Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 82746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
He paused again, the silence rife with pain.
“I had shot him,” he said, his voice breaking. “I killed an innocent little boy.”
“Oh, Damon,” Ellen breathed as he began to cry. Lifting herself, she pulled him gently down into her arms. She held him as he wept, tears running down her own face. Her heart broke for him as she tried to imagine handling the guilt, grief and helplessness he must have felt—was still feeling—over the loss of an innocent life. No wonder he still had nightmares. No wonder he’d built a wall around his emotions to keep himself safe.
As she stroked and soothed him, she thought about the incredible gift of trust he’d just bestowed on her, and how hard it must have been to open up at last. Maybe now that he’d shared his pain that burden wouldn’t lie quite as heavily on his conscience or his heart.
“It’s okay, my love,” she murmured as she held him in her arms. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”
After a while, his sobs subsided. He rolled away from her with a heavy sigh. “Jesus,” he breathed. “I never told that to anyone before. Not even during my debriefing and counseling after the mission. Things were so chaotic as we took out the target and extricated ourselves that I barely even processed what I’d done until we were in the helicopter and heading back to safety. No one else realized what had happened and I… I was ashamed. I should have told my counselor but I was so ashamed of what I had done.”
“It’s a lot to handle, Damon,” Ellen said gently. “But it was war. Those men are the ones to blame. They used those children without any regard to their safety. I know that doesn’t lessen the pain you feel. But it wasn’t your fault.”
He turned to her, both sorrow and chagrin in his expression. “I get that, intellectually. But I think I’ve got some work to do. Maybe I’ll actually take my friend Marty’s advice and get some help.” He managed a smile. “Thanks for listening, and for not judging. Just telling you has eased the burden. I feel like I can breathe for the first time in a long time.”
He held out his arms and she curled into him. They lay together like that for a long time. She felt closer to him than she ever had with a man. His willingness to be vulnerable, rather than lessening him in her eyes, only made him seem stronger.
This time when they made love, the urgency was gone, replaced by a deep, fierce tenderness. Damon held her tight as he slowly entered her. They kissed, whispered sweet things and even laughed as their bodies melded together. They moved languorously, letting the passion and the pleasure slowly build between them.
When Ellen felt the tug of a powerful orgasm rising within her, she arched up against him with a cry. Damon gathered her close, his hard cock pulsing inside her.
“Come for me,” he murmured throatily in her ear. “Come for your Master.”
She did, keening her pleasure as he held her tight. A moment later, he, too, climaxed inside her, her name on his lips.
They lay together in a tangle of limbs, drifting in and out of consciousness as their skin cooled and their hearts slowed. Ellen felt as light as a feather—as if she would float away if not for the anchor of Damon’s body on hers.
Once she was sure he was asleep, she wriggled out from beneath him. Curling into his side, she closed her eyes and drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
When she next awoke, early morning sunlight bathed the room in pale gold. Damon was beside her, lifted onto an elbow. When he saw she was awake, he smiled. “Morning, sleepy head.” He reached out and tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear.
“Morning, sexiest man alive,” she murmured drowsily.
Oh, shit. Had she really just said that out loud?
She must have because Damon barked a laugh as he reached for her. Gathering her into his arms, he nuzzled her neck and then lightly bit her shoulder. “That’s Master Sexiest Man Alive to you. You should get a spanking for your impertinence.”
“I absolutely should,” she agreed, laughing too. “The harder the better, Sir.”
Later that morning as they made breakfast together, Ellen rubbed her sore bottom. Master Damon had taken her at her word, giving her a blistering spanking that had both made her cry and sent her soaring into submissive headspace.
Just as she’d completed the waffle batter and was preparing to pour the first spoonful into the waffle iron, he came up behind her and lightly patted her bare ass. “You’ve got some lovely bruises developing, slave girl.”
“Yes, Sir,” she agreed happily. “Thank you, Sir.”
“Don’t thank me too soon,” he said, his voice lowering to a dangerous, seductive purr. “We were all lovey dovey last night, and that’s fine. But now we have some catching up to do, all of it involving plenty of leather, rope and serious sadomasochism.”