Chapter 16 #2
Even more interestingly, causing intentional pain was never something Kallias had been drawn to. He’d always sworn to himself that he’d never hurt anyone, especially since he knew what it was like to be hurt in that way. But if Lea wanted it… “What sort of pain?”
She shrugged, her gaze lowered. “You could try…pulling my hair.”
The idea sent a sharp pang of desire through him.
He definitely shouldn’t be this aroused at the thought of pulling Lea’s hair.
But it seemed harmless enough, so he slid a hand into her hair.
The glossy locks caressed his fingers, just like that night in his room when he’d taken her hair down for her.
Her braid had come loose, and inky strands spilled over her bare shoulders.
He tightened the grasp of his fingers, pulling just a bit.
She smirked. “You can do better than that.”
Her words goaded him into giving a sharp yank on her hair. She gasped in pain, and he released her immediately, taking an unsteady step back. He felt dizzy, head spinning as if he’d stood up too fast.
Oh, he’d liked that. He’d liked that very much.
“Did I ask you to stop?” She eyed him with faint amusement.
“I’ve never—never hurt anyone before,” he confessed. “Not like that.”
She leaned back on her hands, gazing up at him. “But you liked it.” Her gaze shifted down to linger on his cock. “You liked it very much, I think.” That smirk reappeared, smug and challenging.
She seemed to be daring him to do it again, so he slid his hand back into her hair and pulled once more—not quite so sharp this time, but strong enough to make her features tighten, her brow furrow. He twisted his fingers, and her breathing became shallower.
At this rate, she’d undo him with no touching at all.
He needed to know if she was as affected as he was. “Is this making you wet?”
Her eyes fell half-closed. “I think so.”
“Find out.”
She slid a hand between her legs, fingers brushing the thatch of dark curls at her center, then withdrew her hand. Wetness gleamed on her fingers. The sight made his cock give another agonized throb, but he resolutely ignored it.
He closed his fingers in her hair, feeling guilty about how much he enjoyed the sight of the pain flickering across her face, tensing her features.
“What would you do if you decided you didn’t want me to do this?
” He gave her hair another tug. This position made many tempting images flit through his mind…
Lea taking him into her mouth, using his grip on her hair to move her exactly as he liked…
but he tucked those ideas away for later.
“I’d ask you to stop,” she replied.
“And I would, but hypothetically, let’s say I didn’t. Could you make me?”
A sly smile appeared on her lips. “Yes.”
“Show me.” Her displays of strength intoxicated him; he’d replayed those moments when she’d thrown him to the ground at the palace more times than he could count.
She arched an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. Before he could take another breath, her hand flashed out, and pain exploded in his elbow.
He yelped and released his grip on her hair.
Then, her weight barreled into his lower legs, throwing him off balance.
He flailed backward and landed on the bed.
Lea’s weight on his thighs pinned him to the mattress, and a knife pricked the skin of his throat.
“Where the fuck did you get a knife?” he demanded, heart pounding.
“It was just on the table.” She held the weapon up. It was a short blade, the kind used for daily household tasks. She adjusted her grip on it and threw it at the opposite wall. It hit the exact middle of the wall, the blade quivering where it stuck into the plaster.
He’d never been so attracted to someone who could probably kill him twelve different ways.
Her lips curved in a smirk, as if sensing his thoughts. She probably wasn’t used to being around men with zero skill in combat, he realized.
“Does it bother you that I can’t physically overpower you?” he asked.
She settled her weight more firmly on his legs. “For what it’s worth, I think you could if you put your mind to it.”
He grinned. “Are you calling me lazy?”
“No.” Her grin widened. “I think you like it.”
The straining erection just in front of her was probably a significant hint how much he liked it. “I do like it,” he admitted. Especially now that he knew she liked to cede control in bed, he loved knowing she could flatten him any time she wanted, but instead might choose to kneel for him.
“But I suppose I could start going to the gymnasium,” he added.
“No,” she murmured. “I like you just as you are.”
The flare of warmth that rose within him at her words was possibly the only thing powerful enough to distract him from his painful arousal. The distraction lasted only a moment, however, as she leaned forward to wrap her hand around his cock.
He shuddered at her touch.
“Is this how you want me?” she whispered. “Lie back and let me do all the work?”
An extremely tempting prospect, but he’d save that for later exploration. “No,” he managed as her fingers played over him in a dizzying rhythm. “I want to taste you.”
Eagerness sparked in her gaze, and she climbed off him. They switched positions, Lea coming to lie on the bed with Kallias above her. He grasped her thighs, bringing them apart. Her center was swollen and pink, moisture shining at her entrance. He drew in a slow inhale, savoring her fragrance.
He released his grip on one thigh to trail his fingers over her. She twitched beneath him.
“You’re soaked, Lea. Why is that?”
She turned her face to the side, as she had earlier when she was embarrassed. “I-I don’t know.”
He chuckled. “I thought you were smarter than that, gladiator,” he said, repeating the jibe she’d thrown at him earlier.
“You said yourself I was very brave and very stupid,” she shot back.
He stroked her, his thumb finding the spot at the apex of her sex where he knew she must long to be touched. Her muscles tensed as he circled it, and her mouth fell open in a soundless gasp.
“Is it from kneeling for me?”
She nodded, eyes still closed.
He teased a finger at her entrance. “What about when I pulled your hair? Is it from that, too?”
“Yes,” she breathed, and the syllable turned into a moan as he eased his finger into her. Her slick warmth surrounded him, and he had to suppress a groan of his own.
Kallias couldn’t wait any longer. He lowered his head to swipe his tongue over her. Her taste exploded in his mouth, a sweet tang more heady than unmixed wine.
She jerked, her thighs closing around his head. He lapped at her entrance, then moved up to take her pearl into his mouth. She moaned, the sound high and desperate. Her strong hand gripped his hair, and though he wasn’t the one who liked pain, her urgency thrilled him.
His restraint splintered. His hand slid down, eager fingers closing over his erection. He hissed against her at that first quick stroke, but forced himself to maintain focus on her.
Her hips bucked, and he could feel the muscles of her thighs growing taut.
If he were in a different mood, this might be when he’d pull back, slow down, work to draw out her pleasure for as long as possible, render her desperate and begging.
But he didn’t have the discipline for that today.
All he wanted was to see her come, as fast and hard as possible.
He worked her with his mouth, his hand keeping up a slow rhythm on his cock.
She writhed beneath him, and he clasped his free hand over her hip to hold her in place.
He felt the moment her climax overtook her: she shuddered, and a gasping cry burst from her mouth.
Finally, he allowed his hand to tighten, his pace to increase, and in a matter of moments, he followed her over the edge.