Lexi
“And what, ahm…” her thoughts trailed off like her voice did, distracted by his mouth. Chewing on her cherry stem. Hm. His mouth on her cherry… she fought a blush and picked up another cherry. Remembered her question.
“What if I do?” she asked. “Roll my eyes, or behave in a way that is otherwise unsuitable?”
“You’ll be punished,” he said simply.
He tugged the plate of jalapeno bites over to him and enjoyed a couple before she found her voice.
“So that’s it? I get punished if I break some arbitrary rules?”
Grayson shrugged.
“They’re not arbitrary. They’re my rules. But essentially, yes.”
Lexi huffed out a breath. There was going to be a lot to remember. She ate another cherry, squishing the tender flesh up against the roof of her mouth before playing with the stem again.
“I’ll be nice to your debutante people,” she said, “ I promise.”
She watched out of the corner of her eye as he took a measured breath. His mouth worked quickly, producing a tied cherry stem from between his teeth that he set on a napkin. She hid her smirk behind another sip of her Manhattan. If he thought she’d be impressed with a cherry stem…
She popped two cherries in her mouth, not letting her gaze waver from his.
The intensity of his eyes burned brighter as he flicked his gaze from her eyes back to her mouth.
Almost done working the cherry stems in her mouth, she paused for another sip.
Then stuck her tongue out at him, revealing a double knotted double stem perched on the edge of her tongue.
Grayson tossed back the rest of his drink, eyes on her tongue.
“You want to stick your tongue out at me, Miss?” he asked, slow and quiet.
Lexi went to take the stems off her tongue, but he caught her hand.
“Leave that right there. And keep your tongue out for me.”
Confused and caught in his gaze, Lexi nodded. Grayson stared at her until a line of goosebumps raised across her shoulders and down both arms. He smiled.
“Oh I kind of like this,” he mused. “You can’t talk back with your mouth occupied, can you?”
Lexi squirmed in her seat. What the hell was he doing? What the hell was she doing?
“Consider this just a continuation of your training, Miss Alessandra,” he drawled. “You are what we consider a brat.” He tilted his head, considering her. “Or at least you display bratty behavior. It’s important for you to know that when you act out in any way, that there will be consequences.”
Consequences be damned, she thought, her mouth was starting to hurt.
And dear gods, was she drooling with her tongue out like this?
She grabbed a napkin off the table to wipe at her mouth, wondering why she didn’t just take control of her fucking tongue back.
Grayson beat her to the napkins, sliding them away from her.
Her eyes asked him what the fuck, she knew they did. Grayson only stared. Just when she started to get aggravated and was about to spit the damn thing in his lap, he leaned in.
“Don’t give up,” he taunted. “Don’t you tap out on me now, Alessandra.”
It was the challenge in his eyes. He wanted to test her?
Fine. She scooted closer to him, and ran her tongue, cherry stems knotted on top, across his neck, feather-light.
Grayson sat stock still, breathing shallowly.
Down under the edge of his collar, she traced his skin.
He smelled delicious as ever, and her thighs clenched involuntarily beneath the table.
Grayson noticed, and one of his hands found her left thigh, squeezing hard.
She trailed her tongue up to the edge of his jaw and finally up to the edge of his mouth when he snapped. With his teeth, he plucked the knots from her tongue, spit them out on the table and sucked her tongue into his mouth. She saw stars.
He sucked hard, drawing tears to her closed eyes, but she didn’t care.
Her body was on fire. Had there been a fucking aphrodesiac in her Manhattan?
They couldn’t get close enough. His hand was busy leaving bruises on her thigh, the other tangled in her hair.
Grayson finally released her tongue, only to plunder her mouth with his own.
His long fingers trailed down to her neck, squeezing and releasing.
Faint whimpers registered before she realized they were coming from her. Her breathing quickened, her heartbeat roared in her ears, and emotions battered her in waves.
What was she doing for fucks sake? In public. What was he doing to her? Lust. Greed. Confusion. Need. She couldn’t- she was hyperventilating. And realized it a beat before he did.