by Stone, Anna
Eve returned with the wine and poured them each a glass, then sat down across from Faith. “Dinner is served.”
Faith took a bite of her salmon. It tasted as good as it looked. “This is incredible.”
“It’s an old family recipe, along with the salad,” Eve said. “But dessert is my own creation.”
Faith swallowed another mouthful. “What’s for dessert?”
“The most decadent chocolate cream pie you’ve ever tasted. But we’re going to save it for later. For afterward. ”
“After what?”
Eve sat back and narrowed her eyes at Faith. “You’re full of questions this evening, aren’t you? You’ll have to wait and see. Right now, your only job is to relax and eat your dinner.”
“You’re the boss.” A smile tugged at Faith’s lips. “Thanks for all this. With everything that’s been going on, I really needed it.”
Eve’s expression softened. “How’ve you been doing?”
“I’m okay. Honestly, more than anything else, I was upset with myself for being so upset. For not being able to let go of that old life. But maybe I don’t have to let go of it altogether. There was some good stuff with the bad, after all. It was nice, being part of a big family. And there was this automatic sense of community, of belonging. Everyone was generous and kind.” Faith sighed. “That was, as long as you did what was expected of you.”
“It sounds like a lot of pressure,” Eve said.
“It was. I was never very good at following the rules. There were just so many. Women weren’t even allowed to wear pants or cut their hair. I can’t even imagine what my life would have been like if I hadn’t left. I guess I’d be just like my little sister. Married with three kids, living a life of domesticity. Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” Faith added.
“Believe me, I’m with you there. I was never suited for that life either.”
“I’m just glad I have a choice now. That I have control over my own fate.” Faith took a long sip of her wine. Freedom sure tasted sweet.
As dinner wore on, evening turned to night, and Faith found herself opening up more and more about her old life. She didn’t usually talk about it much. Everything about her upbringing was so alien to most people. But Eve seemed to understand her in a way no one else did.
“It must have been difficult, leaving it all behind,” Eve said. “Giving up everything you knew. Adjusting to a new life.”
Faith nodded. “It was a big culture shock. I had to learn everything I thought I knew about the world all over again. It was hard, but not as hard as it could have been. Up until that point, for my life, I felt like the world I lived in didn’t make sense. It was only after I left home that I was finally able to understand myself. Don’t get me wrong, there was a long adjustment period. It took me months not to feel weird wearing jeans. And when I finally realized how much freedom I had, I went a little wild.”
She thought back to her high school and college days. They’d been filled with drinking, partying, and fooling around. “But all that experimentation and exploration helped me figure a lot out. About myself, about my sexuality. And when I did figure it all out, I didn’t have any negative feelings. It was a relief. It was like this whole world had opened up for me, one where I could be whatever I wanted to be, and love who I wanted to love, and experience all these things I never dreamed of. I eventually settled down, but there’s still plenty I haven’t figured out about myself.”
“I’ve been thinking about it, and you’re right,” Eve said. “Life is just a constant quest to find ourselves. I’ve been doing a lot of that over the past few years too.”
“I guess your world must have changed pretty drastically when you got divorced,” Faith said .
“It did, and in a good way. It forced me to find out who I really was. I had to wrap my head around my attraction to women too. It was always something I suspected about myself, but I never got to explore it until the separation.” Eve’s lips curved up slightly, her eyes fixing on Faith’s. “Since then, I’ve learned far more about myself and my tastes beyond just liking women.”
“You mean, like how much you like having women tied up on your bed, so to speak?” Eve had mentioned her first foray into the world of BDSM had been after her separation.
“Exactly. But you should know, although there were women before you, you’re the only one I’ve had bound up in my bed.”
Faith bit back a smile. “Didn’t you promise that you’d tie me up on your bed in person sometime?”
“I did. And I have every intention of keeping that promise.” Eve picked up her glass of wine. “Just as soon as we finish dinner.”
Chapter Twenty
A fter dinner, Eve led Faith to her bedroom. Once they were inside, Eve went over to the dresser and retrieved a small, familiar key. It was the key to the drawers underneath her bed.
Faith waited in silence, anxiety swirling within her. From the moment she’d laid eyes on Eve at Lilith’s Den all those nights ago, all she’d wanted was Eve to show her the depths of surrender. But now that she was faced with it, she felt wholly unprepared.
Eve unlocked a drawer and pulled it open. Inside was a selection of ropes in different colors and sizes, all neatly coiled, along with several pairs of handcuffs and restraints made of leather.
Eve withdrew two lengths of thick white rope and placed them on the bed. Wordlessly, she beckoned Faith to her. Piece by piece, she stripped off Faith’s clothes. The soft brush of Eve’s fingers made goosebumps sprout on her skin.
Eve unclipped Faith’s bra and slid it from her shoulders, leaving her in just her panties. She raked her eyes down Faith’s body. Faith resisted the impulse to shield herself with her arms. Something about the way Eve looked at her made her feel even more exposed than she was.
Without taking her eyes off Faith, Eve pulled off her dress, letting it fall to the floor, and removed her bra and panties. Faith drank Eve in with her eyes. It was the first time she’d seen Eve naked, and it was a sight to behold. The other night, Faith had thought there was nothing more irresistibly dominant than Eve in just a corset. She’d been so wrong. Here and now, before Eve’s bare body, Faith was gripped with an urge to fall to her knees and to worship every part of Eve like she had the other night.
Instead, she stood by, her head bowed, awaiting Eve’s command.
“Lie down on the bed for me,” Eve said.
Faith climbed onto the bed and lay down. All the covers and cushions had been removed, leaving only a single pillow and dark silk sheets that felt smooth against her bare skin. The ropes lay on the bed next to her.
Eve joined Faith on the bed, straddling her body. Eve’s weight atop her felt overpowering. But it was the sight of Eve, looking down at Faith with her breasts bared and her eyes ablaze, that took Faith’s breath away.
Eve drew Faith’s arms up toward the headboard, then picked up one of the coils of rope. She unwound it carefully. “Remember your safewords. Red. Yellow.”
Faith nodded. Eve brought Faith’s wrists together and looped the rope around and through them before tying a finishing knot. She took the tail of rope and pulled Faith’s arms up, tying her wrists to the headboard.
Faith looked up. Her arms were stretched high above her. She wriggled her arms. The knots binding her wrists were strong and secure.
“Stop that.” Eve looked down at Faith, her gaze hard. “Faith, what I need from you right now is for you to let go. To let all resistance fall away. To trust me. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes.” In truth, Faith didn’t know if she could give Eve what she demanded, but she wanted to with all her heart.
Still straddling Faith’s body, Eve picked up the other coil of rope and turned herself around so she was sitting atop Faith’s thighs, facing away from her. Faith stared at the other woman’s smooth, hourglass-shaped back as she took Faith’s ankles and bound them together.
Eve got up from her perch on Faith’s thighs and looked down at her hungr
ily. With her wrists and ankles bound together, her body stretched out, Faith could barely move at all. She couldn’t help but feel like she was a dish on a platter, served up for Eve.
Eve slid her hands down Faith’s sides. “You look so lovely, laid out for me like that.” She grabbed the waistband of Faith’s panties and drew them all the way down to her bound ankles.
Faith let out a shuddering breath. She’d been tied up by Eve before, but not like this. Not naked and helpless, all alone with her. But Faith wasn’t powerless. She had her words. Red. Yellow. She could control what happened next. She could choose to make everything stop. She could choose to take it slow.
Or, she could choose surrender.
Faith closed her eyes and let calm wash over her. It did nothing to still her racing heart. But her heart wasn’t racing out of fear. Every part of her body was screaming for this.
Cradling Faith’s cheek in her hand, Eve dipped down to speak into her ear. “That’s it. Just relax. Give in to all those wonderful feelings.”
Eve kissed her, long and slow. Faith dissolved into Eve’s lips. Gently, Eve rolled Faith onto her stomach then got up from the bed. The bed shook beneath Faith as Eve opened and closed a drawer underneath it.
A moment later, Faith felt something soft and flat skimming across her back. She opened her eyes and twisted around to look. Eve stood by the bed, a long, thin riding crop in her hand. She drew it up the side of Faith’s neck. A shiver went through her.
“Keep your eyes closed,” Eve said.
Faith obeyed.
“Remember what we spoke about the other night? About mixing pain and pleasure?” Eve swept the riding crop down the curve of Faith’s back, over her hipbones to the flesh of her ass cheeks. “I’m going to show you how a little pain makes the pleasure so much sweeter.”
Silence fell over the room. Despite everything, all Faith felt was calm. When Eve began tapping Faith’s ass cheek with the riding crop, that feeling only intensified. Each smack made Faith tingle all over. She pressed her cheek into the pillow, sinking into the bed as Eve slapped her harder and harder. The skin on her cheeks grew warm.
Suddenly, Faith felt a sharp sting on her ass, accompanied by a loud crack. She hissed. It should have shocked her out of her trance-like state. But as the heat dissipated through her, she found herself falling even deeper .
Eve ran the flat of the crop along Faith’s ass cheek. “More?”
“Yes,” Faith murmured. “Please.”
Eve continued to strike her with the crop, one cheek after the other, the leather tip biting into her skin. Her whole body began to burn, her core flaring hot and bright, her veins flooding with adrenaline and desire.
She didn’t know how long she lay there for, thrashing and squirming as Eve assailed her with the riding crop, loud cracks echoing through the room. The next thing she was aware of was a cooling hand on her ass. She peered over her shoulder, straining against the ropes binding her. Eve kneeled next to her, caressing her freshly spanked ass cheeks.
Faith lay back down with a sigh. Eve’s touch felt exquisite. As the pain faded, she felt the warmth from her cheeks spreading deep into her. Eve’s touch on her sensitized skin went from soothing to electrifying, sending sparks slithering between her lower lips. The fact that her legs were tied together only intensified the heat between them.
Faith ground against the bed, trying to put out the fire within. She let out a whimper.
Eve slid her hand down, forcing it between Faith’s bound thighs, her fingers pushing into Faith’s slit. “Do you see now? All that pain has primed your body for pleasure. And how I love seeing you so ready and eager.” She drew her hand back up, tracing a wet finger over Faith’s ass cheek. “Had enough of pain? Ready for some pleasure?”
“Yes,” Faith whispered. She arched her back, urging Eve’s fingers into where she wanted them .
Eve turned Faith onto her back and began untying her ankles. They were already trying to break free. Once her bonds were undone, Eve pulled Faith’s panties from where they were tangled around her ankles, tossing them behind her, and pushed Faith’s legs apart.
Anticipation flared inside her. Eve clawed her way up Faith’s thighs, coming to rest with her head between them. Faith strained toward her, anticipation flaring inside. With her wrists still bound to the headboard, she couldn’t move far.
“Eve,” she whined.
Eve grabbed onto Faith’s waist and drew her fingernails down Faith’s sides, leaving long pink scratches behind. Still, she didn’t give Faith what she so clearly wanted. Faith writhed and twisted about, but it was futile. Defeated, she settled back against the bed, lying still.
After what felt like an eternity, Eve parted Faith’s lips with her tongue and ran it up Faith’s slit. Faith shuddered. The way Eve swirled her tongue over Faith’s folds and probed at her swollen nub set her whole body alight.
Faith bucked and writhed, overcome. Her ass still stung, a ghost of the earlier pain, but it was like the spanking had charged her body. Now, after only minutes, she was ready to explode.
“Eve. Oh, Eve—”
Faith cried out, ecstasy surging through her. Her muscles tightened, her thighs clenching around Eve’s head and her arms pulling at the ropes. Eve continued, milking every last drop of pleasure from her until her body went slack, unable to take any more.
Faith let her head fall to the side. The silk pillow was cool against her warm cheek. Distantly, she felt Eve’s hands at her wrists, untying the ropes that bound them. She was barely aware of her body, having been reduced to a puddle of lust.
Eve drew Faith’s arms back down, pulling her close and kissing her. A soft murmur escaped her. Although Eve’s kisses were gentle, there was a need in them, a possessiveness mixed with desire. Faith’s hands drifted lazily down Eve’s body, feeling her curves. Eve quivered at her touch.
“Faith.” She cupped Faith’s cheeks in her hands. “Do you want to please me?”
“Yes,” Faith replied. “Always.”
Eve lay her hands on Faith’s shoulders, pushing them downward in a wordless command. Faith crawled down Eve’s body, exploring every part of her Mistress with her lips. Her neck, which smelled of perfume mixed with Eve’s natural scent. Her collarbone, her shoulders, her breasts, round and full. Those delightful pink nipples that pebbled between her lips and under her tongue. Her stomach, soft and smooth, her hips and thighs. That soft hair between them.
Eve shifted against her, her hips pushing out. Faith drew her lips up to where Eve’s thighs met and slid her tongue into Eve’s slit. She snaked it up and down, relishing the sweetness of Eve’s arousal, letting Eve’s scent flood her. A purr rumbled through Eve’s body, her hand falling to Faith’s head. She threaded her fingers through Faith’s hair, pulling her in harder.
Faith worked her mouth between Eve’s legs, her tongue flickering and lips sucking. Eve let out a fevered moan, her hips rising up into Faith. Faith hooked her arms under Eve’s thighs. Eve’s legs settled on her shoulders.
“Yes,” Eve said. “Worship me.”
Faith worshiped the goddess before her with wild abandon. Faith needed to please her, to serve her, to take her to the same heights of pleasure Eve had brought her to. She lost herself, drunk on Eve, consumed by her. She was Eve’s, body, mind, and soul.
This was the surrender she craved.
She felt the pressure building within Eve’s body.
“Oh yes,” Eve said. “Oh, Faith!”
A heartbeat later, Eve shattered around her, her cries of surrender filling the room. Faith didn’t stop until Eve edged away, overcome.
They fell back down to the bed together, their bodies wrapped around each other. Faith could feel the rise and fall of Eve’s chest against her own. Eve pressed her lips against Faith’s with a tenderness that was so unlike the woman who had been raining blows down on her with a riding crop just minutes ago. Or had it been hours? Faith didn’t know. She didn’t care. All that mattered was Eve. Faith ju
st wanted to drown in her skin.
But this delightful dream of theirs had to end. Slowly, the rest of the world came crawling back, reality setting in.
Faith’s eyelids fluttered open. Eve was beside her, gazing back into her eyes.
“Welcome back to the land of the living,” she said.
“What time is it?” Faith murmured. It had to be getting late. She couldn’t stay here in Eve’s bed forever. They’d broken so many rules tonight, crossed so many of the boundaries they’d set .
“Why? Do you have somewhere to be?”
Faith sat up slowly. “No, but—”
Eve pressed a finger to Faith’s lips. “We have the house to ourselves until tomorrow evening. No one knows you’re here. I wasn’t planning on letting you leave this bed until at least midday.”
Faith yawned and lay back down. “If you say so.”
“And I’m not done with you yet. There’s one more thing I want to do with you.” Eve kissed Faith on the forehead and got up. “Stay right there.”
As Eve left the room, Faith sprawled out across the bed. She wasn’t going anywhere. She was so deep under Eve’s spell that she was powerless to do anything but obey.
Chapter Twenty-One
W hen Eve returned a minute later, she was carrying two bowls heaped with freshly whipped cream.
Faith sat up and dragged her fingers through her hair. “Is that dessert?”
“Chocolate cream pie, as promised.” Eve handed her a bowl.
Suddenly, Faith was ravenous. She took a bite. It was sweet, rich, and tasted homemade in the best way. “Mm. This is just what I need right now.”
“This is why I saved dessert.” Eve slipped into bed next to her, her own bowl in her hand, and stretched her legs out. “Sweet things and aftercare go well together.”
“What’s aftercare?” Faith asked between mouthfuls.