Sweet Persuasion

She shuddered and convulsed, but he gripped her hips and held her tightly in place as he gave her pleasure.

In and out, he fucked her with his tongue. Slow and sensuous, as though he were tasting the finest of wines and savoring each sip.

Her orgasm began as a slow curl, a heated wisp rotating deep within her core then fa

Swelling like a symphony on the cusp of its crescendo, her release built until she could bear it no longer.

“Please,” she begged. What she pleaded for she wasn’t sure. Mercy? Satisfaction? Relief from the unbearable tension pulling at her body?

And then he whispered, soft and gentle against her moist flesh. “Come, Serena mine. Come for me.”

Sweet agony flashed and sped through her pelvis. Her movements were no longer her own. She cried out as her body slammed back against the bed, her legs suddenly wrapped around his shoulders.

Tears slid down her cheeks, and she puzzled over how they got there. She hovered on the brink of consciousness, fighting for the briefest of seconds to remain aware, to not let go of the piercing fragments of her orgasm.

But as the frantic pleasure slowly faded away, replaced by a more lazy sweetness, she let go, no longer able to keep her eyes open.

A thumb brushed across her cheek, wiping away the wetness of her tears, and then she heard his gentle command.

“Sleep, Serena mine. I’ll take care of you.”

Comforted by that quiet vow, she allowed herself to slip away into the welcoming oblivion that sleep offered.

CHAPTER 19

Damon watched as her eyes fluttered shut, and almost im mediately, her breathing became soft and even. She was exhausted.

He smiled and carefully slid his arms underneath her. As he picked her up off the bed, she moaned in protest.

“Shhh,” he soothed. “I want you with me, Serena mine. You can rest as soon as I’ve made you comfortable.”

And he did want her with him. The ferocity of his desire to have her near him startled him. But like her, he was indulging in a fantasy. It wasn’t real, no matter that he might wish differently.

He carried her from the bedroom and toward the spacious living room where a fire burned in the hearth. Her plush pallet had already been arranged at the foot of his armchair and was several feet from the fire.

Kneeling, he set her naked body on the down-filled, body-sized cushion. She murmured sleepily, but curled into a ball and fell back into a deep sleep. He stroked a hand through her hair, pulling it away from her face. Then he let his fingers glide down her lean body to her hip and finally to her pale buttocks.

The flesh-colored plug split the cheeks of her behind, and he hardened slightly at the idea of thrusting his dick where the plug currently resided.

Rising to his feet, he collected his laptop from the coffee table and settled into the armchair. He kicked off his shoes and sent them sliding across the floor and away from where Serena lay.

He stretched his legs until his feet touched her slender back. Absently, he rubbed his toes up her spine and into the silkiness of her hair. He liked touching her, having any contact with her he could.

He opened his laptop and left his feet lightly resting on her side. As he worked through his e-mails, he occasionally glanced up, his gaze seeking Serena out. Every once in a while, she sighed and her body rose and fell harder before a sleepy, contented sound whispered past her lips and she settled back down again.

When he was down to his last e-mail, his cell phone rang. Frowning, he yanked it up without looking at the LCD and punched the on button so the ring wouldn’t disturb Serena.

“Damon,” he said shortly.

“Damon, hi, this is Faith.”

His expression eased and he relaxed in his chair. “Faith, it’s a pleasure to hear from you. How are you? How is Gray?”

“We’re both fine.”

He could hear the smile in her voice, could envision her sweet features.

“How is Serena?” Faith asked.

There was slight hesitation behind the question as though she wasn’t certain how to voice her concern. He smiled and glanced down at Serena even as he rubbed his foot lightly over her hip.

“She’s asleep at my feet,” he replied.

“Your feet? Good grief, Damon, you really do take this slave thing a bit far. I thought you went for collaring and tying them to your bed?”

He chuckled. “Only at night.”

He heard her mutter something under her breath.

“Serena is fine, Faith. Surely you didn’t think I’d mistreat her.”

“No, of course not!” She quickly defended herself. “I hope that isn’t what you think. I can’t imagine you ever hurting a woman. Not intentionally, anyway.”

Damon’s brow rose. “I’m not even going to ask.”

Faith paused for a long moment. And when she finally spoke, there was a glint of steel in her tone. A direct contradiction to her usually sweet ma

“Look, Damon, you’re my friend. I count you among my dearest friends.”

He smiled. He considered her a dear friend as well.

“But so is Serena,” she continued. “And I’m a little worried. About you both.”

“There’s no need for you to concern yourself, Faith. Serena and I are consenting adults, and we’re both very aware of what’s at stake and what isn’t.”

Faith made a sound of impatience. “You hate games, Damon. You of all people like things ordered and to your liking. I dare-say you’re quite spoiled and used to having what you want when you want it. This whole fantasy thing . . . I just hope you aren’t going to end up expecting something from it that Serena can’t or won’t give you.”

“I do believe you’re trying to protect my heart,” Damon said in amusement. “I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.”

“I just don’t want either of you hurt,” she said softly. “Especially you, Damon.”

A flood of warmth entered his chest and bathed his insides. Faith . . . she was like a ray of sunshine on a cold, gloomy day. There wasn’t another way to describe her. She had a heart of gold and was tenaciously loyal to the people she loved. Even to her detriment, as Gray Montgomery would certainly attest.

“I appreciate your concern, Faith. Truly I do. But this is between me and Serena,” he said gently. “We’ve both made our terms very clear. No one is entering this blind.”

Faith gave a small laugh. “That was a tactful way of telling me to mind my own business.”

“Yes, it was,” he said with a smile.

“Okay, I can take a hint. I worry about you, Damon. That’s all I wanted to say.”

“Your worry is wasted on me.”

He smiled as she told him again what a dear friend he was and then they rang off. He was still smiling as he put the phone down between his leg and the side of the chair.

Quietly, he closed his laptop and laid it aside on the end table next to his chair. For a long while, he stared into the flickering flames in the hearth and absorbed the sensation of being content in his home, a beautiful woman at his feet. He was . . . happy.

A few moments later, his housekeeper Carol entered the room, clearing her throat to draw his attention. He looked up to see her standing in the doorway, her eyes cast discreetly away from Serena.

“Is there anything you need, Damon?” she asked.

“I’d like a glass of wine for now,” he said after a moment’s consideration. “In an hour’s time, I’d like di

Serena would be hungry, and he easily pictured her comfortably settled between his knees, her head on his lap as he fed her with his fingers. Then he’d stroke her hair and they’d talk while they relaxed and enjoyed the evening. Later . . . He wouldn’t get into later just yet. Sitting with a hard-on and nothing to ease it wasn’t exactly fun.

After Carol retreated, Damon reached for the novel he was halfway through and opened it to read, after another glance at Serena.