Ann Mayburn - Sodom and the Phoenix

She ran her fingers over her back, tracing the phoenix tattoo inked into her skin. When she’d first had the idea for the tattoo, she’d been terrified of the pain and afraid of all the negative things people would think of her for having a tattoo. But she’d gotten it anyways and hadn’t once regretted the decision. The pain she’d endured while getting the tattoo had helped cleanse her somehow, and she’d left the shop feeling proud of herself for facing her fears. Now she had to do the same thing with this situation, be brave enough to face her fear and rise above it.

Okay, so she would stalk Bryan at the elevators and throw herself at his feet, begging for mercy. She should probably wear pants so that she didn’t get burns on her knees. While begging at his feet, she would calmly thank him for the amazing time in VR today and let him know she wanted to do more of the same with him. Hopefully she wouldn’t sound too desperate as she soaked the hem of his pants with tears while she kissed his boots. Though if he was wearing sandals, she didn’t know if she could kiss his feet unless he took good care of them.

If he had weird, hairy hobbit-type feet, he’d just have to settle for her kissing his ankles.

Bryan rolled his neck as he stepped out of the packed elevator into the main lobby of the resort. He had to give a presentation tonight, and his usual jitters about speaking before a large crowd combined with his apprehension over what had happened with Tanwen. If he was honest with himself, he would admit that the knot in his stomach had nothing to do with a fear of public speaking and everything to do with the way she had lost it with him today. That horrible keening noise she had made still gave him the shivers, and he wanted nothing more in the world than to make sure she never made that sound again.

He thought about her “Phoenix List” that he had found and turned back to the front desk. So far, he’d done his best to grant the first two wishes on her list—relearning the pleasure of kissing and finding out if different types of orgasms existed—but he wanted to be the one to fulfill all her desires. Part of him wished he’d gone against his blasted sense of honor and read more, found out all the things she wanted. Instead he had to figure out the jumbled and fascinating puzzle of the female mind without a cheat sheet.

A throng of people milled around the elevators, some standing in groups and talking while others tried to move through and out into other parts of the resort. This part of the lobby boasted magnificent brass fountains surrounded by different kinds of plants. As he passed a large potted palm tree surrounded by birds of paradise flowers, someone grabbed the sleeve of his suit jacket. Before he even finished turning all the way around, the load on his heart lightened as he saw Tanwen.

She wore a pair of cream pants that hugged her full hips and an emerald green silk halter top that brought out her eyes. As she met his gaze, she flushed and dropped the sleeve of his jacket like it was on fire. Silk straps tied around her throat held the top in place, leaving her arms bare, and he had a glimpse of the phoenix tattoo on her back. She glanced up at him and cleared her throat, then clasped her hands together and stared at her fingers. A light pink gloss frosted her lips, and he wondered if they would taste like cotton candy. He wanted to take her into his arms, to apologize if he’d taken things too far with her earlier, but he needed to wait her out, hear what she had to say first.

Finally she lifted her gaze to his chin before saying in a husky whisper, “Hi.”

“Hello, Tanwen.” He crossed his arms over his chest in an effort to keep from gathering her up and kissing her until that sad look left her eyes. Instead he said what had been bothering him all afternoon. “Tell me something. Did I do anything you didn’t like this morning? Did I hurt you in a way you didn’t want?”

“No, you didn’t hurt me. I mean, you did, but I really liked it.” The blush filled her face and climbed all the way to her forehead. He worried for a moment that she would pass out before she squared her shoulders. “I’m sorry about that, I really am. It was rude of me to leave. I just felt very…overwhelmed. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m sorry I disappointed you.”

He gave in to temptation and pulled her close, breathing deep her light floral perfume as she instantly cuddled into him. “Little flame, feeling overwhelmed is a perfectly normal thing for a sub after such an intense scene. I’m pretty sure that was your first for, well, a lot of things. When you left, I didn’t get a chance to hold you, to let you know you were safe and lov—cared for.” She tensed against him, and he remembered how adamant she had been about this being a vacation fling. He quickly tried to put her at ease, even if his words were total bullshit. There was no way he was going to let this end after just a few days, but right now, he had to reassure her he wasn’t after anything more. “I know you’re my sub only for this vacation, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do everything I can to make sure you’re happy. That’s what doms do. We strive to make our subs happy.”

Her slim shoulders rose and fell beneath his hands as she took a deep breath, then looked up at him. “I really do appreciate all the wonderful things you’ve done and shown me. I’ve learned more about myself and what arouses me in two days with you than I did in my entire marriage.”

The sincerity of her words touched him almost as much as the vulnerability in her gaze. He really, really didn’t want to let her go. Thankfully he didn’t have to—yet. “Would you still like to play with me?”

To his astonishment, she slid down his body to her knees. Her golden hair fell forward as she bowed her head and kissed his shoe. “Sir, I would love to play with you.”

The rest of the world faded to a hum as he drank in the site of her submissive pose, the way her rounded butt pressed against her pants and the outline of her thong as she leaned forward. She remained there, her lips pressed to his foot until he swore he could feel the heat of her kiss through the leather of his shoe. “You please me very much, little flame.”

A shudder rippled through her body, and she leaned up, tossing her hair over her shoulder in a perfectly feminine gesture that he adored. “Thank you, Sir.”

He held out a hand to help her to her feet, noting how her nipples stuck through the thin silk of her shirt like pencil erasers. Her mouth softened, making it impossible to resist capturing her lips in a devastatingly gentle kiss that left her panting and his cock straining against the confinement of his pants. She traced the lapel of his suit and straightened his tie with a bemused smile. “Not that I’m complaining, but it’s different seeing you in a suit. I almost didn’t recognize you at first. Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like Anderson Cooper?”

He rolled his eyes and indulged himself in kissing his way along the soft skin of her jaw to her ear. “I’m giving a presentation after dinner tonight.” He nuzzled her ear, giving the tender flesh of her lobe a sharp bite that had her pressing her hips into his. “I know our arrangement is only for VR, but I want you to come back to my room with me when I’m done.”

Her fingers stilled, and he could see the pulse in her throat pound. “Just the two of us, Sir?”

Jealousy reared its ugly head, and he had to fight to keep his tone even. “Is that a problem?”

She empathetically shook her head but kept her eyes on his chest. “No, not at all, Sir.”

The lobby around them was rapidly emptying as the crowd made its way toward the dining room. He couldn’t tell if her tension came from being alone with him, not having a third party there, or any of a number of things. “Would it make you feel safer to have someone else there?”