“Shelby?” Mason asked with a single raised eyebrow.
She licked her lips. There was no question where she’d be staying. She knew where she wanted to be. She looked at her endearing friend. “I’ll be fine. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Viola stared at her as if she was going to say something, or maybe communicate with her eyes. It didn’t matter. Her reply would be the same no matter how Viola relayed her message. “All right.” She leaned in and hugged her, careful not to touch her back.
When she stood, Shelby gave her a reassuring smile and watched as she walked away. By the slight smirk on Mason’s face once she cleared the doorway, Shelby was sure her friend had given him the stink-eye on her way out.
He came toward her, and her body tried to come alive, which only intensified the pain. The blood rushing in her veins made her back throb something awful.
“Are you ready for me to take care of you, baby?” he said softly, and kissed her forehead.
He was so tender, and in that moment, all she could manage was a nod in response.
Mason watched for any signs of discomfort as he placed Shelby on her feet by his bed. He would have lain her down if not for her clothes. He needed her bare to tend to her welts. Without outlining his intent, he pulled the blanket from her, tossed it to the edge of the bed, and proceeded to untie the apron from behind her neck, never taking his gaze off hers. He wondered if she realized she watched him so openly, but he worried she’d stop the moment he broke the silence.
So he didn’t.
With her apron now puddled on the floor, her breasts were exposed. He dared not look.
Unzipping her short dress had been easy even without the benefit of watching what he was doing. Once it fell free, he clutched her hands and coaxed her to the side. She stepped out of it easily, and he squatted before her, looking up as she looked down at him, still locked in his gaze. He slid his hands up her legs and over her thighs to her panties to quickly divest her of them as well.
Now that she was completely naked, it was time to turn her away from him. He missed the connection before it was even broken.
“Lie down on your tummy,” he softly ordered.
She turned and climbed onto the bed, her abraded back a glaring beacon, calling him to fix her. He wasn’t a sadist, though he didn’t judge those who were. He enjoyed some pain when mixed with pleasure, but his fascination with it wasn’t to the extent of Emory’s. His business partner thrived on the pain, but hadn’t found anyone strong enough to endure what he needed to give. As long as Mason had known him, he’d always had to back off before he was ready. The man would never push a sub beyond her limit, would never take his skill too far with one, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t missing that feeling of completeness.
Though, right now, Mason had an insane urge to go downstairs and turn the whip on his friend. He pushed down that gut reaction as he walked to the bathroom to gather the necessary items. There was no need to avenge Shelby’s whipping, no matter what part of him tried to demand it.
With a warm, wet cloth and medicine in hand, he returned to Shelby to find her in the exact same position as he’d left her.
“This may hurt, pet. I’ll try to be gentle.”
She moaned as he started to clean the sweat from her back, but he was careful not to irritate her skin too much.
“You did very well tonight, Shelby. I know I’ve already praised you, but it bears repeating.”
“Thank you.”
He tossed the washcloth to the side and hit the button on the ceiling fan remote to help dry her back before applying the ointment. She shivered lightly, and he caressed her arm as they waited. When her skin was no longer damp, he flicked the lid on the tube.
“You doing okay?”
“Yes, Master.”
His chest tightened as he smeared the medicine on her marks. She’d wear them for several days, but Emory hadn’t broken her skin. Good thing. If he’d made his Shelby bleed, Mason would have returned the favor.
His Shelby?
He swallowed and escaped that longing thought to focus on his task. When she was sufficiently covered, he wiped his fingers on the cloth and moved to the other side of the bed to turn down the covers. He stripped before scooting her to the exposed sheets and sliding into bed beside her, tucking them both in.
Because he couldn’t help himself, he touched her cheek as she burrowed closer to him. “So beautiful,” he whispered.
She kissed his neck and slid her leg over his hip. Lightning flashed in his groin when her knee grazed his dick, bringing it instantly to life. In her position, she was open to him, knowledge his body couldn’t ignore. His hand found her hip and pulled her closer to him as his mouth descended to hers. She moaned, and he ate it up, possessing her mouth with a need so profound it rocked him to his core.
So he kissed her, massaged her tongue with his, inhaled her breaths, made love to her mouth while his hands swept over her body, discovering areas that were unorthodox erogenous zones. Beside her bellybutton, in the crook of her hip, along her waist, between her breasts. All the while he ravished her mouth, his kiss becoming impatient, which belied the gentleness of his exploration of her body.
When she groaned and thrust her hips toward him, he answered her call by rolling them until he loomed over her. He trailed kisses down her neck, and she clutched at his back. It had been a long time since he’d had sex with another woman, even longer since he’d done so without topping. His inner Dom usually demanded it, but right now, he just wanted to be with her. No restraints, no kink.
“Oh God,” she breathed when he reached her breast and tongued her nipple. She arched into him, and he sucked it into his mouth. He devoured her offering, her whimpers and moans fueling him. When he released it, he dove for her other nipple, not letting her rest. Shelby fisted his hair as he worshiped her with his mouth. He shivered at the feel of her hands on him, a sensation he wasn’t sure he’d ever experience without instinctively reacting.
“Shelby.” He moved down, peppering kisses in his wake. The lower he went, the more her heady scent surrounded him. He could get drunk on her and love every second of it. He licked along the side of her labia, taking his time circling her pussy, inhaling her ambrosia. He knew when his tongue connected with her core he wouldn’t be able to go slow. He was already about to lose his mind for wanting her.
“P-please.”
That was all it took. He wanted to take his time with her, but her needs came first. She would never have to beg him to tend to her. Not ever. He licked up her center and growled and how good she tasted. The hands in his hair tightened, and yes, he ravished her. There had never been any doubt. He licked, nipped, stabbed his tongue inside of her while she became restless beneath him. He shoved her legs wider and pushed two fingers inside of her. He bent his fingers, rubbed the sweet spot vigorously, and sucked on her clit until her whimpers became screams.
“Fuck,” he groaned, pulling away and fumbling in the nightstand drawer for a condom. He ripped it open and rolled in on before she came down from her high. He had to have her now. “I can’t wait.”
He thrust into her clenching pussy, and she gasped at the sudden intrusion. He didn’t give her time to adjust. He pulled almost all the way out and forged in again, looking down, watching where their bodies were connected, the image too powerful to ignore.