Pale Light
The city was muted in gray when Lena stirred. Curtains leaked a thin spill of dawn across tangled sheets. Her body was heavy, tender in places she didn't want to admit, the collar's faint shadow still etched at her throat.
Julian slept beside her, dark hair falling in loose strands against the pillow, jaw shadowed with stubble. Edges softened by rest.
Her gaze lingered: the relaxed curve of his mouth, the strong line of his throat, the steady rise of his chest. For a fleeting moment, he was hers to look at, but never to keep.
Her thighs pressed together, a futile attempt at stillness. Need coiled fresh in her belly.
Her Initiative
She slid carefully down the bed, silk sheets whispering under her palms until she hovered over his hips. Her lips brushed him, feather-light. He stirred, a deeper breath shifting his chest. When her tongue traced his length, his hand locked into her hair, dragging her gaze up.
"Already?" His voice was rough.
Her mouth parted in answer, lips sealing around him.
Julian's eyes opened fully now, gray and cutting. He tightened his grip. "Good girl. Don't stop."
She obeyed. Heat filled her mouth, her throat working as he guided her pace with slow pressure. She took him deeper, and the groan he gave was low, involuntary, wrecking.
His body shifted, tension flooding through his abdomen. The rhythm faltered once as he lost it enough to thrust shallow and then faster into her mouth. His sounds vibrated down to her bones.
"Fuck…" His hand fisted in her hair, control slipping even as he held her down.
When he spilled, she swallowed, chest heaving. For a moment, he let her have it; the intimacy of his body shuddering, the taste, the sound of him unraveling.
Then his hand gripped harder, pulling her head back until her lips broke free, slick and red. His eyes were fierce again.
"You don't take before asking, Lena."
Her chest heaved. "I wanted…"
"You wanted." His voice cut, calm now, too calm. "And you'll learn what wanting costs."
Discipline
He sat back against the headboard and dragged her easily across his lap. Her gasp barely left her lips before he caught her wrists and bound them.
He forced her hands up against her chest, her body pinned and arched over his thighs.
"Count."
The first strike cracked loud in the stillness, fire blooming hot across her skin.
"One."
Another. Harder, deliberate. Heat spread low, sharp and unbearable.
"Two."
Her thighs shifted against his lap, desperate for friction she couldn't hide.
"Three."
The sting built until her voice fractured, every number trembling as heat bled into ache. By the fifth, her control shattered. Her cry broke loose against his thigh, her body grinding helplessly, chasing friction until it overtook her.
Julian's hand clamped hard at her nape, holding her still. His voice cut like steel. "Did you just come without my permission?"
Her answer broke, "Yes, Sir."
The silence that followed pressed heavier than his hand, thick as a blade at her throat.
"Then you'll pay for it."
Control Taken Back
He shoved her upright, back against the headboard, dragging her bound wrists hard against her chest. His gaze pinned her: gray, sharp, commanding.
"You ride me," he said. "Make yourself come again. And this time, you ask."
She obeyed. Straddling him, she sank down slow, savoring the stretch until he filled her. Her moan tore loose, helpless, as his grip held her wrists tight against her sternum, forcing her gaze to his.
Julian's eyes devoured her. The sight of her taking him, every tremble in thighs, the flush blooming across her cheeks. She rolled her hips, slow at first, teasing, dragging on him with wicked care. Then faster, grinding, her breath stuttering, breasts pressing against her bound arms as she chased her edge.
His jaw locked. His fingers clamped harder.
"Ask."
Her voice broke, trembling with need. "Please, Sir… please" Her chest seized; pride shattered. The name slipped raw from her lips. "Julian… let me."
Something shifted in him, a crack in the iron. His breath growled low, uncontained, before the command came, sharp, unyielding.
"Now."
Her body clenched around him, tight and relentless, the convulsions dragging a cry from her throat she couldn't swallow. Heat rushed through her in waves, bending her spine, arching her against the grip that held her bound. His name slipped free again; broken, worshipful, every syllable an admission of how completely he owned her in that moment.
For a single heartbeat, he faltered. Hips surging up, a ragged sound breaking from his chest as her trembling heat dragged him to the edge with her.
Then he turned her, urgent, flipping her onto her front. He hauled her hips high, arms yanked above her head, wrists straining against the tie. His thrusts were brutal, unrelenting, the sound of their bodies slamming together rattling the headboard. Her cheek pressed into the sheets, her cries muffled as he used her, harder, deeper, every stroke a claim.
His hand clamped her collar, another on her neck, holding her pinned as he drove her into the mattress. Sweat slicked his skin, every muscle drawn taut as his pace grew ragged.
When the breaking point came, he yanked free, dragging her up by her wrists. His fist tangled in her hair, forcing her mouth open.
"Finish it."
She took him down, throat tightening as he spilled hot across her tongue. His body shuddered, a growl escaping from his chest, his control burned away. He held her there until every drop was gone.
"Swallow."
She obeyed. When she had taken it all, he let her go. She sagged against the bed, trembling, marked, spent.
Julian pulled her against him, chest to her back, his breath rough in her ear. Then his teeth sank into her shoulder, hard enough to leave her shaking, sharp enough to brand. He groaned low as he bit, the sound more relief than cruelty; almost vulnerable.
When he lifted his head, his mouth hovered by her ear. His voice came quieter than she expected. "You know where you belong now."
She nodded, wrecked, certain. His arm tightened around her ribs once, possessive, anchoring, before he let go.
"Good girl."
Suspense
They dressed in silence. Her body ached, thighs trembling, lips swollen from his use. The faint burn of silk at her wrists pulsed with every step.
In the lobby, her bag buzzed. She froze. Ethan.
Julian leaned close, his breath hot against her ear, voice a quiet blade.
"Tonight, you'll learn the cost of hesitation."
Her knees weakened, but she kept her stride steady, heels clicking with polished poise. To everyone else she was immaculate.
But beneath her suit, her skin carried his marks. Claimed. Waiting.