Would he like what came next?
Taking up the crop again, she studied the handlea"nicely rounded and covered in smooth black leather, no seams.
She drew in her breath, her chest tightening in antic.i.p.ation, as she began to rub the tip of the riding cropas handle in a small circle over Tyas a.n.u.s.
His groan stretched enormously, seeming to fill the room and drown out the partying and music still wafting up from Bourbon Street below.
She rubbed harder, harder, working it, pressing it gently, until the handle began to slip inside.
aAh, G.o.d!a he yelled.
From shock or pain?
She stopped in mid-insertion, going still. Then she bent down to gently kiss his a.s.s next to where the riding crop now entered. A purring sound left him and he lifted his a.s.s toward hera"toward the crop.
She smiled as a sense of fulfillment whirred down through her, settling deep in her p.u.s.s.y. She slid the riding cropas handle in a little farther, and he began to move up and down, f.u.c.king it.
Her every sense was on alert now, every pore of her skin extra-sensitized from watching his lovely a.s.s take the riding crop inside, from knowing he wanted it and that she was delivering it.
He moaned softly at every stroke, and she pushed the handle deeper, deeper, making him cry out louder. Soon she was f.u.c.king him harder and whispering, aYes, baby, yes,a thrilled at her achievement.
But then she wanted more of hima"had to have more.
So she carefully climbed down off the coucha"still holding the crop in place, still gently f.u.c.king his a.s.s and drinking in every hot moan and groan that left hima"to kneel beside the sofa.
aTurn onto your side, facing me,a she said, a soft command.
He hesitated, and she could understand why, given that she was f.u.c.king him with something so long and gangly and that shifting his body might be tricky at the moment, but she said, aDo it,a anyway.
He turned slowly, and she carefully moved her tool along with him.
When she saw his face, she was filled withaG.o.d, with what? Some emotion that almost buried her, strangled her. He looked so pleasured, and it was all because of hera"she was giving this to him.
aThis isathe most intense s.e.x Iave ever had, Mina.a Her voice came out in a mere whisper. aFor me, too.a Then, still holding the riding crop in place, she bent to take his lovely c.o.c.k in her mouth.
A ferocious groan erupted from him, pleasuring her profoundly as she took as much of him as she could, pa.s.sionately sucking, working him over without reserve, rewarding him for his obedience this one last time.
She slid her lips up and down until her mouth felt stretched and achy and her hand cramped from the awkward angle of holding the crop at his a.s.s, but his sounds of deep enjoyment spurred her on, making her want to suck his big, beautiful shaft dry.
aG.o.d, if you donat stop, I might come,a he said suddenly.
She released him and met his gaze. aDo you want that? Do you want to come in my mouth?a He looked surprised at her soft tone. But the last few minutes with Ty had drawn something from deep within her, something that demanded she be tender.
aI want to come inside you,a he told her. aIn your p.u.s.s.y.a She felt the words in her chest. Mmm, she wanted that, too.
aI want to be able toaf.u.c.k you hard, Mina. I have a feeling you like it that way, and I havenat gotten to do it to you like that yet.a Oh yes, she loved it hard. And she wanted it that way from him as much as he did.
aOne more thing I want,a he said softly.
She didnat look at him this time, because she already knew what he was going to say.
aI want to see your face, Mina.a When she didnat answer, he said, aWhy are you hiding from me?a She didnat reply, instead gently withdrew the riding crop, leaving him to sigh at the loss.
aIf thereasaif thereas anything under your mask youare afraid to show meadonat be.a G.o.d, he thought maybe she had some sort of scarring or deformity or something. The part that pinched at her gut was the implication that he didnat mind.
She glanced up at him. aYour chivalry is impressive, but itas nothing like that.a aThen why?a She swallowed, at a loss. No good answer existed. aListen,a she finally said, aI donat want to talk about the mask anymore. What I want is for you to f.u.c.k me. Just as hard and long as you promised. No more questions or arguments. Agreed?a He sighed, but gave a short nod as she knelt next to him on the couch, one shoe curled beneath her stocking-clad leg. aHow do you want me?a she asked.
aHow do you like it?a She thought a moment, then turned over, onto her hands and knees, facing the other end of the couch. aLike this.a He let out a groan. aThatas so hot, baby.a aIf you want control so bad,a she said in a slinky voice as she peered over her shoulder at him, atake me.a Placing his hands on her hips, he entered her hard and swift, nearly stealing her breath. He was so awesomely big inside her, the very sensation of him there nearly consumed her. When he began to thrust hard, hitting her G-spot with each hot stroke, it made her feel as if she were going to explode, over and over again. She cried out with each fierce drive into her p.u.s.s.y, overwhelmed by the power of his c.o.c.k.
Thank G.o.d head wanted to do it like thisa"shead not realized what shead been missing. Now she was filled with pleasure, filled with Tyasimply filled.
Between his groans of delight, he murmured that he wanted to make her come again, and the next thing she knew, one of his hands had snaked around her hip, between her legs, his fingers sinking into her wetness. aG.o.d, yes!a she shrieked.
Oh, it wouldnat take long, she knew without doubt. She was too excited. And his c.o.c.k was so big. Part of her wanted to let him f.u.c.k her this way all night, but she realized it was impossiblea"her body was too racked with pleasure already, and head admitted to being on the edge, too.
aYes, rub my p.u.s.s.y,a she prodded him, still trying to hold onto a little of her authority as she approached climaxa"when, without warning, it shattered over her like her body was a piece of crystal breaking into stunning shards of heat and light, and all of them were shimmering down through her as she came against his hand.
And then he was yelling, aG.o.d, me too, honey!a and his thrusts nearly skewered her to the couch, they were so deep and penetrating. Again, again, again, he pounded into her, pummeling her, burying her in sensation.
The moment he withdrew, she turned in his arms, needing to see him, hold him, needing for him to hold her. Without quite meaning to, she clung to him, bitten by that same overwhelming emotion again. Shead meant simply to kiss him, share the afterglow in an easy embracea"but instead she was clutching him tight and never wanted the moment to end, never wanted to let him go.
Chapter Six.
Ty rained kisses across her lips, her jaw, her neck and chest, soon nibbling at her perfect pink nipple, still jutting beautifully erect above her s.e.xy, revealing bra.
aTell me something, Mistress Mina,a he said, basking in the lazy serenity that followed great s.e.x. aAre you always this wild?a He flashed a grin.
He watched her blink beneath that d.a.m.n mask she still wouldnat shed for him. Then she lifted her green gaze to his. aCould be Iam normally a shy, prim little schoolteacher who wears high-collared blouses and her hair in a bun. Oracould be that you can see me nightly, stripping at Club Venus up the street, and that my specialty is hot lap dances on guys just like you.a He tilted his head, sorry she seemed to be slipping back into game mode, after the intense moments theyad shared. Head thought maybe head been starting to peel back the layers of his mysterious Mistress Mina, thought maybe head been getting a little closer to the real her. aWhich is it?a he asked anyway.
aItas whichever you want it to be,a she purred, pulling him down for a soft tongue kiss. aNow, you tell me something.a aAnything,a he said, attempting to prove a point. aUnlike you, Iam an open book.a She ignored the sarcasm and asked, aEver been f.u.c.ked in the a.s.s before, naughty boy?a He grinned. Now that it was over, he couldnat quite believe that had happened or that head enjoyed it so much. aUm, no.a aSo I took your virginity,a she said on a light, sophisticated laugh.
He chuckled along with her. aI wasnat aware I had any virginity left to take, butauh, yeah, maybe you did. Just like I took yours in the same place.a They shared a deliciously mischievous smile.
aWhatas next for us, Miss Mina?a aNext?a He nodded. aNext tonight? Next, the next time I see you?a Her smile faded. aIam afraid weall have to stick to the aIall call youa plan, like before.a A horrible thought struck him. aAre you married or something?a She shook her head. aNo, of course not.a aThen why so secretive? You obviously enjoy my company enough to come back for more. Why wonat you give me your number, give this thing a chance?a aThis thing?a He motioned back and forth between them. aMe and you.a She bit her lip, looking pensive, and it forced him to recognize the leap in thought head madea"a leap for which he was usually on the receiving end. Head never been on this side beforea"the side that wanted it to be more than just an affair.
aWait, you donat have to say it,a he told her, pulling back slightly.
aSay what?a aThat this is just s.e.x. Weare not dating, not seeing each other, this is f.u.c.king and thatas all.a She turned away from him then, which he thought odda"since he couldnat see her face anyway.
aWhatas wrong?a aIam sorry,a she said. aIt canat be any more than that. I canat explain why, but it simply canat.a Ty sat up. His heart physically hurt in his chest, but he told himself he was still just recovering from so much kinky s.e.x. He had not gotten emotionally involved with his masked dominatrix. He refused to even consider that as a possibility. Even as much as he wished she hadnat closed back up on him emotionally just now, even as much as head liked finding out she had a soft side when shead agreed to submit to him a little. Taking a deep breath, he rose from the couch and went to retrieve his clothes across the room.
aYouare leaving?a He glanced over his shoulder to see her sitting up, as well. aYeah. I mean, if it can only be s.e.x, wellathe s.e.x is over for tonight, right?a She nodded. And he got dressed, realizing he wanted to leave now. Even if he sort of hated leaving, too. But the d.a.m.nable truth wasa"if it couldnat be anymore than just this, just the f.u.c.king part, he didnat want it.
He couldnat believe he didnat want it, could barely fathom that the great s.e.x shead shared with him wasnat enough for him, but he also couldnat fight whatever was going on inside hima"and the fact was, it wasnat enough. He wasnat sure how it had happened, but he had gotten emotionally involved.
He walked to the door without looking back, feeling angry, even if a part of him knew that was stupid. G.o.d knew theyad never made each other any promises, and theyad never even had any reason toa"it had been two nights of hot s.e.x, plain and simple. Maybe he was angry at himselfa"for wanting more. Wanting to see her face so d.a.m.n badly. His chest felt tight, achy.
Her clicking heels approached hurriedly behind him, but he didnat look back until she grabbed onto his wrist.
aNot even a goodbye?a she asked.
Their gazes met, held. Then he placed his hand on the back of her head amid all those wild red curls and kissed her lush lips, one last time. aGoodbye, Mina.a He walked out the door, hailed the first taxi he saw, and headed for home, feeling empty inside for reasons he couldnat quite understand.
Mia sat alone in her apartment the next day, flipping through channels, watching nothing, hating everything about Mardi Gras and wishing it would end. Wishing lots of things. Like that shead never concocted the insane idea to put on a mask and seduce Ty.
Although tears rose behind her eyes at the thought, because how could she regret the wild intimacy theyad shared, at once so new and yet so comfortable? She didnat think she could have done those things with anyone else.
G.o.d, shead thought she could do thisa"take this for what it was, hot s.e.x. Shead thought it would fill a physical need, bring the fantasy to life, and maybe then she could move on, get Ty out of her mind.
Instead, though, just the opposite had happened.
She had no choice but to recognize the devastating trutha"she was in love with him.
aMorning, sweet thing,a Ty said on Monday as he walked into the messenger service, the plate gla.s.s door falling shut behind him.
aMorning, Ty,a she said without looking up, pretending she was immersed in paperwork.
aAny messages?a he called from his office.
aBobbyas going to bea"a aFired,a he said before she could finish. aWhen he gets here, send him in to see me. And start looking through applications for a replacement.a Wow, he sounded like he was in a bad mood. Was it because of Mistress Mina? Was it possible head taken their time together that seriously?
Against her better judgment, she got up and walked to his doorway. aListen,a she said softly, aI know itas none of my business who you fire, butaBobbyas actually sick today. Really sick. He threw up while we were on the phone and Iam ninety-nine percent sure he couldnat fake that.a Ty shrugged. aA hangover during Mardi Gras isnat a good excuse.a Oh. Stupidly, perhaps, she hadnat thought of thata"given that she was trying to forget Mardi Gras existed.
aBesides, even if he had the Russian flu, itas one time too many. Iave got a business to run and I need dependable employeesa"like you.a She swallowed nervously, thinking her usuala"If you only knew.
aUm, how was your weekend?a she dared ask.
as.h.i.tty, thanks.a aWhy? IaI thought you had a date with your hot chick from last week.a aI did. It didnat end well. End of story.a She nodded, still a little amazed that the things head indulged in with Mistress Mina had mattered to him so much.
aHow was your weekend? Better than mine, I hope. Did you see your new tattoo-free guy?a She nodded.
aAnd?a aAndathat didnat go so well, either. Iadonat think Iall be seeing him again.a She hurried to add, aI mean, at least notaromantically.a He tilted his head, his expression softening. aSorry it didnat work out, sweet thing.a Her heart wilted a little in her chest. aYeah, Iam sorry yours didnat go better, too.a * * * * *
Fat Tuesday. The last day of Mardi Gras. The night of the biggest blowouts, the most wild debauchery, the most hedonistic revelry. Ty sat in his apartment, the first floor of a grand old house on Esplanade, at the edge of the Quarter, watching the daily Mardi Gras report on the evening news. Picking up his fork, he dug into the reheated red beans and rice Liz had sent home with him after head had dinner at their place over the weekend.
I should go out and take part in that, he told himself, watching a bunch of beaded and masked people screaming for the TV camera.
I should go down to Club Venus and get a lap dance or five and see if Mina turns up straddling my crotch at any point. But he doubted she would.
No, I should just get drunk, hang out on the street, and give beads to girls all-too-willing to jiggle their bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s for me, then maybe get laid by one of them.
Or maybe I should walk into a store, buy a mask of my own, and pick up girls that way.
Only problem wasa"none of it sounded any fun. Not the least bit t.i.tillating or desirable. s.h.i.t, this Mistress Mina thing had hit him hard, harder than he could easily understand. He barely knew her. Why had he cared so much? Why had he wanted so much more of her?
Finishing his dinner, he stuffed his wallet in his pocket, grabbed his keys, and headed for the door, without even knowing where he intended to go.
He set out walking, glad the night was clear and warma"sorry each time he happened upon a group of early revelers getting amped up for the last big party of this yearas festivities. He wantedahe wanteda Something that feltasafe. Normal. Good.
He wanted to go someplace where he knew there were no worries, where things were easy, comfortable. He could only think of two places that really qualifieda"Jack and Lizas place, or Miaas. He chose Mia, thinking maybe she was lonely, too, given her romantic failure of the weekend just past.
And the closer he got to her apartment, the more right it seemed to hang out with her tonight. Maybe they could just talk, pour their hearts out to each other over a bottle of wine or something. Maybe head been foolish all this timea"thinking s.e.x was more important than a womanas personality. Maybe he should try thinking of Mia as more than a friend and see what came of it.
He stopped into a liquor store on the way, grabbing a chilled bottle of Chablis, remembering it was Miaas wine of choice.
Reaching her building, he let himself through the gate that led to the courtyard, walked past the pleasant little fountain that gurgled there, then headed up the neatly whitewashed stairs and down the veranda until he knocked on her door.
She opened it wearing denim shorts, a cute fitted pullover of pale yellow, and a surprised look. aTya"whatas up?a Only then did it occur to him to feel slightly sheepish. But he decided to be frank. aItas Fat Tuesday and for the first time in my life, I donat want to spend it partying. I just want to hang out with a friend, drink some wine or something.a He held up the bottle. aYou up for it?a She blinked. Looked confused. He started to regret coming. Maybe she was busy. Or maybe he seemed desperate.
But then she smiled. aSure. Yeah. Come in.a She stood back to offer him entry.
He hesitated slightly. aYou didnat have any big plans for the evening, did you?a aMe? No. Iam notayou knowamuch of a partier.a aExcept with tattooed guys,a he said with a grin.
She laughed. aYeah, except for them.a Before closing the door, she glanced down toward the courtyard, which was quiet and empty, other than some Zydeco music coming from someoneas window, loud enough at the moment to override the sounds of Mardi Gras on the streets beyond. aHey, do you want to sit outside and drink? Itas nice outa"warm.a aYeah,a he said. aSounds good.a aLet me grab some gla.s.ses and a corkscrew from the kitchen. And I have a couple of folding lawn chairs in my bedroom, in the closet, if you want to go get them.a He said, aSure,a set his wine bottle on a table next to the door, and headed off in search of chairs as Mia went in the other direction.
Entering her bedroom, he made a beeline for the closeta"but was stopped dead in his tracks by what lay on her dresser. Two Mardi Gras masks. One in black with silver cording. The other of purple sequins with dangling beads.
He actually blinked, hard, then opened his eyes again, somehow thinking head see them differently.
But noa"they were the same. The same very familiar masks. He picked up both in one hand, his stomach wrenching painfully as he tried to make sense of it. Which is when it hit him. Mina. Mia. Mina. Mia.
All along, head had the bizarre feeling of knowing her, although maybe at the time head perceived it more as wanting to know her. But now, as it all slowly became clear to himad.a.m.n, how could it be?
How could his sweet Mia have been Mistress Mina?
My G.o.d, the intimate acts theyad indulged in together! The things head let her do to him!
Along with the general shock of finding out his seductress had been Mia came the surprise of discovering that apparently she wasnat the sweet, docile girl head always thought. Timas little sister, the girl Ty had always wanted to protect, look out for. Apparently, it was the other way arounda"he needed protection from her.
Feelings of humiliation, stupidity, and anger warred within him. His hands curled into fists as his body tensed. Why the f.u.c.k would she do this to him? Why would she lie, pretend?
aTy, did you find the chairs okay?a Her voice grew closer as she spoke, until she walked into the room. aTheyare behindaa Her eyes fell on the masks he held. She went pale, still, and they stared at each other for a long, strange moment.
aWhy?a he boomed at her. aWhy the h.e.l.l did you do it?a Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open, but nothing came out.
aWhy, Mia? Or is that Mina? Why did you lie to me? Answer me, d.a.m.n it.a aIaI can explain.a She looked panicky, shaky. He thought she sure as h.e.l.l should.
aWell, start talking.a Shudders ran the entire length of Miaas body. How had she been so stupid, letting him come in here? Head shown up at her door unexpected, and she hadnat even thoughta Oh G.o.d. Shead just said she could explain, but could she? aIaIa G.o.d, Ty, I justawanted to be with you.a He looked incredulous, and she couldnat blame him. aSo you thought it would be clever to put on a mask and a wig and make me think you were somebody else?a She nodded. Then shook her head. She was so confused. aIaI never thought youad want me. So I just thought, with it being Mardi Gras and all, that maybe, just once, I could be someone else. Just for some fun. One s.e.xy night. Something different andamemorable.a aSo you thought it would be amusing to put one over on me, use me for some kinky s.e.x, then cut me loose and never fill me in that it was you.a Shead never seen him look more disgusted, and behind that, in his eyes, just plain sad. She didnat know what to say, how she could possibly salvage this. The worst had happeneda"everything good theyad ever shared was ruined now.