Mastered (The Enforcers #1) (23 page)

Another low moan escaped her breathlessly and he swore softly as he eased his fingers from inside her.

“You like that,” he said, his satisfaction evident in his words. “You went so fucking wet around my fingers when I spanked that sweet ass. And I'm going to fuck that ass, Angel. But I'm going to work you up before I do. I'm going to make you so mindless that you'll beg me to fuck your ass.”

Her eyes widened with shock because she'd never even contemplated anal sex. It was definitely at the top of her list of “hell no” things she never wanted to experiment with. But with Drake? Not that he'd give her any choice, but she found herself not so unwilling to try—and accept—whatever he chose to do to her.

“I won't hurt you, Angel,” he said softly. “I'll push you. I'll test your limits. And while you'll ride the edge between pleasure and pain, you'll feel far more pleasure and you'll also learn that when a man knows what he's doing, pain is pleasure. The mixture can be heady and unlike anything you've ever experienced before. But it's my job not to take you too far and to make sure the pleasure far outweighs any pain you feel.”

The sincerity in his voice made her melt, and she suddenly felt eager for him to begin. She wanted to experience every single thing he'd promised. She twisted and squirmed restlessly, her body already going up in flames at mere words. How much more intoxicating would it be when he put into action those things he'd promised her?

It earned her another smack on her plump ass, something he didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, he'd acted nothing but approving of her body, imperfect as it was. She had a smaller waist, but it was far from flat and
it was squishy in places, much like her breasts. But her hips flared, giving a rounded shape that seemed almost out of proportion to her waist and even her breasts. And her backside was plump, too plump for Evangeline's liking, which was why she rarely wore form-fitting clothing.

The only problem was that since Drake had prearranged most of the clothing she had purchased, it had nearly all been form-fitting and what he considered sexy on her.

Nothing he'd said, either verbally or in his body language, suggested he found anything wrong with her “plumpness.” Evangeline's girlfriends rolled their eyes and reprimanded her every time she used the word
plump
when describing herself, but what was the use in lying to herself? She had a mirror and she could see she was not what society viewed as the perfect woman. And Drake, who could have much more desirable women with the flick of his fingers, had chosen her and grew angry when she downplayed her assets or lack thereof, and he very bluntly told her it was bullshit.

And then she remembered that night when he'd said in a very straightforward manner that in no way appeared to be him saying stuff to placate her, that the other women had treated her as they did because they weren't as beautiful as Evangeline, and that hers was a natural beauty that most women spent hundreds of thousands of dollars chasing but could never achieve what Evangeline had been gifted with naturally.

How on earth was she supposed to react to that?

She knew she wasn't ugly, but neither was she anything earth-shattering. She was simply average. In between. And yet Drake saw her differently. It was there in his eyes when he watched her, unaware that she studied him covertly. For whatever reason, he was attracted to her, and furthermore, she had a hard time believing he did all the things he'd done for her in their very short acquaintance that he regularly did with his other women.

He'd ensured that her friends and family were taken care of because
he hadn't wanted her to have that worry any longer. He wanted her to relinquish all control and cede ultimate power to him. God, she liked—no,
loved
—the thought of that way more than she should as an independent woman well used to providing for herself and her family with no help from anyone.

Drake's voice broke into her contemplation, a bite to his voice.

“Are you here with me, Evangeline? Because if there's something else you have to be doing, by all means don't let me keep you.”

She blinked and turned as much as she could so she could look at him, and she nearly flinched at the undisguised anger in his voice.

Shit.
She'd checked out on him, and she doubted anyone ever made that mistake.

“I was thinking,” she said softly, honestly. She knew no other way to be, even to her detriment.

“About?” he prompted in an icy tone. “Because when I'm fucking you, I better be the only goddamn thing on your mind or we have a serious problem here.”

“I was thinking about how beautiful you make me feel,” she said, her voice so sincere he couldn't possibly think she was being deceitful. “I've never felt beautiful before. Not until you. It's an unnerving sensation and yet it's the most wonderful feeling in the world. And . . .”

She paused, but Drake was still looking at her, though his expression had lost the iciness and anger.

“And,” he said, more gently than before.

“That while I already acknowledged to myself that I trust you, on an emotional level, I realized here and now when you could do anything to me you wanted, that I'm utterly powerless and helpless tied up, in your bed, and that I'm no match for you physically, that I know you won't hurt me. I
know
that, Drake.”

He looked bemused, as though he didn't know how to respond to her impassioned statement.

“I'm sorry if it appeared I wasn't paying attention to you,” she said quietly. “
All
I was thinking about was you and the anticipation of what you will do to me. I don't want you to hold back, Drake. You were right. I am stronger than I appear and I won't run screaming from your apartment because you show me everything you've told me will eventually happen. I want the real you and everything you can offer me both physically and emotionally.”

She was very careful to keep the word
financially
out of her statement, and she knew he recognized the omission as well. She never wanted him to think she was with him for what he could provide financially. It would only cheapen what they had, and she wanted nothing to tarnish the beauty or progression of their relationship.

His entire expression softened and there was no longer any hint of anger or annoyance reflected in his eyes or his tone when he spoke to her again.

“Do you have any idea how rare it is to find someone as refreshingly honest as you are?” he asked in a husky voice.

She closed her eyes self-consciously, heat scorching over her face at the way he looked at her. As though he could see so much more than others could about her. Even her friends. What her girlfriends thought was a fault and something that would only bring pain and embarrassment for Evangeline, Drake clearly saw differently.

She sensed that this was a man who'd endured a lot of dishonesty in his life, which very likely explained why he was a very blunt, straightforward man. He didn't sugarcoat things or try to appease others.

And she supposed it made sense that if he hadn't had many people in his life who were honest, and he was a man who told the unvarnished truth, that he would appreciate those same qualities in Evangeline, whereas she saw it as simply being herself and deceit not being part of her nature.

It hadn't gone unnoticed by her that his men, those he trusted most
and who seemed to be more than the average, run-of-the-mill employees, shared all of the traits Drake possessed. Blunt, straightforward, no tolerance for bullshit, and like Drake, they absolutely commanded obedience and respect from those around them.

“Look at me, Angel,” Drake said in a firm command that had her eyes flying open so she could once more meet his gaze. “Never are you to feel shame because you're an honest, genuine person. They're rare and unfortunately they are also the people who tend to get taken advantage of the most. I never want you to think that's what I'm doing here. I want you. I intend to have you. But in no way will I ever take advantage of you.”

“Sometimes I'm too honest,” she whispered. “Not everyone wants to hear the truth, and not everyone wants to know what I'm thinking at any given moment.”

His hand slid over the curve of her backside and then to her inner thigh, rimming her entrance with one finger.

“I always want to hear the truth,” he said in a very serious tone. “Especially when it comes to you and what you're thinking or feeling. I never want you to feel as though you have to lie to me about anything. If I don't have that from you, then it means two things. That I'm not doing my job right, and it also means I have failed to maintain your trust. Neither of those is an acceptable scenario.”

She breathed out a sigh of relief. For so long she'd had to guard her words so carefully, not ever wanting to inadvertently hurt anyone's feelings. It was hard to go against something so solidly ingrained in her by her parents. But she also refused to outright lie, so more often than not, she merely said nothing at all.

“It means more than you'll ever know that I can be myself with you, Drake,” she said, staring deeply into his mesmerizing eyes.

He added another finger, stretching her, making her moan. Her eyelashes fluttered closed as pleasure raced through her body, leaving a fiery trail as though she'd been burned by his mere touch.

“Open your eyes. I want to see you when you come,” Drake said, all vestiges of gentleness and tenderness erased from his tone and features.

She shivered because once more he'd slipped so easily back into the role of the ultimate dominant male demonstrating his power and control over his woman.

She obeyed instantly and knew he approved of her obedience. Maybe to others his body language didn't broadcast much at all. Or the nearly imperceptible change in his eyes. But she had already learned what each expression meant, or at least the ones she'd been subjected to so far.

And then a thought occurred to her and she frowned, searching out his gaze as he continued to lazily finger her.

“I thought you said tonight was for you,” she said in a husky, sexy-sounding voice she didn't even recognize.

His eyes glittered and his smile was almost cruel looking against the harsh lines of his face. The man was one sexy beast of an alpha male. There was not one thing about him that didn't do it for her. She hadn't imagined men like Drake even existed except in fiction.

He was a man feared by others, recognized for his power and predatory nature. As a rule, she'd always avoided men like Drake, so she had no explanation for why she'd been so inexorably drawn to him and his dominant nature. Even now she should be terrified. Not anticipating every single one of the things he'd promised to do to her.

“Angel, if you don't think me getting you off when you're on your knees, ass thrust in the air and you soaking my hand when I make you come isn't for me, then you are very wrong. Yes, tonight is about me. It's about what I want and what I want to do to you. And watching you go off at my touch, my tongue and my dick? Yeah, that's all for me. What man's world wouldn't light up when a woman who looks like you is all tied up in his bed like the innocent angel you are?”

Her chest tightened to the point of pain because damn . . . What could she possibly say in response to that?

And then she could say nothing more at all because Drake began pushing her harder, using one hand to explore her most tender and sensitive flesh while using the other to alternate lightly flicking her nipples, stroking her breasts and belly and then sliding his hand down her spine before administering another swat to her bare behind.

She was panting, knowing she wouldn't hold out much longer but God, she didn't want it to end, no matter that he'd promised her that this was only the beginning.

She began to tremble violently, leaning further down into the mattress because her arms wouldn't support her weight. Her orgasm was building into an enormous, overwhelming entity and she wondered whether she'd even remain conscious through it. She was too mindless, completely out of control, and had no semblance or cognizance of anything but Drake and his touch, the sound of his voice.

She couldn't think. She could only feel as she spun wildly out of control, inching closer to the yawning abyss and into the moment when she flew over into free fall with only Drake to catch her, to protect her, as he'd promised he'd always do.

“That's it, Angel,” Drake said, his voice rough and laced with arousal. “Let go, but do not look away from me at any time. When you come, I want to see those gorgeous blue eyes grow hazy and watch the pleasure that I'm giving you and know that no other man will see what I will be seeing. No other man will have what you are giving to me or be able to give what I give to you. You are mine, and before this night ends, you'll know who owns your body and soul.”

It was hard not to completely surrender to the moment and close her eyes as her entire world shifted after Drake's impassioned statement of truth. His truth. His rules. She was his to own, to possess, and never would she have thought such simple words could forge a direct route to the very heart of her. Was this—Drake, his dominance—what she'd
been missing in her life? The answer formed instantly and insidiously snaked its way through every cell in her body.

But she focused on Drake, as he'd commanded, her gaze locking with his, and it was the electric spark forming an instant connection with him that went far deeper than the physical pleasure she was feeling that finally hurtled her over the edge and into sweet oblivion.

It felt as though she fragmented and then shattered into a million tiny pieces, but now that her eyes were locked with Drake's, she couldn't break away for anything in the world. Seeing her pleasure reflected in his gaze was the most erotic, powerful thing she'd ever experienced in her life.