Page 22 of The Intimacy of Control

My shirt came off over my head as Jack threw it to the floor. He mouthed at my shoulder, kissing his way up my neck. I felt him try to nudge me—try to push me toward the bedroom. I was so damn turned on that I wanted to follow. Take him to the bed, throw him down, and devour him.

But I couldn’t. Not yet. I shook my head, tilting my neck away from him. “Wait. Stop. I need to know some things first.”

“Know what?” His words were muffled, spoken directly into my skin.

I gently pushed him further against the wall and waited until he was looking at me. “I don’t want this to be like last time. I need to know what you like. What you don’t like. What your limits are—” Jack scoffed, rolling his eyes and looking away from me. I grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at me. “The things I want to do to you, Jack, need a safe word. They need a conversation. You aren’t some fuck who wanted it rough. You’re Jack.” I pressed a kiss to his lips, savoring him for a moment. Savoring the way he tasted like everything I’d ever needed. This was what I’d wanted. The connection between our lips and hands. The way his eyes seemed to soften when he looked at me. Everything. Fucking everything.

When I pulled away, I kept my grip on his chin. “I want to ruin you. But I need your permission to do that.”

His mouth parted just slightly, his tongue peeking out to wet his lips. I watched it. I wanted to taste it again. Lick it. “How do you want to ruin me, Forrest?”

I leaned forward, gently pulling his earlobe into my mouth. I loved hearing how his breath hitched. I could feel his chest rise and stutter as I whispered to him. “I want to control your body, sweetie. I want to give you the pain you crave. I want to take your breath away”—I licked along the shell of his ear—“literally. I want to put my hands around your neck to remind you of who has the power. I want to put my hand over your nose and over your mouth while I jerk you within an inch of your fucking life and not let you take a breath until you’re coming. I want to hear you whimper and whine and choke while I control every little piece of you.”

“Oh, fuck.” It was barely words on his tongue. They were a moan and a plea. I could feel his cock against me, thickening with each passing second.

I pressed my forehead against his, staring straight into his eyes as I slowly put a hand around his throat. I didn’t apply pressure. I didn’t even wrap my fingers around him. I just held it there. “I plan to mark you, baby. With my teeth. My fingernails. My handprints. I want you to look like you’re mine, and I want you to be mine. All of you. Your breath. Your skin. Your ass. Your cock. Your lips.” I licked the tip of his nose. “I want to drive you to your breaking point and then give you the best fucking orgasm you’ve ever had in your entire life.”

“Please…” I felt his Adam’s apple bob beneath my palm. “I need all of that. I need you. Make me yours, Forrest.”

“What are your limits, Jack?”

“Jackson.”

I paused, furrowing my brows. “What?”

He glanced to the side as a blush started to form on his cheeks. “My full name is Jackson. I… I don’t know. I hate being called that, but I want to hear it in your voice. I don’t know.” He shook his head. “It’s stupid. Ignore me.”

Holding his jaw, I gently nudged him until he was looking at me again. “It’s not stupid. Tell me your limits, Jackson. I’m waiting.”

Watching his eyelids flutter as he moaned simply from my words was an experience I never wanted to forget. “Bondage. I’m fine if you hold my hands or arms down, but I don’t want rope or something else holding me. I need to be able to get out of a position if I want. Watersports just isn’t my thing. I like degradation, but I’m a huge praise whore. If you only degrade me, I’ll start flagging. I like pain, but I don’t want to be slapped in the face. Those are my hard limits.”

I smirked, pressing my leg against his crotch. “That wasn’t very hard, now was it, sweetie? Give me a safe word.”

He rolled his head against the wall and bucked his hips forward. His body was begging me for more. “Red. Just red. That’s what I’ve always used. Can we go to your bedroom now?”

“Red it is. If you’re not able to speak for any reason, like if my hand is over your mouth and nose, I will always keep your hands free. You’ll be able to tap me on my arm or leg if you need to stop. Understand?”

“Yes.”

That was far too quick. “Repeat it back to me, Jackson. I need to know you’re paying attention.”

God, I loved the whimper he gave me. All needy and desperate sounding. “If I can’t speak, I’ll be able to tap you if I need to stop. Red or tap. Safe word.”

“Good boy.” I pulled away, grabbing his hand. “Let’s go.”

He followed me easily, stumbling down the hallway as I led him into my bedroom. The moment we crossed the threshold, I was peeling his shirt off and throwing him onto the bed like last time. The mattress bounced as he landed, and I was mesmerized by the way he smiled up at me.

“Take your pants off, Jackson.”

Did he need to keep eye contact with me while he did it? It was almost too much. He shifted, pulling his unbuttoned jeans and briefs off his legs. His cock sprang out, already hard and delicious for me. The tip was shining, begging for my tongue. I wanted nothing more than to taste him. Feel him on my tongue.

I prowled toward the bed, shedding my pants and briefs on the way. He didn’t stop watching me with anticipation, his chest rising and falling beautifully. “Scoot up,” I demanded, and he obeyed. He obeyed so easily. So eagerly.

I crawled onto the bed beside him, leaning my back against the wall behind us. Looking over at him, I beckoned him closer. Once he was close enough, I reached out and gripped the back of his neck, tangling his hair between my fingers. He winced at the sudden pain, but a moan followed it. “My cock is waiting for your pretty little mouth. Are you going to give it what it wants?”

At first, he nodded, but that wasn’t what I needed. I tightened my grip, tugging his head to the side a little. He hissed as his eyelids fluttered. “Yes.”

“Go on then.” I let him go, watching as he positioned himself between my legs, arching his ass up in the air as he leveled himself with my cock.