The Words to Bind (The Playgrounds Book 1)

by P. Stormcrow

  “I wanted to thank you for the weekend and to return the favor. You had mentioned…”

  He cut her off with a kiss then licked down her body, reaching to hold her wrists, pulling them back behind her. As he reached her breasts, he blew heavy breaths across her nipples and she bit back a moan.

  “Hold still,” he ordered.

  With a maddening, leisurely pace, he sampled the flavor of her breasts, inch by inch, circling close to her hardening nipples. He would taste coconut, she remembered, but she was losing track of everything herself. Maybe it had started out as his fantasy, but she was growing more and more aroused with each sweep of his tongue.

  “More,” she whimpered as he grazed one nipple with the tip of his tongue, causing her to jump.

  He said nothing as he wrapped his lips around it, sucking hard. Something shifted as his administrations grew rougher, his grip on her wrists tightening, though never painful enough to hurt. He swirled his tongue around and she quivered, soaked enough that a trickle of her moisture trailed along her inner thigh.

  He paused, as if sensing she was on edge, before switching to the other side. She cried out then, arching her back, her lips parting. “Jacob, I’m going to—”

  “Not yet.” His voice was hoarse but full of command. Showing mercy, he left her nipples, licking his way down her stomach. Her body clenched as he licked the pineapple oil off her skin. She giggled, finding it almost ticklish, and she squirmed in his grasp.

  He snapped his head back, something darker moving in his eyes.

  “Fuck, I’ll taste you more later.”

  She’d rarely heard him swear at all and that was the only warning she got as he threw her onto the couch then positioned her to lie along its length. As she lay there, wide-eyed, he wasted no time pulling his boxers off his hips. He dug out and rip off the packaging of a condom, rolling it onto his cock with now-hurried movements. When she tried to sit up to watch him, he pressed a hand to the base of her throat, not quite choking her but applying enough pressure to keep her down. Before she could register what had just happened, he was on top of her, his hard cock pressing against her burning core.

  “So wet.” The timber in his voice had taken on an almost primal quality. He spread her legs farther apart with his knee and positioned himself. Then with one long, hard stroke, he buried his cock in her.

  Almost coming from that alone, she clung to his shoulders as he began to move. There was no easing into it as he set a hard and fast pace right away, grinding his pelvis into her clit with every thrust. Just as eager, she moved with him, her body soon tightening at the telltale signs of a hard climax.

  “I’m going to—” she gasped out. It only made him drive into her harder, until her world narrowed to just his cock between her legs. With another hard thrust, he tipped her over the edge as he slammed into her, and she came, screaming his name, her body exploding from the intense pleasure of a hard climax.

  With a long groan, he gave one final powerful thrust. He swelled inside her and he clamped his teeth down on where her neck joined her shoulder, marking her as he came.

  They were both trying to draw air in with heavy pants and Jacob rested his sweat-soaked forehead on her shoulder. Neither of them spoke until Jacob lifted his head. Luna didn’t understand the sudden near-panic she saw in his eyes.

  “Shit, are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He lifted his hand as he studied where he had kept her pinned.

  Luna blinked and shook her head. When Jacob didn’t look up, she lifted her hands to cup his cheeks. “Jacob, I’m okay.” It had been a little rougher than the last few times but still so very pleasurable. The only pain she felt was from the bite and even that throbbed with a pleasant achiness.

  He let out a sigh of relief and lowered his head back on to her shoulders. “The things you do to me, sweetheart.” He groaned.

  “What…did I do?” she asked, worry in her voice.

  Jacob lifted his head once more and gave her a weary smile. “My control hasn’t snapped like that in a long time.”

  “Oh.” His admission made her speechless. She had thought to just give him something he would enjoy. Little did she know what that meant. “That’s a good thing? I pleased you?”

  He chuckled and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “Yes, little one. You’ve pleased me greatly.” He began to withdraw from her, inch by inch until he stood once more then scooped her up in his arms. “Now, let me take care of you. How about a nice warm shower together?”

  She smiled at that and wrapped her arms around his neck. “That sounds absolutely wonderful.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Hey, is everything okay?” Ted asked as they sat side by side on a park bench two days later, each with a hefty sandwich in hand. The shade of a large tree kept the burning afternoon sun from beating down on them, but it was still getting warm.

  Caught mid-bite, Luna turned toward her friend, her cheeks puffed up still from the food in her mouth. Despite a substantial breakfast, she was still starving. Perhaps it was because breakfast had been rather distracting and she’d been getting a lot more exercise recently. Sorta. Unable to speak yet, she tilted her head to one side instead in question.

  Ted rubbed the back of his head. “Well, I heard you broke things off with Dylan.”

  Ugh. Gossip was strong with Ted. She tensed as she swallowed the bite then winced when she had to choke it down. “Did Dylan mention anything else?” Wariness made her choose her words with deliberate care.

  “No, not really.” As if embarrassed now, Ted turned back to his own food.

  Relief flooded her. Despite him making fun of her unconventional preferences, maybe Dylan had enough integrity to not discuss it with others. She would be less angry with him, though she doubted she would ever see him again.

  Her friend, however, appeared a little too embarrassed from her lack of an answer. Luna placed a hand on Ted’s arm and gave him a smile. “Hey, I’m okay, I promise. I appreciate you looking out for me.”

  “Of course.” Ted recovered a little and gave her a thumbs-up sign then dropped his hand once more. “So, why did you do it?”

  There was a moment of hesitation. She and Ted had been friends for a long time, and she was the first one he’d come out of the closet to. Part of her wanted to spill the beans, to celebrate her newfound confidence in her sexuality, but then Dylan’s jeering words echoed in her head. No, she couldn’t risk her friendship or her career.

  So, instead, Luna gave a small shrug. “The chemistry wasn’t there.” That wasn’t a lie, just vague. Good. It seemed that Ted bought it as he nodded.

  “And this other guy who drove you to work the other day?”

  Her reaction was instantaneous. Her cheeks heated and, to buy herself time, she crammed another bite into her mouth. She pretended to answer, but her words came out more of a garble, as she’d intended.

  Ted laughed and shook his head. “Fine. I’m just bugging you. I’m sure you’ll tell me when you’re ready.”

  Luna cast a sideways glance at him then groaned and rolled her eyes. She knew Ted enough to recognize his retreat for what it was—a temporary reprieve. Sooner or later, she would have to confess, but she hoped, by then, she could come up with enough of a cover story. Already her mind was spinning.

  Practice that night at the dojo was, if she were honest with herself, a disaster. Distracted, trying to gauge Brandon’s reaction to her dumping Dylan, Luna’s execution of the classic Judo moves was rather sloppy. As luck would have it, it was a full class that night and her sensei was a little too busy with the newbies to pay much attention to her

  “Come on, Luna. Focus,” she muttered under her breath as she bowed to her opponent in the last sparring session of the class. Up against her senpai, one of the more senior students in the dojo, she needed every ounce of concentration that she could muster.

  When Brandon gave the signal, they came together and grappled, holding each other’s lapels. Another shout from thei
r sensei and they began tugging at one another, testing each other’s balance. Luna grunted, sweat beading on her forehead. Her eyes widened as she sensed an opening and went for it.

  She should have known it was a fake-out. Since her move already put Luna off balance, her senpai slid a hip underneath hers. In the blink of an eye, she flipped Luna over onto her back and Luna winced as she landed wrong—on her tailbone and lower back rather than the side of her hip. Luna had no one to blame but herself. She had been practicing long enough to know what a proper landing should be. Still, she couldn’t help but grimace.

  “Ow.”

  “That looked like it hurt.” Her senpai offered a hand and helped Luna to her feet.

  Luna nodded, rubbing her sore rear, and winced again as she felt how tender her backside was. It was not what she would call the good kind of pain.

  However, it wasn’t until the end of class when she was changing out of her dogi back to normal clothing that Luna recognized the full extent of her injury. Putting on pants had never felt more painful, and she cringed at the prospect of walking back home. Well, there was no use whining about it. It was time to tough it out.

  As she stepped out into the warm air, she waved goodbye to the others. Her phone buzzed with an incoming call as she walked and she dug into her pocket to fish it out.

  “How was class?”

  Jacob. Her pain became a distant memory.

  “Not the best,” she admitted, resuming her walking. “I landed wrong and may have bruised my tailbone.”

  “Poor Luna. Want me to come over and take a look?”

  The image of her holding her rear up high for him to inspect blossomed in her head and she had to shake it to clear her mind. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Perhaps an awkward mix of embarrassment and arousal would be a good description.

  It was that hint of embarrassment that made her shake her head, only to remember that he couldn’t see the motion over the phone. “No, it’s okay. This happens from time to time and isn’t a big deal. I’ll just sit on a bag of frozen peas or something,” she replied with haste.

  “All right. But, in all seriousness, if you need help, call me. That’s part of submission too, letting someone take care of you, not just within a scene.”

  She contemplated his words. Luna had been on her own for so long, since college, that she hadn’t even the foggiest idea about what depending on someone else meant. But, she nodded to herself. “Okay, I’ll try to remember that.”

  “Okay.”

  There was reluctance in his voice, as if he still didn’t want to let it go, and she began to waver, but before she changed her mind, Jacob spoke once more.

  “Anyhow, I was calling to see if you’d like to accompany me to The Playgrounds tomorrow night. I thought it’d be a good idea for us to explore our dynamics in a more public setting. But, with your injury, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to be up and about.”

  “I’m really okay. I promise.” Then the implications of what he was saying hit her. Did that mean he was asking for them to make a public appearance as… Together? Was she ready for that? She had been honest with Lani and August about Jacob, but that was different. This would be in front of everyone. Then again, they had gotten pretty cuddly at Lani’s birthday party too. So maybe it wouldn’t be as big a deal as her mild panic was making it out to be.

  “Well, if you’re up for it, I think August and Lani will be there tomorrow too. It could be fun all hanging out again.”

  He had to dangle that carrot. She wanted to see the two of them together. After all, she was a fan of that ship. “Okay, yeah, I’ll come.”

  “Excellent. I’ll pick you up at eight.”

  Luna took the rest of the next day to shop, combing through the places Lani had taken her to all those weeks ago to find the right outfit. While she always enjoyed dressing up for The Playgrounds, tonight was different. For the first time, she was part of the community, with friends to meet on purpose.

  By the time Jacob rang her buzzer, she was a bundle of nerves. It didn’t help that her tailbone and pelvis still ached, making walking a bit of an awkward exercise. She smoothed her hand over her goth dress, a black Lolita-burlesque blended number with a corset-like, low-cut laced top that billowed out into a few layers of fabric, lace and tulle, without being too bulky. She paired the outfit with thigh-high lace stockings and a little top hat fascinator in her hair. It was a fun costume, and she liked the esthetics. She chalked up part of her nerves as uncertainty about how Jacob would feel about such an outfit.

  She had her answer soon enough when she opened the door and saw Jacob’s eyes darken at the sight of her. As she stepped back to let him in, the corners of her lips tugged into a shy smile before turning around. “Let me grab my bag.”

  “Actually.” Jacob cleared his throat as he stepped through and grabbed her wrist to pull her back. When she stood, head tilting to one side in question, he let go and dug into his pocket, bringing something out. Balled in his fist at first, Luna couldn’t quite make out what it was until he held it up, dangling a feather charm on a silver chain from his hand. “I’d like you to wear this for me tonight.”

  She blinked, speechless. It wasn’t a collar, but it was still something—and unexpected.

  “The raven is one of my favorite birds,” he explained. When she made no reply, he waved a hand in front of her. “Luna?”

  Had she zoned out? She blinked again to try to focus. “Um…hi?”

  The necklace still dangled from his hand and she followed its path as it swung back and forth. It was hypnotizing, and a remote part of her recognized that her thoughts were getting hazy again.

  As if realizing what was happening, Jacob set the necklace down on the kitchen counter and placed both hands on her shoulders. “Focus, Luna. Breathe.”

  The command cut through the fog and she began to focus on his face. She rubbed her eyes as her mind cleared. He had offered her something of his to wear. Even though it was just for tonight, she didn’t miss the symbolism behind it.

  “Better?”

  When she nodded, he gave her a sheepish smile. “I should have realized. Sorry.”

  “No, I’m okay.” Then, growing more confident, she gave him a wider smile. “And I’d be honored to wear it.”

  The way his eyes shone was more than enough for her. He grabbed the necklace and helped her put it on. The silver feather hung low on the long chain and still felt warm to touch.

  “It matches your outfit.”

  Luna grinned at the pride she heard in his voice before realizing that he was staring at the feather nestled between her breasts. She reached to touch the charm, brushing her fingertips against the tip of the feather. Jacob cleared his throat again.

  “Let’s get out of here or we’ll never leave.”

  The drive to the club was considerably shorter than Luna expected—or perhaps it was because it was full of conversation, ranging from the latest movies to her filling him in on August and Lani’s new relationship. The time passed by quickly enough that it startled Luna when they pulled into the parking lot next to the warehouse building.

  As they stepped into The Playgrounds, they found Lani chatting with Darryl at the bar, August at her side. Luna took a step back, attempting to position herself behind Jacob, like she had seen Dominique before with Erica.

  However, Jacob turned and, with a hand at the small of her back, guided her to walk in front of him, bending forward to speak in her ear. “Every Dom has a different style and preferences. Read your cues from me. Copying how other subs are with their Doms won’t necessarily work. If you have questions, ask me instead.”

  It was a good lesson to learn. She needed to be more observant of him.

  When she nodded, they resumed making their way through the crowd, Jacob hovering behind but also holding his arms out, lest Luna’s smaller figure get crushed.

  “Luna, sweetie!” Lani drew her in for a hug as soon as they arrived at the bar. Darryl had stepped away to s
erve someone drinks at the other end. From behind, August smiled in greeting and Luna grinned back. He was sporting a new necklace—chain mail woven with a strip of black leather, a small Trinity knot charm dangling from it. The masculine necklace was short enough that it could double as a collar. Luna did not miss its significance.

  “Hello, pest,” Jacob called from behind.

  “Brat.” Lani released Luna and Jacob wasted no time in drawing her back into his arms. “Possessive brat.”

  “Only for tonight.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Her heart skipped a beat when Jacob only rolled his eyes and tightened his arms around her.

  “Hello, Master Jacob, Luna,” August greeted from behind.

  “Hi, August. I heard the news. Congrats, man.”

  Luna had to stifle a giggle as August blushed then dipped his head. “Thank you, Master Jacob.”

  “All right, all right, enough about that!” Luna wasn’t sure if Lani was trying to divert attention away in an attempt to save her sub. “Now, Jacob, I demand that you share. I want to go dancing with Luna.” Lani pouted and crossed her arms.

  If not for her injury, she would be all for it, but her body reminded her of her still-tender bottom. Luna cursed herself for her earlier carelessness.

  Jacob must have sensed her stiffening. “Not tonight, Lani. Luna’s hurt.”

  She looked back and opened her mouth, about to retort that she could answer for herself, but caught sight of the warning in his eyes. “You’re injured, Luna. I see it in the way you’ve been walking all night. Don’t push yourself.”

  She snapped her mouth closed and ducked her head a little, chastised.

  “What happened?” Lani’s gaze cast downward toward her hips, dancing forgotten. Behind her, August leaned in with a frown.

  “I landed wrong in the dojo last night. It happens from time to time but it takes a few days to recover.”

  “Have you been icing it?” Darryl chimed in, returning to socialize, now that he’d finished serving the other patrons.

  “Yeah. I’ll be okay, really. It happens all the time.”