Elder continued to watch, but he didn’t leave his chair to come closer.
He wouldn’t.
Not until I told him to.
And for that, I would be forever grateful.
In a way, he was the one wearing the ropes and chains tonight.
Not me.
With no shoes, no dress, no bra, only three pieces of clothing remained.
My garter belt, stockings, and knickers.
My hands shook as I reached for the garters, unclipping them before slowly rolling the sheer silk down my legs, feeling as if I’d shed another piece of me, removed another fear, deleted another past moment.
My fingers went to my hips, hooking around the lace. The chair Elder sat on creaked as he shifted.
Embarrassment flooded me.
Not embarrassment at the thought of being naked—I’d embraced my nakedness long before lingerie could hide me. No, embarrassment for how much I needed him. How empty I was. How hungry. I’d never experienced such a visceral reaction before. And because of it, I worried Elder, no matter how handsome and perfect he might seem, might not fulfil the rapidly building itch.
What if he’d cursed me to feel this depth of desire only to leave me forever unsatisfied? What if sex was no different to rape? What if my body couldn’t tell them apart? What if that promise of pleasure never came true?
Stop…
Believe. Trust. Relax.
I swallowed back those fears before they could steal my remaining confidence. Sitting on the bed, I left my knickers on, making the decision for myself, not for him or anyone else. I held up my finger, bending it in a come-hither request.
Instantly, Elder shot to his feet. One hand clenched into a tight fist, the other still on his steely erection. “You sure?”
I licked my lips, fighting everything, embracing everything. “I’m sure.”
He stalked me.
Head down, eyes blazing, body braced. He crossed the space in a few leggy strides and then he was here. Only a foot away, both hands fisted, both legs locked, entire body on orders not to move.
Not close enough.
Swaying to my feet, I stood before him.
He groaned as my hands landed on his blazer buttons. His eyes shot closed as I undid them, pushed aside his jacket, and inserted my fingers into the warmth of his shirt covered chest.
I wanted to rub my face against him.
I wanted to smell him, pet him, revel in him.
But I didn’t know how far I could push when his face strained, and the sheer power of his self-control howled in the space.
Instead, I grabbed his black tie, looped it around my fingers and tugged him forward.
His eyes flared wide as he stumbled into me then followed me as I fell backward onto the bed. Never letting go of his tie, I shimmied higher up the mattress, pulling him with me.
He let me.
He obeyed me.
I’d never had a man submit before.
I grew drunk on it, powerful on it. I swallowed a star and glowed with it.
Crawling over me on all fours, his back bowed thanks to my tight grip on his tie, his large hands looking like savage paws as he chased me into the middle of the massive bed.
I lay down, relinquishing his tie.
I had no idea what came next.
He hovered over me, breathing heavy, lips full, eyes wild, temples tinged with sweat.
We didn’t move.
Nervousness siphoned through my blood. Being on my back with a man above me wasn’t new. It had always been utter hell. But now…just staring at Elder with no expectations or knowledge of what was to come, I was able to appreciate just how spectacular he truly was.
How he trembled to keep me safe from him.
How he rolled onto his back to give me space.
Lying side by side, his fists dug into the bed. He closed his eyes; his forehead etched with restraint.
“Fuck, this is harder than I thought.” Pressing a flat palm to his brow, he gave me a sideways glance. He didn’t speak again, and my ears strained for some instruction, some guidance on what two normal people would do when lying side by side in bed.
Neither in pain.
Neither in tears.
Mutual and wanted and safe.
With a rumble in his chest, Elder shifted from lying on his back to resting on his side, propping his head up with his hand. “I’m going to touch you. I can’t not touch you.” His other hand whispered over the sheets and connected with my waist.
I jerked away—not from fear but from the insane intensity his fingertips caused. How blood bloomed out like a rose on fire beneath my skin. How every womanly part of me tightened and coiled with pleasure.
His hand flattened on my belly, his teeth imprinted in his lower lip as he slowly caressed up and up until he cupped my breast.
My eyes snapped closed as memories tried to consume me. His heat, his weight—it all made me tremble until sweat misted my skin to match his. We’d barely touched, yet adrenaline and need burned through whatever control we had left.