by Avery Aster
Daegan’s forehead crinkled, and his gaze narrowed. Jennifer couldn’t shake the feeling of being prey as the predator circled before going in for the kill.
“I can easily imagine the flutter of her pulse at the hollow of her neck, or the sound of her heart racing to catch up with her wild thoughts.” Daegan took a step closer. “The fear is palpable in a scene like this one.”
Jennifer swallowed. More heat flared to life in her pussy. She clenched her thighs together and found herself biting the inside of her lip to keep from crying out.
Smooth move, Jennifer.
She’d momentarily forgotten about the rope tied intricately around her torso, including the strand that pressed a well-placed knot directly on top of her clit. In preparation for tonight’s demonstration in the new Dark Room lounge, Murphy had called her in early for some prep work. Working for Chase and Murphy as one of their bondage models had morphed into an incredible career for her, and tonight’s grand opening of their new space positioned her prominently as the premier fetish model in the Southeast. With any luck, after tonight’s show, she’d be fielding offers from across the country, or even the world.
“What about you?”
Daegan’s question pulled Jennifer from her wayward thoughts. “What? Me?” She had no idea what he’d said. For some reason his presence unnerved her, leaving her tongue-tied and mute.
“Everything okay?” The look of concern stamped on his face almost fooled her. Then he winked at her. That simple move finally clueing her in.
“I don’t know what you mean?”
“Uh-huh.” A rough finger touched her bottom lip, tracing the path where her teeth had nibbled. “You looked like a lost little girl standing here waiting for the big bad Dom to eat you.”
The sensation of a thousand butterflies taking wing erupted in Jennifer’s stomach at his touch. She fought to maintain control and not jerk away from him. Men like him only saw that kind of weakness as a challenge, and that was the last thing she wanted to be to him. Something to conquer.
She managed to gently ease from his touch and take a step backward. “I’ve got to get to the Dark Room. Murphy will be waiting for me.”
“Always running away, ye are. One of these days you’ll find yourself trapped with nowhere to hide.”
Jennifer bit back the sudden impulse to tell the silver-tongued devil where he could shove his predictions. She’d entered the club scene out of curiosity, not need, and while she loved some aspects of it, she wasn’t about to become any man’s slave, no matter how sexy he sounded. Instead she plastered a smile across her face and spoke sweetly. “Unfortunately duty calls. But I’m sure there will be plenty of women here tonight who’d be more than happy to take you up on your generous offer.”
When she slid between two displays with her only thought of escape, she found her wrist captured, halting her progress.
“You’re a stubborn woman, Ms. Croft. Or maybe the word I’m looking for is feisty. Either way. I’m intrigued.”
“I’m flattered, I really am…”
“Don’t,” he warned. “Don’t tell me how you aren’t interested. I don’t believe you. Maybe if your skin didn’t flush every time I touched it, or the amazing scent of your arousal didn’t taunt me every time we speak, I’d believe you. So tell me the real reason. Maybe then we can figure out a way to move past this.”
Despite her good intentions, heat flooded Jennifer’s cheeks. The man was a danger to her sanity, or at least all of her good intentions. Getting involved with anyone beyond one or two play sessions was completely out of the question. Still… Her system rioted out of control at the mere thought of him taking charge. For weeks she’d avoided him as much as possible, until he’d finally cornered her one night at the fetish club when she’d been waiting for her turn at the flogging station.
He’d offered to scene with her, and for several brief minutes she’d considered it. Being at the club lowered what few inhibitions she had, and the thought of submitting to the man who’d begun to invade her dreams sounded like the perfect way to excise him from her thoughts.
Luckily, before she’d been able to open her mouth and make a colossal mistake, her name had been called and she’d been ushered into the flogging area. The rest of the night, every time she’d turned her head, he’d been there—watching. And from the bulge in his pants, she’d surmised he liked what he saw. The exhibitionist in her had preened. At the end of her session, while in a state of pain-induced euphoria, Jennifer had decided that if he offered again, she’d go home with him. She deserved one night of pleasure with him and then in the morning she’d explain the deal to him. To her dismay, he’d disappeared.
That little wake-up call had served her well.
Until he’d asked her to be his—temporarily.
“Why me? I’m not exactly what anyone would call a submissive.”
“Because I saw the look on your face the first time I watched a whip kiss your skin. Like it or not, you crave it.” When she didn’t respond, he continued. “Besides, I’ve discovered I have a fondness for Southern girls, and you are the sweetest I’ve ever tasted.”
Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Does that line really work?”
Daegan laughed. A rich, lilting sound she felt like an electric jolt to her already sensitive clit. “I’ll let you know tomorrow.”
He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, and God help her, she turned her face into his touch and inhaled. The scent of wood and soap tickled her senses. Thanks to his job, she always detected a hint of wood whenever he came near. Sometimes oak, sometimes pine or like today, cedar.
She had no earthly idea why the scent of wood made her weak in the knees, but on him she couldn’t get enough. Faint warning bells sounded somewhere in the back of her mind, which she promptly ignored. A few more seconds wouldn’t kill her. “What were you working on today?” She almost cringed at the new husky tone of her voice.
“I had some free time today, so I spent the day working on a personal project.”
“What kind of personal project?” The rough skin of his hand abraded her jaw when she moved her head back and forth. Lost in the pleasure sensations of his touch, it took her too long to realize she’d been rubbing against him like a cat in heat. In an instant her eyes cleared, and she attempted to step back.
“No.” His hand tightened on the back of her neck and drew her even closer. “Have dinner with me after the show, and I’ll tell you all about my new project.”
Jennifer wanted to melt in Daegan’s firm hold. He made her think about things that made no sense for a woman like her. “I can’t. I already have plans,” she lied.
“You need discipline,” he growled.
“Stop saying stuff like that. You have no idea what I need.” Tears formed in her eyes that she prayed wouldn’t fall.
“Stop lying.” He stared at her for several long seconds more before he dropped his hand and retreated. “Remember what I said earlier. One of these days you won’t be able to run, little rabbit. You’ll have to stand and face your fears. We all do.”
Jennifer watched her Irish devil walk away, his broad body crowding the small space. Her skin tingled where he’d held her in his grip. It took all the willpower she possessed not to rub the sensation away. The sexual frustration she’d been experiencing before she’d been so rudely interrupted had now reached epic proportions. She’d be lucky if she didn’t make a scene during the live demonstration. Not that anyone in this crowd would object if she spontaneously orgasmed while hanging in suspension.
She snorted at the image. Hell, Chase and Murphy would probably give her a raise.
“There you are. C’mon darlin’, we’re going to be late to our own party.”
Jennifer reluctantly turned toward Murphy, who’d crept up behind her. Despite the frustration drowning her, she couldn’t help but smile at the man in front of her. “It’s a good thing Eve will be here tonight. You look downright biteable.” Head to toe tight black did that to
a man. Especially one as gorgeous as her boss.
“And if she catches you eyeballing me like that, it will be Eve doing the biting. Let’s finish getting you ready before Chase hunts us both down.” He grabbed her hand and led her down the short hallway. “Was that Daegan you were talking to?”
“As if you didn’t know.”
Murphy stopped and stared at her. “Feeling feisty tonight, are we? Or are you just looking to get your ass beat?” He twirled her around and began attaching more rope to the harness he’d already tied around her chest. “Either way. I’m pretty sure Daegan can handle it.”
“I don’t need to be handled and especially not by him.” The minute the harsh words left her mouth, Jennifer regretted them. It annoyed her to no end how much she let that man get to her. But taking it out on Murphy certainly wasn’t going to help.
“I’m sor—”
Murphy jerked the rope tight, pulling her off her feet and temporarily robbing her of breath. “Don’t apologize to me. I’m not the one who needs to hear it. You and Daegan have been doing this little dance for weeks now. It’s been kind of amusing to watch, but enough is enough, Jennifer. It’s time to either fish or cut bait.”
Jennifer wanted to explode over his words. How many times had she turned Daegan down? That Murphy thought she’d meant that as some sort of foreplay with the infuriating man made her want to lash out. But she knew from experience how far she could push a man like Murphy. Considering they would soon be performing for a packed audience, she settled for grinding her teeth and thinking bad thoughts.
Take a deep breath and let it go. The words of her former therapist filtered through her brain. He’d tried to tell her she had anger management issues, and after six weeks of listening to him go on and on about her faults, she’d fired his ass and never looked back.
Hell, yeah she was angry. When it was warranted.
Fortunately, Murphy had quit talking and seemed involved in getting her tied perfectly. With each pull and tug on the rope, she lost a little bit more of her freedom. Immediately a familiar calm stole over her. She closed her eyes and focused on everything around her. The cool air brushing across her exposed body, the pretty rope pressing down on her while never breaking the skin, the scent of fresh paint mingled with the crisp aroma of the brand-new leather that covered the walls. She imagined the reality of this room when the lights were removed and there were only other senses to rely on.
Her pussy grew hot and swollen, which was only agitated by the rope covering her clit. By the end of the demonstration she’d be needy beyond belief. That idea conjured an image of her dark-haired devil. It was always the quiet ones you needed to be afraid of. Or so she kept hearing. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see below Daegan’s easygoing surface to the churning waters underneath. Every time she got near him, she heard the storm brewing in her head. The energy emanating from him never ceased to arouse her.
Curiosity reared its ugly head, and once again she wondered what he’d do with her once he had her alone. He seemed insistent on her becoming his for the duration of his job. What then? The professional image of Murphy tying her for a shoot dissipated into something entirely different. Her mind wandered, and she let the feeling overtake her. It was Daegan’s big body pressed against her back as he worked the intricate knots.
“There ya go, babe. All secured.” The voice drifting through her senses had a sharp undertone, a gravelly sound of arousal in it.
“Ready for the paint?”
“Yes,” she panted. Anything as long as it meant he’d touch her.
“Lift your arms and be perfectly still.”
Jennifer eagerly obeyed despite the pain of the rope now digging sharply into her hip. Somehow that bite transferred straight to her nipples and clit, hardening them. A soft chuckle sounded from him moments before the cold, wet brush lapped at her belly. She sucked in a breath and gritted her teeth as he began to trail the liquid over her exposed skin.
The ache between her legs nearly exploded on impact. She swore her pulse thundered through her blood and pounded through her cunt.
“Legs apart.” Her overimaginative brain heard Daegan speak the order. She complied. Wet stripes were painted down one side and up the other of each of her legs only inches away from her clenching opening. The rough texture of the brush excited all of her nerve endings, setting her on a course she feared. Her muscles coiled in the beginning stages of an explosive release.
“Please,” she whispered in her head.
All too soon the paint was applied and her hands were cuffed to the chains dangling from the ceiling. Her arms were pulled until she stood on the tips of her toes and her cold muscles cramped in protest at the sudden movements. Her eyes flew open.
“I’ll be right back. Need to check on the crowd and make sure we’re all set. I’ll be in hearing range if you need anything.”
Jennifer licked her lips and nodded. When the door closed behind Murphy, she retreated back to the fantasy she’d begun. This time Daegan pushed a thigh between her legs and brushed against her hot spot for a brief second, her keening cry of need slipping from her lips. He took a knee and placed his face at pussy level where he teased her with hot puffs of air directed across her quaking flesh before dragging a thick finger through her sopping folds.
In the distance she heard someone say something, and then her legs were lifted and bent behind her so they could be attached to the rigging at her wrists. Daegan disappeared from between her thighs, and her pussy squeezed in protest. Reality and fantasy swirled in her head while Murphy lifted her in place. She wasn’t in a scene with Daegan. This was her job. She was about to be on display in front of every single person of influence in the industry. She’d already overheard Chase talking about how many organizations and media outlets were represented tonight.
“Last piece, Jennifer. Are you ready?”
“Yes.” She pushed the word through her lips. Anything to take her mind away from its insane direction.
Murphy wrapped his hand with the long, single braid of her blonde hair and pulled. “You know the drill. The more you move, the more it will hurt. Although this crowd will appreciate any pain you experience from your predicament bondage. So let’s give them a show…”
“Go ahead,” she urged. She no sooner said the words than pain exploded in the tender skin under her hair. Tears sprang to her eyes and threatened to fall. Jennifer relaxed, letting the painful sensation wash over her. This was what she wanted. This distraction. The reminder of who and what she was. Daegan wanted a submissive to shape and bend to his will, and she was simply a pain slut looking for a fix.
“Open your eyes, Jennifer.”
The words were whispered at her ear, Murphy’s hot breath bathing her skin. She lifted her lids and blinked at the eerie glow of the black light filling the room. The Dark Room had been transformed into the sensational play space it was meant to be. People mingled in nearly every inch of the small area, and the energy and excitement rushed over her, leaving her light-headed and thrumming for more. Her pulse pounded in her ears.
And then she saw him.
The crowd parted, and there along the black wall stood her sexy Irishman. Dark hair hung loose around his broad shoulders, which framed his strong jaw perfectly. The tailored shirt and slacks he wore fit in all the right places, reminding her just how hard he felt standing against her. Despite the many men and women standing around him, his gaze was all over her, drinking in every inch of her glowing skin. All the emotion and aching need from the last hour came crashing down on her. All she could picture was him taking her. Pushing his cock between her legs where she was wet and more than ready to take him.
Instead his hot stare said it all. He wanted her, and he would have her. She didn’t have a doubt in her mind it was what he thought. And for the first time in several years, a paralyzing fear seized her. What if she never survived?
# # #
Sweet Return
Steena Holmes
All
Lauren wants is a weekend to say goodbye to the love of her life, but what she gets is the chance to say hello again.
Lauren Summers is the stable sister, the one who runs the family company while her sisters take off and travel the world. One weekend a year she hides herself away and mourns a love she lost six years ago. That weekend is now, except she’s being whisked away to a mysterious island despite her protests. After being pampered with luxury, massages and the best chocolate a girl could taste, she starts to realize that its time she left the past behind and moved forward with life, and maybe with love. What she doesn’t know, is that someone from her past has other ideas…
Copyright 2015 Steena Holmes
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
About The Author
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Chapter One
A delicious box of handmade chocolates from one of the best chocolatiers in the world sat on her desk. They were his latest creation and he wanted her to taste test them for him. Damn that man. Paul Ormand, her friend from her college days and now a world—renowned chocolatier, knew she was trying to lose weight. She could have sworn he did this on purpose.
“A sweet thank-you for all you do, my foot,” she muttered to herself. He’d called in a favor a few months ago and she’d been able to help him. When he’d asked what he could do to repay the favor, she’d jokingly suggested chocolate but then told him she was still on her diet and if he sent any she’d make him pay.
She should have known better.
The tantalizing aroma from the opened box tempted her and it was all she could do not to try one. The smart thing would be to close the box, put it away in a drawer and attempt to forget about them.
“Oh, what do you have there?” Melanie, her sister, peered over her shoulder and went to reach for one of the decadent pieces of heaven.