Once Upon a Time in Bliss

Chapter Seven

Nell sighed as she eased into the hot tub. This was exactly what she needed. She’d lied a little to Henry. She was sore, but not so much that she wanted to miss a minute of his lovemaking.

She closed her eyes, letting the soothing sound of the tub lull her. Her body felt well used, as though she’d finally figured out what it had really been made to do. Henry had been voracious this morning, using his mouth on her and then working his cock deep inside.

If only she didn’t have that ignorant man trying to hurt her, she would probably still be in bed with Henry.

“Hey, are you up for some company?” A soft voice brought Nell out of her reverie.

Nell opened her eyes and smiled. Callie walked in followed by a tall, handsome man with dark hair and slate gray eyes.

“Hello, Stefan,” Nell said, sitting up more properly. “When did you get back from New York?”

Stefan Talbot was the richest man in Bliss, but he also had an undeniably soft heart when it came to the women of the town. Nell had made a study of the artist. He was a rather fascinating character. Tall and lean with icy eyes, he could look every inch the ruthless king of all he surveyed, but the minute someone was in trouble, Stef was on hand with an open heart and an even more open checkbook. On several occasions, Nell had managed to squeeze a huge check out of Stef for a good cause.

“I got in late last night. I enjoy the city, but I have to admit, it’s good to be home for a while. The light here is different than anywhere in the world. It’s softer. I paint better here.” Stef dropped his robe, and Nell couldn’t help but admire the painter. He was an extremely attractive man, but her eyes turned down almost of their own accord. Somehow it didn’t seem right to look at someone else now that she’d been in Henry’s bed.

Stef slid into the water with a long sigh. “Apparently I came back into town at just the right time. Callie called me last night to tell me about all the new people we have hanging around.”

Callie winced as she, too, dropped her robe and got into the hot tub. The resort was clothing optional with the singular exception of the pool and the hot tub. No bathing suits allowed for the tenants of the Mountain and Valley Naturist Community. “Sorry, I have a problem with the gossip bug. I don’t really think of it as gossip. It’s more like sharing fun stories about the people I love.”

“Yes, I love it when you share stories about me,” Stef said with only the mildest hint of rebuke. Callie made up for her lamentable gossip addiction by being one of the nicest people alive. And if Callie was a sweet-hearted gossip, then Stef could be a very nice, overprotective older brother. “So, tell me about this Henry person.”

The last thing she wanted was for Stef Talbot to decide that she needed someone to watch out for her. “He’s a very nice man. He’s a history professor, and I like him.”

Stef’s eyes narrowed. “You like him?”

She’d heard stories about Stef, mostly from Callie. Stef liked to practice BDSM. From what Nell had learned, he’d started at a fairly young age and now had relationships with women that were purely based on Dominance and submission. Stef had gotten her started reading BDSM romances. Oh, he would never ever admit that he even knew they existed should someone ask. He’d told her if she ratted him out, he would stop helping her favorite charities, but Stef was the one who bought her a set of books when she’d admitted she was curious.

Henry was interested in that lifestyle, at least when it came to sex. It was right there on the tip of her tongue to ask Stef some questions, but she held back the impulse. Henry wasn’t staying around. He would be gone, and sooner than Nell would like. She didn’t want to be seen as the poor little virgin who got left behind.

“I like him. It’s not a big deal, Stef. He’s a tourist. He’s only here until the semester starts up again.”

Stef let a moment pass, his eye pinning her. “Nell, are you sleeping with him?”

“Stefan!” Callie admonished, frowning at her best friend.

But Nell had known the question would come up the minute he’d walked in the door. “There was some sleep involved.”

Callie’s jaw dropped open. “Are you kidding me? I…I didn’t think you would actually sleep with him. Nell, are you sure? I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

She hadn’t expected Callie to react that way. She’d kind of thought she could talk to Callie. Callie was really the only one close to her age. Most of the other women were closer to her mother’s age, and she just couldn’t talk about sex with her mother. Oh, her mother loved to talk about sex. Her mother was a deeply open woman who thought she should talk to her daughter about everything. When Nell had first gotten her period, her mother had thrown her a party celebrating her womanhood.

Yeah, Nell didn’t want her mother throwing a Punching Out Her V-Card Party.

She’d thought she might be able to talk to Callie. She’d gotten close to her, but Nell hated the look in Callie’s eyes now. Callie looked slightly horrified at the idea of her sleeping with Henry. “Well, I will admit there wasn’t much thought behind it. I guess I just thought it was a fun fling, you know?”

“I’m sure it seems fun now.” Callie stood up, reaching for her robe. “I bet it won’t be so great later. Uhm, I just remembered I promised my mom I would help her out with something. I’ll catch you later.”

She hurried out, knotting her robe around her.

Humiliation washed over Nell. She had no idea what had just happened, but she hated the way she felt now. Vulnerable. Alone. “I guess I should go, too.”

Stef put a hand out, his eyes warming with sympathy. “Please stay, Nell. Callie wasn’t judging you. She was feeling the weight of her own decisions, and I’m pretty sure she needs a good cry. Look, I shouldn’t tell you this, but the last thing either of you needs is a rift in your friendship. Callie lost her virginity last year to a couple of friends of mine.”

Nell felt her eyes widen as his words sank in. “A couple? Like Max and Rye?”

Stef shook his head. “Not Max and Rye, though I’m sure the desire for a ménage came from her childhood crush on those two. It was hard on Callie being the only girl around here. We didn’t make it any easier, but that’s neither here nor there. I think Callie’s worried about you. She doesn’t want you to be in the same position she’s in. She thought she could handle one wild weekend, and she fell for them. Now they’re gone and her heart still hurts all these months later.”

Callie hadn’t said a word. “They were stupid to leave her.”

A frown crossed his handsome face. “Yes, and if I could find the little fuckers, I would very likely get my ass kicked because they’re not so little and I’m pretty sure Zane was found in some Paleolithic cave and unfrozen for scientific purposes.” He leaned forward, his eyes softening. “I’ll find them one day. I know one of them quite well, and if he didn’t fall for Callie, I’ll eat Max’s hat. I know where it’s been, so that’s a bet I don’t want to lose. I just want you to know she’s not judging you. I think she’s judging herself.”

Her heart ached for Callie. Callie seemed so very alone even though everyone in town adored her. She knew the feeling. Bliss was a wonderful place, but she still felt alone. Meeting Henry had pointed out just how lonely she’d been for so long. “I’m so sorry to hear that. She has nothing to be ashamed of. It’s not wrong to love someone, even if they can’t love you back.”

“You keep believing, Mary Sunshine. I mean that. I know you’ve only been around for a couple of months, but I already can’t imagine Bliss without you here.”

“Well, I’ll certainly stay as long as Mom…” She couldn’t say it.

Stef leaned forward. “Nell, after your mother passes, you have to stay. This is your home now.”

She loved this place, but there were problems she hadn’t been able to solve, and they weren’t going to go away. “I’m afraid Mom pays all the bills. I have to find a job, Stefan, and even then I likely won’t be able to find one where I can make a livable wage out here. There’s not much call for a woman with a degree in social work in a town of a couple of hundred people.”

It was what she’d been avoiding for months—the thought of having to leave after her mom was gone. Losing her mother would be hard enough, but losing this place, too, would be terrible. She couldn’t imagine herself in a city now that she’d lived out here, but that was where she would have to go.

“What about your writing?” Stef asked quietly.

Nell snorted. That was just a pipe dream. She’d been writing since she was a kid. She’d started out writing little stories, fairy tales really, about the other world her mother loved to talk about. Then she’d grown up and realized she needed to write adult books, books that could change hearts and minds. Well, they might be able to change them if anyone ever actually read them. “Uhm, apparently no one wants to read thrillers about social justice. I thought it was a really good idea at the time. It’s sort of a Steve Berry–meets–Les Misérables story all set around the man-made disaster that was the Dust Bowl. An intrepid farm girl finds the clues to saving mankind buried deep in Oklahoma, but she has to fight dust storms and misogyny and rabid politicians to save everyone. I really thought it would sell.”

For the first time since she’d met him, Stef seemed at a loss. Yeah, that was pretty much the way every agent and editor she’d submitted it to had reacted. “I, well, I could make a call.”

She sighed and let her head rest against the back of the hot tub. “Don’t bother, Stef. I think I’m pretty much doomed to failure on the writing front. Unless someone starts picking up my Doctor Who fan fiction, I’m pretty much out of luck.”

“You write Doctor Who fan fiction?” The question came out of Stef’s mouth on a laugh.

She let a smile curl her lips up. “It’s erotic fan fiction, Stef. I think multicolored scarves are intensely sexy. I also find British accents soothing.”

His jaw dropped for a minute, and then a long laugh boomed through the space. Stef laughed for a good long while, the sound filling her with joy. Stefan Talbot didn’t laugh often. It was a good thing to give the young artist a bit of respite from what seemed like a too-serious life. She often thought that was why he’d stayed in Bliss, though he likely belonged in New York or Paris. He stayed in Bliss because he could laugh here. He took a long breath. “I’m going to have to look that up online, Nell.”

“You’ll have to find me. Good luck. I don’t write under Nell Finn.”

“All I have to do is look for the story that has some message about recycling.”

Damn him. He knew her too well. “I’m sure I’m not the only activist who writes fan fic.”

His smile dimmed slightly. “What do you know about this guy, Nell?”

She stared at him.

“I’m not going to be protested, Nell. You don’t have a man. We have to look out for you.”

The men of Bliss seemed united on that front. “There is so very much wrong with that statement, Stef.”

He held his hands up. “Would it help if I told you I would do the same for Logan? Hell, I’m trying to convince Noah that he’s in trouble. I don’t like the woman he’s dating. She tried to hit on me two days ago, but Jamie doesn’t think Noah is willing to listen.”

So it wasn’t a completely sexist “protect the women” play. She couldn’t exactly protest if Stef was treating her the same way he treated Noah. And Noah was in for some trouble. She’d met Ally, an actress working with the Bliss Repertory Theater, and Nell hadn’t been impressed. Ally had seemed very interested in moving up the social ladder, and she needed money for that. Noah had recently come into a trust fund and Ally had moved her attentions from his brother, James, to Noah.

But she didn’t have Noah’s problems.

“Henry isn’t after my money, Stef,” she assured him. “He knows I don’t have any.”

“I’m not worried about him being after money. You have plenty of other attributes a man could want.”

Oh, yes, now she was curious. “Like?”

Gray eyes rolled. “I don’t need to go into that.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Nell, come on. Don’t make me say it.”

She was pretty sure she knew what he was talking about. “Is this the submissive thing?”

“Yes, Nell. It’s the ‘submissive thing.’” He used very sarcastic air quotes. “It’s not a thing. It’s reality. You would most likely be very happy if your sexual relationship was controlled by a strong partner.”

Stef was a true believer. Unfortunately, in this case, he was also right. “I know.”

A long sigh came from his chest. “Nell, a lot of men would love to take advantage of your nature. I think you would be happier with a Dom. Not a full-time D/s relationship. I think that would be too confining for you, but you need a partner who can be patient because he loves you and adores you for the unique woman you are. He needs to be able to understand you.”

“Jeez, Stef, you’ve just described like one person in the whole world. Where on earth do I find this saint?” She felt like crying. Henry couldn’t understand her. He’d said it last night. They were so far apart when it came to their ideals. Henry was smart, but he didn’t seem to care about the same things she did. He would put up with it during their affair, but he would be gone in a week or so and he would find someone who wasn’t as difficult as she was, someone who could get along with people and who didn’t protest businesses on a regular basis.

Someone who wasn’t so weird.

“I can introduce you to some people,” Stef said. “Give me a couple of weeks and we’ll go to Dallas. I have a friend there who’s quite good at matching submissives with well-meaning Doms.”

She shuddered in horror. The thought of getting set up was awful. She was just about to tell Stef all the problems with that scenario when a low voice cut through the quiet bubbling sound of the spa.

“She has no desire to go to Dallas.”

“Henry.” She looked up and realized he’d stepped into the spa room, and she hadn’t noticed. She’d been so involved in conversation with Stef that she hadn’t realized they weren’t alone.

“Mr. Flanders.” Stef didn’t look put out. He actually stood up and held out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Is it?” Henry asked. “Tell me, what sort of protocol do you follow that you feel perfectly comfortable being alone and naked with another man’s sub?”

“Henry!” That wasn’t very polite. Henry looked positively territorial as he stalked forward.

And Stef squared his shoulders, too. “I follow the protocol where a Dom puts a collar on a sub and then she’s off-limits. Until then, she needs the men who give a damn about her to watch her back and make sure she’s taken care of.”

The testosterone was flying around. She needed to calm the situation down. “I can make my own decisions.”

They completely ignored her. Henry had a small bag in his hand and looked completely delicious. He’d shed his coat and wore only jeans and a T-shirt that showed off his leanly muscular arms. “You can’t expect a man to put a collar on a woman the day after he meets her. These things take time and honestly, I think putting a collar on this one will be tricky.”

“I wasn’t aware you had that kind of time here.” Stef stepped out of the hot tub. If he was uncomfortable being naked around a clothed man, he didn’t show it. He simply reached for a towel and took his time drying off.

And Henry stepped between them, obviously trying to eliminate her line of sight. “And I was unaware I needed to ask you if it was all right to have a relationship with Nell.”

Stef slipped into his robe and turned back to Henry. “She’s special.”

Nell sat back, well aware that those two really didn’t want to hear from her. “Special.” Yuck. Everyone said that. She kind of worried they meant it in a “she’s not all together there” way. The other men of the town could talk about her specialness all they liked, but none of them had ever made her feel the way Henry did. Even if he was leaving, she wanted her time with him, and she resented Stef’s interference just the tiniest bit. Not enough to actually protest him because his heart was in the right place, but certainly enough to sulk just a little.

But then she also resented the fact that Henry had walked in acting all caveman like. He really was leaving so she wasn’t sure what was up with all the possessiveness.

Of course, on the other hand, the possessiveness made her feel cherished and beloved, but she rather thought that was her vagina talking. She’d recently learned that sexual activity had caused her vagina to revert from its pure feminist roots to something primal that didn’t care about anything but getting some more sex from the right man. Perhaps when Henry was gone, she could find her vagina a proper organic, earth-friendly vibrator that ran on rechargeable batteries. Maybe then it would stop screaming at her to pounce on Henry.

“Earth to Nell.” Henry had turned and stared down at her.

“Sorry, did you say something?”

Stef chuckled. “We just worked a few things out while you were thinking. You’ll find she can drift away at the oddest times.”

“She’s a writer. She’s creative. It’s only to be expected.” Henry’s voice had gone a little gruff while he defended her. And her vagina was talking again. Yep, it didn’t seem to want to shut up while he was around, and it really didn’t like the idea of an organic vibrator. It wanted the real thing.

Stef crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, all right then. Nell, you take care. Henry, if there’s anything I can do, I’ll help out.”

Henry didn’t miss a beat. “You can figure out a way to lock the door on your way out.”

He couldn’t be thinking that way. Nell looked up at him. “Henry, this is a public space. It’s meant for everyone.”

But Stef just smiled. He walked over to the small closet where the towels were kept and reached toward the back. He produced a sign. Closed for repairs. Someone had drawn two naked people climbing into a hot tub and then placed a large X across them. “You’re not the first, Flanders. You won’t be the last. I’ll hang it on my way out. You’ve got an hour before they’ll be in here setting up for the Hot Tub Fun Spa party. You really want to be out of here by then. I hear they’re waxing some of the men in an effort to keep the Squatchers off them.”

The door closed behind Stef.

“Dare I ask?” Henry pulled his shirt over his head, and Nell couldn’t help but watch. She was mad at him, but gosh, he was so very pretty. She knew she shouldn’t think like that. He was a human being, and he deserved more than to be seen as a sexual object.

She forced her eyes away and concentrated on the question at hand. “The wax thing or the Squatchers?”

She heard the rustle of clothing being folded away. “I get the wax thing. Hairy guys, lots of pain. Yeah, the Talbot guy is right. I should avoid that at all costs. What the hell is a Squatcher?”

“It’s a sort of cryptozoologist.”

“So a scientist of some type?” She heard the smallest splash as Henry slid into the hot tub.

“Yes. They study Sasquatch, or as the creature is known in other circles, Bigfoot.” She felt comfortable enough to look at him again. She shouldn’t have. It wasn’t just his hunky body that got her heart racing. His face was so handsome, all square-jawed and warm brown eyes.

Those eyes widened slightly. “Bigfoot? Seriously?”

“Henry, are you being judgmental?”

An innocent look crossed his face. “Not at all, sweetheart. Bigfoot is probably very serious around here. Now why don’t you come over to my side of the tub and give me a kiss?”

She wasn’t ready to just melt in his arms. “Henry, you can’t treat my friends like you just treated Stefan.”

All innocence was gone, and his jaw formed a hard line. “He was naked in the tub with you, Nell.”

“It’s a nudist resort. They don’t allow clothes in the hot tub. What did you expect, Henry? That he would hop in wearing a turtleneck and jeans?”

He didn’t seem willing to give on this subject. “I would expect he would respect a few boundaries. You’re lucky I didn’t start a fight.”

She couldn’t help the way her eyes rolled. “See. That’s why this can’t work. Violence isn’t the answer.”

“It can be, but I’ll give you that this time it wasn’t. The minute he stepped out of the tub, I had all the answers I needed. I have to admit, the naked thing can be very useful at times.”

She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

Henry leaned forward, his hands finding her knees under the water. “He wasn’t hard. He doesn’t want you that way. He really is just looking out for you. And he’s a lifestyle guy. Serious from the looks of it. If he says he’ll take care of you, he means it.”

Nell gasped and pulled away. “You were looking at the size of his penis to decide if he was interested in me?”

Henry pulled her back. “No, I was looking at the state of his erection. You see, I’ve been hard since the moment someone told me you were in the hot tub. A man who wants you is going to have a hard-on whenever he thinks about how soft your breasts are or how good it feels to slide inside your pussy or how much he wants to fuck your mouth.”

Her vagina was definitely threatening to take over. His hands moved up her thighs. “Henry, anyone could walk in. Shouldn’t we talk about what you found out? Is it safe for me to go home?”

She had to start cleaning up. She needed to find a job. She had to sell her computer. Surely someone would pay a few hundred bucks for it. She would miss her computer. She had a whole community of friends on the Internet, and she would have to go without them.

“Hey.” Henry pulled her close. “Don’t disappear on me. No. It’s not safe to go home, but I have a list of suspects I want to check out. So I don’t want you to worry.” His fingers came up and brushed away tears she didn’t know she’d shed. “Don’t cry, baby. I’ll take care of everything.”

He would try. She had no doubt he would find the culprit and try to make things safe for her before he left, but then she would be alone again. Her mother would still be dying. She would still have to move, and she would do it without any support this time.

And that wasn’t Henry’s problem.

“You’re killing me, Nell.” His arms wrapped around her, and just for a minute, she felt safe. She let her head find his shoulder. “Tell me what to do. I don’t know how to help.”

He didn’t sound like a man who just wanted to get his happy fun time in and leave. He had a job to do, but maybe they could keep in touch. She cuddled close. “Just take my mind off things for a while.”

It was really all she could ask.

“I can do that.” Henry’s lips touched her forehead. “I want to play, Nell. Will you play with me?”

Submit. He wanted her to submit to him. She hated the word, but her vagina was once again loudly stating its opinion. It wanted to submit and, when she really thought about it, it was just another choice to make. Henry hadn’t done anything to her that hadn’t been pleasurable, so why not “play” with him?

“Yes. I want to play.”

He pulled lightly on her hair, forcing her to look up at him. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

She couldn’t help but smile. She could feel what she was doing to him. His cock was hard and poking at her belly. She let her legs drift around his muscled hips. She would really like to watch him work out. “I’m trying very hard not to turn you into a sexual object, Henry, but you make it hard for me.”

A low chuckle rumbled from his chest. She loved that she could make him laugh. She rather thought he didn’t laugh often. “Don’t try too hard. I want to be your sexual object. Don’t turn this into an intellectual thing. This has nothing to do with your brain. This is chemistry, baby. This doesn’t come along very often.”

“Doesn’t it?” She was curious. She had almost no experience. “It’s not this way with your other lovers?”

He shook his head as he rubbed their noses together. “I’ll be honest with you. I would have told you this differently before I met you, but now I am pretty sure I’ve never had a lover before. I had women. Plenty of women, but they weren’t meaningful. You’re meaningful, Nell. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, I have to leave, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget you.”

It was all she could ask for at the moment. He had to get back to his job, and she had to take care of her mother. One day she would look him up. If he wasn’t in a relationship, maybe they could try again. But she had today and a couple of tomorrows.

“I won’t forget you either.”

A look of sadness crossed his face. “You will and that’s all right. The most I want is to be a distant memory. I want you to be happy, Nell. I don’t think I ever wanted anything as much as I want that.”

He seemed to be struggling with something. She wanted to ask, but this wasn’t something she could push for. He had to be ready to talk to her. Maybe Henry needed to forget his troubles, too. They could give each other that much. She brushed her lips to his. “Did you bring the condoms?”

She wanted to feel him moving inside her. For those brief moments, there was no aloneness, no singularity. They were together without question when he was making love to her.

He calmed a bit and a hard look came into his eyes. She was starting to associate that look with sex and pleasure. “I brought them, but I won’t use them until I’m ready.”

He could be so bossy. “Henry, I’m ready right now. You’re ready right now. Let’s go.”

He shook his head. “Are you trying to take charge of this? You know what happens when you do that. Turn around, Nell. Put that ass in the air.”

Yeah, she’d been kind of going for that. Henry had liked spanking her and she had to admit, she’d liked it, too. He seemed to get even hotter when she was just a little bit bratty. Nell turned, her body relaxing for the first time since he’d walked out the door this morning. She stood up on the seat of the hot tub and leaned over, shivering as she placed her ass in the air.

He moved behind her. “This is a count of twenty, Nell. Who’s in charge of sex?”

“You are, Henry.”

“Damn right, I am. I’m not going to let you forget it.”

Nell nearly screamed as his hand met her backside. The heat of the water had softened her skin, making the smack so much more intense. Pain flared, racing across her skin as Henry began spanking her over and over again. Tears squeezed from her eyes, but just as she was about to call a halt to it, heat spread, engulfing her. Her pussy was so wet as he smacked away. The tears that came out felt purifying as though all the troubles of her world were slipping away as they fell from her eyes. Over and over again he slapped her ass, making her muscles weak. She lost count, trusting him to keep it. She would be sore tomorrow because he wasn’t holding back. She would feel this moment every time she sat down, and she would remember the way it felt and how it sounded. She would remember the startling sting and how it turned into something so much sweeter when she was patient.

“God, baby, your ass is pink.” Henry groaned a little as he spoke. “It’s gorgeous. Stay like this. Don’t move.”

She didn’t even want to. That was all? She’d been in a happy place. She wasn’t sure she wanted to come out of it just yet. But then Henry’s mouth was on her skin, kissing the very place he’d just smacked. He kissed her all over, from the small of her back, grazing kisses along her cheeks to where they rounded down to her thighs. It was a sweet torture because what she wanted to do was to tilt her hips up and spread her legs wide so he could slip between them and play with her pussy. But he’d told her not to move, and she was trying to be a very good girl.

“Stay that way. I have something else I need to do.”

He left her there. She could hear him get out of the hot tub, water dripping from his body as he made his way across the tile. There was the sound of a zipper coming undone and then a rustling as his hands moved probably into the bag he’d brought with him. She closed her eyes and imagined him as he walked back to the tub with the condoms in hand. He was so masculine. His clothes hid it well, but he was covered in lean muscle. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on Henry Flanders. He was her own personal Superman. Clark Kent by day, unassuming and, to the people who didn’t look closely, a bit bland. But when the clothes came off, oh, he was a god of a man. And any minute now, she would hear the condom wrapper open and he would move behind her. His big cock would be just on the edge of her pussy. She would shiver because he seemed so big, too big, but then he would ease his way in and they would be together.

She felt Henry move behind her. Her whole body went taut with anticipation.

“Nell, honey, I’m going to need you to relax.” Henry’s hands moved along her curves.

She couldn’t relax until he was deep inside her. She took a long breath, trying to calm herself. She waited for the sound, but what she heard was more of a popping sound. Then his hands were back on her cheeks, spreading her wide.

“This is going to be cold. But I’ll warm you up fast,” Henry said.

Something wet and cold slid between her cheeks. Nell gasped, the feeling foreign. “Henry, what’s going on? Oh my god. Are you doing what I think you’re doing?”

“Well, sweetheart, if you think I’m about to shove a plug up your ass, then you’re the big winner.” There was a low, sexy laugh that came from Henry’s chest. But Nell wasn’t laughing because now she could feel something pressing against her anus. “It’s just a plug. It’s nothing to worry about.”

Nell wasn’t so sure about that. After all, Henry wasn’t the one about to have something shoved up his ass. She’d been a virgin the day before. She wasn’t sure she was ready for this. Nell tried to look back. “Henry, we should talk about this.”

“You say that because you don’t understand protocol. The real time for talking is afterward.” He continued what he was doing, pressing the tip of the plug against her far-too-small asshole. He was working the plug in little circles. “Unless of course you’re in some sort of pain or you’re scared. This is a small plug, so I doubt you’re in pain. And you’re such a brave girl. You’ve faced down screaming crowds. I can’t imagine one tiny plug is going to scare my girl.”

Manipulative bastard. He was pushing all the right buttons. She couldn’t back down from that challenge, but she could ask a simple question. “Henry, do you want to explain why you feel the need to insert a plug up my rectum?”

The plug slipped inside, a brief foray before the circles began again. Pressure. An oddly erotic pressure seemed to be building, and it centered on her asshole. He was opening her up, teasing his way inside, making her ready for something quite larger. “All the better to fuck your ass, my dear. I do believe I told you when we started that I wanted to take you every way a man can take a woman. I don’t want to leave an inch of you untouched.”

She couldn’t help the whimper that came out of her mouth when the plug slipped in again. Henry pressed it farther this time, sliding it in an inch or so before slowly pulling it back out. He stretched her, forcing her to accept the small piece of plastic. If he had his way, one day very, very soon, it would be his cock foraging up her rectum. He would know every inch of her body. He would have her in every way he could.

And she wanted it. She wanted for Henry to know every inch of her. She wanted to be able to feel him everywhere.

“Lean forward,” he commanded. “Flatten your back.”

She stretched, going into a modified Flat Back pose. It was a little like yoga, this whole sex thing. She needed to get into the right position and then he would slide in easily. She flattened her back, giving him access to everything. And she remembered how much he liked to hear his name. “Yes, Henry.”

“Yeah, baby.” His voice had gone all deep and guttural, a sure sign that his cock was engaged. She loved the fact that she now knew his tells. She could tell that he was getting hot when his eyes went slightly sleepy and his hands grew languid as they stroked her body. “That’s what I want. Do you know how gorgeous you are? Do you have any idea how crazy you get me?”

She knew how crazy he got her. He had her to the point that she was pressing back against that darn plug, just waiting for it to invade and conquer. She moved her hips and felt it slide deep inside, a thrill of victory overtaking her.

“Beautiful.” He let her cheeks fall back together, but his fingers stroked lower, playing in her pussy. “I can fill up all your holes, baby. I can shove a vibrator in your pussy and my cock up your ass and you’ll be so full.”

She could imagine. He would try to master her in every way he could. She could feel the plug stretching her, holding her open, filling her up. She felt deliciously stretched and now his fingers were playing in her pussy. Every inch of her flesh felt lit up, humming and happy. “Please, Henry.”

She needed more than he was giving her. She needed him to make good on his promises, to fill her with his cock.

A single finger pressed inside. “I’ll give you everything, baby. Everything, but you’re going to obey me first.”

He would push her until he was satisfied. It was maddening, but she knew he would come through in the end. He would give her everything she needed. “All right, Henry.”

She relaxed, giving over to him. There was such peace in the decision, such comfort. She didn’t have to be in control because Henry was. She could let go here. She could float along and just enjoy. She was always in control. She was always making decisions, but being with Henry allowed her to let it all go. At first, she’d thought he was asking for something wrong, but she’d realized what a beautiful gift this was. Submission wasn’t a compromise.

His fingers delved deep, fucking upward inside her, making her writhe. She held herself as still as possible, letting Henry control the penetration. She could feel the pressure of the plug. It had been foreign at first, but every second that went by made her more comfortable with it. Nell could feel the press of his lips on the small of her back as his thumb made circles around her clitoris. Pleasure built, threatening to crest. But every time she got close to the edge, Henry pulled back. Over and over he brought her higher, retreating just as she thought she would drop over.

“Not yet, baby. We’re not even close yet. We have a whole hour and I’m going to use it. I’ve been thinking about this all day. I’ve been thinking about it from the minute I came last time. This is what I do now. I’m either fucking you or I’m thinking about all the ways I’ll fuck you. You’re a witch, Nell Finn.”

Not according to her mother. According to her mother she was a faery, but they had some magic, too, right?

She heard him moving behind her, the water splashing all around.

“Maybe I should give you a taste. You’ve been such a good girl. You stayed here. Sure, when I came back, I found you naked with another man, but I know you. I wasn’t worried about you at all. You’re too good for me, but I’ll take you anyway. Let me make you feel good, baby.”

He pressed on her clit as he forced two fingers high into her pussy. He rubbed her from the inside and the outside, sending an orgasm screaming through her system. She couldn’t help the moan that came from deep inside.

Everything wrong floated away as she gave herself up to Henry.