Burn

He dropped the strap, impatient to be inside her. But he held himself back, forcing himself to take the care he needed to ensure she could take him with no pain.



He took his time applying the lubricant, stretching her opening, adding one finger and then two, applying the gel inside and out. Then he squirted more into his hand and rubbed it down the length of his erection.



A groan escaped him. His dick hated his hand. It wasn’t what it wanted. His cock wanted inside her.



He pushed forward, cupping her rosy buttocks in his palms before spreading them so her opening was bared to him. Then he circled his erection with one hand, palming the base, and guided it against her entrance.



She presented the most erotic image, kneeling, ass presented, her hands bound and secured at the small of her back. Utterly helpless to do anything but take whatever he gave her.



He tucked the head of his cock to the puckered opening and began to press forward, taking his time and exerting patience he hadn’t known he possessed.



She moaned as he began to push inward, stretching her tight ring around the thick width of his dick.



“Don’t fight it, baby. Push back and let me inside,” he soothed. “It’s going to feel so good when I’m inside you.”



He reached underneath her, circling her waist, his fingers splayed wide against her belly. Then he lowered his fingers, delving into the damp curls to find her clitoris. As soon as his finger brushed over the taut bud, she jerked in reaction and he took advantage of that burst of pleasure to thrust hard.



She gasped as her body opened, surrendering to his invasion. He closed his eyes and breathed harshly through his nose as he fought off his release. God, she was so tight around him, gripping him like a fist. And he was only halfway in.



He stroked once more over her clit, exerting just the right amount of pressure, and when she began to buck back toward him, he used his strength to push himself the rest of the way in. To the balls. She enveloped him, swallowing him whole. His thighs rested against her ass as he heaved for breath.



“I’m close,” she whispered desperately. “I can’t hold it off, Ash. Oh God.”



He moved his finger, just for a moment, waiting for her to catch up. He didn’t want her to come yet. It would make his possession too painful. She needed to be with him the whole way. The minute she orgasmed, the edgy build-up would be lost and he’d hurt her.



“Not until I do,” he commanded, withdrawing a bit so he could push back into her. “And I’m not ready yet, baby. You feel so damn good. Going to enjoy this sweet ass a little longer before I come inside you.”



She moaned again, her ass clenching hard around his cock.



He withdrew and thrust forward again, careful to keep his fingers from her clit. Then he touched her again, testing just how close she was to falling over.



The moment her body tightened, he took his finger away again, earning him a desperate sound of agitation and impatience. He smiled. So responsive. So fucking beautiful. And all his.



He was balls-deep inside her ass, no part of her body untouched by him. She wore his marks on that beautiful ass. And still she wanted more. Fucking perfect.



He began to thrust harder. Rhythmically. A drive to completion. As soon as he felt his balls draw up and the rush begin to hurdle over him, he began to stroke her clit again, wanting her with him. Wanting them both to fly over that edge together.



With his free hand, he curled his fingers around her bound wrists, gripping the rope, holding it and using it to pull her back hard against him to meet his thrusts. She let out a sharp cry, one that worried him for a moment because he feared he was hurting her. But she was thrusting back against him, desperate for more.



“Get there, Josie,” he rasped out. “Come for me, baby. I’m there. I’m coming. Fuck me.”



His fingers never left her clit, even as his own orgasm swarmed over him. The room blurred around him. He closed his eyes as he strained into her, as he yanked her back to meet his demanding thrusts.



The first spurt of his release was painful. Edgy. Overwhelming. Still, he continued to thrust, bathing her insides with his hot semen. Until it seeped from her opening and ran down the inside of her leg.



The visual spurred his orgasm to further heights. Seeing the evidence of his possession on her body was supremely satisfying. He’d never been so gratified before.



His name tore hoarsely from her mouth. Her entire body tightened. Her fingers balled into tight fists underneath his hand. Her body shook and trembled and then she slid down, her knees losing purchase on the bed. He went with her, his hand sliding from between her legs to brace himself on the bed so she didn’t bear his full weight. But he let her have some of it. The feel of her beneath him, of the way he blanketed her body, hit him hard. He loved it.



Nothing was more satisfying than her beneath him, him deeply embedded in her body.



When it became evident that his weight was likely too much and that she struggled to catch up in her breathing, he shifted, causing them both to moan as he began to retreat from her ass.



Gently he pulled the rest of the way out, holding himself up on his palms as he looked down at her reddened ass, the distended opening where he’d been just seconds before, and the traces of his semen on her skin.



“Fucking beautiful,” he murmured. “Never a more beautiful sight, baby.”



She sighed, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheek. Then he loosened the bonds at her wrists and leaned in to scoop her into his arms. She nestled against his chest as he carried her into the bathroom. He set her down on the commode only long enough to turn on the shower and wait for the water to heat. Then he pulled her into the shower with him and washed every inch of her skin with gentle hands.



“Too much?” he murmured as he stroked a hand over her cheek.



She looked up at him, her eyes still glazed with passion. And she smiled. A beautiful, gut-tightening smile that made him want to take her all over again.



“Never too much,” she whispered. “It was wonderful, Ash. I loved it.”



He leaned down to kiss her as the hot spray rained down on them both. “Glad to hear you were with me, sweetness. Because it’s definitely something I want to do again. Never going to have enough of you.”



She circled his neck, hugging him as she returned his kiss. He reached up behind her to turn off the water and then he ushered her out to wrap a towel around her so she wouldn’t get cold.



After she was dry, he wrapped his robe around her and tied the ends so she was completely covered.



“It’s early yet. You want to go out and get something to eat or would you prefer me to order in and us eat here?”



She paused a moment, her hands thrust into the pockets of the robe. The towel he’d wrapped her hair in was perched atop her head, and she’d never looked more beautiful than she did right here, wearing his robe, in his bathroom while they discussed their plans for the evening.



“I’d like to eat in. Here, with you, if that’s okay,” she said. “This is our first night together. I mean not exactly, but it’s the first day of you going to work and coming home. I’d like to spend it alone with you.”



He smiled, because he understood what she was saying. He had no desire to share her with the world yet. It suited him just fine to stay behind the doors of his apartment, prolonging the inevitable, when they both would go out together.



He wanted to introduce her to Jace and Bethany. Gabe and Mia. He wanted to share her with his friends. Hoped they’d become her friends as well. But for now, he was content to let it remain only the two of them for as long as they could hold off the outside world.



He leaned in to kiss her, brushing his lips long and sweet over hers. “That sounds perfect to me. I’ll order the food and you can show me what you worked on today.”



Chapter seventeen



Ash fingered the choker he’d had designed for Josie as he waited for Jace to make his appearance in Ash’s office. He’d known exactly what he wanted for Josie, but finding someone who could custom design it in a matter of days had been challenging. But he found, as with everything else, if you had enough money, nothing was impossible.



He’d chosen bronze because he loved the contrast of the golden metal against Josie’s fair skin and it matched well with the golden streaks in her hair. But the stones, he’d been adamant that they match her eyes. Aquamarines, rarely found on the market, were embedded in the metal, creating a dazzling jeweled choker that would look stunning against her skin and provide a perfect accompaniment to her gorgeous eyes.



He could have chosen blue topaz, but they weren’t as rare or as expensive, and he wanted only the best for Josie. Smaller diamonds crusted the edge, providing a glittering border around the choker, and in between the aquamarines were smaller emeralds, just to provide a richer array of color.



He’d wanted vibrant. Something that reflected her personality. Not just some dull, colorless piece of jewelry chosen without thought or care for the person receiving it.



The result, he had to admit, was stunning. He knew, without her seeing it first, that she would love it.



And the timing was perfect. Because he hadn’t felt as though he could take this step with Josie until after the situation with Michael had been addressed. Tonight he would be taken care of and then Ash’s focus would be solely on Josie. Michael would no longer be a threat.



The entire week Ash had been adamant that Josie remain in his apartment. He hadn’t wanted her going out, and the one time she had—a trip to the gallery to bring Mr. Downing more artwork and also to pick up her check for the last pieces—he’d sent his driver with her, and his driver had accompanied her inside. Ash hadn’t wanted to take any chances that Michael would by lying in wait for her or that he’d make a public scene, which Ash knew would appall Josie and embarrass her.



He hadn’t explained to Josie why he’d been so forceful in his expectations, or why he’d told her that the next week she would be granted more freedom to do as she liked. He could hardly tell her that he had to first take care of the asshole who’d put his hands on her. None of what he had planned would touch Josie. He’d make damn sure of that. And neither would Michael ever touch her again.



A sound at the door had him looking up to see Jace coming through. His friend’s expression was grim and worried, but then Ash had already told him why he needed to see him.



“I’ve got everything set for tonight,” Jace said quietly.



“Bethany’s out, right?” Ash asked. He’d been explicit. While Jace would be involved, at least in the capacity of providing an alibi for Ash, he hadn’t wanted Bethany to have any part in lying for him. Just as none of this would ever touch Josie, neither did he want it to touch Bethany. She’d had enough hardship in her life and Ash wasn’t about to pile on more.



Jace nodded. “I told her, just as you’ve told Josie, that we have an important meeting here at the office. I’ve set up the conference call with investors. You’ll be here at the start so they all get a good look at you. You’ll get up a few minutes in and excuse yourself to go to the bathroom. Mute the call for a period. But then it gets a little tricky, because you’ll have to continue to conduct the conference call while you’re on your way. If I angle the monitor just right, I can make me the primary focus and have your guy come in and sit in the background. Your coat, him there, but you on the actual call. Make sure they hear you periodically. I’ve arranged for the building’s security monitors to ‘go down’ right before the time you leave, so no cameras will catch you departing. I have an extra security badge you can use to buzz out, so according to the logs you’ll still be here with me and if necessary I’ll use your badge to leave when I go. I can only make the call go on for so long, so once you go silent to handle your situation, you need to make it quick and then pipe back in so it appears you were there for the entire call. It would be best if you come straight back here so we can both leave together once the cameras all go back online.”



Ash nodded. “Thanks, man. Means a lot. And just so you know, if shit goes down, you’re clean. I won’t let this fall back on you.”



“Just make sure shit doesn’t go down,” Jace said in a dry tone. “I still think you should have someone else handle this. You’re risking a fuck of a lot by doing this yourself.”



Ash’s lips tightened. “I want my point made, and the best way to do that is to deliver the message myself. I want this fucker scared shitless. I want him to know that I have him by the balls, and after I beat the shit out of him, I want him to know that I can easily ruin him if he ever steps out of line again.”



Jace’s smile was rueful. “Have to admit, you have a point. Also have to admit that if some fucker messed with Bethany, I’d beat the hell out of him myself and not rely on others to do the dirty work for me.”



“You understand me, then.”



Jace nodded. “Yeah, I get you. Don’t have to like it, but I get you. I’m worried, Ash. Don’t want this shit falling back on you. Not when you’ve found . . .”