That was the ultimate aphrodisiac.

My hand rocked, giving her more friction with the wand.

“Yes…yes…oh, yes.” Her breathing stopped as it always did as she strained to release. I hovered in indecision. Part of me wanted her to come. To ricochet into pieces and languishly agree to whatever else I requested. But the other part of me didn’t want to give pleasure so easily.

She had to earn it.

And she hadn’t…not yet.

Pressing the button, the vibrations ceased.

The room fell silent apart from her tattered breaths. “What—no, Q. I was so close. No…you can’t stop there.” A pretty pout formed on her lips, her eyes bright and glazed with need. “Please…pretty, pretty please? You told me to fly. I want to fly, dammit!”

Rolling from the bed, I placed the wand on the quilt and grabbed the small pouch from my bag instead. “You’ll get the rest of your reward once we’ve finished.”

“I want it now.” Her hips surged upward, looking for more torment. “You’re evil.”

I laughed. “That isn’t new information for you.”

Her eyes narrowed, falling to the black pouch as I unzipped it. “What’s that?” She did her best to raise her head but the weight of not coming drowned her, making her sleepy.

“This is pain, esclave. And you promised you’d let me do anything.”

A slight groan escaped her, but she nodded. “I did, and I do. Just…hurry so I can come. I really, really want to come.”

I chuckled as I sat on the edge of the bed and undid the knot around her left wrist. She never took her eyes off me as I opened the bag and placed the tattoo pen with its vial of black ink on the bedspread.

Her eyebrows rose. “Wait. You’re going to tattoo me?”

I grinned. She wasn’t averse to the idea of needles and forever-after ink. Only focusing on the fact that I would be the one inscribing her body.

“Do you have a problem with that?”

I waited, inspecting every fleeting thought on her face.

For a second, she hesitated. “Umm…”

My back whiplashed straight. “Umm?”

Tess’s eyes grew wider. “Q…I love you, but tattooing me…that’s something I have to think about.” Her throat tilted, exposing a little of her fire-seared brand beneath her collar. “Isn’t this enough?”

I shook my head. “Nothing will ever be enough. Not now that you’ve taken my last name or wear my mark or sleep beside me every damn night. I’m a fucking insecure bastard when it comes to you, Tess. And because I know I’m asking a lot, I’ll even let you go first.”

“Me?” she squeaked. “You want me to tattoo you? Q, I can draw sharp lines and copy a building, but I’ve never been good at landscape, portrait, or anything other than sterile architecture.”

“Good to know. But I’m not asking you to draw on me. I’m asking you to write on me.”

“You obviously haven’t seen my handwriting.”

“As long as it’s legible, I don’t give a fuck.” I pointed at my knuckles. “You can write wherever you want, but I suggest somewhere I can see every day.”

Tess’s gaze fell to my offered limb. “You want me to write on the back of your hand?” She froze. “You’re insane. I’m not coming anywhere near you with something so permanent.”

“Not only will it be permanent, but I also requested the darkest ink available. I want it visible. I want it thick and seen.”

“It means that much to you?”

“You know me well enough that you don’t need an answer to that.”

Her reluctance faded as she stared into my eyes. Love replaced reluctance. Her hurry to come tempered. “In that case, I don’t want to go first. Go ahead.”

“You’re not going to ask where I’m going to tattoo you?”

Her eyes dropped to my t-shirt, no doubt seeing my sparrow and storm design beneath the material. “If it’s half as beautiful as your art, I don’t care.”

“I’m not an artist, Tess.”

“You are to me.”

Not replying, I brought her left hand upward and inserted her ring finger into my mouth.

Her eyes snapped closed as her body leapt on the sheets. The magic wand rested unalive between her spread and bound thighs. “God, Q. You can’t do that if you don’t want me to come.”

My tongue swirled around her finger, tasting salt and orchid-frost that was a scent uniquely Tess. “I can’t?” My teeth nipped her fingertip. “Why not? Could you come like this with nothing else?” Keeping her finger in my mouth, I dropped my free hand and cupped her brashly between her legs. “Or do you need this to be fucked in order to release?”

Her body bucked against me. Her finger hooking inside my mouth as if she could wrench me closer and finish the task I’d started.

My teeth tightened around her wedding ring and diamonds, slowly removing them over her knuckle, thanks to the wetness of my tongue.

She was too focused on my hand on her cunt to pay attention.

Yanking her finger from my mouth and my touch from her pussy, I sat back and spat her rings into my palm. “There…we won’t need those for a while.”

Tess blinked. “What? Why?” Panic flared. “Don’t you want to be married any—”

I slapped a hand over her lips. “Quiet.”