by Mari Carr
“Stop.”
She released him instantly, frowning. “Why?”
He lightly tapped her nose. “Because I said so, Leah. You have to trust me to make this good for you. For both of us.”
She licked her lips. It took all the strength in Sawyer’s body not to say to hell with it and shove his cock back into her sexy mouth. He’d give his left nut to come down her throat. She offered him a seductive smile that told him she knew exactly what she was doing to him.
“You’re a bad girl.” He removed his pants.
Her grin widened, and she didn’t bother to deny his accusation.
“You know what happens to cock teases, don’t you?”
She shook her head slowly, not bothering to show an ounce of contrition.
“They get spanked.”
Her gaze never left his—never revealed an ounce of fear. She was perfect. Spirited and strong, yet soft and willing. Is this what had attracted him to her all these years? Had his inner dominant sensed the generous woman beneath the independent exterior? Leah was a survivor and as always, he ached with the need to protect her.
Sawyer bent slightly and placed his hands beneath her arms, helping her to her feet. The slightest shiver racked her body as she allowed him to lift her.
He looked at her, concerned. “Before we go any further, there are some rules we need to establish.”
“Okay.”
“If things get too heavy or you need a time-out, say yellow and I’ll stop what I’m doing. We’ll discuss what’s happening, slow things down to give you time to process.”
She nodded.
“Don’t just nod. Let me hear it, Leah.”
“Yellow.”
He continued. “If I do something that hurts you or that you absolutely don’t want, use the word red. As soon as you say that, I’ll stop and I won’t do it again. Ever.”
“Red means stop.”
He brushed a stray tendril of hair away from her cheek. He found it virtually impossible to keep himself from touching her. “But be warned, Leah. If you say red, there’s no going back. Red is forever and saying it three times is the equivalent of three strikes, you’re out.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean BDSM isn’t for the fainthearted. If you feel the need to keep stopping, there’s a good chance this lifestyle isn’t for you. There’s nothing wrong with that. Don’t do anything tonight simply because you hope it will please me or because of that damned pride of yours.”
She rolled her eyes, but he wouldn’t be deterred. “I mean it. There’s no shame in admitting I don’t like this. You’re new to the concept, and you planned this trip so you could explore. That’s what we’re going to do. Test your boundaries, maybe uncover some kinks.”
She grinned. “Never really thought of myself as a kinky girl. I like it.”
He didn’t laugh, though she meant her joke to be funny. “That’s what I’m trying to explain to you, Leah. You could just as easily discover you aren’t. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
She sobered up. “I understand what you’re saying.”
“There’s only one thing you could do tonight that would truly anger me and that’s lie about what you want. What we do together is meant to bring you pleasure. It’s not something for you to endure. Don’t be afraid to use those words. I’d be far more annoyed if you let me do something that caused you genuine pain or fear and you said nothing. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Sawyer took a deep breath. He’d never wanted—needed—a night to be perfect. He’d waited a lifetime to get Leah Hollister into his bed, and he was determined to make this weekend one she would never forget.
“Get undressed.”
She paused and, for a moment, he feared she was having second thoughts. “Leah?”
She looked down. “You may have to help me with this damn corset. Stacey tied it so tight, I can barely breathe. There’s no way I can escape the torture chamber on my own.”
He frowned when he realized she was suffering. “Turn around.”
She blinked at his harsh tone, but he didn’t give her time to respond. Instead he gripped her shoulders and twisted her so he could tackle the knot at the base of her spine. She wasn’t lying about the tension.
“Don’t ever wear a corset this tight again. It’s dangerous.”
Leah didn’t reply, but he didn’t miss her deep sigh of relief when he loosened the stiff material. Reaching around her, he unfastened the hooks, enjoying the sensation of holding her in his arms. Leah rested her head on his shoulder and again he was overwhelmed by her innate trust in him. She lifted her arms at his silent bidding, and he peeled the leather away from her body. Even in the dim lighting, he could see the deep ridges the corset left in her pale skin. She’d obviously spent that past few hours in discomfort.
He touched them softly, not pulling away when Leah jerked slightly. She glanced over her shoulder at him, but he couldn’t look away from her back. In the past, he’d seen similar marks on other lovers. For some reason, those images hadn’t bothered him. With Leah, the defender within reared his ugly head and roared.
“Don’t ever hurt yourself like this again, Leah.”
She shuddered at his harsh tone, but he didn’t bother to soften it. He’d tried to ease her into the situation, but it was time to give her a glimpse of what she’d signed on for.
“Take off the skirt.”
Sawyer’s hands were balled into fists as he struggled to get a grip. To center himself. In the past, he’d found it very easy to direct his inner dominant. That wasn’t the case with Leah. He wanted too much, too fast. If he didn’t calm down, he was going to fuck up everything. She’d obviously taken more than her fair share of lame lovers in the past. He refused to see his name added to that list because he couldn’t get his shit together.
Leah unzipped her skirt and shimmied the material over her rounded hips. Mercifully, she wasn’t one of those paper-thin women afraid to eat more than two bites of a meal. Leah had meat on her bones in all the right places—generous hips, an ass that begged to be squeezed, large breasts. She was equal parts soft and firm and made for fucking. His ideal image of feminine beauty.
Her back was still turned, but Sawyer was in no hurry to rush his first perusal of her bare flesh. He soaked in the sight, committing each tempting curve to memory.
Once he’d gotten his fill, he said, “Face me.”
Leah responded instantly, and he was blown away by her obedience. Jesus. She was perfection incarnate. An Amazon at heart, she stood before him, refusing to look away as his gaze drifted over her body. He didn’t bother to hide his appraisal or his approval.
“Beautiful,” he whispered.
She smiled gratefully, though her lips parted as if she would protest.
He narrowed his eyes in warning. “You’re gorgeous, Leah, and I intend to spend the rest of the evening proving that fact to you.”
“Tonight isn’t turning out as I expected.”
He led her to the bed. Sitting on the edge, he gestured for her to join him. “What were you expecting?”
She shrugged. “I figured I’d meet some bossy, leather-clad guy who’d pull me into the bedroom, tie me up and do unspeakable things to me.”
Sawyer laughed. “Jesus. And you still came?”
She crinkled her nose ruefully. “Stupid, right? Guess that goes to show my level of desperation.”
Sawyer could understand Leah’s reasons for exploring the D/s concept, but he was disturbed by how blindly she’d walked into this house party. It made his blood run cold to think of another man initiating her into the lifestyle without knowing her. If Leah had ended up with the wrong sort of Dom, her experience would have been disastrous.
Again, the overwhelming need to protect her—this time from herself—bubbled up. “Your friends were wrong to bring you here without preparing you a little better in terms of what to expect.”
Sawyer stood. “Lie down on the mat
tress. In the middle.”
He had a whole list of things he planned to do with and to Leah, but he refused to rush. They would start off slow and build. After all, the night was still young.
Leah climbed to the center of the bed and lay on her back. He leaned over, positioning her arms above her head. “You’ve never tried any kind of bondage?”
“I dated a guy once who asked me to tie him up. I tried it, but it felt sort of icky and wrong. I was bored and couldn’t wait for it to be over.”
He kissed her forehead. “That’s because you were on the wrong end of the straps.” As he spoke, he tugged on ties attached to the headboard. Leah glanced up when he gripped her wrists. Some deeply engrained self-preservation instinct made her fight him briefly, but Sawyer didn’t give her a chance to escape. Instead he tightened his hold and moved faster. In less than a minute he had both of her hands secured together.
Leah tested the strength of her bonds.
“You won’t break free, rose.”
Moving to the foot of the bed, Sawyer grabbed her left ankle before she could guess his purpose. He secured it to the footpost, and then did the same to the right. Standing at the bottom edge of the mattress, he studied her outstretched state. She was completely open to him, helpless and at his mercy. His dreams of Leah were about to come true in a single night.
She squirmed and fought briefly against her bondage, but she didn’t protest and she didn’t say either of her safe words. She narrowed her eyes when he continued to stare at her in hungry silence.
“I don’t think I trust that look.”
He grinned. “I’m like a kid in a candy store. Not sure what to do first.”
“Yeah, well, hurry. I have a bit of a sweet tooth myself.”
Sawyer fought the urge to rip off his shirt and join her on the bed. “Ever heard the expression topping from the bottom?”
She shook her head.
“I didn’t think so. Let’s just say you’re doing it a lot, and it’s not a good thing.”
Leah’s gaze drifted along his body. Each glance a caress. He tugged at the hem of his T-shirt and pulled the material over his head.
Leah’s softly muttered “fuck” and widened eyes were the best compliment he’d ever received.
After getting his first tattoo after graduation with Sam, Sawyer had decided he liked the look of them. He’d added a strip of barbed wire to his left bicep and the Coast Guard insignia on the right pec. She couldn’t see the large one on his back—the one he shared with his brothers—and something compelled Sawyer to turn around to see what she thought of it.
Instead, he stood still and let her look her fill.
“Sawyer, I…”
There was only one word to describe Leah. Horny. She was squirming like a worm on a hook. Her body was flushed, and the temperature in the room had definitely spiked. He’d purposely stalled, letting the helplessness of being bound permeate her consciousness. She may be new to the concept, but she clearly liked it.
He thought about tying her to the St. Andrew’s Cross hanging on the wall behind him or facedown over the spanking bench by the bed. His mind raced with all the ways he wanted Leah at his mercy and suddenly two days didn’t seem long enough.
Leah’s gaze never left his body. She was a ticking time bomb and he couldn’t wait to watch her explode.
He ran his hand along his erection. The action was meant to tease her, but it was helping him as well. He’d never failed to hold off his release for hours as he brought his partner to orgasm after orgasm. He wasn’t entirely sure he’d be able to wait that long with Leah.
She’d accused him of never asking her out, but he’d actually planned to invite her to the prom their senior year. When he’d told his father, something JD said stopped him.
His father shared his love of hard sex and dominance, though they’d never said the words aloud. Growing up, he’d heard stories about his dad through eavesdropping on the ranch hands. At first, he’d worried about his desire for rough play, afraid of hurting girls, but hearing other men—even his dad—shared those urges had set his mind at ease. He and his father were kindred spirits. Vicky liked to joke that the fruit hadn’t fallen far from the tree when he was born.
When he had told his dad who he was going to ask to the dance, JD had simply nodded, pierced him with a narrow-eyed look and said, “Son, there are some girls in this world who will leave you wanting a hell of a lot more than a tumble in the hayloft. Leah is one of those. Keep that in mind.”
His father’s warning confused him. He’d decided not to tempt fate. He’d definitely planned to have sex with Leah after the dance, but he couldn’t promise her more than that. His plans for after graduation began and ended with getting the hell out of Dodge. Instead he’d invited Beth to the dance.
Since then, his trips home had only been quick visits and indulging in an affair with Leah had still felt wrong. He was in the Coast Guard and had no plans to stay in Compton Pass, but Leah wouldn’t be happy living anywhere else. He couldn’t suggest a long-distance relationship because it would never have been enough for him, and he couldn’t ask her to give up her job to come with him.
Looking at Leah now, Sawyer realized his father had been right to issue the warning. The timing had been wrong for them before.
He crawled onto the mattress, covering her body with his.
Leah’s breathing accelerated.
“Easy,” he whispered.
“I’ve never felt like this.”
“What do you mean?”
She closed her eyes. “I’m coming out of my skin.”
He grinned. “Well, guess that’s the only option left since I’ve already gotten you out of your clothes.”
She pierced him with her bright blue eyes. “I thought Doms were supposed to be strict and stern and serious all the time.”
He shook his head. “Remind me to beat your ass later. You really should have done some research about BDSM before coming here tonight.”
She laughed at his threat. Sawyer struggled to keep a smile from his face as well. Leah was fun, easy to be with. She was taking his previous experiences in the bedroom and turning them on their ear.
“What? I’m the queen of living on the wild side,” she teased. “After all, I risk life and limb every single day I enter that classroom filled with snotty-nosed, whiny, pee-pee-pants five-year-olds.”
Sawyer winced. “Damn. I guess this party looked like a cakewalk compared to that.”
She sobered up. “Maybe so, but don’t let the fact I lack the self-preservation gene keep you from indulging in that spanking. I sort of like the sound of that.”
“Christ. Topping from the bottom again. You’re definitely going to be punished. Later.”
Unable to resist any longer, he kissed her. For several moments, he merely worshiped her lips—letting himself sample her taste, her sweet scent, her soft cries. Even without the use of her hands, Leah managed to make herself more than a mere recipient. She pressed harder, trying to deepen the kiss. When his tongue reached out, hers was there—meeting him halfway. Twice, she nipped his lower lip in her desire for more.
Her body thrashed against his as much as the ties would allow, and Sawyer was hard-pressed not to plunge himself into her body, to give in to the needs coursing through his veins. When the last vestige of his control stretched taut, he pulled away.
Leah protested. “No.”
She was still trying to manage the situation. Regardless of what she was looking for in bed, she wouldn’t give up the reins easily. Years of being forced to fend for herself would die hard.
He moved along her body until his lips were poised at the tip of one beautiful breast. He bit her nipple in warning. “Don’t say no to me, Leah. You won’t like what happens when you do.”
She narrowed her eyes and started to issue a set-down. He cut off any complaint she might make by biting the other nipple—harder.
She gasped, but otherwise remained silent.
“Good girl.”
Her hands clenched into fists, and she struggled against the straps binding her. He was purposely goading her. Suddenly it seemed Sunday would come too soon. He’d always dreamed of Leah, her face reappearing to him many times in the past. During long, lonely nights when he was on board his boat, he’d close his eyes and it was the image of Leah who came to him, talked to him, kept him company.
This weekend wouldn’t be enough. The realization hit him like a blow to the gut, but he dismissed the thought before it could take root. His life was in a state of flux right now and he was in no position to consider entering a committed BDSM relationship. No matter how much he wanted one with Leah. He’d been struggling with re-upping for another stint with the Coast Guard. While his decision to resign had been made—mostly—he wasn’t ready to add anything else to the mix.
After several moments of tugging on the ties, struggling for freedom, his patience was rewarded. Leah stilled beneath him.
She hadn’t said either of her safe words. In the past, he reminded subs of the rules whenever they might be in over their heads. He couldn’t do the same for Leah. For one thing, he didn’t think she’d appreciate him questioning her ability to take care of herself and for another, he was afraid the reminder would prompt her to use one. He didn’t want to stop.
Grasping her right breast in his palm, he bent his head to kiss away the sting. Sucking the tight nub into his mouth, he gradually increased the pressure until Leah cried out. Releasing it with a pop, he turned and delivered the same touch to her other breast.
Leah’s resistance to the bondage began again, but this time the tenor of her battle was different. She wasn’t fighting to be released. She was aching for leverage, spurring him on and silently begging for more. Her hips lifted. The hair of her pussy brushed against his stomach. The action reminded Sawyer of one more thing.
Raising his head, he waited until her gaze met his. “There’s another rule, Leah. You aren’t allowed to come until I give you permission.”
She didn’t resist this decree like he’d expected. She was out of her head with need, and he liked the look on her.