18. Salem
EIGHTEEN
salem
I’m trembling as I watch Aries grab his jacket and tie and stalk toward the door. At the other end of the room, he stops and turns back slightly. “It could be fun, you know?”
“Get. The. Fuck. Out,” Lee grits out from behind me.
Aries shrugs and leaves, and some part of me is relieved. For a second, I thought Lee might … I don’t know … include him.
“Now, where were we?” Lee whispers against the curve of my neck.
Lee’s breath is hot on my skin as his hands slide down my sides, leaving goose bumps in their wake. I shiver, pressing back against his solid chest.
“I believe,” he murmurs, nipping at my earlobe, “you were about to wrap those pretty little hands around my cock.”
My breath catches in my throat. This is really happening. Lee Sterling —the man I’ve been pretending to date, the man I’ve been falling for despite my best efforts—is about to fuck me against the wall of a private room while a charity gala continues just outside.
How is this my life right now?
I should be panicking. I should be counting tiles or breaths or moments until I can escape. But all I can focus on is the heat of Lee’s body behind me and the ache building between my thighs.
Slowly, I turn in his arms to face him. His pupils are blown wide with desire, a thin ring of stormy gray barely visible around the edges. I’ve never seen him look so undone, so raw. It makes me feel powerful and terrified all at once.
My hands shake as I reach for his belt buckle. One, two, three tugs and it comes loose. I count each breath as I unbutton and unzip his slacks, pushing them down his hips along with his boxer briefs.
Lee’s cock springs free, hard and flushed and intimidating. I wrap my fingers around the thick shaft, marveling at the velvet-soft skin stretched over steel. He hisses through his teeth, his hips jerking forward.
“Fuck, Salem,” he groans. “Your hands feel so good.”
I stroke him slowly, exploring every ridge and vein. His breathing grows ragged as I run my thumb over the sensitive head, spreading the bead of pre-cum gathered there. My gloves will need to be washed after this. Yes, definitely need to be washed.
“Enough teasing,” Lee growls, spinning me back around to face the wall. He yanks my dress down to pool at my feet, leaving me in nothing but a flimsy thong and my silk gloves. “I need to be inside you. Now. But first, let’s make this a little more interesting.”
I furrow my brow and shake my head. “What do you mean?”
He snatches his belt off the floor and loops it around my wrists before I can even retreat. Another second and the strap is tight, and he threads his hand underneath where my wrists connect like he’s picking up a bucket. When he raises my arms high and loops the belt over an embedded light fixture, I shake my head. “Wait, Lee, I don’t know.”
“I’ve got you, baby. You trust me to take care of you, right? This is me pushing you a little further, that’s all.”
Some part of me isn’t sure, not like this, but the other part of me raging to feel him inside me takes over, and I simply close my eyes and surrender to the sensation.
His fingers find me through the thin lace, stroking and teasing until I’m squirming against him. “So wet for me already,” he murmurs approvingly. “Such a good girl.”
I whimper as he slides the thong to the side, his fingers exploring my slick folds. When he presses two fingers inside me, I cry out, my hips bucking back against his hand.
“So tight,” he groans. “You’re going to feel amazing wrapped around my cock.”
Lee works me open with his fingers, stretching and preparing me. The pleasure builds, coiling tighter and tighter in my belly. Just when I think I might shatter, he withdraws his hand.
“Please,” I whine, pressing my hips back against him.
“Shh, I’ve got you,” he soothes, positioning himself at my entrance. “Ready?”
I nod frantically, beyond words at this point. Lee grips my hip with one hand as he slowly pushes inside. The stretch burns, but in the most delicious way. I pant against the wall as he fills me completely, pausing to let me adjust.
“Fuck, you feel incredible,” Lee groans, his forehead resting against my shoulder. “So tight and hot and perfect.”
He starts to move with slow, deep thrusts that have me gasping.
Lee’s hips snap forward, driving into me with increasing urgency. The sound of skin slapping against skin and our mingled gasps and moans fill the room. His fingers dig into my hips, holding me steady as he pounds into me.
“Mine,” he growls against my neck, punctuating each thrust with the word. “Mine. Mine. Mine.”
The possessiveness in his voice sends shivers down my spine. I’ve never felt so utterly claimed, so completely owned. It should scare me, but instead, it makes me feel safe and cherished.
“Yours,” I whimper, pressing back to meet his thrusts. “All yours, Lee.”
He groans, his rhythm faltering for a moment before picking up speed. One hand slides around to rub tight circles on my clit, and I cry out at the added stimulation.
“That’s it, beautiful,” Lee murmurs. “Let me hear you. Let everyone at that fucking gala hear who you belong to.”
The coil of pleasure in my belly winds tighter and tighter. I’m so close, teetering on the edge of ecstasy.
Lee seems to sense it, his fingers working faster against my clit as his thrusts become more erratic. “Come for me, Salem,” he commands. “Let go, baby. I’ve got you.”
His words push me over the edge. I cry out as waves of pleasure crash over me, my inner walls clenching around Lee’s cock. He groans, burying his face in my neck as he follows me over, spilling himself deep inside me with a few final, powerful thrusts.
We stay like that for a long moment, panting and trembling against each other. Lee’s arms wrap around my waist, holding me close as we both come down from our high. I can feel his heart pounding against my back, matching the frantic rhythm of my own.
Eventually, Lee eases out of me, then he lifts the belt off the light, rotates me like a jewelry box ballerina, and hangs the belt again. “I’m not done with you yet.”
I gulp, unsure of what else he could be doing, the post-orgasm bliss receding. “What…”
When he drops to his knees, shoves my thighs apart, and dives in, I gasp and clamp my thighs around his face. “You can’t.”
With my arms suspended, I don’t have the leverage to keep my legs this way, so it’s all too easy for him to push them open again and lap at my clit. It’s too much and not enough at the same time. I want him inside me, and he surely has to be licking his own cum right now, as I can feel it dripping down my thigh.
Lee’s tongue circles my sensitive clit, sending shock waves of pleasure through my body. I struggle against the belt binding my wrists, torn between pushing him away and pulling him closer. The overstimulation is almost too much to bear, but the building pleasure is intoxicating.
“Lee,” I gasp, my hips jerking involuntarily. “It’s too much. I can’t?—”
He pulls back just enough to look up at me, his eyes dark with desire. “You can, and you will,” he growls. “I want to taste every drop of our combined pleasure. I want to make you come on my tongue.”
Before I can protest further, he dives back in, his tongue delving deep inside me before returning to my clit. One hand grips my thigh, holding me open for his assault, while the other slides up to pinch and roll my nipple.
The dual sensations have me writhing against the wall, my legs trembling as they struggle to support my weight. Lee’s earlier possessiveness seems to have only intensified. He devours me like a starving man at a feast, growling and moaning against my flesh.
Despite my earlier protests, I find myself racing toward another climax. The wet sounds of Lee’s mouth on me, combined with his appreciative groans, fill the room. I’m grateful the loud music from the gala masks our activities.
“That’s it, baby,” Lee murmurs against my sensitive flesh. “Give me another one. Let me feel you come on my tongue.”
His words send a shiver through me. I’m so close, teetering on the edge of bliss. When Lee sucks hard on my clit and slides two fingers inside me, curling them just right, I shatter.
My cry of ecstasy echoes off the walls as wave after wave of pleasure crashes over me. Lee doesn’t let up, lapping at me through my orgasm until I’m a trembling, oversensitive mess.
Finally, he pulls away, pressing a gentle kiss to my inner thigh before standing. His face glistens with the evidence of our passion, and the sight makes me flush with renewed desire.
Lee reaches up and unloops the belt from the light fixture, and gently lowers my arms. He massages my wrists gently as he unbuckles the makeshift restraint.
Lee’s hands are gentle as he massages the feeling back into my wrists, a stark contrast to his earlier intensity. I slump against him, my legs still shaky from two mind-blowing orgasms. But even in a haze, a thread of doubt creeps into my mind.
“You okay?” he murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.
I nod, not quite trusting my voice yet. Lee wraps his arms around me, holding me close as we both catch our breath. The reality of what we’ve just done starts to sink in, and I feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment. This isn’t me. Restraints? Public sex? None of this is me.
“Hey,” Lee says, tilting my chin up to meet his gaze. “No regrets, okay? This was real. You and me, it’s real now.”
“But what about?—”
He cuts me off with a gentle kiss. “We’ll figure it out. Together. For now, let’s get cleaned up and head back to the party before someone comes looking for us.”
Lee helps me into my dress, his fingers lingering on my skin as he zips me up. I watch as he dresses himself, admiring the play of muscles under his skin. When he’s done, he looks as put together as ever, save for the slightly mussed hair and the lingering flush on his cheeks.
“Ready?” Lee asks, offering me his hand.
I take a deep breath, smoothing down my dress one last time. “As I’ll ever be.”
We slip out of the private room and make our way back to the gala. The sounds of music and chatter grow louder as we approach. Just before we rejoin the crowd, Lee pulls me to a stop.
“Remember,” he says softly, his eyes intense. “You’re mine now. For real.”
I nod, a mix of excitement and trepidation swirling in my stomach. As we step back into the ballroom, I can’t help but wonder how this new dynamic will change things. Will people be able to tell what we’ve done? Will Aries say something?
Charlotte Henderson spots us almost immediately, her eyes narrowing as she takes in our slightly disheveled appearance. I tense, waiting for her to make a scene, but Lee simply tightens his grip on my hand and steers us toward the bar.
Another drink like we didn’t argue about that very thing. And when we finally leave, I am at war within my own head. Was the sex about Aries, or was it about us?
It felt great, of course, and I was into everything, but it felt angry, rough, and I know bruises will ring my wrists tomorrow. Is this what life with Lee will be like? Chasing the next thrill until none are left?