He clicks a button on the remote. The vibrator springs to life again, buzzing against my clit. My eyes widen as the orgasm that had almost died out completely comes roaring back.
“No!”
“Relax,” Max says calmly, reaching down to pinch my nipple. “Let it happen. I’m getting an orgasm out of you; be grateful that I’m not in the mood to torture you with them.” He rolls and twists my nipplehard,and a tortured moan escapes me. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to think of anything besides this moment, try to disconnect from my body to deny Max the satisfaction, but my efforts seem to be in vain. The orgasm keeps building, creeping up on me, and this time, the vibrator doesn’t shut off.
“Getting closer, aren’t you?” Max says. He releases my nipple and clicks the remote again—the vibrations dialup. Then they dial up again, until I’m trembling violently, biting my lip so hard I taste blood. Max releases my hair, uses one hand todig his fingernailsinto my nipple, setting off a burst of pain, and reaches back with the other one to jostle the plug. My hands twist the bedsheets and my facecontorts as the orgasmslamsinto me with such intensity I scream. My pussy convulses around the dildo and my ass clenches the plug—all the points of stimulation are too much to bear.
“There it is,” Max breathes. “Good girl. Ride it out.”
I have no other choice. He’srelentless,torturing my nipple and twisting the plug, prolonging the orgasm until I’m close to bursting into tears and it feels like he’s poured gasoline over my body and struck a match.
Finally—finally, he shuts everything off.
“Thank you,” he says, sounding infuriatingly sincere, as if I’ve given him a gift. “That was very pretty to watch. Next time, you’re going to come on my cock.”
There won’t be a next time—therecan’tbe, because I need to get out of here.
His hand strokes up and down my back in soothing, calming gestures. Slow sweeps of skin over skin that make me inadvertently relax. My eyes blink closed, and tension begins to melt out of my muscles. After a while, Max quickly and painlessly pulls the plug out of my ass, jarring me. Then, he slides the dildo out, and carefully sets to work freeing me. Once all of my limbs have been released, I sag on the mattress, more exhausted than I ever remember being. I’ve been on complex hit jobs less taxing than this.
Max disappears with the toys, first into the bathroom, then into the closet. Probably to wash them and tuck them away. I watch through lidded eyes before curling up on my side. My body feels fuzzy; my brain is working at the pace of molasses. He returns not long after, getting into bed with me. He lays down beside me, and carefully hooks an arm around my waist, pulling me into him. “Stop,” I mumble tiredly.
“No,” he replies. “Don’t ask again. We both need comfort after that scene, and I’m satisfying our needs.”
I yawn. “Don’t pretend to know what I need.”
“But I do, Flame,” he says softly. “I always have.”
That’s the last thing I hear before drifting off.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ember
When I wake up again, it’s to a cold, empty bed. I blink, filtering through my recent memories—the dining hall, greenhouse, and punishment.
A punishment and orgasm that put mestraight to sleep.I don’t know how long I’ve been out, but the fact that I fell asleep in Max’s arms is enough to rattle me. I have a hard time sleeping even in my usual sleep/wake cycle, but to fall asleep after already waking up from my crash phase is a completely new experience.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Max says, appearing in the doorway. He checks the watch on his wrist. “You slept through the afternoon and evening. I erred yesterday in not feeding you before putting you to bed; that’s my bad. You’ve gone way too long without eating. I’m sorry for that.”
I wave a tired hand, reaching up to rub the sleep from my eyes. “I’m used to being half-starved. Keeps me sharp.”
As soon as the words are out, Max and I simultaneously stiffen. Max’s lips thin and his jaw tenses, while I mentally flog myself foroffering up information so freely. My experience with Dagon isn’t Max’s problem or concern; it’s my own. The day will come when I manage to find an effective way to saveherand kill Dagon, but until then, I need to get back to him.
Which means I need to talk to Scarlett and see if I can press her for information.
“Breakfast’s already set on the table,” Max says quietly. He stares hard at me. “I hope you know, I am going to kill Dagonveryslowly for what he did to you.”
“If you go after him prematurely, I’ll have to kill you,” I warn him. “Not even because of orders.”
Max’s brows furrow, but he doesn’t look at all concerned about my threat. Why isn’t he fucking concerned?
“Because of the leverage he has on you,” Max guesses slowly. “Because he’s put systems in place to do whatever it is you’re desperate to keep him from doing in the event that he dies or disappears.” He releases a long breath. “If you just fucking tell me, Ember, I’ll take care of it. If you don’t, I’ll move forward with my plans.”
“You can’t.” I sit up. “Get the idea of killing Dagon out of your head. Even if it were feasible, he’s not yours to kill.” Dagon hasn’t spent the last five years torturing and abusingMax,he’s done it tome.I deserve the satisfaction of watching the life drain out of his eyes. Thinking of letting someone else have the pleasure is infuriating.
“We’ll talk about it once you’re ready to let me in on your secret. Don’t worry; I don’t have any plans to torture it out of you. You’ll tell me when you’re ready.”
“You say that with a lot of confidence for a man who kidnapped me and is holding me captive.”
