Up In Knots

by Gillian Archer

  “I’ll be okay, Mom.” Kyla tried to keep her annoyance out of her voice. She knew her friend meant well but nothing would deter her from her plan. “I’ve thought about this. I really have. I’m not ready for a relationship yet. Which makes Sawyer the perfect partner because I know he isn’t either. We’ll have some fun and then we’ll both go our separate ways.”

  “Life is never that simple, sweetie.”

  But this time it would be. If there was one person she could definitely play with and not lose her heart to, it was Sawyer. From what she’d read about him online and heard from her friends—back when she used to talk to them—the man defined commitment phobia. There was no way it would ever go past fun and easy.

  And that was just what she needed.

  “Tell you what. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll let you give me all the ‘I told you so’s’ you want and any other punishment you decide I need.”

  Kyla gave her friend a sassy smile, even as Neri’s frown grew more worried.

  Sensing an impending fustercluck, Kyla edged away from Neri. “It’ll be fine. You’ll see. I gotta go or I’ll be late. We’ll catch up later, okay?” Kyla said the last bit over her shoulder as she quickly made her way down the hall to the room Sawyer had disappeared inside.

  “Ky, wait!”

  The paper taped to the inset window fluttered as Kyla opened the door. In her peripheral vision she noticed the class description on it—Rope Bondage. She smiled smugly. Perfect.

  “I’ll be fine, Mama. I’m a big girl.” With a cheerful wave over her shoulder, she ignored the butterflies swirling in her stomach and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

  She surveyed the room. A large group of folding chairs full of interested kinksters lay before her. A boisterous group of burly leather-clad men took up the far side of the chairs. Quite a few of them had a slim younger man cuddled to their side, some resting their heads on their partner’s shoulder. A few PVC-clad women coupled with mostly nude men took up the back few rows. Wow. Suddenly she felt a little overdressed in her micro-miniskirt and tank top.

  She didn’t want to be too obvious, but she searched the crowd for Sawyer. She spotted him at the back of the room talking to a gorgeous, curvy brunette. Well, crap. He had a submissive. She’d hoped maybe he would pick an assistant from the group of willing and available women.

  At least there weren’t any familiar faces. She wasn’t in the mood for any more sympathetic and well-meaning hand-holding today. There were, however, a plethora of empty chairs available in the front row. And only the front row. Her shoulders slumped. Dang it, senorita incognita was out. Drooling loner groupie, front and center.

  Adopting an air of confidence she wasn’t even close to feeling, she grabbed a pamphlet off the closest chair to the door and sat down. Without looking at the program thingy, she proceeded to blow her calm persona by rolling the pamphlet into a tight spiral until her hands were a mess of smeared printer’s ink and the paper an illegible tube.

  With a wince, she laid her program tube on the empty chair next to her before rubbing in vain at the mess on her hands. Perfect. Just perfect. Sweaty palms and newsprint were never a good first impression. She swiped at the hair falling over her forehead in frustration. Why the hell had she left her handbag in her car? She could use some hand sanitizing gel right about now.

  “Hello?”

  Kyla jerked at the sweet dulcet voice and looked right into the face of Sawyer’s mystery woman. Now that she could see her up close, the voluptuous brunette wasn’t drop-dead gorgeous but she had such a confident air, Kyla was instantly intimidated. She quickly sat on her hands to hide the evidence of her nerves. “Hi.”

  “I, um, I thought you could use some help.”

  Kyla couldn’t keep a poker face to save her life. Help? Did she have clueless rope newbie tattooed on her forehead? “I, uh...what?”

  The buxom brunette gestured at Kyla’s head.

  Holy Hannah. Did she actually have newbie written on her face? Her confusion must’ve shown because her new friend reached into her handbag and pulled out a wet wipe, of all things. With an apologetic half smile, she swiped the cloth across Kyla’s forehead.

  Kyla couldn’t help but flinch at the contact. And of course flush fire-engine red when the brunette showed her the black ink left on the cloth. Not a tattoo, just a huge smear of ink on her face from her program. She offered up a slightly mortified smile to her new friend. “Wow, that would have been embarrassing to walk around the Con like that. Thank you.”

  “Nah, with this crowd, I doubt anyone would’ve noticed. There are so many interesting makeup applications here. I’m Lauren, by the way.”

  “Kyla.” She held out her hand and winced at the black ink smeared across her palm.

  “I guess that explains the black on your face then.” Lauren smiled and handed the wet wipe over to her.

  Kyla gave a chagrined half smile in reply before she vigorously scrubbed at her hands. “Thanks again.”

  “No problem. It happens to the best of us. Is your significant other on their way? You might want to call and tell them to hurry up. Sawyer should be starting any minute.”

  “Significant other? What do you—”

  “Sorry I’m late.” Sawyer addressed the crowd behind her before turning to her newfound friend. “Lauren, you’d better go grab your man before I grab you.”

  Lauren snorted. “Like to see you try. You know how Jamie is about your grabby hands.”

  Sawyer clutched his heart in a melodramatic action. “You wound me. Get going before I return the favor.”

  Just friends then. Although she followed him on Twitter and knew he was single, she also knew there were things in his life he didn’t share with the rest of the world. No one put everything online, after all. A huge part of her was relieved he was still maybe, possibly available.

  “Okay, everyone. First things first. I’m Sawyer, and if you’re looking for rope bondage you’re in the right place. Now, before we get started I have a little PSA I do every class before we get to the fun, interactive bit, so bear with me.

  “Bondage is edge play. You’re at the edge of the real possibility of circulation or nerve damage. Whether you call yourself a dom, top or plain ol’ partner, it’s important to be open to feedback. Make sure to give your submissive, slave, bottom or partner permission to tell you when something makes them physically uncomfortable. You need to know when bits are tingly that aren’t supposed to be tingly. Circulation is your number one concern with bondage play. Check hands and feet. Nail beds should always be a healthy pink. And of course if bits are numb then you need to stop the scene and get your partner out of the rope immediately.

  “Safety scissors are better to free your partner instead of spending minutes unraveling all your gorgeous wraps. So remember to always keep a pair at hand. They should be at your side, not buried in the hall closet. It’s much easier to replace your bondage rope rather than your submissive. Even in a town like Vegas.”

  Sawyer paused for a second, his blue eyes twinkling as the group chuckled.

  “And lastly, do not leave your bound mate alone. They won’t be able to tell you about those tingly or numb bits if you’re not in the room. Of course, they don’t have to know you’re there. Blindfolds, bondage and mind fucks can be a very fun mix.

  “That’s my—hopefully—short PSA. Please refer to the handout for more complete safety info. And of course, I’m available after the class if you have any questions. Now, I’m not gonna stand up here and lecture you all on the intricacies of knots and rope. Where’s the fun in that? So if everyone will stand up...” he waited a beat for the group to follow his directive, “...and push your chairs into a large circle, we can get this party started.”

  The room filled with the rumblings of conversations and clatter of aluminum chairs as the crowd f
ormed a haphazard oval. Surreptitiously surveying their instructor, Kyla watched him talk quietly with Lauren and another man. From the protective arm around her shoulders, Kyla guessed he must be the significant other. A wave of pain washed over her before she bit her lip and firmed her jaw against the weak sensation. She could do this. She was ready to get back into the scene. Her lack of significant other notwithstanding.

  Significant other. The phrase rang ominously in her mind. A quick glance around the room showed that unlike herself, everyone else here had come with a partner. A feeling of dread pooled in her stomach. Once again she was the odd duck out. The dread multiplied as she watched Lauren gesture to the gap in the circle next to Kyla.

  Before she could look away from Sawyer’s corner of the room—or disappear with her tail between her legs—Sawyer turned to her.

  Air froze in her chest. Sawyer, The Sawyer, was looking at her. Not only looking but seeing her. She watched in frozen silence as his gaze swept from the tips of her toes, lingered on her small chest and finally rested on her face. She swallowed hard at the mischievous glint in his bright blue eyes. How could one man promise oh-so-much danger with only one glance? She shivered at the heat in his gaze.

  Lauren said something, and he turned away. The moment gone. But the butterflies continued to dance and swirl in Kyla’s gut. He was more potent in person than she had ever imagined. Good thing she was sitting, otherwise she would’ve left a Kyla-sized imprint in the middle of the floor.

  She looked away from the trio in the corner and focused instead on her wadded-up program. Since she didn’t have anyone near her to talk to, she might as well take a few minutes and read up on the class before it officially started. Her heart lurched when she curled open her program and saw the title: Rope Bondage for Couples.

  Oh, Mylanta. Couples? What the frick was she gonna do? She was the clueless single in the couples class. She fidgeted in her seat. No one was looking her way now. If ever there was an opportunity to gracefully exit, this was it. As quietly as possible, she clutched her program and stood halfway up when Sawyer addressed the group again.

  “Uh, yeah. Lauren reminded me we need to do a head count. If everyone can stay still for a sec...”

  Kyla froze in her crouched position. Frick, frick, frick. There was no way she could leave now without causing a scene. And not the fun kind. She pretended like she needed to pat down the invisible wrinkles in her skirt before she claimed her seat once more.

  “...twenty-two, twenty-three. All right, I think we might have one extra. But that’s okay. I’m going to need a lovely assistant to help me demonstrate the ties.” Sawyer turned and leveled her a smoky, seductive look. “Do I have any willing victims?”

  Kyla swallowed hard. It didn’t take a NASA engineer to figure out she was the loner in the group. Her empty end of the circle spoke volumes for her single status. The butterflies in her stomach doubled. She’d wanted to play with Sawyer, but now—and in front of an audience? Suddenly it didn’t feel like the sexy, fun time she’d imagined. But the smoky promise in his eyes vowed some wonderfully naughty things to come.

  Her hand shook slightly as she raised it. “I’m available.”

  Chapter Two

  Sawyer smiled at the brave hand waving in the air. A line from the Big, Bad Wolf ran through his mind.

  All the better to see you with, my pretty...

  He’d spotted the gorgeous blonde from the hallway earlier. He’d been afraid she was with Mistress Neri, but her singular presence in his class spoke volumes. No way an experienced domme like Mistress Neri would let her submissive anywhere near his grasp. This was a bottom who wouldn’t hold anything back. Her every thought broadcast over her face. No artifice. No pretense. No games. Just a hell of a lotta courage, lethally combined with that curiosity. She’d come alone to a couples class and then volunteered to fall into his evil clutches. What was that if not brave?

  He took her hand, then gave her a wicked smile and tugged her up to stand in front of him.

  “Ah, I was hoping you would volunteer,” he murmured in her ear. “What’s your name, poppet?”

  She cleared her throat before answering. “It’s, I...um, Kyla. I’m Kyla.” Her cheeks turned a dusky red with her babbling reply.

  Enchanted by the dichotomy of her shyness and apparent bravery, he put an arm around her and pulled her to his side. “Everyone, this is Kyla. Let’s give her a round of applause for volunteering.”

  He smiled as a few wolf whistles joined the chorus of claps. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed Ms. Kyla’s alluring bravado. Or maybe it was her firm little body—he’d always had a thing for petite blondes. Either way, he’d have to act fast if he wanted to play with her later.

  “Does everyone else have a partner? Alrighty then. We have some extra lengths of hemp rope at the back of the room if anyone needs them. Let’s get started.” Grabbing a chair from Kyla’s empty part of the circle, he pulled it to the center and bowed to his new partner. “Milady.”

  She flashed him a shaky smile and sat on the edge of the seat, clasping her knees together. Her endearing nerves had him eager to expand her boundaries. It was his favorite part of BDSM, after all—pushing his lovers to their limits and maybe a bit beyond. That was where the real fun lay. And it looked like sweet little Kyla might make a great partner. Scratch that. Playmate.

  His jaw ticked at his mental slip. Unlike his friends, he didn’t do monogamy. He’d prided himself on never making promises he wouldn’t—couldn’t—keep. He wasn’t his father, after all. He wasn’t even close.

  The sound of someone clearing his throat drew him back to the present and the roomful of eager kinksters awaiting his instruction.

  “Sorry. I guess I got distracted by those fabulous legs on our little Kyla.”

  Her cheeks darkened with another blush but she tilted her head and glared straight back at him, bold as brass. He chuckled at her audacity. He got the feeling it wasn’t the crowd so much as his attention that flustered her. Fantastic. He loved playing in public, after all. Especially with someone who had such exposed reactions.

  “Since we’re all sitting, we’ll start with a basic ankle wrap. Everyone get your rope out and let’s get to tying. You’ll need your submissive to sit on the edge of their seat like Kyla.” Sawyer paused as the rustling from the group grew louder. He raised his voice to be heard over the chatter. “And they’ll need to raise their legs, slightly crossing them at the ankle. If Kyla will show us...”

  With a slight smile, she obeyed his directive but kept her knees tight together. She obviously didn’t want to show her skivvies to the crowd. Her legs trembled slightly. And there it was again. That intoxicating mixture of bravery and nerves. Fuck. He had to get his hands on this girl. And his rope. If he played his cards right, maybe his dick in her too. But first he had a class to teach.

  “Perfect. Now tops, I find it helpful to support your bottom’s legs. The last thing you want is for them to get so tired of holding their legs up, you can’t finish the tie. You’ll want them to save their energy for later.” He waggled his eyebrows for emphasis.

  As the group chuckled, he sat down on his chair next to Kyla and roughly pulled her closer to his side. While he had her off balance, he splayed his legs and dragged hers over his right thigh. Even through his black leather pants, he could feel her legs trembling. And yet she didn’t jerk away. She gave him a sassy smile, then winked at him. He licked his lips and wished for an instant they were alone and he was tying her for their own benefit. Nothing fired him up more than a saucy submissive. Too bad they had to keep it PG-13 for the crowd.

  Shifting back, he ran a soothing hand down her bare legs and looked across the room. Straight at his best friend, Jamie, who wore a shit-eating grin. The bastard. Sawyer knew what his friend was thinking. Just because Jamie had found a gorgeous submissive and was sudd
enly all monogamous didn’t mean he would fall in line too. Regardless of the number of times they tried to set him up with convenient single friends.

  He turned his attention back to his temporary playmate. “You comfortable, Kyla?”

  She bit her lip and nodded.

  “Remember, everyone, it’s important to keep constant dialogue with your partner. Some like to use the stoplight phrases: green for go, yellow for caution like when your sub is uncertain, and red for stop. So, Kyla, where are we?”

  “Green.”

  His dick flexed at her breathy response. Oh, shit. This was going to be the longest hour of his life. Sitting this close, he could see the tiny sunburst of brown in the center of her hazel eyes. She had the warmest eyes he’d seen in a long while. That cute, soft expression made him want to hold her close while he lured her to the dark side. He shook his head and tried to get back on track. “I, uh, okay then. Ankle wrap. You take your rope—” he pulled a length of rope from his back pocket, “—and fold in half...”

  He continued to describe the intricacies of the tie, explaining slowly and thoroughly, but his heart—for once—wasn’t in teaching. He was always in tune with his partners but this time, with this girl...whatever it was, it was heady. And distracting. His fingers slipped on the rope and he had to quickly redo the wrap before he got all tangled up.

  Son of a bitch. What was he doing? He had a room full of eager students. He needed to focus on them and not on how incredible Kyla smelled. Sunshine and citrus. She made the innocent mixture sexier than the most expensive perfume. His mouth watered. Dammit, Sawyer. Focus!

  “To finish it, you bight it back.” Seeing a few wrinkled brows, he clarified. “That’s what some of us rope tops call a loop. Sounds cooler, right? Loop is kinda wimpy. So you bight it back...”

  Finishing his tie with a flourish, he left Kyla tied up and stood to survey his pupils’ work. He deftly adjusted his hard-on and wished like hell leather pants were more forgiving. And no one would notice. That was a pipe dream, judging from the wicked grin on Lauren’s face. She didn’t miss a thing. Jamie really had his hands full with that one. Better him than me.