“I…but I…” My entire body, so flushed with desire only a moment ago, is suddenly cold. I can’t do this—can’t touch myself in front of him. He already saw me doing it early today when he caught me on the webcam. That was an accident but it will still go down in my personal history of most mortifying moments of all time. And now he wants me to do it again but this time on purpose? “I can’t,” I say, my voice trembling. “I don’t… I’ve never…never done that in front of anyone.”
“You’ve never had a Master before, either.” Aiden’s voice has dropped a register and his eyes are stern and uncompromising. “But now you do. And it would please me greatly, Emma, to watch you stroke your pussy until you come for me.”
I can’t believe this. He’s serious—he’s really going to make me do this. “What-what if I won’t?” I ask hesitantly.
He frowns. “Then I’ll punish you. And you won’t be allowed to come all day tomorrow or the next day or the day after that. Believe me, Emma, the buildup of sexual tension can be quite painful after a while.”
I bite my lip. “I’m just… I’m embarrassed.”
“Of what?” he asks softly. “You’ve got a beautiful body I love looking at and you make the most appealing sounds when you come. So soft and helpless—it makes me hard just thinking about it.” Reaching up, he strokes a strand of hair out of my eyes. “Go on, darling,” he murmurs, looking at me steadily. “Put on a show for me. Let me see you touch yourself—touch your little pussy.”
I don’t know what else to do. Taking a deep breath, I let my hand slide down my trembling abdomen slowly, slowly, until I finally reach my mound. Closing my eyes, I slip my fingers inside my wet folds and begin rapidly stroking my swollen clit.
“No.” Aiden’s stern voice interrupts my concentration. My fingers stop moving and my eyes fly open. What was I doing wrong? “Look at me,” he instructs, cupping my cheek. “I want to look into your eyes while you come.”
“Y-yes Master,” I whisper. The intensity of his gaze is hard to bear—it’s so intimate, so invasive. But I force myself to stare into his face as my fingers go back to work, stroking my swollen clit.
“Beautiful.” Aiden spares a glance down between us, studying my fingers, watching the way I work on myself before he looks into my eyes again. “I love watching you pleasure yourself, Emma. I love how pink and flushed your cheeks get and how bright your eyes are. Not to mention the way your slim fingers stroke that hot little clit.” He caresses my hair. “Tell me, darling, are you getting close?”
I am but the ultimate peak is still eluding me. Part of the reason is embarrassment—though I’m slowly getting used to it, my innermost self is still screaming that this is a private act and I shouldn’t be performing it for anyone to watch. The other part is that I need something else, something more…but what, I don’t know.
Aiden seems to know, though. “Would you mind if I helped out?” he asks, softly.
“Of course not, Master,” I whisper breathlessly.
“Good.” Gently but firmly, he slides two long fingers deep into my heated pussy and begins to finger-fuck me in a slow, steady rhythm. “Now come for me, Emma,” he commands in that low, forceful voice. “Come for me and let me feel your sweet pussy squeezing my fingers.”
Oh Goddess, I couldn’t stop myself if I wanted to! He’s fucking me harder now, pressing deep inside me with every thrust. And all the time his eyes hold mine with a burning intensity that makes me feel as if I can’t look away.
My orgasm hits me in a rush so powerful I feel faint. “Aiden,” I gasp. “Master…oh!” I can feel my pussy contracting around his fingers, feel my hips thrusting to meet his rhythm as I lose myself completely in the pleasure of the moment.
“Good girl, Emma,” he whispers fiercely, his eyes burning with lust. “Come for me, darling. Come hard. Gods, I wish I had my cock inside you instead of my fingers.”
The thought of that long, hard ridge of flesh I can feel under my ass sliding deep inside me, fucking me, makes my body tremble with longing. Goddess, his fingers feel so good but I need more. So much more…
“I can’t give you what you want, not tonight,” Aiden says and I realize I’ve been speaking my thoughts aloud. “I’m sorry, darling, but you’re just not ready.”
“You are, though.” I wiggle on top of him, eliciting a low groan. “Let me make you come, Master,” I beg, for the second time that night. “I don’t have to use my mouth if you don’t want me to. I can just…rub against you some. Please?”
I don’t know why I want this so much but I do—Goddess, I really do. And I can sense that Aiden wants it too. Of course, it wouldn’t take a psychic to feel the huge lump of his cock growing in those tight jeans.
“Very well,” he growls at last. “When the time draws closer, we’ll have to conserve our sexual longing. But we still have days before the event.”
I have no idea what he means by this but the sight of his long, thick cock making its second appearance of the night drives it completely from my mind.
“Now then,” Aiden growls, pulling me closer. “Ride me, my little witch. Slide that hot little pussy against my cock until I coat your belly with my cum.”
I am more than eager to comply. Pressing close to him, I spread my cunt lips and enfold his thick shaft in my creamy pussy. We both moan at the intimate contact and I gasp as I feel his heated cock glide over my throbbing clit. I’m still so sensitive from coming that I feel almost raw—the sensation of his hot, silky skin against mine is almost too much, too intense. And yet, I want more of it—so much more.
Aiden guides me, his big hands bracketing my hips as he pulls me against him. But I’m not content to let him control things completely. Reaching between us, I press his shaft deeper into my folds and work my hips against him, coating him thoroughly with my slippery honey as I ride the hot ridge of his cock.
I’ve never touched a man like this before, never gone so far, and I want to go further—want to go all the way. The sensation of his heated flesh rubbing against mine is delicious and with each long up-and-down stroke the broad head of his cock bumps over my clit. I tilt my pelvis, sliding up and down against him with his shaft pressed between us. When I rise above him, of his cock slides down to press against the entrance of my pussy for just a moment before I slide down again, rubbing his hard ridge against the tender bud of my clit.
I begin to have a very vivid fantasy. I want to wait for the moment when the head of his cock is lodged at my wet opening. Then I’ll rise up higher on my knees and thrust my hips forward. That way when I move down again, he’ll slide into me rather than against me.
I can almost seeit happening, can almost feelhis thickness breaching my entrance and filling my pussy. The temptation to put my plan in action is almost too great to be denied. I’m just about to do it…when I look into Aiden’s eyes again and realize he knows exactly what I’m thinking.
“No, darling,” he says, his voice stern despite almost being hoarse with lust. “I’d hurt you and that’s the last thing I want to do. You’re not ready yet—tonight I’m just going to come on your belly.” He grips my hips more tightly and pulls me against him, stilling my own motion, making me submit to him. “And you’re going to come with me.”
I’m already hot and on the edge. The way he pulls me to him and the short, hard, masterful thrusts that rub the broad shaft of his cock almost roughly against my throbbing clit push me over again. I cry out his name and grip his broad shoulders tightly as I feel myself clenching again, my whole body going tense with orgasm.
Aiden lets out a low groan and then I feel a new sensation—something hot and wet is jetting from his cock in hard, short spurts and coating both our bellies.
Curious and still hazy with lust, I look down to see his cock spurting between us. He’s still pressed between my pussy lips and I can feel each jet of cum traveling up his thick shaft before it wets my belly.
I can’t help staring in awe. Goddess, he’s right, he doescome a lo
t. Now I’m really glad he didn’t ask me to suck and swallow all that. My whole lower abdomen is wet with his essence and the creamy is stuff slipping down between my pussy lips too, into my unprotected pussy.
It’s this last thought that makes me pull back, just as he finishes coming. I’m not protected, I remind myself. Not on any kind of birth control at all. Oh Goddess…
“You can go clean up, if you like,” Aiden says quietly and I realize he’s been reading my face again—or maybe my thoughts. I’m still not convinced he can’t do that. “But blow out the candles first.”
“Candles?” I look at him uncertainly. “What are you talking about?”
He gives me an amused look. “Behind you, darling. The candles you lit when you came.”
I jerk my head around and stare at the twin candle flames burning brightly in the silver candlesticks on the far edge of his desk. Can it really be? Did I really light them?
“But I can’t… I don’t… I’m a dud,” I get out at last.
Aiden frowns. “No, you’re not—you’re one of the most powerful witches I’ve met in years. But you’re blocked. Something is holding your magic in but just now, when you let yourself go with me, some of it leaked out.” He shrugs as though it’s no big deal. “That’s all.”
“I…but I…” I can’t get over it. After years of trying and crying and swearing and hoping and finally giving up and accepting I have no power… This is just too much to take in. “Are you sure it was me?” I say at last.
“Positive.” He raises an eyebrow at me. “I’m a vampire, remember? It’s impossible for me to have any magical talent—it would be at odds with my nature.”
“But-but you can go out in daylight. And eat. And—”
“Those abilities were bought for me at a price.” He looks away. “For a very great price.”
For a price? What price? “Who bought them for you?” I ask, though the closed look on his face warns me to stop. “Was it whoever owned that copy of Farrow’s?” I nod at the spell book that lies abandoned on the wooden chair across from his desk.
Aiden doesn’t answer. “I assure you, Emma,” he says, pushing me gently but firmly off his lap. “I have no magical abilities of my own. It was you who lit the candles. And you are the one who must blow them out.”
I’m surprised that he knows whoever called the candle flame must be the one to extinguish it. It’s important to the circular nature of magic but that’s not something a vampire would be aware of. Unlesshe’s had dealings—intimate dealings—with witches before. I want to ask him more about the spell book and the witch who owned it but he’s clearly not going to answer. He’s simply waiting patiently for me to blow out the candles so he can go get cleaned up and changed.
I’m pretty sticky myself so I decide that this particular conversation will have to wait until later. Much later if Aiden’s reticence to talk about his past is any indication.
Leaning over the desk, I puff gently on the twin candle flames and watch them wink out of existence. I still don’t know how I lit them or if I’ll ever be able to do it again but Aiden is beckoning for me to go. There’s no time to wonder.
He lets me walk to the bedroom this time—maybe in deference to our mutual state of post-coital stickiness. Okay, I know it’s not really post-coital but it’s as close to sex as I’ve ever gotten so I’ll take what I can get. Or maybe he’s just quiet because he wants to put some distance between us. He’s certainly not nearly as talkative and affectionate as he was earlier and there’s a pensive look on his face that makes me vaguely uneasy.
I haven’t been on very many dates but I’ve heard tons about the different kinds of men from Lexy. According to her, you want to avoid the dark, silent, brooding types, no matter how attractive they may seem to start with. “Give me a Bingley over a Darcy any day,” Lexy always says. “I like my men happy, eager to please and uncomplicated.”
All attributes my new Master seems to lack. Of course, I didn’t get to choose Aiden—he chose me. A fact that I still have mixed feelings about. On one hand, it’s very easy to be attracted to him. He’s so masterful and handsome and sure of himself. He knows exactly what he wants and tells me exactly what he expects. When I obey, he gives me mind-blowing orgasms and lavish praise that makes me feel special in a way I never have before.
On the other hand, he dishes out pain as well as pleasure and seems to expect me to like them equally well. He wants to own me body and soul and he’s already talking about some mysterious bond growing between us. I’m not sure how to feel about that—after all, I just met him yesterday.
Has it really been such a short amount of time since he first walked into my shop with that list of ingredients? Somehow it seems so much longer than that. But time doesn’t seem to have much meaning here in this strange glass house. It stretches out like taffy until I don’t know where I’m going or how long it takes to get there. I—
“Stop.” Aiden takes my arm, breaking my train of thought and I realize that we’ve reached the threshold of the bedroom.
“Stop what?” I look at him, startled.
“Stop thinking so hard.” He cups my cheek for a moment and looks into my eyes. “Just let things be, Emma. We have such a short amount of time here together—try to enjoy it.”
“A short time?” I raise an eyebrow at him. “I’m here for a year. I’m yoursfor a whole year…Master.”
“Such a short time,” he repeats softly. “The blink of an eye. A snowflake melting on your cheek.”
I suppose living for centuries gives vamps a different sense of time. What seems like a long time to me is nothing to him. “I guess maybe I’d feel the same way if I was basically immortal,” I say neutrally. “But to a mortal witch like me, a year can be an eternity.”
“Vampires aren’t really immortal—we just have very long lifespans. Which can be shared…under the right circumstances.”
“You mean like a life-bond?” I shake my head. “I thought that was only between two vampires.” Vamps sometimes bond themselves together to double their lifespans. It can only be done once and it ties them together so that if one dies, it drags the other down too. But I’ve never heard of a vampire bonding with anyone mortal. If they did, it would have the opposite effect and cut their lifespan in half. It could mean the difference between the vamp living a thousand years or only living five hundred.
Both ages sound incredibly ancient to a mortal but to a being like a vampire, there’s a significant difference there. Of course, they’d get to share their truncated lifespan with their mortal lover who wouldn’t die until the vampire did but I don’t know of any that would be willing to cut their lives in half for love.
“There are some of my kind who would bond outside our race,” he murmurs, leading me into the bedroom at last. “I have heard of it being done.”
“Well I haven’t,” I say. “Um, is it all right if I take another shower? I’m kind of sticky.”
“So I see.” His sharp gray eyes flicker over me in a way that makes me blush. He nods at the master bathroom. “Help yourself. I’ll be waiting to tuck you in.”
Well, that’s kind of nice. I go into the bathroom, relieved to have a little alone time to take care of business. Aiden is amazing but he’s so intense—it can be hard to be around him all the time. I feel as if he sucks all the air out of any room he’s in—in a good way, of course. A way that makes me incredibly hot, but still, a girl needs to breathe sometimes.
I take a quick shower, being certain I get all of his essence off me and out of me. Not much leaked into my pussy so I hope I’m okay. If I had a normal cycle I’d be able to tell but with my period being so irregular, I have no idea. Well, the chances of getting pregnant by a vampire are slim anyway, I think, trying to make myself feel better. Just get over it. And maybe ask Lexy to bring some condoms or something.
I shut off the water and dry myself thoroughly. Then I wrap myself in another one of those big fluffy towels and come out of the steamy bathroom.
Aiden has also changed. He’s wearing another pair of faded jeans but this time his T-shirt is black. It still clings to his chest in a mouthwatering way, though. Mmm, I wouldn’t mind running my hands all over the flat, muscular planes of his body. I wonder if I’ll ever be allowed to explore him the way he seems to enjoy exploring me.
“Come here, Emma. It’s time for bed,” he says and puts out a hand to me. I come forward and take it. Aiden interlaces our fingers and squeezes my hand gently. “Are you feeling sleepy now?”
I have to admit that I’m fatigued. A day full of sexual tension, punishment and pleasure topped off by two delicious orgasms will do that to a girl. I open my mouth to answer in the affirmative…and yawn instead.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Aiden says dryly. “Come on—get rid of that towel.”
He takes my towel over my halfhearted protests. “Isn’t there anything I could wear to bed?” I ask, shivering. “Those sheets are bound to be cold.”
Aiden frowns. “No, I want you naked or nearly naked at all times. Come, I’ll help warm you up before I go.”
My heart speeds up at the idea of how he might warm me but he simply takes me to bed and spoons me, curling his big body around mine protectively and rubbing his hands over my arms and legs. As the heat of his big body envelops me and his warm, masculine scent fills my senses, I begin to feel deliciously drowsy.
“I thought…” I yawn again. “Thought vampires were…cold blooded.”
“A myth,” he murmurs softly, his deep voice soothing in my ear. “Along the same lines as the belief that all witches ride broomsticks and keep black cats as familiars.”
“I like cats,” I protest and yawn again.
“I’m sure you do.” He sounds as though he’s smiling. “You’re nearly asleep now. Would you like me to tuck you in tight before I leave?”
“Why do you have to leave?” I protest sleepily. “This is nice…lying here like this together. Don’t you like it?” I don’t think I would have the nerve to ask him this if I wasn’t so tired but in my fatigued state, it just comes out.