l after her with the slow deliberation of a jungle cat. Unable to bear the tension and fear, she pulled the frosted door open and started the water.
Her nose almost bumped his chin when she turned around. His eyes blazed with a combination of fury and desire. Remembering the savage bite of his fingers, she flinched when he reached for her. A low growl rose from his throat and Taylor fought the urge to twist away as his hands closed around the front of her sweater dress. The sound of rending fabric filled the room, rising above the steady drum of the water. She cried out as he spun her around and shoved her face first into the wall. Her breath left her in a forceful whoosh. Pressing her cheek against the cold stone tiles, she held perfectly still, allowing him to tear the clasps on her bra free. He yanked if off her shoulders and tossed it across the floor. Her nails scraped against the unforgiving wall, and she bit back a yelp of pain as he tore the thin lace underwear away with a sharp wrench that abraded her tender skin.
She jumped when the hot scald of his breath fell across her neck. His hands trailed up the sides of her arms. The hard muscle of his thigh drove between hers, wedging them apart. His lean body pinned her from behind and pressed her deeper against the wall. Taylor stifled a whimper, her back bowing as his fingers closed around her nipples, plucking and twisting the sensitive peaks.
“You are mine,” he growled against her ear. “You and your body belong to me. Do you know what that means?”
She shivered, hating herself as his lips trailed up the side of her neck and her response came with more than a small glimmer of truth. “That I am the luckiest girl in the world?”
He chuckled softly. One hand closed over the full mound of her breast, kneading it roughly, as the other dipped between her legs. Sebastian tensed with a rumble of appreciation upon finding her wet. Unable to help herself, she rocked against the firm glide of his fingers.
“Good answer, darling, but no,” he whispered. “It means you will do as I say—how and when I say. Isn’t that so?”
Her breath came in a harsh pant. Biting her tongue, she tamped down a moan. “Yes, Sebastian.”
“Mm. Good girl,” he murmured. “Don’t cum. I want to be inside you when your body shatters.”
The rasp of his voice alone was enough to push her to that point. She whimpered as his fingers continued their rhythmic glide. It felt so good. A constant wave of pleasure battered her starved body. Trembling, she fought to hold on. Sebastian moaned behind her, spurring the heat inside her to even greater heights. A few more strokes against her throbbing clit threatened to send her over the edge. Tensing, Taylor stiffened. The rocking motion between her legs stopped, and she froze, shaking as her body dangled dangerously on the precipice. She closed her eyes. Her lungs ached, but she knew one shallow breath, one tiny movement, would push her past the point of no return. Agonizing seconds ticked by until the threat of release wavered, and she slumped with a sigh of relief.
Sebastian chuckled behind her. His lips pressed firmly against the side of her neck in approval. “Close call,” he breathed.
Stepping back, he peeled her off the wall and gestured to the waiting shower with a sweep of his arm. Taylor stepped inside, gasping as the hot spray pelted her skin. Her cold flesh responded with an instant burst of pins and needles. Through the frosty glass, she watched Sebastian’s outline as he stripped and tossed his clothes aside. Fear and anticipation warred within her, fighting for control.
She sucked in a muffled sob when he opened the door and stepped inside to join her. The sight of his body shocked her and threatened to rip away all shreds of desire. Fading bruises still mottled his ribs, painting them various shades of black and blue. His beautiful chest was darkened with burns too jagged and uneven to have come from a cigarette or cigar. An icy chill shot down her spine as one word came screaming to the forefront of her mind. Electrodes. Shaking her head, she ran a trembling hand over his stomach. Tears burned her eyes, mingling with the overhead spray. What had they done to him? How could anyone do this to him? Sebastian was so powerful, so virile, and strong. Her heartbroken gaze darted to his in search of understanding.
“Shh,” he soothed, pressing a finger to her lips. “It’s done. I’m here now. That’s all that matters.”
Taylor nodded and kissed his hand, but a million questions loitered on her tongue. She turned away and grabbed the sponge, desperately needing some distraction before her mouth got her in trouble. Snaring his bottle of body wash, she squirted on a generous amount and worked it into a thick lather. Sebastian cocked his head, but said nothing as she slid behind him. Murmuring softly, she kissed a path across the top of his shoulders. She trailed the sponge in their wake, massaging his skin with slow, gentle circles. Dropping his head forward, he rested his chin on his chest with a pleasured sigh.
Eager to touch him, her other hand followed the path of the sponge, stroking over the firm lines of his body in a reverent glide. She blinked against the sting of the water as she kissed and scrubbed every part of him. A smile played on her lips when she inched around his side to start on Sebastian’s front. If the bliss stamped across his handsome face was any indication, her lover was at least enjoying the moment. She lathered his chest slowly, avoiding the burns. He inched back, pulling her with him until he leaned against the shower wall. Crouching before him, Taylor lathered the delicious bulges of his abs planting a tender kiss on each one. His fingers found her hair and tightened in approval. His breath surged past his clenched teeth in a sharp exhale as she wrapped her soapy hand around his straining shaft. She watched his head fall back and the urgent need play across his face as she gave it a few firm strokes. His free hand hit the wall behind him with an audible smack. The other clamped down brutally in her hair.
Sebastian’s ragged gasp echoed through the shower as she drew him into her mouth. Swirling her hand around the thick base, she hollowed her cheeks and sucked in earnest, a low moan of pleasure rising from her throat. The ever-tightening hold in her hair wrung a pained whimper. Letting her hand fall free, she surrendered all control. He drove her head up and down slowly at first, savoring the sensation, then weeks of pent up need sprung free. Taylor gagged, her breath coming in shallow snorts as he pistoned without mercy, battering the back of her throat. The room started to pitch into a dangerous spin, and darkness swirled just out of reach when the hot, salty burst of his release flooded her mouth and Sebastian’s hoarse bellow of completion roared in her ears.
Breathless, she remained slumped at his feet, relishing the feel of his fingers while they stroked the top of her head. After a moment, he helped her stand. She trembled with exertion as he studied her face and brushed the hair from her eyes.
“Go wait for me in the bedroom,” he stated softly.
“But I wanted to wash those adorable curls,” she whispered.
One corner of his mouth tugged with the beginnings of a smile, but he lifted her chin and met her eyes. “What did I just say?”
Hanging her head, she fought the ridiculous urge to pout and sighed. “Yes, Sebastian.”
He joined her a few minutes later, clad in nothing but the thick towel wound around his waist. Water still dripped from the ends of his hair and ran in slow rivers over his shoulders and the swell of his chest. Taylor wrung her hands and squirmed, shifting on the side of the bed as the familiar ache of desire branched through her. She watched him cross the room and pull her necklace off the top of the dresser. Turning to face her, Sebastian motioned her forward with a slow crook for his finger. A prickle of apprehension rippled across her skin, but she stood and inched forward. Without a word, he gently spun her around. His fingers brushed across her nape and swept her damp hair aside. After clasping the silver pendant around her neck, he leaned over her shoulder and kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear.
“Don’t take it off again,” he warned. “Are we clear?”
“Yes, Sebastian. I’m sorry.”
He petted her head. “I know, baby, but just to be sure there are no future misunderstandings, I am
going to give you a little reminder.”
Her blood ran cold and she tensed in his arms.
“Bend over the foot of the bed,” he whispered.
Taylor shivered despite the heated caress of his breath and the tender, almost reverent bush of his lips as he kissed the side of her neck. She closed her eyes, willing her body not to tremble.
“Sebastian…please…”
“Don’t make me ask you again.”
His voice was soft and gentle, but she had no doubt it was the one and only warning she was going to get. Her legs felt leaden and made of rubber as she forced them to move her forward one agonizing step at a time. She swallowed as Sebastian disappeared into the shadows of their walk-in closet. Bending over the foot of the bed, she gripped the comforter with a fearful tremble. The telltale jangle of a belt buckle sounded behind her, and Taylor whirled to peer over her shoulder with wide eyes. She shook her head pleadingly as he approached, doubling the thick length in his fist.
“Don’t do this,” she begged. “Please don’t do this.”
“Shh, darling. This is for your own good.”
She jerked as the belt cracked against her upper thighs and lit a blazing stripe across her skin. Howling, she tried to reach back and diffuse the burn.
“Move your hands!”
Taylor jumped at the sudden forceful boom of his voice. Her heart leapt into her throat and she squashed a pleading sob. The belt bit into her thighs again, the pain rocking her clear up onto her toes. Screaming into the comforter, she writhed in place. Blow after blow lit her skin on fire. Each menacing whistle made her stiffen, but there was no bracing herself against the sting. Her fists clutched the thick blanket, tugging it inwards off the sides of the bed as the leather strap struck an endless and deliberate path across the back of her thighs up to her shoulders. The final blow fell with a savage snap across her upturned ass, wringing a strangled scream from her throat.
Her body shuddered with her sobs as the belt hit the floor. She felt Sebastian looming behind her. His fingers trailed over her welted thigh in a gentle glide.