The Protege

by Kailin Gow

  Was she truly prepared to return inside the safety of the cage she’d known? Did she really want to leave behind the world she’d come to know? This past year she’d made friends, notably Laura, whom she cherished. She’d gotten her feet wet in an ocean of music and had truly had every intention of pursuing a career in composition. But most of all, she’d found someone who surprised her; someone who brought out in her everything she’d always wanted to be.

  Yes, Sebastian could be difficult at times. He was demanding and his hands could be rough while making love to her, but that passion… At the thought of his lips, his tongue, his hands, heat swelled inside her and left a thin layer of moisture over her chilled limbs.

  Shaking her head, she shoved those heated thoughts aside. As amusing as those passionate nights had been, she had to accept the fact that she was a mere plaything where he was concerned. While she’d captured him in her bed, Willow was the one who’d captured the rest of him.

  She bit back the tears of frustration. She missed him already and knew he’d be in her heart longer than she’d expected. That had been the mistake; allowing her heart to warm to him. Though their time together had been relatively short, she’d quickly felt the strong stirrings of emotion for him. It was the one rule she shouldn’t have crossed…getting emotionally involved with the target. Especially in her role playing.

  But things have gotten complicated, not at all what she had anticipated. Him getting poisoned, the apartment being ransacked, and then the attack on her. Someone else had entered the party…someone she and her protégé Olivia, didn’t anticipate. Plus the whole thing with Willow and the Sorensens…

  Warm, strong hands encircled her waist and the hard caress of her Master’s need pressed into her backside, erasing all thoughts of Sebastian. His greedy fingers found the slit in her gown and quickly slipped under her silk panties, knowing exactly where to touch to bring her to immediate climax. They dipped inside, finding heat and moisture while his other hand plucked at one breast then the other until they were both hard and attentive.

  As much as Serena loved Sebastian, she couldn’t deny the affection she had for this man, her Master. She owed him so much and without him, she couldn’t even imagine where she’d be; what she’d be. Probably still on the streets where he’d found her when she was only nineteen; probably begging, stealing, or worse. She would have never known the luxury of his magnificent suite and all of the spoils that came with his incredible wealth. She would have never tasted the exquisite joys of making love. He’d been her first, and he’d taken great care to teach her the intricacies of pleasure. He’d taken great pride in molding her into his ideal sexual creature, though taking care to keep her looking pure and innocent while she’d become a creature all men desired. And capable of taking on many sexual roles like a seasoned actress.

  “How does this feel, Serena?” he murmured into her ear. He licked her lobe, pulled it between his teeth and sucked. When she remained silent, he turned her to face him. With increased determination, his fingers plunged in deeper, seeking the special spot that always pleased her. “What has you so silent, my beloved? Cat got your tongue?”

  Her lips parted and her lids fell heavily over her eyes, but the moans he awaited failed to come.

  “I’ll remedy that fast enough,” he whispered, his voice deep, husky and commanding. His fingers worked in perfect harmony, one reaching deep inside her while two more played with the folds of moist skin. His free hand slipped the strap off her shoulder, baring her breast. With hunger that bordered on savage, he clasped his lips to her nipple and sucked for a brief moment before pulling back to look at her. “I’ll ask you again. How does that feel?”

  “Good.”

  “Good, what?” He reached around to soundly smack her bottom.

  A shiver of pleasure and pain shot through her. “Good, Master.”

  “What if I stopped?”

  “No. Don’t stop.” These were the sensations that always left her weak; that always left her begging for more. The pleasure he brought her was intoxicating and impossible to resist, and her Master knew it all too well. He knew how to play her; how to tease her and how to drive her to the brink of insanity, all with his touch.

  “What do you want me to do?”

  She wanted to be strong enough to tell him to wait. She knew it was what he truly had in mind; to torture her with anticipation. “I want you inside me,” she finally said. “I want you to fill me, to stroke me, to fuck me until I can’t walk straight for weeks.”

  He chuckled, a pleased sound that resonated from deep in his chest. In one quick motion, he pulled his fingers out of her and jacked her up onto the cement railing that encircled the balcony. His hard fingers pried her knees apart and he stared at her.

  She should have been afraid. So high above the beach, the street, the people who went about their business far below, she would normally have been more concerned with her safety than anything else. But now that danger seemed insignificant. It was the void left by his fingers that was unbearable. It was the need to be touched by him that took precedence.

  “I’m not ready to plunge into you just yet.” He sneered while his gaze swept over her.

  “Then your mouth.”

  “What would you have me do with my mouth?”

  “Taste me. Warm me with your mouth. Make love to me with your tongue and lips.”

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned over to slide his tongue under her panties. The moment his tongue reached the sensitive nub of skin that beckoned his touch, she quivered with joy and clung to him. Her fingers dug into his neck while her legs wrapped around his waist.

  “I want you inside me,” she commanded. “Oh, God, how I want you inside me. I want to feel you pounding against me. I need…” to forget Sebastian Sorensen.

  “Missed me?” Her Master said. It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

  “Yes,” she breathed, writhing against his skillful tongue. “Oh, please fill me now, Master.”

  “Do you regret leaving me, leaving this, leaving everything?” He paused his thorough licking for a moment to run a finger down her breast, her stomach, and into her hard.

  Serena shuddered with need and pleasure. “Yes, Master. I did.”

  He leaned in and whispered into her ears, “I gave you everything I had. Everything I own, but it wasn’t enough.”

  “I love you for it, but it wasn’t enough,” Serena said. “I needed a life of my own, to follow my own dreams, not be your shadow, your submissive forever.”

  “But you were born to be, Serena. We were made for each other.” He increased the pressure and the rhythm of his fingers, causing her to moan and cry out.

  “Oh, fuck it. I was wrong. I belong with you, and you need to get your dick into me now…Master.”

  He chuckled. “The old Serena, the hot-tempered, impatient Serena from the streets is talking, isn’t she?”

  “Yes, and right now, she wants a good banging up the wall, right here, while stark naked on our balcony facing the ocean. I want you to now, dammit.”

  “Not yet.” He brought his tongue back to the furthest reaches of her moistened lips and gave her a few slow, tantalizing licks.

  The pleasure left her dizzy and giddy.

  With a throaty moan that displayed his arousal, he picked her up and brought her inside. Her fingers dug through his thick waves of golden hair as her lips taunted the warm skin of his neck, causing him to groan.

  As he’d done so many times before, he set her on his bed and reached for the silken straps that’d been sewn into the four corners of the bed. With unhurried patience, he bound one wrist, then worked at binding her other wrist, though with more urgency. When he bound her ankles, he was clearly impatient, tying her so tightly, she knew she’d have marks to show for it the next day.

  “Now?” she asked.

  He reached for one of her favorite silk ties; the pale green one that matched his eyes.

  “I’d like to be able to s
ee you, Master.”

  “Not this time.” He covered her eyes with the tie and knotted it behind her head. “Such beautiful eyes, Serena. Men could drown in them. Make them weak with need for you.”

  “Now?” she asked again.

  “Now, what?”

  “Now, Master.”

  “Who do you belong to?” he asked. “Who have you always belonged to?”

  “You,” Serena replied. “I’ve always belonged to you.” She groaned in anticipation as she heard the sound of wrapping paper being opened and the subtle sound of latex unraveling.

  A few seconds later, she felt his weight on the bed, then felt the heat of his skin against hers. His lips played over her skin, teasing, tickling and arousing. “It’s been so long since I’ve kissed you all over like this, Serena. I want to savor it. I want to make you mine all over again. I want to make you forget anyone and everyone who has ever come between us. Inch by tantalizing inch.”

  Unable to wait any longer, Serena lifted her hips up toward him. “Now, Master. Please relieve this hunger now.”

  Straightening his arms, he held himself off her a long moment, his breath hot and heavy as he silently tortured her. He glided his hardness through the moisture that awaited him then plunged deep inside her. “Like this!”

  Serena let out a feral growl as his ample hard penis filled her completely, plunging deeper and deeper, arching his flexible muscular back. His lips caressed her breasts, heightening the pleasure he brought her. Though she wanted to extend the pleasure, to feel his skin against hers last all night, her body was ready to explode within minutes.

  With an orgasmic cry that filled the room, her body shook, her hips rising up to meet his as he, too, let out an animalistic howl.

  “My Serena. My beautiful girl, so beautiful, so innocent, so perfectly wild right where I need you to be.” Releasing the ties at her wrists, he lay beside her. As he held her, he stroked her hair and kissed her temple.

  She’d forgotten how gentle he could be. More often than not, he’d proven to be rough in his love making and harsh in his demands. He was her Master, and that was his right. But, occasionally, his hand was soft and loving.

  For all his gentle caresses, she knew she’d have more than one marking to remind her of this night. Playful bites on her shoulder would mark her for days as would the bruising from the hard fingers that squeezed too tightly on her thighs.

  Camouflaging those marks had become second nature to her.

  “Master,” she said with great reverence. “When will it be my turn?”

  “When you make the switch?”

  “I have already,” she said. “Months after leaving you, I made the switch.”

  “But when it comes to me, Serena, what am I to you?”

  “My Master,” she said. “My Master, my love, my everything.”

  “And I am yours,” he said, kissing her.

  Chapter 18

  Sebastian realized the extent of danger he’d put Serena in, but getting Laura to understand that danger was proving difficult. She remained tight-lipped about Serena’s whereabouts.

  “Okay,” he finally said. “Stay right there and I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Reprimanding himself for not thinking of it sooner, he rushed down to his car. In the trunk he found his suitcase, unzipped a compartment and pulled out the picture of Serena. Certain this would convince Laura of the danger that surrounded Serena, he hurried back up to her apartment.

  “Look at what I found on the windshield of my car.” He shoved the photo in her hand. “That was all the way in Seattle.”

  Laura visibly blanched.

  “Now do you believe me?”

  “Okay, so someone isn’t too happy to see you with Serena,” she said after a long moment of contemplation. “That being said, I’m sure she’s safe where she is, at least with regards to whoever scratched her face out like this.” She held up the photo. “Her master has always taken care of her.”

  Sebastian cringed, white hot jealousy shot through him like he’s never felt before. As far as he was concerned, Serena was his now.

  “Besides, that still doesn’t change the fact that you played with her while planning to marry another.”

  “I told you. I have no intention of marrying another. For the time being, I have no intention of marrying anyone.” A sense of desperation took over him. Time was ticking away and he was losing patience. “Look, I cut my business trip short because I felt it was important to come and protect Serena. Are you really willing to let her remain in danger? This Master you talk about, if he doesn’t know the danger Serena is in, he might not be in a position to really help her.”

  Laura stared at him, her lips parted with the desire to answer him.

  “I flew back from Seattle just to see her. I care that much about her. I’d do anything to protect her… and I’ll do anything to get her back. She’s all I think about. Not an hour goes by when I can’t wait to get back to her, to be with her.” Sebastian shook his head. He’d never admit it, but Serena had now become part of his reason for breathing. She was everything to him.

  “Anything?”

  “Anything and everything.”

  “Then, my dear Professor, you’d better be prepared for just that… everything, because that is the price he’ll want for her. Don’t expect him to just stand aside and let you take over. He’ll make you move heaven and earth before he’ll relinquish his power over her.”

  Turning away, Sebastian snorted in frustration. “My God. What has she gotten herself into? How in the world did she get mixed up in something so crazy?”

  “The woman you met is quite different from the young woman she was a few years ago.”

  Sebastian turned back to her.

  “It might not look like it now, but she had a rough start. Her parents weren’t around and she had to pretty much raise herself. She’d been out on the streets for over six months when he found her. She was a skeleton of the girl you know, but somehow he saw something beautiful in her. From what she’s told me, he changed her life. He saved her life. He taught her what life could be, if she trusted him. He fed her, clothed her and pampered her. He also turned her into the lover he desired.”

  His skin went cold as he thought of his nights with Serena. How the thought of another man touching her, brought murderous rage in him. No one can touch her like he can…break through that innocence to see the wild woman she was underneath. Yes, he’d noticed just how talented she was. He’d enjoyed every physical contact he’d had with her. Her touch was comparable to that of an expert, but he’d simply thought she had that natural instinct. He’d never even allowed for the possibility of her prior experience with such a man as this master Laura spoke of.

  “On more than one occasion she’s told me just how indebted she is towards him. She feels she owes him everything, including herself.”

  “That’s ridiculous. In this day and age? In this country? How can anyone belong to another?”

  “I guess unless you’ve been through what she’s been through, you can’t really understand. Believe me, I did try to help her adjust to life outside his realm. I tried to help her live a normal life. In the past little while she’d become stronger. She was determined to rebuild her life, her way. Regaining her self-esteem and confidence was difficult, but she was getting there.”

  “Her love of music…” Sebastian muttered as he stared off into space. In his mind’s eye, he saw her, so innocent, so naïve, so willing and eager to learn.

  “Yes. I think music played a big part in saving her. She clung to it like a buoy and put her heart and soul into it.”

  “Yeah. I’ll admit she’s been a very determined student.”

  “Unfortunately, the spell he has over her is stronger than her love of music.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  “That’s the hold he has on her. He controls her like a marionette. Looks like he did a great job of training her. She’ll do whatever he asks of her.”<
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  “It seems so unlike her.”

  “She does hold great affection for him.”

  “You think she loves him?” Sebastian asked incredulously.

  “It might not be a healthy love, but, yes, I do think she loves him.”

  Never a man to hold an ounce of jealousy, Sebastian wanted to fall back from the force of the painful impact. The thought of Serena with him; with this man, any man other than himself… it twisted his gut in a way that bordered on excruciating.

  When he looked at Laura, he saw sympathy in her eyes.

  “You really care about her, huh?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I…” He chocked and coughed, surprised by the intensity of emotion he felt. “I do.”

  Laura nodded.

  “Where is she?” His question was soft spoken, almost defeated.

  “She’ll kill me for this, but…” Laura walked to the kitchen and found her purse. She pulled out a little pink notebook with a matching pen attached to it with a small pink elastic band. After shooting one last skeptical glance at Sebastian, she scribbled on the first page of the notebook and ripped the sheet out. “Here.”

  He reached out for the sheet of paper, but she quickly withdrew it.

  “This is where she’s staying. I’d like nothing better than to have you succeed in getting her back; in getting her out of there. At least with you, you can help her live a normal life – one which she’ll be able to be the master or mistress of her own life. I owe Serena a lot. She put up with a lot of shit from me when I hit a few rough patches a while back. I hope she’d consider this payback. I hope she’ll realize that I’m doing this for her own good.

  “I’m sure she will.” Once again, he reached for the sheet of paper, but she held it aloft.

  “I hope you’ll help her move forward and not allow her to fall deeper into the black hole that will surely swallow her up for good this time.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “But, if you break her heart, if you get her away from her master only to turn around and break her heart, you will have me to contend with.” She glared at him. “You understand me?”