The Claiming (2 page)

She didn't even try to stop her climax. He'd told her to come whenever and since that wasn't something he often allowed, she was going to take advantage of it while she could. She wiggled herself to take him easier and bit the inside of her cheek as the first orgasm swept through her body.

He slowed down after her slight tremors stopped, but only so he could work her with long intentional thrusts that lifted her lower body from the bed.

“Holy fuck, Sir.”

He didn't stop, but took it for the encouragement it was, this time alternating between long and deep and shallow and fast. When her second orgasm hit, he held still.

“I love the feeling of your climax pulsating around me,” he said as the tremors subsided. “Love knowing what I do to you.” He pressed deeper into here. “Feel what you do to me?”

His body shook, betraying the amount of self-control he was using to remain still.

“Yes, Sir. But let me feel it more.” She lifted her hips. “Let me feel you finish.”

With a low groan from his throat, he drove into her again and this time, he let himself go.

“Bloody hell, Sasha,” he panted, but gathered her to his chest. She sighed in blissful contentment. Being in his arms, lying on his chest, was hands-down her favorite place to be. She knew in a few minutes he would get up so he could clean her. When he'd collared her, they'd stop using condoms. She loved the feel of him bare within her, but it was a bit messier. Even so, once he'd cleaned them both, she knew he'd come back to bed again and hold her.

Yes, if this were a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

***

Cole smiled when he saw the e-mail he'd been waiting for had arrived in his inbox. He'd been waiting to show Sasha his childhood home for quite a while. But after their conversation the previous night, he'd decided he wanted to do that and more.

In the months since they'd been together, Sasha continued to grow stronger and more self-assured. He loved watching her become the fierce woman he'd known she was when he first saw her. But it bothered him that she didn't know exactly what she did to him. He'd told her so in words, and he'd thought he'd shown her with actions. Apparently, though, he hadn't been as clear as he'd thought.

That was going to change with the UK trip.

But in order to pull it off, he needed some help and that's where their friends came into play. The idea had hit him the night before. Now he had to contact Nathaniel and Daniel to get them involved.

It would be tricky; everyone was going to have to keep the main reason for the UK trip a secret. He knew both Nathaniel's wife, Abby, and Daniel's submissive, Julie, hated keeping secrets from Sasha. He could only hope that in this case, they wouldn't mind so much and would follow along.

He pushed back from his desk and went into the guest bedroom. The safe inside the closet held what he was looking for. Sasha didn't even know of the safe's existence and, since she was at work at the floral shop she owned with Julie, he could open it without her finding out.

He opened the safe and carefully took out the small case he'd come for. Perfect. He'd get the contents adjusted and ready. He couldn't wait to see the expression on Sasha's face when she realized what it was.

Now he just had a few phone calls to make and everything would be set in motion.

“Sasha,” Julie said a few days later when Sasha entered the store after having lunch with Cole. “What's the deal with this UK trip? Is it really going to be a house party? Abby and Nathaniel are coming, too?”

Sasha put her purse under the counter with a smile. “Did Cole send you and Daniel the details?”

He'd expanded on the idea behind the trip to the UK, invited their friends, and talked about adding some role-play scenarios to it. He planned on being the lord of the manor and Sasha was to be his head servant. Abby and Nathaniel, along with Julie and Daniel were to be houseguests. She'd had loved for Dena and Jeff to go as well, but Dena was pregnant and, with her history of late-term miscarriage, there was no way she was going to travel out of the country. Fortunately, Julie and Sasha had a relationship with a company that provided temporary employees, so it wouldn't be a problem for them both to be out at the same time.

Julie was smiling. “Yes, and it sounds like so much fun. I can't wait.”

“I think it'll be fun, too. I mean, when was the last time you and I went anywhere? And I've always wanted to go to the UK.”

“Seriously.” Julie's eyes grew big. “Ohh, we need to go shopping!”

“Definitely. And you know, I think this trip will be a good chance for you to get to know Cole.”

Sasha always got the impression Julie merely put up with Cole because he was part of her life. Her best friend had never been one to keep her feelings about him secret. Especially in the early days of their relationship.

Julie twirled a rose stem. “True, but I'm coming around to you guys being a thing. I just never in my wildest dreams thought you'd be with anyone like him.”

“You're coming around or Daniel's told you to zip it where we're concerned?”

Cole and Daniel, Julie's Dom, were old friends and Daniel had not taken kindly to the way Julie questioned the budding relationship.

Julie grinned. “Maybe a little of both. I have to admit, even though I know it's none of my business, I'm still insanely curious about the rules Kate mentioned when she stopped by that one day.”

Kate, Cole's ex, had shown up unexpectedly at Cole's place the first morning Sasha slept over. While she was there, she'd alluded to certain rules Cole had given her about his punishments. Rules that he had seemingly not given Sasha.

“Oh, that.” Sasha decided to tease Julie a bit.

“You know?”

“Yeah, I asked him about it. Damn stupid on my part, because he decided to make it a rule for me, too.”

“Do tell.”

“It's nothing really. Just that I'm not allowed an orgasm for twenty-four hours following a discipline session.” Sasha rolled her eyes. “He put it in the protocol and everything.”

Julie nodded. “I get that. Daniel hasn't so much made it a rule, but he may as well have.”

“Last time I'm asking anything having to do with a rule, though.” She leaned close to her friend. “That morning that Kate came over, following the first time he used a cane on me? I came four times the night before.”

“Four?”

“Yes, which is why that rule utterly and completely sucks.”

“I agree.”

“Are canes still a hard limit for you?” Sasha asked.

“Yes, and I don't see that coming off the list anytime soon.”

Julie had been dating Daniel for more than a year and she had been wearing his collar for nearly that long. It was still considered relatively early in her submissive journey, though, and Daniel was her first Dom.

“You know they're not all about pain, right?” Sasha asked Julie. “When they're used certain ways, they can feel really good.”

“I know. I talked to Abby. She can actually orgasm when Nathaniel uses one on her.”

Sasha shook her head. “I don't see that happening. Ever.”

“Me, neither. But it does give me hope that one day we can play with them.”

Sasha stilled the hand that Julie had been twirling the flower with. “I don't say it often enough, but I want you to know how proud I am of you. A year ago could you have even imagined that you would be the collared submissive of one of the most highly regarded Doms in the area?”

Julie laughed. “No, never.”

“Funny how time changes us, isn't it?”

***

Her words echoed in her head several weeks later as Cole drove them toward his childhood home. If someone had told her six months ago that she would be here today with Cole, she'd have called them a liar to their face. Nor would she have thought it possible that she would feel so content, at peace, and in love.

“It's so beautiful here,” she said. “So green and lush.”

“Only because it rains so much.”

“It's not raining now.”

In fact, not only was it not raining, it was a gorgeous summer day. She wished they had rented a convertible so she could feel the wind in her hair. Cole said it wasn't much farther to the estate, but she didn't care. She could ride for hours looking at the beautiful scenery.

“Here's the drive,” Cole said, turning off onto an unpaved road.

She twisted around trying to find the house, but she couldn't see it. “Where's the house?”

“Just a ways up.”

She sat forward in her seat, anxious for the first look at Cole's childhood home. “Seeing this,” she said, “I understand why you didn't want a penthouse in the city. All the space. You don't even have very many neighbors.”

There were a few small houses scattered here and there, but nothing particularly close to the estate they were pulling up to. Cole turned a curve and a massive dwelling came into view.

“Oh wow.” She had no other words. Nothing to describe her amazement at what she saw. “House” didn't do the structure justice. It was much larger than anything she had imagined.

“I remember it being much bigger,” Cole said.

“Are you serious? Bigger than that?”

“I was a child the last time I saw it and looked at it with a child's point of view.”

“I guess that makes sense.” She observed him, watching for any emotion. He never spoke much about his childhood. She'd only heard bits and pieces from him.

He caught her staring. “Why are you looking at me like that, little one?”

“I'm not sure if you're happy or sad to be here.”

They'd made it to the front of the house, and even though she couldn't wait to get out and explore the house and grounds, at the moment she was concerned only with the man at her side.

He parked the car, turned in his seat, and took her hand. “You're with me, which automatically means I'm happy. The location doesn't matter.”

“Just wanting to know if I should be prepared to slay dragons for you this week.”

“Little one. Don't you know?” He brought her hand to his lips for a quick kiss. “You already have.”

The next afternoon, Sasha stared out the window in the morning room. She thought that was a silly name,
morning room.
Did that mean you couldn't use it after lunch? Why wasn't there an afternoon room or an evening room? English people were funny.

“What's the smile for, little one?”

She jumped at the sound of Cole's voice. He strolled into the room, hands in his pockets, looking at her with
that
look. The one that said without words that he wanted to tie her up and do wicked, wicked things to her.

She dropped to her knees. “I was thinking about how impractical it is to have a room you use only in the morning.”

He dug his fingers into her hair and she moaned at how good his touch felt. “I suppose it is a bit impractical. Stand up and walk with me outside.”

She scurried to her feet. She'd been looking forward to exploring the grounds of his childhood home. He held out a hand and, with their fingers entwined, they made their way out the door.

They'd explored the inside yesterday and everyone else was scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Even though she was excited to see her friends, she was glad to have a couple of days alone with Cole.

They made their way past the rose garden and maze to a large expanse of open field.

“When I was a boy, there were sheep here,” he said. “I was a bloody terror, running around, playing viking warrior.”

Sasha looked over the field and in her mind's eye, she could picture it: a four- or five-year-old Cole. He would have run across the grassy meadow, short, stocky legs pumping as hard as they could while he charged at the sheep. And in her mind, he held a stick as a sword. The image made her smile.

“Looking back now, it's easy to see why my parents only had me. I was a handful and a half.”

“I can picture bits of it in my head, but honestly, I have a hard time seeing you as a child.”

He grinned at her and put his arm around her shoulders. “I'll have to see if Mum has pictures.”

“Is she coming?” She'd yet to meet his mother. Of course, he hadn't met her parents, either, but they had invited her brother over for dinner once.

“Here? No, I think she's in Italy now.”

She nodded. From all accounts, it didn't sound like she stayed in one place for very long.

“She's never been very content.” He frowned. “With anything.”

His expression made her sad. She wanted to ask his mother what the hell her problem was. How could she not be content? She remembered his statement about people trying to change him. Was his mother one of the people who had always tried to change him? If that was the case, it was no wonder he never felt as if he could satisfy anyone.

“That's a sad life. Never being content. Always traveling and never setting down roots.” She brushed his hand. “For what it's worth, I think I'll be content as long as I'm with you. No matter where we are.”

“There's no one else I want to set down roots with,” he whispered. “But I want to do it in Wilmington. I'm glad I was able to purchase this place, but just being here has proven to me that home is in the States.”

“I'd move here if you wanted to.”

“Thank you, little one. You don't know how much that means to me.”

She turned and put her arms around him, just wanting to show support. To simply be there for him. He sighed and kissed the top of her head.

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms for several long minutes. He gave her a squeeze and pulled back. “Right, so enough of melancholy. Why don't I show you where I had my first kiss?”

***

Cole couldn't hold back his grin at Sasha's dropped jaw.

“What?” she asked.

“I had my first kiss, right down there.” He pointed to the old barn. “Come on, I'll show you.”

She took his hand and they walked down the gently sloping hill to reach the small weathered barn. The building hadn't been maintained very well. He was going to have to hire someone to keep the house and yard up. This place was too important to him to let it fall into ruin, even if he had no desire to live here full-time.

He let go of Sasha's hand only long enough to open the iron gate and push aside the overgrown weeds.

“Ugh.” She followed behind, swatting at the tall grasses. “You have your work cut out for you here.”

“I'm going to hire some people to help me clean it up.”

She waved away a fly. “I certainly hope it wasn't like this when you brought your girlfriend here to seduce her.”

“What makes you think I seduced her? Maybe it was the other way around.” He held open the barn door so she could join him inside.

“Really?”

He pulled her deeper into the barn, a place he hadn't been for more than twenty years. Back then, it had smelled of grain and hay and sheep. Now it was all musty and dirty. “I was thirteen and she was fifteen.”

“Ohh, an older woman?” She pushed his shoulder. “Look at you.”

“Right? Mary Catherine was the vicar's daughter. She had strawberry blond hair that had these perfect ringlet curls.”

“At fifteen?” Sasha's nose wrinkled. “Ringlets?”

“It was natural and she hated it. Threatened to cut it all off.”

“Smart.”

“I liked it. I thought it'd be fun to pull. But she came over one day with her father for a visit. I was in here, helping with a pregnant sheep that was having some trouble. Mary Catherine strolled in like she owned the place and said, “I've decided I'm going to kiss you today.” I was in shock. She was so pretty and all the guys wanted her.”

The look on Sasha's face was a combination of disbelief and fascination. He laughed and pulled her to his chest.

“Come here. I just looked at her with my jaw hitting the floor, much like yours is now. She gave me a smirk and walked over and kissed me.” He lowered his lips to hers for a quick kiss. “We snogged for a bit that day, and I fell even harder. Followed her around school for days until she broke my heart.”

“What happened?”

“She was only using me to get at my stepbrother.”

“The asshole kid who lived to get you in trouble?”

“That very one. I was devastated. Told my mum I was over girls for good.”

Sasha brushed some hay off her shoulder. “Hmm, that didn't work out very well, did it?”

“No, it lasted about two weeks.”

Her grin was infectious. “A whole two weeks? Wow. She must have been something to make you forget Mary Catherine.”

“Oh, she was, but I wasn't able to forget Mary Catherine.”

“You liked her that much?”

“Nah, the girl I went with after two weeks was Mary Catherine's little sister.”

Her hand flew to her mouth, but she lowered it and gave him a stern look. “Cole Johnson, that was a horrible thing to do.”

“I disagree. Emily Anne was twelve and totally smitten with me.”

Sasha rolled her eyes. “Twelve?”

“Don't give me that look, she was only a year younger than me.”

“And you were using her to make her sister jealous.”

“Yeah, and it worked, too.”

“Mary Catherine left your stepbrother?”

“Not exactly. The next time she came over, she attempted to give me a blow-job in the barn.”

“Are you serious? The vicar's daughter?”

He nodded. “It's always the ones you least expect. Unfortunately, asshole kid caught her trying to unzip my pants. I told him it was all her, but I was sent off to boarding school within the month anyway.” Damn, so much for not being melancholy.

Sasha stroked his arm. “Cole, I'm so sorry.”

He shrugged. “It made me who I am today, I can't find it in me to regret it.” He didn't want to dwell on the past, he hadn't even meant to bring it all up. He just wanted her to know something about him.

She must have picked up on his thoughts. “I wonder where she is now. Do you ever think about that?”

“Oh yes. She's actually in that far house over there.” He pointed to the cozy cottage-looking home across the valley. “She got pregnant at seventeen. Married the guy. I hear they're still together.”

But it appeared Sasha's mind was no longer on his past. She palmed his cock and asked in a low whisper, “Did you ever get blown in the barn?”

“No, but Sasha, you don't—”

“Please, Sir. Let me.” She was already moving to her knees.

What man alive could resist that? No one. Not a single man. He fisted her hair with a nod of his head.

With victory surging in her eyes, she made quick work of his trousers. Within seconds, they were around his ankles and his cock was freed. “Poor Mary Catherine,” she said. “So close. But so far away. Girl never knew what she was missing.”

She parted her lips and licked him. Dragging her tongue around the slit, already glistening with pre-come at the thought of her hot mouth. But Sasha was in the mood to play. Instead of taking him deep in her mouth, like she normally did, she licked her own lips.

“Fuck, Sir. I love your cock.” She licked the very tip a few more times and he thought he'd lose his mind.

“Then suck it. Open your mouth, take me inside, and suck me down like I know you can.”

“But it's so much fun to do this.” She licked it again and he knew if she kept it up, he was going to lose his shit.

He tightened the fist in her hair. “Suck it. Fucking
now
, sub.”

Recognizing his
this is no longer a game
voice, she dropped all pretense of play and took him deep into her mouth. Even so, he gave a solid thrust and drove even deeper. He fisted her hair with both hands, keeping her still and not letting her move her head.

“That's it.” Fuck, she felt good. “Keep it right there. Let my cock fill your throat. Breathe through your nose as best you can.”

He let go of her hair, just for a minute, allowing her to take a deep breath. He lightly scratched her head, knowing she liked it. But she knew what it meant when his grip tightened once again.

“Again,” he said.

She once again opened her mouth wide and took him to the back of her throat.

“Very nice,” he said. “Now swallow.”

Her nails dug into his upper thigh. They didn't do this often, but it was something he wanted her to work on. She obeyed and it took all his control not to release down her throat.

“Breathe when I pull out,” he instructed her. He kept his hands in her hair, holding her still while he guided them both. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep his current movements up for very long. Her nails scratched him deeper and he welcomed the pain.

He pushed into her throat again. “Yes, that's it. So good.”

He pulled out and this time he didn't have to tell her to breathe. “You love my cock filling your throat, don't you?”

Of course she couldn't answer. But she didn't have to, he knew her so well. “Get ready. I'm going to come down your throat. Take it all. Every last drop.”

He shoved his cock deep inside one last time, holding her head still as he released. Afterward, he felt completely spent. He'd come so hard, he didn't want to move for hours. Hell, he wasn't sure he could move. But he forced himself to remain upright, holding out his hand, and helping Sasha up.

“Was it worth waiting for?” she asked.

He led her to a pile of hay. “Yes, little one.” He sat down and pulled her into his lap. “It was worth every minute of the wait. In fact, it was so good, I think you deserve a reward.”

Cole scanned the inside of the barn. There was precious little to be found, but he did spy some coils of rope in the far corner.

“I'll be right back.” He went to retrieve the rope, making sure it would work. Worst-case scenario, she would have a few rope burns on her wrists.

He made it back to where she was resting on the hay and noticed how her eyes widened with excitement when she saw the rope. “Excited?”

“When you said reward, Sir, I didn't know rope would be involved.”

“Is the rope a problem?” he asked, even though he was fairly certain he knew the answer.

“No, Sir. Everything is always better with rope.”

“I agree. Now the question is, where do I string you up?” He looked around, trying to find a place that was safe and not too dirty. His eyes landed on something.

He walked over to a wooden block against the back wall. “Come here, little one.”

She walked toward him with just a hint of trepidation, but mostly excitement.

“Stand up here on the block.” Once she was in place, he bound her wrists together and pulled them above her head, attaching the other end of the rope to a hook in the wall.

“How does that feel? Not too tight or uncomfortable?”

She gave the rope a good tug. “No, Sir. Everything's good.”

“Everything is about to get much, much better.” He stroked her ass and unzipped her pants, pushing them down her legs and exposing her naked from the waist down. “What a good girl.”

“Oh no. Fuck. Red!” Sasha jerked her arms, as if trying to get away.

He shot straight up, heart racing, and worked to untie her. He blocked everything out, unable to focus on anything other than getting her loose. She wasn't trembling, which meant if it was a panic attack it wasn't presenting the same way they had before. Her demeanor didn't look like it did before one, either.

“What's wrong?” He gave the rope a hard jerk, finally pulling it free. Bloody hell, he was an idiot. He'd tied her up without scissors nearby. That was a rookie mistake and not only did he know better, but Sasha deserved better.

“Outside,” she sputtered out. The second her hands were free, she bent down to pull up her pants, moving quickly and straightening her appearance as best she could.

“What?” She wasn't hurt. That was all he really cared about.

“There's someone outside, walking this way. I don't know how much they saw.”