Owned by Fate (Serve #1)(9)

His presence at her back disappeared briefly. Feet braced shoulder-width apart, hands high on the wall, wearing nothing but her black bra and panties and high heels, Caroline felt incredibly exposed. She waited for humiliation to streak through her system, but shockingly, none appeared. It felt as though someone else inhabited her body, someone who craved being on display, knowing with full confidence Jonah liked what he saw. If she were even one iota more conscious, Caroline imagined she would be ashamed of herself. But Caroline had apparently left the building. Her usual fastidious, control-freak self hovered above, watching with rapt interest. Yet Hover Caroline somehow experienced every lick of anticipation, heat, and incessant need just as intensely as her daring replacement.

Music began to play, filling the room. It was a Radiohead song. Dark, winding, and bass-heavy. A moment later, when Caroline felt the feather skim across her belly, her breath caught on a whimper, but the sound was swallowed by the pulsing music. Another simple, light dusting over her navel and yet somehow, it made her sag against the wall. Jonah gripped her hips and steadied her immediately. She wanted more of his touch on her fevered skin, but it left her, once again replaced by the feather. It swirled up and down her belly and ribcage until her stomach began to tremble.

Finally, she felt Jonah’s hand coast up her abdomen and unfasten her bra at the front with a twist of his wrist. Caroline somehow resisted opening her eyes to witness his powerful hand in such close proximity to her breasts, but she felt the wispy material caress her leg as it fell to the floor without a sound.

“I’m going to leave your sexy panties on for now,” Jonah rasped in her ear. He swirled the feather around one hardened nipple, and Caroline had to bite her lip to keep from moaning. “Another contradiction. I watched you sit down at the bar and cross your legs as tight as a drum. Now I see you’re wearing panties that barely cover your *.”

His use of such a raw term sent a shudder racing through her. “They came with the matching set,” she managed.

“Caroline?” He glided the feather up the inside of her thigh. “Shut up.”

Her surprised laughter came out in a rush, but it turned to a groan when Jonah dragged the feather against her damp panties. It was exquisite torture that made her sex clench. And it wasn’t nearly enough. The barrier of her underwear muted the sensation. Without second-guessing herself, Caroline curled her fingers around the edge of her panties and yanked them down her thighs, praying he would find some way to give her relief soon.

Behind her, Jonah growled. In warning or approval, she didn’t know. She felt his breath, warm and harsh, on her neck. “Impatient girl. I’m trying to take this slow and you’re making it goddamn impossible.”

“Touch me.” Caroline Preston was actually begging. She couldn’t care less. Throwing caution to the wind, she met his eyes over her shoulder. “Please, Jonah.”

His tortured gaze fell to her mouth. “I left your panties on as a reminder not to f*ck you senseless against the wall. What’s going to stop me now?”

Caroline didn’t have an answer for that. At that moment, she couldn’t recall them deciding not to have sex together. Had they decided that? What the hell for? She opened her mouth to pose the question, but Jonah spoke first.

“Do I need to remind you again that I’m in control here?” His voice cracked like a whip, infinitely different from before. This is Jonah the Dom, she realized, ignoring the unwelcome thrill that came along with that knowledge. “Get your hands back up on the wall immediately before I forget myself.”

Breath racing past her lips, pulse hammering, she did as he commanded. The first touch of his fingers between her legs almost wrenched a scream from her throat. Until that moment, she hadn’t been aware of exactly how close she was to the edge. How far the explicitness of the situation in itself had pushed her. With an iron will, she forced herself to remain still.

He tapped a single finger over her clit. “When is the last time you were properly f*cked, Caroline?”

She couldn’t hold back a moan, her knees starting to tremble. “W-what? I—”

“Never. The answer is never, because I’ve never f*cked you.”

That one thick finger traced along her opening, then eased inside her in a slow, slick push. Already, she could feel herself tightening around him, liquid decadence gathering in her belly, waiting to be expelled. She wouldn’t last. Just a little more and she’d be sent flying. Having his skillful touch between her legs had her hovering on the brink, but when Jonah began tracing her nipples with the feather as well, Caroline nearly imploded.

When he spoke, his voice had deepened to an unrecognizable degree. “Maybe it’s better that I don’t f*ck you. This impossibly tight * would involve a lot of time and trouble for me.” He worked another finger inside with a grunt. “I’d need to eat you, baby. For hours. Just to get you ready. And even then, I’d have a motherf*cker of a time sinking as deep as I require.” Keeping two fingers lodged deep, Jonah began worrying her clit with his thumb. “Would you be worth my trouble, Caroline?”

“Yes. Yes.”

“Unquestionably. I could come right now, simply by kissing your pouty f*cking mouth.” His middle finger hooked inside her and teased that secret hidden spot. “How does that make you feel?”

Release within her reach, she squeezed her eyes shut and cried out. “I love it.”