He wound the red rope around and through my ankles, making a kind of brace that would help me hold my posture. “This also will allow me to spin you at the end.”
“Please, Master.” I’d only seen one Master ever have his assistant spin out of restraints, it was beautiful.
With careful precision he tied the knot at the back of my calves. In my peripheral vision, I caught the flash of metal as he pulled out his knife and cut the rope—an old-fashioned move, it fit him perfectly. As modern and sleek as I preferred my dungeon, Jericho felt old-fashioned, timeless in the way he worked. I admired the simplicity in the way he worked.
A knot pressed into my chest and rope cascaded down the front and back of me, six individual strands. Complex. His body inches from me I inhaled his scent—leather and man—nothing better. I wished I could lick the sweat I smelled on him.
Fingers brushed the sensitive skin of my breasts as he tied a complicated web that covered my left breast. My body burned already and a gasp escaped when his hand brushed my ass. I wanted to push back into him, but I would never break my own discipline that way. Each touch was a whispered test of my resolve, my traitorous body arched, searching for one more taste.
His hand brushed my nipples as he brought the ropes to the front, tying the knot under my breasts while standing behind me. I felt the soft leather against my cheeks, his hot breath on my neck, and caresses of the rope across my nipples—I was in a purgatory of pleasure.
“Tiny waist, fucking perfect ass.” His words fluttered into my ear, a soft whisper I barely heard. Yet a need resonated just underneath, he was as frayed as me.
Chapter Nine
Jericho
I brushed her nipples and she sucked in a quiet breath as my hands traveled up her back. Putting hands around her too-small waist, I lifted her and turned her to face me, showing the audience the knots I tied down her back, accentuating the beautiful natural curve of her spine with crisscrossed netting.
“You’re killing me with those sexy lips that I can’t kiss.” My lips a breath away from hers as my fingers weaved the knotting pattern down her back.
Her eyes were full of passion and it hit me low in the gut. I wanted nothing more than to cut her from the bar and carry her to my dungeon and make her mine.
“Please, Master.” The minx teased me with the plea only I could hear. I bent my head closer, picked her up and turned her back to the front, I swept my fingers down the bare sides of her hips. A small shiver ran up her body, tempting me.
My cock thrummed with need but I had a feeling we weren’t getting lucky tonight, no matter how much I revved her up. My fingers tied knots with quick precision finishing the line of knots going down her center in mere seconds. It’d been years since I’d demonstrated, but I hadn’t let any of my skills become rusty.
I knelt and threaded the two ropes remaining through her closed thighs, brushing her sex as I went. Her shallow breaths stopped when I touched her pussy and then started again when I pinched her ass cheek. I ate up her quiet sounds of pleasure because I was fucking desperate with the need to possess her, own her and make her shout my name.
My back ached from Marr’s whip as I stretched to complete the design. Each movement made my harness rub welts, reminding me of the pain she’d given during her demonstration. I’d reveled in the intensity of the pain the whip brought, not as deep as a cane, but still satisfying.
I wrapped the ropes in a tight weave over her hips and back through her legs until the solid red lines hugged her curves and left the globes of her ass peeking out. Finishing up, I tied the rope into her back weaving until you couldn’t see where one piece started and another ended. Perfect. My pulse picked up seeing her tied up for me, even if this was about bigger things than our growing attraction, her obvious arousal pleased me.
I pulled out my knife and cut off the loose rope. Tied in my ropes she defied description but every ounce of me wanted her right now all tied up and ready for me. This demonstration was a step toward bringing Bound to me, granted one I loved, but I couldn’t forget the real reason I was on this stage. Like the rest of this night, none of it was about my pleasure and all about my job to bring these people to my side. I couldn’t forget the stakes—my vision for the future, my club, my leadership.
“Spinning.” I whispered into her ear and lifted my hand. She rose off the ground about a foot. My hands at her waist kept her from moving. I clasped the piece of rope I’d left tucked out and pulled, my knot slipped free and she spun beautifully in front of me, back arched like she’d done this demonstration a hundred times, and maybe she had, but I couldn’t ask for a better partner. The need to throw her over my shoulder and take her to my dungeon to fuck her all night long consumed me—I sucked in air and forced myself to remember what was at stake.
I stopped her slowing spin, lifted her in my arms and pulled the loop that freed her hands. The room exploded in applause. I waited a count of three then carried her offstage to wolf whistles and cat calls.
Backstage I set her down. “Are you dizzy?”
Eyes wide, she laughed. “That was fun, I’ve never done a spinning demo before.”
Impressive, she handled it like a champ.
“Hold still and I’ll cut you out of the ropes.”
“No,” she protested. Then quieter. “Can I wear them the rest of the night?”
Wear my ropes all night? Fuck yes, but I had no idea how I’d keep myself from carrying her off over my shoulder. But that was my problem.
“They’ll stay on until you cut them off, it’d take hours to unknot them.” I arched a brow. “I’m happy to volunteer for that job.”
Her finger traced a welt on my chest. “You would.”
“Yeah, I would.”
She gave me a truly evil grin. “I’ll be good, but thanks for the offer.” She turned and sashayed away from me.
Damn that woman had a fine backside. I took a minute backstage to get my shit together. The play with Marr had put me on edge, and I needed to find the calm to go bullshit with people for a couple hours when all I wanted to do was bury myself cock deep in a certain Master.
“Fuck that was hot.” Bear smacked my back, bringing the pain of the welts back to life.
Just the jolt of pain I needed.
“We’re heading out, but I wanted to tell you how much I liked your show. Man, you looked like you’d fuck her at any minute. Intense. You two aren’t...”
I decided no answer was my best bet.
“Kyle, leave the man alone, let’s get home.” Ollie walked up to me and nodded. “You’ve got skill and a flair for the dramatic. I like it.”
While Ollie was a Brotherhood prospect, the man had made more porn stars than any other man in Hollywood. As a Master and showman, he didn’t have an equal. And he’d taught Bear all he knew. Together they made some of the best movies in the business, which meant tons of profit for us.
“Yeah, and a set of blue balls I’m thinking.”
The two laughed but didn’t disagree.
I joined Viper at the bar for whiskey.
“Impressive.” He nodded my way.
“Same to you.” I searched for his assistant. “Where’s your pretty blonde?”
He turned toward me, a wary expression on his face. “On her way home.”
“Satisfied?”
Now he smiled. “Yup.”
I drank more whiskey and a flash of red caught my eye. I turned to watch Marr walk toward me, my ropes on her body. Fucking hot.
She gave a nod to the bartender. “Hit me, Gigi.”
“Give us the same.” I pointed to Viper and me.
I held up my glass once the bartender filled two more tumblers with Jameson. “To a damn good night. We sent a strong message.” My gaze traveled down her body, loving the way the red silk ropes clu
ng to her skin.
“Hell yeah.” Viper grinned wide.
“To Bound.” Marr clinked glasses and downed the liquor in one gulp.
Damn she was sexy. I wanted her in the worst way. Yet, I sensed I’d lose something important if I pursued her tonight, and damn if her respect wasn’t worth more than the night with her. And not just because she held the respect of the entire club in her hands, that was the strangest part. I had a strong suspicion that one time would never be enough.
Chapter Ten
Marr
I clinked my glass down on the bar and grinned up at Jericho. “Tonight was memorable.” Spectacular. Sensual. Seductive. But I didn’t add any of those. I wanted to fuck him as much as I wanted to take another breath, and if he made the play I doubted I would turn him down. A taste of Neanderthal had me salivating.
“Definitely memorable.” He lifted my hand to his lips, turning it and placing the kiss on the sensitive flesh where wrist met hand.
Hot licks of desire burned inside me. I moved and the ropes licked my flesh, adding to the fire building inside me. They’d worked me into a frenzy of need with the soft way they rubbed me when I moved even an inch let alone when I walked—that was delicious torture.
“I may never be the same.” His sexy rumble added to the need in me.
I licked my lips and arched forward in an open invitation. “You should demonstrate your skill again soon.” The ropes brushed over my nipples up and down, as soft as a lover’s kiss.
He boomed a wicked laugh. “I’ve proven my point, for tonight.” He released my hand and our spell was broken.
With a rake of his gaze over my ropes, he turned to Viper and said something. I don’t know what since I was too shocked to process it. He’d turned me down, or had he just upped the ante. My emotions and mind warred on the matter, but either way I needed to put distance between us before I took matters, and those matters were indeed hard, into my own hands. He may have said the words, but one touch and we’d both ignite, no matter what other games we might be playing.
I placed a hand over the red lines on his shoulder. “I will see you very soon.”
His smile was a definite challenge. “I can’t wait, Mistress.”
I forced myself to make another round of the lounge, and I felt his eyes on me as I stopped for a word with a half dozen people before I allowed myself to slip through the employee door. Poison waited to cut me out of this device of torture. He’d been crafty in the way he’d used the binding to drive me mad with all the whispered sensations that had built into torturous pleasure, even more effective than pain in some ways.
Lost in thoughts, I looked up when I heard footsteps ahead of me. Ren strode toward me with a lazy gait. “Marr, you look beautiful in red.” He grinned but a coldness in his eyes brought me to high alert.
“As it were, I’m about to have Poison relieve me...of them.” I let the innuendo hang in the air, giving much needed misdirection. Ren couldn’t suspect anything between Jericho and me.
He bowed his head with a chuckle. “Left ’em all wanting more.” Dead eyes met mine. “Be careful you aren’t out maneuvered.”
“Well, that’s hardly likely as I only allowed this.” I ran my hand down my rope-clad body. “So I could let my whip taste a Master’s flesh, you know how much I enjoy that.” I let my love of the alpha shine bright in my eyes. It was the only reason he had been allowed in my dungeon.
“Maybe next Masquerade you’ll have a new Master...to whip.”
The slight pause brought the hairs up on the back of my neck. “If so, I hope she is brutal.”
He threw his head back and laughed, the same way Jericho did. I moved past him as he laughed.
“Until our next session,” I called behind me and entered my dungeon. Then through my locked boudoir door. Safe. I wasn’t sure if I was happy he hadn’t done more than threaten. Had he laid hands on me, then he’d be out of the club and I’d have kicked his ass. It was only a matter of time until he challenged me. A brute at heart, one day he’d need to repay me for the beatings I’d given him, even though he’d relished every one, maybe because he’d enjoyed them so thoroughly.
* * *
I sat at home watching TV wishing the goddamn Brotherhood hadn’t decided to take a week off to party, especially following the Masquerade that had left me more worked up than I’d been in ages. I hated downtime because it left me time to think. Thinking was not something I wanted to do. Jericho had haunted my dreams and crept into my mind if I wasn’t vigilant. His strength called to me almost as much as the fire that had burned bright in him during the session. I’d had countless men in my dungeon, but none had left me as shaken as he did. I had never wanted to fuck a man as much as I did Jericho last week.
I flicked through channels trying to find a show to distract me. My phone rang, and I scooped it off the end table to see Avery’s number. I swiped to answer it.
“Marr.” Avery’s excited voice boomed in my ear. “I’m getting married at the lake to Rock. Well not married, I’m going to be his old lady, can you believe it?”
I could. Avery had to love her masochist to endure the pain she had in my dungeon last Monday. It was her first session learning how to give Rock pleasure through the paddle and a few pain-focused toys. After the first ten minutes, I finally understood that her pain tolerance was almost nonexistent, yet she insisted to push through all her limits in order to give Rock a level of pain he needed. Her dedication didn’t make sense in my black-and-white world nor did I understand that kind of self-sacrificing love. I don’t think I could’ve bent that much for Val and she was the love of my life.
“Ah, sweetums, I’m so happy for you. And I want to hear all the details when you get back. Go to lunch Tuesday?”
“Totally. I can’t believe it’s true, but he asked and I said yes.” Her excited voice made me smile.
“You must’ve brought out the paddle.” I liked her more than I’d liked any woman in ages. In fact she reminded me a lot of Danger, except with zero pain tolerance.
“And then some.” She giggled. “I gotta go, but lunch Tuesday is a deal.”
She hung up and I sat alone wishing I was a different person, which was new for me. If I was easier or he was, I could’ve been there with him instead of alone here wishing to be part of a life I’d never compromise enough to be part of. Power was something I’d fought for since I was a teen, and I’d never give it up for a man, especially one who was able to unravel me in minutes.
This week all I’d done was crave unavailable people—Danger, Avery and now Jericho. I was fucking pathetic.
* * *
By Tuesday, I was in a foul mood and almost canceled with Avery, but I wanted to hear about the lake.
We met at a local Mexican place and I already sipped a margarita when Avery strolled in, the biggest smile I’d ever seen plastered on her face. “I’m Pixie now.” She twirled in her cut for me.
“Good name, now sit your ass down and tell me everything.” I bit into a chip to keep from asking about Jericho. That’s what I really wanted to know more about.
“Rock liked what you taught me, so I’ve decided I’m doing the cane training, just as soon as I work up my nerve.” She shivered. “He told me not to, but I’m not listening to him.”
The waitress brought Avery a Coke and took our orders. We both chose tamales.
“How did he ask you?” I sucked down my margarita, knowing I’d need more than one to hear her tale.
“I almost had to hit him over the head to get him to ask me. He kept saying stupid shit like I was on the outside and he couldn’t tell me about the club because of it.” Her brown eyes flashed with anger. “I’ve spent enough time on the outside, so I told him to make me his old lady, but he was drunk and thought I was kidding. It was complicated, but eventually after the paddle and
some shit with Renegade, he got around to asking me.” She grinned wide. “And that’s what counts.”
“So you made him ask you?” Avery had gone all Domme at the lake. Good for her.
“Yup.” She grinned wide. “You can’t leave important shit up to men, they’re clueless.”
I laughed. Avery always made me laugh with her offbeat view of the world.
“The ceremony was great, and Rock is so possessive. During the party afterwards, we got into it because he wasn’t into any of the naked biker games—”
“That sounds fun, what kind of naked games?” I bet Jericho had no issues with those games.
“Um let’s see, they do these stripper kind of dances, which Mama did, and then there’s naked babe lifting, they see how many naked girls they can pile up or some shit, and wet T-shirt contests, not for me since you can’t tell I even have tits—wet or dry T-shirt.” She blew out a breath. “I sometimes hate my body. Why couldn’t I have your body?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’d snatch you up for my bed in a second. And Rock did, so enough of the pity party.”
Avery turned red. “You gotta stop saying shit like that. Besides, I hear you’re tempting the beast.”
“The beast?”
“Jericho. Everyone is talking about him in your dungeon and at the Masquerade. Rock wouldn’t let me go to.” She waggled her brows at me. “How was that?”
“Like anyone in my dungeon.”
“Liar, liar pants on fire.” She pointed at me laughing. “No one is like him, and you two might burn the world down together.”
“What?” I ignored the butterfly sensation in my core.
“You’re all badass and so is he. Word is he broke his rule about dungeons for you—that’s not like any day for either of you.”
I hadn’t realized it was such a big deal, or maybe, I just hadn’t wanted to think about what he’d given up for me, or more accurately, for his club. “So he was great in my dungeon. I have a thing for disciplining Doms—it makes me happy and turned on all at once.” Even I thought that sounded twisted.
Deny: A Dark, Erotic Motorcycle Club Romance Page 10