“Hold on to them? Are you kidding me? They’ve got hold of me, and they’re not letting go. I…I…”
“Shush.” They stood still until she finally sighed and nodded.
“I’m okay now.” She wasn’t sure she was, though. A dull throbbing had taken up residence in her pussy, making her feel as if it would never again feel pleasure. She wasn’t sure she liked this, at all.
“Let’s go now,” he said, turning and tugging her along behind him. The tingling in her clit intensified, and when he walked away from the front door toward the side, she wondered what was going on.
He went to a side door, opening it with a flourish and indicating she should go in before him. When she got inside, she stopped short. In the center of the room there was a large wooden rack. Her thoughts immediately flew to stories of prisoners in dungeons, and her gaze shifted around the room.
“Oh my.” Straps of leather, crops, cuffs, and ropes lined the walls. She looked back at the rack. It was large enough to have a person standing spread-eagle, tied to either beam.
He tapped her rear end, and she jolted, turning to face him. “Yes?”
“You know what that’s for, don’t you?”
“Torture?”
“Extreme pleasure.” He stepped around her. “Follow me.”
She didn’t move, and he turned back toward her. “Do you remember what I said we were doing today?”
Clarissa blew out a breath of air, her hair moving away from her forehead as she did. “Yes, I remember. We’re seeing how well I follow directions.”
“Exactly.” He walked to the rack, parts of the chain falling out of his hand as he went. She knew what that meant. He wouldn’t force her to the rack. He wanted her to go to it of her own free will. She glanced at the wall, saw the leather.
He’d said he wasn’t that into whippings, yet he had the implements that would be used for them. She needed to trust him. He wouldn’t hurt her; she knew that. If he said what they were about to do would bring pleasure, she needed to believe he was right.
She followed him slowly, stopping at the edge of the frame.
“Step into the middle.”
When she was in place, he took her left wrist, attached it to a cuff hanging from the top beam. He did the same with her right, then bent and attached her legs. She was at his mercy.
The pleasure she’d felt earlier was now a bundle of nerves, soaring around her body, hitting at her stomach and making her feel as if she would lose her sanity at any moment.
“Don’t you look beautiful.” He stroked her nipple, and she moaned softly. “Don’t be frightened. I promise you, you’re going to love this.”
“Yeah, my nanny used to tell me the same thing when she took me to the doctor’s office. At least I got ice cream after getting a shot.”
He stepped behind her, his breath hot on her shoulder. “I promise you something much better than ice cream.”
She wasn’t so sure of that. “Ice cream compared to a whipping? I think I’ll take the former, with sprinkles, please.”
Clarissa watched him pick up a chair and set it down in front of her. “Who said anything about whipping? You’re assuming that’s what’s happening because of what you see. Maybe I just want to watch you squirm.”
He sat down and stretched his legs out in front of him.
“Excuse me?” She stared at him, shock overwhelming her. “You tied me up just to watch me?” She pulled against the cuffs, which held firm. “Let me go.”
“I think not.” He stood, his eyes on her navel. “Let’s see, five tats, right? We have the sun around your belly button. The turtle on your shoulder.” He traced his finger around the sun, varying the intensity of his touch. Her body responded immediately, her clit throbbing harder than it had before.
“Master.”
“There are different forms of torture, missy.” He leaned over and kissed her nipple. “Sometimes it’s making you want and then watching you go without.”
Suddenly their little walk made sense. Stop and start, over and over, making her body crave his cock. Now here she was, tied up, and he intended to play with her and then leave her hanging. Literally.
“I’m voting for the ice cream. Do you have syrup?”
He chuckled, then gazed down her body. “What other tats do we have? I see an ankh on your ankle.”
“Yes, the ankh was for Denise, my lover. I thought she was forever, and then I realized she was only after what others wanted. My money.”
“The sun?”
“For Serge, because he burned so bright. And before you ask the turtle is for me. We’ve discussed it before.”
“Yes, because you want to be able to retreat into a shell.”
She nodded. “There are two more. Anna and I have matching butterflies on the napes of our necks. We weren’t lovers, not in the physical sense. But she’s been my best friend for so long. She wanted it there so she could hide it with her hair.”
“The last one?”
“A Celtic eternity symbol, right next to the butterfly.”
He moved behind her and lifted her hair.
“Very nice. I like that, the butterfly signifying friendship and the eternity symbol for forever.”
“Exactly.” She was calmer now that she knew she wasn’t going to be whipped. Her arms were starting to ache, but she could deal with that, depending on the amount of time he left her here. He smacked her on the ass, and she shifted, her arms pulling more.
Then he was back in front of her, his fingers delving into her pussy. “You’re so wet.”
He caressed and tugged gently, making her hormones shoot into play again. She rocked into his hand, that wonderful feeling of completion settling inside her, getting ready to burst free. Just when she thought it would, he pulled his fingers away and sat back down.
“Master!”
She watched as his cock sprang to life as he moved away the loose pants he wore. He grabbed it in his fist and pumped.
No! She had a sickening feeling he was going to jack off and make her watch while her body screamed to be fucked. He pumped harder, and she fought against her bonds.
“Master, please.”
“That’s it, baby, struggle for me. If you’re a good girl, we’ll get ice cream tomorrow. You can even have sprinkles.”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.” She pulled harder, groaning as she realized she was doing nothing but causing herself pain.
“Like I said, different forms of torture. This is my favorite one, because you control it. You can just be still and watch and know that later I might allow you to come. Or you can move and jerk around like you are, putting yourself in pain. It’s your decision. You decide what to do.”
He pumped harder, and Clarissa’s body tensed, her pussy clenching as she watched him. Her clit seized with need, the feeling beyond painful. She tried to slow her breathing, but when he looked as if he was about to come, she cried out, squeezing her eyes shut.
When he didn’t cry out, she opened them and gazed at him. He stroked himself gently, his cock still hard, no signs of cum anywhere. “Denial works for Doms too.” He waited a few minutes, then started to pump again.
Clarissa thought she would lose her mind. She tried to stay still, but it was hard, and at times she would jerk, crying out for him to please untie her, please fuck her. She wasn’t sure how long she’d struggled before realizing the room was silent. She fixed her gaze on Maddox, who sat, his hand still holding his rock-hard cock.
“Tell me what you want.”
“Fuck me, Master, please.” Her body quivered, and she moaned. It felt as if someone were using a jackhammer on her chest as she watched him saunter toward her. He stepped in front of her, his cock pressing against her pussy as he clasped her hips and pulled her close to him.
“You know what I want to hear.” It wasn’t a question. Clarissa knew, but she wasn’t sure she was capable of asking nicely. She wanted to fuck, wanted to feel his cock slamming into he
r pussy, jarring her body against her restraints as he pounded her.
She nodded, biting her lip as his lips trailed over her neck, his breath hot on her skin. “Say it.”
“Master.” The need inside her grew until she felt like a volcano, preparing to erupt. She opened her mouth several times, but the only thing that came out were whimpers, soft pleadings for his cock.
“You can do it,” he murmured in her ear. “Ask me very nicely.”
He took a step back, his cock sliding into her slit. His cock pulsed, but he did not thrust, and Clarissa took a calming breath, then mumbled, “Please, Master. Fuck me.”
“Good girl.” He nipped at her neck, sucking skin into his mouth. “Once more.”
“No! Fuck me!” She clamped her lips shut as soon as the words escaped her mouth but it was too late. He was stepping away, moving back toward the chair. “Master, I’ll do better.” She took several calming breaths. “Fuck me, please.”
He stopped and turned to her. “Once more.”
“Fuck me.” The words were soft and gentle, and the smile they produced on his face made her body clench with passion.
“Good girl.” He stepped behind her, and she almost cried out in triumph when she heard the rip of a package. She imagined him sheathing his cock in a condom. He undid the manacle on her right hand, then pulled her flush against him.
“Play, but don’t come.”
Clarissa’s hand dived into her pussy. Her clit throbbed under her fingers, and when she felt the tip of his cock at her entrance, she almost came, using every ounce of willpower to stop her fingers as he slid inside. He undid her other wrist, and she bent over, one hand on the floor to steady herself, the other hovering over her pussy. She was afraid if she went near her clit again she would come, and he would take his cock away. His movements were torturously slow, and Clarissa felt as if her whole body would melt under him. Her muscles quaked as she tried not to push herself back at him.
One, two, three measured strokes, and then he increased the tempo, just enough for her to wonder if she would be able to follow his instructions and not peak without permission.
He smacked her ass, the sound echoing in the room. “Did I give you permission to stop playing with your clit?”
“No, Master.” Another sharp slap made her groan. She found her clit, rubbed it as gently as possible to keep from climaxing.
“Better.” He smacked her ass again, his hips moving faster.
“Master?” Her waiting orgasm made her nerve endings tingle.
“Almost. You’re doing so good.” The thrusts were hard now, his cock slamming against her walls. When she heard his breath catch and a strangled “now,” escape his lips, she came, screaming louder than she thought she ever had before as Maddox pounded into her, one arm wrapped around her waist as his free hand went to her pussy, his fingers pushing hers aside and clasping her clit, pinching hard.
Clarissa screamed as her pleasure increased, the orgasm unlike anything she’d ever felt before, the intensity of it making her feel as if she were outside her body, as if somehow she were floating on air, when she was actually still tethered to the rack.
When the feelings subsided, he stroked her back, smacking her ass every few seconds, his cock still buried deep inside her.
It was a fantasy come true, and it was better than she’d ever expected it to be.
“Good girl.” He pulled her against him as he slid out from her pussy. Maddox held her close and kissed her shoulder, then nibbled on her ear. “I think a soak in the hot tub will help soothe your muscles, don’t you?”
“A perfect idea, as always,” she whispered. “Just lead the way.”
* * * * *
It was full dark outside when they emerged from the tub. Maddox pronounced he was hungry and went to the kitchen. Clarissa went to her purse, then checked the call log on her phone.
“I have lots of missed calls. My father called three times, Henry once, and Anna twice. It’s not like Anna to call more than once if she’s left a message.” She plugged into voice mail, deleted both her father’s messages when they first started, then listened to both of Anna’s.
“She wants to me to call her, ASAP.”
“Then you better do it.”
It took Anna no time at all to answer the phone, her voice full of concern when she said Clarissa’s name. Then she launched into a conversation before Clarissa could mutter a word.
“Slow down, Anna, I can’t understand you. And I’m going to put you on speaker so Maddox can hear too.”
Clarissa put her hand over the mouthpiece. “It’s something to do with Henry, so I wanted you to hear too.”
He relit his unfinished cigar from earlier in the evening. Cigar smoke wound around his head as he nodded.
“Okay, Anna, go.”
“Hey, Maddox. Listen, sweetie, I had lunch with Daphne Brooks and a few other ladies today, and you know what a gossip she is. She told me her husband told her about something Henry said at the tennis club last week. Seems he was bragging about how much money he would have once he reeled you in.”
“Fat chance of that happening. For one, I’m not marrying him, and for two, I’d make him sign a prenup. He wouldn’t get his hands on a cent of my money.”
Anna cleared her throat. “Daphne said he indicated this wasn’t your money. This was something else altogether.”
Clarissa’s blood grew cold. “You mean like my father is paying him to marry me?”
“I don’t know, sweets. All I know is they were all laughing about it, and it really pissed me off.”
“Knowing you like I do, I’m sure you didn’t keep that emotion to yourself.”
“Damn straight. And that’s when they told me Henry had gone to Las Vegas to bring you back. Why didn’t you tell me he was there? I had to see it on the Internet after hearing it from them. Nice aim, by the way.”
Maddox’s chuckle made Clarissa smile. “It was rather nice to see,” he put in. “I should have let her get the other one off too. She had one more missile to launch, and I stopped her. Now I wish I hadn’t.”
Her friend giggled in pure Anna fashion, and Clarissa joined in the laughter. “Take care, and be careful.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her.” Maddox’s voice had a gruff tone that warmed Clarissa’s heart.
“Yes, I can see that. See ya.”
They said good-bye, and Clarissa clicked the phone shut.
“Rissa, come and sit with me.” She moved toward him, intent on sitting on the pillow at his feet. “No, on my lap. I want to talk to you about something.”
“If your leg goes numb, let me know.” She flashed him a smile when he lifted both eyebrows at her.
“You’ll pay for that remark. I like you just as you are.” Warmth suffused her as he stroked her arm. “Tell me how much you know about your finances.”
“You mean how much money I have? I don’t know an exact number. I might have lost some in the stock market, but I’m not going broke anytime soon.”
Maddox continued to stroke her arm. “That’s not what I meant. I’m talking about different accounts. For instance, you have your trust fund and a checking account and savings account, right?”
“Yes.”
“Plus a portfolio.”
“Yes.”
“Is there anything else?”
She shook her head in confusion. “I have no idea. I have an accountant that takes care of my bills, and my credit card always works when I want it to, so I know she’s doing her job.”
He pulled her closer. “Have you ever signed any papers you didn’t read first?”
The cold she’d felt when Anna told her story about Henry returned. “Yes, but it’s been a while.”
“Oh, Rissa.” He shook his head in disbelief. “How could you?”
“They were from my father. He said, sign this, and I did. I was a kid intent on partying, not reading legal papers.” She flipped her phone back open. “I’m calling my accountant.�
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“It’s getting late back there. Some people go to bed early.”
“Like I give a shit.” She punched buttons quickly, found the right number. “With the amount of money she makes off me, she can answer the phone at midnight. Jane? It’s Clarissa Alexander. I want to check my account. How much money is in there? Yes, now. Yes, I’ll hold.” There was a pause, and Clarissa tried not to scream out in frustration. “Okay. Thanks. No, nothing’s wrong. I was just a little paranoid after watching the news.”
Maddox tapped her arm. “Ask her who has access to your trust fund.”
She relayed the question and waited. “Only me? Okay, thanks again. No, I’m not in New York. I’m sorry if I woke you.”
Clarissa tossed the phone onto the coffee table. “How many times did you sign papers without reading them?”
“I don’t know, three, four, more? I never thought anything about it.” Tears swam in her eyes. “He’s my father. He might piss me off, but I don’t think he’d…steal from me.”
Maddox was silent for a few minutes. “Listen, I have a lawyer in Vegas who knows a good computer hacker. He’s discreet, and he’s trustworthy. I’ve used him myself a few times to deal with less-than-scrupulous gamblers. Let me call him, see what he can find out by fishing in records he has no business fishing in.”
“Do it.” She reached for the phone.
He took his own from his pocket. “He’ll recognize my number. This will be expensive.”
“Well, from what Jane just told me, I can afford it. I’ll sign whatever papers he wants me to. This time I’ll make sure I read them first.”
Desert Surrender
Chapter Twelve
“I’m sorry I ruined your plans for the day.” Clarissa glanced over at Maddox, who watched the road intently despite the light traffic.
“You didn’t ruin anything, missy. We’ll still play; we’ll just change the rules around a little.”
“Thanks.” She took a sip from a water bottle.
“You’re welcome.” He put his hand on her knee, slid it under her dress. “So soft. I like it.”
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