Annihilation Road (Torpedo Ink 6)

He tipped her face up to his again and captured her tears. “Don’t get me wrong, it was the best fucking turn-on ever, but I would have stopped if you told me to. I’ve got to get you in a bath. Drink more water while I get that ready. I’ll cut up fruit and clean up in here while you’re soaking, and we can talk more before you go to sleep.”

SEVENTEEN

Seychelle was shocked when she saw the master bathtub. The master bathroom was enormous, with a long double sink that looked as if it was made from abalone shells. The countertop was thick and covered in a pearlescent, shimmery granite. The shower was a huge tiled room with more golden jets and a complicated overhead rack of long showerheads. She only caught glimpses of both, because he carried her down a short hallway that looked almost like they were entering a grotto.

The wide cavern was arched and made of stones, grays and blues that were soothing, but set in the stones were floating jellyfish of various colors, all lit, tentacles floating behind them. In the darkness they looked beautiful and serene. Forests of kelp seemed to float along the bottom of the stone wall, swaying slightly in rhythm with the tentacles of the jellyfish.

The tub itself was huge, the water blue and steamy. Savage lowered her gently, seating her carefully almost all the way up to her neck in the water, which clearly had some kind of bath salts in it. She felt the effects on her bottom, thighs and nipples immediately.

“There’s a cushion for your neck. Just lean back and rest. You have a bottle of water right next to your hand. I’ll get us some fruit.”

She didn’t want him to leave her, but the water was soothing, even the seat her sore bottom rested on was cushioned. She felt the padding with her neck. Part of her didn’t want to close her eyes. The bath looked like an underwater cave. It truly was beautiful. Another part of her wanted to relive the experience with Savage. It should have been terrible. She was sore. Her bottom, for certain. Not terribly sore yet, but she would be. She thought about that a lot. She’d been right on the edge, so close, the entire time he was administering his reminder to her. What did that mean?

Just thinking about how he made her feel, the sound of his voice, the shock of the strap as it laid across her skin and the heat spreading straight to her sex. Rushing like a freight train. She kept him in her mind the entire time. Savage. What he needed. What he wanted. That look on his face when he clamped her nipples. When he took her tears. So much heat. All that heat and fire belonged to her.

In a million years she had never imagined the absolute pleasure he could give her when he slammed his cock into her. She hadn’t been able to think. Only feel. Only want. She would have done anything for him. She would do anything for him. She knew she would. It wasn’t just the intensity of the orgasms he gave her; it was the look of utter love on his face after. She knew she loved him already with every breath she drew. She hadn’t been as certain of what he felt for her until that moment.

That knowledge was what she needed to give her the courage to go forward, no matter where their strange sexual relationship took them. He was honest with her. He said he would have to talk about things she’d asked him for that he might not be able to give her. She was concerned what they might be. She’d been with him quite a while—not always in a sexual way, but with him—for months now, and he’d given her everything she’d ever wanted.

“Why are you frowning? Are you hurting?”

She lifted her lashes and looked up at him as he stepped into the deep blue tub, which looked more like a lagoon. He set a plate of fresh cut-up fruit on the wide ledge beside the water bottle. The fruit looked refreshing and tempting. She sat up straight and immediately took a piece of mango.

“I was trying to think what you might not be able to give me that I asked you for. You’ve given me everything so far.” The fruit was so delicious, just what she needed.

“Drink the water too, baby.” He sat close to her, his hand on her leg, sliding his fingers along her scars the way he often did.

He was silent for so long she was afraid he might not answer her. She didn’t ask him again. Shadows from the floating jellyfish and kelp seemed to move on the wall, and she looked at the cave surrounding her. There were octopi hidden, and a few other sea creatures, when one really studied the clever design.