Chapter 24

" I 'm in the bedroom!" Jasmine called when he closed the front door behind him.

Liam yawned as he stepped over her purse, discarded by the door, and headed down the hallway toward his bedroom. It had been a long day of dealing with difficult clients who wanted bespoke pieces, without bespoke price tags, and he'd barely spoken to her all day, other than a quick message at lunch to ask if she wanted to stay at his place or hers. There was no question of them spending the night apart at this point. Anytime they did sleep alone at their respective apartments, they both slept like shit. He missed her too much.

He smiled at their chalkboard, hung on the back of his bedroom door at Jasmine's suggestion:

Rule number one: no faking it.

Rule number two: talking about how you feel isn't optional.

Rule number three: we're in this together.

Rule number four: no take backs .

Rule number five: conversing before coming.

It was filling up fast, a snapshot of the days they'd spent together since starting their arrangement.

"Do you want to go out for dinner ton—" Liam stopped in his tracks as he pushed the door open, every thought emptying from his head. Jasmine was lying on the bed, not a scrap of fabric on her.

"I think we should stay in," she told him with a wicked smile. And then she spread her legs.

He strode forward, reaching for her, but she held up a hand. "Nuh-uh. I remembered something this morning—something you told me a while ago that I never got to see." She nodded to something behind him, and Liam realized she'd dragged a chair in front of the bed. "Get undressed and sit."

She'd never taken control like this, but Liam was quickly learning that, as dominant as he was, he could be into just about anything where Jasmine was concerned.

He did as he was told, stripping off and taking a seat. Then narrowed his eyes as he realized how far away he was. "I can't reach you."

"Exactly," Jasmine replied, eyes twinkling. She reached back and picked up three toys: a beaded metal dildo, a slim lilac vibrator, and a clear glass dildo with a bulbed head. "Which one?"

"Are you using it on yourself or me?" Liam asked, resting his elbows on his thighs and leaning forward.

"Me. For now."

Jesus. Liam sucked in a breath. "The glass one." Jasmine dropped the others on the bed before rolling the head of the glass wand over her clit.

"You told me you could come just by watching someone else come," she reminded him, and Liam tried to focus on her words and not on the glass he would very much like to replace with his mouth. God, it felt like a lifetime ago he'd said that, on the night of India and Bart's wedding. It was funny when he thought about it. He'd spent years with India. Barely a month had passed since he and Jasmine had struck their deal, and he'd needed much less time than that to know he was going to be with her forever. He just needed to get her on board with that little plan.

"I did say that." He watched her, licking his lips.

"Time to prove it, baby. No touching. Me or yourself."

This was going to be fucking torture .

Jasmine dragged the toy over her skin, teasing her pussy. "Shit," she said, barely pressing the head inside her. "I forgot lube. Care to help out?"

She didn't need lube; he could see how wet she was from his chair, the glass dildo already glistening. But Liam knew what she wanted.

He rose slowly, Jasmine tracking his every movement as he stepped close to her and lowered his head.

"Don't touch," she warned and Liam had to ball his hands into fists to resist the temptation as he spat on her pussy. Jasmine whimpered, swirling the toy around his spit and pushing it inside her. Her name spilled from his lips, but she just raised a brow. "Good boy. You can sit back down now."

Liam retreated to his chair, but not before shooting her a look that made it clear he would play by her rules now, but she'd pay for it later. Which was almost certainly her intention.

She made sure he was watching her before she continued fucking herself with the glass wand, as if he could look anywhere else. Liam's eyes drank in the details—the rise and fall of her chest, the soft wobble of her stomach and thighs as she shook, her dark lashes fluttering, her teeth clamped around her lower lip. With her head thrown back and her back arched, she wouldn't have looked out of place in a Courbet painting.

Jasmine gasped his name, and he knew she was close. Her breaths were ragged, her movements jerky, and he wasn't fucking close enough to her. He stood and crossed the distance between them with one step, leaning over her, his hands on either side of her torso. Her eyes snapped open, hazy like a foggy morning.

"I'm not touching," he murmured, though it wasn't strictly true. He was leaning over her enough that his cock lay, painfully hard, on her stomach. Because he'd be damned if he came anywhere but all over Jasmine. His Jasmine.

From his new angle, all he could see was her face, and that's exactly what he wanted. She whimpered his name and her whole body tensed. Her mouth fell open in a soundless scream, her orgasm ripping through her. Liam was so focused on her perfect face that his own orgasm took him by surprise. His elbows buckled, and he caught himself just in time to stop his body weight collapsing on her.

Jasmine gasped, staring down her own body in wonder as Liam came all over her stomach without so much as lifting a finger. "Holy shit."

"I told you so," he said, panting.

She swiped one finger through his cum and brought it to her lips. She sucked it, cum dribbling over her lips and spilling onto her chin. If she wanted him hard and even more desperate for her, it was working. But this was Jasmine, after all—everything made him hard and fucking desperate for her.

Liam stood up enough to take her in. She still had the glass wand inside her, and he wrapped a hand around the end, pulling it out torturously slowly. Jasmine moaned, her eyes widening when he brought the wand to his mouth and drew it between his lips. Liam closed his eyes, wrapping his tongue around the sweet, musky taste of her. The wand was warm from being inside her, and Liam couldn't wait to replace it with his tongue, fingers, and cock.

Jasmine sighed, raising her arms above her head and stretching. His cum dripped down her stomach. She peered down, tutting. "Seems like such a waste."

And they couldn't have that. Liam dragged the toy through his cum and brought it to her lips. She licked it, swirling her tongue over the head and drawing it between her lips. Liam pulled it out of her mouth with a pop, swiping two fingers through the cum. He dragged it over her clit, her pussy, her asshole, covering her in it. He pressed his fingers inside her pussy, savoring her little whimper as he pumped them, using his cum to massage her G-spot. "Not a waste anymore."

"Liam," she moaned, fisting the covers, her whole body flushed crimson.

"Did you like pretending to have control, darling?"

Her eyes snapped open. "Pretending?" Her tone was mocking; Bratty Jasmine was back in full force. Perfect.

"You might have been holding the reins for a second," he said, curling his fingers inside her and watching her back arch with a satisfied smile, "but it's my cum you're covered in. My fingers you're clenching around." He leaned in and pressed a kiss against the corner of her mouth. "It was my name you cried when you came. You really think you're in control here?"

Liam pulled his fingers out of her pussy and shoved them in her mouth, laughing at her protesting growl. "Be a good girl and lick them clean," he instructed. So, naturally, she bit him. He yanked his fingers back. The pain was fleeting, but it went straight to his cock. He was going to be ready to fuck her in no time.

"Oh, you're going to regret that."

He gave her a split second's warning before he grabbed her by the ankles and pulled her down the bed. He tugged her to her feet, steadying her when she stumbled, blinking in a daze. She didn't have time to fight against him as he sat back in the chair and immediately put her over his knee.

" Fuck ," she cried out, struggling in his hold. The chair was tall and cushioned, and he pulled her just far enough over his lap that her feet couldn't touch the ground. She kicked them, trying to wriggle out of his grip.

"Behave." He brought his hand down on her ass and she moaned, her body falling still. "Do you want me to be gentle?" he asked, already well aware of her answer.

"Fuck no."

"You want it to hurt? You want me to punish you like the filthy brat you are until you're begging for mercy?"

"I don't beg," Jasmine promised.

He chuckled, running his hand over her ass. "We'll see about that."

Smack !

Jazz cried out, her legs kicking aimlessly before she fell limp over Liam's knee.

Over.

And over.

And over.

He alternated, giving each ass cheek equal attention, his palm connecting with her ass again and again like he couldn't possibly leave a single spot unpunished. Her skin was burning, each strike of his hand like an electric shock leaving a trail of fire in its wake .

"Ready to beg yet, darling?"

Jazz whimpered, not sure she would be able to find the words even if she wanted to give him that satisfaction. And she absolutely did not. Yet.

She'd been tense for the first few smacks, but he'd slapped every ounce of tension from her body. She didn't even have it in her to tense as she felt the air rushing toward her in anticipation of another strike. Her body craved this; there was no point in pretending otherwise.

She was dripping wet, sticky with his cum and her own desperation to get him inside her. Jazz wasn't sure how long he'd been spanking her for—it could have been five minutes or five hours for all she knew—but she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out without some sense of relief. How the fuck did Liam have the patience for this?

His palm came down on the top of her thighs, the new spot jolting her body out of its pliancy. She cried out, her hand slamming against the side of the chair. " Ow ."

Liam ran a flat hand over the spot he'd spanked her, gentle and soothing. And it was so much fucking worse. He was so close to her pussy, so close to the spot she so desperately needed him.

"Please." Her lips formed the words, but barely a sound fell from them. It was enough for him to hear her, though. Liam's hand stilled.

"What was that?"

She drew in a shaky breath. "Please," she repeated, her voice scratchy and weak.

"Please what, darling? Tell me what you want. "

He'd won the second he'd thrown her over his knee. Hell, he'd won the second he'd walked through the goddamn door. "Fuck me, baby. Please. I'm begging."

Liam ran his thumb over the curve of her ass, so close, but so fucking far. And then, without warning, she was on her feet, and he was practically throwing her down on the bed. Her head was spinning, her desperation to feel him overtaking every one of her senses.

"Are you okay?" Liam said in her ear, stroking his hand through her hair, his fingers and voice gentle. Temporarily if she had anything to say about it.

"Yeah," she said, breathing hard. "Don't stop. Please don't stop."

"Turn your head and look up."

"Make me."

Liam didn't even hesitate to wrap her hair around his fist and roughly force her head, but he leaned in and peppered her temple with soft kisses. He toed the line between hard and soft so fucking beautifully.

Jazz flicked her eyes up toward the mirror and gasped. Her ass was red raw.

"You're going to be wearing my handprints all week," Liam promised, swinging a leg over her thighs and trapping her prone beneath him. She whimpered as she watched him in the mirror, her neck straining. Liam fisted his cock, his jaw tense as he pressed inside her—like he wanted this just as much as she did. He started slowly, then, as suddenly as he'd thrown her on the bed, he was deep inside her, Jazz reaching out and grasping the covers for dear life .

Liam was unrelenting, pinning her to the bed as he fucked her, hard and merciless. Jazz gulped in air when she could, gasps mingling with sobs, the friction of the blanket against her nipples unbearable. She couldn't escape him, even if she wanted to, he was holding her down so fucking thoroughly.

Pressure built faster than she could cling to reality, washing over her and dousing her in an orgasm so strong she might have blacked out for a moment. Every part of Jazz's body tingled. From the tips of her hair to the soles of her feet, she was on fire. Liam grunted as her pussy clenched around him.

Before she even finished falling from her high, he shoved a hand roughly underneath her, pinching her clit between his thumb and forefinger. "Give me one more, Jasmine. I want to see you break."

His voice, low and gruff, was her undoing. Jazz splintered, her body fighting Liam of its own accord. She kicked and twisted, pulling at the covers, desperate to get away from the assaulting pleasure as he fucked her and rubbed her clit. It felt like she was coming out of her skin, like she was fixed to the ceiling with the mirror, staring down at them. Her face was drenched with tears, wave after wave of bliss exploding over her like fireworks.

Liam gasped her name, his knees giving way as he came inside her. His body covered hers like a safety blanket, and he pressed breathless kisses to the back of her neck while his cum spilled out of her pussy.

He only gave himself a few seconds to catch his breath before pulling out of her and gathering her into his arms, alternating between peppering kisses over her face and searching her eyes.

"Are you… Fuck, are you okay?" he panted, running a shaking hand over the back of her head. His eyes were wide. Stunned.

It hadn't just been intense for her. Liam was trembling, and he was still fully focused on making sure she was okay.

She cupped his face, stroking her thumb over his cheek. "I'm fine. Are you okay?"

His body folded into hers, his head dropping onto her shoulder. "Yeah, I…" His voice shook, his arms tightening around her like a vise. "Shit, I don't know what's wrong with me."

Jazz ran her hands up his bare back. "It's just the come down from the adrenaline. Breathe, baby. I've got you." She slipped her finger into his hair, lightly scratching his scalp, and he sighed contentedly.

"That's nice," Liam whispered, his breath tickling her neck.

"Lie on your front. Let me give you a massage."

"But you're tir?—"

"Let me take care of you. Please."

Liam looked uncertain as he nodded, twisting and lying on his front, his back rising and falling as his breaths slowed. Jazz's body ached, but it was worth a little extra pain when she closed her fingers around Liam's shoulders and he moaned. She moved closer to him, taking her time, kneading his muscles until his breathing was slow and even. Why the hell had she waited so long to do this? Liam letting her take care of him was almost better than the sex had been. He was so thoughtful, so caring, doing everything he could to make sure she felt safe and seen, and Jazz had barely reciprocated. She wanted to do more for him, needed to do more to show him how glad she was to have him in her life.

For a moment, she thought he'd fallen asleep until he reached for her, threading his fingers through hers. "Lie down with me? I need to see you. I need to know you're okay."

"I promise I am," she assured him. She lay down and Liam turned onto his side, rolling his neck.

"Come here." He held out an arm and Jazz snuggled into him, his skin burning against hers. He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Thank you for taking care of me," he mumbled, his eyes fluttering closed.

And before she even had the chance to reply, Liam was fast asleep.