The Taste of Power
Nadia closed her eyes again, softly gasping at the word Rylan had breathed. It was hard to keep her cool as arousal dulled her control. But Rylan’s bold moves drew her like a moth to a flame, and she could not have resisted even if she’d wanted to.
When Rylan headed to the sofa, Nadia moved to follow.
“Stay.”
Nadia froze. Rylan smiled cruelly, making her shiver with need. Her heart pounded, but she had agreed that Rylan was in charge, so she employed great discipline as she struggled with the simple task of remaining still. Rylan sat on the sofa like it was her throne, regarding her thoughtfully.
“Clothes off.”
Nadia swallowed hard. Her hands twitched.
“Don’t make me repeat myself.” Rylan’s closed-off expression revealed nothing and demanded everything.
Nadia swallowed again though her mouth felt dry. Why did she feel so shy all of a sudden? When she had kissed Rylan, she fully intended to take her clothes off.
The continued pounding of her heart drowned out any thought. With rigid moves, she pulled the scrub top over her head while the fully dressed Rylan watched. Nadia removed her scrub pants, then her bra and underwear.
“Look at me,” Rylan commanded.
Nadia looked up. Under the spotlight, her naked skin burned as Rylan made a show of examining her body thoroughly. She got up and circled Nadia as a vulture would its prey.
Interesting choice of foreplay, Nadia thought, but her attempt at sarcasm failed. Her clitoris throbbed. Her knees shook. What a cruel punishment it was to just stand still and do nothing. And how much it tested her resolve to surrender her beloved control.
As Rylan continued her inspection, Nadia itched to reach out and touch her. Her muscles tensed with the effort to remain frozen on the outside. Inside, her blood felt like molten lava.
“I didn’t believe you when you said you’ll let me be in charge,” Rylan said. “I’m happy you meant it.” She took Nadia’s hand. “Because the thought of bringing Nadezhda Keating to her knees”—she leaned in with a taunting smile—“has me soaking wet.”
Nadia gasped. Her legs trembling, she allowed herself to be led to the sofa.
“Well?” Rylan looked at her expectantly.
Looking into Rylan’s icy eyes, Nadia remained frozen.
“On your knees.”
Her legs already weak, Nadia was almost relieved to comply with the command. Almost. It was still an act of submission. But her reservations were quickly overridden by the thought that she would be allowed to touch Rylan soon. She got on her knees.
Rylan looked down at her before she sat back on the sofa. She reached out and stroked Nadia’s breasts with her hand, roaming possessively. Nadia held her breath.
“You had no interest in apologizing tonight, did you? It was just a means to an end.”
Nadia tightened her jaw. Objecting would only kill the mood.
“What did you picture us doing instead?”
Nadia said nothing. Her attention was focused on the invisible lines that Rylan was drawing down her lower abdomen.
“Did you imagine me touching you here?” Her right hand cupped Nadia’s sex.
The exquisite touch elicited an instant moan.
Just as quickly as she’d introduced her hand, Rylan retracted it. She sat back regally, holding Nadia’s gaze. Her face was perfectly smooth and indecipherable. “Am I to interpret your lack of communication to mean that you have no desire to be pleasured?”
Rylan’s mocking voice was intimidating and every bit as thrilling as the touch of her hand had been. Nadia had never heard her talk this way before. She had never known herself to be so shy either. Apparently, kneeling in front of Rylan had that effect on her.
“It’s probably for the best,” Rylan continued, “because I’m in the mood to be pleasured rather than to please.”
Nadia gasped softly as the words sent a jolt to her core. Since when is she so good at controlling a situation?
“Would you like to crawl between my legs and show me how obedient you can be?”
Her lips barely parted, forcing out the faintest of sounds. “Yes.” Despite her nerves, she was fully capable of vocally communicating if that was what Rylan’s imaginary rules demanded.
Rylan’s triumphant smile was intoxicating. “Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Her taunting suggested she knew exactly how hard it was. She parted her legs slightly. “Remove my panties.”
Nadia moved forward, relieved to shift positions, and slipped her hands up Rylan’s tight skirt. Her heart rate quickened as the touch captured her senses. Rylan’s skin was soft and smooth, and touching it was like touching silk.
Nadia found the hem of Rylan’s bikini bottoms and slipped them off. Then, breathing heavily, she ran her tongue against her lips in tortured anticipation, waiting for the next command.
Rylan pulled up her skirt and moved her legs apart a little more. “Proceed.”
* * *
Indeed, the woman is talented.
Nadia had slowly and thoroughly explored Ashley’s anatomy. Her initial teasing had progressed quickly to delivering intense, and very effective, stimuli. Ashley quivered with the rising heat in her core. She raised her hips and pushed herself forward, craving more. The mere thought of Nadia between her legs nearly brought her over the edge.
“Stop,” Ashley gasped.
Nadia stopped immediately. Her newfound submission only fueled Ashley’s fire. She gently pushed Nadia away and stood up. “Lie down on the sofa.”
Nadia promptly complied, sending fresh currents of desire throughout Ashley’s body. She had been following Ashley’s commands without objection. The feeling of power was heady.
If only she could be this compliant during business hours.
She gazed at Nadia lying on the sofa. Her brown eyes, usually intimidating, were now dark with desire.
Ashley’s breath hitched as her gaze ravaged Nadia’s body. The woman was stunning. The blue scrubs didn’t do her justice. Underneath them, she hid a body worthy of a yoga commercial. Her legs and arms were long and toned. Her flat abdomen was firm, hinting at the perfect balance between femininity and strength. Her breasts were full and round, and her areolas made Ashley’s mouth water.
Nadia’s face was flushed. Ashley couldn’t tell if it was because of embarrassment or due to her dedicated efforts thus far.
Towering over Nadia, still fully dressed, albeit sans panties, Ashley held her gaze as she slowly lifted her skirt. Her heart was pounding, and blood was rushing to her slick folds.
Nadia looked unblinking into her eyes, making her head spin. For a moment, Ashley felt a connection deeper than lust, as if Nadia were a piece she didn’t know was missing.
Breaking eye contact, Ashley pushed the thought away and returned to the moment. She straddled Nadia, moving upward until she was directly over her face. She reached out and grabbed a handful of Nadia’s hair.
Had she ever been that rough before?
Nadia’s ragged breath landed hot on Ashley’s sensitive flesh, extinguishing the flicker of doubt in her mind. She was laying absolutely still, waiting for instructions. Drunk on the power Nadia was giving her, Ashley let her instincts rule her. “Continue,” she breathed.
She moved her hips back and forth, her primal urges taking over. Nadia gave a guttural moan against her clitoris, the vibrations making Ashley cry out in sheer pleasure. Nadia felt so good underneath her, she wanted it to last forever. Relaxing her grip on Nadia’s hair, Ashley slowed down to savor the moment.
Immediately, the pressure intensified as Nadia wrapped her arms around Ashley’s legs and drew her closer. That was all it took to push Ashley over the edge. An explosion of pure bliss enveloped her senses, and her muscles tensed and spasmed with an unbelievable release. She bit her lip to muffle her cries as she rode out her orgasm.
Releasing her grip completely Ashley stretched out and lay down next to her. They panted together in the silence.
Wow, that was…wow. Ashley’s mind had checked out a while back, and her excitement grew stronger as she felt Nadia’s smooth skin pressed against her.
After regaining some composure, she pushed herself up to a sitting position and turned slightly to face her, not ready for this to end. “Go sit on the desk,” she said, her voice husky. Nadia was inspiring her to act assertively. She even added, “Now!”
Nadia rolled off the edge of the sofa and walked over to the desk, looking down.
Ashley approached her slowly, taking in the beautiful picture in front of her. She clicked her tongue. “What am I supposed to do with you?” She placed her finger under Nadia’s chin and pushed it up to meet her eyes. “You’ve been so naughty.”
She loved Nadia’s newfound shyness. It was so unlike her that it felt more intimate than anything else they had done tonight. Ashley’s entire body tingled in agreement.
With her free hand, she stroked Nadia’s inner thigh, moving higher until her fingertips lightly brushed against the folds of Nadia’s smooth sex. The wetness there made her lick her lips.
For me?
Keeping her touch feather-light, she traced the soft—and so very wet—skin and withdrew. Driven by Nadia’s growing failure to suppress her gasps and moans, Ashley kept repeating the teasing action.
“We should work on your communication skills, Dr. Keating. You used to be a lot more articulate.”
At that Nadia gasped and blushed, and thrusted forward, seeking more of Ashley’s touch and fueling her sense of power. She looked so desperate, so ready for the pleasure Ashley wanted to give her.
Not yet. Ashley abruptly withdrew her hand.
Nadia reached for it, but Ashley waved her retreating hand out of range. “I did not give you permission to touch me, did I?”
Indignation showed on her face, but she said nothing.
“Hands behind your back.”
Nadia’s jaw tightened, but she complied. Ashley smiled. It showed she understood this was going to be a lesson on trust. Nadia didn’t trust her to do the right surgery; would she trust her with this?
Not that I can make Nadezhda do anything she doesn’t want to. “Good. Let’s begin.”
Ashley plunged two fingers into Nadia’s wet center and placed her thumb on the sensitive tissue above it. Nadia shut her eyes tight and groaned, exciting Ashley beyond words. All for me. With every thrust of her fingers inside Nadia, Ashley was rewarded with more heat, more wetness, more ragged breathing. She knew it wouldn’t take long for Nadia to reach her completion. The needy sounds rang in her ears, and made her redouble her efforts, desperately wanting to hear Nadia come for her.
Drunk with power over Nadia’s reactions, she breathed, “You are not in control here. I am. I make the rules and you will comply.” The words had double meaning: the sexual one and the one where Nadia didn’t oppose her attending.
Nadia growled in her ear, thrusting her hips harder against Ashley’s fingers.
The sense of authority charged Ashley’s desire, driving her mad with excitement. “I decide if and when you’ll have your pleasure.” She stopped moving her hand and locked eyes with Nadia. “Ask me to continue.”
For a moment, Nadia’s heavy breathing was the only sound filling the room.
“Rylan, please…” The strained whisper broke the silence.
Wait, what?
In an instant, Ashley’s ardor cooled. Why did Nadia still stubbornly refuse to call Ashley by her first name?
Ashley couldn’t have sex with a woman who hadn’t even once said her name.
Well, she most certainly couldn’t possibly continue having sex with a woman who hadn’t even once said her name.
Fortunately, the power to immediately change such impertinence was in her hands. Literally. Ashley smiled. “If you want me to continue, say my first—”
Her phone’s ringtone startled her out of her thoughts. She almost growled in frustration. “Don’t move an inch.”
Her phone was on her desk, within reach. She grabbed it with her free hand. “Rylan speaking.”
“Hi, Ashley, it’s Mary.”
Ashley held her breath.
She withdrew her fingers, hearing a restrained gasp escape Nadia’s mouth. Her chest tightened at the impossibility to do anything about it. Nadia remained sitting on her desk obediently, making Ashley’s body roar at the inviting sight. She tightened the phone in her grip, spun away from temptation, and forced herself to listen to Mary’s words.
* * *
Ashley sighed as Mary kept talking. It was a patient with a large blood clot to the lungs, and no other attending surgeon was available to do a possible emergency embolectomy. Had it been anything else, Ashley might have finished what she started. But patients with emboli could die in the blink of an eye, and that trumped her office activities.
“Page the MCS team and tell them to set up for a bedside VA-ECMO. And let Dan know he’ll be assisting me. I’m on my way.”
She hung up, but despite her promise, her feet stayed rooted to the floor. The last thing she wanted was to leave.
At least she’d had her completion first.
She turned to face Nadia, solemnly remembering that she had not yet had any. Nadia had already pulled on her bottom scrubs and bra and was retrieving her top from the floor.
At least I won’t have to tell a naked woman I have to leave, Ashley thought bitterly.
“So you have a PE consult?” Nadia was back to her usual self, her tone cool and matter-of-fact. She passed Ashley the box of tissues on the desk.
“I do.” Ashley averted her eyes as she wiped the moisture from her hand. Up until now, she had let her body dictate her actions. But that was over, and she had to face a reality she very much wished to avoid dealing with. “The patient is stable, but she isn’t responding to anticoagulation.” She looked around for her panties. “I have to go.” She couldn’t possibly walk around the hospital without panties. Where are they?
“I know.” Nadia handed her what she was looking for.
“Thanks.” Ashley pulled them on, still avoiding meeting Nadia’s eyes. “Uh…” She finally looked up. How did one gracefully address what had just happened between them? “Thank you.”
Nadia tilted her head.
Oh, God. Ashley blushed furiously. “Thank you for apologizing for the OR incident,” she clarified hurriedly. “I’m not going to hold it against you this time.” The clear professional message should encourage Nadia to behave in the future.
“That’s it?”
Or not. “What else is there to say?”
Ashley grabbed a pair of scrubs from her desk drawer, removed her boots and skirt, and put the pants on.
Nadia watched her dress, staring intently, then looked away. “Look, I shouldn’t tell you how to do your job.”
Ashley chuckled. “But you will anyway?”
“Only if you would consider it a friendly piece of advice rather than crossing a line.”
Still wearing only her bra, she faced Nadia. “This should be good. I’m all ears.” She picked up her scrub top.
“If you want to be taken seriously, you shouldn’t let fellows run your OR.” Nadia’s voice retained its characteristic even tone, but the words were rushed. She was still avoiding looking at Ashley.
“What exactly are you suggesting I do?”
Ashley pulled on her scrubs, left her office, and headed to the restroom, Nadia following briskly behind her.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t let my trainee get away with a private apology after pulling a public stunt.” She said the words casually, as if they were discussing the actions of a third party who had nothing to do with Nadia.
What was she getting at? Surely, it couldn’t be a selfless attempt to help Ashley recover her reputation. Ashley gave an amused scoff. Is Nadia even capable of altruism? She considered Nadia’s words as she washed her hands in a way befitting a surgeon.
“Are you saying I should make you apologize in front of everyone?”
“Dream bigger.”
“I should…uh”—Ashley felt the heat rising to her cheeks again—“discipline you?”
Nadia exhaled noisily. “For God’s sake, you shouldn’t be trying to guess the answer.”
That wasn’t what had made Ashley hesitate, but the nuance appeared to elude Nadia. Ashley cleared her throat to mask her flustered enjoyment at Nadia’s single-mindedness and then dried her hands. “Fine. Consider your OR privileges suspended for the next three weeks. Happy?”
“Of course not! I don’t want to be out of the operating room for three weeks. It will hurt. But that is the point.”
“What point, exactly?” Ashley walked over to the elevator and impatiently pushed the button.
“This needs to happen for you to get some respect around here.”
“You’re doing this for me?” Wide-eyed, she searched Nadia’s serious face.
“Don’t ever repeat this to anyone.”
Ashley grinned. When Nadia had entered her office earlier, it had put her on edge. But she was hardly mad at her anymore. Because of multiple factors, one of which might have to do with elevated endorphin levels because of a certain afterglow phenomenon.
“Seriously, don’t say a word. I have a reputation to maintain.” Nadia continued to look perfectly serious, but her eyes sparkled.
“Okay, we’ll try it your way. I’ll play the hard boss. You seem to enjoy it.”
Nadia scoffed. “I must be losing my mind.”
“What just happened”—Ashley bit her lip—“was…interesting.” So much for grace.
“I normally don’t let other people be in charge.”
“Oh, really? I hadn’t noticed.”
“Cute.” The dry tone didn’t support the statement. Still, Nadia appeared dangerously close to a smile.
“We should probably talk about it.”
“What’s there to talk about?” Nadia crossed her arms.
Ashley smiled despite the sharp look Nadia shot at her. “How about, I’m sorry we got interrupted before I could…reciprocate?”
The elevator finally arrived, and Ashley stepped in, fighting the urge to stay and continue the conversation. She had a sick patient waiting for her.
“And I’m sorry for the way I behaved in your OR. Let’s call it even.”
“I’m happy to make it up to you next time,” Ashley suggested playfully.
Nadia’s face hardened, making Ashley’s stomach drop. As the doors began to close, she added, “This was a one-time thing. It will never happen again.”
* * *
Ashley walked to the emergency department, Nadia’s words repeating on a relentless loop in her mind. It will never happen again.
Why not? Having sex with Nadia had been different and unexpected, but it had also made her body vibrate with an almost-forgotten desire.
Ashley’s jaw tightened as anger rose in her. How could Nadia be so compliant one minute and so damn stubborn the next?
Then a new thought twisted her insides with dread. Ashley had been so lost in the moment, she hadn’t considered that it might have been…too much. What if it had been a blatant abuse of power on her part?
Maybe it was Ashley’s fault that Nadia didn’t want them to do this again. Maybe she had done the wrong thing by responding to her kiss and everything that had happened after it.
“Dr. Rylan.” Hayes approached her the moment she entered the emergency department. His face was pale, but his eyes were wide and alert. “Patient went into cardiac arrest. We’re working on resuscitating her, but there may not be a point if you think she’s not eligible for surgery. What do you want us to do?”
Ashley sifted through the possibilities, or rather through the lack of options available to the patient. They were running out of time. A cardiac arrest upon presentation predicted a poor outcome. The patient’s survival was one in four at best. And that was optimistic.
Maybe it was the endorphins still in her system, or maybe she felt the need to do something right, but she said, “Let’s get her pulse back and go to the OR stat.”
She clenched her jaw and followed Hayes. She was going to get this right.