She blinked as she tried to keep up with what he was saying. He was talking in terms of a future for them, of ways for it to work.
“But I will be taking a more active role at Bonds. We can travel together. And I’m willing to live in the city.”
His words were everything she’d hoped for, and they momentarily overwhelmed her. “I’m not sure what to say.”
“I’ve missed you, Aria—in my bed, my house, my life. Come here.”
She went into his arms.
There were a million unanswered questions, a million things to sort out, but to her the only thing that mattered was the effort he’d already gone through—for Julien, for himself, for her.
He picked up her hand. While tracing the outline of her bracelet, he looked her in the eye and said, “I love you, Aria.”
“I…”
“Tell me you love me. Say yellow, or tell me you love me.”
Her lips twitched. “I love you.”
“If you’ll have me, I’ll work every day of my life to be the man you deserve.”
“There’s nothing I’d like more.”
Epilogue
“I’ve fantasized about having you back home since the day you left,” Grant told her when they were inside the dungeon at the Los Alamos house.
Home. Aria drank in the word, savored it and their relationship. “Me, too, Sir,” she admitted.
“I want you on the cross.”
Aria shivered.
He stood there, arms folded, every inch a commanding Dom. As always, when he slipped into that tone, those actions, her brain circuits seemed to fire off more responses. It was as if she became a different person, with heightened expectations and responses.
“Undress,” he said.
She kicked off her pumps and shimmied from her skirt.
He hissed in a breath. “Fuck me. You wore that on purpose.”
“Me?” she asked innocently. She was wearing a lacy garter, stockings and a sheer thong. Oh yes, she’d done it on purpose. The last time she’d been here, she hadn’t had anything sexy to wear. Yesterday, she’d taken a long lunch break and spent an obscene amount of money on lingerie. Now, seeing the way his cock pressed against his blue jeans, she realized every penny had been worth it.
She continued, drawing up her blouse to reveal a matching demi bra that cupped her breasts and exposed her nipples.
“Turn around slowly. Let me admire your body.”
Aware of his rapt attention, she dropped the blouse to the stone floor as she followed his orders.
No matter how many times they were together, it was always as thrilling as the first. He always expressed his appreciation, and he always demanded everything she had to offer.
“I might have to fuck you before I flog you, little Aria.”
She smiled. “As you wish, Sir.” She’d been pissed when Julien had insisted she needed a strong man, but it turned out, damn him, that he’d been right. She craved Grant’s lash as much as his love.
“Take off the thong and go to the cross,” he said, words hoarse.
Which meant he was going to let her keep the rest of her lingerie on.
Aware of her power, Aria sauntered. Their love only made scenes hotter, more explosive.
Her relationship with Grant didn’t resemble anything she’d been taught to want. It was unique, dynamic, demanding. Perfect. It was what she’d been looking for without knowing it.
“This time, I want your back to the cross.”
“Oh?” Even though she felt a little ripple of trepidation, she did as he’d said, extending her arms and legs, drawing in breaths to calm herself while she waited.
He collected the rolling cart then went to the cupboard.
Damn him. She realized he’d made her go to the cross so she couldn’t see what he was doing.
That didn’t surprise her. He liked to prolong anticipation, drive her a little mad.
Over the months, he’d perfected the art.
After the store opening in Boston, they’d spent weeks sorting out the details of their new relationship. He’d flown to California with her, and they’d started house hunting in Cupertino. They’d gone through over thirty homes before finding one he would agree to. It was away from neighbors, had a six foot privacy fence and a garage where he could beat her.
Even after they’d purchased the place, he hadn’t been willing to move in until his workshop had been set up, there’d been a state of the art security system installed and ‘Hello, Molly’ version 2.0 was operational.
She’d accepted that he was never going to be an easy man to please—complex, complicated, confounding. But she’d realized she would rather be challenged than bored. Her father respected him. Her mother wondered if he was a bit too intense—she liked him, but saw through to his depths and had admitted she was glad Aria’s father was easy to deal with.
Grant spent a lot of time with Julien, but he’d refused to have an office at 1, Bonds Street. And he hadn’t been willing to compromise, despite Julien’s repeated requests. There were plenty of conference rooms he could use if he needed to be there for any extended period but, as part of his agreement to be more involved, he intended to do his tinkering away from any interference.
Now, finally, they were back at their real home—in Los Alamos—for a long weekend. Grant had instructed the upgraded Molly to block all incoming calls, even those from Julien. They’d picked up tamales and tres leches cake on the way through town—and they’d ordered it and paid for it online.
It was hard to believe she’d once been furious with Julien for sending her out here. And now she treasured the escape—the stunning beauty, the sight of spring and the solitude with her Dom. Recently, Grant had insisted it was time they got married, but she’d asked for a little more time. They’d gone through a lot of changes, fast, and she didn’t want to plan a wedding in the midst of it. Besides, the journey to a more submissive relationship was challenging enough to negotiate.
He’d reminded her that the bracelet he’d bought for her in Santa Fe was symbolic of their union, a reminder of her journey into submission. She’d promised she would always wear it. And she’d honored her word by never taking it off.
Finally, finally, he turned to her and wheeled the cart across the floor. She didn’t see the flogger hanging there, instead, she saw a crop. It had an oversized red leather flapper, shaped like an apple.
She spread her fingers in nervous reaction. “That looks a little vicious, Sir.”
“I imagine it will be.”
Aria shuddered.
He selected four cuffs and started with her feet. Then he traced the stone on the turquoise bracelet.
Their gazes met, locked.
“I cherish you,” he said.
“Show me.”
He kissed her gently, coaxingly. She wrapped her arms around his neck. The first time they’d met, she hadn’t known what he meant when he’d said he used Dominance to show his subs how much they meant to him. Now she understood, totally… When they were in a scene, she was the center of his focus. Nothing existed except them. With his words—his touch—he showed his love.
He slowly ended the kiss and finished securing her to the cross. Then he picked up a pair of alligator nipple clamps.
As he always did, he rubbed her body, teasing to increase blood flow and prepare her. After he sucked on each nipple, he attached the nasty things.
She drew a shuddering breath. These only clamped a bit of her nipples, and they bit far harder than the clovers he usually selected. “These are evil,” she said.
“But they look sexy as hell with that lingerie.”
Which meant that, unless she said yellow, they were staying in place.
She wriggled, trying to get used to the sensation, but it didn’t help. Then, totally confounding her, he added a blindfold.
Something inside her settled as she focused her other senses on him.
“Perfect. So good.”
She heard the swish of
the crop as he tested it, and she froze. They’d never played with one before, and the sound startled her.
He teased her with the flapper, gently bouncing it off her midriff, her belly, her breasts.
She groaned. “That’s…”
He continued the light motion.
“Incredible,” she finished.
Then he changed up the rhythm, striking her harder, then softer, raining blows all over her body. He beat her inner thighs with a brutally loving staccato that she surrendered to. Then he moved higher, striking her pussy.
She screamed and allowed the bonds to support more of her weight.
He was relentless, pitiless as he blazed her, igniting her clit.
When she was sure she was about to reach her limit, he moved back down over her thighs, allowing her to breathe and settle before he began to crop her breasts, the edge flirting with the clamps.
She tried to back away, but her movements intensified the sensual agony.
“God, you’re beautiful with the red marks—my marks.”
“Yes, Sir. Give me more.”
He went on, varying the location and the intensity. And he continually affirmed his love and approval. She was hungry for more, aroused, wanting an orgasm.
Earnestly he used the flapper on her nipples and she felt one of the clamps rip off. She screamed. The pain ignited her. “Please…”
“Tell me.”
“I need to come.”
“In a minute.”
She clenched her buttocks, fighting it, fighting herself.
He cropped the other breast until the second clamp yielded and clattered to the floor.
“I can’t wait!”
“You can.” He continued to use the leather erotically on her inner thighs, her breasts, her pussy.
“Sir! Grant!
She heard something hit the floor and then she felt him spread her labia, followed by the touch of his tongue on her clit. Then he inserted a finger in her pussy. Without warning, overcome, she orgasmed against his mouth.
“That’s my perfect sub. I love you, Aria. More and more.”
He unfastened her, ripped off the blindfold then helped her down from the cross. She wrapped an arm around his neck and rested her face against the strength of his chest.
The air was summer-warm on her bare skin, and she’d never felt more loved or adored. He carried her inside the house to their bedroom where he put her on the bed.
“Fuck me,” she said. “Please.”
“Demanding sub.” But he was smiling.
He undressed while her pussy continued to throb. The climax had not satisfied, it had merely dulled the ache.
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he traced a few of the marks on her inner thighs. The gentle abrasion brought back a flood of desire.
With gentle motions, he teased her cunt, played with her clit, made sure she was slick for him.
“I want to look at you,” he said.
She nodded.
He moved between her legs. He rested his weight on one elbow and secured her wrists with the other hand, putting a thumb on the piece of turquoise. “You’re mine.”
“Yes.”
He entered her quickly and surely, possessing her.
She cried out and moved so she could wrap her legs around his waist.
“Perfect.”
As promised, he kept his gaze on her, reassurance and forever in his gaze.
Then, under the onslaught of emotion and physical sensation, she closed her eyes. She screamed his name as she shattered.
“Yeah,” he said. “That’s it.”
She felt the change in him as her pussy muscles constricted around his cock. He got harder, thicker.
Aria opened her eyes and pulled one hand away so that she could bury it in his hair.
His jaw became rigid and his breaths came in ragged bursts.
Shockingly, another orgasm built in her. This man, her man… Thought splintered.
“Aria!” He broke her name into three distinct syllables.
Responding desperately, she lifted her hips to urge him deeper, and he accepted the primal invitation, taking, commanding.
Then he came, the force urgent and hard.
She pulled her other hand away so she could cling to him, keep him there another second until she came again.
He reached between them and found her clit, pushing hard and making her come right before he took her mouth.
Even though they’d been together months, had made love every day, it had never been this powerful. She didn’t know how it was possible that he made it better and better, but the more she turned to him, relied on him, rose to his challenge, the more meaningful the connection became. “Forever,” she whispered.
“And a day,” he demanded in return, brushing her hair back so they could read each other’s expressions.
“Yes, Sir,” she whispered. “And a day.”
An interview with
Sierra Cartwright
Does Command really mark the end of the Bonds series?
I never like to say never… And I feel sadness when I say farewell to beloved characters. After all, I’ve been living with them for a year, or more. (In the case of the Mastered series, from conception to end was about three years.)
When I originally thought Bonds was conceived as a three-book series. I loved, loved writing about four men who’ve been friends since college. And I especially love that they’re so different, one a mysterious billionaire from Boston, another an introvert with a genius mind, another a high-powered executive from Houston, all devilishly dominant. I loved exploring the bonds that held them together through the years. And if I were to continue, it would have to be with Julien’s story.
Speaking of Julien, a number of people are hoping you’ll write his story. Are you considering it?
As the Bonds series progressed from book to book, the more I became intrigued by Julien. He took on a larger presence, along with a bigger role. When Nicki Richards, publisher of Totally Bound, and I were discussing the Bonds series, we called Julien the “glue” who held the books together. But since Julien was elusive, brilliant, meddling and I had no story for him to fit into later, I was free to make him as quirky as I wanted. Honestly, I think he would be a very difficult man to live with. And I can’t imagine him ever keeping his nose out of a heroine’s business. That’s not to say that somewhere down the road I won’t think of a woman who would shake his foundation. At this point, though, I’m planning to wave farewell to Julien as he climbs aboard the Tornado for his next great adventure.
Grant is a very reclusive character, was it important for you to bring him out of his cave and into conventional life with Aria?
Grant has been one of my favorite all-time characters because he is a bit of an introvert. He’s a genius. While others were out partying, he was working on ideas to help change the world. So he was really a different type of character for me to create. In my life, I’m surrounded by a lot of people who are like him, and I can become a bit of a recluse myself, especially when I’m on a deadline. My heroine, Aria, needs people. Her relationships, with her friends and with her family, sustain her. So it was interesting to put them together.
Aria has a fast-pace life on the West Coast. She moves at Mach speed. So the temporary assignment to New Mexico gives her the jitters. Over time, she learns to respect Grant’s need for the wide-open spaces of the West. It helps her relax in a way she’s never really known, and she realizes it feeds her creativity, too.
By having her in his space, Grant sees the value in interacting with other people. Ideas percolate and take shape as he tosses them back and forth with Aria. I felt it was important for each of them to realize that the other had strengths they were lacking. And that by working together, both in San Francisco and in New Mexico, they each had more to offer. Isn’t that the joy of a relationship? The whole being greater than the sum of the parts?
Did a lot of research go into creating Molly?
; Molly is MY dream woman, let’s be honest! LOL I’m not one of those people who is afraid of technology, in fact I’m impatient for it to progress faster and faster. It makes no sense to me why we need different devices for different things and why we need to switch between apps to accomplish various tasks. I’ve heard of a new refrigerator that will become available, supposedly with a Keurig coffeemaker as part of it. That’s definitely a step in the right direction. But have the refrigerator tell Amazon to send more K-cups? Now THAT would be progress! This year, at the Consumer Electronics Show, something like a Molly will be debuted. I am always researching ways for technology to make my life easier, and it makes sense to me that others are, too. And really, I want to walk in the door and have someone say, Hello, Your Majesty. And I haven’t gotten my husband to do so, yet!
Is it important to you to show how BDSM can help a relationship grow?
I love writing books with BDSM elements. To me, BDSM is about so much more than sex. There’s an entire level of trust that’s demanded of each partner. It creates a level of honesty that’s difficult to hide from. Since I write primarily m/f relationships with the male as the Dom, he has to be very in tune with her reactions. He has to watch her closely to ensure she’s doing okay, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. He’s going to ask or demand that she do things that she’s never tried before. He’s going to encourage her to take risks. In return, he’s going to have to earn her trust. He’ll have to prove again and again that he’s worthy of the risk. They’ll have to communicate with great honesty. Yes, they’ll stumble, and the growth that comes from their missteps will make the relationship even stronger.
What can we expect from you next with Totally Bound?
More, more, more! I’m really excited to be moving forward with the spectacular people at Totally Bound. So I’ve just submitted ideas for the Donovans. They are so delicious, I’m salivating at the chance to get to know them better. At this point, it appears as if it will be a three-or-four book series.
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