by Nina Pierce
Every fiber of his being wanted to share that with Claire. As much as he’d like to have the woman of his nightly fantasies bound to a spanking bench this afternoon, pleasuring him—moving too fast would certainly scare the living crap out of her. He needed to let her find her way to him.
She’d been on the cusp of releasing all control and giving herself over to her darkest fantasies last night. But he’d run up against a wall. It had been a split-second decision as he’d bound her to the St. Andrew’s Cross to love her tenderly rather than have her at his mercy at the end of a flogger. He had no doubt she would have endured the pain with less tears than the gentle caresses had caused. The woman didn’t believe she was worthy of true love, but he had every intention of proving otherwise.
He turned at the soft knock on his door.
“Enter.”
A staff submissive opened the heavy wooden door but remained on the threshold. Her crotchless leather corset framed ivory breasts and silver chains hung from the leather collar at her slender neck to circle darkened nipples. She was magnificent in her submissiveness.
“Yes?” he asked, knowing she wouldn’t speak until given permission.
“Master Xavier, I’ve been sent by Master Ethan to tell you the Frei couple is ready.”
He inhaled to center himself. He wouldn’t be any good to anyone if he didn’t focus on the task at hand. “Are they set up in the main dungeon?”
“Yes, Master.” Though her hands were held behind her back and her gaze cast down, the square shape of her shoulders and uplifted chin belied her pride in serving. She would gladly give herself to him, if he said the word.
The problem was Jon had only one woman he wanted to serve him.
Jon picked up the letterhead from his desk that was neatly penned with his wishes. It had taken him an hour to find the perfect wording for the letter. Claire’s decision would make or break the weekend. He silently prayed he’d read her right, and if he had—that she would be brave enough to take this next step with him.
“I need you to deliver a couple of things to one of the guests for me.”
* * * * *
She had no idea where Jonny had gone. But Claire was grateful she hadn’t accepted Jonny’s invitation for a walk. They’d parted after breakfast, their table conversation during the meal nothing deeper than the weather and the pros and cons of eating steak rare or well done. He hadn’t tried to steer them back to the subject of the island’s purpose, and she wondered if Jonny had been just as embarrassed as she by his activities the night before.
In reality, she had no desire to know the details of how he was spending his time.
After breakfast, too keyed up to go back to her room, Claire had intended to take a quiet stroll along the meandering paths. What she’d found instead were couples and groups of guests in varying stages of undress and lovemaking. She’d run from the naked real estate too embarrassed to watch, though she knew that’s exactly what they’d expected.
Now, here she sat at the edge of the king-sized bed with its old-fashioned wrought iron headboard and built-in bindings, leafing through the resort pamphlet, wondering on which side of Oz she’d actually landed. XTC Resorts had promised a decadent weekend filled with satin sheets, rubber floors and uninhibited sex. She’d certainly had her taste of all of that and more last night. What frightened her and left her more than a little unsettled was how much she craved another interlude with her Master.
Looking down at the gold band, she caressed the warm metal and wondered if he was thinking of her. She dismissed the idea as quickly as it had tripped over her synapses. A Dom like Master Xavier had no doubt given bands to a different woman each weekend. She had no illusions that it was meant for anything more than marking her for the short time she’d be there.
“What the hell am I thinking? I shouldn’t be doing this.” She laughed, despite the need coiling in her belly, making her panties damp. Her sex life with her fiancé had been less than exciting, but she thought he’d loved her. This trip was supposed to be a celebration of their engagement and a chance to explore a little sexual adventure. Well, that hadn’t worked out, had it?
Claire had thought he’d been kidding when he’d asked her to walk away from her business. The man knew how much Maid in a Minute meant to her. She’d given up too much to too many men and it had done nothing but set her back with an empty bank account and a broken heart. Well, no more. She’d built her business up from a one-woman cleaning crew to an Indiana landmark with fourteen offices, one hundred fifty employees and hundreds of residences and businesses contracted for her cleaning services.
The fact that her fiancé had asked and she’d considered giving it up completely sickened her. Dominic was a senior in college and would graduate in eight months with a degree in chemistry. Her business had allowed him the freedom to get through college without worrying about loans hanging over his head. And now that he was applying for medical school, well, Claire had no intention of walking away from that financial responsibility either. Not that he expected it. Dominic was a wonderful son. He’d gotten his first job at fifteen and had worked during his years in high school and now in college. Still, she didn’t want finances to hold him back from his dreams.
His life would not be filled with regrets like hers.
“Well, damn it all! You’re not going to regret this weekend either.” She jumped to her feet and stared at herself in the mirror. She’d donned a tiny red string bikini before breakfast. Her breasts rounded softly out of the cups, the invisible wires creating a tantalizing cleavage. Her belly, kept taut by hours in the gym, sported a tiny diamond at her bellybutton. Claire’s gift to herself last year on her fortieth birthday. The gauzy sarong knotted at her round hip, in an island print of red, green and gold, accented her bronzed skin. She’d put gold hoops in her ears to match the metal of her armband and they peeked out around the auburn cascade of hair she’d let fall in natural kinks around her shoulders. “You are one hot mama, Claire Calderwood…despite your age.” She laughed even as she added the last caveat, as if being in her forties meant her life was over. “Hell, some women don’t even find themselves until their sixties. You will not wait that long. You will take advantage of this weekend and the hedonistic activities it has to offer.” She gave herself a pep talk. “Someone found you appealing last night. And whether he wants you again or not after the blubbering fool you made of yourself, you are going back to that club. This is about letting go and finding yourself.”
Satisfied she’d shirred up her courage, Claire grabbed her room key from her dresser, stuck a bright yellow flower from the vase on the nightstand behind her ear and threw open the door, barreling headlong into a nearly naked submissive holding an envelope and a leather collar.
Chapter Five
Claire’s bare feet tread steadily along the sandy path. Shafts of sunlight flickered in the cool shadows of the palm fronds. Lush leaves of thick underbrush tickled along her breasts and belly, raising goose flesh. Never had she been so aware of the sensations playing over her body. Even as the warm breath of the ocean breeze danced with her hair, caressing her sensitized skin like a lover’s touch, peaking her nipples and stroking her damp folds, Claire tried not to condemn herself for what she was about to do.
Determination winning out over uncertainty, she focused on her desires rather than the process. Soon there would be no sheltered path to hide her nudity. No way for her to deny her darkest fantasies. No opportunity for her to turn from her Master’s command.
But she would not deny him. Could not deny him.
He’d understood that before she’d been conscious of the thought.
Everything about the man demanded her attention. His presence filled a room and stole her breath. His touch shivered through her. Her body was never sated, always yearning for another caress, another stroke of those long fingers—another brush of his lips. But it was the sensual authority in his voice that captivated. Even a mere whisper thundered through her veins, pushing
her to obey.
It was that voice Claire had heard when she’d read the beautiful script of a controlled hand. As clearly as if he’d been standing at the door to her suite commanding her submission, the timbre pulsed hot need straight to her pussy.
Claire,
It has been too many hours since I last touched you, breathed the heady scent of your arousal, tasted my sweat on your lips. My cock hardens at the thought of you strapped to my bench, your flesh laced with the red streaks of my flogger and your luscious mouth sucking me deep. Join me at my luncheon in two hours at the Masters’ lodge behind the main building. Bring nothing but the gifts I have given you.
Master Xavier
She hoped she had not misunderstood. Had he intended for her only to bring the gold band and the leather collar she wore? As she broke through the protective barrier of the foliage and rejoined the main stone walking path, Claire realized it didn’t matter. She’d made her choice.
With shoulders thrown back, her breasts were prominently displayed for all. Her nether lips, swelled with anticipation, rubbed provocatively with the brisk pace of her steps, increasing the friction and making her moist with desire. She had no doubt it was visible to others.
Though she kept her gaze cast to the path in front of her, only sensing the eyes of the guests and staff who passed, her confidence was buoyed by the whispers of approval. Enjoying the kiss of warm air on her flesh, Claire kept to the outdoor path rather than slink through the main lobby as she’d originally intended. No one detained her or reached out to touch as she’d feared when she’d left the air-conditioned confines of her room. She was sure her new-found bravery didn’t extend to another guest’s public perusal or intimate caress. She suspected the collar, like the unique armband, spoke of a Master’s possession—the safety of his claim on her. And even she understood that no one but another Dom would breach that pact.
She crossed the cedar bridge isolating the lodge from the rest of the resort. She refused to focus on the outdoor pool below with its sexual playground of equipment and comfortable furniture spread across the deck. Apprehension converged with excitement and took flight in her tummy, sending fluttering ripples across her jumpy nerves. This was all so new, she couldn’t even begin to imagine the pleasure her body would be subjected to over the next few hours. All she knew was the decision wouldn’t be hers, and that thought heated her blood and dampened her thighs.
She would surrender everything to him.
Her pulse quickened as she rapped the erotic brass knocker against its base.
When the door was opened by another slave, Claire tried not to let her disappointment show. Her Master had invited another to their luncheon? Heat flared in her cheeks as she took in the submissive’s caged erection with its pre-cum glistening, his deeply muscled torso and the thick leather collar covered in spikes. She had no idea if it was jealousy or embarrassment over her frank appraisal that had her blushing, but she pushed both aside and forced herself to speak.
“I’m here for Master Xavier,” she said quietly.
“Ah, yes, you must be Claire. They said they were expecting you.”
They?
“Please follow me.”
There were too many questions bumping around her head to grasp and analyze any of them. All of this seemed to be happening too fast. What was she doing? Why had she come? Is this what she truly wanted? Staring at the marble and glass surroundings, Claire followed the male submissive into a large living area.
White furniture was scattered throughout the room where Doms lounged, chatting quietly while their subs knelt placidly at their side or served refreshments to the crowd of twenty or so people. Tropical plants and black marble sculptures added color to the monochromatic décor. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined the wall to her left, affording the guests a view of the swimming pool and the turquoise ocean in the distance.
Despite its tranquil beauty, Claire could not relax. Surreptitiously, she searched the guests for her Master, expecting him to command her attention.
“Claire.”
She turned in anticipation, but it was another Dom who excused himself from a small group and approached. She caught his frank appraisal before she remembered to drop her gaze. She wasn’t sure when or how she’d come to recognize the differences between Master and slave, but Claire had no doubt the man standing before her was a Master who required her obedience.
“Forgive my insolence,” she said quietly. “But I am to meet Master Xavier here for a luncheon.”
The Dom’s finger hooked under her chin and lifted it so she couldn’t help but meet his heated gaze. “Claire, Master Xavier said we could expect you. He will be delighted you accepted his invitation and chose to come so…” His gaze once again traveled a leisurely path down her torso, scorching her skin with its heat. “Prepared.” He smiled, the gesture sparking in his eyes and relaxing her. “His appraisal of your beauty does not do you justice.”
He had talked about her?
“I am Master Ethan,” he said before turning to the submissive next to her and sending him on his way. “Claire, I understand from Master Xavier that you have just begun your training. He will be pleased you have decided to join us today. He did send word that he is unavoidably detained, but should be here before long. He has told me your safe word and asked that I ready you as he would have for our luncheon.”
Claire wasn’t sure if it was the cool sweep of the air-conditioned room or her anticipation that sent a shiver gliding up her spine and pulled her nipples into aching peaks, but she had no doubt the Dom saw her reaction to his words.
He merely smiled. “Before I prepare you, I want to remind you that it is customary for a submissive to keep her hands clasped behind her back and her eyes cast down at all times. You are only permitted to look or speak to a Master or Mistress when given permission.”
“Yes, Master.” She looked down at his bare feet. “Please forgive me. I am just learning.”
His thumb caressed her lips before he released her chin. “There is nothing to forgive. You are doing just fine. Follow me.”
He led her through the room, stopping briefly a time or two chat with other Doms or command a submissive. She kept her eyes locked on the taut curve of his buttocks, the white filmy pants fluttering at his ankles as he took her out to the pool deck.
A long glass table with curved indentations was set off to her right. Two slaves, one male, one female, were lying on their backs on either end, their legs dangling over the ends and their thighs splayed wide, leaving their genitals open for play. Their torsos were bound tightly, the female slave’s breasts, like the male’s cock, stood tall and flushed a deep red. Claire felt her breasts swell at the thought of being open to all these people.
“Claire, like several of the submissives, you will be part of the first course.” He guided her past the buffet table to a bar suspended from the patio’s overhanging roof. “Master Xavier has given me very detailed instructions.” He took a wide leather belt from the bar and wrapped it around her waist, cinching it so it sat snug around her belly just above her hips. “My wishes for pleasure are his wishes. My commands, his commands. Do you understand?”
She nodded as he strapped leather cuffs to her wrists and attached them to either side of the belt just above her ass.
“If you are uncomfortable or unable to endure what is asked of you, use your safe word. There will be no repercussions. No judgment.” He turned her as he spoke, threading the bar through her bent elbows and across her back, reattaching it to the chain above. The posture arched her back and thrust her breasts forward.
As Master Ethan spread her legs wide, attaching a bar to her ankles, Claire relaxed into the restraints. Her Master had pinned her last night and nothing but pleasure had come from the limitations. Already the anticipation of how her Master would use her in front of all these people clenched her sex, desire running down her thighs.
Master Ethan pushed gently on her shoulders. “Bend over Claire so we can see
that beautifully swollen pussy of yours. Already I can smell the heady aroma of your arousal.” She bent at the waist, the chain clinking through the ring above her, quickening her pulse.
“The bar is strong enough to hold your weight. Don’t be afraid to use it if your knees feel weak,” he said as he tested the tautness of the chain. Apparently satisfied, he ran his hand down her back and over her ass. “Your Master has given us permission to use every part of you. Your ass, your mouth, your tits, your cunt…all for our pleasure.” His fingers flirted with her labia as he spoke. “But no one but your Master will have his cock in you. That was his one command.”
Leaning over, he swept the curtain of hair from her face. “He’s testing you, Claire. Pushing you beyond yourself.” His quiet words were only for her. “Stop hiding your darkest desires and let go. A true Dom recognizes a person who wants to submit—needs to submit to feel complete. It’s hard-wired in you, Claire. It’s not perverse or abhorrent. This desire to give up everything? It’s who you are. Embrace it.”
She could smell her cream on his fingers as he brushed his knuckles along her cheek. “He’s giving you permission to be aroused by his dominance. He wants to push you past boundaries you may not know exist, just to help you find the incredible bliss on the other side. Trust that Xavier knows what you need and will provide it. His pleasure comes from your pleasure.” His sigh feathered over her ear, sending little jolts of heated lust shivering along her nerves. “But don’t for a minute believe it isn’t you who holds all the power over him. He needs your submission like he needs his next breath. To deny him would no doubt break Xavier.”
It is he who has imprisoned me.
Master Ethan’s satin lips grazed her cheek before he stood. His words swelled her heart, making it hard to breathe. Here, in this place, surrounded by strangers, she was free to trust her Master and let go of control. Free to give her Master this part of her. There was nothing he would do that could turn her from the path.