Daniel and Cullen were free, but Z had to decline. Nolan looked down at the rabbit who had gone immobile. “Do you want me to pick you up or give you directions?”
Her big blue-green eyes lifted and he could almost read her thoughts. The automatic wariness, then the realization that others would be present. A tiny tremor ran through her before she capitulated. “Directions, please.”
“Hey, Beth, Dan’s a cop. Did you report your break-in to the police?” Jessica asked.
Dan turned and asked, “What break-in?” even as Nolan voiced the same question.
* * * * *
Damn Jessica anyway. Beth leaned against a light pole, frowning as Nolan installed a new lock on her door. Before that, he’d reframed the door with harder wood, muttering about cheap-ass materials. And he wouldn’t let her pay for anything.
Being obligated to a man, any man, bothered the hell out of her. Being obligated to this man...
Still kneeling, he closed the door, turned the key, and nodded his approval when the deadbolt snicked open and closed. “Looks good.” He rose to his feet and walked over.
She looked up, a little unnerved by the reality of him. The bright sun highlighted the laugh lines around his mouth and eyes, the scar on his cheek, his firm lips, and stern jaw line. With him, dominant was more than a term; it was who he was to the bone.
He noticed her staring and smiled, a crease appearing in his lean cheek. He held his hand out, palm up, a Dom’s gesture asking for a sub’s wrists, and she couldn’t seem to stop from complying despite a shiver of anxiety. Would he drag her into the apartment and...
Opening her clenched fingers, he dropped the deadbolt keys onto her palm and closed her hand around them.
“Thank you,” she murmured, feeling off-center. He hadn’t tried anything sexual at all and acted as if they were simply friends. Only the possessive look in his eyes gave the lie to anything different. “I still think you should let me pay for the materials at least.”
“No.” He tilted her chin up to give her an uncompromising look. “And next time, I will hear about your problems from you, not Jessica.”
“But...” Wasn’t their relationship just a Dom/sub club thing? He didn’t want more, and she didn’t want more and...
“I left directions to my house on your table. Be there at three. Wear whatever you want; it won’t be on long. And make sure you put on lots of suntan lotion—all over.” Grasping her upper arms, he pulled her up on tiptoe and kissed her, long and deep and hard, managing to leave her feeling as possessed as if he’d tied her down. With a faint smile and a tap of his finger on her cheek, he strode away, leaving her leaning against the side of her building for strength.
Chapter Eight
On Thursday, Beth slid out of her Toyota and rested her hands on the truck hood, fighting against the urge to flee. But, hey, she was getting better at ignoring her fears. She’d made it here, hadn’t she? And really, she did want to be here. With Nolan...Master Nolan...Sir...her master.
Saying his various names and titles sent odd emotions prickling through her, making her chest feel funny. There was something between them, at least on her part, something more than just a master/sub relationship. She could easily grow...fond...of him.
She shook her head and stomped on that thought. She wasn’t free to become fond of anyone and never would be. Filing for a divorce would immediately paint a bull’s-eye on her. Kyler had told her in graphic detail what would happen to her. She needed to remember that.
And she needed to remember how Nolan felt about a woman cheating on her husband. A little quiver of worry ran through her at the memory of his harsh face when he talked about his wife.
So absolutely no...fondness, Beth.
Right. Really, she just liked him because of what he’d done for her. Because of him, she felt more like herself than she had in years. She felt like a woman again, pretty, competent. How odd that being submissive could let her feel more competent. It was because of Sir. Although he assumed she’d naturally submit to him, he obviously believed she was still her own person. A strong person.
Since she’d been with him, her body seemed less cold. So she wasn’t going to be a scaredy-cat and stop now. She trusted him...mostly... More than anyone else in forever. She’d let him take her further.
And, despite her internal pep-talk, the thought closed her throat. God, she was such a coward.
With an exasperated sigh, she moved away from the truck and finally took a good look at her surroundings. All she could do was stare. Newly built, the two-story Spanish-style house was a pale gold stucco with arched windows everywhere. A white flagstone patio extended out in a semicircle around a splashing fountain.
She hadn’t nearly managed to finish gaping when Nolan walked out between the pillars of the covered portico. Her heart gave a painful thump. Dressed in blue jeans and a white, short-sleeved shirt that set off his dark skin, the Dom was as gorgeous as his house. Look at him... He could have any woman he wanted. What in the world was she doing here?
She felt like a terrified puppy wanting to crawl back into its kennel and could almost feel a tail curling under her belly, so she straightened and raised her chin. “Hi,” she said casually.
“Hi, yourself.” Not stopping at a polite distance, he walked right up to her and effortlessly lifted her high enough to kiss her, his mouth warm and demanding.
A nice blaze burned inside her body by the time he released her.
“Well.” She sucked in a breath, realized she was holding his waist, and pulled her hands back. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “I’m glad you like it.”
Two more trucks came up the long, winding drive. The first pulled up behind Beth’s. Kari bounced out, long brown hair blowing in the slight breeze. “Nolan, Dan says you built this. It’s gorgeous.”
He built it? “Well”—Beth set her hands on her hips and waggled her head at him, trying to remember his exact tone—“next time, I will hear about these projects from you, not Kari.”
God, she loved the sound of his deep laugh.
As he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his solid body, Beth smiled at the other two couples. Although the subs were in shorts, all the Doms were in jeans. Dan wore a tight black T-shirt. Cullen’s brown and gold tropical shirt hung open, displaying his broad chest.
“Come on in.” Nolan waved everyone into his house.
The inside was as lovely as the outside, with high ceilings and gleaming hardwood floors. Recessed niches in the creamy stucco walls held dark red vases with flowers. They went through the foyer, past a wide staircase with wrought iron railings, and into the great room. Colorful hand painted tiles framed the arched windows and wide doorways. More tiles accented a big stone fireplace on the far wall.
A hand-loomed rug defined the sitting area, and everyone took seats on the tan leather sofa and chairs. Nolan rested a hip on a bright tapestry draped over the arm of Beth’s chair.
“Everyone, this is Deborah,” Cullen said, his hand on the shoulder of a tall, muscular brunette. Beth remembered seeing her at the Shadowlands. She also was new to the club and not especially friendly. Cullen pointed to the others. “Deb, this is Daniel, Kari, Nolan, and Beth.” Turning back to Nolan, he said, “Okay, Nolan, give them the bad news.”
Bad news? What...
“Relax, little rabbit,” Nolan murmured, tugging her hair lightly. He said to everyone, “None of you subs have participated here before, but your Doms have, although it’s been over a year since I held a party.”
“And it’s about time you started again,” Cullen said. He propped his long legs up on the coffee table.
“Subs, here are the rules: you do not need to keep your eyes lowered, but you may not speak unless asked a question. You may kneel to get permission to speak. Any Dom here may touch you or punish you with a spanking, but nothing more intense without your master’s permission. No penetration without permissi
on of your master. Your safe word is red, and that means everything stops. You may use yellow if you’re having a problem, and that word may or may not be honored.”
Beth glanced around the room. The Doms were leaning back, legs outstretched, totally at ease. Deborah knelt at Cullen’s feet, looking bored. Kari sat beside Dan on the couch, her hands clenched in her lap, the knuckles white.
Sir had said Kari hadn’t been in the scene very long. Well, that made two of them. Beth shivered. She’d only had real Doms for a short period, and apparently there was an awful lot she didn’t know about this stuff.
Nolan tugged on Beth’s hair again and pointed to the left. “There’s a powder room over there where you can change. Go now.”
“Big,” Beth murmured as they entered. The soft pink room was the size of her studio apartment. Wrought iron scrollwork decorated the mirror over the long counters. There were even showers.
“Dan said Nolan comes from a large family and wants one of his own. I guess he designed this place for that”—Kari played with the buttons on her shirt—“and for stuff like this.”
Without speaking even once, Deborah stripped casually and left the changing room.
“Why does this feel scarier than the club?” Kari asked, unbuttoning her blouse slowly.
“Because the guys are all friends and are used to playing together”—Beth bit her lip—“and we’re the toys about to be played with.”
Kari giggled. “What a way to put it. But, oh, so true.” She folded her blouse neatly, setting it on a shelf against the dark blue wall.
Beth screwed up her courage and pulled her top off. “I hate naked,” she muttered.
Kari put the rest of her clothes away before frowning at Beth. “Finish up, girl, or I’ll leave you in here. And Master Nolan doesn’t look like a patient Dom.”
“Now that was mean,” Beth grumbled. But just the thought of annoying Sir was enough to make her strip quickly. Stuffing her clothes onto a shelf, she followed the lushly curved woman toward the door. “I feel like a stick,” she grumbled.
Kari turned and whispered, “And I always feel fat. Ever notice how women never like their bodies?” Their eyes met in a moment of perfect understanding, and Beth realized she was going to have another friend.
The warm feeling only lasted long enough to leave the powder room. Between the air-conditioning and the gazes of the three men, Beth felt chilled to the bone. Resisting the urge to cover her private areas, she followed Kari across the room. Yeah, this naked stuff really sucked.
Master Nolan was lounging in the chair she’d vacated. He looked her over slowly, making her feel beautiful and sexy without saying a word. His lips curved up in a way that said he liked seeing her, naked and in his home—her insides turned liquid. She halted in front of him, expecting another command. Instead, he grasped her hips and pulled her between his legs, trapping her, while his hands ran over her bare skin. Cupping her bottom, he nuzzled her stomach. “You smell good, little sub. Like lemonade and strawberries.”
He nipped her hip hard enough to make her yelp, then rose to his feet. “Cullen, you two make yourselves at home. The dungeon room’s down there.” Nolan pointed to a hallway running past the stairs. “Dan, our set-up is outside.” Taking Beth’s hand, he strolled to the back of the great room, through French doors, and onto a covered lanai. The outdoor room opened to a wide, screened patio. On the right was a dining area with built-in barbecue, table and chairs, and a hacienda-style fountain.
To the left, an Olympic-sized pool sparkled in the sun. Maroon lounge chairs lent color to the area, but Beth couldn’t help but visualize how much better it would look with big pots of bright flowers. Just outside the screen by the pool, clusters of palms and palmettos really needed some ferns to transition from tall to short.
Straight ahead, an immense, heartbreakingly ugly yard of weeds led down to a small lake. Dropping Nolan’s hand, she took a few steps forward. Much of the hardscape had been put in already. A beautiful stone walkway led from the house, under arching trees, and down to a small dock. Beth could hear Kari and Dan commenting on the lake but couldn’t get her mind to focus on anything besides what she would plant if the place were hers.
“Don’t start digging yet, sugar.” Nolan tugged lightly on her hair. “I’ll take you for a walk later. I’d like something on the order of what you did for Z. That wild look. Think you’re up to the challenge?”
Starting from scratch in a setting this beautiful... She wanted this job so badly she was liable to start drooling like a dog. “Yes. I could do this.” She smiled slowly. “I can make it absolutely gorgeous.”
“Good. After supper, you can drag me around and tell me where you want to start.” His confidence in her was like a heady drug, and her smile grew. First she’d start by leveling—
“Beth...” With an exasperated sound, he tangled his fingers in her hair, pulled her head back, and kissed her plans right out of her head. “Later. I need to torture you a little first.”
He pulled her to a pair of heavy teak tables close to the pool. Chairs around the tables held covered trays and bowls of water. When she saw chains embedded into the table legs and top, a tickle of anxiety chased down her spine. Just how extreme did BDSM parties get?
Sir held out his hand. “Wrists, please.”
With a tiny quiver, she gave him her wrists. He buckled well-padded cuffs on, then set her on the edge of the smoothly finished table. Her breathing increased as he pushed her flat, leaving her legs dangling over the end. She turned her head and saw Dan chaining Kari on the other table. The Dom was so big and muscular he made his well-endowed sub appear fragile.
Beth looked up at Nolan. That was pretty much how Master Nolan made her feel, and she liked that...most of the time.
Silently Sir chained her hands over her head and then spread her legs wide. He took a warm washcloth from the bowl of water, laying it on her pussy.
“Master?” The word seemed to come easier and easier.
He sat down beside her and curved a hand over her breast. “Have you ever shaved down there, Beth?”
Shave? She shook her head.
“Was there a reason?”
“Not really. I wasn’t ready with the first Dom, and Master Chris didn’t care, and then I...the last one...” Her mouth tightened. Kyler had cared only about how she presented herself in public. And how she screamed.
“You know, sugar, I get the impression your last so-called Dom was more of a sadist than a Dom. Am I right?”
“He started in BDSM, but, well... Yes. That’s right.”
“He got a name?” Master Nolan asked softly, running a finger down her cheek.
“I...no.” She didn’t want any chance of him finding her or Sir looking him up either, for that matter.
His finger stilled, his eyes dark, then a corner of his mouth drew up into a faint smile. “We’ll keep working on this trust issue of yours. Meantime, you’re going to have a bare pussy today, and you can tell me if you like it or not.”
“Well, okay.” Did he plan to shave her himself? “Sir, I can do it.”
He chuckled. “But I can do it better.” He walked to the foot of the table. “I’m going to strap you down tightly, little rabbit, so you can’t move at a bad moment.” One strap went across her stomach and another just above her hips. Then he bent her knees up and secured each thigh to the waist strap. Her pelvis tilted up.
She licked her lips, a sense of wrongness running through her. Restrained outside? Her pussy up in the air. She felt horribly vulnerable. When she looked over at the other table, she saw the same expression of dismay on Kari’s face.
“Relax, sugar, I don’t have neighbors. No one can see you but me and Dan.” Nolan seated himself in a chair at the foot of the table. He opened a packet of disposable razors and tossed them into the bowl of water. With scissors from the tray, he clipped her pubic hair short and rubbed shaving lotion into what hair was left. A slight herbal scent drifted to her.
Even after the lotion was applied, his fingers kept stroking her outer labia until need started to rise in her, and she gave a little squirm. Lifting her head, she saw amusement in his eyes. “You don’t appear to have any problems getting aroused anymore,” he murmured before nibbling on her inner thigh.
Her hips tried to move against the teasing bites, but she was thoroughly restrained. The knowledge sent more heat swirling through her.
Sir said, “Now stay very still, sugar.” She felt scraping on the top of her mound, each stroke followed by a splashing as he cleaned the razor in the bowl. His hands were warm and sure as he continued, finishing the top, working down her outer lips. Pulling her skin taut, he shaved further, almost to her anus, opening her as needed with firm hands.
The outside world seemed very distant. She could hear Dan murmur to Kari, soft violin music from hidden speakers, Cullen’s booming laugh from inside the house. The intimate touch of Sir’s fingers and the slow scraping of the razor became increasingly erotic.
“All done.” Sir tossed the razor into the water and rubbed something cool onto her bare folds. “Let’s see if you can tell the difference.”
She gasped when his mouth touched her pussy. She could feel...everything, not just his tongue on her clit, but his cheeks against her bare lips, the warmth of his skin, and the tiny scratchiness of his chin. Every sensation was amplified. Holding her labia open with unyielding fingers, he exposed her clit and licked over it.
“Ah!” She jerked at the exquisite shock. She felt a tiny puff of air, then his hot, wet mouth. Another puff of air hit directly on her clit. Hot mouth again. Her breathing turned ragged as fire shot through her, as her clit swelled, the tiny nub of nerves straining for more.
But he moved to run his tongue over her labia. His teeth gripped an inner lip, biting gently until jolts of sensation spiraled around her core. Her hands clenched the chain binding her, and her legs strained against the straps. She could do nothing except pant and whimper as he teased her, tonguing her clit, biting her folds. He brought her right to the edge of release, then backed away.
Seduction in the Sun: Adult Romance Box Set (9 Sizzling Tales with BBW, Billionaires, Bad Boys, and Alpha Males) Page 80