Steel Dominance (10 page)

That he planned a second orgasm was obvious when Dankyo plunged his fingers into her cunt. A gasp broke from her.

She wanted him inside her, but not just his fingers. She raised her head and watched, enthralled, feeling the rhythmic dilation, then spasm inward as he thrust in and out.

“I’m…I’m…”
Oh, that felt so great
. She shut her eyes. The pause as he wriggled another finger in made her grunt. Then the shove of all of them up, up, up. Heat rippled outward. Her head dropped back onto the table with a thud. Something cushioned her. A cloth of some sort.
Damn.

“I’ll let you move more, Sofia. Let me see you move.” His words sounded thick and rasping.

He was watching her, getting aroused by this. So would be the others in the room. And that fact slammed into her at the same time as he fed his fingers up inside again. The delicious stretch made her want to arch. He’d said she could, so she gave in to what her body desired. She arched—head back, neck tensed, body in a curve that led to where he pumped in and out of her slit. Yet she managed to push more, and thrust a little toward him with each shove of his fingers into her. Her wetness made thick squelching sounds—loud declarations of her arousal, of her lust.

“I like your taste, Sofia.”

He set his mouth on her again and sucked her clit in. His teeth caged the nub, and his tongue swept across and toggled it to and fro. The slip and slide made her concentrate on that, made her climb into ecstasy territory yet again. Inevitable. Couldn’t stop. Tied and controlled by Dankyo, and the man had a dangerous tongue.

Her groans and gasps came louder this time. She opened her mouth as wide as it could go, dragging in air. A tidal wave smashed through her, obliterating thought. As everything peaked, blackness screamed in, her mind disintegrated, and she fell, convulsing with pleasure, into soft, gentle darkness.

Chapter Nine

She wasn’t non compos mentis for long, but she remembered. Or thought she did.

Did I have an orgasm, then black out?

And someone big was carrying her. His coat rubbed against her hair and made scratching sounds right next to her ear. When she peeked up, she saw it was Dankyo. The rocking motion as he walked made her thoughts slow again.

“What happened?” she mumbled.

“You fainted.” He smiled down at her.

“Oh.” She frowned. “I’m sorry. I’ve never—”

“Don’t be. It’s fine. I take it as a compliment. It happens sometimes. We’re leaving now. Close your eyes.”

Such a casual dismissal? But she did what he’d said—closed her eyes. Being right next to his chest, with his arms around her and with his heart thumping under her ear—it was so relaxing. When they reached the vehicle and slid into the backseat, she cuddled up to him again. By the time they arrived at their destination, she’d recovered a little but stayed in his arms.

Their steam limousine drew to a halt near the lamplit entrance to an arched gateway. Their vehicle was too large to drive through. Above, the facade of a long building climbed into the dark sky.

She tried to get out and walk, and Dankyo blocked the door.

“This is the Hellenic delegation’s compound, Sofia. If you get out like that will you be happy at the impression you make?”

She looked down. Remembered. Bare breasts. Nipple jewelry.
Uh-oh
. At least she had the harem pants on. Somehow, braving public scrutiny at the dinner party had been less confronting than here where people would see her every day. Perhaps in a week this would mean nothing to her, but not yet, not tonight.

“Your coat?” she asked hopefully.

He slowly shook his head. “I’ll carry you again. Snuggle in, and no one will see a thing.”

Grrr
. The staring match lasted all of two seconds before she gave in.
Damn. How does he do this?

She snuggled. As he followed a guide and carried her up stairs and along corridors, she recalled all the arguments with her father and brothers. How much they would have paid to know Dankyo’s secret for getting her to say yes.

“Here.” He nudged open the door their quiet guide had indicated. “Our bedroom for a while.”

Our?
The innocent yet somehow astounding word made her wriggle from his grasp. Her bare feet hit the cool timber floor. The click of the door shutting made her whirl, and she felt the tug of the fabric tails on her nipples.

It was true, though. She had to stay with him. For appearances. Was it such a hardship? She swayed. Her eyelids threatened to close down altogether. If she hadn’t trusted him, she would have roused, but she did. Trust him. What a strange concept.

But, I do. So tired.

“Go get washed up.” He indicated. “Unless you’d like me to help?”

Hell no
. On automatic, she trudged to the indicated bathroom, slipped off her clothes, cleaned up, and went back into the room, then hesitated. One bed. No other bed, nowhere else to go. Half-asleep already, she considered.

He’d given her orgasms, sucked and licked her down below, tied her up. What was sleeping next to him after that? So she climbed into bed and sank into oblivion.

At times during the night she half woke and found his body right up next to hers, sighed, and went back to sleep

Morning. She woke up alone.

Sun streamed in through a window veiled by light netting curtains. She listened to the sounds of the nearby river. Somewhere out there boat engines started up and men called the raucous greetings of those setting out early for work. Birds cawed. Motors chugged.

Yawning, stretching her kinked muscles, she eyed the bare, crumpled sheet next to her. No Dankyo.

Slowly she sat up.
Thank God.

She was here to finish a task. To prove she was the one person able to solve the Clockwork Warrior mystery. To get a job and success from this. Not to become Dankyo’s…mistress. And boy, she’d really gotten off to a good start doing that.

The ache in her nipples reminded her of the grip of the wires. And that brought back to her exactly what she’d done—let herself be tied up, displayed, and made to come in front of a room full of strangers.

This is Byzantium, where slaves do as their Masters bid them. Where no one will know if you surrender yourself to me.

Those words had given her freedom.

She shook her head. While it was happening, last night had been strangely wonderful, and that she’d been watched by others had made it even more erotic but not to be repeated. Just like she’d told Dankyo. But if she kept sleeping in his bed, next to his—she shut her eyes—glorious body, she’d never manage anything.

So, did she drag off the bedclothes and dump some in a corner to prove her point?

She got up, picked up a pillow, and eyed the rugs, the chests, the lack of spare space, and sighed.
Where?

The door opened, and she realized she was wearing precisely…nothing.

The pillow suddenly became an important accessory. She clutched it to her, concealing groin and breasts.

Dankyo entered, then merely raised one eyebrow and stalked toward her. Black trousers, buttoned-up ivory shirt—all neat and businesslike, as always. Words avalanched into her mind—
daunting, scary, and hell, sexy
. Backing up only worked for two steps, when her shoulders hit the wall.

“Morning,” she squeaked.

He propped his arm overhead on the wall, caging her in. “Good morning, Sofia.” His other shoulder moved, then a second later, his hand smoothed down her bare side. “I see you’ve not dressed.”

“I’m—” She swallowed, sure she’d just flared her nostrils, and feeling the weight of his stare. Might as well paint YOU MAKE ME NERVOUS on my face.

“What? Not sure what to do? You said
yes
to me last night.” Now his hand slid upward, leaving a trace of heat, and awakening her flesh. He reached her neck, then her jaw, then her mouth.

Sensations trickled from where he gently thumbed along her mouth.

Tasting him became such a desperate need her tongue ached. But her mind clamored at her.
How do I get out of this? I’m about to slide down the wall.

“I said yes was temporary. Not today.”

“I see.” He kissed her forehead. The closeness, the way he’d trapped her, made weakness shimmy through her body. His breath warmed her, and his mouth pressed on her skin. “There is only one problem with that, my lady. After last night, yes is no longer what I’m looking for. If you want me to stop, I need to hear a no. Understand?”

His weight was on the pillow now, squeezing her firmly into the wall.
No
and
you can’t
bobbed up in her head, then sank again. She inhaled, long and shakily, then let her muscles relax. “Okay,” she whispered.

“Now. The pillow.” Though she grabbed instinctively, he pulled it away in an upward direction. It was either hang on to the thing and look silly, or let it go.

Damn. Not good.

The mean twinkle in his eyes made her scowl while she tried to figure out whether to cover her important bits with her hands.

“Uh-uh.” He shook his head, snared one hand, and kissed the back. “Let me see you.”

“I’m not some prize at a fair.”

“No?” His eyes shadowed into darkness. “To me, you’re the greatest prize of all.”

Her heart seized up before thudding merrily back into action.

“But prizes—” He switched his grip to hold both her wrists, then inexorably lifted her arms above her head and clamped her wrists to the wall. If he’d nailed them there, she’d have had more freedom. Warmth flared into her groin.

His gaze travelled from her face downward, lingering on her breasts before lowering. “Prizes need to be displayed. And touched.”

Though his eyes met hers for a second, as if checking her response, he wasn’t giving her any choice—not now anyway. As his big hand covered her body, shaping into all her curves and stirring to life every portion of her, her breaths came harder and harsher.

“All of you is mine to handle. From your breasts…” She flinched as he came near her already sensitive nipples, but he fondled each one, using his nail to cut a fine circle about each areola before his palms smoothed in the southerly
hot
direction. By the time he reached the triangle of her sex and cupped her mound, she was arching into his hand. “To here. And you are so wet.”

One digit carved a path between her swollen labia. She closed her eyes to appreciate the thrust and slide of his flesh on hers. She opened her legs a little farther.

Being handled suited her just fine.

“You like that, Sofia?”

God, yes. I have to say?
She nodded curtly.

“I thought so. Not only am I going to learn every bump and crevice”—his finger cruised up inside her and she jerked and moaned—“I’m also going to learn your mind.” He slipped out his finger. “Because your mind will help me learn how to make you squeal and wriggle. I like squealing, wriggling, squirming, sometimes even screaming.” His bit her neck for an excruciating second. Then he kissed the bite and added, “Leave your arms up high.”

He released her and stepped back. “Turn around, Sofia. Face the wall. Palms flat.”

She obeyed, feeling her breasts heave as she struggled to control her reaction to being commanded. If she let him, he would take her to whatever place he wished, do with her as she wished. He wanted a no before he’d stop. This was no pit in hell; this was her fantasy come true.

With his flattened palms, he drew slow arcs across her back, sides, and ass—warming her up like a sculptor playing with the clay before he formed some new creation. She sighed and hung her head, staring down at where her nipples poked out in little nubs. To have a man simply run his hands over her…bliss.

Then he came in close and molded his body to hers, his groin to her buttocks with the length of his erection settling into the divide of her buttocks. He flicked and sucked the lobe of her ear. “You have a wonderful ass, my lady. Tell me, what am I not allowed to do with it? There are so many ways I’d like to mark you.”

She shuddered at the pure lust in his voice—as if she were indeed some prize he’d waited years to find. Excitement zinged through her, livening her nipples to such tight points they throbbed. But what did he mean?

“Sofia?”

“I don’t know.” She exhaled a long, miserable breath and felt tears spring to her eyes. Then she shook her head again, over and over as she spoke. “I don’t know. I just know I…want! I just know what you are doing means so much to me. But what I want, I do not know. I wish I did! I thought I just…”

Oh God, those rape fantasies, but no
. She sensed there was more than that.
But what? I like him holding me, doing…things
. Just that concept enthralled her.

“Shh. It’s okay.” The quiet rumble of his voice soothed her, and he drew her even closer with both arms wrapped under her breasts. “It’s okay. Then I think we will both enjoy finding out. As you said, you are a woman who can say yes and no when you need to.”

She snuggled back into his arms. The desire was there still, but simmering. The confusion had blown it away. “Yes, I can.” With her neck canted sideways, his chin rested just beneath her ear.

He shifted one arm, and then the sharp pain of a pinch zipped into her buttocks. She yelped and wriggled. Another pinch, and she jumped again. The heat connected with her clit. “Mmm.”

Dankyo chuckled. “There. Experiment number one. Pinching is good. See, we are making progress.”

“In pinching?” She screwed up her face. “I’m not sure this is— Hey!” Another pinch came an inch from her lower lips, in the crease of ass and thigh. “Ow. Wait!” But when she wriggled, delicious heat spilled through her. She squeezed her thighs together.

“The word, remember, is no, if you want me to stop. I think—”

Something banged and shattered the window like a musical explosion, blew a gust of wind and glass past her to tinkle where floor and wall met. A large curved fragment of bronze thunked into the plaster two feet from her nose and sat there hissing as it cooled. Smoke and dust curled into the air.