by M. S. Willis
Once the melancholy of the music weaved through the air, he strode out into the hall in search of Xander. Finding him in the guest bathroom, Aaron’s eyes couldn’t help but admire Madeleine while she laid in the bath. His mind instantly traveled back to that morning; the shame that he felt for his actions conflicting badly with the intense heat that grew like an inferno throughout his body while in her presence. When he approached Xander, he leaned over, whispering his question so that Madeleine would not overhear him. “Were you able to retrieve her instrument?”
Xander nodded once in response.
“Please place it in my bedroom, near the stereo. I want Maddy to see it when she enters the room.”
Without a word, Xander left the bathroom to go carry out Aaron’s order. The only sound left audible in the room was the light swirl of water as Maddy moved about in the bath. Looking down at the small woman as she bathed, Aaron remained stoic and controlled even though, inside, he was anxious to get Maddy into his room so he could discover if his idea would put even the barest hint of a smile on her face. Neither person spoke as Aaron stood above her, but eventually Maddy lifted her hands from the water and the delightful sound of laughter came from a face that Aaron swore was the most beautiful he’d ever seen. Lifting her palms from the water, she held them up for him to inspect as another soft burst of laughter broke free from her lips.
“I’ve pruned.”
Fighting back the quirk of his mouth, Aaron examined her hands as he witnessed her become amused by such a simple thing. “It appears you have. Perhaps that means you are ready to come out of the bath.”
Maddy nodded, a shy smile appearing through the fullness of her mouth. Her voice hesitant as she spoke, Maddy divulged the reason for her amusement. “When I was young, my uncle would always pretend that he was upset when I pruned … ” Another soft chuckle, as the look in her eyes suddenly appeared far away. “ … he teased me by saying that it meant I’d grown old while in the tub, that the water had somehow aged me.” Sorrow suddenly broke free on the lines of her face. “I always got so scared that my life had gone by without me having been allowed to live it.”
A dagger to the heart, her words had penetrated Aaron’s resolve, pained him in such a way that he had to actively pull back from taking the small woman in his arms to comfort her. The irony of her words struck him, the foreshadowing of events to come a sad realization revealed to them both at that moment. Stepping away, he used the excuse of needing a towel to separate himself from the woman who was forcing herself into his very soul, adding a small spark of light where only darkness had once existed.
Moving back, Aaron indicated for Maddy to stand just before he wrapped the large white towel around her body. He reached out to take her hand and balance her as her small, delicate foot came over the side to step on the floor. Once she’d been sufficiently dried, Aaron removed the towel and chocked back a growl as his eyes surveyed the warm flush to her skin left over from the heat of the bath. Aaron didn’t want to train her, couldn’t stand that he had to subject her to more cruelty when all he wanted to do was pleasure her small body, to run his hands and mouth along the pinkish tone to her skin.
“Have you ever kissed a man before, Mouse?” The rough quality to his voice surprised even him. Normally, so very much in control, something about this woman awakened pure lust and need in a way he’d never before known. The blue of her eyes met his, so many shades swirled together to form a tumultuous storm in her eyes.
“No,” was Maddy’s shy answer, which made the embarrassment over her inexperience apparent in her expression. Looking back up suddenly, she added, “Well, except for when you kissed me.”
A quiet laugh followed by a smile Aaron had to quickly hide. “Not in that way.” His hands came to her shoulders just as he pushed her gently down toward the floor. “Kneel before me, Madeleine.” Her eyes grew impossibly wide as she hesitated at first, but finally relented to going down on her knees before him. When she’d finally taken the proper position in front of him, Aaron slid his hand to grasp his crotch, her eyes following his movement.
“Have you ever kissed a man here?” Hardening under his hold, Aaron tried to think of anything but the warmth and fullness of her lips wrapped around the width of him. He watched as she looked down at the floor before returning her eyes to his crotch and then eventually to his face.
“N …. No. I wouldn’t know how … ” Her voice became so quiet, it shook as she forced out the words. “I’ve never even seen a man there before.” A confession, one filled with embarrassment and apprehension.
His head falling slightly back, Aaron shook away the overwhelming desire to enlighten her to the male anatomy. Remembering where his dick had been that day, he was able to keep from pulling himself out and teaching her what it meant to kiss a man. There were many ways he would be forced to dishonor the woman kneeled before him, but making her lick away the remnants of a socialite’s ass was not one of them.
“Stand, slave. I have something I want to show you.”
Maddy complied instantly, followed behind him as he led her down the corridor toward his room. When wisps of music escaped his door, he sensed Maddy stall at his back. A quick glance over his shoulder and he found that she wavered on her feet, her eyes wide at the recognition of the music. Grasping her hand, he pulled her forward while pushing open the door to enter the room.
He saw the large, black case of the cello positioned exactly where he’d requested. The sudden exhalation of breath behind him told him that Maddy, too, had spotted it. Aaron spun quickly, barely catching Maddy as she fainted.
Carrying her to the bed, he grew concerned at her reaction, lightly tapped her against her cheeks to bring her back to the present. Her eyelids fluttered open like butterflies covering the deep blue of her eyes. “What … what happened?” Confusion furrowing her brow, she pushed up on her arms, her gaze moving past his shoulder to the instrument.
“You fainted.” He laughed quietly. “That was not the reaction, I was expecting.” Aaron’s voice carried the slight hint of humor as he watched the conflicting emotions play over her face.
Chapter Nineteen
Maddy continued staring at the case; her mouth, opening like she wanted to speak, but no sound followed. Aaron moved aside so she could better see the large piece of her life that had been stripped from her when she’d been abducted.
“You may go look at it, Mouse; that is, if you want to.” Aaron couldn’t help the levity in his tone as he granted her permission to inspect the instrument.
Looking between Aaron’s face and the instrument, Maddy finally … slowly … crawled off the bed. Her steps appeared hesitant and unsure as she moved closer to the instrument. Aaron watched her like a hawk, every flex of her muscle, every small expression that raced across her face crashing against him as he attempted to hold back his smile.
Reaching the case, Maddy’s movements became more hurried as she flicked open the numerous clasps along the side. A slight creak as it opened, and her body trembled when she spotted the cello sitting unharmed inside the case. Her fingers slid delicately along the red colored wood before tracing the outline of the f-hole carved into the body of the instrument. Moving over, she lightly plucked at the strings and frowned upon the discovery that they’d loosened from the heat of where the cello had been stored.
Her body jumped when Aaron suddenly spoke. “Would you like to play for me?”
She was thoughtful for a moment; her silence giving away the trepidation coursing through her veins. Her voice was barely a whisper when she asked, “May I?”
Aaron sighed heavily when Maddy’s eyes raced to find his, her question being a great relief when he realized she was learning to look to him for permission. Nodding his assent, she began to remove the instrument from its case before Aaron called out to stop her. “Wait. Put the instrument back in, we’ll take it to another room so that you can play.”
Begrudgingly, she repacked the cello, quickly snapping closed the enc
losures before lifting the case. With Madeleine following behind him, Aaron led her to another door in the corridor. Pulling out a key, he unlocked the door before walking inside in front of her. Before she could enter, he turned to her and said, “Nobody but Xander and I have ever entered this room.”
Once Aaron’s large body had cleared the doorway, Maddy gasped as her view of the room was expanded. A black grand piano was positioned in the middle of the room; its top left open with music situated above the keyboard, ready to be played. Along one wall was a large black leather couch, but no other furniture took up the space except for a single chair placed next to the piano. Maddy’s eyes traveled over the walls as she noticed the padded squares hung over the entire surface, useful in soundproofing and adding to the acoustics of the room. Above her hung a large chandelier. Much like the one in Aaron’s living room, it was a heavy iron circle, dotted with lights fashioned to look like candles. Looking down once again she noticed the beauty of the floors; the wood that was polished to such an extent that Maddy could see her reflection across its surface.
Aaron watched as Maddy perused the room, intently noting her slow understanding that the room had been designed for a musician’s use. Placing the large cello case on the floor, she started to move to the piano, but stopped short, turning to look to Aaron for permission before proceeding. A momentary indiscretion, he decided to let it pass, not feeling it worthy of reprimand.
“You may approach it, Madeleine.”
A deafening silence fell over the room except for the soft pad of her feet hitting the floor as the sound echoed throughout the room. Aaron held his breath, watching her naked form approach the piano before lightly running her fingers across the keys. Turning to him, she asked, “Do you … ” She gasped, covered her mouth with one hand as her body started to tremble with fright. “I’m sorry. Am I allowed to talk without your permission?”
Interesting ….
Narrowing his eyes, Aaron noticed that after being given the instrument, Maddy’s behavior had gone from momentarily brazen to absolute submission. Like a deluge, relief flooded his system. If he could keep her in such a malleable state, they’d both be spared the torment of her punishment and reinstruction.
“You may ask to speak if there is something you need to say; but never within the other areas of compound. When we are in my quarters, I’ll grant you permission to indicate your desire to speak, but outside of my quarters it is imperative you remain silent. Not doing so could lead to public reprimand, the likes of which you do not want to endure. Additionally, you are to address me as ‘Master’; ‘yes, master … no, master …. that is the manner in which you will speak to me.” Kindly he spoke the words, although their meaning contained a promise of evil Maddy had never imagined could exist.
Nodding her head in understanding, Maddy appeared to suddenly remember something. “May I speak, Master?”
A short laugh escaped him; amused to see he’d have to be more specific in his instructions. “We’re in the middle of a conversation, Mouse, there’s no need to keep asking if you may talk. The question is for only when there’s been silence between us.”
A shy smile, her cheeks reddening from her embarrassment. Aaron groaned when he watched that same blush quickly cover the rest of her alabaster skin.
“Do you play?”
Her words brought his attention from her body to her mouth, his eyes following the perfect lines of her lips. Once again finding the blue of her eyes, he remembered her question. “I do. My mother taught me and Xander both, when we were young.” Noting how confusion and disbelief crinkled her brow, Aaron asked, “Is it impossible to believe that a man who’s killed also can play a piano?”
“I guess not.” Looking down, Maddy avoided the intensity of Aaron’s stare as his question reminded her of the true character of the man with whom she was speaking.
“Play for me, slave.” While speaking the curt command, Aaron glanced over his shoulder as he moved to take a seat on the couch. Maddy removed the instrument and its bow from its case, walked over to sit in the chair near the piano, and sat down to begin tuning the instrument. Twisting the pegs, Maddy stretched the C and G strings taut and into tune, before moving her hand to the other side to tune the D and A. Almost as soon as the D was tightened into tune, it broke, snapping back to slap a red mark against Maddy’s cheek. Aaron was immediately on his feet and moving to her side to inspect the mark left by the broken string. “Are you okay?”
“Yes … Yes, Master.” Her hand went to her face to examine the small welt left by the string. “It’s happened before, dangers of being a musician, I guess.” She peeked up at him through her lashes. “I have another string in my case, if I may go retrieve it.”
After determining that the mark was nothing more than a superficial sting, one that would heal in less than a day, Aaron returned to the couch, waited as Madeleine pulled the broken string from the instrument to replace it with the one she’d fetched from the case. “Mouse, when you are finished, bring me the broken string.” A quick facial expression betrayed her confusion, but she complied immediately with his order, not daring to ask why he’d wanted it.
Madeleine crossed the room to hand him the string. Taking it from her hand, Aaron looked up before saying, “Remain standing in front of me.” Diverting his attention back to the string, he fashioned a circle out of it by winding it around itself. “Give me your hand.” Maddy immediately held out her right hand causing him to chuckle to himself, thinking that if he’d just thought to get the cello on the night she’d arrived, they could have avoided a lot of drama. Slipping the string around her wrist, he tightened it around itself until it fit snuggly against her skin. Looking up, the emerald green of his eyes collided with her perplexed gaze. “Do you know why I’m allowing you to play?”
“No.”
He snickered as he arched an eyebrow at her forgetfulness. “No what?”
Another shy smile. “No, Master.”
“I let you play because it is a gift for obedience, much like the clothing I’ve given you in the past. You have done well since I’ve returned home. If you continue, you’ll be allowed one hour a day during which you may play in this room. However, if you falter into disobedience, you’ll be punished, and not only by losing your hour for that day, but by other means as well. I can be a kind Master, but I do not condone any rebellion or lack of respect. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master.”
Letting out a held breath, Aaron nodded his head once. “Good. That string will remind you of what you can have. When you misbehave, it will be removed and will be replaced by another type of bind.” Maddy didn’t respond to his words, just stood looking at him, her eyes welling at the threat of losing something she held so close to her heart.
“Go play.”
As she moved back to the chair, Aaron took in the beautiful vision before him as she sat down. Within moments, the room was filled with the baritone sound of her instrument. Sucking in a harsh breath, Aaron had to close his eyes against the beauty of the tone and quality to the music. It was nothing like the CDs, a sound not easily reproduced by even the highest quality stereo systems.
As Aaron sat in awe of the music playing through the room, Maddy’s eyes finally released the tears she’d wanted to shed since discovering the instrument in his room. She was spellbound from the feel of the strings sliding along her fingers, the gentle vibration of the wood as she produced sound so exquisite, nothing could compare to its beauty. A single note at first, Maddy added to the deep sound as she played slowly along the strings, building tempo as she also moved along the scale to higher pitched notes. This particular piece had been the one she played on the night she’d been abducted, the music, sensual in its complexity … hard, yet soft; a driving pulse that was built from moments of anticipation and need. She’d written the piece as an inexperienced woman, never knowing the touch of a man or the desire that could consume her when caressed by the hand of the man sitting in front of her. However,
somehow, she’d guessed correctly when composing the piece, had found a way to express the passion that could occur between two lovers in the most intimate of encounters.
Bringing the tempo back to a slower pace, she neared the end of the song while peeking up through her lashes at Aaron. A forbidden forest in the middle of a storm so fierce, the multi-hued greens swirled as his eyes burned into hers, his face overtaken by an expression she’d never before seen. She lost her place in the song almost instantly, mesmerized by the intensity of his stare. Not knowing why, her heart suddenly accelerated and her chest beat against the back of her instrument from her labored and erratic breath. When Aaron suddenly stood and walked to her with a smooth dangerous swagger, the bow slipped from her fingers, clattering against the wooden floor. He stopped just short of where she sat, took the cello from her hands and placed it aside.
Her chest heaved in anticipation, not knowing why he’d looked at her in that way, not knowing if she’d upset him somehow. She kept her eyes trained to the floor, not daring to look up into the eyes of a predator such as him. When he kneeled down, her body trembled at the heat rolling off his skin. He was so close, yet he didn’t move, just stared at her, burning trails along her skin as he looked her over. His hands came up to grasp her knees. Parting her legs, he slid his hands along the smooth skin of her thighs, her body quaking even more violently as his thumbs traced along her most intimate parts while moving his hands up further, over her torso, along the edge of her breasts. Moving in between her parted legs, he grasped her head in his hands, held in her in place, while he stared intently into her eyes. “I’m going to kiss you, Mouse, it would be best if you refrain from biting me this time.” A flash of a smile before the warmth of his mouth was on her lips. At first tentative and unsure, Maddy allowed him to move over her, have his way with her body. His tongue invaded her mouth suddenly, swirled along hers, soft nips against the edge as he worked her into a frenzy with just his kiss. The silence in the room was staggering as she was engulfed, utterly consumed by the movement of his mouth against hers.