Chapter 12 #4
“Such beautiful ivory skin. So easily marked.” He trailed his mouth higher and sucked again, pulling back with a pop to admire his work. “Already showing traces of my desire for you.”
He scooted lower, and captured her nipple in his mouth, teasing the tip with gentle nibbles and fast flicks of his tongue. But like before, his touch turned more intense the longer he played.
“Ah!”
“Yes,” he purred, “Let my brothers hear you, printessa.” He returned to sucking, hard and concentrated over the tender tips of her nipples. She shifted and squirmed, but that only edged him on.
“Please, Ash…” she begged, needing him to stop or do something.
He sat back on his thighs, pinning her at the hips under his weight. The swollen head of his cock peeked from his open jeans, pointing at her accusingly as pre-come glistened from the slit. Then he caught her nipples between his thumb and forefinger and she screamed.
He smiled like a sadist, waiting for it to sink in that screaming got her nowhere. When she quieted, panting and glaring up at him, he flashed his teeth with amusement.
“Now, you’re learning. Breathe through it. Breathe into the pain. Any second now, you’ll feel a wash of pleasure.”
As if conjured by his words, a flush bloomed from her chest, creeping through her blood as her eyelids lowered. Her breathing steadied as the pain subsided, replaced by a euphoric wash of pleasure.
“Now, take your hand and make me come. When I do, I’ll let you go.”
She awkwardly reached for him and stroked.
“Not like that.”
She stilled. “How?”
“Hold it tight. It should feel like I’m inside your pussy. Grip it so it feels like fucking. Hard and fast. Don’t stop until your fingers are dripping.”
It was hard to concentrate with him pinching her nipples, but she managed to do as he commanded. He was thick and long, and every few strokes she could feel him pulse under her touch.
“Good, printessa. Keep going. Get used to serving us, and we will spoil you rotten.” He flexed his hips, fucking himself into her hand.
“Every day, I want you drenched with desire. I want you to keep your word as much as I keep mine. You’ll learn to trust my promises, rely on them. Do you trust me yet?”
She risked disappointing him with honesty. “No.”
“No?” Shock widened in his eyes.
Had he expected to sway her so easily. She pushed him on purpose, hoping to burst the safety bubble that gave the impression he was somehow her protector. She needed to shatter the illusion to not just punish him, but punish herself for being so gullible when she knew better.
“Deep down, you’re no different than Stone or Hunter.”
Fury flashed in his eyes and he released her nipples. She screamed as blood rushed into the tips.
He fisted her hair, yanking her head back as he growled in her face, “Is that what you think?”
Tears pricked her eyes, but she didn’t cower. “Yes!”
He shoved her legs apart and penetrated her in one hard thrust. “If I’m as awful as Stone, why are you’re soaked?” He ground his pelvis against hers, and she shoved at his shoulders. “Nyet.” He forced her arms to her side. “I demand truth between us.”
Seething, she mocked, “Nyet.”
He chuckled. “You are a little brat, printsessa. So spoiled to think you can bite the hand that feeds you. Maybe leave a souvenir for you.” He rocked his hips. “And then, when you fall in love with that little souvenir, we’ll finally let you leave. But not with my child.”
It was the cruel side of him she suspected, but she took no joy in revealing it. “You’re a bastard.”
“Because you wanted me to be. I showed you kindness, and you poisoned my compassion with your own distrust.”
A tear seeped from the corner of her eye and he caught her jaw, forcing her to meet his stare.
“What is it about kindness that scares you? Do you like this cruel side of me? Does it take away the sense of blame?”
She was done playing games with him. She just wanted this to end. “No.”
“That’s right. Because the blame is in your head. Not once did I shame you for your actions, but that voice in your head never stops, does it?”
“No.”
“I know how to quiet it, but you won’t let me. Trust, printessa. That’s what it takes to silence our demons.”
She shut her eyes, hating how exposed he made her feel. How ashamed of the things she felt for these men, and the pleasure she took from their punishments. “I don’t know how to trust.”
“Because someone betrayed you.” He lifted her jaw. “Open your eyes. Who do you see?”
Her lips pressed tight, and his grip tightened in warning. “Ash.”
“That’s right. Ash. Not Stone. Not Hunter. Not anyone from your past. Don’t ever compare me to another man again. Do you understand me?”
She blinked rapidly as more tears started to flow. “Yes.”
He released her face and pulled out of her.
“An unnecessary remark when we were having a perfectly nice time together.” He repositioned her, with her arms at her side and her legs pressing together as they were.
“Now, let me keep my word.” He bent forward and softly suckled her nipple, soothing away the pain he’d caused.
This time, there was no urgency, no authority. They came together in passion, her urge to ease her confused mind and his need to sooth away any pain he’d caused. She reached for him without a command, and stroked him through long, drugging kisses.
“You taste like salty tears, printessa.”
His mouth trailed lower, scattering delicate kisses over her throat. He sucked and licked her breasts as she stroked him to completion. And when her fingers were dripping and her belly was wet with his release, he didn’t stop.
The hard muscles of his abdomen pressed into her sticky belly as he made a feast of her. Sucking. Licking. Marking her. Playfully nibbling and biting her.
It went on so long, he stirred something inside of her, soft and light, like a summer breeze whispering through trees. The delicate ripple of deep pleasure built into a gasp.
“Yes, printessa, give in to it.” It may have been a command, but he spoke so softly it sounded like a plea and she shattered. “Beautiful.”
Stunned that anyone could do that to her by only touching her breasts, she stared at him. He bent and kissed the sensitive tip of her breast, tasting the salt of her fevered skin as she arched beneath him. “This is the part where you rest in my arms, trusting me to hold you safe.”
The son of a bitch played her. She couldn’t even hate him for it, because in the end, he held her like she needed to be held, and his gentleness overshadowed the painful lesson.
She needed someone she could trust. It was the only way she would survive this place when some days she wasn’t even sure she could survive herself.
She leaned into him, showing him the trust she was still unable to verbalize.
Ash grinned, clearly pleased with himself, and pulled her tighter against him. He didn’t just tend to her body. He anchored her mind. Preventing the drop that could turn submission into shame, and pleasure into regret.
“I’ll never touch you in a way that leaves you hurting.” He pressed a hand to her heart. “A sore ass, perhaps, but I’ll never hurt you here.”
She nestled into his strength, relishing the promise, pretending for a twisted moment it might be one he’d keep. “Thank you.”
He sighed and kissed her head, rather than question if her gratitude meant she was learning to trust him. She was going to need time. Time to recover from past betrayals and time to see if he would truly keep his word.
Of the three men, Ash was the first to give her kindness. If it was truly genuine, she wanted to give him something in return. But he was tricky. He didn’t want her pain, or pleasure, or complete surrender like Stone. He wanted the intangible and sacred—her trust.
Where Stone abandoned her out of frustration, Ash held her through a storm. Without this bridge back to herself, Stone’s gift, her unburdening, felt like theft. But Ash put her back together again.
“You’re not like the others,” she whispered, regretting her earlier accusation.
He stilled then pressed another gentle kiss to her head. “Rest now,” he whispered, pulling her tighter into his side.
Safety.
Her eyes drifted closed, exhaustion pulling her under like a riptide. But this time, she didn’t overthink it. Didn’t fear it. Because she was cradled from the wreckage, safe in Ash’s arms.