Battleship (Anchored Book 2) Page 8

  Somehow, I bet even the soreness will be welcome.

  Each time I move, I’ll remember the way he filled me.

  Each step I take will be a reminder that Master Thorn played with me, and marked me, and enjoyed me.

  Each bite of pain will be a reminder that he played with me, and that he showed me bravery is always rewarded.

  Soon my reprieve is over, and Master Thorn begins to fuck me at his own pace. It’s demanding, and hard, and fast, and soon I find myself on the edge of an orgasm. I don’t usually come from sex, but somehow, it makes sense that I would with him.

  I’m so close to coming, so close, but I need a little bit more.

  I wiggle, wishing I could reach for my clit, and Master Thorn pulls my hair.

  “You want to come, kitten? Is that what you want?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then come for me.”

  “I need you to rub my clit,” I whine. “Please.”

  “No, I won’t be touching your clit,” he says. “I want you to come on my cock, beautiful. I want you to come without me rubbing your clit. Come just for me because it pleases me. Come because you want to squeeze my dick with that pretty pussy of yours.”

  He keeps pulling my hair with one hand. His other hand finds my nipples and begins to pinch and pull.

  Again, at first, the pain bothers me, but soon it, too, settles between my legs. I’m overwhelmed with so many different feelings and emotions and sensations that the orgasm sneaks up on me without me noticing. I cry out, clenching his cock. I groan, completely wrapped up in the waves of pleasure that are overtaking me.

  “Fuck, that was beautiful,” he says, and then I feel him pressing at my asshole with his fingers.

  “No,” I whisper. “You’re too big.”

  “I’m not too big,” he says. He presses a finger inside of me, filling me. His cock is still in my pussy, and I feel very, very full. “Trust me, beautiful.”

  “I trust you,” I whisper, and I do. He pulls away from me for a minute and I immediately miss him. I hear him opening something, and then he covers my backside in lube. He’s generous with it, and when he starts touching me again with his fingers, he uses more. I try to figure out exactly how many he’s putting inside of me, but it’s impossible to tell.

  “How does that feel? Any pain?”

  “No, it doesn’t hurt. I just feel full.”

  “Good,” he murmurs, swatting my bottom a couple of times. “Now you’re going to feel even more full.”

  He nudges me with his cock, pressing against me.

  “Relax, baby,” he says. “This is easiest if you relax.”

  It’s not my first time having anal sex, but it’s the first time in awhile, and I close my eyes and breathe deeply.

  “Fuck, you’re so beautiful, kitten, and you’re such a naughty girl.”

  “I know I am, and naughty girls get punished.”

  “That’s right,” he agrees. “Naughty girls get their assholes punished.”

  “Fill me with your big cock, Master Thorn,” I say, and he slowly slides into me. My body stretches to accommodate him, and the feeling is slightly uncomfortable at first, but not painful. Slowly, he moves in me, and my body begins to warm up once more.

  “Are you ready to come for me again, kitten?” He says.

  “I don’t know if I can,” I admit. I’ve always been a one-orgasm kind of girl. Multiples are something I’ve always wanted, but not something I’ve ever thought I could have. Then again, I also didn’t think I’d feel comfortable in the middle of a sex club or considering going back. I didn’t think I’d be finding myself on the verge of a D/s relationship.

  “You can,” he says. “I believe in you, baby. You can do this. Fuck, you have no idea how pretty you look with my cock sliding in and out of you. Gorgeous. You look so damn gorgeous, baby, and I’m going to come inside of you.”

  “Please,” all I do is beg now.

  “Come for me first. Come for your Dom. Show me how much you love this.”

  Master Thorn keeps murmuring how pretty he thinks I am, how gorgeous I am, how beautiful I am. He keeps telling me how fantastic I look completely tied up and at his disposal, and I love it.

  I love the things he’s saying to me.

  I love the way I feel.

  I’m tied up, bent over his couch, and I’ve never felt more satisfied. Right now, it doesn’t matter that my job is difficult or that my landlord isn’t great. It doesn’t matter that it’s hard to keep my house clean, spend time with Owl, and find the freedom to have a social life.

  Right now, the only thing I have to worry about is coming because that’s what my Dom wants me to do.

  The only thing I’m focusing on is listening to him, on following his commands.

  “Come.”

  This time, he does run his fingers over my clit, and he brings me over the edge. My body explodes in pleasure I’ve only imagined before as the second orgasm of the night takes over. At the same time, I feel him coming, and he grips my hips as he thrusts into me one last time.

  And I am filled.

  I am complete.

  I am beautiful.

  In this moment, I feel a deep sense of happiness wash over me. I feel so good. I feel drunk on love as he kisses my shoulder and whispers, “Let’s get you untied, beautiful.” Gently, he unties my arms and rubs them with his hands until he’s certain I don’t have any bruising. Then we sit together on the couch and he just holds me.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Good,” I whisper. “That was incredible. It really wasn’t that scary.”

  “There will be times when you’ll be scared. There will be times when we try new things and you feel worried or concerned, but you’ll tell me, and we’ll talk about it. Hell, there will be times I’m scared, too, sweetie.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. You don’t really think I have this whole Dom thing completely figured out, do you? I’m good, but I’m not perfect. Learning to be in a relationship is never easy. We’ll focus a lot more on communication and vulnerability than most couples will, but we’ll both make mistakes. That doesn’t mean we aren’t going to try.”

  “You still want to?” I ask hopefully.

  Thorn tilts my chin up and I look at him.

  “I knew the moment I saw you that you were something special, Lily. Yeah, I want to give this thing between us a chance: a fair chance. I want to date you, Lily. I want to Dominate you. I want to teach you. I want to love you, if you’ll let me.”

  And I realize that Thorn is asking me for more than just a second date.

  He’s asking me to give him a part of myself that until recently, I didn’t know existed. He’s asking me to give him a chance. He’s asking me to love him.

  And I know without a doubt that saying yes to Thorn is going to be the best decision of my life.

  “Yes,” I whisper. “A thousand times, yes.”

  Epilogue

  Lily

  One Month Later

  A month later, and Thorn and I are officially dating. We’re also practically living together, but that’s beside the point. He helped me become a full-fledged member of Anchored, so we’ve been spending our weekends exploring BDSM together in a safe, comfortable setting. I thought I’d be nervous playing in public, but the truth is that I kind of like being a little show-off.

  Christina and Zack have watched Thorn and I together a couple of times, and while I figured that would be weird, it wasn’t. She came up to me after each scene and hugged me and told me how great I was. She’s happy for me, and now I realize just how happy she must feel to have found Zack.

  Thorn still looks at me like I’m the most beautiful girl in the world, and tonight, we’re going to celebrate our one-month anniversary at the place where it all started: Anchored.

  The party is already in full-swing when we arrive at the Club. Thorn guides us inside and we head straight for the bar. We aren’t going to play tonight. Instead, we’re going
to drink and watch some of the special performances lined up for tonight. Someone is doing a demonstration on how one Dom can take care of two subs at the same time, and I’m more than a little curious to watch it.

  We order our drinks and when June brings them, she sets something beside mine. I don’t notice it at first until Thorn points it out.

  “What’s that?” He asks, and I look at the little box.

  “I don’t know.”

  “You should probably open it.”

  I look at him curiously, but pick up the little cardboard box. It fits easily in the palm of my hand. When I open the box, I’m surprised to see a ring sitting in the center of a pile of rose petals.

  “Jaxson?” I whisper, looking up at him, only he’s not sitting at the bar anymore.

  He’s on his knees.

  Both knees.

  “Marry me, Lily,” he says, looking up at me. “I know it’s fast. It’s only been a month, and we’ve still got so much to learn about each other, but I want you to marry me. I want to spend the rest of my life making you smile, hearing you laugh, and seeing you dance. I want to give you babies and I want to grow old with you. I want to see how beautiful those hands of yours still are in fifty years. Will you make me the happiest man in the fucking world, Lily? Will you marry me?”

  The whole club seems to fall silent as people realize what’s happening and turn to watch us, but I ignore them as I drop to my knees in front of the man I’ve fallen in love with, in front of the man I’ve realized I can’t live without.

  “Yes, Jaxson Thorn. I will marry you.”

  We seal the promise with a kiss, and I know in this moment that I’m going to have a most wonderful future with this man I love.

  I’m going to get a happier-ever-after.

  Who could wish for more than that?

  THE END

  About the Author

  Sophie Stern loves cowboys, soldiers, and shifters. When she’s not busy writing, she’s got her nose buried in a book. Sophie lives with her husband and two little boys who are always keeping her on her toes.

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  As a thank-you for reading this book, please enjoy this excerpt from my upcoming story, Roses in the Dark. This is a dark romantic retelling of Beauty and the Beast that I’m certain you’ll love.

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  Happy reading!

  Love,

  Sophie

  Roses in the Dark

  Chapter 1

  It’s not every day you meet a monster.

  For most people, monsters are something out of fairytale storybooks. They’re things of legends, things they’ve only ever heard about. For most people, the idea of monsters is horrifying and a little unnerving. After all, no one wants to admit the thing they’re most afraid of is real. No one wants to admit the stories could be true.

  My father warns me that Farwol is this sort of monster. He warns me that the best thing I can do is to stay hidden, to lock myself in my bedroom and not come out. He says that when Farwol comes to collect his debts, I need to be as far from the creature as possible.

  He says this is the only way to survive.

  I don’t remember when my father got entangled with the beast from the forest. Everyone in the village fears the reclusive billionaire who comes only to collect his debts. It’s only when the three moons align together and shine bright that Farwol will come. It’s on these nights the villagers who are indebted to him must pay what they owe or face a fate worse than death.

  It’s on these nights when the creature comes to call that the villagers grow terrified.

  Tonight, my father is one of them.

  He begins to panic around lunchtime. The sun is still bright in the sky, but he’s trying to collect enough money to pay back the man he borrowed from. Why my father owes Farwol, I don’t know. Why my father would turn to seeking money from a monster, I don’t understand. The only thing I know is that when the sun sets, he’ll come to our door, and my father must be ready to pay.

  “I can help you,” I say, watching him run around. He’s grabbing different items of value to try to go sell. He’s grabbing the candlesticks, the paintings, the silverware. He’s grabbing anything he thinks might fetch a price, but fear fills my heart because I don’t think it will be enough.

  Whatever debt my father owes Farwol, it’s one that will not be repaid with simple silverware. No, this debt goes much deeper and is far greater than I can imagine.

  “Eve, you must stay here,” Father says. He grabs a few more items and throws them into a large bag before heading out of the house. “And no matter who comes to the door, you don’t answer it. Understand? Do not answer the door, Eve. Not even for your friends.”

  I stand at the door and nod, not quite understanding the seriousness of the situation. My father is completely panicking and I wish I could help him. I wish there was something I could do. I should be able to do something, to ease his suffering, but he won’t tell me what he’s done, what he owes.

  He won’t tell me why he went to the monster in the first place.

  Father closes the door and waits just outside while I lock it. Once satisfied, I hear him descend the rest of the steps and leave with Pepper, our horse. Then I am truly alone.

  I sit in a chair and stare at the wall, wondering how the world has come to this. Am I such a failure as a daughter that I cannot figure out a way to save my own papa? Am I such a terrible human that I cannot come up with a single solution to this predicament? I should be better.

  I should be able to find a way.

  Yet I spend the entire afternoon and into the evening trying to come up with ideas to make the money my father desperately needs and I come up short. I come up with nothing. Soon the moons rise and father still isn’t back. I pace back and forth in the living room for what feels like hours. Eventually, the sound of hoofs arrives outside the door and father comes into the house.

  “Did you get the money?” I ask anxiously, hopefully, but he shakes his head. “Oh, Papa,” I whisper, going to him. I hug my father, wrapping my arms around him. “What’s going to happen now?” I ask.

  “We’ll figure something out,” he says, only this time, he doesn’t sound as hopeful as he did before. The paintings and the silverware are gone. Father is carrying a thin velvet bag that jingles as he moves.

  “How much gold did you get?” I ask, nodding toward the bag.

  He shakes his head. “Silver,” is all he says, and he sets it down on the wooden table in the center of the room. We sit to a supper of warm stew and stale bread, but eat in silence. We’re both so completely wrapped up in our own thoughts that we don’t hear the horses approaching the house until the riders are coming up to the door.

  “Eve!” My father says my name in a hushed whisper. “Quick! To your room!”

  “Papa,” I protest lightly, but I know it’s no use. They’ve come for him and there’s no stopping whatever happens now. He motions for me to go hide, so I go into the adjacent bedroom and close the door. Then I crawl under the bed.

  Papa showed me long ago where he wanted me to hide if anything bad happened. This isn’t a particularly good hiding place. I think if someone wants to find me, it won’t be difficult, but it’s the only place I have.

  The area beneath the bed is dusty. I should have kept this area clean, I realize, but it’s too late for that now. My dress will be dirty and soiled when I come out, but that doesn’t matter.

  All that matters is my father.

  I hear him open the door.

  “Gentlemen,” he says politely. “What can I do for you?”

  Even with the bedroom door closed, it’s not difficult to hear what they’re saying. The hardwood floors make every sound echo, m
ake every footstep exaggerated.

  “You know why we’re here,” a deep voice says.

  “I don’t have your m-m-money,” my father starts to stutter, and suddenly, the room seems so much colder.

  He’s scared.

  Papa is scared.

  My father is never scared, never afraid. Nothing makes him worry. Nothing upsets him. He certainly never becomes unnerved to the point of stuttering, but that’s happening now.

  “That’s unfortunate,” the voice says. “I suppose I’ll have to take my payment in other ways.” I listen carefully. There are at least three men, I think. The one talking must be Farwol. He said my money: not our money. That makes me think he’s the one in charge, the one leading this group of thugs.

  That’s what they are, I think with an angry frown. They’re thugs. They’re bandits. They’re worthless pieces of shit who have no business coming in here.

  And I won’t let them touch my father.

  I should go out there and reason with them. Maybe if I explain everything, they’ll be understanding. Maybe they’ll leave us alone.

  Only, before I can move to wiggle out of my spot, I hear footsteps approaching the door, and I pause.

  “Anything,” my father says. “I’ll give you anything you want.”

  Farwol pauses for a moment. His men say something I can’t quite hear. Maybe he’ll be reasonable. Maybe he’ll be normal. Maybe he won’t be the monster everyone says he is. Maybe he won’t be the beast.

  But then Farwol says, “I’m terribly sorry about interrupting your supper.” My heart starts to race as I realize what he’s going to say next. “Who was your dining companion? Surely an impoverished man, such as yourself, wouldn’t eat two bowls of stew on your own.”