Dominance Never Dies (Masters and Mercenaries #11)(27)

It might actually work.

His blood started to thrum through his system. He could have her. He could play with her.

“I’m not incompetent, Case.” Her face tilted up, her body moving closer to his. Her words might be defiant, but her body wasn’t. She was softening, her lips opening slightly. “I can handle myself. I know how to use a gun.”

An armed Mia was kind of one of his worst nightmares. He let his free hand stray down to her waist, enjoying the feel of her curves. “You’re a reporter, not a soldier. I’ve agreed to stand back and let you work. I’ve agreed to let you bring along Fain. Give me something here. I’m in charge of this operation.”

She sighed, a sexy sound. “I don’t want you to cut me out. I can’t stand being treated like I’m made of glass.”

She was so obviously made of warmth and sex. He lowered his head, lips hovering over her mouth. He’d waited so damn long. “I won’t cut you out. I promise. But I need to know you’ll obey me if things get dangerous.”

“It won’t,” she promised, her hands moving to his waist.

He wanted those hands all over his body. “But if it does…”

Her lips were so close. “I’ll follow your orders. You’re in charge if things get dangerous.”

That wasn’t good enough. “And here, Mia. I’m in charge when we play. You’re the sweet sub and I’m the dirty Dom who’s going to demand absolutely everything you have to give me. Tell me yes. Tell me we can play.”

“Yes, Case. Yes.”

He covered her mouth with his, devouring her like a starving man. He couldn’t be gentle. He needed her far too much.

Her arms wound around him and she held on, pressing her body to his. Her breasts flattened against his chest.

This was what he’d wanted that first night, the first moment he’d seen her. He’d wanted her soft and submissive. She’d called to that dominant piece of him he hadn’t known existed. Before Mia had walked into his life, he’d enjoyed the lifestyle, but he hadn’t truly understood it. He hadn’t known what it meant to need to dominate a woman—not for mere sexual purposes or to feed his own ego. He needed to dominate her because she ruled his every thought, because he needed to be important to this one woman.

No. Case forced himself to stop. He pulled away from the drugging kisses she was giving him. He couldn’t go down that path. If he was going to take her, it would be on his terms, and that meant he wasn’t going to play the idiot. He wasn’t going to ask for more than she could give him. He wasn’t going to pretend this was some grand love. She wasn’t Charlotte and he wasn’t Ian. They didn’t get that forever thing.

But they could have this.

“What’s wrong?” She looked up at him and then started to pull away.

He wasn’t going to let that happen. He turned her around so his front nestled her back. “Nothing’s wrong. I want to feel you. Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited to touch you, Mia? How often I’ve thought about this?” His hands were on her waist and he brought them up slowly. “I want to memorize every inch of your skin, and do you know how I’m going to do it?”

She leaned back into him. “You’re going to touch me.”

He loved how breathless she was. No other woman ever responded as honestly to him as she did. He could trust her body even if he didn’t trust the rest of her. Oh, she wouldn’t mean to hurt him. He actually believed that, but she would choose her world. She would choose her family over him. He could keep her for a little while.

“What am I going to touch you with, princess?” He moved slowly, letting his hands find the warm skin under her shirt.

“Your hands.” Her head fell back against his chest. Without heels on she didn’t quite reach his shoulders. “I want your hands everywhere, Case. They feel so good.”

“I will touch you everywhere, but that’s not all I’ll do.” He was right under her breasts. This was one of the things D/s had taught him. Sex required discipline. Patience. Control. He wanted to shove her on that bed and force his dick inside her, but that wouldn’t make it good for her. This methodical arousal of every inch of her body would make her ready for him, would make her scream for him.

Might make her stay with him for a while.

He flattened one palm on the curve of her belly, the other touching the band of her bra. There was zero reason to hide how hard he was. He let his cock rub against her backside. “I’m going to put my hands on you. I’ll touch your breasts and cup that hot ass of yours and I will let my fingers explore how hot and wet your * gets for me.”

“You’re killing me, Case.” She squirmed a little, as though trying to get him to move.

He held her tight, his mouth against her ear. “Don’t. We haven’t talked about punishments so I’m not going to stop and spank that sweet ass, but now you’ve been warned. This is my time. It’s my time to explore your body and get you hot. I’ll give you time later, but for now you’ll let me enjoy how you feel under my hands.”

“D/s sucks,” she said with a shaky laugh.

He ran the tip of his tongue along her ear, enjoying the way she shivered. “No, it doesn’t. It makes us take things slow and get to know each other’s bodies and responses. It makes us thoughtful lovers. I want to be your lover. Do you understand what I mean by that? I don’t want to be your boyfriend. I want to be your Dom. It’s different. A boyfriend can take you or leave you. A Dom is responsible for you. It means something deeper to me.”