KNOTTED: The Manhattan Bound Series, Book Three

by Juliet Braddock

  “Good girl!” he said and swatted her once more.

  # # #

  Just as she'd suspected, he'd managed to quickly set up for their makeshift Valentine's Day date right in front of the fire. And Maxine could think of no other place she'd rather be that afternoon than snuggled up with Drew, as the snow continued to coat the city outside.

  Such a Boy Scout he could be, Drew made certain that everything was in place—the candles, the treats, a bottle of champagne and random First Aid supplies he’d plucked from their stash downstairs.

  As she stepped ever closer, Maxine raised a suspicious brow. She spotted the small fire extinguisher from the kitchen and the leather sheet taken from the playroom that he'd draped over the floor.

  “Fire extinguisher?” she asked, wondering if he was planning to make toast.

  “Oh, there's always a chance for an inferno when you're around,” Drew teased her, easing his hand up inside his coat and running his fingers past her thigh and over her hip. “Come here. Warm up before you take that off.”

  There was something so strikingly sexy about Maxine when she wore his clothes. Perhaps it was the fact that her body was so close to the fabric he wore himself—or the fact that he knew that the next time that he put that jacket on, he would still smell the lingering scent of her lily perfume.

  Now, as she held on to his shoulders and lowered herself to cuddle with him, his hands found her ass—that ass that he so loved to spank until she couldn't stop coming—and gave a gentle squeeze to her sore flesh.

  Rocking her against him as her legs moved to circle his waist, he whispered, “You feeling alright?”

  “Always,” she touched his lips. “You take good care of me, Kind Sir...”

  Drawing her finger into his mouth, he couldn't resist a nibble. “Well, I want you to know that I'm going to try very hard not to hurt you…”

  “Drew, what are you—”

  He silenced her soft inquisition with a kiss. “Something you've been wanting me to try for a while now,” he said. “Something I didn't have the courage to do to you before...”

  That list of her needs and curiosities went on forever. There were still so many aspects of their lifestyle that they hadn't yet explored, but Drew promised her, in due time, that he would introduce her to all of her very own desires.

  In reality, her eating disorders continued to weigh upon his every thought when it came down to planning their scenes. His fear of hurting Maxine still lingered. Drew could still so vividly see the skeletal young woman with whom he’d first made love just a few months ago. He could still smell his own fear of touching her fragile body, terrified that one slight move could hurt her.

  Now, though, she’d nursed herself back to health, and she had a greater understanding of her own limitations. He had to trust the one person in whom he had the least amount of faith—himself.

  “Candles?” Maxine whispered as she watched the flicker of flames from the creamy white pillars lining the fireplace hearth. “Are you suggesting what I think you're saying?”

  Often, when they weren't at play, Drew would comb her thoughts, always seeking to discover Maxine's most intimate fantasies. From those conversations, he evaluated her confidence, her needs, and her ever-evolving role in their sexual relationship. It was during those sobering moments without their usual passionate tension rising between them that he discerned how far he could push her and what limits she was ready to test or to break.

  “Are you ready?” he returned. “You know I won’t touch you if there’s even a trace of doubt….”

  “I am.”

  Maxine watched as those long fingers worked their way down the front of his wool jacket and as he paused for a moment to kiss her between her bare breasts. They were scening yet again, but there was none of the usual frenzy in their mad rush toward gratification. This, too, was new to them both—engaging in their enjoyment of kink yet making tender love to each other at the same time. They had grown, once again, as a couple.

  “Maxine, listen to me...” he said after he'd undressed her. She was still sitting in his lap, but placid as she paid attention to his every word. “I want you to know exactly what's going on here before we start...”

  “I'm listening, Sir...”

  “These are low-temperature candles,” he said, holding up one of the lit pillars for her to see. He then dropped the wax on the inside of his own wrist, as if checking the warmth from a baby's bottle. “I'm not going anywhere near your skin with the flame...but if the wax burns—even a little bit—you must let me know immediately. Likewise, if you’re cold, I need to know…”

  Her eyes followed his every move, and she wondered how she could possibly get cold. “I promise you that I will let you know, Sir...”

  “I don’t want you feeling distressed for one second,” he continued. “This can be a very beautiful thing.”

  “I love you, Kind Sir,” she murmured, kissing him again and feeling just the slightest stir between her legs.

  “I love you, too, Maxine,” his eyes teased her while he brandished the black silk scarf to cover her eyes. “That's why we're doing this...”

  His moves were methodical as he wrapped the silk around her head, tying a sturdy knot just to the side for her comfort. Just as carefully, he then laid her back to rest on the leather sheet with the throw pillows he'd grabbed from the couch.

  She could hear him rubbing his hands together, then felt the warmth of the oil on his palms as he pressed them against her skin, finishing off the massage he'd started downstairs in the dungeon.

  “Oil,” he began, “makes it easier to peel you later...”

  Fingers kneading her shoulders, he relaxed her, only to cause a bit of a stir as he poured a generous amount of the warm liquid all over her breasts. He could now see the labored rise and fall of her chest as his fingers tweaked at her tough yet sensitive little nipples.

  Slowly, his hands slipped along, careful to coat her belly button as they moved. That was a concern for him. One tiny wax spill anywhere near her navel could puddle and burn the sensitive skin.

  She could feel the beginnings of a tremble as his hands drifted lower, his thumb working over her clit while he slipped a finger inside her. However, she was in no hurry and lost herself in every trace of his touch.

  “Quick one, little one,” he whispered, his lips against her ear. “Come now...”

  “Ohhh...Sir...” her body undulating with such leisure against the pressure of his hand. There was no rush, no fevered race. Just one delicate orgasm was enough to sate her.

  “Good girl...”

  As she sunk further into the pillows, relaxed by his little surprise of pleasure, she could feel him pulling away—could hear him clinking with something. All the while, she basked in the heat from the fireplace, allowing her guesses to take a backseat to the sensations he'd elicited so far.

  The sudden chill along the underside of her breast brought on a shiver. “Oooh!” she called out.

  “Like this game, little one?” he teased. “Color?”

  At that point she recognized his implement—it was an ice cube from the bucket that was chilling the champagne. Obviously, the freezer was still holding steady, even in the blackout.

  “Green, Sir...”

  “Fire and Ice,” he said, capping her nipple with the cold and slippery cube and allowing the water to fall in droplets over her breast. “This is why I need to know if you're too chilly to play...”

  “Warm, Sir...”

  “Drink, Maxine?” he asked, holding the champagne flute, complete with a bendable straw for her convenience, near her lips.

  “Mmm...”

  “Turning you over now,” he said, but not without resisting one last nip of his teeth at her breast. “Need to work on your ass first...”

  With another cube, he sketched over her back, leaving a frigid, swirling line in his wake. “You must be hungry, too, little one,” he observed, feeding her a toast full of caviar then licking the missed cr
umbs from her chin.

  This salacious assault against all of her senses left Maxine feeling dizzy in the most delightful way. He began again at her shoulders, then smoothed down her back with the massage oil and the strength of his hands. Fingers molding into her muscles as he worked his way downward, he coaxed a long, happy purr from Maxine that reverberated against his fingertips.

  Once again, his hands disappeared from her body, and Maxine waited patiently, calculating his next move. This leisurely endeavor to ignite her arousal left her yearning. That single orgasm was just so perfectly enough for Maxine as he plied her with every sensual weapon at his disposal.

  What she didn't realize was that Drew needed just a moment to gather his thoughts—and perhaps his courage, too—as he held the candle in his hands.

  Looking down at her now, she was nearly at a perfect weight. He could no longer see the sharpness of her shoulder blades or count her ribs. Her nutritionist had done such an amazing job teaching her how to eat again, and her therapist had almost convinced her that self-worth wasn’t based on what the scale read.

  Drew was so proud of her on many levels, but Maxine was stronger than she even realized.

  Slow...steady...easy, he reminded himself, testing the wax one more time just to make certain that he wouldn't burn her. Lifting his arm high above her body, he steadied himself, then tipped the candle...

  And then her lips curled into a smile against the pillow as the first drops fell upon her rosy backside.

  Drew swallowed deeply, then held his breath before asking, “Color, little one?”

  Again, a sense of calm pervaded. “It's green, Sir...”

  “Talk to me,” he reached for her hand, and she tightened her fingers around his for Drew's own reassurance. “Tell me how it feels.”

  “It's...it's just warm...and kinda tickles...” Giving his hand a tug, she pulled it toward her lips and kissed his fingers. “It's nice, Kind Sir...”

  “More?”

  “Please...”

  He dropped an ice cube right in the middle of the crack of her ass, startling her to squeal in the quiet of the afternoon. Back on point, Mack!

  “Please, who?”

  “Oh, please, Sir...”

  Allowing the warm wax to dribble—heating her up, then running an ice cube over each and every last drop to cool her down—Drew continued on with his teasing. The white wax, fanning out over her porcelain skin, looked like lace against the illumination of the flicker of flames from the fireplace.

  Drew dared to broaden his range, oozing the crystal clear drippings down over her hips, and even testing the waters with a few droplets on the tender skin at the small of her back. That picturesque landscape of wax on skin left him with a calm sense of need.

  Pulling his hand back, he held the candle higher. “Rest for a minute, little one...”

  Again she heard him shuffling around, perhaps even moving some furniture. This whole experience left her without words, yet clamoring to tell him how she felt closer to him than ever.

  Initially, he sought so desperately to gain her trust. In turn, he found his own greatest confidante in Maxine. This was another benchmark—a victory over Drew’s fears that had been born of his own demons. That constant worry that he would hurt—or even worse, lose her—faded at long last.

  Slowly, they were piecing their world back together, one step at a time.

  “What now, Sir?” she questioned as he began to unfasten the blindfold.

  “Thought that Naughty Sassy Maxine might want a look...” he said, as she opened her eyes and saw the mirror from the far wall propped against the ottoman beside them. “Before I finish up my project here...”

  As she tilted her head to steal a glimpse, he resumed pouring the wax over her backside. “Polka dots and lace...” he sighed. “In wax and skin. By Drew McKenzie...”

  “So beautiful…” was all Maxine could manage as she minded him with fascination, mesmerized by the artistry he’d brought to their scene. As he continued to speckle her, Maxine cooed away, thinking there was no better way to warm up on a cold winter day.

  But Drew moved away again and sat down on the thick masonry of the fireplace hearth. He still had so much more planned for her in their excursion into new sexual territory. “How about you toss me a pillow here for your little head, then wiggle over here?”

  Pushing herself up to her hands and knees, Maxine took care not to muss his skillful creation on her ass. Placing her hands on the floor, she braced herself...and began to clamber toward him on all fours, dragging herself along in that relaxed, gentle state into which she had fallen.

  “So beautiful, Maxine, when you crawl for me,” As she knelt before him, head bowed in deference, Drew whispered, “Arch your back...and look at me...”

  While she obeyed, Drew held the candle just far enough away for the milky wax to glaze her nipples.

  Maxine twisted about as he caught her waist with his free hand while the wax hardened around her breasts. The feeling of the crust forming around her taut little nubs bordered on the divine. Her natural sensitivity to his most intimate manipulation of her mind, body and soul intensified her reactions. There was no pain to be had, just the sensation of the heated wax cooling over her skin, teasing her just a bit closer to her ultimate release.

  “Oh, you're behaving so well for me, Maxine,” he groaned. “Your patience right now has rectified your earlier misbehavior.”

  Maxine bent back further and watched the wax pour from the pillar, trickling so exquisitely from her nipples and draping her breasts as he alternated sides. “Thank you, Kind Sir...”

  “We're still at green?”

  Maxine's eyes locked with his for one split second—both of them questioning, both of them wondering if they might take this a step further.

  “Yes, Sir...green...”

  “You trust me,” he whispered. “And I trust you...”

  “With my life.”

  Gently, Drew placed the candle down on the hearth, then ran his fingers delicately over her breasts. “My precious, pretty little one...what I want to do to you right now...”

  “You trust me,” she repeated his words, caressing his cheek with the backs of her fingers. “And I trust you...”

  Maxine's affirmation was all that Drew needed. He'd been planning this for some time, and he'd taken every precaution according to the rule books. He felt steady...in control.

  “Pay attention, little one,” he said, capturing her face in the cup of his hand. “I need you to be absolutely still for me, understand?”

  Maxine nodded. Now, she could feel the pull again between her legs.

  “Tell me the truth, Maxine,” he warned. “Can you manage to hold off for a bit longer?”

  “I-I think so, Sir...”

  “Before I put you into position, I'm telling you—Red me if you have to come,” he commanded. “This could get extremely dangerous if you don't. And I promise I won’t punish you.”

  “I promise, too, Sir...” Maxine said. “I understand...”

  With a nod, he commanded, “On your back, and legs in my lap.”

  Already on her knees, Maxine sunk willingly all the way to the floor and down to rest her head on the pillow then smiled up at him as he spread his own legs further to accommodate her.

  Taking her calves in his hands, he lifted her, that spattered ass rising from the leather sheet. He reached for another candle, slimmer than the pillar but thicker than a standard taper, and held it up for her to see.

  “Where do you want me to put this, Maxine?”

  “Inside me, Sir...just like your cock...”

  He couldn’t fight his grin as his hand made his way between her legs to spread her wider with his fingers. With the utmost precision, he slipped the candle inside of her, slowly pushing, inch by inch.

  “What do you want me to do with it now, Maxine?” He held his breath in wait for her answer.

  “Light it…” Maxine took and held a deep breath of her own. “Pleas
e...Sir...”

  Closing his knees tighter, he locked her in the clench of his legs, then struck the large kitchen match on the box. To the brand-new wick, he held the flame and watched the flicker glow. Once in place, he gave the candle a tilt so that the wax would trickle down upon her clit.

  And then Drew waited…

  “Ahh...” Maxine watched the candle burn with wide eyes.

  Panic struck for a moment, but Drew stopped himself. “Color?”

  “Oh, green! Green, Sir!”

  “How's it feel, little one?”

  “Warmer...little sensitive...ahhhh...oozing...twitching...”

  He knew he was likely going to bruise her hip with his grip to keep her still, but he remained utterly enraptured as her lower lips appeared to be sucking on that waxy rod. The droplets dangling around her swollen clit damn near sent his cock into overdrive. For once, he wished she'd come soon. He'd never needed to be inside her as desperately as he did at that moment.

  As the wax thickened around her, Maxine knew she wasn't long for the count. She was so warm and wet that the liquid never actually hardened completely. The tease against her already peaking arousal left her lightheaded. There was simply no way for her to escape her indulgence in that pleasant pulsation for one second longer. She couldn't hold on.

  “Red, Drew...!”

  Just as orgasm swept her into its stronghold, Drew blew out the candle, knowing she could have started a real fire with the buck of those hips. “Slowly, little one, I've got you,” his voice soothed. “That's it...that's it, Maxine...just keep coming...I'll be inside you in a minute...”

  “Coming...” she gasped.

  “Oh, you certainly are, little one...” he said, then slowly withdrew the candle from Maxine's fierce clutches. “Such a sweet girl, Maxine...just let it go…good girl....”

  Somehow, Drew still had to undress.

  Fucking clothes, he thought, throwing his sweater to the side. He should have just stripped before they started this scene. Fighting with his jeans and then with his boxers, Drew finally freed himself.

  He took a seat back on the hearth and leaned against the stone wall as he patted his thighs, signaling Maxine that it was time—at long last, it was time.