Bound by Lust

by Shanna Germain

  “I’m your slut, James,” I murmur.

  “Yes, I know, Shar. You surely are.” A pause. “You know, we wouldn’t have to go through this if you trusted me, if you trusted us.”

  I don’t know what to say to this. Is he waiting for me to say I trust him? Or to promise that I will in time? Or to explain why I can’t? As if I actually had said something of this nature, I’m almost tempted to add a comment about how enjoyable it was, however, being taught my lesson—for both of us. And why not? Isn’t the reassuring and the being reassured at least as fulfilling as taking and being taken for granted? If he has to claim me again and again, why should we choose to label that as some kind of obstacle instead of celebrating the motivations it gives us? With my eyes closed, it’s easier to see. What brought me here, us here, isn’t important, and there’s no need to speculate about the future. I’m with him now. Here, in this moment, we are completely together.

  Surely. With him. Now. Here. In this moment. Completely together.

  Manner, purpose, place, and time. That’s what adverbials are good for.

  DEVIL’S NIGHT

  Veronica Wilde

  A riel stood before her closet looking for her sexiest red or black dress. There wasn’t much to choose from: the autumn night was chilly, and most of her dresses were on the skimpy side. But tonight she had to dress to impress, and her stomach jumped nervously as she reviewed her highest heels. Maybe she should just wear the red velvet halter dress and forget the cold. What did a little suffering matter when it came to impressing Tanner’s friends?

  She tucked a long chestnut strand of hair behind her ear and glanced at her boyfriend undressing for his shower. The classic tall, dark, and handsome, Tanner wasn’t nervous at all, of course. Then again, they were his friends—and he’d been to play parties before. She hadn’t.

  He gave her an encouraging smile. “Don’t wear a bra tonight, Ariel. And remember—the dress code is black or red. Devil colors.” With that, he strolled naked into the bathroom, leaving her to admire the roll of his firm ass with a sigh.

  Tonight was Devil’s Night: the night before Halloween. Tomorrow night they would pass out candy to trick-or-treaters. But tonight they were going to a play party hosted by Tanner’s friends. When she was a kid, Devil’s Night was the night the neighborhood kids vandalized houses and yards. But tonight’s party would involve mischief of a more adult kind. An anxious quiver went through Ariel as she took off her bra and slipped into the red halter dress. In their two months together, Tanner had helped her realize her fantasies of becoming a sexually submissive woman. Together they had explored the most exciting and erotic nights of her life. But she had yet to meet any of his friends, and she couldn’t help wondering what kind of tricks would happen tonight.

  Her mind flashed back to the Labor Day barbecue where she had met Tanner. He had been the tall, rangy, dark-haired guy talking to the host. Right off she’d noticed the contrast between his clean-cut good looks and the cool hunger in his hazel eyes. He’d noticed her too, but despite exchanging several challenging gazes, he never approached her. In frustration, she slipped inside to visit the bathroom. Footsteps sounded behind her in the dark hall, and she caught just a glimpse of his dark hair before he took her hands, firmly gripped them behind her, and forced her forward against the wall. She was too shocked to say a word. Who did this kind of thing? His hot mouth found her neck, his teeth grazing her skin. A dozen erotic wishes shot through her mind like meteors—if only he would slide his hands up her shirt to cup her breasts, no, wait, she wanted him to put those hands under her skirt.

  Instead he laughed, released her, and asked her on a date. Over dinner, he’d told her what the host had said: Ariel Banks chews men up and spits them out. She flushed as she admitted that she had burned through a few boyfriends, but only from boredom. They’d been nice, but they hadn’t—excited her. She wanted a different kind of a man. She wanted…

  “A dom,” Tanner said.

  Her cheeks burned. At last she had met someone who knew the language, knew what she wanted. Knew all the dirty things she wanted to be forced to do. “Right. It’s just that I…”

  “Aren’t part of the BDSM scene and wouldn’t even know how to meet someone who is.”

  She smiled shakily. “Okay, mind reader, what else do you know?”

  “That you’re going to go the restroom, remove your panties, then come back to the table and spread your legs just enough to give all those businessmen over there a good look at your pussy.”

  The fever of embarrassment and arousal had filled her whole body. As she got up to obey, she knew he was the man for her.

  Thinking of their first date now made her shiver. She still couldn’t believe that she’d finally found a man who worshiped her like a beautiful princess every day, then dominated her like a helpless slave every night.

  The shower shut off. “Cold?” Tanner appeared behind her in the mirror wearing only a towel around his hips. His wet dark hair leaked rivulets down his sharp cheekbones.

  “No. Just a little nervous about tonight,” she admitted.

  “Ariel.” Without breaking their gaze in the mirror, he pulled down the front of her dress and stroked her nipples. “As long as you trust me, there is nothing to worry about. You do trust me, right?”

  “Completely,” she murmured, her blood firing as always beneath his touch.

  The Devil’s Night play party was hosted on the affluent side of town. Ariel was impressed as they pulled through a security gate and into a long circular drive. The brick house rising before them was old and stately, an October crescent moon just clearing the rooftop. A few dry leaves blowing across the lawn completed the scene.

  “Remember, everyone here will know that you’re with me,” Tanner said. “If anyone asks you to do something you don’t want, just say no. But I doubt that’ll happen.”

  They parked and walked hand in hand to the carved wooden front door. The woman who opened it looked exactly like Ariel’s idea of a dominatrix, from her black leather bustier to the leash in her hand. It connected to a young redheaded man who wore only a collar and a pair of jeans. “Oh, Tanner! Come in. And this must be Ariel. Don’t you two look gorgeous. Come in, come in.”

  Ariel tried to look confident. So far the other guests seemed to be just chatting and drinking, all dressed in the requisite black and red. The massive living room was full of leather chairs and sofas, with a fire roaring from a stone hearth. The smells of perfume, leather, and burning firewood commingled pleasantly in her nose. So far this seemed like any party. Only the massive mirror on the wall opposite the fire hinted at the debauchery scheduled to take place here.

  Then she noticed the topless French maid collecting empty glasses. Okay, so perhaps this wasn’t like any party.

  As if perceiving her thoughts, Tanner squeezed her hand. “Wine? Or do you want to keep a clear head tonight?”

  “No, some wine would be great.”

  They went into the kitchen, where the dominatrix-hostess asked another topless maid to serve a tray of éclairs. She turned back to Tanner. “Help yourself to whatever you see. Although if you’re in the mood for a real sight, I suggest you follow me— Zach here is going to be punished for violating the dress code.” She smacked the leashed boy’s blue jeans with a riding crop. He winced.

  “Not now, but thanks,” Tanner said. “I want to take Ariel around.”

  He guided her into another room. Here the crowd seemed to be almost all men, their attention focused on the end of the room. Ariel saw the object of their interest: a giant wooden X-frame cross and the pale, black-haired girl shackled to it. She was naked, her pink nipples stiff and her small breasts flushed with arousal. A tall man in a black tux was flogging her, the red welts contrasting with her snow-white skin. Though she was not normally attracted to women, Ariel couldn’t help admiring the girl’s body—and wishing for one jealous moment that she was the naked object of adoration at this party.

  She turned back
to Tanner. To her amusement, he was absorbed in a conversation with the host about cars. “Did you even notice there’s a naked girl in the room?”

  He laughed. “Yeah, but I’ve already got a much cuter naked girl of my own.” He squeezed her bottom. “What I don’t have is a Jag and Mike here just bought one. Will you be okay if I go take a look? I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “Sure, of course.” Leave it to Tanner to get excited over a car at a play party.

  Tanner and the host disappeared. Ariel wandered back to the living room to get another glass of wine. Her butterflies of anxiety weren’t quite as fierce now, but she still wanted to fortify her nerves for whatever surprises the night would hold.

  Then she saw a ruffled blond head by the fireplace, and her anxiety exploded into full-blown panic. Devin, the arrogant bike messenger from her office, was here.

  Oh god no, anyone but him, she thought wildly. In all her worries about tonight, she’d never considered finding an acquaintance here. These people were experienced BDSM players, after all. But there he was with a beer in his hand, Mr. Insolent Flirt himself.

  A dirty smile spread across his lips. “Ariel Banks,” he said and sauntered over. “Well, well.”

  She felt her cheeks stain pink with embarrassment. Devin was a legend at her office, where he delivered packages several times a day. Twenty-four and boyishly cute, he was always cocky, always flirting with all the women in the office. His impudent smile said that he knew just how much they adored his visits. Secretly Ariel enjoyed the way his eyes lit up whenever she came out in her heels and suit to accept a delivery, but she always treated him coolly. She just didn’t care for the way all the other women fawned over him.

  And now he was at her play party. It was beyond mortifying.

  “Happy Devil’s Night,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

  “Oh, my friend brought me.” She wondered if he and Tanner knew each other. “We’re not staying long.”

  He brazenly looked over her clingy red dress and cascading hair. To her horror, she felt her nipples stiffen. She wished desperately she had worn a bra.

  “Why not?” he asked. “You obviously knew the dress code. You must be here for the same thing as everyone else.”

  “No, we just stopped in,” she lied.

  Tanner poked his head into the room. “Ariel,” he called. “I’m going to take the Jag for a ride. Be right back, okay?”

  She nodded, and he left without so much as greeting Devin. At least they didn’t know each other.

  “Your date?” Devin asked.

  “Yep.” She drained her wine.

  “Let me guess,” he said, his blue eyes gleaming. “You’re going to be one of the topless maids tonight. Serving drinks and canapés in a French maid uniform.”

  “Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Or maybe you like cracking the whip and you’ve got a boy tied up somewhere.”

  “Devin, would you just stop?”

  “Or maybe what you really like,” he pursued, “is being bent over and spanked in front of an audience.”

  Her face flooded with involuntary heat.

  “Ah, so that is it,” he said. “You want your dress lifted as everyone watches your beautiful ass get spanked—”

  “Shut up!” she ordered and fled the room before he guessed at any more of her sexual secrets. This was a nightmare. What if he went back to the office and told her coworkers how kinky she was? Spying an empty laundry room, she ducked into it. But before she could compose herself, Devin was fast on her heels.

  He shut the door. “Hey, I’m sorry if I upset you. I was just kidding around.”

  She shook her head. “It’s okay. I just didn’t want you to think…”

  “That spanking gets you all hot and bothered?”

  Goddamn him. She stared at the tiled floor, wishing he would go away.

  Instead his hands slid around her waist. As he lifted her up onto the dryer, she knew she had to stop him. She was here with Tanner, after all. But Devin’s masterful way of taking control blotted out all her willpower.

  He pushed up her dress and stared at the scrap of fabric shielding her pussy.

  “I think what you need,” Devin said, “is to get warmed up with a different kind of spanking.”

  Oh god, no. Having her pussy spanked was even cruder and more humiliating than a regular spanking. Yet she couldn’t find the will to stop as he ordered her to hold her thighs open for him.

  Face burning, she opened her legs. Lightly but firmly, he slapped her sex. The skimpy silk of her panties did little to blunt his fingers, and the tingle in her clit intensified. Her thighs strained open wider as Devin spanked her pussy again and again. She closed her eyes as she succumbed to the electrifying sensation of his fingers. Her nipples were so stiff they ached. Yet an inner voice reminded her that she was in love with another man. A devoted man who was probably looking for her right now.

  “I can’t do this,” she whispered and jumped down from the dryer to bolt from the room.

  The roaring fire in the living room seemed like the judgmental flames of hellfire as she returned. She fanned herself, desperate for fresh air. What was wrong with her? Not only had she betrayed Tanner, but Devin would never forget this. He would lord it over her constantly.

  “Ariel. There you are.”

  Tanner strode in the front door with shining eyes. Even in her distress, Ariel couldn’t help noticing how many of the women followed him with their eyes. Pride reminded her of what a gorgeous man he was; love reminded her of all of the tender, passionate nights he had given her. “You feel like making a store run? Mike said I could take the Jag to pick up ice and other supplies.”

  She forced a smile. “Sure.” Maybe Devin would be gone by the time they returned. Better yet, maybe he would get blind drunk and forget that snooty Ariel Banks from the office spread her legs for him in a laundry room at a party.

  As they drove to the store, Tanner rhapsodized about the car. “It’s amazing. Like art meets machine. I know you don’t care about cars but…” He went on so enthusiastically about the Jaguar that Ariel began to feel even worse. He didn’t even suspect anything was wrong; that was how much he trusted her.

  He pulled into the parking lot. “Be right back,” he said.

  She stared through the windshield, the full knowledge of her complicity weighing down on her. A flirtation was one thing; letting another man touch her was just wrong. Should she confess? She had promised to always be honest with Tanner, but he was a passionate, intense man. He might well break up with her on the spot.

  Tanner came out of the store with two paper bags of tonic, ice, and food. “So what do you think?” he asked, patting the car’s leather interior. “Should I get one when I win the lottery?”

  She forced a smile. “Sure.”

  “Ariel…what’s wrong? You’ve been acting odd. Did something happen at the party?” His hazel eyes were full of concern.

  “No, not at all.”

  “Just tell me. Was someone rude to you? Aggressive?”

  “Everything is fine. I’m just tired.”

  “Bullshit. Ariel—we agreed we would always be honest with each other. We have to be, with the kind of relationship we have. We’re not like vanilla couples. We’re playing on the edge and we need to trust each other.”

  She couldn’t meet his eyes. She knew he was right, and yet she couldn’t risk losing the only man who had captured both her body and her heart. Just this once, she thought wildly. I’ll lie just once, and then I’ll never do anything like that again. I promise.

  She stroked his dark hair. “I do trust you,” she said. “And I swear to you that nothing happened.”

  He looked hard at her. Then he nodded and started the car.

  “Okay.”

  They drove back to the party in silence. She hoped fervently that he would hand off the bags, say his good-byes, and take her home. It was almost midnight, after all, and she’d said she
was tired. And he seemed different himself as he guided the car through the leaf-strewn streets.

  The party was still in full swing as they walked in. Tanner handed the bags to the hostess and turned. Ariel felt herself go pale with horror as Devin strode toward them. “So?” he asked Tanner.

  Oh god. They did know each other.

  “She lied.” Both men looked at her.

  No. This couldn’t be happening. It wasn’t fair. She loved Tanner, she hadn’t wanted to lie, she had just wanted to save their relationship.

  “I—how—” Her voice sputtered out.

  Tanner casually steered her into a bedroom. Devin followed, shutting the door behind them. Despite her terror, a submissive thrill filled her at being alone with two such dominant, vibrant men.

  “Ariel, meet Devin,” Tanner said. “One of my close friends. Although obviously you two already know each other.”

  Shame glued her eyes to the floor. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Just listen,” Tanner said. “When I told Devin I was dating a brunette named Ariel who worked for an insurance company, he figured out pretty fast that he already knew you. We share many things and sometimes that includes women. I hoped tonight that you might be attracted to him. But I also hoped you would be honest about it.”

  “You tested me,” she said hotly.

  “And you failed.” He shrugged. “Look, I didn’t tell him to touch you. But he texted me when I was in the store and I gave you an opportunity to be truthful. You lied.”

  Her stomach was knotted. “So now what?”

  “So now you have a choice. Accept your punishment or go home—alone.”

  “Punish me,” she said immediately.

  “It will be a public punishment, Ariel,” he warned. Both men watched her closely.

  She hung her head so her hair shielded her burning cheeks. “Punish me,” she whispered.

  Ariel wobbled on her high heels as Tanner forced her to walk in front of him into the living room. Here the play party was fully underway with floggings, spankings, and other scenes everywhere she looked. Yet to her rising panic, almost everyone stopped to look curiously at her. Of course, she thought miserably, I’m the new girl here. Her head reeled as Tanner clapped his hands.