13. Thirteen

Thirteen

T he light is fading when I open my eyes. I roll over to find the other side of the bed empty and the sheets untouched. I have no idea what time it is, or where Art is, and I suddenly feel lost that he's not there. We've been in our own little bubble, glued to one another in every sense of the word for the past twelve hours and I'm not ready for it to stop.

I fling the covers off my naked body and climb out of bed, walking across the smooth parquet floor. The apartment is in darkness, apart from a soft amber light coming from beneath one of the doors off to the right of the hallway.

I push open the door and find a bare-chested Art, sitting behind a glass desk facing the door, typing on a laptop. He immediately stops typing and a wolfish grin spreads across his face at the sight of me.

I place a hand on my hip and cock my head to the right. "Why are you not in bed? "

"You fell asleep, so I thought I'd let you get some rest." His eyes remain fixed on my body as he stands and advances around the desk towards me. "Why are you out of bed?"

"Because I woke up and you weren't there." I curl my arms around his neck as his dark gaze roams over my nakedness.

"I'm a stupid, stupid guy for leaving you. But I'm here now."

My eyes drop to his erection tenting the black material of his boxers and smirk. "Yes, you are, aren't you?"

Maybe he's not the one with all the control after all.

"We're going back to bed." He lifts me up and tosses me over his shoulder, slapping my bare backside as he carries me out of his office. "You belong in my bed, especially when you look like this."

I'm not going to protest. Right now, there's nowhere else I'd rather be.

I tuck my hands beneath the waistband of his boxers as he carries me into the bedroom and lowers me onto the centre of the sheets. I push myself up on my elbows and watch as he disappears into the wardrobe for a few seconds then returns holding two neck ties.

"I'd like to tie you up."

My eyes widen as he circles round the bed, and I feel a stab of alarm at what he wants to do.

He studies my worried expression. "Relax. It will just be your hands. It won't hurt. Try it. If you don't like it, we'll stop."

My stomach dances with nerves as I turn over what he's just said. Earlier he told me to trust him and it wasn't so bad. Maybe I should give it a chance.

He stands beside the bed, waiting.

"Okay," I agree. "But we can stop if I don't like it?"

"If you say stop, I'll stop," he promises as he crawls onto the bed and straddles my waist. "Are you sure you're okay trying this?"

I look at the ties in his hand then back at him. "Yes. I'll try."

He breaks into a smile. "Good. Stretch your arms out above your head. "

I raise my arms up, and he weaves the first tie through the slats of the headboard and fastens it around my right wrist, then he repeats the process with the left. "Try not to struggle because the knots will get tighter and I don't want your hands going numb."

"Okay."

"They're not too tight, are they?"

"No."

"Good and just for the record... you won't tell me to stop."

He smirks, slides off the edge of the bed, and steps out of his boxers. He turns and saunters out of the bedroom, leaving me with a wonderful view of naked arse. Once he's disappeared, I can't help but feel vulnerable, tied to a bed stark naked, but he returns moments later carrying a small white dish of something or other.

"What's in the bowl?"

His brows draw together into a frown at the question. "Do you want me to gag you?"

"You wouldn't?"

"I will if you keep talking," he warns and I know he isn't joking.

He places the dish on the floor at the bottom of the bed so it's obscured from sight then grips my thighs, yanking them open wide. He's totally and utterly in control of my body and my centre tingles at the thought. He locks eyes with me as he lowers himself onto his knees between my legs and licks my clitoris. My body jerks and I twist my head into the pillow, closing my eyes and pulling down on the restraints around my wrists as a ball of warmth starts to build at my centre. He's so good at this I can barely focus. I gulp down a lungful of air as he slides his tongue between my folds, sweeping up and down the length of me, paying special attention to my hyper-sensitive clit. My hips buck and his hands clamp down my waist pushing me into the bed, keeping me still. As the tension rises at my core, I instinctively squirm beneath him, but his hands keep a firm grip on my hips and prevent me from moving. I'm tied to the bed, trapped beneath his mouth and his hands and completely at his mercy and the thought, combined with his tongue, causes my thighs to tremble .

He stops abruptly and his hot tongue is replaced by an ice-cold sensation causing me to cry out in surprise.

"Fuck!"

My limbs jolt as if I've been electrocuted and my brain takes a couple of seconds to catch up. An ice cube. He holds it against my clit with his tongue and runs it up and down my folds. Burning heat has been replaced with ice-cold and I don't know how to process it. I gasp for air as the hard iciness stings my clit, making it ultra-sensitive. I don't want to give in, I want to carry on and experience this but I'm not sure whether I can cope with the pain. Just when I don't think I can go on; he removes the ice cube and sweeps his warm tongue across my clitoris. The feel of his hot mouth against my cool, sensitive spot is exquisite and I groan in ecstasy. This is tortuous heaven, and I can't hold on. "I'm going to come."

"No, you're not. And NO talking," he snaps.

I am. There's no way I can control it. My body is vibrating with need and I'm struggling to think about anything but sweet release. By taking over my body, he's taken control of my mind. I'm a slave to him and whatever he wants to do with me.

The mattress dips and I feel his weight shift over me. When I open my eyes, he's straddling my waist and holding a strawberry between his teeth. He takes a bite, chews, then offers it to me. "Bite."

I sink my teeth into the ripe strawberry, chewing it slowly and swallowing it down.

His dark eyes zone in on my mouth and the movement of my throat. "That's how sweet and juicy you taste." He drags a thumb across my bottom lip then places the tip in his mouth and sucks. "Do you want me to let you come?"

I want to scream "Yes, yes, yes!" from the rooftops but settle for nodding mutely.

He lifts an eyebrow. "Then you need to do as you're told and not talk." His tone is stern. His lips teasingly brush against mine as he moves downwards, leaving a burning hot trail of kisses along the sensitive skin of my collarbone then coming to a stop between my breasts. I'm a hot, aching mess, beyond frustrated and I know it's only a matter of time before I lose control of my body or mouth .

I screw my eyes shut as his lips close around my right nipple, and he sucks hard, and then gently nips at the swollen bud, causing a tingle of desire to shoot straight to my centre. I gasp. He can't expect me to remain silent when he's doing things like these to me.

"Shush. Every time you moan, or groan, the longer I'll make you wait." His lips find their way to my left nipple where he delivers the same delicious assault. This time I'm prepared and brace myself for the feeling. It's no less intense, but I stop myself from crying out and can't help but feel a little pleased.

His body slides against mine as he moves south, licking then nipping the skin above my belly button, then gliding lower to my pubic bone and my self-satisfied feeling quickly dissolves. My breathing is coming in short spurts and I'm not sure how I'm going to cope as he lowers himself between my legs. I'm a throbbing, aching mess and I can feel the dampness in between my thighs.

His eyes widen as his chest heaves. "You're soaking wet."

"It's what you do to me," I manage to throw back his own line at him, but my voice is hoarse from the heavy breathing, and I sound nothing like myself.

He lifts his eyes to mine and frowns. "I meant what I said. If you keep talking, I won't let you come."

I screw my eyes shut because I can't even comprehend what he's just said. My body is burning for him to finish what he's started and I'm not sure how I'm going to get through this if he's about to do what I think he is.

He doesn't give me time to prepare myself as he glides his tongue across my swollen folds and it's all I can do to grab the restraints around my wrists and yank down on them to stop myself from screaming. His tongue teases my clit and I'm already there. I know he's pushing me, and I'm determined not to be beaten but heat is rising from my core, enveloping my body and I know I'm so very close.

And he knows it too.

"Put your feet on my shoulders," he orders.

I hesitate, not totally understanding the direction or how it's going to work. I'm in no frame of mind for complicated instructions. He must catch my confused expression because the next thing I know his hands are around the back of my thighs, guiding my legs up as he moves over me and presses the head of his erection against my vagina. I've barely got my bearings when he pushes into me. I cry out as he penetrates me deeper than ever before and my walls quiver around his cock as they hold him inside me. He's as close to the edge as me and I'm thankful because I can't take any more. Especially not now he's giving me what I so desperately need.

"You feel amazing," he rasps.

I can hear him but I'm not registering the words. My eyes roll back in my head as he drives into me and I let out a moan, unable to help myself. I can't hold it back any longer.

"And you're mine."

He thrusts into me again and I clench around him.

"Say you're mine, Sophie."

I can't take much more of this. I can't. "I'm going to come," I pant.

He pushes into me and his cock pulsates.

"Say it!"

I grip the restraints as my back curls against the bed. Right now, I'll do whatever he wants me to. "I'm yours!"

He withdraws, then slams into me one final time. "Now."

I'm gone. I come apart beneath him and make a noise I've never heard before as my breath leaves my body. Thought and speech are redundant as wave after undulating wave sweeps over my body from head to toe, leaving me dizzy and disorientated. He's with me every step of the way as he, too, tips over the edge, rolling his hips over and over until he's spent. My body sags against the sheets and my head grows heavy as I slowly come back down to earth.

Fuck!

He shifts over me and unties the restraints from my wrists, gently lowering my arms to the pillows. Soft lips brush against mine, pulling me from my chilled, post-coital bliss and I open my eyes .

"Are you okay?" he whispers, brushing his fingertips across my cheek. "That was pretty intense."

I nod. Everything about him is intense, I've come to realise. "It was, but it was also pretty good."

His dark eyes search my face. "I'm glad you think so. I really wanted you to enjoy it. I know it's a bit strange the first time you try something like that," he smiles. "You're perfect." He lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me softly.

So is he. Every inch of him.

I turn onto my side with a sleepy smile on my face and close my eyes. His arms slide around my waist as the pillow behind my head dips and his nose nuzzles into the back of my hair. I'm beaming from the inside out and can't stop. I want to stay here forever.

I drift off into a blissful, contented sleep where I think I hear him whisper, "I'm going to keep you." But I can't be sure.