by Sara Brooks
Soon.
Soon he would hear her pleas again.
Soon her blood would run solely for him.
But he needed to be patient, to wait until the moment was absolutely perfect. He didn’t want to blow his chances by acting too soon. Impatience would ruin everything. He needed to wait until the right moment to take her back.
To make her his once more.
Soon.
Oh so very, very soon she would be his to command once again.
He wouldn’t be satisfied until she belonged to him.
Knowing his time would come, he faded into the shadows of the morning, blending into the dark crevices in which he flourished. There, he adopted a position he wasn’t comfortable with, but knew was necessary in order to achieve his goals.
He watched and waited because that’s what the situation dictated.
For once in his life since he’d discovered his talent for delivering pain, he would wait.
Beth watched as Ryan vanished into the dark. She wanted to follow him and apologize for shattering such an intimate moment. But the anger she’d seen in his expression kept her in place.
Still, the niggling feeling there was more to Ryan than he wanted her to believe roared back to life. There was something he wasn’t telling her. Something she couldn’t put her finger on.
She’d felt it in his kiss.
She liked the way he showed her there was more to her than she thought. That she was capable of something she’d never been able to comprehend before. In return, she wanted to help him, but if he kept erecting walls her offer would prove futile.
Of course, she reminded herself, he wasn’t the one who needed help. Wasn’t the one who’d started this whole thing to begin with. She just needed to keep telling herself that and forget this half-cocked idea there was more between them than just simply Dominant and submissive.
* * * * *
Ryan’s boots crushed the dry and brittle leaves as he walked toward a bench. Lunchtime and unseasonably warm temperatures had brought out an assortment of people to the park behind Farpoint Square. Ryan waved to more than a few familiar faces as he crossed the wide field typically used for soccer games.
Children’s laughter drifted toward him on the light autumn breeze, a familiar pang stabbing at his chest. He’d been robbed of the opportunity to cruise down the slide with Tobias. He spotted Dade waiting for him and offered the can of soda he’d picked up at the corner drugstore as he sat.
“Taking a moment out of your busy schedule to actually spend time with a friend?”
“Got carried away.” He deserved the shot without question. It wasn’t like him to get caught up in something—or someone—where he forgot he actually had a life. The boat he’d been so close to completing sat unfinished, waiting for him. Thankfully this one didn’t have a contract. “What about you? Have anything going lately?”
“No. Been too busy.”
“No shit? Surprising since you always had your fair share of lovers and submissives just waiting around. You’ve never been too busy for sex, man.”
Dade casually brushed off his statement. “Things change. People change. Just a matter if you decide to change with them or not.”
“And there he goes getting all philosophical again.” It wasn’t unusual for Dade to become so withdrawn he shut down, but his inward focus didn’t usually spread to his sex life. “It’s unlike you to not take the time to indulge in your chosen fetishes.”
Dade shook his head. “Just stating the facts.”
The melancholy attitude worried Ryan. This was completely uncharacteristic of his best friend. While Dade wasn’t the kind who possessed a carefree and happy-go-lucky attitude, he wasn’t usually this withdrawn. “You’ve been quieter than normal lately. Not your usual self.”
“Maybe you’ve just too busy to pay attention.”
Ryan bit off the quip he’d been about to fire back because of the clipped tone of Dade’s voice. Was he right? Had he gotten so wrapped up he’d missed things he would have normally seen?
He thought back to the night he introduced Beth to his entire group of friends. To the way Dade had acted peculiarly toward the revelation Tony and Genevieve were dating. Coupled with the way he seemed so pensive and accusatory, Ryan knew something was wrong.
Damn him for not tracking down Dade to discuss things sooner.
He had gotten caught up.
“Spill it. And don’t bother wasting your breath. I’ve known you too goddamn long for you to lie to me.”
Dade waved his hand in the air, dismissing the command. “It’s not important, man.”
“Bullshit.” If there was one thing Ryan knew, it was the fact he’d just been lied to. Dade wasn’t one to lie if he could help it. A glaring signal everything wasn’t copacetic. “If what is going on in your head has got you this disoriented, it’s important.”
Dade dropped his head, rubbing his eyes for a few minutes before lifting his head to stare out at nothing. “I thought I knew what I wanted out of this whole BDSM thing. Even Sanctuary. But I can’t seem to find my footing lately.” He sighed heavily, bending forward to rest his elbows against his knees. “I haven’t even been interested in sex lately. Not a priority. Not like it used to be. I couldn’t care less if I get off.”
“Not interested in sex? Now I know you’re really fucked up. What’s going on?”
He gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Just a whole lot of shit I don’t want to talk about.”
“Dade—”
“Give it a rest, Flynn. My shitty life doesn’t concern you.”
Ryan held up his hands. “Fair enough.” He had his suspicions, but Dade obviously wasn’t ready to talk just yet. “Whenever you’re—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know, all right? I just need more time to sort through some things. Talking about the shitstorm that is my life isn’t why you called me out here, is it?”
Ryan stared at the families enjoying their time together as he finished off the last of his soda. Could he do this? Could he admit to Dade—his oldest friend—he’d found someone who quieted the sound in his head? Who made him feel as if he was actually his old self again?
The last thing Ryan would ever consider himself was a coward. He never shied away from a challenge, not to mention talking with a friend about something bothering him. Especially not with the fifteen years he and Dade had known each other.
“I know we haven’t had a chance to talk much. Things have gotten a little…intense. I’m fucking up and I’m not sure I know how to do what she’s asked me to do for her anymore.”
The statement seemed to catch Dade’s interest and the distress Ryan noticed clouding his eyes earlier cleared. If nothing else, at least this would help wipe away anything Dade was trying to deal with for a little while and give him something else to focus on. “Dare I even ask what the hell happened to make you doubt yourself?”
“Let’s just say emotions are a dirty thing.”
“Oh hell.” Dade’s back went ramrod straight. “You’ve fallen for her.”
Ryan grimaced. “I’m not sure helping her anymore is the right thing to do. Not when I obviously feel something for her. I thought I could do this, but I’m not so sure anymore.”
Dade tapped his fingers against the side of his soda can. “Ever stop to think you decided to help her out for a reason? That you needed to tear down the invisible wall you’ve had erected between you and everyone else since—”
“I hate it when you get so fucking philosophical.” Ryan sighed, staring out at nothing. Looking back on the moment, Dade was right. Things had progressed between the two of them further and faster than he would have thought possible. Especially considering Beth’s past. “This is something I never expected to find again.”
“So you naturally assume you’re not supposed to react this way. That you’re not supposed to feel something for her.”
“Yes and no. I’m blurring lines here I shouldn’t be. I promised to help her find her way again. I
nstead I’m monopolizing her because I want her for myself. She’s survived her past, but she hasn’t gotten over it.”
“And you want to help her get over it.”
“That’s why she came to me, isn’t it?”
Dade turned on the bench, slinging one arm over the back rail as he faced Ryan. “Man, listen to what the universe is trying to tell you. You know better than to go against what your instincts are screaming at you. Maybe you need things to be this way. Maybe you need her just as much as she needs you.”
Ryan knew it wasn’t right to point out Dade should take his own advice based on the way he’d been acting lately. But dishing it out wasn’t the same thing as listening. He knew that perhaps better than anyone. “I know.”
“Then let things run their course.”
As much as he wanted to, as much as he knew Dade was right, he wasn’t convinced it was the best course of action to pursue. She’d come to him for one reason and one reason only. And all he kept doing was adding emotions that weren’t supposed to exist. “This isn’t about me, Dade. She came to me seeking a mentor. For help. Not the other way around. I’m not supposed to—”
“What, get attached? To fall for her? This lifestyle we’ve chosen lends itself to very tight and extremely intense relationships. That’s what happens when we put ourselves out there like we do. That’s a risk we accept when we decide to seek this kind of connection with another person. Hell, that’s why some of us do it in the first place.”
“I’ve always been able to keep it separate.”
Dade’s fingers tapped out a rhythm on the back of the bench. “Maybe it’s time you shouldn’t.”
Ryan tightened his fists, crushing the can in his strong grip. “I’m going to do what I assured her I would and forget about this crap in my head. It’s all just a bunch of shit anyway. I refuse to violate her trust.”
“So the fact she makes you feel whole and alive again means nothing. You’re going to just toss it away? I know you have your problems, man, but I never took you for a fucking fool.” Dade clapped a hand on his shoulder.
“I have to do this.” Ryan shook off his strong grip. “She didn’t come to me for a relationship. She came to me looking for guidance.” He paused, knowing what he had to ask next was the right path to take despite the fact his gut wanted him to take a very different route. “Do you have anything pressing that would prevent you from stopping by the warehouse one night?”
Dade’s eyes narrowed. “Are you asking what I think you are? You want my help? ’Cause you know there’s not a chance in hell I’m going to come fuck you.” Ryan nodded, knowing the choice he’d made was for the best despite his friend’s skeptical look.
Dade hesitated, folding his hands in front of him as he steadily tapped his foot against a bare patch of ground. “Are you sure you want to go this direction? It just doesn’t seem as though that’s what you really want.”
“Yes.” He paused, watching a few people pass. “I knew this step in her training would have to happen from the very first time I heard about her experiences. It isn’t as if we haven’t shared a woman a time or two.”
“Yes, I know, but…forget it.” Dade held up a hand. “I may not agree with you, but I understand your reasoning. You need to know she understands her limits and one Dom can’t find those boundaries.”
“At least until she gets past her own head, no. She’s been all right so far, but I’m looking to push on her boundaries even more and could use a hand. She needs to know she can stop when she needs to, not when her Dom tells her to. Especially because she’s been exposed to multiple partners in such a negative manner. She needs to know if it’s something she enjoys because she enjoys it, not because someone else tells her she does.”
“So you think this is the step she needs to make in order to get past things. Past what she came to you for help with.”
“Yes.”
Dade sighed heavily and rose, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Fine. It’s your call and your sub. Just tell me where and when and I’ll be there.”
Chapter Eleven
Beth stood in Ryan’s room at Sanctuary completely nude.
There was no sign of his ropes and most of his pieces were still tucked away in the darker recesses of the area. Of course, the room was twice its normal size tonight as he’d opened up the adjoining space. The arrangement made her wonder what he had in store for her.
“I thought I’d call on a friend’s help tonight.” Her blood ran cold. Though she trusted Ryan, her experience with multiple partners left something to be desired. She didn’t know if this was something she was ready for.
“Someone else? I—”
“Relax.” He reached forward, his fingers threading through her hair to give her a center. His gaze remained on hers as he walked away, tapping a light switch on the far side of the room. The brighter light allowed her to see the heavy-duty leather hanging beside her. The supple leather was a startling contrast to what she expected to find. When she realized it was a sex sling, everything inside her snapped to intense need.
This was something so vastly different from the ropes he normally used to secure her with. She found herself craving the texture of the rough leather scraping against her skin. Despite some of the situations she’d been put in against her will, she still liked the feel of something harsh against her skin.
Though it looked innocent, the combination of steel rings and black leather meant something entirely different. What she didn’t know about the suspension piece was how it would appear once she’d been strapped inside it. The idea sent a bolt of arousal through her body, coiling low in her gut to stoke a fire that never seemed to bank around Ryan. The pure nature of her need overrode her earlier hesitation about his plans.
“Glad to see this meets your approval.”
She gasped as she snapped out of her stupor to find Ryan’s fingers sliding around her wrist. The feel of his touch was exquisite. His thumb brushed against one of the buckles, his gaze lifting to hers. The questioning look in his eyes socked her in the gut. He wanted to remove the cuffs.
But she couldn’t.
Not yet. She hadn’t quite come to terms with what lay under the leather. Not enough to deal with the reminder on a daily basis. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I can’t, Ryan. Not—”
He took up her hand, turning it over as he began to fit short lengths of rope around her cuff. Metal rings clicked softly together as he fastened the second length around her other wrist. She breathed out as he knelt, moving on without pushing about the cuffs.
Someday she would have to confess her darkest sins and show him.
Two heavy-duty cuffs fit securely around her ankles before he stood to offer her a collar. When he held it out to her, she knew he wasn’t someone who took the meaning of a collar lightly. By him handing her the item, it remained just a collar. It would only hold the significance needed for the scene and nothing more. She would surrender the item once the night was over as it wasn’t hers to keep.
She fastened it around her throat.
Finished, Ryan hooked his finger through the ring dangling in the hollow of her throat, tugging gently to bring her closer. Their lips met, his tongue sliding into her mouth.
His unrestrained heat and passion marked her as his.
He pulled away, guiding her under the two long strips of leather. A quick tug loosened the knot he’d used to suspend the contraption up out of the way. Now he utilized the system of pulleys to bring the sling down to the level where he could strap her into the device.
She admired his body as he worked, the way his arm and chest muscles bunched and flexed as he reached to unclip each of the long, wide strips of leather. He took such care in the way he moved, checking the fabric and the metal pieces that would hold her once she was secured. His attention to detail once more cemented her faith in his ability to care for her.
Stepping forward when he gestured for her, she reached up to steady herself with the two metal r
ings where the leather would eventually loop around and buckle. The leather closed around her thigh, encasing the skin from the crease of her ass to mid-thigh.
He worked quickly and quietly, whispering when he needed her to adjust her position. In a matter of minutes, she was suspended a few inches off the ground, canted forward and bound securely in the sling. The position held her legs wide open, her ass high and exposed. He circled her, clipping her ankle cuffs to some kind of hooks sewed into the leather behind her.
She had been suspended in offering.
After tying off the entire contraption, he swept his fingers along her jaw. “You’re exquisite, presented in wait for what I have to deliver. But I see on your face you’re still wondering what I meant when I mentioned having a friend help.”
She lowered her eyes, embarrassed she had allowed it to worry her enough that he could tell. “Yes Sir.”
“Heard someone has an affinity for a little bit of ass play.” Her heart skipped a beat when Dade’s voice echoed through the wide room. Ryan stepped to the side so she could see the formidable man standing near the door, wearing an amused expression. Dade winked as he strode forward, a maroon bag slung over his shoulder. “Since that’s my specialty, thought I could lend a hand. Or something else.”
As he approached, Ryan’s hand smoothed along her sides.
A threesome.
Oh God.
Ryan knelt in front of her, blocking her view of the other man. “I’ve asked Dade here tonight because you’re ready for this, Beth. We both will have your best interests in mind and at any time, you alone hold the power to stop everything in its tracks.”
“I know, Sir.” She knew Ryan would never do anything to hurt her—not like Ethan. Ryan wouldn’t do anything he felt she wasn’t ready for. He wouldn’t push her that way. Excitement trailed a line up her spine as she thought about both men taking her.
Ryan’s finger circled her distended nipple. “You were made for complete and total submission, Beth. Don’t ever let anyone try to convince you otherwise from now on, do you understand?” He leaned forward, pressing a row of open-mouthed kisses down the line of her neck. “Safewords? Loud and clear. Own them.”