KNOTTED: The Manhattan Bound Series, Book Three

by Juliet Braddock

  “That handy NSA app?” she questioned, her excitement brimming.

  “We’ll use that app,” he assured her. “But I have a few other things in mind…”

  Now, she thought her mind might just combust with curiosity. “Gonna tell me where we’re heading?”

  “Oh, little one, I wish we were back in New York right now. You’re in desperate need of a visit with the lions today,” he evaded her query. “You finish saying goodbye to Marie while I call the bellman. And soon you’ll find out about the next stage of our journey…”

  # # #

  “What the fuck was I thinking, Maxine?” Drew’ muttered, cruising along the A11 highway, heading south of Paris, in the BMW he’d rented. “Should have opted for a helicopter. Three hours in a car with you. How are we ever going to make it? And oh, I fucking hate to drive…”

  “Pit stop at some seedy little motel?”

  “That premise sounds lovely,” he began, “but honestly, I can’t wait to show you where we’ll be staying for the next few days…”

  “Oh, that damn McKenzie self-discipline is getting in the way once more,” Maxine pouted and folded her arms across her chest.

  “And we’re still working on it with you, Mrs. Kirk-McKenzie,” he said, with a twinkle in those blue eyes. “Although, you behaved quite well for me last night, I must commend…”

  “Why, thank you, Most Kindest of Sirs…” Maxine grinned.

  “You can now add Opera Sex to your vast repertoire,” he mused.

  “Oh, what trouble you get me into at the theater, Sir,” she reminded him as she stretched out against the seatbelt which crossed so perfectly across her breasts. “Backstage…and elsewhere…”

  “Distracting the driver again, Maxine…”

  “Whip me, beat me, call me Mrs. Mack…”

  Maxine watched as he shifted, his left thigh trembling just a bit against the smooth leather seat. “You know,” he began, “we could still call it Vanilla for the rest of our honeymoon.”

  “Oh, you wouldn’t do that to Naughty Sassy Maxine,” she said, then raised a suspicious eyebrow, thinking back to his promise of abstinence. “Oh, fuckballs! Okay, I’ll behave!”

  “Ah-ha! She relents,” Drew cheered. “Let’s see how long this lasts.”

  “Wager me, Mack,” she challenged. “You know I love a good bet with you.”

  Lips pursed in a devilish smile, Drew paused to consider her offering. All the while, Maxine watched him—that wrinkle of his forehead that always appeared when he was deep in thought, the tightening of his jaw, the narrowing of those confounding eyes as he continued to mind the highway.

  “If you can keep your hands off me at least until we arrive—”

  “And that would be…where?”

  “If you can keep your hands off me and stop questioning my surprises,” he amended his words, “I’ll have a surprise for you this evening. I was going to wait until tomorrow…but good behavior should always be rewarded…”

  Clamping her thighs together, Maxine willed herself to ignore those little shudders between her legs.

  “I can do this…”

  “My precious Maxine,” his voice teased, “have we already forgotten about last week? I really need to pull out that app sooner rather than later to remind you of all of your indiscretions.”

  The drive continued on and seemed endless to Maxine, but their conversation kept her entertained. Naturally, Drew enjoyed playing a guessing game with her, feeding vague clues as to where they were headed, but Maxine, determined to win their little bet, refused to take his bait. He’d won his blowjob somewhat fairly. Now, it was her turn to reap the rewards of this latest gamble.

  When at last he’d pulled off at the exit for Angers, Maxine finally felt like they’d returned to French soil from that long and lonely highway. The city, perched upon three major rivers, dated back two thousand years. Settled upon the outskirts of the Loire Valley, where one could literally find a castle every few miles, Angers offered quite a blend of antiquated charm in the folds of modern luxury.

  “So…any questions, Maxine?” Drew asked as he continued on along the river, by-passing the town completely.

  Although her curiosity had reached its breaking point, Maxine shook her head somewhat stubbornly and grinned. “None. I trust that you’ve got something spectacular in the works,” she said. “Remember, Drew, it’s all about patience and fortitude…”

  “Impressive,” he mused. “You’ve behaved for most of this trip, and we’re finally almost there…”

  As the city streets faded into the backdrop of the countryside, Maxine’s imagination stirred once again while the car raced along the quiet road, lined with perfectly pruned square-topped trees. Drew was such a city boy. He couldn’t seem to function without concrete beneath his feet. Why they were seemingly heading into the forest, Maxine had no clue. But dammit, she wanted to find out. Quickly.

  Drew’s foot let up on the gas, and as the car slowed nearly to a stop, he said, “Should be right up here, little one…now close your eyes…”

  Just for good measure, Maxine even covered her eyes with her hands. “Can’t see a thing,” she assured him, a bit miffed because she was so enjoying the scenery. However, Drew’s surprises were always more delightful than any view.

  In her submission, Maxine had attuned herself to using alternative senses when one or more were restricted. A blindfold was one of Drew’s favorite tools of deprivation, and instinctively, Maxine learned to relegate navigation to touch and hearing.

  On that afternoon, she could feel the rockiness of the dirt road beneath the car, and could hear the uneven ground, likely scattered with some gravel, crunching against the tires.

  When he finally put the car in park, Maxine began to fidget in her seat, now ripe with exasperation. Naturally, he helped her out of the passenger seat and reminded her to keep her eyes tightly closed while he guided her. Maxine could feel the sun’s heat upon her pale skin, warming her as her feet shuffled on the stones of the pathway.

  “On three,” he said. Even with her eyes closed, she could still see the smile on his face. “Un…deux…”

  With him, Maxine shouted, “Trois!” and her eyes shot open, wide with amazement over the breathtaking sight before them.

  “I told you that I wanted you to feel like royalty on our honeymoon,” he said. “And right now, you’re the Queen for the next few days.”

  The breeze swept tendrils of her hair around her face, which illuminated with that smile he loved so much.

  “You rented a castle?” she finally managed, placing her hand over her chest.

  He shrugged, adoring her reaction. “It’s a small chateau—twenty bedrooms, I believe,” he began. “It was modeled after Chambord, which we’ll see over the coming days, but it was built as a private home in the mid-eighteen hundreds…so it’s much smaller than its influence.”

  As Maxine gaped at the turrets that seemed to poke against the perfect sky, Drew continued to rattle off the history of the home. This private residence was once a grieving countess’ homage to her husband who passed away mid-construction, but she saw their dream home through to completion. That little bit of history touched Maxine, as romance oozed from every corner of the limestone manor.

  Eventually, however, the house fell into a state of shambles and sat behind walls of weeds for decades. Only within the last ten years did the chateau find a new owner—a Mistress with a glacial personality and a deep love of architecture. For her own purposes, she restored the property from the grounds up…and rented only to those with certain discerning tastes.

  Soon, Drew would reveal all to Maxine, but for the moment, he allowed her the chance to acquaint herself with their new surroundings.

  From their vantage point, she counted five majestic stories and four towers that climbed from the impeccably manicured property—boasting a garden that was almost maze-like on the front lawn as well as other horticultural havens throughout the estate.

  U
nable to contain her joy, Maxine leaped into her husband’s arms and kissed him right on the lips. She cared not for their private butler standing on the steps. Drew had just managed to pull off the most magnificent honeymoon, and her emotions were running wild.

  Somehow he managed to ease her around and carried her, piggy-back, to the main entrance.

  While introductions were made, the butler offered a tour of what Maxine and Drew would be calling their home for the next several days.

  There was just far too much to look at. The display of grandeur was at its height at the Ritz, but these castle walls held a greater—far more personal—history than that of a five-star hotel.

  The gothic influences were evident the second they stepped into the huge foyer, with the scrolled, spiral staircase—handcrafted in marble—as the centerpiece of the entryway. Those inspirations carried throughout the chateau, with carved mahogany paneling, wooden sculptures and huge fireplaces with elaborate mantles.

  Many of the pieces that filled each expansive room dated back to the home’s original owner. Even the kitchen, which boasted a collection of modern amenities, maintained its ancient charm with a gigantic wood-burning stove and wooden farmhouse table that could easily seat twenty.

  All the while, that entire afternoon seemed so surreal to Maxine. Drew always had a way of filling her with the most delightful shock, but renting a mini-castle for their honeymoon surpassed all of his surprises to date.

  Their butler was quick to tell them that their luggage had been delivered to the Royal Suite, but since they had the entire property to themselves, they were more than welcome to switch rooms at their leisure. Christening twenty beds could present some challenges, but Drew was always so encouraging.

  Once they were left alone, Maxine stood on her toes and stretched her arms around Drew’s neck. He could see the flecks of tears in her eyes.

  “Every second, I love you more, Drew…”

  “Don’t cry, little one,” he said, his fingers dusting below her eyes. “Just enjoy. Besides, this isn’t even the half of it…”

  “You need to stop spoiling me,” she said, pointing a finger.

  “Maxine, I’ve told you before—this is our honeymoon. We get one shot at it,” he said, unable to resist those puckered, pink lips. “Indulge in the fantasy.”

  “You are my fantasy, and I get to indulge in you every day,” she smiled at him.

  “My sweet, precious little one. Let’s go outside and explore for a little while,” Drew suggested as he took her hand. “It’s still a gorgeous afternoon out there—I’d hate to waste it.”

  The setting was so sylvan, lush with centuries-old trees, brush, and patches spring wildflowers. Strolling arm-in-arm, but never close enough, Maxine and Drew relaxed at last in the quietude of the countryside. No honking horns; no trains rumbling beneath their steps. It was just the two of them, alone with nature and in love.

  “Ooh!” Maxine said suddenly and just grabbed Drew’s hand as she began to jog. “Look!”

  “Maxine!” he called out, making a run for it behind her.

  “This is so sweet!” she shouted, flopping down on the simple wooden swing and wrapping her hands around the thick heavy rope. “Push me!”

  Drew couldn’t contain his own child-like wonder. “Oh, little one…”

  Turning her head sharply to face him, she looked at him with hopeful eyes. “Pleeeease…”

  Oh, how he loved and hated her begging all at the same damn time.

  “If you swing too high, Red me, alright?” he said, taking the ropes and pulling her back toward him. “And I’ll stop this damn thing.”

  Again, his worries for her safety took hold, and those strong arms only gave her a gentle shove.

  “Come on!” she cried. “Like you mean it, Mack!”

  “You know, you’re damn lucky, Maxine,” he said, giving the swing just a little more force. “You could have a Cruel Sir, rather than a Kind one…”

  “But I love Kind Sir when he’s angry…” she said with a shake of her ass against the seat.

  “You know,” he began, “as rough as it is for me to admit defeat…I think you won our bet today.”

  “Wheeeeeeee!” Maxine rejoiced, swinging her legs as he allowed her to fly just a bit higher. “Glad I finally won something with you…”

  “Maxine, let’s face it,” he began, “I let you win all the time…”

  “Higher!” she prompted him. “What’s that saying? Happy wife, happy life?”

  “And little one, you do make my life happy…”

  Their banter continued on in the afternoon sunshine while Maxine lost herself in both the romance and the setting. She didn’t even care about the suite. If she could have made those moments on the lawn last forever, she would have.

  Just as the sky began to fade with the promise of the evening upon them, Drew slowed her to a stop.

  Of course, Maxine had designs of her own, but when she moved to hop off the swing, they both somehow ended up flat on their backs in the grass, laughing while they tumbled about. And Drew just couldn’t resist climbing on top of her to pin her there on the manicured lawn.

  Holding her wrists above her head, Drew dove in for a kiss born of his pent-up passion that had been rising throughout the entire afternoon. Although quite unexpected, Maxine met his hunger with that of her own, daring to nip at his lips with her gentle bites as she molded her body against his. Their desires for each other were simply out of control.

  “You’re not going to let me come, are you?”

  “Maybe I might…” he said, meeting her challenging gaze as he sat back, his hands smoothing over her shoulders, down her breasts and to her hips.

  Maxine blinked her eyes in rapid fashion, stunned into disbelief. “Really?”

  Fingers rolling along the buttons of her blouse, he continued to tease her with his eyes. “Possibly,” he said with an air of nonchalance. “It’s never a difficult task for you to…accomplish…”

  Maxine folded her lips together, watching those hands as he rung her waist, pulling her just close enough so that she could feel his hardness pressing between her legs. Holding her still with the strength of his lower body, his fingers turned to her bottom button and circled slowly around.

  “If I permitted you to come,” he began, sliding just one finger right above the button and giving her shirt a little tug, “how would you like it, Mrs. McKenzie?”

  “Your choice…” she whispered anxiously. “You decide…”

  “Ah, the perfect response…”

  His hands crept beneath her blouse, crawling over her tummy and following the center line of her ribcage. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest against his fingertips.

  Then, without warning, his thumbs and forefingers caught her nipples and pinched her so very tightly, prompting a quick arch of her back. “So easy like this, little one,” he murmured while her eyes rolled upward as she writhed in gratification.

  “Coming…coming so hard…”

  “Oh, I know…fuck, do I know…” He released one nipple, only to pluck at it with such precision. Now, she was slithering about in the grass like a snake, likely staining the hell out of that periwinkle blouse she wore. Neither one of them, as per usual, could possibly care. “Scream, Maxine. No one can hear you—no one but me…”

  “Oh, harder…please…harder…” she wailed. “Ohhhhhh…Drew!”

  As he granted her wish, squeezing those two nips in his tightest clench, he watched her flail about, twisting and turning in the depths of her satisfaction right in the middle of the lawn. Just seeing her, so intensely knotted in the pleasure of his torment, filled him with the calming assurance of her devotion.

  Now, Drew thought back to the previous spring. He’d arrived at a point in his life where he almost felt as if he needed a break from women and relationships. He wanted to focus on his career, find a real home and allow himself to settle into a quieter life all on his own.

  But along came Maxine…and s
he terrified the shit out of him. She was so very young and sexually naïve but chose to pursue his proclivities with an open mind…and an open heart.

  With her, Drew found his power play giving way to protection. Maxine remained a novitiate, but her masochistic tendencies left them both starving for the next session. While they still enjoyed their indulgence in kink, he began to explore his own dominance with a new approach. In fact, he struggled to control himself as he initiated her into his life, subsequently falling so madly and deeply in love with everything about her.

  “More…” she whispered as she slipped into that calm that always followed her orgasmic storm.

  “Not right now…” he said, rubbing his palms over her breasts to soothe her. “One is enough for now…”

  “Later?”

  “We need to think about dinner right now, little one.”

  “Feed me…” she whispered as she reached out to give his hard cock a gentle squeeze.

  A deep groan hummed in his throat as his eyes darted about the property, just to double-check that no one was around. They were still apparently all alone. But he was anxious to get her back to the house.

  “But you won today, Maxine,” he reminded her. “Don’t you want to know what your prize is?”

  “I have a feeling that it’s sticking out between your legs right now…”

  “So presumptuous!”

  “So astute…and all-knowing…” she corrected him.

  “Am I that transparent?” he wondered out loud.

  “No…but your cock is…”

  “Oh, my dearest Naughty Sassy Maxine,” he shook his head. “Let’s get moving back to your castle. Time’s a-wasting.”

  # # #

  Think kinky—yet comfortable—when you dress for me tonight…

  Drew’s words echoed through her mind as she searched her suitcase for the perfect outfit while he left her to deal with some matter that related to his big reveal. She already knew that he’d arranged for them to have dinner in the small salon just off the master bedroom to their suite. Raunchy attire was likely expected. However, Maxine and her classic tastes went for sexy yet sophisticated, with just a dash of daring.