Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Kris
Kris swore time stood still as they shared the caress.
Her eyes closed as he pulled her closer, and unthinkingly, she yielded.
Some distant part of her brain noted that she shouldn’t cede.
She definitely shouldn’t have promised to obey him.
She should have been looking for a way out of his clutches.
Permitting his tongue to make love to her mouth, though, that facet of sense was scarily easy to subdue.
His kiss was soft at first before morphing into something deeper and more punishing. Against her skin, his fingers burned as they grazed over her heated cheek, and all the while, his other hand remained at the small of her back.
Lost to the intimacy, she sensed herself giving in.
For the first time in her life, she felt held, yet succumbing to the sensual pleasure, she also felt seen.
Kronos had taken her liberty, but he’d also rescued her from men she knew would have harmed her, and when he’d accused her of breaking his rules, he’d acted with control, rather than anger.
It remained to be seen what the penalty for her latest faux pas would be, but deep down, she realized she harbored an odd level of trust in him.
It was strange to have faith in a man she hardly knew, especially one who’d abducted her, but even given that, he had a proven track record of being there to protect her and of giving her what she needed.
She hadn’t always appreciated the way he’d gone about things, but so far, Kronos hadn’t let her down.
Vaguely aware of a rush of cool air around them, she tightened her grip on his muscular shoulder. All there was in the world was that one scintillating moment between them; their connection, and the mutual intention to bestow pleasure on the other.
Curiously, in the rush of heat, that was enough.
Who knew what would happen next between them, when she’d be able to escape, or, more disturbingly, whether she’d ever be able to find another man who could make her feel that way again? Until she was free, there was only him, and, if she was lucky, exploring the way he made her feel.
When he finally drew away, and her lids fluttered open, she was disconcerted to find their surroundings had changed. Dazed by the kiss, she wondered if, at first, she’d imagined the alteration, but a glance around confirmed the dining room had been replaced by somewhere completely different.
She also noted briefly how she no longer queried his ability to teleport them from one space to the next.
Neither did the way she levitated in thin air in front of him.
Bizarre how only a few hours in his company had already rewired her scientific brain into thinking those extraordinary things seemed normal.
She tried not to dwell on what he could achieve given a much longer period of captivity, preferring instead to focus on the most immediate question.
“Where are we, Master?”
The walls of the new place were much darker; the first space he’d taken her to that didn’t replicate the same gleaming white as the room she’d woken up in.
The environment looked to be wood-paneled, the red tinge suggesting mahogany, and it was instantly much warmer than where they’d eaten.
The crackling sounds coming from behind his vast body spoke of a real fireplace, a fact that was confirmed when her feet touched the soft fibers of the rug below, and he shifted to his left to let her see.
The roaring blaze built in the center of the far wall was magnificent, but reconciling it to the cool, pristine areas he’d previously taken her to was more complex.
“This is my parlor.”
The hand at the small of her back steered her in his chosen direction, and feeling heady at his kiss and the sudden change of temperature, she relented, allowing him to guide her. He pointed to the enormous black seat in the shadows at the end of the room.
“It’s my personal space.”
Her gaze took in the dark red hues of the parlor, her brows knitting at just how stark it was in comparison to the bathroom, the dining room, and the place where she’d woken up. “It’s different, Master.”
“I do not usually allow mortals to come here.” He paused, and when she peered up at his face, it seemed as though he was contemplating why he’d permitted the change. “You are the first.”
Her eyes widened at the revelation.
She was the first? What did that mean?
“I need some time to think about how to deal with you.” Approaching the large armchair, he turned and eased his hulking frame onto it, leaving her standing naked in front of him. “And you need time to think about what happens when you defy me.”
Her heart sped up at that threat. In the frenzy of their passion, she’d almost forgotten his intention to penalize her again, although she remembered the foolish vows she’d made about obeying him.
How could she have sworn to comply with his demands when she had no idea what he’d insist upon? It didn’t matter how good it was being in his arms, or how much his kisses took her breath away. He was still her captor. She had to remember that.
“Kneel for me.” He clicked his fingers, pointing to the rug by his right knee.
She inched closer, unsure if she was afraid of what was to come or secretly hoping it would crescendo into more delicious gratification.
The last time he’d punished her had ultimately resulted in mind-blowing sex, and even though he hadn’t let her climax that time, she still recalled how fantastic the carnality was.
She’d never known eroticism could be so fulfilling.
The nausea that had once threatened at the thought of finishing her meal had entirely disbanded, muted by her amplifying arousal.
If she could only get through what she assumed would be another spanking, perhaps she could enjoy round three with the mysterious Kronos.
The erection growing between his thighs suggested her theory was sound.
Holding his gaze, she fell slowly to her knees, any embarrassment she felt at lowering herself for him scattering when her knees met the soft pile.
Whoever he was, he was gorgeous, and even though he had no right to do any of those things to her, she intended to make the most of whatever time they had together.
More than that, she acknowledged a peculiar authority in being the one who kneeled.
He might have been the one sitting comfortably, throwing around his orders, yet his growing cock confirmed the effect she had on him.
There was power in that realization. He was bigger and stronger, yet she had a strength of her own.
“Remember what you promised me?” His voice had taken on that deeper, more gravelly tone, and her back straightened at the sound. “That you would take the outcome of your actions with humility.”
She pulled in a shaky breath, accepting that, despite her better judgment, she had agreed to those terms.
“Yes, Master.”
Her focus flitted to his dick, the muscles at the apex of her thighs tightening. She wondered how many strikes he’d make her bear before he relented and allowed her to have that pleasure again. She prayed to a God she didn’t really believe in that it wouldn’t be too many.
“I agreed, and you said you’d help me,” she added, hoping the help would involve slamming that thick shaft back between her legs.
The more she thought about the idea, the more she wanted him.
Kronos had been a brute to spank her and demand she comply with his stupid rules, but none of that changed the attraction between them.
However much he tormented her, that invisible pull hadn’t lessened. In some ways, it had only intensified.
“I’m glad you concur.” He shifted in his seat. “Hands behind your back, please, little one.”
Her attention flitted to his face. Behind her back? Why was he asking that?
“Now,” he insisted, his voice dropping another octave.
She moved, complying, despite her reticence.
The new position was less comfortable, but she wasn’t ignorant to the way it presented her breasts to him.
Wordlessly, she wished he’d just reach out and touch her.
He’d implied that she was his in some ridiculous show of possessiveness, so why wasn’t he delivering on the threat?
“You have given your master much to think about.”
He had a lot to think about! That was laughable.
“Yes, Master.” She shifted on her knees, trying not to fidget.
Why was he making her wait?
Was it part of her agonizing penalty that he torture her with needless protraction? Unable to settle, she shifted her weight a second time. If kneeling before him was going to be the punishment, then she was thankful there was, at least, a rug.
“And while you accept the consequences, I want you to think about why you’re here.”
He’d told her he wasn’t upset with her, but his large hazel eyes conveyed his disappointment, nonetheless. She swallowed at the sight, puzzled at her response. She might have expected to be belligerent in the face of his displeasure, but oddly, a sense of regret engulfed her.
Why hadn’t she just finished the lentils? The food was great, after all, and although it was a bigger portion than she was used to, she probably could have managed. Refusing him had been so important at the time, but lowering her gaze to his expanse of chest, she couldn’t remember why.
“Why is that, Kristina?” His tone was goading. “Why are you here?”
“Because I didn’t eat my food, Master.” Her brow furrowed at the admission.
She’d never even contemplated the significance of finishing a meal before that moment, but the more she considered it, the more she realized that she rarely did.
Kris had become accustomed to skipping breakfasts and sometimes lunches, surviving only on dinners, which she often only ate half of.
Then, in the evenings, when hunger came calling, she’d grab something fast and easy, usually some type of junk food around the glasses of wine and gin and tonics she enjoyed with her friends.
It hadn’t occurred to her how bad that routine was for her health until then, let alone how wasteful it was to consistently leave food. Tina sometimes kept the leftovers from lunches, but Kristina scarcely ever returned for them, preferring to grab something on campus or skip the meal altogether.
Glancing up at his face, a genuine pang of remorse echoed in her chest. Based on the little money she had, she’d been stupid to choose take-outs when she could have prepared decent meals from scratch, let alone the detrimental effect skipping meals must have had on her digestion.
She was smart enough to have known that, so why had it taken the domineering giant in front of her to make her realize her error?
“And why else?” he prompted.
She snapped out of her wistful reverie, gripping her hands together behind her back. “I couldn’t remember one of your rules, Master.”
“Yes.” He leaned forward, one of his hands finally moving toward her right breast. She exhaled when his fingers grazed over her nipple, holding in the mewl that wanted to escape.
“Rule two.” His finger circled her pebbling bud. “Let me help you with that now.”
She watched as one digit worked with his thumb to tug and lengthen her nipple, biting her lip at the exquisite sensation.
This will be the last time I remind you, little one,” he counseled her. “The next time you forget, your punishment will be severe.”
“Y-yes, Master.”
Hypnotized by the feel of his fingers, she wasn’t even really listening to his warning. All there was in the universe was the way he took control and the whirring need strengthening between her legs.
“Look at me,” he purred as his digits moved to stroke her other nipple.
It took every ounce of her willpower to force her gaze back to his handsome face. It didn’t stop his fingers, though, the digits working to taunt her sensitive tissue as he continued.
“Rule two.” His lips moved, but she was struggling to focus on what he was saying. “We both have different roles in this relationship, little one. My role is to look after you.”
He pinched her left nipple, her lips parting as she expressed the sudden hurt, but no part of her protested.
She wanted the pain, just as, in some crazy way, she had longed for the brunt of his palm.
Let him spank her again. She’d got through the ordeal the last time, and maybe that time there was even an argument that she deserved the consequence.
Let him have his way. As long as she got to have Kronos’ cock afterward, she didn’t care.
“And your role,” he said, interrupting her unraveling thoughts, “is to what?”
He paused, waiting for her to answer, and in that second, a dozen responses flitted to mind.
Her role was to kneel, to be touched, and pinched, and kissed, and to suck his cock and ride him, and…
“Kristina?”
“To…” Oh God, she wanted all of those things. The heat flaming between her legs was making it damn near impossible to think of anything except putting out those flames. “To pleasure you, Master?”
He smirked at her reply, his dick bobbing appreciatively between them.
“Not quite. Your role is to serve me.” He slowed his words, as if the concept was difficult to grasp.
“Oh, yes.” She vaguely recalled some similar nonsense he’d told her before, but the passion swirling around her body meant she didn’t even query the dictate. “Yes, Master.”
“Those are the things I want you to think about.” His gaze burned into hers. “Do you understand?”
Her throat dried as she nodded, her breasts bereft when his hand finally retreated.
“Good.” He settled back on his chair. “Let’s get you into position. It’s time I put my feet up.”