I gave myself a moment to let his words sink in. They were more telling then he seemed to realize.
“Sounds like you have personal experience,” I said in a low voice.
I could feel him tense. For a moment, I worried I might have crossed a line, said something I shouldn’t have. The last thing I wanted was to offend him; that wasn’t my intention.
Then again, I knew we weren’t here to talk about our pasts. We weren’t here to learn about each other besides sexually. This wasn’t a date. This wasn’t the first night of many. There was an end date in mind. This arrangement was temporary – and that was a good thing. I didn’t want to belong to someone for an infinite amount of time. I wanted the freedom to be with who I wanted, even if that meant being alone. I just had to get through the next couple of years. My mom had to get through the next couple of years. And then everything could go back to normal.
“Yes.” I was so consumed by my thoughts that I was surprised to hear Mather speak beside me. I blinked. “I do have personal experience with it. It’s customary for my family to pair up because of... destiny. I’m sure this might not make sense. It’s more romantic than I actually care to admit. But sometimes when you think you’ve found The One, you realize that they don’t care to put much thought in how they treat you and how they treat themselves because they think you’ll be together forever.”
“And your family has these expectations?” I asked. Mather’s family sounded like a pack of shifters. It made me curious about his origins, about whether he was a shifter or just came from a strange human family.
“Yes, they do.” He nodded once.
Something touched the back of my hand. I glanced down and saw his pinky finger caressing the side of my hand. I stilled even though my instincts wanted me to pull away. But I didn’t. It felt as though he was looking for a connection, something more than just sex. And I wanted to give it to him.
“It’s why I’m here, with you.” He cleared his throat, pulling his hand away and placing it in his lap. “To get back control in my life. Destiny implies there’s no control. I think it’s bullshit. I don’t want to meet someone on a whim because they’re supposedly my soul mate or whatever you want to call it. I’d rather choose my partner and the relationship I have with them.”
“Makes sense,” I acknowledged. I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that.
“What about you?” He turned to look at me. “What do you believe?”
I let out a sigh. In all honesty, I hadn’t put much thought into romance or love, not with my mother sick. The fact that we also weren’t part of a pack made it easier to be independent as well.
“Honestly, I haven’t really thought about it,” I admitted. “I believe love isn’t a fairytale but it can be special. I believe that love is constant work, and if you find a person who’s worth the time and effort, then that’s what makes true love. But I don’t have much experience with that so I can’t say for sure.”
Mather was silent for a moment, taking my words in. I had the sudden urge to ask him if he had ever been in love before but before I could, the car pulled up to a driveway. This seemed to snap Mather out of his thoughts because he sat back and peered out his window.
“Home sweet home,” he said. I wasn’t sure if there was sarcasm in his tone or if he was genuine. All the same, I waited until the driver opened my door for me before I let myself look at his house. I did not think I would ever call it my home.
My mouth dropped open when I saw just how big it was. It was a two-story manor with a huge backyard and we were in a driveway rather than parked in front of a garage. I was certain we weren’t in the city anymore, though where on the outskirts we were, I couldn’t be sure. Because we weren’t part of our pack anymore, we stayed where it was more urban and filled with life and buildings and fast movement. My mother avoided nature, I think, because it reminded her of the life she used to have, and knowing she didn’t have it anymore made her sad.
“What do you think?” Mather asked, coming to stand beside me.
I realized at that moment that my mouth hung open like a fish out of water and I quickly shut it, hoping he hadn’t seen me look like a fool. I swallowed, hoping to moisten my throat, and nodded my head.
“It’s beautiful,” I admitted, turning to face him. My hair fell in my profile, masking the majority of my features.
“I’m glad you like it.” He took my hand in his own and gently tugged me up the steps to the front doors of his home. “Before I give you a tour of my home, there’s a room I want to show you.”
I let him lead me through the double-doors, slightly intrigued. Was he going to show me my room? His room?
He led me up a winding staircase and down a quiet hall. I wasn’t sure if he had staff to help him keep this place clean, but it looked like, if he did, they didn’t step down this hallway.
We went down until we reached the end, where two double-doors were kept. Mather pulled out a key and slid it in the lock, opening the doors and standing back so I could step inside.
“This is the room where I will consume every inch of you, Jade,” he announced. “This is the point of no return. Once I have you, I don’t plan on letting you go. Ever.”
Chapter 6
My mouth dropped open. I wasn’t particularly sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t a room filled with all sorts of contraptions I had only seen in a Fifty Shades movie. I tensed up, unsure how to proceed. I wanted to back out. I had never done something like this before. I had never allowed myself to get hurt this way before – as though pain would elicit some kind of pleasure deep inside of me. I could understand why people enjoyed it, but I was not one of those people.
Well, you better turn into one of those people, Jade. Your mom is depending on it.
“I can see you’re tense.” Mather brushed by me so he could step inside the room, placing himself directly in front of me. I took a breath.
“N-no,” I said, forcing a smile I hoped was way cooler than it felt. “It’s totally fine. I’m fine. I like this sort of thing.”
His grin widened, though his eyes were kind. He wasn’t mocking me, at least not in this moment.
“It’s not going to help either of us if you lie,” he said, taking a step forward. “I picked you because I had never seen you before. There’s something about you I’m drawn to.” He took a tentative step forward, then another, until he was close enough to touch. “There’s something sweet about you, something I want to punish.”
“Punish?” I wasn’t expecting that word to come out of his mouth.
He nodded once, curling an errant strand of my hair behind my ear. His touch set my entire body on fire and I gulped, unsure if I wanted to engage in such a behavior or if I was afraid to do so. Probably both.
“It’s a compliment,” he said, dropping his hand from my ear to my chin. His eyes dropped to my mouth, his eyes darkening further. “Trust me.”
My mouth parted. His jaw clenched when he saw my reaction.
“I’m serious, Jade,” he said, his voice nothing more than a low growl. “You have to trust me for this to work. The things I’ve already fantasized doing to you...” He let his voice trail off and my core throbbed. I let out a whimper and his lips twitched. “Do you trust me?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer that. Did I trust him? I barely knew the guy. I knew he was rich and attractive. I still couldn’t figure out if he was a shifter or not. I wasn’t sure that actually mattered in the end. And I knew that he was going to save my mother.
I had to trust him.
“Yes.”
The word was barely a whisper. I wasn’t sure I spoke at all. Even he seemed surprised by my response, but it quickly disappeared from his face as though it hadn’t been there at all. I was starting to realize that Calum Mather didn’t like to show his hand. He kept his emotions in check.
“Good.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. It was a strangely erotic gesture and I felt my pelvis start to get
wet simply by watching him.
Suddenly, his words from the car came back to me. I wanted him to do all of those things to me. I wanted him to know the way my body responded to his. I wanted him to hurt me, to punish me, to leave his mark on me and possess me in a way I had never been before.
“Get on your knees.”
I clenched my teeth. Every instinct inside of me wanted to disobey. Shifters had the worst sort of pride. I was no exception. I did not want to succumb to this man, and yet, my knees bent until they hit the floor.
“Put your hands behind your back.”
I listened.
“Head down. Don’t look at me until I tell you to.”
I nodded once.
“And you will address me as sir.” His hand cupped my chin and tilted my head up until our eyes met. “Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I responded, my mouth dry.
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, sir.”
He moved his head up and down in approval. “If you forget again, that’s a punishable offense. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Without warning, he dropped my chin and dug his fingers in my scalp, pulling at the roots. I sucked in a breath.
“Yes, sir,” I amended.
His hand released its hold on me and he caressed my cheek, suddenly gentle once again.
“Rise,” he commanded. “Go on the bed. Lay on your back. Spread your legs and your arms.”
“Why?”
He slapped my ass after I stood up. Pain ripped through me, and I clenched my jaw to keep myself from letting out a growl.
“You will not question me,” he said.
I wanted to rip into him. I wanted to tell him he would not put his hands on me. I wanted to slap him back and see how he liked it.
Don’t even think about it. You have your mom to take care of. Do what he says.
I let out a breath. I climbed on the bed. Before I could crawl all the way on it, he stopped me by placing one hand on my waist. Without warning, his other hand found the small of my back and pushed me forward so I was bent over the edge, ass in the air. He ran his hand gingerly where he had spanked me, his breathing heavy in my ear.
“You’re going to bruise,” he told me in a low, velvet voice. “I look forward to seeing my mark on you. One of many, I’m sure.”
He dropped his hands. I didn’t have to look at him to know he expected me to resume the position he wanted me in.
When I turned over, I stared up at the ceiling. Suddenly, Mather was at my wrist, tying the softest piece of cloth around it. I turned my head to see what was going on and realized he was using silk to tie me to the bed. It took a moment but I was completely trapped.
When he finished, he stood over me in his suit and he started to undo his tie. I started to get wet at the sheer power he had over me. He tossed his tie to the floor, the corner of his lips curling up into a smirk.
“I can smell you, you know,” he said. His fingers started to undo the buttons on his white collared shirt. “Your desire for me. How much you want me.”
“Yes, sir.”
Once his shirt was discarded, I allowed myself a moment to completely take him in. Every piece of his body had muscle, but he wasn’t bulky. There were a few scars on his body, scars I was curious about but couldn’t ask about. Not if I wanted another spank.
You enjoyed it, a voice pointed out. Don’t deny it.
How could I? There was pain and it caused pleasure in me. Pleasure that made me want more of it.
Mather stripped down to nothing and pulled on a condom. He gripped the base of his cock and positioned it between my legs, where he had tied my ankles to the sides, spreading me wide open. When the tip of his cock hit my opening, I let out a moan.
Something pinched my thigh and my eyes snapped open. Mather had gripped my skin with his fingers.
“Don’t make a sound,” he instructed. “I want to see how long you can last being completely silent.”
I nodded my head. He pinched me harder.
“Yes, sir,” I said.
He released me, and I let out a breath before pressing my lips together. Not make a sound? That wasn’t something I was used to. Typically, men liked hearing their women in bed. I might not be incredibly experienced, but that’s what I was told.
Mather slammed his cock into me. I bit my bottom lip so hard to keep my noises to myself so hard, I could taste blood.
“Jesus Christ, you are so tight.” His hands gripped my hips, holding me in place. It wasn’t like I could move anyway, not with my restraints.
He pulled himself all the way out of me and did the same thing. It hurt. God, it hurt. And yet, I wanted more of him. I wanted more of his cock. I wanted it to stay inside of me and fill me up. The fact that I was completely vulnerable, the fact that I couldn’t move, just added to my experience.
He pushed himself all the way on the bed, covering my body with his own.
I wanted more of him. I wanted to claw at his back and make him hiss in frustration. I wanted him to howl with pleasure as I inflicted pain on him. I wanted to pull his hair, bite his neck, and do anything else I could to elicit pain in him.
“Do not come until I tell you you’re allowed, do you understand?”
I nodded my head. “Yes,” I said through a moan.
He reached behind me and slapped my ass.
“Yes, sir,” I corrected.
Under normal circumstances, I would have bristled at him ordering me around, at him forcing me to call him sir, at him punishing me if I didn’t follow his orders to a tee.
But I liked it. I liked being dominated. I liked being possessed. I liked being treated like an object in the bedroom. I didn’t know I liked it until now, but I did.
My core tightened. My breathing got shallow. I could feel my orgasm start to build. If he didn’t slow down, I was going to come before he officially gave me permission.
He continued his pace. His grunting, his quick breathing, only added to my buildup. I tried to keep silent. I tried to press down on my lips to keep anything from coming out of my mouth.
But I couldn’t.
Without warning, I released myself against his hard cock. All bets were off at that point. I let out a long moan, twitching against his cock. My arms and legs were exhausted, but as I came, I forgot about the pain. I forgot that Mather ordered me to be quiet, to not come until he said I could. I knew there would be consequences, but I didn’t care.
When I finally calmed down, Mather’s grip on my hips tightened and he released his own pleasure. He twitched inside me, which practically got me to the brink once more.
After he calmed down, he removed himself from me and cleaned himself up in the attached bathroom I hadn’t noticed until now. He came back into the room, now in his boxer briefs. He eyes roved over my body, taking me in. It was difficult for me to keep my eyes open. I wanted to sleep, but I couldn’t. Not being tied up the way I was.
“You should have listened to me,” he said, his voice gravelly in the heavy silence. “You will learn.”
He headed to the door, causing me to wake up more.
“Wait,” I said. “Where are you going? You still have to let me go.”
“No.” He stopped at the door and turned to give me one last look. “Now, you will be punished. You must learn to obey me.”
“So you won’t untie me?” I asked, my eyes wide.
“I will,” he promised, “once you learn your lesson.”
Before I could ask him any more questions, he disappeared, shutting the doors behind him.
Chapter 7
Tears filled my eyes. I didn’t understand why I was reacting this way. The sex was... the best sex I had ever had in my life. I hadn’t experienced what Mather had put me through before, but now that I had, I was open to doing it again, and soon.
And yet, I could not help but cry and what was worse was that I didn’t know why. I shouldn’t be crying at all. I had a home. I didn’t have to work f
or Ben Stone or take that serum that prevented me from shifting. I could actually pay for my mother’s treatments and have money left over. I only had to have sex with one guy.
I should be more grateful. I knew this.
I closed my eyes, more tears spilling out. I tried to catch my breath, tried to get ahold of my emotions. The last thing I needed was for Mather to come in and see me crying. He wasn’t looking for an emotional trainwreck who couldn’t handle this type of sex. I wasn’t sure what my contract stipulated – if I was technically under some kind of probation period still – but I needed to get a grip on myself or else I was going to end up jobless, homeless, and absolutely no way to help my mom.
My arms and legs were getting sore. Despite the smooth texture of the shackles Mather put on me, they were starting to grate into my skin. I wanted to relax them into my sides but I couldn’t. I didn’t think I’d be able to fall asleep this way, either, which sucked because I was so exhausted.
What if I needed to use the bathroom? a voice asked in my head.
I whimpered at the thought. I could always call out for him, but I wasn’t sure if that mattered. He might not respond, which meant I might be forced to relieve myself on the bed as a form of punishment. It was the last thing I needed.
If such a thing were to happen...
No. Don’t go down that road, Jade. Don’t work yourself up over something that hasn’t even happened yet. That might not happen at all.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. I froze. I tried to bring my hands to my face so I could erase all traces of my tears, but something stopped me. I didn’t know how it was possible, but I completely forgot about the fact that I was tied up. Which didn’t make any sense, and I only cried harder.
“Jade?” Mather’s voice floated into the room, tentative and sweet. “May I come in?”
“Can’t you do whatever you want?” I asked. I didn’t mean to sound so bitter, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t help myself at all, and that just upset me more than I was willing to admit.
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