KNOTTED: The Manhattan Bound Series, Book Three

by Juliet Braddock

  “Build a…hic…snowman with me?”

  “You know I will….” Ben would have done anything to wiggle out of that conversation. He took her hand to help her to stand. “Just one thing?”

  “Hic…yeah?”

  “Don’t you dare sculpt him a snow penis!”

  Chapter Six

  By the time she’d finally sat down for the day with a cup of cocoa, Maxine realized that it was already well after ten in the evening and that Drew would finally be home soon.

  With a deep sigh, she gazed blindly at the flames of the fire and wondered what was left on her to-do list. She’d been running around the city since that morning—long before Drew had even awakened—and by the time she returned, he had already left for the Saturday matinee.

  After meeting Ben for breakfast, they went shopping for the honeymoon at Drew’s insistence. He wanted her to have the perfect trip to France with a wardrobe to match, so he sent her on another spree at McKenzie’s.

  After lunch, she rushed home to return e-mails and phone calls to the chef, the cake baker, the deejay’s personal assistant. They still had to finalize their list of tunes for the reception. Just when she thought she might have the chance to breathe, the wedding planner phoned with a hundred different questions, some of which Maxine didn’t even know how to answer.

  Relief arrived when Tom beeped in, and the sound of his calm voice soothed her for a few minutes. He reminded Maxine that her wedding was only one day in her life, but that a couple’s time together before and after meant more than blue hydrangeas and champagne. No one could so gently serve her a dose of reality like her dear old dad could.

  Exhausted, Maxine finally plunked down on the couch and snuggled up with Emile and Nellie, coddling them until both kittens fell asleep—one on each thigh.

  As the lock on the front door clicked and turned, her tired grin broadened.

  “Hi, baby girl,” Drew called out and swooped an awakening Nellie into his arms.

  Maxine didn’t dismiss the look of scorn upon his face through that pseudo smile. In fact, if she weren't so sleepy, she would have thought that Drew was actually ignoring her.

  “Bad night at the theater?” she asked as she patted the cushion beside her.

  “Did you hear something, Nells?” Drew asked, scratching his beloved kitten under the chin. “I could swear someone was talking to Daddy just now…no?”

  “Okay, Mack,” Maxine tossed her hands in the air. “Gig’s up. What did I do?”

  So quick was Drew to spin on his heels to face her. Now, she had grown slightly irritated with his behavior. “You have nothing else to say to me, Maxine?”

  Shaking her head, she propped her fists on her hips and leaned closer. “Um…no….?”

  “How about…” Those blue eyes turned to icicles in a second. “…happy birthday, Kind Sir?”

  Suddenly, her heart began to beat wildly, hammering against her ribcage. Her face softened with her own guilt.

  “Oh, no. Oh, Fuckballs,” Maxine’s mind flurried with panic. “Drew…I mean, Sir…I…with the wedding…oh, fuckballs. I’m in trouble.”

  “You bet your sweet little virgin ass you are.”

  “I am very extremely sorry. And I am wrong…Kind Birthday Sir…” Maxine stammered along, then offered him a shy smile that begged for forgiveness. “And I did get you a present…upstairs…in the drawer…the dresser…didn’t wrap it, but…”

  Drew raised a single finger and placed it right over Maxine’s lips. “Silence.”

  Delicately, he eased Nellie’s tiny claws from his sweater and settled her down on the couch with her twin brother. Snapping open the top button to the shirt he wore beneath the cashmere, he began to pace.

  The chilly echo of his loafers against the hardwood floor left Maxine feeling frozen. So far, most of her infractions evolved from her inability to control her mouth—and her pleasure. While her mistake was completely unintentional that evening, she hated herself. However, she wasn’t about to make excuses.

  Instead, she waited for Drew’s next order, shivering with the expectancy of how she’d be making her penance that evening.

  Stopping dead in front of the fireplace, Drew clapped his hands together, then rubbed them in the warmth emanating from the flames.

  “What, Maxine, am I supposed to do with you?” he whispered, then spun around to face her. “You have sorely disappointed me this evening.”

  Head dropping in shame, Maxine could feel the burn of the tears stinging her eyes.

  “I know you hate apologies…” He could hear her slight sobs as she struggled to speak. “But I really am sorry, Kind Sir. You would never forget my birthday.”

  “No, I wouldn’t—would I, Maxine?”

  The snap of his words stung her again. He didn’t have to punish her to make her feel any worse. She closed her eyes, hopeful that she’d stave off the tears, and she could hear him crossing the room again. His presence so near, she trembled slightly, but not in fear. Maxine, in truth, had upset herself greatly, and she didn’t deserve an acceptance of her apology.

  The familiar touch of his fingers caressed as he lifted her chin. “Look at me…”

  Tears cascaded down her face, and her lip puckered almost in a pout. She did truly feel horrible, he could see. However, he promised her punishment. And it was still his birthday, if only for another seventeen minutes. Certainly, Drew reasoned, he was entitled to some fun with his fiancée…after she stopped crying, of course.

  “I will never forget again…because, Sir, I shall set a reminder alarm for all of eternity if I have to…”

  He had to tread carefully between fiancé and Dom mode. He wanted her to understand that she did warrant a punishment that evening. However, he didn’t want her to feel guilty for the rest of their lives together. He had to do some triage. Fast.

  “Maxine, listen to me,” he commanded, his voice calmer and softer but still firm. “I need you to settle down right now. We’re going to the dungeon, but I can’t take you anywhere if you’re crying like this. Understand?”

  Sniffling, she nodded thoroughly. “I do, Sir. And I deserve it.”

  “Yes, you do, you bad little fiancée,” he said. “But the neighbors can’t see you like this. You need to splash some cold water on your face and take a deep breath. Got it?”

  “Yes, Sir…”

  “Meet me at the door—after you’ve collected yourself.”

  Scuffling along, Maxine trudged toward the half-bathroom off the living room. Emile was quick at her heels, headbutting her ankles as she moved toward the door. Once inside, he hopped up on the marble vanity beside her, waiting for Maxine to turn the faucet on.

  “Mommy forgot Daddy’s birthday, Emile,” Maxine said sadly, as she looked down into that tiny heart-shaped face. With a lick to Maxine’s hand, Emile nuzzled closer. “I messed up, baby boy. Big time. I hope Daddy will find it in his heart to forgive me…after he punishes me…”

  A tiny meow left Emile’s little mauve-colored lips, and Maxine couldn’t resist bending down to kiss him on the head. “I love you, too, Emile. You always know what to say…”

  When Maxine returned to Drew in the foyer, he stood rigid with his hands folded in front of him.

  After she gentled Emile down to the table beside her, Drew took her hand and led her out the door. His silence nearly killed her. Every soft noise—from the tap of his finger in the elevator to the slight shuffle of his feet—seemed deafening to Maxine’s ears.

  All the while, he never released her fingers from his own.

  Naturally, Maxine’s inquisitive nature reeled. Yes, she fucked up. This was her greatest offense yet. However, she couldn’t help but clamor in wonderment over what he had planned for her.

  Now, it was time to face her Master on the Dungeon floor.

  With the jerk of his wrist, he’d unlocked the door and stepped aside to allow her entry. Maxine didn’t hesitate for a second, knowing exactly what she needed to do. She rushed to pull away her
sweater and tug away her yoga pants. Once bare for him, she folded everything into a neat little pile next to her flats, then hurried to her knees to fold herself into position.

  Still, he refused to speak to her, but she knew he was preparing for what was left of their evening. Drawers opened and closed. She could hear him sighing deeply as he tore into some sort of packaging. However, she froze when she heard the jangle of keys in his hand.

  “Sit for me, and look in my eyes,” he commanded.

  As Maxine rolled herself upward, she saw the pewter handcuff keychain she’d chosen specifically for the bondage bed cage.

  “You know what this means, Maxine. But first, I want you up on the bed to prepare you for tonight.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Delving into that world where she locked out everyone and everything but Drew, Maxine sunk into subspace. Acutely aware of her own arousal as he helped her to stand, she wobbled awkwardly over toward the thick leather mattress. Cupping the cheeks of her ass in his hands, he hoisted her, minding her balance all the while.

  “First, I’m plugging you, Maxine,” he began. “You’re doing very nicely with your anal training, but I need to make sure you’re ready for our wedding night.”

  As she hopped up to all fours and spread her legs as wide as the mattress would permit, Maxine wondered how something she found pleasurable could indicate punishment, but she didn’t dare ask.

  First he soothed her with a dollop of lube. Losing herself in sensation, Maxine eased along the length of his finger, clenching as she arched her back.

  “Feels so good, doesn’t it, Maxine?”

  “Mmm, it does, Sir…want your cock there…”

  “Well, then you better be on your best behavior until we get married,” he warned. “I might just leave you with regular old Vanilla on our wedding night.”

  “Blech—Vanilla!” she muttered.

  “’Scuse me?” he asked as he wiggled his finger away.

  “Nothing, Sir…”

  “Behave—and you’ll take what I choose to give you,” he reminded her. “Now, I’m going to allow you to graduate to the next plug. It’s a little bigger. Can you handle it?”

  “Oh, yes, most definitely, Sir!”

  “Your safewords apply,” he said as he slipped the plug inside her, then patted her bare bottom. “With anything I select for you tonight.”

  “I understand, Sir.”

  “Good…” He bent down and placed one kiss on the cheek of her ass before turning her around to face him. “Now, I want to hear your side of this story.”

  “Sir, I can’t make excuses. I just await whatever punishment you have chosen for me.”

  “Oh, you’re about to find out what punishment is all about, little one. Lean back and spread your legs for me.” Pressing gently on her belly, he helped to lie down. “Remember this?”

  Plucked straight from her toybox, that little device looked so small now in the palm of Drew’s hand.

  “The egg, Sir?”

  “You’ve been wanting to use it, but I told you that I had plans for it already,” he reminded her. “Punishment plans.”

  “Oh, dear, Sir…”

  “Now, Maxine, because you forgot your Master’s birthday here, I’m going to place this egg inside you,” he began, “and then I’m going to lock you in your cage.”

  With so many new selections on the menu, Maxine planned to thoroughly indulge in every second. How she’d been hankering for him to cage her, and once again, Drew brought her fantasy to reality.

  “I see that look of wonderment in your eyes, Maxine,” he snapped. “Same look you had on Christmas morning, showing everyone your engagement ring.”

  “I feel honored that Kind Sir has permitted me to try the cage, even though I have sorely disappointed him this evening.”

  “Maxine, time and time again, I have tried to punish you, and nothing—nothing—works,” he said as he began to pace. “You enjoy this far too much. I toyed with the idea of tickling—”

  He watched her, waiting for Maxine to protest, but she held her tongue. Once in a while, Drew reasoned, it didn’t hurt to remind her of the threat of her most dreaded chastisement.

  “Whatever sentence Sir wishes to issue this evening. His choice…”

  “You know, I rather love the idea of this egg,” he continued. “With this remote control, I have full reign. But again, you like that, don’t you?”

  “I adore giving up my sexual will to you, Sir.”

  “But that doesn’t eliminate your negligence,” he pointed out. “So here we are…”

  A single unsteady breath left her lips. Another night, another test. Drew’s plans were all about endurance, and Maxine set her own bar high to please him. While she could feel the damp and heavy arousal between her legs and the tension at her nipples which yearned for his bite, she forced herself to concentrate.

  “While you’re caged, I want you to calm yourself down, relax…and think,” Drew instructed. “First, though, we do need to take care of one little item.”

  Between his finger and thumb, he clutched the egg and carefully fit it between her dripping lower lips. Maxine took a breath and held it. With both the egg and the plug, she felt so tight.

  Just for good measure, he pressed his thumb on the remote control in his pocket for a test but caught her quickly as the vibrations fanned out against her G-spot. Twisting her face in pleasure, Maxine nearly bucked herself off the bondage bed.

  And then the tremors stopped.

  “It’s rough, isn’t it, little one?” he soothed, kissing her hair.

  “Yes, Sir…but…can do it…”

  “Of course, you can—I have faith in you,” he assured her. “Now can you make your way into the cage? Let me help you down.”

  Placing one foot then the other on the silk rug, Maxine clung to Drew’s shoulders. “Thank you, Kind Sir…”

  “Always kind,” he said, “even when my birthday slips your mind.”

  Stumbling to her knees, she stopped just short of the kennel door.

  “Careful, little one. I know you’re anxious to get in there, but let’s be safe…”

  Above all, and no matter how pissed off he was at Maxine, he always sheltered her from harm’s way.

  “And easy with the egg. We don’t’ want it to slip out.”

  “No, Sir…”

  “You may enter now, Maxine…”

  Castigated, Maxine crawled slowly into the metal cage, her ass wiggling all the while. With each movement, she could feel the pressure of that egg inside her, reminding her of what a trying evening this could eventually become. Stop, Maxine, she ordered herself. Fuckballs. She was never going to last at the rate she was going.

  At least he’d made her cage comfortable with a downy feather-bed and billowy pillows. In fact, if she weren't so damn aroused, Maxine could have easily taken a little nap in there.

  “Feel free to make yourself at home—as best you can,” Drew said with a rather garish laugh as he closed and locked the door. “And do let me know if you need anything—food, water…an extra blankie.”

  As she tugged the velvety throw around herself and wrapped her arms around one of the pillows, she muttered, “I’m fine—thank you, Sir…”

  “Just fine…” he repeated and depressed the remote.

  You’re on the floor, and there’s a draft down here, Maxine reminded herself. You’re so cold that you’re shivering as if you’re running through the Tundra in a bikini. You are swathed in the numbness prompted by the frigid temperatures. Pull that damn blanket around you tighter, Maxine. Tighter. Until you’ve convinced yourself that you feel nothing but the airy chill around you…

  Orgasm quelled. For the moment.

  While Maxine struggled with her self-control, Drew decided to make himself comfortable. He dragged a chair across the room and placed it directly in the sightline of the cage. Although he pulled out his iPhone and weeded through his texts, Maxine could still feel his eyes weighing heavily
upon her.

  “Stephen Sondheim tweeted me birthday wishes, Maxine!” Drew exclaimed with the exuberance of a little boy with a carte blanche gift certificate to FAO Schwartz. “Sondheim—arguably the greatest composer of American musicals. But my own fiancée couldn’t seem to remember it!”

  “Was not on the Twitters today, Sir,” Maxine groused, stuffing another pillow under her head for comfort as she looked through the metal bars to see Drew’s legs. If she stretched her neck and positioned her head at just the right angle, she could see his hands in his lap—his phone in one hand…and his cock in the other!

  Mean Sir…

  Reaching out, Maxine clutched her fingers to the cage like a sad kitten in a shelter.

  “Color, Maxine?”

  She couldn’t lie. In fact, she was actually quite comfortable—except for that ever-pressing nudge of the egg. She knew he was nowhere finished with the remote.

  “Green, Sir.”

  “And just because I didn’t like the tone in your voice…” ZAP! “Again, please?”

  That buzz between her legs nearly shattered Maxine, but now was not the time to wince and whine. Mustering her most gleeful voice, she shouted, “Green, Sir!”

  Do. Not. Come. Wedding plans. Adam’s Best Man Speech. Worrying over whether Aunt Frannie might soil herself at the reception. And most importantly, Captain, do not trip down the aisle…

  “Nice little hum that vibrator makes,” Drew feigned a yawn and turned the egg off once again. “But, oh, I just couldn’t sleep now. Feeling so restless…”

  Pulling in one stilted breath, Maxine flopped down to the small stack of pillows, relieved for the moment that the pressure was off. Drew, though, wasn’t about to make her life easy in any way.

  “They had a champagne toast and a lovely birthday cake for me at the theater between shows,” Drew went on and promptly unzipped his pants. “Glad someone decided to buy me a cake. Looks like it’s the only one I’ll be getting.”

  “Your mother is having one tomorrow evening, Sir,” Maxine said, daring herself to watch as his fist pulled away his boxer briefs.

  “Now, she remembers…”