Rule Breaker

by Sienna Snow

  “Arya, don’t scowl at his date. It isn’t polite. Remember, it’s just sex,” Lex whispered into my ear.

  I transferred my annoyed glare in his direction. “Shut up, Lex.”

  He laughed and helped me into my seat.

  Throughout dinner, Max watched me. He sat across the room, surrounded by people panting to gain his attention, but his concentration remained on me. Every time I looked up, his gaze met mine. Even from a distance, the hunger burning underneath was undeniable.

  Why does that arouse me?

  I shifted my legs and adjusted my sopping thong. My libido had been dormant for too long. Tonight we’d fuck like bunnies, and tomorrow we’d be back to normal.

  I turned as someone tapped on my shoulder.

  “Ms. Rey, I have a note for you.”

  Taking the folded paper from the attendant, I opened it and read the writing:

  Stop flirting with Lex. Remember to whom you belong. The car will pick you up in half an hour.

  M.

  “What does it say?” Lex inquired.

  “Nothing important.” I stood. “Please excuse me,” I said to the guests sitting around me.

  I made my way out of the dining room and toward the powder room. After using the facilities, I washed my hands and opened my clutch to touch up my makeup. My hands shook as I reapplied my lipstick and stared at my reflection. In a few minutes, I’d reprise my role as a submissive. I closed my eyes and inhaled deep.

  You can do this. There’s nothing to worry about. This is all on your terms.

  “I can see why Max is so entranced with you. I’m glad someone has finally caught his eye. But then again, you’ve been in his sights for a long time.”

  I glanced up to find Max’s gorgeous date join me near the mirror. She resembled a modern-day Grace Kelly with perfect porcelain skin, blue eyes, and white-blonde hair, accentuated by a striking five-nine body.

  I remained quiet, not acknowledging her statement.

  “Don’t worry. I don’t have any interest in him. We attend these functions together to keep our families off our backs. Plus, even if I did, he doesn’t view me as anything more than a friend.”

  I warmed and relaxed. She was in the same boat as me. “I’m Arya Rey. It’s nice to meet you. I attend these functions with Lex for the same reasons.”

  “I’m Caitlin Stanfield.”

  Oh wow, she was the award-winning fashion designer I’d admired for years and whose dress I was now wearing. “I apologize for not recognizing you. I’m a bit of a computer nerd. Milla introduced me to your fashion house years ago.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I don’t socialize much myself. That is, unless Max or Jacob forces me to be Max’s date.”

  “Jacob?” I questioned.

  “My stepbrother is Jacob Brady.” She must have seen my scowl because she laughed. “Please don’t judge me by my siblings. I know he gives you a tough time, but he isn’t as bad as you think. He’s well-intentioned. Well, most of the time.”

  “I’ll take your word for it,” I mumbled.

  Caitlin chuckled again. “Back to the subject of Max. Whatever your relationship with him is now, just know he’s a good man. Sometimes he comes off overbearing, but he’s had a lot to deal with since his father died.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because he’s spent the last five years trying to make up for some mistake he made while in South Africa. After seeing a painting of you in his gallery, I suspected it had to do with you.”

  He must have done it years ago. I knew he painted to relieve stress, but I’d never thought I’d be one of his subjects.

  Caitlin continued. “All I’m saying is give him a chance to show you who he is now.”

  “Caitlin, if he’s such a great guy, why aren’t you interested in him?”

  She smiled and put her hand through mine, guiding me to the sofas in the lounge area. “Because he’s like my brother and the thought of that is disgusting.”

  I laughed. “I get it. It seems a bit incestuous.”

  “Our parents assumed we’d end up together when we were young. Even Jacob tried his best to mold us into a couple, but it was never going to happen. I pretend for our family’s sake. The idea of two well-connected families joining is good for business.”

  “I completely understand. Why do you think Lex and I are always seen together?”

  “Yes, too bad he’s already taken.”

  Does she know something about Lex I don’t?

  “I’m sure you’ve got men clamoring for you. You’re gorgeous.”

  “I appreciate that, but—” her face softened all of a sudden “—I’m not interested in any relationships. You see, I gave my heart to someone years ago, and I never got it back.”

  Caitlin lifted her hand and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. A triskele charm hung from her wrist, in a design synonymous with the kink community. The bracelet was something a lover gave to claim his submissive.

  Oh, she’s in the lifestyle. I shook my head. How had I wound up in a world where nearly everyone I was close to practiced some form of BDSM? Hell, as of tonight I’d become an active member of the same circle again.

  Caitlin caught me staring at her wrist and blushed as she tucked it into the long sleeve of her dress. “I’m not used to people recognizing its meaning.”

  “I’ll keep it a secret.”

  “Yours is safe with me, too. I understand more than most the need for discretion.”

  How does she know about me? Do I have a sign on my head that states “submissive standing here”?

  She answered my unsaid question: “It’s in your eyes. Every time you turned in his direction, I saw it.”

  Milla once told me a submissive always drew her master’s attention. I guess she was right. “We’ll need to let my relationship with Max run its course and then see where we end up.” I pulled out my cell phone from my clutch and checked the time. Max’s car would arrive in less than five minutes. “I have to go, but I’d love to meet with you again. I enjoyed our chat, and thanks for the advice.”

  “Bye. Remember what I said about him.”

  We both gathered our purses and walked out of the lounge. Caitlin returned to the ballroom and I went toward the hotel entrance.

  “Oh Arya,” Caitlin called.

  I paused.

  “Tell Max I said bye.”

  “I will,” I said as I walked out the door.

  James waited for me as I exited the hotel, and he led me to Max’s car.

  “Do me a favor. Please tell Lex I left.”

  “Ms. Rey, are you sure this is a good idea? I’d prefer you didn’t go anywhere without me.”

  I smiled. “There’s nothing to worry about, James. I know you don’t approve, but I am a grown-up.”

  “I will accept your choice,” James grumbled.

  He opened the door and I slipped in. Max sat in the back waiting for me. James gave him the once-over and said to me, “If you need me, give me a ring.”

  “That won’t be necessary. She’s in good hands,” Max stated as he motioned for me to sit next to him.

  “That is Ms. Rey’s decision.”

  James closed the door, and I shook my head at the testosterone spraying.

  “I don’t think he likes me,” Max commented with a hint of amusement. He handed me a glass of sparkling water.

  “James thinks of himself as my surrogate father, and you don’t make the cut.”

  “I guess we both have people in our lives that don’t like the relationships we’re in.”

  Did he have to bring up that arrogant ass, Jacob?

  “I don’t need a reminder of how your best bud thinks I’m a gold-digging whore. Too bad he can’t say that anymore, since my portfolio is worth more than yours.” I set my water in the holder and glared.

  “When the hell did he say that to you? Dammit, Arya, I never thought that.”

  What? How could he have not known?

  “Then
why did you say the shit you said to me? Let me remind you of your most telling phrase. ‘Arya, did you really believe you could fit into my lifestyle? We come from two different worlds.’ Or did those words slip from your memory?”

  “Fuck.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Arya, this is not how I imagined tonight starting. I’m telling you this now, for the last time. I never let Jacob influence me. I willingly admit I was young, stupid, and scared, and you brought out emotions that left me terrified. Instead of accepting how I felt about you, I pushed you away and said horrible things. Never, I mean never, have I thought you were after my money. It never crossed my mind.”

  “We need to let this drop. There’s no point in rehashing everything. We can’t change the past, and I’ve already told you what I want for the future.”

  “Fine, we’ll drop it for now.” He picked up a tumbler of bourbon and downed it.

  We drove the rest of the way in silence. Every so often, he peered my way but then returned to the view outside his window. I studied his profile. He’d changed in five years. Today he oozed self-confidence and determination, and he’d filled out in all the right places.

  When we’d first met, he had the wounded manner of a man who’d lost his innocence. His father had been murdered, leaving him and Carmen to reassemble the pieces after a Wall Street scandal that had nearly destroyed their family’s company. Lex, his best friend at the time, had forced him on an international service trip as a way to give him perspective.

  I was there during the same time, for almost the same reason. After finishing my double master’s and working on the MI6 project, I had lost my love of software development. Milla had thought volunteering to bring technology to remote regions of South Africa would give me a new purpose. Since there was no arguing with Milla when she had her mind set on something, I agreed to go with her and took the first flight out after graduation to Cape Town.

  The minute we met in the volunteer tent, there were sparks. He astounded me. I could barely hold his gaze every time he glanced my way. Instantly, he brought out a side of me I had never thought existed. The Dom in him recognized and drew out my submissive nature. At first, I was frightened by my response, but quickly I accepted who I was and felt at home.

  Over the next three months, he introduced me to all the games and kinks of a D/s relationship. To the outside world, we were a perfect case of opposites attracting: a boy from the world of privilege and a girl from the world of hard knocks who fell in love. Everything, I believed, was real until that fateful day. The day I held a positive test in my back pocket as he broke my heart.

  Hearing him tell me he was scared brought slight closure, but nothing would ever seal the book on that portion of my life. Our relationship may have lasted only the few months we were in Cape Town, but the results of it had pushed me to create the future I have now.

  Shaking the sadness from my thoughts, I peered out the window toward the massive gardens lining the front of Max’s estate.

  We drove through the entrance in continued silence. The car door opened, and Max held out his hand as we exited. My anxiety peaked.

  Am I making a big mistake?

  I hesitated a little and Max stopped. His eyes searched mine, his own apprehension evident in his blazing emerald gaze.

  “Arya, the second you open those doors, you belong to me. Body, mind, and soul. As you said, this time you’re going in with eyes wide open.” His thumb traced my lips and down my neck, and a shiver prickled down my spine. “Make your choice. Enter now as my submissive or later as my bride.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Are those the only choices I get?” I challenged him, staring straight into his eyes.

  “Yes. There is no ending this.” He paused and guided me toward the door. “For either of us. Make your decision, mere chote pakshee.”

  My little bird.

  I inhaled sharply. I hadn’t been called that in over five years. My heart clenched as images of the many nights we’d spent together in Cape Town appeared before my eyes.

  I was positive that no matter what decision I made right now, it would lead to hurt, but I had to take a chance. At least if I went in as his submissive, my heart would remain mine.

  I shuddered inside. Maybe if I kept telling myself that lie, I’d start to believe it.

  Without saying a word, I moved forward. A moment of hurt crossed Max’s face, but he quickly replaced it with his usual self-confidence.

  He guided me through the house and into a hallway I assumed led to the private suites. “Go upstairs to the third door on the left. Wait for me. Do not go in.” His voice grew icy, controlled as my Dom from years ago emerged.

  My core quivered.

  Nodding, I climbed the stairs. I fell into a trance, barely noticing my surroundings. The house was centuries old and probably opulent, but the details remained a haze. I paused outside the room and waited.

  Anticipation and need stirred deep in my belly. If his voice sent me to this place, what would happen when I entered the room?

  I felt Max behind me. He plucked my hair free of its confines, allowing the pins to fall to the ground, then he gathered it on one shoulder. He leaned down and kissed the back of my neck.

  Goose bumps prickled my skin and my heartbeat accelerated.

  “I hate your hair up. With me, you will wear it down,” he murmured into my ear. He reached around me and cracked the door open. “You know where to go when we enter, but make sure to take off your dress. I want to see if you followed my directions.”

  The hard contours of his body molded themselves to my back, while his intoxicating scent enveloped me. I yearned to tilt my head back and lick his neck. His straining erection nudged my behind, screaming its readiness.

  I entered a dimly lit living room, illuminated by candles and a roaring fire. A small chest sat upon a low-lying table in the center of the room. A large, blue square pillow was placed on the floor next to the table. The aroma of lavender and eucalyptus filled the air. The only sounds in the room were the crackle of the fireplace and the low, sensual voice of a blues singer crooning in the background.

  I casually strolled in, attempting to give the image of confidence, even though my stomach twisted with uneasy anticipation. I refused to peek over my shoulder; the slightest look would solidify my uncertainty. Moving farther into the room, I unzipped my dress, letting it fall to the floor, and then picked it up. Max inhaled a rough breath, and my confidence grew.

  “Leave it.”

  I stilled. I left the dress where it fell and sauntered toward the pillow. The box sat calling me; the thought of its contents and the things Max planned to do with them. I bit my lip as the throbbing in my clit intensified. I rested my hand on the box and leaned on it as I knelt. I lacked the grace I possessed many years ago, but perhaps with a little practice, I’d learn to move with the fluidity of my younger years.

  A low hum came from his direction.

  “Open your eyes, Arya.” He pushed himself away from the door and walked toward me.

  My breath quickened, and I complied. I stared into his desire-filled eyes as his gaze devoured me. He’d changed from his tuxedo into a pair casual khakis and a black T-shirt. Everything about him screamed “Master of Control.”

  He circled me. “You’re so beautiful and all mine. Every inch of you.” He trailed his fingers gingerly across the front of my shoulder, barely skimming the tops of my breasts and around to my back where he paused. My skin tingled as his hand swept down my exposed spine until he met the bottom of my corset, just below my waist.

  Bending down, his breath kissed my neck and spine, following in the path of his fingers. A moan escaped my mouth, and my nipples budded tight. This anticipation was killing me. I kept my eyes forward, staring at the door.

  “Now let’s see what we have in here.” Max opened the chest with a click and took something out. He gathered my hands behind me and weaved a soft satin ribbon around my wrists and arms.

  “Tonight we
’re going to go gently. I need to make sure you’re ready for all the games we both love. Like in the past, if you say stop, we stop. No safe words needed other than those four letters. I control the scene. You control your limits. I won’t challenge you beyond what I think you can take, and I will always keep you safe. Do you understand?”

  I nodded my head in agreement, not wanting to give away any of my emotions. He saw too much as it was.

  “I need the words.”

  “Yes,” I stated without inflection, even though my mind was reeling for what the night would bring.

  Max paused. “Yes, what?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “I smell your arousal, Arya. You can try that cool, detached submissive routine all you want, but your body is begging for me.”

  I remained still before him. My breasts strained and trembled through the top of my corset. Five years of untapped need screamed for release.

  After a while, he shifted to stand in front of me. His arousal strained in his pants, a breath away from my lips. I licked them without thought. Well aware of what he wanted, I waited for his command. He tilted my chin and peered down at me.

  “Take every bit of me and don’t stop until I give you permission. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Sir.” I nodded my head and then cast my eyes back down at the opening of his slacks.

  With slow controlled movements, Max unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants, pulling out his cock a fraction away from my lips. He’d worn no underwear.

  Saliva pooled in my mouth. A bead of precum escaped the tip, and my tongue poked out, licking the drop. A groan escaped from him, and he slid his cock past my lips, into my salivating mouth.

  He tasted salty and sweet, just as I remembered. He grasped the back of my head, angled, and drove deeper into my throat, almost to the point where I would gag.

  My eyes watered. He pulled out enough to let me breathe and wiped the tears running down my face.

  “Swallow, Ari, and open the back of your throat. It will help you take me deeper.”

  I complied and the gagging stopped. He slowly worked his way in, this time giving me a gentle pace to become accustomed to his motion. The need to please him filled my core. The wetness of my arousal ran past my thong and down my thighs. My head rocked back and forth, harder with every moan I heard from him. He threaded his hands into my hair and took over. He fucked my mouth, in and out, in and out, until he grew larger.