by Roni Loren
The house was rustic-chic and tastefully decorated, but Tessa couldn’t take in much because her mind was scrolling through endless possibilities of what exactly Kade meant by preparation. When they reached the large, slate-tiled bathroom, she began to put the pieces together. A wide bench had been placed alongside the oval bathtub and shaving cream and fresh razors where lined up along the edge. Kade shut the door behind him and locked it.
She turned to him, feeling heat of a different sort flare in her cheeks. “You want me to shave?”
She’d only ever shaved her bikini line. Doug had preferred the natural look. Now she wondered if it was some faux pas now to not be waxed or whatever.
Kade gave a hint of a smile. “No, not exactly. Lie down on the bench on your back. I’m going to shave you.”
Oh, shit. “You’re kidding, right?”
His brow arched. “What part of being a slave do you not understand? I’ll prepare you however I wish. Lie down and don’t make me tell you again.”
The firm words probably should’ve made her run instead of shiver in anticipation, but she’d asked for this fantasy for a reason. She could stand here wasting time trying to decipher her motivations for being turned on by this, but what did it matter at this point? Kade had told her he’d never judge her about her desires, so she needed to afford herself the same luxury.
“Yes, sir. My mistake.” Her hands were still bound, but she managed to get herself in position and lie down. It wasn’t long enough for her whole body so her feet stayed on the floor, her butt at the edge of the bench. Kade turned on the faucet in the bathtub, and the roaring sound of the water filled her ears.
He touched the top of her foot and she jumped. He gave her shin a little flick with his finger, silently telling her to stay still. Once she complied, something smooth wrapped around her ankle and tightened. “This is a spreader bar. It will keep your legs open for me and will stop you from squirming so I don’t hurt you.”
He locked her other ankle into the device, and she tried to move but couldn’t draw her legs together. “Kade, sir . . .”
“Hush. I want you smooth and sensitive tonight so you can enjoy what I bought for you. Give me the pleasure of preparing you.”
She closed her eyes, her heartbeat jumping in her chest. Despite her anxiety about a blade being put to her most delicate parts by someone other than her, she could feel arousal blooming through her.
Kade lifted her skirt all the way up and ran a finger along her folds—no, along her pussy. She needed to own those dirty words and stop being scared of them.
“So damn gorgeous. You should see how wet and swollen you are already.” His fingertip traced each tender spot. “And I love these curls of yours. I plan to leave some on the top. But I think you’ll thank me once you feel how much more sensitive you’ll be after this.”
She whimpered softly as he slid a finger inside her, teasing her with easy strokes. She lifted her hips toward his touch, but as soon as she did, he moved his hand away.
“That’s not going to do,” he said as she opened her eyes. He stepped over to a nearby cabinet and pulled something from it. “I need you completely immobile.”
He carried over the new items and wrapped another wider strap around her body, right at her waist, and secured it beneath the bench. She gave a test wiggle and couldn’t move. Then he took another strip and covered her eyes. Blocking her vision gave her a little flutter of panic. “I promise I won’t move or look.”
“That’s a promise you may not be able to keep even if you have good intentions. Just relax and let me handle things.”
He laid a hot, wet towel between her legs. She sighed as the heat melted into her skin and radiated outward, making everything feel languid. Combined with the steady sound of the running water and her blocked vision, she started to sink into the moment. She could picture Kade standing near her, still in his work clothes, steam filling up the room and his focus on her bound form.
The sound of something electronic broke her meditative state, a quiet humming. Her eyes blinked behind the blindfold. She was desperate to see even though she already suspected it was an electric razor. He moved the towel, but where she expected the feel of cold metal, something smooth touched her clit.
She gasped, her body wanting to arch but having nowhere to go with the restraints.
“There, that’s better. No moving,” Kade said, his voice sounding soft through the rush of the water. He ran the small vibrator over her, sending delicious, undulating warmth up her nerve endings and making her belly clench tight. She’d already been keyed up in the car, so it didn’t take much before she was ready to go off. “Do well and you’ll get more of this feeling. Understand?”
She released her bottom lip from between her teeth. “Yes, sir.”
He gave her a few more passes with the vibrator then moved it away and spread warm shaving cream over her. She groaned again. Who knew heated foam could feel so good? But she didn’t have time to relish the sensation for long. A louder buzzing sound filled the room, louder and more ominous than the vibrator, and she willed herself not to flinch.
“Just breathe, baby. I won’t hurt you.”
She tried to follow his directive, taking a long inhale through her nose and holding it until she felt his touch. But she shouldn’t have worried. The electric razor was gentle against her, the slight vibration actually stimulating her even more. The tension started to slowly drain out of her. But when the buzzing stopped and more cream was spread over her, her ribs pulled tight again.
“Easy, Tessa,” Kade said, his voice soothing. “I need you to remain as still as possible for this part. I can’t do it all with the electric. And this is what I’m going to enjoy the most, so I plan to take my time.”
She held her breath again, and the cool metal blade touched her most delicate of skin. Kade drew the razor over her skin with a steady hand. Cool air coasted over her newly bared skin in his wake. The treatment, which she thought would feel clinical, turned out to be one of the most sensual sensations she’d ever experienced—the warm cream, his confident but easy touch, the care he was taking. In her mind’s eye, she could see Kade there between her spread thighs and bound body, studying every private part of her, delicately grooming her for his enjoyment. Her arousal increased tenfold. She had no doubt he could see exactly what this was doing to her.
He spread her with his thumb to get to her most hidden parts and ran the razor across sensitized skin. She sighed softly, sinking into some meditative stillness she didn’t quite understand.
“You’re beautiful, slave,” Kade said, his voice reverent as he continued his work. “Every part of you. Your sounds. Your scent. This pretty pink cunt that’s swelling beneath my touch. But most of all”—he ran the blade near her clit—“your trust. I plan to reward you for that.”
God. She could melt into the bench. Somehow Kade could morph words that she’d normally find offensive or degrading into the hottest things ever. “Thank you.”
After a few more draws of the blade, Kade was done. He cleaned her off with another warm towel and left her there while he rinsed everything. Every bit of skin he’d exposed tingled and tightened, begging for his touch. She was dying to see how she looked. She’d never shaved so completely. But she had no choice except to lie there patiently.
The faucet finally went quiet, and all she could hear was her own choppy breathing. She strained her ears, trying to get a sense of where Kade was, but without warning, burning hot heaven touched her between her legs. She groaned loudly as Kade’s tongue tracked a path over where he’d just shaved her.
Her hips tried to lift, the sensation almost too much to bear, but the restraints didn’t give. Holy mother of everything good in this world. She’d never felt so very much down there. It was as if every centimeter of skin were electrified. “Oh, shit.”
�
�Come for me, slave. You’ve done well.”
Fingers slid inside her, and Kade sucked her clit between his lips, teasing it with his tongue. She was so wet and so on edge already after everything that she had no hope of prolonging it. Color streaked behind her eyelids and she cried out, the bench jolting with the sharp force of the orgasm that rocked through her.
Kade took advantage of her bound state, not letting up despite her protests that it was too much, and licked her until she was panting and begging for a reprieve. Finally, he moved his mouth away from her, and she dragged in a deep breath. Fingers touched her lips. “Open.”
She did as she was told, too blissed out to think it through, and his fingers dipped into her mouth, the distinctive tartness shocking her for a moment. She made a little sound of surprise, but he didn’t pull away.
“Clean me off. Taste how sweet you are.”
She sucked his fingers, her body still contracting with the aftershocks of her orgasms. She’d probably look back at these moments and blush over it, but right now, she just wanted to do whatever he told her to.
He pulled his fingers from her mouth and untied the blindfold. When she blinked her eyes open, his gaze could’ve burned right through her. Her focus tracked down to the prominent bulge in his slacks.
She wet her lips, aching to return the favor. “You probably shouldn’t go outside like that.”
He stepped down to the end of the bench, trailing his finger along her thigh. “You’re forgetting what kind of place we’re at. But don’t worry, you’ll get your chance to serve me tonight if you’re lucky. It just might not be in the comfort of a private room.”
That sent fresh nerves coiling through her.
He pulled something from his pocket and it caught the light. “Now for your last gift for the evening. A little jewelry.”
She lifted her head to try to see what he was doing. The small silver bauble had beads attached. “What is it?”
“A ring.” He touched her with gentle fingers, but she flinched anyway, her body still in hypersensitive mode. He moved the smooth metal along her wetness, then slipped it around her clitoris.
She let out a soft gasp. The little pinch the ring provided drew her already swollen clit into full throbbing awareness and set her senses on edge.
“Gorgeous,” Kade said, staring down at his handiwork and giving the beads a little jostle. “Does it hurt?”
She breathed through her nose, trying to gauge exactly what she was feeling, deciding pain was far from it. “No, not exactly.”
“Good,” Kade said as he unstrapped her from the bench. “It’s meant to provide a little torture but not the painful kind.”
“Torture?” she asked, pushing up on her elbows when he untied her hands. The little ring definitely was making her hyperaware, but it seemed far from torturous.
His mouth lifted at the corner. “Talk to me in an hour.”
After unhooking her from the spreader bar, he helped her to a stand and she soon understood what he was talking about. The little beads swung with the movement, brushing against her like light, teasing fingers. Her sex clenched and her nails dug into Kade’s arm. “Oh.”
He chuckled and slid his hand along her lower back. “Come on, slave. Time for your debut.”
The words made her muscles freeze, and she hesitated when he tried to move her forward.
He looked back to her, a wrinkle appearing in his brow. “What’s wrong?”
She glanced at the door then back to him. “Is it okay that I’m kind of terrified all of a sudden?”
He turned to face her, his eyes soft, and put his hands on her shoulders. “All you need to do is focus on me and what I tell you to do. I’ll take care of you. That’s my most important job as your dominant, and I’ll never shirk that responsibility. Trust that you can give yourself over fully to my care without worry.”
The words warmed her even though the idea of blind trust always sent a shudder of foreboding through her. She managed a half-smile. “Are you saying I need to let you be my prince?”
A strange expression flickered over his features, but he quickly covered it with a confident smirk and brushed his knuckles along her jaw. “Exactly.” He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “Not that you have a choice, slave.”
She grinned. “I think you might be the nicest evil prince ever.”
He slid his hand around the back of her neck and guided her toward the door. “I wouldn’t make that call so soon, Tess. The night has just begun.”
TWENTY-THREE
Kade led Tess through the main cabin toward the backyard, feeling like a hypocrite for telling her she shouldn’t be nervous when he was barely reining in his own butterflies. Despite how many times he’d been to parties at The Ranch, he’d never brought a submissive whose opinion mattered to him so much. Tonight he was going to show Tessa what this world looked like. Not the easily palatable version, but the real one. She was going to get her first view of the kind of relationship he desired, and he had no idea how she was going to react.
Exploring fantasies was one thing. Most people would be willing to try a little kink as a one off every now and then. But much fewer wanted that dynamic every day of their lives.
Before they reached the sliding glass doors that led to the back, Colby pulled them open from the other side. Tessa halted her step, no doubt confused by his appearance, and intimidated. Colby was a big, scary bastard in normal clothes, but in his leathers he probably looked downright terrifying to Tessa. Kade cupped the back of Tessa’s neck, the collar pressing into his palm. “Ready for her?”
Tessa’s head swung toward Kade, question marks in her eyes, but he gave her no reassurance. If he was going to give her this night, he wasn’t going to dilute it for her.
Colby gave a brief nod. “Yep. She’ll fetch a good price in that outfit.”
“A what?” Tessa asked, panic underlining her voice.
“Hush, slave. I didn’t give you permission to speak.” He reached for the buckle on her collar and undid it. “I was only transporting you and preparing you for the auction. Highest bidder gets to take you home.”
She reached up and grabbed at her neck when the collar slipped away. He liked the glimmer of loss in her eyes, the sudden awareness of what the collar represented and what he was stripping from her. It’d make it all the sweeter when he got to put it on her again.
He took her elbow and handed her off to Colby, who was doing an impressive job of keeping his stern expression.
“Kade,” Tessa protested when he stepped away from her.
“It’s Master Van or Sir,” he reminded her. “And you’d best remember how to be respectful or I may not be inspired to bid on your services tonight.”
She wet her lips, the words probably sinking in, understanding dawning. “Yes, sir.”
“Master Colby will take you where you need to go.”
Another pleading look passed her face, but he wasn’t going to give her more information than that. He gave Colby a quick nod, and Colby led her out. Kade turned around, knowing she was safe with Colby, and went back down the hallway to get the last of what he needed for the plan.
Tessa McAllen, welcome to my world. Hope you enjoy your stay.
Tessa’s knees were weak with nerves as Colby led her toward the open field behind the cabin. She could hear voices before they turned around the back corner of the house, but when the party came into view, she couldn’t believe what sprawled out in front of her. Women were milling around in . . . gowns? She blinked a few times, unsure she was really seeing it. But it was like she’d walked into some evening soiree in Regency England. The men were dressed in long tailcoats, vests, and breeches—at least she thought that’s what the pants were called. The whole scene was enough to root her to the ground.
Colby looked down at her. “What’s
wrong, slave?”
For some ridiculous reason, her eyes went wet. She’d told Kade her fantasy about a prince as an aside. It had been an offhanded comment, silly. And though he’d said he planned to give her the role play tonight, she only thought he meant in a general way—just between the two of them. But what spread out before her was a scene from one of her historical novels come to life. She shook her head. “Kade did all this?”
“It’s Master Van,” Colby reminded her, but his voice was gentle. “And yes, he did. We didn’t expect this many people to show up on short notice, but give kinky people a chance to wear costumes and they’re all in.”
She laughed, swiping at the ridiculous tears that had escaped. “I can’t believe he went through this much trouble.”
“Can’t you?” Colby’s tone and frown fastened her to the spot. “My guess is that there’s not much he wouldn’t do for you.”
She glanced away, the comment hitting her right in the chest. “It’s not like that. We’re just having a good time together.”
Colby sniffed. “Uh-huh. Now come on, we can’t get started without you.”
She swallowed back the anxiety Colby’s comment had stirred up again and let him lead her toward the crowd. Heads turned, people openly giving her head-to-toe evaluations. The vibe amongst the group was anticipatory, like she was the roast pig about to be served for dinner. It was damn unnerving, and Tessa couldn’t help but feel wildly self-conscious about her state of dress. The other women were wearing full gowns. Though, admittedly, some of the low-cut bodices left little to the imagination. But here she was with a corset and a skirt that was so thin, she knew it was nearly useless at covering anything. The little jewel dangling against her sensitive parts mocked her, making her all too aware of her bareness beneath the skirt.
But despite the predatory mood of the crowd, no one touched her as Colby moved her through the knot of people. If anything, they backed up so as not to brush against her. Kade’s words came back to her—no one will touch you without my permission. But she didn’t know if that applied when she wasn’t wearing his collar. She moved a little closer to Colby, seeking protection from the only other person she knew would watch out for her.