She couldn’t verbally respond because her breath was locked in her chest…
Chapter Nine
What am I doing here?
Matt parks the car, cuts the engine and takes my hand in his, laces our fingers and pulls in a deep breath while watching me closely.
“Look at me.”
I bite my lip and find his bright blue eyes with my own.
“How do you feel?”
“Like I’m about to dive into a shark tank.”
He laughs in surprise and smiles warmly at me. “Well, at least you’re honest.” He kisses my knuckles tenderly. “What are you scared of?”
I shrug and look out the window toward the seemingly harmless house to my right. It’s a large house, but other than being big, it looks fairly normal. It’s set back in the trees, away from nearby neighbors. There are about a dozen cars parked in a small lot to the left of the building, ranging from expensive Mercedes to simple Toyotas. For all anyone would know, a Tupperware party could be going on inside.
If only.
“I won’t ask you again.” His voice has hardened in warning, and it makes my stomach clench in warmth.
Jesus, I enjoy riling the man up.
“I’m not sure,” I reply softly. “Maybe I’m just nervous because I don’t know what to expect.”
“You can expect to see people having sex. Some are into hard-core fetishes. Others just like to watch. Look at me,” he repeats, and I comply immediately. “While we’re here, you’re mine to take care of implicitly. I won’t leave you, not for a minute. Your safe word is ‘red.’ And it’s important that you do as I say, not because I’m on a power trip, but because it could be for your safety.”
I swallow and nod, watching his hard, stern face.
God, he’s hot when he shifts into his role as Dominant.
“If you have a question, you ask me. I won’t make you kneel tonight. My name is Matt, not sir or master.”
“But you said…”
“Fuck what I said, Nic. This is you and me. Every relationship is different, remember?”
I nod and relax as I realize that I don’t have to play a role I’m not comfortable with. Our dynamic won’t change when we get inside.
“Will you want me to do…stuff?” I ask.
“I will want you to do whatever you’re comfortable with. With me. I don’t share, remember? And I’m not much of an exhibitionist.” He clicks us out of our seat belts, pushes his seat back and pulls me into his lap, holding me closely against him. “This is not meant to scare you, little one. We’re here to have fun, and if it’s not fun, or interesting to you, just say the word and we’ll go home.”
“I want to make you happy,” I admit and bury my face in his neck, breathing him in.
He’s dressed in a black button-down and slacks, much like he was the night I first met him. He smells clean and fresh and like Matt, soothing me.
“You do make me happy, baby. After tonight, if this is something you can’t or won’t do, we don’t ever have to come back.”
But the thought of him coming here on his own freaks me the fuck out!
“Stop,” he commands and tilts my face up so I have no choice but to meet his gaze. “I don’t ever have to come back.”
“But…”
“Enough talk for now. Let’s go in.” He smiles widely and kisses my forehead. “Trust me.”
“My trusting you is the only reason I’m here.”
He stills for a moment and then kisses me softly, longingly. My thighs clench as he pushes his fingers into my hair and holds on tightly. Finally, he withdraws and rests his forehead against my own.
“Thank you for that.”
He leads me up to the door and rings the bell, and almost immediately a man answers. He’s maybe the biggest man I’ve ever seen in my life. Well over six and a half feet tall, as wide as the door frame, and his skin is a dark, rich mocha. Diamond studs wink from his ears, and a single gold chain with a thick cross hangs around his neck. He stares at us for a moment and then breaks into a smile.
“You look good with a woman on your arm, Montgomery.”
“I look good with this woman on my arm,” Matt agrees. “Nic, this is Reggie.”
“Are you security?” I ask with a grin and shake his hand as he leads us inside.
“I’m the beauty and the brawn around here,” he replies with a chuckle and winks at me, immediately setting me at ease. “Welcome to Temptation. Have fun.”
“Thanks, Reg.”
Matt takes my hand and leads me out of the foyer into a large great room. It must have originally been a family room. Music assaults my ears. Rihanna is singing about diamonds in the sky. It’s loud but not too loud that you can’t hear a conversation right next to you. The floors are hardwood, but that’s where the resemblance of a normal home ends. There is a bar along one wall with a tall man tending it.
There are deep-cushioned couches and chairs in reds and browns set about the dimly lit room in small groups, perfect for people to sit and chat. But in addition to that, there are stations around the edges of the room. One woman is naked, suspended from the ceiling and being smacked with a leather crop. I have no idea what the equipment is called, but it all has restraints attached, obviously to hold a person down while they get a good beating with some kind of instrument.
A shiver runs down my body.
“You’re not a masochist, baby,” Matt whispers in my ear.
My eyes whip up to meet his, and he smiles softly while brushing his finger down my jawline. “Your eyes are as big as saucers. Look”—he points to men in plain black T-shirts positioned about the room—“those guys are security. We call them dungeon masters. They make sure that nothing goes beyond what anyone is comfortable with. This is all consensual, Nic.”
I take a deep breath and look around again. People are laughing, talking. Some women are kneeling at the feet of their partners, on pillows, hands resting on their knees and heads bowed. One Master feeds his sub fruit from his plate while he chats with a man sitting across from him, who is getting a blow job.
Holy shit.
“Let’s get you a drink, and then we’ll walk around.” Matt leads me to the bar, my hand tucked firmly in his.
“Montgomery!” the bartender bellows and marches over to take our order.
“Hey, Sal. It’s busy tonight.”
“That it is.” Sal nods with a grin. He seems like a happy man, with smiling hazel eyes and a lopsided smile. His lips are full. His hair is light blond, reflected in his light eyebrows and fair skin, and he’s muscular. A white T-shirt hugs his torso, and black jeans mold his lean hips and thighs.
Sal’s a hottie of epic proportions.
“Who is this beautiful little thing?” Sal asks Matt.
“This is Nic, my girlfriend. Nic, this is Sal. He’s a Master here, and a gifted bartender.”
“Hello,” I murmur, my heart pounding at the sound of girlfriend falling so easily from Matt’s lips.
“Nice to meet you, darlin’.” He eyes Matt. “She’s new.”
“She is,” Matt confirms.
“You can just call me Sal. We have a two-drink maximum here, darlin’. What can I get you?”
“I have a two-drink maximum myself, so that works,” I reply with a wide smile. “I’ll have a dry martini, please.”
He cocks an eyebrow for a moment, and then he laughs, reaching for a martini glass. “What would you like, Matt?”
“Just water for me.”
“Are you demonstrating tonight?”
“I hadn’t planned to,” Matt responds with a frown. “I’m just here to show Nic around tonight.”
Sal nods and hands me my drink and a bottle of water for Matt. “I think Des needs a Shibari demo tonight, if you’re interested.”
Matt shakes his head and wraps his arm around my shoulders protectively. “Not tonight.”
“Have fun then. Welcome, darlin’ Nic.” Sal winks and moves away to fill another order.
I sip my drink and sigh in happiness. “Sal makes a great drink.”
“He does,” Matt agrees with a chuckle and leads me through the room and up a wide staircase to the second floor, which is similar to the first, but there is no bar up here, the lights are dimmer, the music louder, and instead of couches and chairs, there are beds covered in red velvet around the edges of the room. In the center of the space are several platforms with more equipment I don’t know the names of. Some have restraints hanging from the ceiling, and some are just simply beds.
All of it scares me and intrigues me at the same time.
But what catches my eyes are the people. The few dozen people scattered about the room are mostly naked. Some are fucking. Some are watching.
Directly to my right, two heavily muscled men are seducing a plump woman, caressing her body and whispering in her ear, kissing her nipples. There are hands and lips and groans everywhere.
My core tightens.
“Ah, just like the story the other night,” Matt whispers into my ear. He’s moved behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist, sliding his hand up my ribs to cup my breast in his palm. “Does that turn you on, little one?”
My breathing has turned choppy, and my heart is going to pound out of my chest.
If I’d worn panties, they’d be wet by now.
I nod, not taking my eyes off of the threesome. “Who are they?”
“That’s Kevin and Gray. They’re firefighters and always share their women.”
My eyes widen further at the thought. “Always?”
“Yes.”
“Are they gay?” I ask softly.
“No, they just enjoy sharing. They’re best friends.” The woman between them lets out a wail of ecstasy as Gray slips his head between her legs and laps at her center, while Kevin grips her hair in his fist and guides her mouth to his large, stiff cock.
Matt leads me farther into the space, past a couple kissing and caressing each other on a mattress, slowly undressing each other.
“Some couples like the idea of being watched,” Matt murmurs in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He continues to worry my nipple through my shirt. I’m stunned to realize I’d rather he just pull my strapless shirt down and unleash my breast to touch it properly.
Jesus, I’m becoming an exhibitionist.
“And others”—he nods toward the couple sitting not far away, lounging in each others’ arms, watching the goings-on around them with content smiles on their faces—“others just want to watch.”
“Do you have to have sex in public here?”
“No. That couple we just passed will most likely watch their fill then go to one of the private rooms to enjoy each other.”
Oh.
“Did you ask permission to speak to Master Ethan?” a man not far from us yells in anger at a woman kneeling on a pillow on the floor next to him.
“No, Master.” Her head is bent in submission and shame, and her shoulders are shaking.
I stiffen in rage.
Matt grips my waist tightly and whispers in my ear, “Just watch.”
“Did I specifically tell you to be quiet?”
“Yes, Master.”
“What happens when you defy me?” the man demands.
“I am punished, Master.”
His eyes narrow on the woman next to him.
“Get punished, my ass,” I whisper in indignation.
“Shh,” Matt breathes into my ear.
Without another word, the man yanks the woman across his lap and lands a hard smack on one of her ass cheeks.
“Matt, he hit her!”
“Wait,” Matt warns me.
“You’ll get six, one for each word you said to him. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master,” she responds and moans in pleasure when he lands the second blow.
She likes it!
“Count!” He hits her for a third time, careful not to hit her in the same spot twice.
“Three,” she moans.
And so it goes until the sixth blow. He shifts her, cradling her in his arms and whispering in her ear, then removes the pillow from the floor and makes her kneel without it.
“You’ll get ten minutes without the pillow under your knees to make sure you don’t do it again.”
“Yes, Master.” She smiles sweetly and kneels at his feet, seemingly content.
“She could have used her safe word at any time,” Matt murmurs as he leads me away.
“She let him hit her.”
“He spanked her, sweetheart.”
“He left handprints,” I argue.
Matt grins wickedly at me. “Yes, he did.”
Holy shit.
“Excuse me, Master Matt.” A woman approaches Matt, her head bent in respect and hands clasped at her waist.
Her very naked waist.
“Yes, Anna?” Matt answers.
“My Master and I would like to respectfully ask if you would like to restrain me,” she responds softly. Her nipples are puckered. She’s clearly very turned on at the idea.
Fuck that.
Matt raises his eyes over her shoulder to see a man leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his muscular chest, watching silently.
“Why did Master Alex send you over?”
“Because it was my idea, Master.”
I just bet it was.
“I see. I will have to pass, Anna. I have a date this evening.” Matt smiles at me. “This is Nic.”
Anna frowns for a moment but then offers me a fake smile, nods at Matt and stomps away.
“You’ve clearly played with her before,” I mumble. My body is stiff in anger and jealousy, which pisses me off more.
What he did before me isn’t any of my business.
“Nic,” he begins, but I shake my head and try to walk away. He grips my upper arm and pulls me around to face him. “I may not make you kneel and call me Master, but you will not top me here, do you understand? The past is the past, and the only woman I’m interested in touching is the one before me.”
His jaw is clenched, and his eyes are deep blue and ice cold. His grip on my arm is firm, but he’s careful not to hurt me.
God, I want him.
“Yes, sir,” I mutter, stressing the word sir.
Matt shakes his head and laughs, rubs his hand over his mouth and watches me carefully. “Jealousy doesn’t become you. I think I might have to teach you a lesson about who is in control here, little one.”
He takes my hand and leads me over to an empty platform that has suspension chains hanging from the ceiling. He approaches one of the dungeon masters and murmurs in his ear, then turns to me with shining eyes.
“I’m going to undress you.”
My mouth drops open in surprise, but when his eyes travel the length of me, undressing me with his gaze, I bite my lip and almost strip out of my clothes myself. I start to look around the room, but he grips my chin in his fingers and holds my gaze steady.
“You’ll watch me and only me. There is no one else here but you and I, do you understand?”
I nod, but he pushes his face closer to mine.
“Words, Nic.”
“I understand.”
“What is your safe word?”
“Red.” I swallow and watch his lips as he licks them. His thumb is tracing circles on my cheek, soothing me.
“Trust me.”
“I do,” I reply and know that I feel it, to my bones. He won’t hurt me, and won’t do anything to embarrass me. I can feel eyes on me around the room, but I focus on his voice and his blue gaze.
Focus solely on him.
A man drops a large black duffel bag at Matt’s feet and discreetly backs away. Matt tucks one finger in my red, strapless top and pulls me to him, kissing me deeply, firmly. His tongue slips between my lips and laps at my mouth, exploring every inch, as his hands travel around to my back to unzip my shirt then discard it to the floor.
I’m not wearing a bra, so the cool air and Matt’s kisses, the intensity of this crazy evening, have puckered my nipples to hard points. Matt drags his hands down my chest to cup my breasts, teasing the sensitive nubs with his fingers. I’m squirming where I stand, rubbing my legs together to try to ease the ache there.
Matt nibbles his way across my jaw and whispers in my ear, “Stay still.”
My legs still, earning a grin from my demanding man.
He gently trails his fingertips along the waist of my short denim skirt, unzips it and lets it fall around my ankles, leaving me standing before him completely nude.
He sucks in a breath as his eyes roam down my body, curses under his breath and then chuckles ruefully.
“I think I’m pissed at myself for allowing these men to see what’s mine. I want to punch them all for the thoughts that I know are running through their perverted heads.”
His words warm me, make me feel sexy and strong, and I grin back at him.
“You like that, don’t you, little one?” He kisses my forehead, my nose, and then my lips. “There might be an exhibitionist in you yet.”
I swallow and gape at him. Me? No way!
“I want you to sit with your legs bent and ankles together.” He helps me to the floor and kneels before me, my toes tucked between his knees. He unzips his duffel and pulls out long lengths of red ropes.
“I like red on you,” he murmurs as he begins to loop the rope around my ankles and feet. “You can touch me while I work.”
I smile and push my fingers into his light brown hair as he bends his head over my feet, working intently.
“May I speak?” I ask softly so only he can hear me. The music is too loud for anyone else to hear us.
“Of course,” he replies.
“This is sexy.”
“You’ll get no argument from me,” he says. “I’ll be checking in with you to make sure you’re comfortable. Got it?”
“Got it,” I reply. “I love how soft your hair is.”
He snickers and continues to work, looping the cord between each of my toes and back up to my ankles. When each toe is done, he twines the rope around my ankles and halfway up my calf, and then takes my hands and helps me stand.
“Bend your knees again.”
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