by Shayla Black
“Was there anything that interested you?”
“No.”
“Lizzie, Lizzie.” He trailed a finger down the side of her jaw. “You’d make a terrible poker player. When you’re not being truthful, you speak more quickly than normal. It’s slight. But noticeable because I’m watching every little thing you do, listening to each word you utter.”
“That’s ridiculous.” It wasn’t. She’d all but snapped the words.
“Is it? You did it when we were in my closet and I asked if you’d opened the third drawer. And again, a few minutes ago when you said you couldn’t sleep because you were in a strange bed.”
Had anyone ever seen through her as well as he did? That idea was even more frightening than his BDSM proclivities.
“We can try anything you want, or nothing at all.”
She nodded.
“I want to make love to you, Lizzie.”
That word. She would have preferred he say fuck, something that would allow her to build an emotional barrier between them. There was no doubt he was far more casual about sex than she was, so everything he did had to be purposeful, as a way to build intimacy. For her, it was working.
“I have condoms, and we’ll use them.”
She squeezed her eyes shut as she surrendered to the inevitable.
“Don’t hide from me.”
That’s exactly what she wanted to do. “It’d be easier for me,” she admitted when she looked at him again.
“Maybe it would.” He rested his thumb against the hollow of her throat. “But this isn’t something I’m doing to you. It’s something we’re doing together. That’s the magic of it. And watching your reactions matters to me, especially the first time we’re together.”
First time. His words indicated he anticipated this would happen more than once, and that seemed at odds with what she knew about him.
“I’m going to take off your T-shirt.”
She glanced around. No blinds covered the glass.
“There are no neighbors close enough to see anything.”
The few times she’d been with a man, she undressed in the dark. But she didn’t protest when he caught the hem of the T-shirt and drew it up her thighs.
His touch was sure as he continued, exposing her pussy, then her belly.
“So beautiful.”
He was a master with his approving tone.
Braden continued, until he bared her breasts. In the chilly room, her nipples pebbled, and he scraped his nails across them lightly, making her breath catch.
“Perfect. You’re perfect, Lizzie.”
She raised her arms as he finished removing the shirt. Still looking at her, he tossed the garment in the direction of the countertop before stripping off her panties.
Fighting off the instinctive desire to cover herself, she stood there, nerves slamming into her in waves.
“I’ve thought of this moment.”
So had she. But in her fantasies, she’d been much more confident.
“You’re even more exquisite than I imagined.”
His words not only soothed her, they emboldened her.
Braden cradled her breasts, then tweaked her nipples. She gasped from the pleasure that surged through her.
“You’re sensitive?” he asked.
“Very much so.”
“In that case, I’ll be gentle with you.”
“Don’t.” Please. Lizzie had never been bold when it came to asking for what she wanted in the bedroom, but Braden seemed to expect it. “I liked it.”
“Did you? And this? Tell me if you like this.” His eyes darkened before he lowered his head to lick one of the beaded tips.
She jerked, then froze. “It’s…”
“Tell me.”
How could she describe something she’d never experienced before? “I feel as though I’m vibrating on the inside.”
“That’s good?”
“It’s indescribable.”
“And how’s this?” He sucked on her nipple and slowly increased the pressure until she moaned.
Immediately he backed off again. She sighed with impatience.
“So that was pleasure, rather than pain?”
“It was both.” I think. She couldn’t separate one from the other. All she knew was that she liked it.
“So you want more? For me to push you a little further?”
“Yes.”
Braden started again, but this time, when she whimpered, he continued. Overwhelmed with response, her knees weakened. She reached for his shoulders for support.
Unthinkingly she moved her hips toward him, and he continued to suck. Shocking her, he moved a hand between her legs to stroke her. Within seconds, an orgasm began to blossom.
“Are you going to come for me, Lizzie? So quickly?”
Her last partner had never given her this much attention. Once he ejaculated, he fell asleep. After a few weeks, she lost the little interest she’d had in sex, then, shortly after, the relationship itself.
“That’s what I want. Come for me.” He eased a finger inside her, then a second alongside it. He moved his hand slightly and pressed against her G-spot.
With a scream, she came, splintering, falling…
Moments later, she was wrapped in his arms, safe, secure. And she wasn’t quite sure how she’d ended up there.
It took forever for Lizzie to regain her equilibrium. When she did, she flattened one of her palms against his chest and pushed back a few inches.
Braden was looking down at her, wearing a wide, silly grin, as if he was proud of himself.
No one had ever spent that much time focused on her satisfaction. It was unbelievably appealing. Lizzie gave herself a mental shake. She needed to be careful. After all, he’d earned his scandalous reputation, and she was nothing more than an addition to his long list of conquests.
But right this moment, she didn’t feel that way. Instead, she felt special, and that was addictive.
“Shall we go upstairs?”
She had to know, even if she never saw him again after tonight. “Yes.”
His smile faded, replaced by a flare of possession in his steely gray-blue eyes. Every part of her responded to him, making him potentially lethal to her emotional well-being.
Right this moment, she was willing to sacrifice that on the altar of seduction he offered.
4
Lizzie’s breath threatened to choke her. Once again, she was in his closet, in front of the open drawer. Though the rope intrigued her, she couldn’t make herself reach for it.
“Anything?” he asked again, with complete patience.
“The… Uhm…”
He waited.
Now that she was with Braden, she understood the allure of BDSM. He could offer her the world, and she was eager to experience it. “Can we start with the red tie?”
“Excellent choice. Please get it for us.”
She’d expected him to press the button that would slide out the rack, but instead, he waited for her to do what he said. His first command?
A seductive mix of fear and excitement unfurled in her stomach.
Even though her finger trembled, she did what he said, then plucked the silky tie from its hook and offered it to him.
Instead of accepting it right away, he continued to look down at her, overwhelming her. “Please extend your arms, then cross your wrists.”
Mouth dry, she did so. Only then did he take the tie from her grip.
“Do you know what a safe word is?”
“I’ve heard the term.” Standing before him, naked, talking about it as it referred to her—them—unnerved her.
His gaze was intense, and she couldn’t look away. “Tell me what you know about it.”
This conversation shouldn’t be difficult. After all, they were going to be intimate in moments. “It’s a word that I say if I’m…” What? She realized she knew so little about BDSM that she wasn’t certain exactly when she might use a safe word. “Scared? Or if some
thing hurts?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “And more. If you use a safe word, our play will stop immediately.”
Play? It didn’t seem like it to her.
“For example…” He began to wrap her wrists.
The bond wasn’t tight, and no doubt she could slip from it if she wanted.
He tugged it tighter. “Let’s say I’m doing something. You’re into it. But then you change your mind. Or something happens mentally, emotionally, or physically… Like you said, you might get scared. Or remember a bad experience. Or even get a body cramp. Anything that happens that pushes your boundaries.”
It was more complex, and intriguing, than she’d imagined.
“A lot of people use the word red. And some avoid stop or no. In a scene, the bottom might want to scream no or stop while the—”
“Bottom?”
“Ah. Sorry.” He grinned. “A Top is the person who is in the more dominant position for the sake of the scene. The bottom is the person who is submitting. In some relationships, people can be switches, meaning they go back and forth between the roles.”
This was new to her, and a little confusing. “I thought the terms were Dominant and submissive.”
“They can be. But the words have meaning, and until you fully offer your submission, I prefer these terms.”
“How utterly Dominant of you.”
“It is, isn’t it?” He quirked his eyebrows in a way that was adorable, but also mind-blowingly ultrasexy.
While she was staring at him, he yanked on the tie, and she gasped.
“Have you selected a word?”
“I’ll go with red.”
He tightened it a little more. “Say it.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“Red,” she whispered, even though she didn’t want to.
Instantly, he loosened her, setting her free and stroking the tiny marks he’d made.
“That’s how it always works. You have my word that I’ll always care for you.”
“Even if you’re into it?” Why had she even asked that? “I mean, there are times, right…? Like during sex…”
“Your needs come before mine. It’s my obligation as a Top to care for you.”
The idea was new, and thrilling.
“Is there anything I need to know? Fears? Phobias? Things you absolutely wouldn’t want to do?”
Her brain clouded over. “Honestly? I’m having trouble thinking.”
“Then we’ll discuss things as we go forward. Blindfolds?”
That sent a little wave through her. “I think that’s okay.”
“Being tied while I ravish you?” He grinned.
“Ravish?”
“I intend to do precisely that.”
Yum. “Being tied sounds interesting.”
“Spanking?”
Her knees weakened, and he put a steadying hand beneath her elbow. “Maybe. I… Yes?” Images crashed into her. Being over his lap with her buttocks upturned. Or facedown on the bed with her hands secured and wearing a blindfold. “As long as it’s not too painful. That scares me.”
“You’re important to me, sweet Lizzie. For me, the point of this is your pleasure.”
Skepticism made her furrow her eyebrows. “Really?”
“Most definitely.” Then he grinned, in a slow, measured way that bound her to him in a way that ropes or ties could never do. “Don’t misunderstand. Nothing excites me more than the idea of turning you on. Blowing your mind, even.”
“That sounds like a tall order, Mr. Gallagher.”
“You’ll be the judge. You have your safe word. In time, you’ll learn to trust me, also.”
Perhaps stupidly, she already did.
“Anything else you want to try?”
“I’m curious about… Uhm…”
“Talk to me,” he encouraged. “We need honesty for this to work.”
She had never been braver in her life than she had been at this moment. “Maybe a blindfold, too.”
“Would you like to choose one?” He slid open his third drawer.
There were several nestled on crushed velvet. “Why do you have so many?”
“They’re different. That one, for example, is bigger than the others and thicker, as well. Total blackout. Others are made from different fabric, and they let in varying amounts of light. So it depends on the experience you want.”
“I’m confused again. I thought the Dominant—or Top—always makes that decision.”
“When we’ve been together for some time, l will. That takes trust, and it takes me knowing where your limits are.”
She studied the selection again before selecting one from the middle. Not too thick, but one that would cover her eyes completely.
“Excellent choice. If it becomes too much, use your safe word.”
Lizzie nodded. “I will.”
Next, he picked up a small flogger.
Her heart stopped.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t look away from it…or his hand.
“Hold this for me, please?”
For a moment, she stared at it, wide-eyed, as if it were a serpent. She wasn’t sure whether it was sent to tempt her or bite her.
With his head cocked to one side, he waited for her compliance.
This was a mind fuck. He had expectations of her, but she was able to say yes or no? After blowing out a breath that she hoped would clear the sudden fog in her brain, she accepted the handle.
It was thick and sturdy but lighter than she expected.
“Make a figure eight with your hand.”
She did, and she watched the leather falls make a beautiful pattern.
“Now do it a little faster.”
There was a difference in the sound and the feel. She glanced up at him.
“Yes. Exactly. It’s capable of so many different sensations. And it can be mixed up, as well. Variety. Never knowing what to expect.”
“I think I understand.”
“You will. Oh, you will.”
She lost her grip on the handle, but he caught the implement before it hit the hardwood floor.
After placing it on a shelf, he reached into the drawer for something else. “I have an additional suggestion for your first experience.”
This was already too much to take in. How much wilder could he make it?
Braden pulled out a box.
Frantically she shook her head. “Candles?”
“Before you say no, have you ever played with wax?”
“When I was a kid, yes.” When I was younger and stupider. “I’d pour it into my palm and roll it around.”
“It cooled off quickly.”
“Almost right away,” she agreed. “But it stung like hell.” Even though it caused no long-term damage.
“This is a different kind of wax. It burns at a much cooler temperature.”
She pursed her lips. “I’m not convinced.” But she didn’t say no. Truthfully she’d enjoyed playing with wax, turning her hand so that the little melted puddle formed different shapes.
“Let’s try this, then.” He shook one of the candles out, then picked up a lighter from the drawer and touched the flame to the wick.
Obstinately she placed her hands behind her back, and he smiled.
Then he extended his palm and drizzled a few drops on it before moving onto his forearm. He didn’t flinch even once. “Try it?”
She was fascinated. Either he was working hard not to be betray a reaction or it really didn’t hurt.
“Lizzie, you have a safe word. Or humor me.”
“Fine.” She extended one hand, and cleverly he clamped down on her wrist so she couldn’t pull away.
In scared fascination, she watched him raise the tapered candle and slowly tip it to one side.
The first red drop seemed to fall forever. Then it landed, with the lightest, warmest of touches.
“Well?”
“My palm has thick skin.” She’d liked it. But sh
e had no idea where he planned to do it next. “It has to feel different on my naked body.”
“Does it?”
Still holding her, he released another bit of wax, this time from a closer distance.
Even though it was warmer than the previous one, it was nothing like she’d experienced when playing with candles on her own.
Instantly the droplet hardened over.
“It looks beautiful. Doesn’t it?”
The husky approval in his voice arced straight through her. And he was right. The way it combined with the other one was mesmerizing.
“Are you willing to try it on your forearm?”
“Yes,” she whispered as she screwed her eyes closed.
Braden chuckled, but he was undeterred.
A tiny sting seeped into her, followed by another and another. She opened her eyes to see him stroking her with his thumb, making small, concentric circles. “You were right.”
He met her eyes. “How’s that?”
“It’s beautiful.”
“What was the pain level?”
“Not much over a zero.” The way he was touching her, with possession wrapped around sensuality, was pretty close to a ten.
“Should we add it to tonight’s play?”
“I want to try it.”
“Anywhere I want?”
Breath vaporized from her lungs. Anywhere? It was about trust, but also about taking chances. A little part of her wanted to hold on to control. “I can still use my safe word if I change my mind?” She knew him well enough to guess where he was talking about.
“Of course. Always.”
“If you mean it…” What was she getting into? “Yes.”
His smile of approval made her giddy. It was very much part of his charm, and already she was becoming addicted to it.
“You’re ready?”
On some level, she knew they’d already started, but she appreciated him being so purposeful. “I am.” Her voice warbled so much that the word was almost unintelligible.
Lizzie drank in a little breath as he rewrapped her wrists.
Then, holding the ends of the tie, he drew her toward his bedroom. At the sight of his broad, strong back, her mind reeled. Being led like this—her first act of submission—was mind-blowing. Nerves collided with sensual awakening and sent a flood of heat through her.
When they reached the foot of the bed, he stopped. But her body hummed with anticipation. He was her Dominant, and she was his very willing submissive.