Chapter 17

Easton

Murder.

I wasn't certain why the word was littering my mind. My father had never used the term when engaged in his hunting process. Hell, I wasn't entirely certain I'd used it before either. It seemed off-putting and not the correct term for what any of us had engaged in over the decades. Maybe I had become immune to the understanding that what had been done was morally and legally wrong.

Her questions had added some perspective to my jaded world.

Everything about Sara was surprising me more and more, including that while I noticed a slight flash of fear in her eyes, she didn't bolt from the table screaming. She was absorbing what I'd confessed, trying to understand the reasoning while formulating additional questions. I could feel it in my blood. She was even more complex than I'd originally given her credit for.

Yes, she was innocent as a new baby fawn, but underneath was the soul of someone who'd lived several lifetimes. That was the sole reason she was able to add an entirely different dimension to the discoveries she'd made, the confirmation that I was likely a madman.

I took a deep breath as I studied her, more cognizant than ever of the effect she had on me.

The dress she was wearing was a powerful draw, so much so all through dinner as she'd been grilling me, I'd been thinking about ripping it from her body, exposing her nakedness to the humid air. I'd wanted to toss her onto the table, spreading her legs wide open so I could feast for hours.

My dessert.

My cock was throbbing as it usually was around her and I wasn't going to be able to keep my control around her. I'd come to terms with that fact moments earlier. She would be my assistant but so much more.

My mind was blown by the thoughts racing through it, the needs that were building. I had a feeling she knew exactly what I was thinking since we were so much the same.

In reading her story the second time, I'd become convinced I was right about her secret. There was someone monstrous in her life, a person her entire family had tried to block out of their lives.

And I was determined to find out who that person was.

What was obvious was that the person was responsible for her foray into the same indulgences as I had. If I had a chance, I would thank him for it.

I cocked my head, noticing the way her pulse was throbbing on the side of her neck. Perhaps some of her reaction was about nervousness, but the other was about excitement. I'd been right to encourage and push her into asking questions.

I would do so again but now I had other things in mind.

"Come here," I told her, patting my lap.

"Why?"

"Because I told you to."

"You want more from me than just being your assistant. Don't you?" Sara asked, narrowing her eyes as she searched mine.

"I take what I want, Sara. That's one perk of being who and what I am."

"A perk? You can't just take a person. That's illegal."

"In whose world, yours or mine?"

She was fighting her desire somewhat but was having fun teasing me as well. When she stood up, backing away from the table, I realized she was going to play coy. I wasn't certain I had the patience for her antics.

"I think I should get some rest so I can start fresh in the morning." Her words were almost whispered, a moment of uncertainty resurfacing.

"Come here." I patted my lap again, my tone even more authoritative.

She shook her head. "Thank you for dinner."

When she turned around and started to walk away, I took a deep breath. The dark man inside of me, the predator that had been sleeping was suddenly wide awake. In three long strides I was on her, shoving her against the wall. I wrapped my hand around her throat, squeezing enough her eyes opened wide. Something entirely different surfaced, throwing me slightly off guard.

This was about possessing her, not just because of the light she could bring into my world but also about the carnal needs that I'd tried to have fulfilled with others and failed.

But after one taste of her, the twisted fantasies that lingered in the forefront of my mind were far too significant and powerful to ignore.

She pressed her hands against my chest, pushing hard yet unable to break my firm hold.

"You won't be running from me, my sweet girl, unless I tell you to."

"A hunt?" she dared to ask, fighting her nerves more than ever. There was a gleam in her eyes as soon as she made the suggestion, which is what it was.

"Perhaps." I placed my finger across her lips. "But only if you're a good girl, which you haven't been. Have you? You were listening in on a private conversation, trying to find dirt on your employer. However, that's fine. I'm glad you did." I lowered my head, nuzzling against her ear. "But I will need to punish you."

The fact she was so interested in the hunt left me with vile thoughts. What if I did set up a hunt on my own property? Only I wouldn't be chasing her to end her life. I'd be doing so to fulfill what I had a feeling was her darkest fantasy. Both the realization and the longing to share in the glorious experience pushed me to an entirely different level of need.

I'd never believed I could find a woman cut from the same cloth, someone who required her man to be firm, brutal. This girl was a surprise all the way around.

She shuddered in my hold, especially when I pressed my lips against her already heated skin. I could play this kind of game all night.

Her scent was even more incredible than before, but this time it had nothing to do with the bubble bath she'd used or the perfume she'd selected. This was all about her hunger that was as close to being famished as mine.

"You enjoy being a bad girl. Don't you?"

She exhaled, the sound ragged. "Of course not."

I rubbed my lips to her ear, sliding the tip of my tongue in the shell. She moaned, her body shaking. "Liar."

"I don't lie," she whispered but there was a glitch in her voice. She pummeled her fists against my chest, which only pulled at the predator in me. When she tried to lift her knee, I squeezed my hand more tightly around her throat.

"You want it rough, baby?"

Her eyes flashed the answer. My balls throbbed as much as my stiff cock.

"Then you'll get everything you want. Just be careful what you ask for."

I nipped her earlobe before pulling back, noticing her eyes were half closed. "It's time you're reminded that while you're my employee, the meaning is entirely different than if you were working at a fast-food joint. Because what I say, every command I make, you are required to follow."

There was no fear in the expression she wore, just a level of excitement I hadn't expected to occur so soon. I took a step away, yanking her by the arm, without hesitation tossing her over the edge of the table. When she tried to push herself up using her palms, I drove my hand against the small of her back. "What are you doing?" she squealed.

"Providing you with a lesson in the meaning of the word consequences." I jerked up her dress, exposing her matching thong. As I wrangled the soft lace over her hips, she squirmed but wasn't fighting hard enough to be able to get away. "You've longed for a firm hand."

"Never."

My laugh was deep and husky and I thought about what I wanted to use to provide the most discomfort. Ah. I had the perfect implement in mind. A second spatula, one that was seven inches long and four inches wide. With a grin on my face, I grabbed it by the handle, twirling it several times before bringing it down on her rounded bottom.

"Oh, God. What? What?" She threw her head over her shoulder, still pushing against the wooden surface.

I allowed her to see what I was using as I took the time to roll a single finger down the crack of her ass. "Spatulas. They're not just for cooking any longer." I delivered four strikes in a row, adoring both the sound of the metal hitting her skin and the increasing moans erupting from her throat.

Sara rocked back and forth on the table, her breathing more like tiny gasps, trying to fill her lungs to yell and scream. She could squeal as loudly as she wanted and no one would hear her. Certainly, no one would come to her rescue as my neighbors knew better than to bother me.

Ever.

Using my knees, I pressed her legs further apart, the soft lights highlighting her pretty pink pussy. I didn't need to touch her to know she was wet. The scent of her longing gave her away.

When I brought the spatula down six more times, making certain I'd covered as much real estate as possible from one side to the other, she finally flung herself to the side, almost managing to run away.

But of course I caught her, tossing her back over the edge of the table and wasting no time continuing the harsh round of discipline. I could do this for hours but my cock was pushing hard against the zipper of my shorts. All the control I'd developed over the years was getting ready to be tossed out the window.

A shit-eating grin crossed my face as she moaned and undulated, kicking out her legs as she panted wildly. Everything about her was beautiful, including the way she flailed. I took a few seconds to caress her skin, relishing the heat building up on the ends of my fingers. I breathed in her fragrance, unable to resist rolling the tip of my finger around her clit a few times.

Gasping, she stopped moving altogether, now opening her legs even wider, giving me permission to take and taste what I wanted.

As if she had a choice.

I pinched her tender tissue before resuming, taking the time to crack the thin metal on one thigh then the other. Her body was shaking, her moans like sweet music. I was torn between continuing and taking something else from her.

Four more and I tossed the spatula, immediately turning her over. She was panting, licking her lips as she peered up at me with unfocused eyes. I was overly dramatic as I placed one hand on her right side, the other on her left. Leaning over, I took a deep and exaggerated whiff before issuing several primal growls.

"You will learn being a bad girl isn't in your best interest."

"Fuck you."

I was so surprised by her slight outburst that I erupted into laughter. "Don't worry, my sweet Sara. That is going to happen." As I leaned over even more, she tried to turn her head away, but I was having none of it. I gripped her jaw, pulling it front and center. "You will never deny me anything." As I crushed my mouth over hers, she stiffened but I knew her reaction would be short lived.

However, I teased her with my tongue, running it back and forth across her luscious lips before sucking on her bottom one. As soon as her clenched jaw muscles started to relax, I thrust my tongue inside, drinking from her sweet essence.

She did what she could to act like she couldn't stand what was happening, which only drew the beast inside closer to the surface. I did enjoy toying with her, playing the very game she'd started but I was becoming consumed with need.

After sucking on her tongue for a little while, I lifted my head, taking my thumb and jamming it into her mouth.

"You will also learn that your mouth is a powerful tool for things other than sassing me." I was pleasantly surprised she was enjoying sucking on my thick digit, doing so with fervor. I pumped it in a few times, enjoying the foreplay.

My throbbing cock was just a reminder I was a man with needs. As I pulled away, I raked my hands through my hair before yanking off her panties entirely. I was dramatic in tossing them aside, allowing her to comprehend what was about to happen. My hunger exploding, I lifted her legs, bending her knees and pushing them against the table.

"You are a bad man."

Her words were laced with seduction. "As I said. And I'm not in the habit of lying either." I took my time brushing my fingertips along the insides of her legs. It was fascinating to see she'd pointed her toes, easing her arms to the sides and gripping the edge of the table.

In making the decision to make her mine, I assumed more risks than I wanted to mention but I didn't care at this point. I was famished, desperately thirsty, and needed to find some level of satisfaction.

As I rolled my flexed fingers down her stomach, she tossed her head from side to side. I adored watching the way her facial muscles scrunched from pleasure and anticipation. Even her mouth twisting was a powerful draw.

I took my time lowering my head, dragging my tongue around her belly button. She laughed, the sound more melodic than I'd heard from her. I sensed she was embarrassed, not just from the sinful act but because she was enjoying being feasted on outside where it was possible someone could see us.

There was something exciting for a man like me about claiming a woman's innocence, something I'd never done before. The women I'd been with had been experienced, those capable of handling my needs, which were often sadistic and always demanding.

I pressed my hands down on the insides of her thighs and slipped my tongue down further, still watching her. Still gauging her building desire.

When I finally darted my tongue around her clit, she bucked up from the table.

"Oh, you are so, so bad." Her voice was little more than a whisper, her eyelids fluttering open and closed.

A part of me wondered if she had any idea just how beautiful she was. I swirled my tongue around her clit several times, the taste like the sweetest nectar, a hint of peaches and cream. It was becoming more difficult to hold back, my needs crazily off the charts.

As one of my favorite pieces of music came on the satellite radio from Def Leppard, I heard her subtle laugh and used that moment to suck on her tender clit.

Within seconds, she was purring, still tossing her head as she rocked her body against the table. I took my time, using a combination of my fingers, tongue, and mouth to rock her world.

This was the best dessert possible and I made a mental note that wherever I took her, she would never be allowed to wear panties. After all, I required complete access to every inch. Every hole. Every sweet taste of her skin.

I was a man obsessed, my need to possess her becoming unhinged.

As I drove a combination of my tongue and fingers past her swollen folds, she pushed all the way up from the table, her eyes open wide. I lifted my gaze as I thrust three fingers into her tight channel, flexing them open and curling the ends. If there was one thing I'd enjoyed more than others after becoming an adult, it was learning how to please a woman with my mouth and fingers.

I could tell she was rolling into pure euphoria, doing her best to stave off an orgasm while falling into a complete abyss of pleasure. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, the sweet girl sliding her tongue back and forth across her bottom lip. She could have no idea how enticing that was, how much my cock was aching.

As I continued eating her in languid actions, her body began to quiver more and more with every passing second. In no time, she was ready to lose it, pounding one fist on the table.

Even hearing the slight sounds of bottles and jars thumping on the table was spectacular, pushing me into licking her even more fervently.

Barely five seconds later, she uttered a startling scream as her body now shook violently.

"Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes."

I did so love hearing her scream.

Soon she would be screaming out my name.

Over and over again.