Page 23 of Escaped (Snowbound with a Stranger #3)

King of the Castle

Erin

“What was that?”

Eli’s voice boomed across the castle suite that had become our home, and clenching over his lap, I waited for the latest swat to land on my upturned backside.

He delivered it right on time, the spank catching my exposed cheeks and eliciting another guttural whimper from my lips. The strike burned with the others; layer upon layer of decadent heat building into the most magnificent fire.

“Care to rephrase, little girl?”

“Yes, sir.”

I hardly knew what I was agreeing to anymore, nor how long he’d had me there, bound and desperate for him.

“Sorry, sir.”

The punishment had started in the usual way. The standard ‘he said-she said’ routine morphing into the glorious game that saw me stripped and humbled in the way we both enjoyed the most, but that had been hours ago, hadn’t it?

Straining my memory, I wasn’t so sure. In a world where time had little meaning, there was no more to consider than the sting of his palm, the binds at my skin, and the growing wet need between my legs.

“You are so needy.”

His hand paused, knowing fingers trailing a line between my heated cheeks and over my slick sex. I moaned at the contact, my hips rising and falling in an attempt to provoke more of the stimulation I required. He’d had me there, begging and pleading, but had refused me the privilege of another orgasm until he determined I was ready. After so long being dangled at the end of Eli’s line, my head was clouded with desire—I’d never been readier for anything.

“Please, sir.”

There I was again, imploring him to see reason, but in return, all I received was his throaty laughter, the sound grazing over me like a caress.

“Not yet.”

His voice was like a purr.

“Not until you’re absolutely frantic for me.”

Frantic? He had to be kidding. Frantic was a dot on the horizon as far as my frayed yearning was concerned.

“Oh, God.”

I splayed my knees wider, wishing I could do more to switch positions, but the spreader bar at my ankles and the silk at my wrists meant that was all but impossible. I would stay ‘in my place’ until Eli was ready to bestow what he owed me.

“Sir will do.”

His laughter washed over me again, the rhapsody fading just as his fingertips brushed over my clit.

“Sir!”

I jerked at the impetus, the tiny bundle of nerves more than ready to topple me over the precipice if he’d only give me his damn permission. Of course, I could choose to surrender, regardless. Could have taken the pleasure the next time he offered a fleeting caress, but I dared not risk his wrath. Eli could amplify arousal like no one I’d ever met, but I could also only too easily imagine how he’d ratchet my torment if I displeased him.

“Mmm.”

He dipped two fingers into my pussy, fucking me with them slowly as he continued.

“Much more of this and I think my cock is going to need another polish, little girl.”

“Yes, sir.”

My lips parted as I attempted to process the sensations his digits were creating. Evidently, he was in no mood to deliver my relief any time soon and was prepared to protract it with another climax of his own. Eli had enjoyed two already—one in my mouth and one in my pussy—yet still he seemed hellbent on leisurely destroying me.

“You’re beautiful.”

Slowly, his fingers withdrew, provoking another unintentional mewl from me.

“But your master’s pleasure comes first.”

I sighed as he wiggled free from beneath me, no longer caring what he named himself. By the time he’d positioned himself at the end of the bed by my face, I’d have been prepared to declare him Master of the Universe if he’d only let me have the pleasure.

“Come on now.”

Grabbing a fistful of my hair, he urged my lips to meet his eager cock.

“Show me how much you want your orgasm.”

My mouth opened on instinct, my senses filled with the taste and scent of his masculinity when he pushed past my lips.

“Make this one even better than the last and I’ll consider taking pity on you.”

His voice was strained as he lunged in and out of me, his hard length relentless as it grazed the back of my throat.

There was no answering him then, and no coming back from the sense of sublime surrender his dominance had afforded me. I would give him what he needed, would be the spanked and bound vessel for his pleasure, and after that, I’d keep begging for my own.

Eli knew it and so did I.

There was nothing more for it.

I was his.

His to protect, his to play with, and his to punish.

As his crescendo loomed, I’d never known such rapture.

***

“I can’t believe how beautiful it is here.”

Staring out over the crystal blue loch, I almost had to pinch myself to reconcile where my life had landed me. One moment, not so long before, I’d been on the brink of disaster in the dark confines of Hawkins’ bunker, and the next, I was there in the clean, cool Scottish air with the man who seemed determined to keep me smiling.

The session in our substantial bedroom suite had stretched well into the afternoon, but in the end, my master had taken pity on me and granted me the most soul-shattering orgasm I could remember.

Standing there on the banks of the loch a little more than two hours later, I was still dazed and euphoric.

“It’s lovely,”

he agreed, wrapping his arms around me as he stood behind me.

“But you make the view even better.”

“I think you might be a little biased, sir.”

Spinning in his embrace, I rose on my tiptoes to skim a kiss over his stubbled chin.

He was so muscular and so adeptly in control. I couldn’t recall what my life had been before him.

“Guilty,”

he murmured.

“But I’ve never been more pleased for the verdict.”

He held me there in contented silence for long moments, the scent of his spicy cologne catching on the breeze and whipping around to greet me.

Eli.

It didn’t seem to matter that my life as I’d known it had crumbled; that my boss didn’t seem happy about my impromptu extended leave, my best friend apparently wasn’t talking to me, or even that my mother had just died. All those things were real, and some part of my mind accepted them, but they didn’t seem so important with him by my side.

“I love the hotel.”

I caught sight of it towering over his shoulder, the fairytale turret reaching high toward the cloudy sky.

“And our suite is amazing.”

I hesitated, my toes curling in my shoes at the things he’d done to me there.

“But it must be costing a fortune.”

“Stop worrying about the money,”

he admonished playfully.

“I have it and it’s not an issue.”

“Easy for you to say,”

I mumbled, resting my head on his chest.

“I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“The first time is always strange.”

He chuckled.

“But after that, you get used to it.”

“I could get used to this.”

Planting a kiss on his lapel, I glanced up to meet his eyes.

“Thank you again for arranging it all, sir.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

His large hand rose to support the back of my head.

“And I agree about the loch. After all those hours in bed, it’s good to get some fresh air.”

“Don’t.”

My hips rolled reflexively in his direction.

“I can’t believe how cruel you were to me earlier.”

“Cruel?”

His laughter was edgier that time, and I was glad there were no other guests around to hear him.

“I was just warming you up, little girl. After my injuries, we have a lot of time to catch up on.”

“Yes, sir.”

Who was I to argue? We both knew I fucking loved the way he treated me.

“Want to walk some more before dinner?”

His fingers brushed over my flushed cheek.

“All those orgasms have helped work up quite the appetite.”

“Yes.”

I turned back toward the loch as he took my hand.

“It’s so wonderful. Why not?”

“How are you feeling about my confessions now, little girl?”

His tone was nonchalant, but I sensed the anxious shift in his voice.

“With Mum and Chelle, I haven’t had so much time to think about those things, sir,”

I started as we strode away.

“But I would like to know more about both your old employment and the things you were seeing before we met.”

“I’ve already broken The Official Secrets Act, so what difference does it make?”

He sounded wistful as we walked beside the water.

“Give me your questions and I’ll do my best to answer.”

“The things you used to see,”

I probed.

“Have you had any more of those experiences?”

“Nothing since we’ve been together.”

Lifting our enmeshed hands, he kissed my knuckles.

“It’s like you’ve frightened my demons back to the shadows.”

“I’m happy to hear that.”

I met his eyes.

“But promise me you’ll consider professional help if those things ever come back. Mental health is so important, sir.”

“Fair enough.”

He blew out a breath.

“I hope I never see them again, but if they return, I’ll seek out professional help, though I’m not sure I can divulge much about the cause of the anomalies.”

An especially gusty flurry of wind squalled around the loch, temporarily stealing our attention from the intensity of the moment.

“I know.”

I squeezed his fingers in encouragement.

“I want you to do the same, though, little girl,”

he went on.

“If you ever need to talk about any of the shit we’ve been through, know I’m here for you.”

“Thank you.”

I turned in the direction the sun was setting in. Cavorting just above the horizon, its rays were flirting with the line where the loch met the sky.

“I still can’t wrap my head around what happened with Hawkins.”

In my mind, the woman who’d picked up that gun and shot him was an avatar I’d coded; not me.

I had to assume I’d taken his life that day, though, I supposed we’d never know for sure.

My rational perspective couldn’t accept what I’d done, but my emotional one begrudgingly assented to the deed, knowing that while I didn’t want to be a killer, I also didn’t ever want to see Hawkins again.

I’d killed for the man I adored, and if I had to, I’d do it again, but first, I’d like to focus on living for him.

For us.

“It’s not something you get over.”

He sighed.

“Few people understand that better than me.”

I swallowed at how ominous he made that sound.

“I do appreciate your honesty, sir.”

We walked on in silence, the breeze swirling around us as we considered what we’d done.

I’d shot at Hawkins and one of his cronies, but Eli had done far worse in the course of his life, yet still, he’d saved me.

A ‘bad man’ made good, I was prepared to overlook his past to focus on a future together.

I figured we both deserved that.

Lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t realized Eli had stopped until he tugged at my arm and brought us both to an abrupt halt.

I yelped as I bumped into him, lifting my chin to meet his gaze, and there, dancing in his eyes, were the same devils who’d tormented me in the bedroom.

In the time we’d wandered the length of the loch, his melancholy had shifted to something far sexier.

“Sir?”

I reached for his chin and brushed my fingers over his soft stubble.

“I love you for wanting to share everything with me.”

“There’s me thinking you loved me for the red-hot spankings I give you.”

He smirked.

“As well as my cock.”

There was no choice but to smile at his appraisal. I did love those, as well.

“Those too, sir.”

“Whatever you want to know, I’ll tell you, Erin.”

Reaching for me, he smoothed my hair back from my face and held me close as another blast of wind rushed us.

“You’ve helped me escape from that old life, and even though I miss Baron, there’s no going back. From this day on, I vow to you there’ll be no more secrets.”

“And lots of kinky sex?”

I proffered cheekily.

His gray eyes danced with emotion, and in them, I was sure I could see all the wicked and delectable things I longed for him to do with me.

I smiled.

“Here’s to escaping together and a life with no more secrets and lots of kinky sex.”

That sounded just perfect to me.

The End