Free RetroCog (a Power Up! story) by Marie Harte Page A

had been a true disappointment. But this new one, the nurse, might fare better if she learned how to use her mouth. Parts of him rose in anticipation of teaching her, and then of finally getting Cecilia, his prize, and he had to force himself to adhere to his carefully woven strategy. Smaller steps would take him closer to his goal. To move too fast might lose him any opportunity to achieve fulfillment, and that he couldn’t stomach.
     
    She belonged to him and him alone; he’d bide his time.
     
    He’d never been closer to the end-state than he was recently. After too many years to count, he could see the finish line so close. He could almost reach out and touch it.
     
    And touch her , finally. His Cecilia. His Lara. One and the same.
     
    He erased the foolish grin curling his mouth and finished what he’d come for. The search turned up nothing more interesting than the man’s shoe size. A big man with a steely gaze and a firm grip on what it took to hunt. He’d seen it when he’d looked into Noah First’s eyes. A minor obstacle, nonetheless.
     
    Figuring and readjusting his plan, he decided to get rid of the man sooner than he’d intended. If Lara was lucky, she’d have a new best friend to comfort her through her loss. Time enough for his future bride to learn what he liked and didn’t like, and to ready herself for their honeymoon.
     
    Pleased with his reasoning, he drew out a small box and opened the lid.

Chapter Five
     
     
     
    She lay naked on her bed, her wrists and ankles splayed and tied to the bedposts. Noah still wore his underwear, but the small bit of clothing only made him look that much more impressive.
     
    “Noah, what—”
     
    “Quiet.”
     
    It was that voice, the commanding, sexy, deep tone of a man in charge, that had her wet and staying that way. Despite her orgasm, her entire body revved for more. She’d once had a lover try the dominant role, but he’d been ill-suited for it and killed the mood between them. Noah was the real deal. He turned her inside out. For the first time in forever, nothing but a man filled her world. No voices, no worries, no demands that she be anything but herself. Right now, with him, she could submit and wait for orders. Noah knew exactly how to handle her. She shivered, wanting to feel him inside her, flesh to flesh.
     
    “You okay?”
     
    She would be, once he lost the underwear and showed her that thick cock again. She needed to make every moment with him last. “When are you going to get naked too?”
     
    He smiled, but the expression didn’t relieve her. The rational part of her mind told her to be wary, but instinct commanded her to wait, to trust. That if she gave in to his demands, she’d find more than sexual fulfillment—something deeper, something more.
     
    Filled with menace, Noah’s smile threatened as much as it aroused. “When I feel like taking my briefs off, I will. I thought I’d made it clear that I’m in charge.”
     
    Her heart raced. Would he punish her? Oh God, would he?
     
    “Naughty girl.” As if reading her mind, he leaned closer to her breasts and closed his mouth over one nipple. And bit.
     
    She would have yelled out, but he muffled her with his hand. He treated her other nipple to a bite, then sucked the sting away. The sweet contrast set her entire body aflame.
     
    The hot suction of his mouth pulled at her womb. Sensations streaked from her breast to the rest of her body, need and anticipation coiled to take flight without much more provocation.
     
    “That’s it. Beautiful. It doesn’t hurt, does it, baby?”
     
    She loved him calling her that. Baby . His to cherish, to protect. A girly nickname that made her feel feminine and sexy surrounded by his much larger, imposing frame.
     
    “No. Feels so good.” She arched up into his mouth.
     
    Noah left her breast and kissed his way back to her other nipple, licking a trail of heat in his wake. He tongued her areola and sucked the taut bud between