35. Epilogue
My teeth sank into the pillow, barely muffling my moans as Ash slammed into me again and again. Sunlight came through the slatted blinds, painting stripes across my back where I knelt face-down on the bed, ass up and completely at his mercy. His hands gripped my hips, making the bruises there ache. Those never seemed to fade.
“That’s it,” he growled, one hand sliding up to grip my throat. “Let me hear how much you love this. How much you need it.”
It’d been six months since Paris, and since I’d gotten the first permanent marks of his ownership. We’d practically gone straight to Cherry Bombs to have it done after leaving Spade Tower. The silver bars through my nipples throbbed slightly, and I was torn between the need to run my fingers over them and to touch my cock. After today, it’d be weeks before I could do that again, maybe two months. Two months without touching my dick was going to be hell on earth, but at least I knew I could come sometimes without having to touch myself. If Ash was patient enough to let me.
Not today, though. Today, I was on a mission to milk as many orgasms out of my dick as Ash was content to let me have. I was at two and counting since midnight. The thought made me clench around him, drawing a snarl out of him.
“Greedy thing,” he purred and bit into my shoulder. “So fucking desperate for my cock and my marks, aren’t you?” His hand tightened around my throat and I reached for my cock.
Before I could get a good grip, he shoved my face harder into the mattress and picked up his pace. The way he held me down, I couldn’t do anything but lie there and let him take what was his.
Maybe I was wrong, and this wasn’t hell. Maybe I was in heaven after all.
The familiar pressure was just starting to build in my balls when he slid out of my ass so fast I gasped. Strong hands pushed me onto my back, and I barely had time to adjust my legs before he drove back into me. His mouth closed around one of my pierced nipples, teeth scraping over the jewelry until I sobbed with pleasure and pain.
“Please, Daddy! I need to come so fucking bad!”
“I’ll tell you what you need, when you need it,” he snarled, hand wrapping around my throat again.
I yielded completely, surrendering to his bruising kiss, to the lightheaded feeling of not quite enough air, to the heady mix of pleasure and pain throbbing at multiple points in my body. This was what I needed, what I craved, what made me feel seen, desired, and complete.
“Mine,” he growled as his free hand wrapped around my cock. “Say it.”
“Yes! I’m yours!”
“Prove it.” His grip tightened everywhere all at once. “Come for me. Now .”
I was already skirting the knife’s edge. It only took a few pumps, and I was sobbing and coming a third time. Ash cursed and slammed home hard enough it sent pain reverberating up my spine before spilling inside me, claiming me again.
Afterward, we lay tangled together in his sheets, trembling and sweat soaked. Somehow, I’d wound up resting my head against his sweaty chest, listening to his heart beat. His fingers traced over my body, mapping the new bruises he’d left. I shivered as his fingers ghosted over the bars in my nipples.
My gaze wandered lazily around what had slowly become our bedroom over the past few months. My expensive skin care products cluttered his formerly spartan bathroom counter. Three pairs of my nicest heels sat neatly arranged by the closet door, right next to his sensible work shoes and the cane he still needed occasionally. My silk robe hung from the bedpost while a cup of my favorite tea had long ago cooled where it sat on the dresser. Little pieces of me lay scattered everywhere, each one a small way I’d marked my territory as surely as he’d marked me with bruises on my skin.
The antique jewelry box on his dresser caught my eye, and I held back a smile. He thought I didn’t know about the diamond ring hidden inside, tucked in the secret compartment behind his cufflinks. I’d found it two weeks ago while looking for a spare phone charger. It was a solitaire black diamond set in a fourteen carat gold band, absolutely perfect. Just like us.
“Having second thoughts?” he asked, voice gentle.
I shook my head. “Never. I told you I’d do it, and I’m going to do it.”
“Good, because after today, there’s no going back.”
I pulled his lips down to mine. “There never was with us. This was destiny from the start. You, me, and all it took to get here.”
He kissed me again, and for a moment, I thought I might have a fourth load in me, but Ash had other ideas.
“Come on,” he said, and pressed one more bite into my shoulder. “Let’s get cleaned up and dressed. Your appointment at Cherry Bombz is in two hours.”
My stomach fluttered with anticipation as I followed him to the shower on shaky legs. In just a few hours, I’d be wearing his claim in the most intimate way possible. The thought made my spent cock twitch with interest, though I knew it’d be a while before I could act on that particular urge again.
Worth it, though. So incredibly worth it.
Cherry Bombz smelled like incense and antiseptic, an oddly comforting combination that reminded me of the family funeral home. The walls were covered in flash art ranging from traditional Americana to some of Eli’s darker pop punk pieces. Display cases showed off an impressive array of body jewelry.
Eli lounged behind the counter, working on a sketch. When we entered, he looked up with a big grin. “There’s my favorite disaster queer.” He came around the counter to pull me into a friendly hug. “Ready to join the pierced dick club?”
I laughed, but my stomach fluttered with nerves. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Nervous?”
I shrugged. “A little.”
“Well, don’t be.” He slung an arm around my shoulders. “Best decision I ever made. Aside from leaving that cannibalistic cult, of course. Sir loves it, and the pain isn’t as bad as you’d expect. Actually, you’ve already done one of the most painful piercings. Nipples are the worst . And you’re in good hands with Ketchup as long as your daddy listens to the rules about healing times.”
Ash smiled. “I take good care of what belongs to me.”
“So I hear,” Eli said, grin widening. Then he put a hand to his mouth and called, “Yo, Ketchup. Your two o’clock is here!”
A heavily tattooed man with vivid red hair poked his head out of a small cubicle in the back. Ketchup might’ve looked intimidating, but he was about as scary as a teddy bear. “Hey, man! Good to see you again. Come on back.”
Ash’s grip tightened slightly on my hip as we went back to the little booth where Ketchup was waiting. My heart raced. Eli had told me it’d just be a quick pinch, but I couldn’t shake the nerves.
“Hey, Xander,” Ketchup greeted again. “How are those nipple piercings doing? All healed up?”
“They’re perfect,” I beamed. “Healed up just like you said.”
“Awesome.” Ketchup slid his stool over to a sink and washed his hands before sliding on a pair of nitrile gloves. “So, we’re doing a Prince Albert today, right? Same gauge we discussed?”
I nodded, watching him lay out all his tools.
“Sweet.” Ketchup said. “Cherry ordered in that black titanium ring you wanted. Really fucking nice piece. Nicer than half the stuff that comes in here. Expensive too.” He held up the ring. “This is the same material as your nipples, so you shouldn’t have any trouble tolerating it. If you do, same deal. Call me, day or night. We’ll get you fixed up.”
“Look at you getting all fancy,” Eli teased from where he was still leaning against the desk. “I just got basic surgical steel.”
“That’s because you’re a basic bitch,” I teased back.
He sighed. “Guilty.”
Ketchup launched into a detailed explanation of aftercare, healing times, and cleaning procedures. I tried to focus, but my attention kept drifting to the instruments laid out on the tray. My mind drifted back to that night in Paris with Roche laid out on a table, all the tools I’d used to cut into him…
“Any questions?” Ketchup suddenly asked.
I blinked, the transition from past to present still jarring. “Um.” I glanced up at Ash, who’d been listening to every word.
“Just one,” Ash said. “I know you said six to eight weeks before any sexual activity. How will we know?”
“Basically if there’s no pain or bleeding and everything passes a good visual inspection,” Ketchup said. “And if you have questions, just come by for a consult. Follow-ups are free. But trust me when I say you don’t want to rush it. Not unless you want Cherry to hunt you down. She gets scary when people don’t follow aftercare instructions.”
“Won’t be a problem,” Ash said. “I’m very good at following the rules when I want to.”
“Alrighty then,” Ketchup said. “You ready?”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “Ready.”
Ketchup gestured to the padded reclining chair. “Get comfy while I finish the prep. You can leave your shirt on if you want, but everything below the waist has to come off. Just drape this towel over your lap until we’re ready to start.” He handed me a clean white towel.
Eli ducked out to give us some privacy while I settled into the chair. My hands shook slightly as I slipped off my skirt and lace panties, handing them over to Ash. He took my clothes, folded them neatly, and set them aside before returning to stand by my head.
“Good to go?” Ketchup asked, reaching to adjust the light.
I nodded.
“Ash, you can stay there and hold his hand if you want. Or you can step out. Some partners get weirded out by watching. Last thing I want is to have to call an ambulance if you pass out.”
“I’m staying right here,” Ash said, taking my hand.
“All rightie. Hold still.”
It took a lot longer than I thought it would, but surprisingly, the most uncomfortable part was actually the little tube he had to insert to get the placement right. After that, it was exactly as Eli described. One good pinch and done. There was barely even any blood. I was almost disappointed considering how worked up I’d gotten over it.
“There we go,” Ketchup said with professional satisfaction. “Perfect placement. Want to see?”
I nodded, and he handed me a mirror. When I shifted to look, my breath caught. The black titanium curved perfectly, looking both delicate and somehow deadly. Like me. In fact, the piercing looked so at home there, I almost wondered how I’d ever lived up until that moment without it.
“Beautiful,” Ash said and stroked a hand through my hair.
As Ketchup went over the aftercare instructions one final time, I looked up at Ash. The look in his eyes as he stared at his newest mark of ownership was going to make the next six weeks of waiting feel worth it.
This was just the beginning of our forever.
It was late afternoon when we left Cherry Bombz and my panties were tucked into Ash’s pocket. I wouldn’t normally go commando in public, especially in a skirt, but my bits were still sensitive, and I didn’t want to ruin the lace panties. Every step made me acutely aware of the brand new jewelry. It felt like my weight had shifted somehow, like I’d been floating my whole life and now… Now I’d found the ground.
“You okay?” he asked softly as he helped me into the passenger seat of his SUV.
“Better than ever,” I breathed, and I meant it.
He smiled, one of those rare genuine smiles that transformed his whole face, a smile he only ever shared with me. His fingers traced down my jaw with infinite tenderness before he leaned in to kiss me. “Let’s go home.”
I blinked. He’d said home. Not his place. Not back to Liar’s Corner. He’d called his house a lot of things over the past few months, but never my home. “Ash…”
“Home,” he repeated firmly. “Where your expensive lotions clutter my bathroom and get in the way of me shaving every morning, and where I’m always tripping over those heels you like to wear. Where I get to wake up every morning for the rest of my life to find the person I love hogging all the covers.” His thumb traced over my bottom lip. “Where there’s a very special diamond ring waiting in that antique jewelry box on my dresser.”
I gave him a coy smile. “How did you know I knew?”
“Baby, you’ve been practically vibrating with excitement for two weeks. I knew something was up, but I didn’t know what until you confirmed it just now.”
“Dammit,” I muttered, leaning forward to grip his shirt with both hands. “I walked right into your trap, didn’t I?”
“Sure did.” He pressed another kiss to my lips before we parted, and he closed my door for me. “You know,” he said as he climbed in on the driver’s side, “patience isn’t exactly your strong suit, is it, Xander? That’s going to make the next six weeks a hell of a lot of fun.” He flashed me a devilish grin.
I shifted in my seat, throwing a pout his way. “You’re going to torture me, aren’t you?”
“Oh, yes. Absolutely.” The dark promise in his voice made heat pool in my belly. “Just because you’re not supposed to touch yourself for six weeks doesn’t mean I’m not going to take full advantage of that tight ass every chance I get. And then, when you’re all healed up… I think I’m going to take some time off. Stay in for a whole week and take you apart again and again and again.”
“Promises, promises,” I teased.
“And I always keep my promises.” He squeezed my thigh before starting the car. “Especially to you.”