I shake my head, unable to open my eyes. “I can’t…I can’t.” The pathetic mantra echoes in my head as my memories become palpable, and I feel the warm spray of blood wash my skin. I gasp in a jagged breath.
Rough palms bracket my face, and my eyes blink open. Staring into the depths of his vivid blue eyes, I focus on their clarity. “It’s all I ever see, Colton. How I view my world—with visions of red. The blood pulls me under…”
His thumb swipes under my eye, clearing away the gathered moister, before he pulls away, leaving me reeling.
The ropes tighten even more, and I’m shifted upright, my arms bound to my chest, my wrapped thigh angled close to my body, fingers clawing the air. My whole world shifts as I’m suspended higher.
My head falls back. Light encases me—a blinding purity that forces air into my lungs and a searing energy fires through every limb and bone, awakening me. A lucid transcendence that leaves no room for fear. Or shame.
Cradled within the twisted threads, I fall deep within myself. A lightness encompassing me as the rope hugs my body—soothing. A tender embrace. The pain no longer breaks me; I no longer crave the cruel bite to sate the darkness—I’m cocooned by a lover’s kiss.
“Beautiful,” I hear Colton appraise. “With your permission, goddess.”
I glance over to see him kneeling below me, a flogger laid across his lap. A manic vibe steals over me, and I hear myself say, “Yes.”
Rising to his knees, he places one hand to my ankle and affectionately kisses the abused flesh above the binding. Then getting to his feet, he removes his shirt, exposing perfect flesh. Hard muscles line his stomach and trail down into a taut V just above his jeans. His arms flex as he works his way over the length of my body, the leather tails silky soft against my skin and drawing a throaty moan from my mouth.
“Suede,” he says, running the tails across my breasts; my nipples peaking from between my bound arms pebble at the arousing feel. “A low intensity sting, and hardly any thud, but we’re starting slow.” With a quick snap of his wrist, the black leather tails make contact with my skin.
I hiss out a breath, but it’s more due to the act, the sound of the swish, than the light pain.
His smile lights his face, and I lick my lips in anticipation of his touch. He trails the leather tips along my stomach, and I close my eyes, abandoning all reservation.
When he reaches my pelvis, he rests the mop there for one brief second and places his lips to the sensitive area just above my core. I tense, the muscles deep within me contracting at the erotic sensation. And when he drops the tails between my thighs, caressing my heated, slick lips with the smooth suede, my hips move of their own accord, causing the rope to creak against the bamboo.
Suddenly the flogger is gone, leaving me keening and throbbing, then with a severe thwack, it makes direct contact with my clit. My teeth pin my bottom lip as an intense pleasure radiates from my core and shoots throughout my body.
He continues to torture me in this fashion—giving and depriving of gratification—until my arousal is piqued, and I’m pleading for release. I’ve become dependent on the restraints, needing their assurance as I’m brought to the brink, only to descend into the violent ache all over.
But as Colton’s rhythm increases, each sting coming harder, and faster, his own harsh moans mingling with mine, he doesn’t withhold—he knows exactly what I need, when I need it, and he lashes my clit until my entire body is centered on that one, intense sensation, and my body reacts, pulling every muscle tight, giving over to the orgasm.
The flogger is replaced by the feel of Colton’s fingers greedily seeking their rightful place inside me, his thumb pressed hard to my clit as I come. His hand clasps the back of my neck, bringing me forward, and his lips crash against mine.
I’m captive to the sensations swimming over me, through me, demanding to be felt—and I’m captive to him. Every atom of my body entwines and connects at the place where our lips meet, caress. As his tongue darts out and slips past my lips to touch mine, I strain against the ropes, yearning for him to claim me completely.
As the aftershocks pulse pleasurably, rolling within me and along my skin, Colton releases me. Euphoria claims what’s left of me as my binds are removed and I fall into his strong arms.
A sheet covers me, cool and soothing against my sensitized flesh. We’re laying in his bed, his arms still holding me, comforting and giving solace, as my mind slips into the realm of sleep. But before I’m fully under, I feel something coarse wrap my wrist…a kiss to my mouth…then I’m free of all nightmares as I drift.
17
Unknown Subject
Sadie
Cravings don’t ever truly disappear. Right now, as I stare out over the little lagoon of Colton’s apartment complex, perched on the balcony, his giant T-shirt shrouding me from the elements, I could kill for a cigarette.
I look down at my phone again: four missed calls from Quinn, and one missed call from Avery.
I can’t hide forever—but now that everything feels shifted, surreal, I’m not sure what happens next. I have to confess what I know to Quinn, because I can’t work this case alone. And I’m not sure that I want to. Suddenly I fear something I’ve never had reason to fear before: loss.
I have things in my life—people—who I fear losing if I can’t get in front of this.
But timing is everything.
The UNSUB has a plan. I’m a part of that plan. My timing needs to align with his, and I can’t make a mistake. He’s successfully affected me. If that was his ultimate goal, then he’s already a step ahead. Only I’ve studied and analyzed his kind for years; there’s a greater scheme here than just distressing the profiler on his case.
He wants something from me—an acknowledgement, a contribution, maybe even me—and he won’t stop until he’s attained his desire.