Page 14 of Destined By Dragonblood (Blood Born #2)

Vanni

T ension had seemed to ride Ashley’s shoulders from the second she’d walked into the lounge, same as always, but she held herself differently tonight as I approached from her blind side. No longer did she cower or stare at the floor, ignoring the sensual delights of my lounge.

Her gaze had slid over the two apparatuses being utilized in the common area, the pulse in her neck suggesting arousal had begun to warm her blood before my flogger even licked over her back. Her nipples pebbled and tightened beneath the robe, causing my mouth to water.

The sight of her in nothing more than satin always thickened my cock inside my leathers, but my groin ached over the interest she showed and that she was turned on without pain. What had happened over the workday to cause the change?

The evening prior, she’d told me the full extent of her trauma, her inability to experience desire without what I’d given her.

I struggled to believe a transformation could take place from the idea of someone simply watching her as she’d claimed.

But seeing her now, I realized the idea of her stalker had definitely awakened her body.

Her response went beyond having an exhibition kink.

She definitely felt something . I just wished I knew what it was so I could somehow cultivate it.

Her acknowledgement of my greeting then stating how ready she was for me caused hope to rise in my chest.

I hadn’t been able to hold back a curse when I touched her back, her skin burning my fingertips through the thin material separating us.

The warmth of her continued to radiate into my palm as we moved through the lounge.

Her proximity lured me closer, insistent and tempting, making my hair follicles come alive.

Staying focused on my professional role became more difficult with every scene between us, doubly so tonight because of her blatant arousal and unhindered willingness to submit.

I wanted to strip her down, tie her up tight, and dominate in every way I craved. Breathe in the scent of vanilla while running my nose along her neck. Lap at her sweetness, my face buried between her thighs.

My cock jerked in my leathers, releasing a thick stream of pre-cum, same as it had for Dolyn. That man had definitely woken up something inside me. While I grimaced over the unnatural slickness, I wouldn’t trade my time spent with him for anything.

I directed Ashley toward the private rooms where we always hid behind closed doors.

She pulled up abruptly, and I stumbled to a stop, glancing down at her. “Ash?”

Ashley lifted her head, offering me an onslaught of violet eyes overflowing with desire, fear, and excitement.

Lust kicked my groin like a hoof to my balls, but the pain radiated sweet need rather than agony.

She licked her lip, glancing to the left and the unoccupied spanking bench. “Can we use that?”

My brow shot upward. One of her hard limits had been sceneing in public. Not that I was complaining over her question, but what the hell was going on with her tonight?

She stared at the bench, the pulse in her neck thrumming in time with mine, pupils dilating to eat up the lightness of her eyes.

How far was she willing to go, and could I trust her to make the right choice when aroused so potently?

“Are you sure you’re ready for that?” I forced myself to check in when all I wanted to do was tie her down, push my granite-like cock into her pussy, and stroke her silken walls, my fingers thrumming on her clit, until she found release.

She licked her lower lip again and nodded. “Yes, Master Vanni.”

Fuck. Yes.

I wanted every patron in the lounge to see how sweetly Ashely obeyed her master, how generous she was with her submission. A discreet palm to my bulge shifted my strangling cock.

“And what do you want me to use tonight to give you the pain you need?”

“Your hand.”

My balls tightened in a flash, and I hissed through clenched teeth. “You’re sure , Ashley?”

She nodded.

“Words.” I insisted when she didn’t give me the necessary verbal response to cross this line.

“Yes, Master.” She stared up at me with vulnerability and assurance in her gaze. “I want you to mark me with your palms tonight.”

Fuck, as her friend and master I should talk to her about it further, find out her reasoning, and assure her she made a good choice for her journey toward healing. I’d yearned from day one to get my hands on her, wanted her ass showcasing my prints.

And tonight, that fantasy could come true.

“Ash…”

“Please, Vanni—I trust you explicitly, and I feel ready for your touch.”

A deep, gratifying warmth spread through me. “Then I will give you what you desire.” Pressing firmly against her lower back, I angled us toward the empty bench.

She moved without hesitation, grace in her body, swaying even though sexual tension crackled between where we touched. Our deviation from the usual drew attention, but I thrived on people watching me take apart my submissives and put them back together again.

While I felt a connection with Ashley, I had no wish to hide her beauty from interested eyes.

They just weren’t allowed to touch.

“Give me your robe,” I commanded, my voice low with authority. Rarely did I consider using my Dom voice with Ashley, but tonight, among the other members of my club, I needed to show the part of me they expected to see, the dominant who hadn’t been out to play in public for far too long.

Her hands shook as she slipped the knot free and let the satin slide down over her milky shoulders. Breasts high and full, rose nipples furled tight caught my gaze, and my tongue flicked over my lower lip. They would fit perfectly in my palms, and the cherry-like nubs would be sweet to suckle.

Maybe someday.

I let my groan escape into the mix of slapping flesh, moans, and quiet overhead music filling the lounge around us.

“Knees here,” I said, patting the leather cushion of the angled spanking bench.

Skin pebbled, she rested where I’d indicated, moving without a hint of trepidation or lack of surety.

Ashley must have seen countless patrons getting spanked while moving through the lounge the other nights she’d come to me for therapy because she arranged herself perfectly where she needed to be without me having to intervene.

Restraints rested near her ankles and wrists.

Watching her emotionally fall apart the first time I had tied her down—and unable to wrap her in my arms to provide comfort—had been like a knife to my chest. If that happened again out here where everyone could see, my inability to hold her as her Dom ought to would kill me.

“Do you wish to be tied down tonight, Ashley?” I asked quietly, hopeful she would refuse.

She opened her mouth to reply, glancing across the lounge toward one of the far, empty corners.

“Ashley?” I checked in when she didn’t respond.

“No, Master,” she finally whispered what I wished to hear, making my next inhale easier.

The roundness of her backside faced one side of the lounge, a beautiful heart-shaped ass with its hole hidden by plump cheeks I couldn’t wait to see marked up by my hands.

I swallowed both a moan and growl, prowling around the bench to fully take in the gorgeous sight of her complete submission that Dolyn had denied me in holding a part of himself back.

At the thought of him, another pulse of pre-cum slid down the inside of my leathers.

Ashley had lowered her head, dark hair framing her face, slender hands gripping the bench. Shivers twitched the skin across her shoulders and along her spine. The swell of her ass once more drew my attention.

“I’m going to put my hands on you, Ashley.”

“Please, Master.”

I rubbed over my bulge, grimacing at the sticky mess inside my pants.

Dolyn and this woman could very well be the death of me given the chance.

I didn’t give a shit that Ashley held my already fragile heart in her hands.

If she told me to stop breathing, demand the blood cease pumping through my arteries, I would grant her wish.

Whatever she wanted, I would willingly give.

Cream smeared along the insides of her thighs suggesting she would eventually try for more than pain.

“Fuck,” I whispered and swallowed hard as fire shot through me, overheating my skin from scalp to toes. Insides quivering, I leaned down near her ear, leather strangling my cock. “You know your safeword.”

She turned to rest her cheek on the headrest and met my steady gaze. “It’s red , Master.”

I wanted to lick the words off her lips, plunge my tongue inside and taste her sweetness.

Ashley enjoyed pain, but I wasn’t about to fuck up and ruin my chances with cultivating our friendship into something more unless she showed interest. Neither would I let loose with six months worth of sexual tension with one blow just because she and thoughts of Dolyn had me worked the fuck up.

I eyed her pale flesh and lifted my arm. My palm landed with a decent crack, enough to cause her to gasp. I immediately stepped away without lingering over how warm or soft she felt.

“Color?”

“Green, Master—so very green.” She sighed and sank onto the bench as though one swat had leaked all of the tension from her muscles.

Two more hits in quick succession earned me a spine-tingling moan and a full-body shiver.

“Ash?” I whispered, my chest fluttering, palm itching, ears desperate to hear her cries of release.

“Green, Master.”

I landed a few more blows, satisfied at seeing my print bloom across her pale skin but itching to go further than she’d asked for. She’d taken one hell of a step tonight, and I couldn’t help myself from pushing for more. “Can I soothe the sting away, Ash?”

“Mmm.” She wiggled her hips as though already searching for release.

“Words, Ash,” I demanded, my voice low and ragged.

“Yes, Master—touch me. Please .” Her whimpered reply caused my stomach muscles to clench and cock to throb in its prison.

Another curse hissed through my brain, and I reached out, coming into direct, lingering contact with her skin.

She was silk beneath my fingertips, softer than anything I’d felt, the redness of my prints warm and delicious as sunshine.

I took my time caressing over her backside, staring at the wetness seeping down the insides of her thighs.

The cells in my body vibrated, my subconscious insisting I touch her there. Slide my fingers through her wet folds, stroke deep into her slick channel until she climaxed.

Holding tight to my restraint, I removed my hand, hauled off, and whacked her again, teeth clenched.

Ashley whimpered, a sheen of sweat dampening her skin. She trembled against the bench, and I selfishly leaned in close, allowing my straining dick to brush against her thigh since leather separated our skin. “Tell me what you need, Ashley.”

“I—I…” She swallowed and moaned, pressing against my dick, dark strands of hair sticking to her sweaty face.

“Ashley,” I growled, forcing myself to move away.

“More pain, Master,” she whispered and licked over her lower lip. “Please make me come.”

Every muscle in my body tense and straining, I gave her what she asked for, turning her cheeks a deeper shade of red.

She bucked against the bench, weeping, but didn’t safeword or attempt to escape the blows I rained down on her sweet ass.

The musky scent of her arousal permeated the air, mixing with her natural vanilla in my nose.

I lusted to taste, to plunder, barely managing to keep myself restrained from devouring her like a ravenous animal.

The furthest reaches of my soul pushed to claim, mark, and own.

Like a beast waking from a deep slumber, craving attempted to take over my brain, insisting I do all three.

Ashley cried out, shuddering with her climax before my body caved to its need.

Another rush of pre-cum slid along my left thigh, and I hissed, rubbing over the welts on her backside as she came down from her release, trembling—and not crying.

Our scene had ended.

But a newly awakened, unnamable part of me roared for satisfaction.