by Stone, Anna
“That obvious, huh?” Faith said.
“I can tell there’s something on your mind, that’s all.”
“You’re right. It’s my sister. I’m worried about her.”
“The one you’re still in touch with?” Hannah asked. “Abigail?”
“Yep. She writes to me every two months like clockwork, but her latest letter is overdue. I’ve written to her twice since then, and I’ve heard nothing back.”
“You’re worried something has happened to her?”
“Yeah,” Faith said. “Or she got caught writing to me. That might be even worse. What if she’s in trouble? And all because of me.”
“It wouldn’t be your fault, Faith. Your sister is an adult. She chose to keep in touch with you. Any trouble she gets in isn’t your fault, or hers.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Look,” Hannah said. “I’m still in touch with someone back home. A teacher at the high school. She’s sympathetic to people like you and me. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind finding out if anything has happened to your sister. Of course, if Abigail is fine, you won’t know why the letters have stopped, but at least you’ll know she’s okay.”
“That would be great, Hannah. Thanks for doing this.”
“No problem,” Hannah replied. “I’m always here if you need me.”
They talked for a few more minutes until Hannah had to go. Faith hung up the phone, her gut churning with worry. There was one explanation for why her sister had stopped writing to her that Faith had refused to even consider until now. It was entirely possible that Abigail, like everyone else in her family, had started to believe that Faith’s sin of betraying their religion was unforgivable. Maybe, like everyone else, Abigail had decided that Faith was dead to her.
It wouldn’t surprise her. Her sister’s letters had never been particularly warm or friendly. It was as if Abigail had been conflicted while writing them. They had this distant, factual tone, and they rarely contained any questions for Faith’s life. Most of her letters were just superficial updates about their family. Her cousin had gotten engaged. Her oldest brother had a baby. The dogs had puppies. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for Faith to know that her family was okay. And she still cared about them, despite everything. Despite the fact that they’d rejected her.
Faith had never really gotten over that rejection. She wanted so desperately to believe in people and the idea that love and acceptance were real. But it was hard to believe that when the people in her life who were supposed to love her unconditionally had turned their backs on her.
She pulled herself together. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on the past. She had to get ready for tonight.
By the time Faith arrived at Lilith’s Den, she was a jumble of nerves and excitement. She entered the foyer, where Eve had promised to wait for her, and scanned the room. It was ‘ladies only’ night again, and there were a few women milling about, but Faith couldn’t find Eve.
Her eyes landed on a woman in a corset, with straight blonde hair and dark, smoky eyes. Eve. The corset she wore was different from the last time. This one was made of dark purple silk overlaid with black lace patterned with flowers. It was paired with a short black skirt, dark stockings, and those red-soled stiletto heels Faith had spotted in Eve’s closet so long ago.
Faith’s breath caught in her throat. For the first time, she felt like she was seeing Eve clearly. At first, she’d thought of Eve and the woman in the corset as two different people. As she and Eve had grown closer, and Eve had revealed more of herself, Faith had started to see Eve and the woman in the corset as two sides of the same coin. After all, Eve herself had said she thought of them as two different parts of her.
But that was wrong too. Eve and the woman in the corset were one. They were the same dominant, powerful, captivating woman who made Faith hunger for something she never thought she’d want. And Faith couldn’t believe that this woman wanted her so badly that she was willing to risk everything.
Eve spotted Faith, her dark eyes lighting up. She beckoned Faith over. Faith’s feet carried her to Eve’s side.
Eve raked her eyes up Faith’s body, her gaze brimming with lust. “You look so divine.” She cupped Faith’s cheek with her hand. “I’m going to enjoy showing you off tonight. Showing everyone you’re mine.”
Faith’s pulse began to race. The idea of being possessed by anyone else would have unsettled her. But the idea of being possessed by Eve filled her with an undeniable heat.
“I have something for you,” Eve said. “Something that will make sure every single person in this club knows that you belong to me.”
Eve reached into her purse and produced a flat, square box. She opened it up and held it out to Faith, displaying its contents. Inside lay a wide choker-style necklace made up of rows and rows of sparkling diamonds.
Faith gasped. “Are those real?”
“Of course,” Eve said.
Faith reached into the box and ran her fingers along the necklace. She’d never touched anything so precious. The choker wasn’t the only thing in the box. Coiled beside the necklace was a chain as thick as a finger.
“The chain is platinum,” Eve said. “Strong but beautiful. Only the best for my pet .”
It all came together in Faith’s mind. The necklace was a collar.
The chain was a leash.
Faith’s skin began to tingle.
“I’ll put it on for you.” Eve took the choker out of the box. Brushing Faith’s hair to the side, Eve fastened the collar around Faith’s neck. It fit snugly. The silver felt cool against Faith’s skin.
Eve stepped back, examining her. “It looks lovely on you. There’s just one thing left to do.”
Eve took the leash and clipped it to the small ring at the front of the collar. She gave it an experimental tug. The delicate-looking chain was surprisingly strong.
“Don’t worry, I won’t make you crawl around.” Eve slid her hand up the leash to the base of the collar, reeling Faith in closer. “At least, not this time.”
Faith’s mouth opened then closed again. Eve wasn’t serious, was she?
Eve laughed softly. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”
Faith followed her to the door. She didn’t have much of a choice with Eve holding the other end of the leash. Mercifully, the leash was long enough for them to walk a few feet apart.
They entered the club. Just like the last time Faith had visited Lilith’s Den, it was packed with all kinds of women, all dressed richly, whether in leather, lace, or suits.
“Let’s find somewhere to sit,” Eve said. “Have a drink. Relax. Just the two of us.”
“Sure.” Faith glanced around. No one was giving Faith and Eve a second look. A woman being led around on a leash was completely normal here. Faith liked that. And she liked having this tangible symbol of the relationship between her and Eve. Faith belonged to Eve. She was Eve’s treasured pet. There was no doubt about it.
Eve tugged on Faith’s collar, pulling her toward the other end of the room. Faith was so distracted by everything around them that she almost tipped over as she hurried to follow. She was still just as in awe of the glamour and spectacle of it all as she’d been that first night in Lilith’s Den. But this time she didn’t feel any conflict or unease.
This time, it excited her.
They sat down in a dimly lit corner. A server came by to take their drink orders. Eve draped an arm around Faith’s shoulders, letting the leash hang loosely from her wrist. They lost themselves in each other’s words, and touch, and the dark, kinky world of Lilith’s Den.
Faith brought her hand up to the collar around her neck. She was starting to realize that what she felt for Eve was far more than just desire. Perhaps she was wrong to feel like she’d never again find that sense of belonging, that feeling like she had a place in the world. With Eve, she almost felt like she had that.
Eve reached out and drew her fingers through Faith’s hair. “You look like you’re enjoying
yourself.”
“I am,” Faith replied. “Thanks for bringing me here tonight.”
Eve smothered her with a kiss. Her lips were warm and soft.
Eve broke away. Her eyes wandered over to the far side of the room, where a crowd was gathered. There was a stage there, but Faith couldn’t see it from their seat.
“Looks like there’s a performance going on,” Eve said. “Let’s go take a closer look. I want you to see this.”
Using the leash, Eve drew Faith up and led her toward the stage. They pushed through the crowd until they reached a spot from which they could both see clearly.
On stage were a pair of women. One was blindfolded and bound, her ankles tied together, her arms stretched up above her and tied to a hook hanging from the ceiling. She was on her tiptoes, dressed only in a bra and panties.
The other woman stood behind her, wearing leather from head to toe, a short whip with dozens of tails in her hand. Faith had seen one just like it in that drawer under Eve’s bed. Beside her was a table with several items on it. A feather. A lit candle. More whips.
From behind her, Eve wrapped her arms around Faith’s body, pulling her in close. “Watch her,” Eve said. “See the way her Domme mixes all the different sensations, pain and pleasure.”
On stage, the woman kissed her submissive’s neck tenderly while trailing the tails of the whip up the other woman’s bare back. She whispered something into her submissive’s ear, then drew back and struck the other woman’s thighs with the whip, over and over.
The bound woman twitched and quaked, her muscles tense. But slowly her body slackened in its bonds, and her face took on a euphoric expression. It was like she was under the influence of some incredible drug. And each time the other woman struck her, she let out a pleasured cry that could be heard even over the club’s music. Faith felt heat growing deep within her.
“Tell me.” Eve’s breath caressed Faith’s ear. “What’s going through your mind when you look at her? The submissive.”
“How amazing that must feel,” Faith said. “How much I want to feel what she feels.”
On stage, the woman put down the whip and kissed her bound submissive with unexpected tenderness. Her submissive trembled at her touch. Was this that sweet surrender Faith had heard so much about? Was this what she craved?
“Eve?” Faith’s voice shook. “Can you show me? Show me what that’s like?”
“I can,” Eve said softly. “I can show you here and now if you want.”
Here and now? Faith looked around. The club was set up with all kinds of equipment and restraints. No one was shy about using it all, but it hadn’t occurred to Faith to try any of it out.
“Yes,” she said. “I want that,”
“Even with everyone watching?”
Faith bit her lip in thought. There was something exhilarating about the idea, of having Eve toy with her while others looked on. Faith had never done anything like it before. But this was all new territory for her. And she wanted to explore it all.
She turned to face Eve. “Yes. Even with everyone watching.”
Eve’s lips twisted into a smile. “I knew from the day we met that you were the wild type. I underestimated just how wild you were.” She wrapped the leash around her hand and gave it a tug, pulling Faith toward her. “Come with me.”
Chapter Sixteen
F aith followed Eve away from the stage, the crowd thinning around them. They reached the back of the room where all kinds of equipment was set up. A big wooden cross. Something that looked like medieval stocks. A strange metal contraption that Faith couldn’t even figure out how to use.
Eve wandered past it all, pulling Faith along behind her as she surveyed each piece of equipment. Faith’s pulse thrummed in her ears. Had she really agreed to do this?
Eve waved her hand toward the cross. “All this is too showy.” She stopped, her eyes fixing on the wall before her. “I prefer something simpler.”
Faith followed the path of Eve’s gaze. Bolted to the wall were four metal rings which formed the corners of a square. Two were near the ground and two were above head height. Attached to each ring was a short chain connected to a heavy metal cuff.
Something stirred deep in Faith’s stomach. Cuffed spread-eagled to the wall, Faith would be even more helpless than the woman on the stage. Eve would be free to do whatever she wanted with her.
“We’re going to do something a little different,” Eve said. “Red is still your safeword. But if you want me to slow down, say yellow.”
Faith nodded, unable to break her eyes away from the wall.
Eve drew her in, letting her lips sweep against Faith’s cheek. “You’re safe in my hands, pet.”
Eve kissed her gently. At once, Faith’s nerves transformed into anxious excitement. Eve pulled her over to the wall and let go of the leash. One by one, she shackled Faith’s wrists to the wall, locking each cuff with a small metal pin.
“Feet apart.” Eve pressed her knee between Faith’s thighs, pushing them apart. She dropped to her knees and cuffed both Faith’s ankles.
Faith pulled at her restraints, testing them. The cuffs were lighter than they looked, but they were solid and strong. Faith’s heart hammered against her chest. She was unable to move. Unable to free herself. Unable to do anything but let Eve toy with her. And the Eve who stood before her was different from the woman who had tied Faith up in her office. This Eve was far more intense and far less playful.
Eve unclipped the leash from Faith’s collar and coiled it around her hand before placing it to the side. “I wasn’t planning to do this with you here tonight. But I like the idea of showing everyone how complete your submission to me is.”
Faith looked around. Though the club was full, almost everyone was watching the stage or busy with their own play. But there were a few casual eyes on her and Eve, watching with mild interest. This was an everyday occurrence here. But for Faith, this was a first. The first time she let Eve fully take control over her. The first time she’d let anyone watch. And those watching eyes set her skin alight.
Eve drew her hand down the side of Faith’s throat, her fingers brushing the collar. “It’s a pity I didn’t bring any of my toys,” she said. “I’ll have to improvise.”
Eve waved over a wandering waitress and said something to her that Faith couldn’t hear. The waitress disappeared. Faith didn’t dare ask Eve what she was going to do with her. All she could do was squirm hopelessly in her chains.
Less than a minute later, the waitress returned. She placed a tray down on the table next to them. It held a single glass, filled to the brim with ice. Eve slipped the waitress a generous tip. Faith didn’t know what Eve was playing at, but the waitress seemed unfazed by the unusual request.
Eve reached into the glass and pulled out two ice cubes. “Let’s get started, pet.”
Her eyes never leaving Faith’s, Eve slipped one of the ice cubes between her lips. She leaned in and pressed her mouth to Faith’s, the icy kiss sending a shock through Faith’s body. It was so intense, so invigorating, that she almost forgot she was bound.
Something cool and hard slid down the side of Faith’s neck. She gasped. It was the other ice cube. Her lips still on Faith’s, Eve dragged the ice down the center of Faith’s chest and between her breasts, leaving a trail of icy water behind. Faith drew in a sharp breath. The sting of the ice felt good against her warm skin. She’d been overheated all night, a combination of the stuffiness of the club and the desire that Eve ignited in her.
Eve glided the ice cube all over Faith’s chest, letting it linger on the parts of her breasts uncovered by her blouse. The cube of ice melted down to nothing, leaving rivulets running over Faith’s numb skin. Eve took another ice cube from the glass and drew it over the curve of Faith’s breasts, right next to the neckline of her blouse. Faith sucked air through her teeth. She was dangerously close to Faith’s nipples. Was Eve going to expose her there and then?
Eve read her mind. “I’m a sel
fish Mistress,” she said. “What’s underneath those clothes is for my eyes only. And my hands.”
She slipped the ice cube into the front of Faith’s blouse and dragged it over her nipple. Faith hissed. The burning sensation was so intense that her knees threatened to give out from under her. The word ‘yellow’ formed in her mind. But as the shock passed, her whole body flooded with the most intoxicating sensation. And when the ice was replaced by Eve’s soft, warm fingers, Faith almost collapsed.
“You see how good that feels?” Eve said. “The way pain and pleasure blend together?”
“Yes, Mistress.” The words tumbled from her lips unbidden. She was losing control of her own mind as well as her body.
A smile played on Eve’s lips. Inside Faith’s blouse, Eve wore the ice cube down to nothing, then took another and teased Faith’s other nipple with it. Faith shivered feverishly, overcome by all the conflicting sensations. All the while, the eyes of those nearby looked on, watching as Eve toyed with her bound, powerless submissive. And all the while, the fire in Faith’s core grew hotter and fiercer.
Eve reached around and unzipped the back of Faith’s skirt, just enough to slide her hand inside Faith’s waistband. Eve slid the ice cube down into Faith’s panties, letting it graze over her outer lips.
Faith jerked against the wall. The kiss of the ice, the frigid water dribbling into her slit, only inflamed her even more. She whimpered.
“I’ve heard that sound before.” Eve pulled the ice cube up out of Faith’s panties and tossed it aside. “You want me to fuck you, don’t you?”
Faith’s face grew hot. She hadn’t intended this when she asked Eve to show her what it felt like to be the woman on stage. But everything about this was turning her on.
She nodded furiously.
“I don’t know about that.” Eve drew her hand further down, cupping Faith’s mound. Her fingers still felt cool from the ice. “You belong to me alone. Your pleasure belongs to me alone. Why should I share that with anyone else? Why should I let anyone see that?”