WEAKENED: The Manhattan Bound Series Book One

by Juliet Braddock

  Maxine couldn’t fathom herself pleading with any man to inflict pain upon her. But then again, she never thought she’d meet a man as captivatingly cruel as Drew. “Begging?”

  Then, he took both hands in his own and gave them a squeeze. “Begging, little one,” he repeated.

  Emerald eyes widening, Maxine felt her lips slacken, her smile fading. She refused to put all of her cards on the table, but she was also certain that Drew was playing with a marked deck and could sense her ever growing desire as their chatter continued to unfold.

  “So...” Maxine folded her hands ever so delicately over his. “...what else would I be learning in BDSM 101?”

  “Basic rules of obedience—some of which you’re learning already,” he continued. “You know I like you to be prompt, if not early. You’ll learn deference. You’ll discover the positions I prefer that you assume when we play. And other things, too. You already know that you won’t be allowed to touch yourself, play with your toys without permission—”

  “How will you know?” she countered, cutting him off. “Really, Drew…?”

  “Oh, little one…” Drew raised his glass to his lips. “Rest assured…I will know…”

  “So we’ll communicate with each other…” she continued on, pressing him. “Every time?”

  Drew hurried his hand to his chest. “I cross my heart. This is what we call trust, Maxine.”

  “And you’ll start out slowly with me?” she asked. “You won’t force me to make love with you on a bed of nails or anything…?”

  “Bed of nails? Hard limit for you?” he teased. “Look, we haven't even slept together yet in the true, literal sense of sex, and I'm not in the business of sadism just for the fuck of it. I want you to enjoy this journey, too, Maxine. Your pleasure is tantamount to my own.”

  His words suddenly began to register with her, but her head was still a bit wary of what her heart insisted she choose.

  “So…even in submission…I’ll still be the one to make all of the decisions?”

  “That’s how any good relationship that involves Domination and submission should work,” he said. “If I ran roughshod over you, there would be no trust. And you’d grow to hate me.”

  “You’ll honor my safewords? When I pick them…”

  “Always. Without question.”

  Only days ago, she would never have even considered relinquishing her control to anyone. Now, however, this lifestyle suddenly began to make a little more sense. Perhaps she could discover pleasure in pain.

  “The first time you'll...make love...” Drew tripped over his words, struggling now with this conversation. “I don't want to subject you to...well...nothing harsh, at least right now. You don't deserve that.”

  “That's quite chivalrous of you, Drew,” she admitted reluctantly, wondering if he was about to tell her to leave his life forever.

  “Well, I’m frightened by all of this, too,” he finally admitted, and he didn’t turn away. “I’m worried that you’ll hate it—hate me—and move on.”

  His admission was so raw with honesty, and Maxine sensed that his fears paralleled her own. She wanted to reach out and hold him—to be held. She wanted them both to find comfort in each other.

  “Do you want me to go now?” she finally had to ask, but didn't want to hear his answer. “To leave?”

  When he shook his head, Maxine could see a slight trace of a smile playing delicately over his lips in the dim lighting on the rooftop. “I don't want you to go anywhere, Maxine....”

  Refusing to waver even while her lips trembled, Maxine forced her shoulders back and stood so very still. “Then what do you want?”

  “I want you,” he said, the words so steady and controlled against the absolute yearning in his cloudy eyes. “And I want you tonight, Maxine...if you're ready for this...”

  She couldn't answer him when she wasn't quite sure of what he was asking.

  “You mean...?”

  “I want you—and I want your submission,” he whispered. “This is your choice, little one. We can talk specifics tomorrow, but I just want—I need to know that you comprehend what I'm asking of you...and I need to know that you're doing this of your own free will.”

  She could feel his fingers close around her arms—not in anger, but in the realm of absolute lust and complete control. Wavering against him, Maxine paid heed to the weight of Drew’s proposition. What she lacked in experience, she mastered in the discovery of the needs he'd so artfully unveiled to her over the course of the week.

  In truth, she did relish these games to which he’d introduced her—perhaps even a bit too much for her own comfort level. Naturally, fear crept into the weight of the decision that sat before her on the table, but she’d also come to realize that Drew was, first and foremost, a man of his word. Sexually, he wanted her in so many ways, yet as the possible scenarios unfolded in her mind, Maxine knew that he would exert every caution he could muster in her so-called training. Perhaps they hadn’t arrived at the pinnacle of complete trust just yet, but his sensitivity always overrode his dominance.

  She adored the extra time he took to buckle her in every time he picked her up for a date, and she was quick to notice, too, that he always told her how lovely she looked. In bed, he questioned her every thought—every movement—just to assure them both that she would be fine and that she enjoyed herself. What she found most thoughtful, though, was his attention to her needs afterward. Overwhelmed by her own emotions, she nearly cried when he tended to her wrists after tethering her to her bed.

  Heart and mind weakened to his tender brand of Dominance, she sighed deeply. She had made her decision.

  “Yes...Sir...I understand...” She tilted her head ever so slightly, yearning yet again for the velvety touch of his lips and the tortuous play of his tongue. “And I give you my submission...”

  “Good girl...” He dipped his head, his smile curving against her neck. “Such a good girl...”

  “Please, Sir...” Clutching his shirt collar, Maxine, knowingly taking a shot in the dark, begged, “Please...just...kiss me...”

  “Soon enough, little one.” His thumb brushed over her open lips. “Soon enough. Now let's get you out of here, shall we?”

  “Yes...” she mumbled, defeated. “Yes...Sir...”

  “Would you be more comfortable at your place...?” his eyes implored her senses, cluttering her ability yet again to think.

  She nodded slowly. “Ben’s—away for the night...”

  “Well, then…” he said and brought her hand to his lips, only to turn it over and place one tiny kiss upon her palm.

  For once, Drew didn't fight Maxine to finish her dinner.

  Arms encircling her waist, he held her tightly, almost as if he were afraid to let her go, and searched her eyes for any glimpses of doubt, only to find that innocent anticipation that he adored.

  Maxine’s virginity enhanced her submission to him. Of herself, she gave to him so completely. Although he couldn’t wait to begin her training, he allowed the magnitude of this moment to absorb him. Tonight, he hoped, they would bridge their burning passions to the first stages of absolute trust.

  Drew remained at a complete loss for words. All of his accomplishments in life so far meant nothing, if he hurt her in any way or drove her away. In fact, he would have sacrificed his chance at winning a Tony Award that season just to ensure that she woke up the next morning just as certain and just as content as she was standing there in protection of his arms.

  He couldn’t fuck this up.

  “I can’t wait to make love to you this evening, little one,” he whispered. Little did she realize that he felt as if he’d been waiting his entire life for her. “And we don’t have safewords yet—we don’t need them right tonight—but I still want you to tell me if you’re uncomfortable with anything. Alright?”

  She could only nod, her voice paralyzed by the significance and emotion of the moment.

  They returned to the car via the same route they�
��d taken to the rooftop, but Maxine saw none of the art she had been appreciating earlier that evening. In a mere seven days, Drew had convinced her to push her boundaries and to give herself and her body to him willingly…and soon enough, they would become lovers. She wasn't just submitting; she was committing herself to Drew…and that notion didn’t scare her in the least.

  Lou pulled the car around quickly, and she was thankful that Drew helped her as he always did. As small as she was, her knees couldn’t seem to support her weight that night.

  Maxine pulled both of her lips between her teeth, clamping them together in an almost bruising vise while Drew snapped up her seat belt almost methodically. Nostrils flaring, the short gasps of breath that she forced through her nose echoed interchangeably with the sound of her gulp pulsing against her throat.

  “So needy...” he muttered and purposely turned his attention toward the window, watching her twist and turn all the while from the corner of his eye. His mood had shifted yet again. He’d returned to dominance. “Self-control is going to be your downfall, Maxine...”

  “You'll teach me...” she squeaked, squirming again and leaning in closer to his cold shoulder. Self-control…and denial. Yes, she still had so much to learn.

  “Yes, little one, I'll teach you...” he said, then shook his head. “Or at least I'm going to try...with due diligence...”

  “I think it's that...” She took a rather deep breath then struggled to explain herself. “I think I'm in that subzone thing...”

  Drew bit his tongue in his effort to stifle a snicker. He gave her props for her efforts in her attempt to impress him with her rapid-fire study of the politically correct terminology of all things BDSM, based solely upon her reliance of Wikipedia. She was so green...yet so irresistibly inquisitive—a combination that, when he made an effort to think about it as he did that moment, petrified him.

  “Subspace, little one...” he corrected and stretched out a long, fit arm to ruffle her hair. Those fingers playing over her locks tickled her scalp and sent a shiver straight down her spine. One single touch, even void of sexuality, left her whimpering for more.

  Self-control…desire…and wanton need…

  “Subspace,” she repeated.

  For twenty-one years, Maxine pretty much ignored her desires. Yeah, she masturbated upon occasion, but she wasn't ravenous to get laid as so many of her acquaintances had rushed to do. She had to study. She had to focus. New York was always waiting for her at the end of the tunnel of her college years, and that alone inspired her to get good grades and build a resume for herself before graduation. She couldn't chance fucking that up with any risks—especially not with any relationships.

  In a matter of days, Drew managed to strip away her guard and unleash a yen for a string of taboos that had never crossed her mind.

  While he enjoyed Maxine's daze for a bit, Drew almost felt as if he were losing his grip on her. She was clearly lost in her lust, but he needed her now to be fully aware of each and every second as the evening progressed. As the car halted in front of that old townhouse, he released the seatbelt, climbed out of the backseat and held the door open for her.

  “You need to make it up those steps, Maxine,” he said. “I'm not going to carry you like a baby...”

  Sliding over the backseat, she accepted his challenge. Maxine knew her dress had ridden up to her thighs, and modesty claimed her senses with a start. Quickly, she pulled the skirt over her knees as she dropped her feet to the curb. Ignoring his hands for assistance, she managed somehow to stand and hike up the steps to the front door on her wobbly legs.

  Fingers failing her, she couldn’t ignore Drew’s proximity as she struggled with the deadbolt first. That key…she just couldn’t seem to fit it into the lock. From behind, Drew reached around to steady her hand.

  Click. Open. They stepped inside the dark foyer.

  “You're so ready to come, aren't you, little one?” he tormented with a pitiless smile.

  “And you're being cruel, Mack,” she retorted, wrapping one leg around the other in her effort to stand.

  “Get used to it, Maxine. Maybe you'll even grow to embrace it...” he said. “Lean against the wall, please. I don't want you to fall...”

  Maxine stood for a moment in the living room, almost hovering in her wait. A foot of space separated them, but neither made a move. She held his gaze and followed those stormy navy eyes as he plotted his next move.

  Ever so decidedly, Drew crossed the room and took a seat on the radiator cover in front of the windows. He raised his index finger, signaling Maxine to join him.

  “Uh-uh!” He rung his hands around her waist as she moved to sit down next to him. “Stand, Maxine.”

  She acquiesced.

  “And stand straight.”

  She rolled her shoulders back.

  “Posture is important,” he said while he slumped his own shoulders, propped his back against the window and pulled his phone from his pocket. “Now...I think we have some business to take care of here...”

  “We do,” she uttered, finally, in agreement. Pop my fucking cherry, please, Sir. Fuck, now she sounded just like Ben!

  “Now you know full well that I don't readily admit my weaknesses, but tonight I have to be very honest with you.” He didn't bother to look at her as he seemingly checked his texts. “You've had a taste for what I want in a relationship, and you know what I expect, correct?”

  Eyes fluttering wide open with a bat of her thick lashes, Maxine murmured, “I do...”

  Her breasts swelled within the tight confines of the bodice of her dress as she sighed. With a sense of nervous excitement stirring, she hooked her hands around her back, clasping them and twisting her fingers, and staggered on her own two feet.

  “Good girl...good, good girl...” he sighed. “So you should also understand that before we make love...we have some business to take care of...”

  “We do?” she dared to question.

  “Oh, yes,” he smiled. “With your verbal agreement to consent earlier tonight, I have to issue a punishment this evening.”

  Mouth dangling, ready to protest, Maxine could only stammer, “Y-you said you wouldn't...you'd work up to the...pain...”

  “Did I say anything about pain this evening?” he asked. “I wouldn't even dare to think of implementing any of the standard consequences yet. It's not going to hurt you—physically—in the slightest, little one. But I do guarantee, it's going to be uncomfortable before you have your pleasure tonight.”

  Maxine had no clue as to what Drew had in store, and although she yearned to find out, she quietly commanded herself to remain unruffled.

  “Now Maxine, before we delve deeper, we do have some major insubordinations to address.” Thoughtfully, he tapped his index finger against his chin. “Want to guess one of them?”

  Just for sport—and to shatter her already weakening faculties—he traced the underside of her breast. Shoulders slumping, she sighed.

  “Oh, for crissakes, Maxine, have I not already warned you?” He took a step back to shake his head in dismay. “Posture. Mind it. At all times.”

  “But you…when you touch my boob…it…”

  “Oh, little darling one, I know damn well what happens when I touch your boob,” he said and clasped his hands behind his back. With that, he leaned back just a bit, enhancing the outline of his erection against his rather tight khakis.

  Fucking tease, Maxine thought to herself as she popped her shoulders back again to embody a more rigid stance. However, it was her own damn boobs that were getting her into trouble. Again! If only he hadn't pinched her nipple over their (what became disrupted) dinner, she might have mustered some stamina. However, his constant taunting only left her fighting with herself to restrain that ache—that fullness—weighting her tiny silken bra.

  “Getting back to the focal point of our conversation here, it’s apparent that you need some shaming here…”

  “Shaming?”

  With the full bravu
ra of a pet parent who just caught Puppy doing something so very naughty, he questioned, “What did you do?”

  “What did I do?” she muttered to herself, scrambling to think back upon their week. She’d tried so hard to remember her indiscretions, but her mind suddenly drew a big, hulking blank! Fuckballs.

  “You were very bad this week, Maxine,” he said as if she needed a reminder. “Last Saturday morning, I recall that you were so very impatient with me…”

  “Oh, yeah!” she called out suddenly with a pompous grin. “I...went after…your cock …”

  Lifting his cool blue eyes toward the ceiling, he pursed his lips in frustration. Little did she seem to understand that his petulance stemmed from her potty mouth and not directly from her misbehaving ways. She was so damn cute when she tried to be brash, but Maxine didn’t realize how she turned him on with her words. How he fucking needed her.

  “I'm waiting,” he said with a cough. “And I can wait all night...”

  Swallowing the lump in her throat, she added, “Sir.”

  “Trying to remind myself that you're a mere novice…” he said, mocking frustration with himself. How he loved to watch his sweet and precious Maxine caving into her desires of the unknown.

  He rubbed the slight stubble on his chin and minded her thoughtfully. Just to establish her agreement to submit, he had to push her a little—if not goad her—in order to seek their culmination of reward.

  “Any idea what else you’ve done this week, Maxine?”

  Uh-oh. Now she was at a true loss for words and thought.

  “No, Kind Sir…” She hoped her sweet plea would ease his consternation.

  “Remember when you did this?” Drew stretched his tongue to a point and traced the entire circle of his mouth. “Recall that?”

  “Mmm-hmm, Sir…”

  “That’s temptation like none other, Maxine—and I shall not be seduced in that manner.”