Chapter 29 ARES
Her smile shone like the crescent moon shining through the skylight.
He wanted to wipe her tears away but stopped himself.
This experience was hers to feel, to absorb.
His job here was to hold space for her, to stand guard while she reconciled with her vulnerability.
Her body swayed in the ropes as they cradled her.
She exhaled, a long soft wail, her eyelids closed.
He wanted tonight to be magical. He wanted to repay her for the warmth she had given him. For the yes, she had given him when she finally said yes to going out with him. He wanted to show her how much she meant to him.
Leading her through this house, he studied her every expression, committed to memory and instead of twirling her around in the kitchen, like he had envisioned, she quickly swept into the next room.
Maybe it was too fast.
Or maybe, he should have come out and said, “Do you want to live with me?”
He felt the backup key in his pocket.
It was only a symbol, considering how outfitted this house was with biometrics but symbols were important.
Silently he thanked his ex.
It had been a tough, disastrous time in his life. But if she hadn't been so into rope and if he hadn’t wanted to please her, he would never have learned how to tie. He would have never fallen in love with the art of it.
Or realized his need to be needed. And as much as his brother needed him to keep him safe, to help him create a life from the rubble of their childhood, Xander’s need wasn't as strong as his need to be needed.
The tie between him and his brother would never be severed and he'd lay down his body if that's what it took to keep what they built standing but realizing his deep need to be needed, made him feel free from remnants of his past that he was holding on to.
What came before didn't matter.
Because his future is this beautiful woman who is in his ropes.
He laughed, not able to contain his joy.
Josie let out a content sound, something between a sigh and a purr. He stood beside her, caressing her legs. He cupped her ass in his hands.
"More?" He croaked out the word.
"Oh yes. But I'm done for now."
Her eyes were glassy, her expression serene.
He steadied her as he worked to lower her, guiding her back down to the floor as he untied the ropes and gave them slack.
She slumped against him.
He kept one hand on her, working the ropes free from her body until he needed both of his hands.
"Hold on to me if you need to.”
She held on to his waist as he undid his passes, loosened the knots. He worked as fast as he could, until finally the rope pooled around her feet.
She stumbled into him and he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.
He set her against the pillows, leaning her against the upholstered headboard.
"I'll be right back.”
From the bathroom he grabbed a jar of cream and then from the rope room's mini fridge he took out a bottle of water.
Rushing back to her he handed her the bottle.
"Drink."
She took it.
Because she trusted him.
He wasn't the kind of Dom that wanted to be a full time dominant. The demands of his day-to-day responsibilities demanded that he be in control, but he needed someone to give him their trust.
He liked being in control when it came to play.
Every time Josie followed his gentle command, he realized how much he needed to be a giver.
She set the water down on the floating ledge.
"I loved it. Flying through the air knowing those ropes were going to have me, knowing you weren't going to let anything bad happen to me...I loved every moment.”
And I love you.
But he didn't say the words.
He brushed his hand along her spine
"How does your skin feel?'
“Sensitive, like it remembers the feel of rope. Look at these marks.”
She fingers the marks left from the rope along her hips and on top of her breast.
"Let me massage this cream on to you. Lay on your back.”
She sighed, stretching out like a contented cat. He opened the jar, took some cream in his hand and started at her ankles; he massaged her.
Her calves were so tight. But she sighed under his touch and he kept working up her body to her hips, then down to her ass.
"That feels so good. It smells nice.”
"It's arnica and aloe,” Ares concentrated on her back, sweeping up to her shoulders, down along her arms.
Then he gently nudged her to turn over.
He massaged her breasts, brushing his thumbs across her nipples.
She gave the neediest little sigh.
Stretching beside her, lifting her chin to him, he kissed her. A long, slow, sweet kiss.
“Ares tonight…you gave me so much. Thank you,” she wrapped her arms around him, her head to his chest.
“You deserve everything I can give you and more,” Ares slanted his lips over hers, this kiss hungrier, more possessive. He shifted, so he was on top of her, staring into her dark eyes, still shiny from the scene. Her hands slid down his hips, she pulled at his zipper.
Ares chuckled. “What do you want now, pretty girl?”
“You.” She palmed his hardening cock.
He pushed down his slacks, got them off, tossing them behind him.
She trailed her hands over his pecks, making him shiver, then she leaned down and kissed his nipples, skimming her lips down his chest, to his cock.
Ares hissed as she cupped his sac, squeezing each testicle gently. He shifted back, loving how her breasts swayed as she sealed her mouth over his cock's head.
“What are you doing to me, baby?”
The first stroke of her tongue along his underside sent electricity through his entire body. His hips jerked off the bed. He cupped the back of her nape as she sucked him, taking all of his cock into her hot forge of a mouth.
He twirled her hair around his fingers, hissing through his teeth.
“Damn. You’re going to make me come in that hot pretty mouth of yours but I want to come in your pretty pussy. Come here.”
She lifted her head from his cock and licked her lips.
Ares shifted, propping himself up on his forearms, staring into her eyes. Watching her chest rise and fall, he traced the rope marks. “You looked so beautiful, so serene flying in my ropes.”
“That’s how you made me feel,” she jerked her hips under him, cupping the back of his neck, bringing his head down to her and their kiss fizzled with desire, so strong, adrenaline mixed with desire racing through his veins.
“I want to fill you with my cum. I want to break in this bed by making you scream my name.”
“What are you waiting for?” She pushed his head down.
Ares laughed, kissing her nipples, dropping down to her stomach, slipping his hands under her hips.
Her legs opened for him, inviting him in. her pussy glistened with wetness. She let out those breathy gasps as he lined up at her entrance and slid into her, her pussy hot and wet, her walls stretching to accommodate him. He closed his eyes at the intense pleasure.
“Your pussy around my cock feels like coming home,” He tilted her hips for a better, deeper angle. He thrust in then pulled out, kissing her mouth hungrily.
“Ares!” Her sigh of protest made him smile. He thrust in again, deeper, bringing her against his chest.
“Damn. You feel so good I can stay here forever.”
Josie pressed down on his shoulders; her lips skimmed against him. His body felt like a tripwire, tense and ready to explode.
“Hold on to me, baby. Let’s see if we can scream loud enough to break down these walls.”
“Can these walls break?” she giggled, moved her hips and he cried out as his cock slid even deeper into wetness.
“We’re going to find out.”
And he couldn’t talk, enveloped by her scent, her chest against his, he thrust hard, her heat so delicious as his cock slid right to the very hilt.
He slammed into her so hard, her body bounced against his, her cries echoing off the walls.
Nothing had ever felt so good as that moment with her.
“Ares, Ares, Ares.”
The chant of his name set him into overdrive, the only thing that mattered was how her hot pussy felt around his cock, how with every thrust he slid back home in her heat.
“We’re perfect, you and I.”
“Yes! Oh…”
He thrust again, pounding into her with all his strength, keeping her pressed against him, thrusting hard and deep.
She shifted, her legs clamping around his waist.
And then he lost breath for speaking because he thrust gain, pounding into her with all his strength, thrusting hard and burying himself in her.
Each thrust brought her deeper, her pussy gripping his cock.
"I can't...oh so much!”
"Give it to me, sweet girl."
She gripped his biceps, and gasped.
His balls drew up even tighter, scorching him with need, he couldn't last.
"Oh I'm coming now!" Her pussy clamped on his cock, spasming over him and her cry of pleasure that tipped him over.
He growled against her neck, slamming into her, even deeper, felt her pussy flutter.
He came so hard, he saw black dots in his vision as he shuddered.
Slowly he lowered her to the bed, the world still spinning. He stayed in her softness, until her lips met his and he kissed her with all the passion and hungry want he had.
It didn’t matter how many times they fucked; he’d always crave her.
“Think the walls are still standing?”
“I think we might have cracked a new dimension.”
Josie giggled.
He dislodged, then wrapped his arms around her.
“Best Christmas ever.”
“Agreed,” she sighed against him and he watched as her eyelids fluttered closed. He pulled the sheet over him and dozed with her.
Until his alarm clock broke the silence.
“I guess Christmas is over," Josie muttered.
His phone rang, with an incoming call from the leader of his team. “I have to check in with my work. You stay and sleep,” he kissed her brow, and got up.
“I’ll do that. I love you.”
He paused at the bathroom door, his heart in his throat.
Did he hear her right?
“Josie I—” the word stuck in his throat.
She laid on her side, her eyes closed, clearly back asleep.
Maybe she didn't mean it, he tried to convince himself of that as he showered, and got dressed, wanting to believe it so much he didn’t want it to be untrue.
The early morning light, casting artful shadows on the wall, barely registered as he made his way to the kitchen.
“What is it, Mack?” he said into the phone.
“I need you on video, boss.”
“Fine.”
Ares grabbed his laptop from his office, set it on the counter and brought up the feed.
Mack’s shaved head filled the frame. “Look you got to talk to her, that's her one request for agreeing to stay where you want her.”
His usual hard-edged voice had a hint of wistfulness to it.
Ares bit the inside of his cheek. He’d heard other men with similar tones.
Like Drustan when he talked about Ida. Like Xander every time he said Harper’s name.
“Mack, you're there to do a job.”
“And I've done it, but we need to move forward.”
“Are you telling me what to do?” Ares put as much threat he could into his tone.
On screen, Mack rubbed his face. “No. Look, the asset is not going to agree to it. We’re going to have to ship her back.”
Damn, he didn’t need this before coffee. His phone buzzed with an incoming call from Xander.
“What do you think the holdup is?” Ares asked. His designer got him the exact fancy espresso maker that Harper used because he liked it, but he still hadn’t figured out how to work it. He cursed as he couldn’t get the thing going.
“Talk to her.”
“Keep the feed open. Give me fifteen minutes.”
“You got it, boss. You won’t regret this.”
Ares strode to his office, calling back his brother. “Make it quick. I’m online with the sweeper team.”
“Merry Christmas. I need you to send me the latest semantics on Ida’s project. Henri woke me up an hour ago telling me Drustan has called a press conference for tomorrow.”
“This is not a Christmas present,” Ares grumbled. But he turned on his PC. “I have a beautiful woman in my bed.”
“I know the feeling. Henri is mad and I told him I would send it to our legal team but I need to see it first. I’m not happy with the term.”
“You’re lucky I have the computer with me.”
“What do you mean ‘with me’? Where are you?”
Ares bit his lip, tapping the panel that brought down the privacy doors, closing off the office space.
He didn’t want Josie to overhear and the acoustics in this house were fantastic.
“Good thing, I’m here, I meant.”
“Yeah. I also have a woman to get back to, so if you could be quick about this.”
“Okay, opening it now. You want the term longer?’
“Yes. I also want our royalty raised fifteen percent.”
“Xander, that means I have to rewrite it before I send it to you.”
“I know but I thought you’d be happy with the bottom line.”
“I’ll be happy when this is out of our hands. Let me make coffee.”
There was no point in bringing the coffee pod maker to the kitchen when he was going to be stuck in his office for the next hour.
But with this view he wasn’t complaining.
He couldn’t wait to see Josie’s face as she saw the house in the daylight.
“I might be able to get Drustan to hold off,” Ares said.
“We’d owe you if you did.”
“I’m not a miracle worker.”
“You are. There’s a beautiful woman in your bed on Christmas.”
Ares got his coffee. “Let’s get this done.”