Vexxed (JUST BREATHE Ephemera Book 4) (3 page)

Fire slunk closer, testing her Air with a forked tongue. Must’ve tasted the Fire gaining traction within her. Gods, it felt good to crack Byrn like that. The power coursing through her veins made her positively high.

“Did you like that, Kitty Cat?” Her Air reared up like a mongoose tempting a cobra.

His eyes reddened a bit. “Yes, Mistress. I did like it.”
Fuuuck, Vexx. Nice one.

His body heated. She leaned in to his lips and breathed cool pheromones against them. Her Air enjoyed playing this game a little too much. The power exchange in this scenario delved far deeper than mere Dom-and-sub dungeon antics. She and Byrn walked the tightrope between life and death. As unpredictable as he was, she didn’t know if he had the mental control required to keep from pushing her off the wire into the flames of hell.

And at this point, she wasn’t sure she cared.

She was in
so
much trouble.

“Would you like another taste of my whip?” She skipped her gaze down his neck to the hard pecs below, maintaining that delicious, deadly proximity.

“I’d love one.” His voice cracked. A bead of sweat slipped down his cheek. Vexx followed its progress to the floor and couldn’t help noticing the outline of an erection under the black leather.

Her rubber glove inched south, skidding over the leather, squeaking along the way, until she found that hard mass of Fiery goodness and squeezed. His head jerked up, chin thrust out, almost bumping her. His hot breath kissed her mouth. She drank in the gift of his tempered Fire and slowed her strokes. Control spiraled out of her grip.

“This time, I want you to scream, slave. When I strike, show me with your body how good my whip feels. Rattle the windows for the people outside. Break the fucking glass with your pain.”

She pulled away. Byrn’s pelvis followed her hand. Quiet grunts issued from his mouth as if he were trying to get comfortable. Or rein in his own slipping control.

The temperature in the room rose.

Vexx lit the whip again, backed her ass to the window for her audience’s benefit and prepared for another pass. Her arm swung down hard. Air drove the leather home. Fire fueled Byrn’s scream and damn near accomplished its glass-shattering mission.

Eardrums rattling, Vexx cracked him again on the shoulder, then the neck, and across the ribs under his arm. Wild Fire seized her, threatening her Air within an inch of its life. Byrn’s cock got even bigger, punched harder against his pants with each hit. She could get used to this.

Vexx, much as I want you to keep going, you have to stop.
Urgency punctuated his thoughts.

She startled and glanced at her hand, mesmerized. Flames licked upward. Survival instincts convinced her to drop the whip to the floor and crush out the fire with her boot.

Fuck, woman.
Byrn’s wide eyes teetered between pleading with her to stop and begging her to shake him all night long. His chest heaved for breath. Six angry red slashes ruined the perfection of his glistening skin.

She’d done that. She’d hurt Byrn. Man, the adrenaline rush.

Do it again,
her Air whispered. The illusion of control over him was too damn tempting.

Byrn’s thoughts interrupted Air’s plotting.
Take a deep breath and pull yourself together. You’re losing your shit, and I’m not far behind.

No, I’m okay. Do you sense the target out there?
Catching her breath was an exercise in torture. In that moment, she wanted Byrn’s Fire to suffocate her.

I was a little distracted.
He glanced toward the glass. Looked like he could barely hold his head up.
I—I don’t think so. With so much Fire bouncing around, it’s hard to tell.

She stared into his eyes, and caressed his red cheek.
This is a lot more fun than I expected.
“Good boy.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as she uncuffed him and gestured to the padded sawhorse. “On your back, arms and legs dangling on either side.”

Byrn stumbled to the apparatus and did as he was told. Vexx dragged over a table prepped with all the fixings for a cupping session: a wire rack loaded with twelve small glasses, a fire wand, and a candelabra. Good thing she’d done some video research on cupping earlier that day. Should be easy enough to pull off now that she’d conquered her fear of small flames.

She circled Byrn several times, her attention on that raging hard-on. Gloved fingers brushed the stretching leather with each pass. He focused on the ceiling, but his mind reeled. A war raged between his desires and his needs. Vexx understood the battle well.

Thirty or more people now leered at them from the other side of the window. A lesbian couple made out on the fringes, groping each other, tongues dancing. The big guy scowling in front watched with arms crossed, a woman at waist level pleasuring him through his jeans. Hands and mouths wandered freely through the crowd—a nipple tweak here, a fondle there. Vexx had plenty more to show them. She turned back to Byrn.

We’ll break him yet.
Her Air smiled.

The unlikely combination of Fire and Air jacked both her sex drive and her senses into a strange but pleasing melody of total mindfuckery. On the one hand, her body ached—literally
ached
—to experience the deadly sensation of Byrn’s Fire on her skin. At the same time, her mind got off on the head-trip she and Byrn shared. The whole scene was a beautiful, delicate balance between desire and pain, lust and better judgment, entrapment and freedom, and perhaps most importantly, safety and peril.

Any way you sliced it, Fire eclipsed Air.

Embracing the risk and entrusting her natural enemy to keep her safe gave Vexx a mindgasm of Einsteinian proportions.

Who knew playing with Fire would be so addictive?

Vexx smiled catlike at Byrn and vaulted onto his lap, straddling the searing hard-on, balancing her weight with palms on his chest. His cock jerked between her legs, and she ground her ass against it, lap dance style. Imagine taking him deep inside and riding him like a bull …

Mmm …

“I think it’s time we got rid of these pesky trousers. They look good on you, but they’re in my way.”

Byrn pursed his lips and cocked a brow. “Whatever Mistress desires.”

Grinning, she hopped off him and wrestled the leather free of his hips, tugged the legs down, and tossed the pants aside. And oh, look, no underwear.

Licking her lips, she thought,
Very nice.

His hungry cock nodded.

She scooped it into her small hand and fisted it tightly. His thigh muscles choked.

“I’m going to groom my pet.” Nicely trimmed already, he didn’t need any grooming, but when would she ever get another opportunity like this? Never.

She swiped one of the tapers from the candelabra on the table. “I wonder how many drops it’ll take to make you shiny smooth, Kitty Cat?” Vexx tipped the stick to a fifteen-degree angle and let the wax spill onto his balls.

Byrn’s tight abs barely jerked, and his clenched teeth stifled a groan.

“Did that hurt?” she asked innocently, smearing the fast-cooling substance into his tender flesh.

He gasped. “No, Mistress. My pain is your pleasure.”

“Good.” She let loose more wax on his unsuspecting rocks, then switched out the used candle for a fresh one. He got bigger.

The guy in front getting his dick vacuum-packed and shrink-wrapped through the pants
—Byrn’s thoughts sputtered as another dousing of wax hit the nuts—
he’s a Fyre.

Vexx tumbled out of her reverie. Shit, she’d fallen so deep in the moment, she’d lost track of everything aside from the intense heat bouncing between Byrn and her. Stuffing the candle back in its holder, she thought,
Is he the one?

Not sure.
Sweat beaded on Byrn’s brow. His twitching legs relaxed a bit—

—until she ripped the dried wax free of his skin.

His back shot off the sawhorse. Biting his tongue, he stared at her as if he loved her. She pushed him down and rubbed the tender sac with gentle fingers. The skin covering his balls tightened, and a drop of fluid leaked from the head of his cock. Gods, imagine the taste of him. The natural lubricant gave her latex gloves a reason for living. Teasing his orgasm to the surface with rough swipes of her thumb, she somehow managed to keep her tongue in her mouth.

You’re gonna make me come all over your hand, Vexx. Under different circumstances, I’d be all for it.

She purred—literally purred—until Byrn’s head lifted from the cushion. His jumbled thoughts smacked her with a desperate warning.
Vexx … safe word, Vexx … I should’ve asked yours. I think you need one right now …

Pinching the head between thumb and index finger, she shook herself free of the Fire consuming her brain. When she was sure she’d shut down his orgasm, she let go and backed up.
Sorry. Got a little carried away.

Save it for later. When we’re alone.

She mentally snorted.
Yeah, right.

He had a point, damn it. Back to business. Vexx made a show of waving her hand over the rack of glasses and redirected her thoughts to the guy lurking on the other side of the glass. She pushed against the door of his mind and loosed her Airy tendrils on a quest for information.

Careful, Vexx.

She wasn’t sure whether Byrn meant to be careful with the Fyre or with him. Either way, she took his advice. Taking stock of the contents of the scruffy guy’s brain, she picked up a glass and returned to Byrn’s side.

Do it,
the suspect urged.
Cup his balls.
The girl sucking the fabric softener out of his jeans increased the frequency of her slurps and wrapped her arms around his ass to hold him closer.

Vexx studied Byrn’s eager face. Much as she’d like to lay hot glass on his jewels—for a variety of reasons—she needed both of their faculties intact in case things went south with the Fyre guy. She glanced at Byrn’s ready-and-waiting cock. Like her, he was pretty wound up. Awesome. He deserved that.

Vexx draped her torso across Byrn’s chugging chest, dropped her lips within an inch of his and breathed in his spicy scent. Their eyes locked. She swiped the reddish stubble on his cheek. “This is gonna hurt.”

Fire lit his irises. “I sure hope so.”

Another rush of wetness from between her legs spilled into the catsuit. Good thing it was waterproof. She’d have a mess to clean up when she peeled the latex off later.

Now comfortable with the heat of the flame, Vexx lit the fire stick, swirled a couple of quick passes of flame into the mouth of the glass, and plunged it over his nipple. His back arched as the skin inside drew up, forming a bitter red welt. Pain and pleasure fought for control of his expression, cluttering his mind with incoherent blathering. Vexx reluctantly shifted her focus from Byrn’s brain to the other Fyre’s.

Yes. Yes, give it to him. Put it to his balls. Make him scream again. He’ll be a feast fit for a god.
The guy grabbed the girl by the back of her head and guided her mouth faster against his crotch. His eyes rolled back as the denim gave her face a proper burial.
Yes …

So, he thought he could take Byrn’s Fire? Not if she had anything to say about it. Vexx warmed another glass and latched it to the other nipple. Byrn blew out a soft hiss.

It’s not him,
they both thought at the same time.

Too eager,
he said.

Too hungry,
she agreed.

Too weak.
Byrn’s Fire stretched, and he licked his lips.

Vexx finished attaching the hot cups to Byrn’s chest and saved the last one for the space between his belly button and that oh-so-tempting erection.

You’ll take care of him?
She wasn’t a fan of violence, but the Elemental situation here in Australia had escalated. Thanks to the recent assassination of the Wæter Archelemental, the Fyres had proliferated like roaches. Byrn was awesome at pest control.

He inclined his head.
Yes, Mistress.

She smiled and wiped his brow. “You’ve been a good slave, Kitty Cat. Are you ready for your reward?”

He fixed his gaze on her with a hardness that hadn’t been there before. Back to the old Byrn so soon?

Damn it.

I’m hungry. For a lot of things. Since I can’t have you, I’ll settle for him.
Byrn’s lusty thoughts shuffled to the Fyre watching them intently. “I’m ready, Mistress.”

Vexx blinked long and hard. Inhaled a deep breath. “You will bathe me from top to bottom with your tongue, slave, but you may not use your hands or touch my skin. Along the way, you’ll jerk off that handsome cock. You may not come until I say so, and you will put your seed where I tell you. Do you understand?”

Byrn’s hand gripped his boner like it was the pin dying to be pulled from a grenade. She could’ve sworn he shuddered.

Vexx, baby, you’re killing me here.

The hunger in his red irises suggested he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. At least in that moment, he did. She was his Mistress. He’d have given her anything she asked. A shame things would return to the way they used to be when this job was finished. But he was a Fyre who lived from booty call to booty call. And she … she’d be just another notch on his bedpost if she
could
have sex with him.

Enjoy him while you can,
she told herself.
Lose yourself in the moment. Tomorrow it’ll be like nothing ever happened.

Vexx dislodged the cupping glasses from his torso, smiling at the welts they’d left. Then she nudged him off the sawhorse and assumed his place.

Trailing a latex-covered finger across her shoulder, she closed her eyes and mind to him. He couldn’t be privy to her feelings. “Start here.”

The heat of his tongue brought a gasp from her lips. She clamped down on the thrilling combination of fear and pleasure sizzling through her veins. The Mistress slowly submitted to the slave’s forbidden touch. With each stroke of his mouth, she eased deeper into the solace of his care. The latex muted some of the physical pleasure, so she allowed her imagination to create a vivid sensory experience of what he would have felt like without the many barriers that stood between them.