We’ve barely made it through the front door when I’m tearing Selene’s dress off her body. Now that I’ve buried myself inside her, she’s all I want. Could ever want.

I’ve been obsessed with her for years, believing she was never within my reach. And although I’d convinced myself she was only doing this to play along for the media, because she simply doesn’t do relationships, deep down, I know she feels differently now.

Or else she wouldn’t be standing in my living room, about to be completely naked.

Her gasp tears through my apartment as I rip her dress from her body. It falls to a puddle at her feet. With her back toward me, she looks over her shoulder, and I nearly fall to my knees. Her green eyes shimmer in the dim lighting. She looks up at me through her dark lashes, resting her chin on her shoulder. “Are you going to stand there all night staring at me like you don’t know what to do with me?”

“Oh, I know exactly what I’m going to do with you.” I grab her hip, spin her around, and grip her ass to lift her up.

She squeals and wraps her legs around me.

I kiss her. I don’t want to stop. I love the way she tastes and feels. I could do this forever. Bask in this feeling. Life can be complete and utter shit, but being with Selene makes me believe otherwise.

Keeping one arm under her, I move my other to her front and palm her breast. She tilts her head back as I flick my thumb over her nipple, and I grow painfully hard.

“Fuck, Holt.” She closes her eyes as I carry her back to my bedroom. “I want to feel you inside me again. I need to.” She wraps her fist around my tie, pulling me to her, as she studies me again. “Please,” she begs against my mouth.

I give her a coy smile. “God, I love it when you beg.”

She tugs on my tie again, raveling it around her fist. “Keep that up, and we’ll see who gets the punishment.”

“That wasn’t a lie, Wallflower.” I pinch her nipple again, squeezing her ass cheek in my hand other hand.

“I could still punish you.” She sticks her tongue out and drags it across my bottom lip, tasting me. “I could tease you by refusing to give in to what you want.”

“You’d be punishing us both then.” I’ve made it to the edge of my bedroom when I move my hand from her breast to her aching clit. “Your cunt is soaking wet for me again. It’s obvious what you want.”

She leans forward and gently sinks her teeth into my lip. I hiss at the pleasure coursing through my body.

After biting me, she gently kisses the same spot. “Then, do something about it.”

I take the few steps forward and drop her onto my bed. She sinks into it effortlessly. Fuck, she’s gorgeous spread out for me. Her blonde hair is splayed out around her, and her skin glows from the city lights pouring through the windows.

She sits up on her elbows and bends one leg, dragging her foot along the silk. With hooded eyes, she watches me as I undo my tie.

“Turn over,” I order, lowering my voice.

She cocks a brow, the corner of her mouth lifting. “Please?”

“It wasn’t a request.” With my tie in one hand, I lean down and slide my hands up the length of her body. I’m inches above her as I crawl until my face is above her chest.

I stick my tongue out and flick it across the swollen, peaked bud, then I blow across it. A sweet moan climbs up Selene’s throat, and she tilts her head back, exposing her neck. “Look at me.”

She obeys.

“About what you said at the Opera House.” I kiss her breast, all the while keeping my eyes pinned to hers. She’s breathing heavily, caught in a trance. She’s trying hard to keep it together, but so am I.

Selene’s used to maintaining this image she’s created for herself, but I love seeing her drop her walls for me.

“What did I say?” she pants.

I drag my teeth across her nipple then kiss her again. “About your lies.”

“I… I don’t remember,” she stutters, squeezing her eyes shut.

I pull her nipple into my mouth and suck.

Her eyes pop open, and she wiggles beneath me.

My cock is throbbing, aching to be inside her.

I suck hard, puckering my lips before pulling back as her nipple pops from my mouth. “You’re lying again.”

She wraps a hand around the back of my head. Her nails scrape against my scalp. “I asked you what you were going to do about it.”

I smirk. “That’s my girl.” I grip her breast and squeeze, pulling her nipple up again. I lap my tongue over it, swirling it around before wrapping my lips around it again. Then I come back up. “Is this you giving me permission to punish you?”

Her eyes soften and she pauses. I see the cracks in her armor. Her vulnerability.

“I… I, um… I don’t know. I want to but…” She swallows and parts her lips. “I’ve just never done it before.”

“Only when you give me the word,” I reassure her.

“Okay.”

She mews quietly as I work my hand down the length of her body, dragging it down her breast then her stomach before cupping her sweet pussy.

“Do you trust me?” I ask as she falls to the mattress and arches her back.

“Yes.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me you trust me.”

Her chin meets her chest, and her eyes meet mine. “I trust you.”

“Good.” I kiss her breast before settling myself between her legs. I part them with my knees, then press them into the mattress, towering over her. “Give me your wrists.”

This time, she doesn’t ask me to say please. She obeys with a heated gaze and a faint smile of anticipation.

I can practically feel her buzzing beneath me. Sitting up on my knees, I wrap my tie around her wrists, binding them together before lifting them over her head. Then I tie the other end to my bedframe. She’s panting under me, her eyes following my handiwork.

Once I’m finished ensuring she’s secure, I lower myself back down to her level. My hands press into the mattress at her sides as I lean down and kiss her on the mouth.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I say against her mouth before sliding my tongue against hers.

She pulls up to meet me, deepening our kiss.

My heart beats wildly. Normally, I detach my emotions when I’m with a woman, but it’s impossible with Selene. I don’t know where my body and heart begins or ends. It’s all one with her. I can’t be with her and not think about how I feel. It’s debilitating, scary yet exhilarating all at once.

“Holt, I…” She tries to pull away, but I stop her by pressing my finger to her mouth.

“Shh.” I clear my throat, my dick throbbing. “I know what you’re going to say.”

“No.” She licks her lips, shaking her head. “I don’t think you do.”

“Actually, I do.” I slip my fingers between her dripping wet slit and circle her clit before slipping them inside her. I hook my fingers, reaching up to the one spot that causes her back to arch and her neck to tighten as she gasps, throwing her head back. The tie pulls on her wrists as she tugs against them.

“I’ve thought about you for years,” I confess. “I’ve watched you. You think I just showed up to your yoga class because Julianna told me about it once.”

“You’ve been stalking me?” she asks, her voice cracking.

I chuckle, loving the way her body is reacting to my touch. “Stalking. Watching. Protecting. Call it what you want, but I’ve been obsessed.”

“Then, why?” She rocks against my hand, clearly wanting more. “`Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“Because, Wallflower.” I drop my voice, my patience growing thin with every moment that passes where I’m not burying my cock inside her. “You’re clearly out of my league. And I know you…” I press my mouth to the swell of her breast, looking up at her with hooded eyes. “But I intend to show you exactly how I feel about you so there’s no mistaking it.”

“Holt…” She pants, lifting her hips. “I can’t make⁠—”

Then I’m between her legs, dragging my tongue along her slit.

Her spine stiffens the moment my tongue meets her swollen clit. She arches her back, and I can hear the pull of my tie as it strains against the pressure.

I grin against her and flick my tongue over her clit. Back and forth. Up and down. Over and over. I keep my fingers inside her, pressing my hand flat against her lower belly to keep her still. She resists, but her moans quickly fill my bedroom.

“God, your cunt tastes so sweet,” I tell her. “Just like you.”

“I’m not sweet.” She rolls her hips back and then up again. “Oh, fuck.”

I let out a sardonic laugh. “There’s another lie we’re going to have to rectify later.”

“I’m going to come, Holt.” She moans. “Fuck, I want to touch you.”

“Not yet,” I tell her, then my mouth is back on her sweet cunt. I bite and suck and tease until her thighs are on either side of my head. “I want you coming all over my mouth. I want your pussy crying out for me, telling me you got my message.”

“What message?”

I suck on her clit, pinching it between my teeth. She hisses, and, fuck, my resolve is waning. “That there isn’t any question as to what I feel for you.” I blow a tiny breath across her pussy.

She looks down at me.

“Now, come for me, Wallflower.”

Her thighs press against my head the second I’m working her clit again. I drag my tongue up and down her slit while pumping my fingers in and out of her. I wrap my free hand over the top of her thigh, holding her down as she moans.

“Oh, God, Holt, I’m going to come.”

“Do it,” I growl.

She does as I command. Her body writhes against the bed. The restraints are pulled taut as her chest quivers with her orgasm. Her thick thighs press against the side of my head as she cries out.

I keep working her, letting her cries tell me when she’s coming down from her orgasm. I watch her in amazement, making sure to take in every detail. The way her hair shines in the lights above my bed. The way her fingers grip the tie. The way she tilts her head back, gasping for air.

My cock twitches, and I need her now. She’s so fucking wet for me.

Heart racing, I pull my fingers out of her and sit up on my knees. “I want you to taste yourself.” I place my fingers against her lips. “I want you to taste yourself and what I can make you do.”

She obeys, licking my fingers. Her cheeks are flushed, and she’s still trying to catch her breath, but there’s a fire in her eyes. I can tell she wants more. Craves more.

“I love seeing this side of you, Wallflower. Keep showing it to me.”

I slide back until my feet hit the floor, then I’m grabbing her ankles and flipping her over. She lets out a yelp as her front hits the mattress. I stare at her, admiring her backside in silence. She’s panting, her head hanging between her tied arms.

The black ink along the length of her spine causes me to freeze. The words are permanently marked in Italian—a language I happen to know well.

Ma l’amore… è solo un’illusione

But love… it’s only an illusion.

The phrase is etched in fine print. I’ve seen it before, revealed in the many open-back dresses and bathing suits I’ve seen her wear over the years, but I’ve never paid much attention to it before now. I’ve never been as close to it as I am right here. Not enough to fully comprehend the intricate Italian script.

I read her tattoo repeatedly in my head, wondering the meaning behind it and why Selene chose it, but I don’t stay on the thought for long, because I’ve never wanted her more.

“I know I keep saying this, but I don’t think I’ve ever meant it more than I do now.” My eyes rake over her body, down to her perfect ass. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever had the privilege of laying my eyes on.”

I watch the muscles in her back and sides move as she swallows, catching her breath. Ten seconds pass before she’s cutting through the silence.

“Please, Holt,” she begs, then she’s trying to speak over her shoulder. “Spank me.”

I’m unbuttoning my shirt when I stop halfway through. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” her voice strains. “I want you to spank me. Please.”

I finish unbuckling my belt and unzip my pants before sliding them and my boxer briefs off, then press one knee into the mattress.

“Only if you’re ready,” I tell her, stroking my cock. I need relief, and I need it fast. I’ve imagined spanking Selene so many times. I need to make sure she wants this as much as I do.

“I’m ready,” she says, still breathing hard. Maybe it’s the anticipation of it all, but I know Selene wouldn’t make the request unless she was absolutely certain this is what she wanted.

She shivers as I slide my palm along her spine and bend to kiss her round cheek before I’m lifting her to her knees. Her perfect round ass is on full display for me, directly in my face.

“Your cunt is still dripping for me.” I slide my hand along the inside of her thighs, sweeping my fingers along the wetness coating her skin. I gently part her legs, urging her to separate them.

“Please, Holt.”

Adrenaline courses through my veins as I slink closer to her. I center the tip off my cock against her backside and drag my crown along her slit, coating myself with her wetness.

She sighs, dipping her head. I tease her entrance, and she moans.

Then I pull my hand back and smack her ass.

Crack!

She yelps as her back arches before dropping her head in a pant.

A spark lights in my chest, and I pause, waiting for her reaction. A red imprint of my fingers blooms across her cheek and, fuck, I might just come right now before I’m even inside her.

“Are you okay, Wallflower?” I soothe my hand over the spot, worried she wasn’t ready.

“Yes,” she says confidently. She glances over her shoulder, blowing the hair away from her face. “Again. Do it again.”

I give her a wicked grin, soothing my hand over her ass again. “As you wish, Wallflower. But not again until I sink myself into this pretty cunt of yours.”

Pulling back, I drive myself inside her. She cries out, lifting her head, and pulling on the tie. I grip onto her hips, steadying her as I pull back and drive back in.

She feels so fucking good.

This is how I’ve always wanted her. I want to watch her come undone. I want to watch her bare and vulnerable just for me. Seeing her this way and being with her like this cracks open a piece of myself I’ve kept locked away. The piece that cares for another person, heart, body, and soul. I’ve pined over Selene Walker for years, but I never thought it would feel like this.

“You feel so fucking good,” I tell her. “Slam that perfect ass into me, Selene. Take all of me, inch for inch.”

She grunts as she obeys my request. I grow delirious, riding on a fucking high. Her tits bounce beneath her, and her hair falls around her shoulders as I fuck her from behind. With every thrust, I feel her getting closer.

“I’m going to come again…” she moans.

Her pussy tightens around me, and I feel the same. I take my opportunity and spank her again. This time, a little harder than the last.

“Fuck!” she cries out. “That feels good.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Not wasting any more time. I spank her again.

Then I lose all self-control. I drive myself in and out of her until she’s quivering against me. She screams my name, and I hold onto her, continuing to pump in and out of her as heat pools in my lower belly. My legs tingle and my arms hum with electricity. Her pussy walls contract, and that’s all it takes before I’m coming inside her. I still, holding onto her tightly as I finish riding out my orgasm.

When I’ve finished, we’re both left panting. Her head hangs lazily between her tied arms. Pulling out of her, I crawl up beside her, undo the tie, and let her lay against me on the bed. She rests her head on my chest, catching her breath. I stare at the ceiling, knowing we’ve crossed another line. Another path of no return.

Knowing Selene’s mind, I press my fingers under her chin and pull her to look up at me.

“Selene,” I whisper her name, my pulse racing.

Her soft eyes look tired but also satisfied.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” I ask, my voice cracking. It feels incredible to be with her like this, but the thought of having hurt her in the process tears me up inside.

“No.” She inches forward and rests her chin over her hand pressed to my chest as I brush loose strands of hair away from her sticky skin. “You didn’t hurt me.”

I smile and pull her up until I’m able to press a soft kiss to her mouth. “I’m glad because I don’t think I could live with myself if I hurt you.”

Her small grin fades, and her eyes soften, distancing.

“Hey…” I tell her, urging her to look back at me.

Her stomach grumbles, and then her cheeks redden even deeper. “Oh, my God.” She groans, burying her face in her hands. “Could I be more embarrassing?”

“You need to eat.” I chuckle, looking up at the ceiling before back to her.

She narrows her eyes. “You aren’t going to feed me toast again, are you?”

I shift underneath her until I’ve gripped her ass and slapped it lightly before taking a handful of her flesh and pulling her against me. “What, you didn’t like me feeding you toast?”

“Oh.” Her grin reaches her sparkling green eyes. “You feeding me, I liked. The dry toast… not so much.”

I laugh then grip the back of her head, bringing her deliciously gorgeous mouth to mine. “Better food, we can arrange, Wallflower. Whatever you want.”

Fuck, I’m in Heaven.