip circling my right nipple, so lightly I could have imagined it. Then it brushed over my left one, and I shivered. A lighter brush...right between my thighs .

Each petting stroke drew me tighter, the nerves sizzling hot as I waited to see where he'd touch me next. Then it wasn't his fingers, but his mouth, his tongue circling over my right nipple .

I had no idea when he'd guided me down to my back on the table, but one moment I remembered being upright, then I was prone as he caught my panties in his hands and dragged them down. Those light, butterfly touches started all over again, but now it wasn't just my nipples or a light touch ghosting between my thighs .

His hands brushed my wrists, my thighs, my ankles .

One hand rested against my neck, one cupped me between the thighs .

When he finally slid two fingers inside me, I was so primed for orgasm, I could have come almost immediately – if he'd just let me .

"I want to tie you up ."

I jerked against him, eyes flying open .

He said nothing about the fact that I'd looked at him without him telling me. In fact, he seemed to have been expecting it, one hand braced on the table next to my head, the other still between my thighs .

I clenched the muscles there together instinctively, but all that did was drive his hand deeper, and I moaned. He gave a slow twist of his wrist and circled my clitoris with his thumb. "Will you let me "

Whimpering, I reached down and grabbed his wrist, rocking against his touch, trying to deepen the connection. He let me, but he gave me nothing else, watching with unyielding patience .

"Jake..."

"I won't hurt you," he said, speaking to the unspoken fears starting to rise inside. "If it's too much, you say your safe word. If you get too scared, you call it off. You're in control, Michelle. Let me show you ."

He kissed one eyelid, then the other, moving down to my lips as he spoke .

"Okay."

The word slipped out. I hadn't made any conscious decision one way or the other. I just... okay .

Thankfully, he didn't just jump right up and grab a pair of handcuffs or anything. Instead, he slanted his mouth over mine and kissed me. At the same time, he pumped and rotated his wrist, working me right back to the knife's edge of pleasure, and this time, he didn't stop until I went careening right over .

* * *

"W hy like this?" The words rasped out of me. Arms stretched high over my head and pinned to a hook on the wall. I couldn't move my upper body very well. But I was only secured because the ties he'd used on my wrists went over that hook...and he'd put the ends in my hand .

"If you need to be free, you just pull. You don't even need the safe word, but I'd rather you use it first ."

Still, I didn't know how I felt about being pinned to a wall as he stepped between my thighs .

"Because seeing you spread yourself out for me, knowing you don't have to be..." Jake's lids drooped low over his eyes, a smile kicking up one corner of his mouth. "You've got no idea how fucking hot you're making me, Michelle. I want you more than I want my next breath ."

I gulped in air as he went to his knees in front of me, catching one thigh and hooking it over his shoulder. Feeling utterly exposed and vulnerable, I shivered. That shiver got worse as he blew a puff of air on me. "Close your eyes again, baby," he murmured, not waiting for me to follow the order before he leaned in and licked me .

I did, but more on a wave of pleasure than out of any instinct to obey him. Groaning, I shuddered as he swirled his tongue over the bud of my clitoris, then caught it between his teeth, giving it a slow, sensual tug .

"You're going to come," Jake said against my pussy. "And when you do...right as you're on the edge, I'm going to..." He licked me again, then pushed two fingers inside me, thrusting them in deep and fast, without any warning .

I arched up in surprise, cried out as a wave of ecstasy washed over me .

"...sink my cock inside this hot..." He stopped fucking me with his fingers, gave my clitoris another teasing lick. "Sweet..." Thrust, twist. Lick. "Cunt ."

I whimpered, my entire body convulsing almost to the point of pain as he pulled me closer and closer to that promised edge .

Thrust. Twist. Lick .

"Say you want that, Michelle ."

Thrust.

"Say it ."

Twist.

"Michelle..."

Lick...

"I want it, Jake !"

He bit me. His teeth scored the sensitive flesh of my clitoris and I came, hard and fast and the intensity of it would have doubled me over if my hands hadn't been tied overhead. I completely forgot that I held the means to my own freedom, completely forgot I might even want to be free as the climax battered and twisted and worked through me .

And then it seemed to start all over again, without ever giving me a chance to come down, because Jake, as promised, shot to his feet and caught me behind my thighs, boosting me up and thrusting into me in one smooth motion .

"Fuck ," he snarled against my mouth. "You're like a fist...take me in, baby. Take me...that's it ..."

Pinned between him and the wall, impaled on the heavy pillar of his cock, I sagged against him and stared at him with dazed eyes. I had no strength in me and even if I had, I was bound. I felt helpless, but there was no fear, not with him .

His eyes met mine, and he slowed the relentless advance of his hips, lowering his head to rub his lips against mine. "Are we good?" he asked, his voice stunningly calm compared to the roughness of only seconds ago .

Unable to speak, I just nodded, gripping the ties that bound me even tighter. It dug them into my flesh more, but I didn't care. That slight bite of pain only served to clear my head a fraction, which let me focus...and feel .

His cock throbbed inside me, pulsating in a way that echoed the inner throbbing of my clit. Every time his cock jerked, the muscles inside me contracted around him, and he clenched his jaw tight, head falling back as he began to rock back and forth inside me, barely even moving. "If you don't quit doing that ..."

"I'm not doing anything," I whispered .

"You are," he said, lifting his head and meeting my eyes. His cock pulsed again .

I clenched around him unconsciously .

"That ." He rolled his hips in response. "Quit doing that ."

"I can't help it !"

"You better learn, or I'll spank you ."'

"I...you'll what ?"

It was not a wicked burn of curiosity that lit inside me at those words. It wasn't. It couldn't be. I wasn't a child anymore. I didn't get spanked . And yet ...

"You like that idea," Jake mused .

Before I could tell him otherwise, he shifted my weight, taking the bulk of it on one, solid forearm so he could palm my ass with his free hand. "You want me to spank this pretty ass until it goes pink for me, darlin'?" he whispered into my ear .

I tried to say no .

But the shiver of my body betrayed me, and heat quaked through me, destroying any chance I had at lying even to myself .

His cock throbbed .

I clenched around him, moaning .

"I told you if you did it again..." Jake warned, his voice different. Almost...hard. Almost .

Forcing my eyes to lock on his face, I stared at him just as a quick, sharp pain flared square on my left butt cheek. Sucking in a breath, I gaped at him .

He did it again .

My cunt seemed to be set on fire even as I said, "You spanked –"

He did it a third time and my skin, now primed and ready, burned .

"Next time I tell you to stop squeezing my dick like that, are you going to listen?" he asked, still using that strange, calm, commanding voice. And again . The bastard did that thing with his cock, so that it pulsed and moved inside me, even though he didn't, and I could feel the head rub me right there .

My pussy clenched around him before I could stop it .

Jake grunted. "I guess we'll have to do this the hard way ."

And he pulled out .

Dazed, all but dying inside, I tried to reach him, but my hands were still stretched overhead. I was somewhat confused by that, right up until he took them down and turned me to face the wall. "Bend over, baby. It's time to take your punishment ."

I had no idea what he meant, but I felt him nudging my thighs apart and that was just fine, as long as he came between them next. And he did – but the second he entered me, he brought the flat of his hand down on my ass again. Thrust. Slap, thrust, slap ...

The fiery burn in my ass spread until it joined with the pleasure in my cunt, and I couldn't tell one sensation from the other. When the climax started, I opened my mouth to cry out, and Jake jerked my head back with one fist, tangled so tightly in my hair, it should have been another pain, but it wasn't. It was sweet, sweet ecstasy, just like everything else, the bite of the ties on my wrists, the burn of heated skin coming from my behind, the pulse and drive of his cock pounding into me .

He swallowed down that scream, then another as I came .

But one orgasm wasn't enough, not for the King of the Multiple O .

He slid his free hand between us and pressed his thumb against the tight ring of my ass. I whimpered as he breeched me slightly, but he stopped, his thumb wandering lower before returning to press against me again. He'd gathered up the slick moisture from where we joined and was wet now. When he pressed against me, he entered more easily, and I gasped into his mouth at the sensation .

He ended the kiss with a groan as he began to come, muttering something against my lips. I don't know what it was .

I was too lost in all the feelings he'd managed to bring to the surface, all the senses he'd stirred...and in the second climax, I saw stars .