Page 17 of Going Deep (Odyssey #3)

When she heard him walk into the room, she opened them again.

His gaze was narrowed, a frown on his face. “ What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

His frown deepened as he stepped up to the bed, feet planted apart, arms folded over his chest. “ Don’t lie to me, Ginger .”

“I’m not.” She sighed when he didn’t move. “ Really , I’m not. I started to freak out, so I was doing a breathing exercise. It helps.”

“What were you freaking out about?”

“You didn’t tell me where or how to sit.”

His face didn’t change. “ Go on.”

Her cheeks warmed, but she forged on. “ I was trying to guess what you’d want me to do, then I realized you’d tell me. So .” She shrugged. “ I decided not to worry about it.”

His eyes lit with approval. “ Well , that was well done.”

The approval in his voice settled over her like a warm hug, and she beamed.

“As it happens,” he went on, looking her over, “that position will do just fine. Scoot down here.”

She followed orders, working herself down the bed so her butt rested almost on the edge of the mattress, the cross-legged position making her knees stick out over the end.

He moved to stand in front of her, so close his knees bumped her shins. He reached down, slid one hand into her hair, and bent to take her mouth.

Her lips fell open under the pressure of his, eagerly welcoming the kiss, and he took ruthless advantage.

His hand kept her head still when she would’ve leaned back, holding her still for his pleasure, and she shivered at the possessiveness of it.

She kissed him back avidly, straining against his hold, her body all but vibrating with arousal.

He nipped her lower lip hard enough to make her flinch, and the tang of copper hit her tongue. “ Hold still,” he ordered and angled his mouth over hers again.

Her head swam, coherent thought sliding away as her body woke to his touch. Her mouth felt bruised, her scalp tight against his hold. Her breasts were heavy, her pussy damp and aching as she fought to keep from wiggling. Frustrated , aroused, she moaned into his mouth.

The kiss softened, gentling from a ravaging into a caress.

“ That’s the sound I like,” he whispered, so close she felt the words against her lips.

He pulled back slightly, and she forced her heavy eyelids up to look into his eyes.

So green, so bright, watching her so carefully.

Her whole world narrowed down to those eyes.

“Pretty Ginger ,” he murmured. “ Flushed cheeks, bright eyes.” His hand came up to stroke over her breasts, rough fingertips scraping over soft peaks. They tightened under his touch, making her gasp, and she saw pleasure reflected in his eyes.

“Beautiful breasts,” he went on, turning his hand to cup the heavy weight. “ You said on your list that your nipples aren’t sensitive.”

“Yes,” she managed.

“Hmmm.” He scraped a thumbnail over the tight tip, smiling when she jumped. “ I think your definition of sensitive differs from mine.”

She thought he might be right.

“Let’s see if we can make them a little more sensitive.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled something out, holding it up for her to see. Light glinted off metal, and she blinked, struggling to identify the tiny objects in the palm of his hand. When she did, her eyes widened. “ Oh , no.”

“Oh, yes,” he corrected, and pinching one nipple clamp between his fingers, aimed it at her breast.

“Wait.” Her hands braced on the bed beside her hips, ready to shove backwards, away from his touch. But she stilled, the words of protest sliding back down her throat when he looked into her eyes.

“Your safeword works here, same as in the club,” he told her. “ If it’s too much, use it.”

She hesitated, searching his face. There was patience in his eyes, a steady calm that soothed even as the unrelenting resolve made her tremble. After a long moment, she nodded.

Her eyes followed his hand as he placed the clamp over her nipple, body tense, but the anticipated pain didn’t come. It was barely there, and she sagged with relief.

Until he started to turn the screw.

She sucked in a sharp breath as the pain bloomed, sharpening with every turn of the screw. She began to writhe as the discomfort threatened to be too much, her mouth opening, yellow on the tip of her tongue.

He turned the screw back, loosening the clamp just enough, and the word died on her lips.

His eyes bore into hers as she panted, the pain dulling into a throbbing pressure. It didn’t feel good, but it didn’t feel bad, either, and it somehow seemed to connect her nipple to her clit, so both pulsed in time with the pounding of her heart.

He smiled slowly. “ I’d say that’s just right,” he decided and picked up the second clamp.

He watched her face closely, backing off again when the pain threatened to overwhelm. She was panting, her heart pounding in her ears when he pulled back. Every shuddering breath made her breasts jiggle, jostling the clamps and sending streaks of heat directly to her core.

As if he knew, he dipped a hand between her open thighs, sliding his fingers through the slick folds of her pussy. His eyes gleamed at the wetness he found. “ You’re soaked,” he observed and slid one finger deep inside her. She sucked in a breath, biting her lip to hold back a sharp cry.

He tsked lightly. “ No , you don’t, darling. I want to hear you.” He curled his finger inside her, stroking the front wall of her cunt in a beckoning motion. His fingertip scraped over something, some spot inside her that made her hips jerk and her pussy clamp down in pleasure.

“Oh, God .”

“Better,” he murmured. His finger slid back, withdrawing to flick over her clit once, twice. Then he pumped two fingers deep and set his thumb on her clit.

The cry burst free when he curled his fingers inside her and his thumb rubbed her clit at the same time. Her hands clenched on the duvet, her pelvis rocking with the rhythm of his thrusting fingers.

“There we go.” His fingers thrust deeper, faster, his thumb circling her clit with increasing speed.

She could hear the wet, sucking sound her cunt made around his hand, embarrassment flaring. But the pleasure flared higher, hotter, leaving no room for anything but the orgasm bearing down on her like a freight train.

“When you come, I want to hear you,” he told her. He nipped her lip, pulling her attention to his face. “ If I don’t, I’ll come up with another way to make you yell.”

Panic flared at the dark intent in his eyes, but she couldn’t look away. Couldn’t pull away. The tension grew, the heavy weight in her pelvis pulling her down, down, the tingling in her clit winding tighter and tighter.

She whined, straining, aching for the peak that stayed maddeningly just out of reach. “ Oh , I’m going to come.”

His eyes glittered, his jaw clenched tight. She jerked when he added a third finger, stretching her wide. Fire streaked through her, little pulses of light forming at the edges of her vision. She hovered, burning and shaking, on the edge of outrageous pleasure. Sobbing with need, unable to go over.

Then his hand came up, closed over her swollen breast, and squeezed. Hard .

Pleasure burst inside her, a million shards of glittering glass. Her head went back and her eyes went blind, crying out as her cunt clamped down on his fingers, pulsing and throbbing until there was nothing left.

She jerked, a moan escaping her lips when he slid his fingers free of the grasp of her body, setting off little aftershocks. Hard hands grasped her shoulders, easing her back on the bed and straightening her legs. Her bones felt like jelly, her muscles completely limp in the aftermath.

She felt him stroking her hair, her belly, her hip, murmuring to her gently as her skin slowly cooled. When she managed to open her eyes, he was there, smiling at her.

“That was very nice, darling,” he said. His thumb stroked over her mouth. “ Very nice screaming.”

“Why—” She licked her dry lips and tried again. “ Why did you want me to scream?”

His thumb continued to stroke. “ Because it’s important to be able to express yourself. And I enjoy hearing your pleasure.”

“Oh. Okay ”

He chuckled. “ How do you like the clamps?”

She blushed but met his eyes. “ They’re good.”

“Good?”

“Yeah.” Her mind was still fuzzy, still reeling from the orgasm. “ Good .”

“Let’s test that, shall we?”

He flicked a finger over one clamped nipple, sending a streak of heat arrowing straight to her clit. She squeaked, and he smiled.

“They are indeed good,” he agreed and shifted to straddle her thighs. Her confusion must have shown on her face, and he grinned. “ You didn’t think we were done, did you?”

“Um. Yes ?”

“I’m going to make you scream at least twice more before we’re through,” he told her and wrapped both hands around her breasts.

She arched her back, pushing into his touch. “ Okay .”

He chuckled, the sound sliding over her like a rough caress as desire built again. She had the vague thought that if it were possible to die of pleasure, she’d surely be in the morgue before the night was through.

She just wasn’t sure she cared.

By the time Michael slipped out of Ginger’s bed in the early hours of the morning, she’d screamed so many times he’d lost count.

She really loved the clamps, though he imagined she wouldn’t put it quite that way.

The look on her face when he’d finally released them, letting the blood flow back into the abused tissue had been such a mix of rage and lust he’d laughed out loud.

If she hadn’t been in the middle of yet another orgasm, she probably would’ve hit him.

And by the time she was coherent enough to remember she was mad, she’d been too exhausted to do anything about it.

He tugged on his slacks, darting a glance at the bed.

The figure buried under the duvet didn’t stir.

She lay on her side facing away from him, and all he could see was the top of her head, a mop of tangled blonde hair.

Her habit of burrowing into the blankets made him want to yank them off her just to see her reaction.

She probably would hit him then, he thought, then grinned. And he’d get to punish her.

He never had gotten around to using the butt plug he’d brought with him.

He seriously considered it for a moment, then dismissed the idea.

He needed to get home and get packed for his trip.

He should have been excited at the idea of this new project, but all he could feel was resentment.

He didn’t want to be collaborating with the World Health Organization this weekend, he wanted to be with Ginger .

He stilled, shock making his hand go limp on the shirt he’d picked up, and it fluttered to the floor.

What was he doing? She was a delight for certain, but he’d had delightful submissives before, and would again.

He cast a glance at the bed. Dangerous thoughts indeed.

It was probably a good thing that he was leaving town for a few days.

It was time to put his situation with Ginger into the proper perspective.

He buttoned his shirt swiftly, then tucked it in and slipped on his shoes.

The lump in the bed hadn’t moved, and he nearly left without waking her.

But disappearing the morning after without a word was bad form, no matter how casual the relationship, so he leaned over her inert form and laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Ginger.” He gave her a light shake. “ Wake up.”

No answer. He shook her harder. “ Ginger .”

This time he got a muffled, “ Humph ,” and she rolled away.

He huffed out a laugh. He could spend the next few minutes trying to rouse her, or he could expedite the process and enjoy himself doing it.

With a wicked grin, he slid his hand under the mound of blankets, stroking over her shoulder, down her arm, around to her breasts.

Warm and soft, he indulged himself for a moment, fondling her gently, and she gave a contented sigh.

Then he slid his fingers to her nipple, puffy and swollen from the clamps, and slowly, carefully, pinched. Hard .

Her eyes shot open on a squeal of pain, and she jerked against his hold. “ Ow !”

He immediately gentled his grip, and she sagged back against the pillows. “ What the hell?”

He chuckled. “ Just getting your attention, darling.” He stroked her now turgid nipple in mute apology. “ I have to go, and I didn’t want to leave without telling you.”

“Oh.” Her body relaxed, and she blinked sleepily at him. “ Okay . What time is it?”

“Just after five.” He brushed a kiss over her lips. “ I’ll call when I get back. Go back to sleep.”

“Mkay,” she mumbled, her eyes sliding shut.

He chuckled and straightened. He left the apartment with a spring in his step, pleased to have settled things in his mind. When he got back to town, they’d spend some more time together. Then he’d say goodbye and walk away.

And things would get back to normal.