35. Willow
Royce was a beast in bed. In the shower. In his office on his desk. The kitchen counter. In the cockpit.
And now—the wheelhouse.
By the time we were finished, I was a boneless heap of molten pleasure, unable to move. He pulled out of me, tucking me to his side, and I let out a blissful sigh. As I rearranged my dress though, I couldn’t help but feel he was still holding back.
“Royce.”
“Yes, baby.”
“You know I’m not fragile, right?” His eyes locked with mine. “I trust you implicitly.” A terse nod. “Don’t hold back with me.”
Before I could formulate another word, he picked me up and carried me to our bed, and I didn’t wake up again until the moon was high in the sky.
“Aren’t you sleepy?” I murmured to Royce as I stretched out and blinked the sleep out of my eyes. I stifled a yawn and gazed over at him, scanning his tight brow and pursed lips, which were lit up by his laptop screen.
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Not yet. I’m ready for round two.”
I frowned. “You mean round five. Or is it six?”
There was a sweet soreness between my thighs, but it would seem my body didn’t care because arousal throbbed low in my belly. I shifted on the bed and met his eyes, tension shining in them. His mouth was set in a grim line, his jaw tense.
“What’s the matter?” I rasped breathlessly.
“Nothing.”
I took his hand and squeezed it gently. “Royce, please. I can handle it.”
“You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me, Mrs. Ashford.” His voice was quiet with no trace of humor. “Am I yours?”
“Yes. You’re everything, Royce.” I needed him to believe this. “We’ve lasted a decade as best friends. We’ll have decades as lovers and friends. It’s the best of both worlds. Now tell me what’s the matter.” Insecurity inched its way into my heart. Maybe he needed more than I could give him. More than I’d already given him.
“I told you.” He flashed me a grin, this one a little more convincing at least. “I’m ready to go again.”
I couldn’t explain why, but his words from the other day came back to me.
“Do you want to… gag me?” I asked hesitantly. When it came to sex, Royce was intense, and while he exceeded my wildest expectations every time, I sensed he needed more.
“I want to do that and so much more.” He paused, trying to gauge my reaction, and I smiled reassuringly. “Gag you, tie you up, whip you.”
His words burned up all the oxygen in the cabin and set my body ablaze.
Whip me?
“Oh,” was all I managed to squeal.
“Yeah, oh.”
I held his gaze as I reached for his hand. His expression didn’t shift, almost as if he braced himself for rejection.
“Show me,” I said, my pulse racing into overdrive.
He stared at me for a second, then led me out of bed and down the hallway, both of us naked as the day we were born.
“Wh-what are you doing?” I giggled, wondering why he was suddenly in a rush. If I’d known he would kick me out of bed in the middle of the night, I would’ve thought twice before asking.
We headed toward a section of the boat we rarely ventured to until we stopped in front of a heavy mahogany door. My heart was pounding as he pushed it open and then stood back, letting me walk through. Once I was inside, my gasp filled the space and my blood heated.
“Holy… shit,” I breathed, peering around the room, the scent of leather and polished timber perfuming the air.
“Scared?”
I shifted and locked eyes with Royce, who was now stiff at my side, as though he waited for my reaction. His pupils were now black, and his nostrils flared ever so slightly. I stood there, hypnotized by this change, adrenaline rushing through my veins.
“Willow, are you scared?” His voice was deceptively soft, each word slow and measured.
My mouth was dry, my heart thumping so hard I feared it’d leave my chest.
“Scared? No,” I finally managed to rasp. Unsure? Nervous? Well…
He leaned over me, and all the oxygen in the room was siphoned out. “Good, now let me show you the side of me you’ve never seen.”
He examined me for a few moments, his eyes never wavering, then reached for my chin, his touch searing.
“We need a safe word,” he said darkly, sending shivers down my spine. One thing was for certain—I was no longer sleepy.
“Pineapple.”
He chuckled.
“Only you, baby.” He lowered his head, brushing his lips against mine. “Pineapple it is, then. If it gets to be too much, use that word.”
He came to stand behind me, his heat seeping into me. He gathered my loose curls at the nape of my neck, then braided the strands so it fell down my back. Jealousy poked at me as I thought of how many women he’d done this for. The number had to be high considering how expertly his fingers moved before tying the end in a sturdy knot and then dragging his hands down my arms.
He angled my head to one side, dusting kisses on my back and shoulders. “Something displeases you.” It wasn’t a question—he knew me too well.
The muscles in my lower belly clenched, and I worried that my insecurities would put a stop to what I still desperately wanted.
“I don’t… no… yes.” He bit into the sensitive flesh at my nape, and I whimpered softly. “You’re very good at that.” I slipped a hand over the long braid. “You must have had a lot of practice…”
I held my breath, expecting defensiveness or at least disappointment. But once again, Royce surprised me. He placed a soft kiss beneath my ear and darted his tongue out, licking a hot stripe down the column of my neck, and somehow I could feel his grin on my skin.
“None of them matter but you,” he whispered, sending the butterflies in the pit of my stomach into overdrive. He tugged my hair, and I fell back against him. “Do you understand?”
“Y-yes,” I rasped as longing clawed at me. Damn, was it possible to orgasm from his demands alone? I felt arousal dripping down my legs and decided that yes—it just might be.
“Turn around,” he commanded. And when I did, I met his burning gaze. The scent of my arousal and his masculine scent lingered in the space between us while excitement drummed in my ears. “I’m going to bind you now.”
My thighs clenched at hearing the dark purr in his voice. Lust blazed through me, threatening to explode.
“Okay,” I agreed, and his eyes lit up with fire.
He took my elbow and moved me over a piece of equipment with leather shackles and cuffs.
“Raise your hands above your head.”
I followed his command without hesitation, my breaths coming out in soft pants. I was drenched, probably dripping onto the plush carpet underneath us at this point.
This felt exhilarating, liberating, letting Royce take over. I trusted him with my life, my body and… my heart. I stared at his defined stomach as he fastened the cuffs, his scent cocooning and intoxicating me. I wet my lips, wanting to lick every inch of his stomach.
He stepped back, his expression hooded and full of promise.
Slowly kneeling in front of me, his head at the same level as my pussy, he leaned forward, his eyes never leaving me, and inhaled deeply. My pussy clenched in response. Fuck. I hadn’t realized it, but my body was screaming for Royce’s domination.
He licked my core, then grinned wickedly as he straightened, reaching for a crop with leather ends. The moment the cold leather touched my heated skin, I quivered at the sensation. He slowly dragged it down from my breast to my navel, then up again in a V pattern to my other breast, leisurely circling it—taunting me.
Then, without warning, he flicked my right nipple with the crop. I cried out, my limbs pulling against the restraints. A combination of brand-new sensations coursed through my veins, but before I could dwell on it, the second flick connected with my sex.
My body jerked and my eyes filled with tears as sharp gratification spiked through me. The pulsing heat between my legs was intense, and I worried I’d black out from the pleasure.
“How does it feel?”
“It—incredible. Too much… not enough,” I panted, my fingers curling into fists.
He flicked again, hitting my other nipple, and my head fell back. My body sang at the sweet, stinging bites.
“I can taste your arousal,” he whispered, walking around me, the crop dragging over my burning skin.
He flicked it against my pussy again and a loud moan slipped through my lips. Another made contact with my ass.
“I didn’t say you could make noise.” Shit, how did I not know this could be so hot? The crop came down against the same spot on my ass again and I whimpered, biting my lip to stifle the noise. “Good girl.”
My eyes fluttered shut in bliss at his praise, making me question my sanity. But the moment I felt his lips on my skin, kissing, biting, and licking everywhere his crop had been, all my thoughts left me. I knew more pain would follow as he dragged his crop down my belly, but right now, his mouth was providing me with a type of electric buzzing, and the effect this had on me was embarrassingly pleasant. Embarrassing because of the sounds I was making, the way I begged him for more and fought against the restraints to bring myself closer to the crop.
When he hit my clit, I cried out as sensation washed over me. He dragged his fingers over my entrance, and I bucked against him, drenching him.
“Does my wife want more?” He brought his fingers to my mouth and pushed them inside. “Open your eyes and taste yourself, baby.” I did as I was told, completely under his spell, our gazes locking. “Suck like it’s my cock.”
He pushed his fingers deeper and I hollowed out my cheeks, tasting the saltiness of my arousal. Another moan vibrated in my throat and his eyes blazed.
He pulled his fingers from my mouth and a whimpery protest left me. He kissed me hard, his tongue invading my mouth. Snaking his arms around my waist, his fingers digging into my flesh, he pulled me against him.
His chest against mine, he devoured me like I was his last meal. I rutted against him, hungry for friction. I didn’t care how desperate I looked. He took mercy on me, his finger finding its way between my legs again. One, two, three circles around my slick clit, then a thrust inside my pussy and I fell part, coming around his fingers violently. I shuddered and mewled and moaned until I sagged against him, every limb turning to jelly.
I tried to catch my breath when suddenly my ankles were unbound and he hooked them around his hips, his hands clutching my thighs. He positioned himself at my entrance, and in one swift thrust, he was all the way inside me.
He groaned in my ear while I cried out. His muscles quivered against me and he thrust into me again. Deep and hard. He slammed into me again and again, his face in the crook of my neck, his harsh breathing fanning my heated skin.
His movements grew more frantic and the pleasure built up inside me as tension built at the base of my spine.
“Oh… Ohhh… God…”
“Not God.” Thrust. “I own your pleasure,” he gritted, pistoning inside me. “Come for me.” He pressed a kiss to my shoulder. “Now.”
I broke into a million pieces as earth-shattering bliss washed over me. It was agonizing, intense, and so consuming that I lost myself somewhere along the way, becoming one with him.
“Such a good girl,” he grunted, coming right after with a loud roar, stealing every single piece of me. He’s had them all along. The thought jolted me, and I held him tighter.
For a moment, he remained buried inside me, his heart fluttering against my chest and his breathing erratic. Then he pulled out of me and set me on my feet, his one arm still supporting my weight as he unbuckled the cuffs. The moment my hands were freed, he scooped me up and we sank onto the floor.
Cradled in his lap, I pressed my forehead against his chest and roamed a finger along his naked body.
“You’re perfect, baby,” he murmured, drawing a sigh out of me. “Did you… What did you think?”
My cheek resting against his chest, I lifted my head and looked up to meet his guarded expression.
“No words,” I said around a laugh, barely able to keep my eyes open. I’d just had the most intense sexual experience of my life, and he expected a review?
He smirked, and the sight soothed me. “Would you…?” He trailed off, his fingers trembling as he pushed strands of damp hair off my forehead. “Would you do it again?”
“I want to do it all with you,” I whispered, repeating my words from earlier. “As long as it’s only me you’re doing it with.”
He hugged me tightly, and I felt more than heard his relieved breath.
“Good.” His eyes softened as I gazed up at him. “Because I don’t know what I was thinking when I proposed celibacy.”
His unique scent engulfed me when he stood up, never letting me go, and headed for the bed. Pulling back the duvet, he laid me down and then climbed in beside me.
“I think I like our new room,” I murmured, fighting sleep.