“Place the cuffs on your wrists and clip them together.”
Allie did so, loving, as she always did, the feel of the soft, well-worn leather against her skin. With some twisting and maneuvering, she managed to hook the two clips so her wrists were bound together in front of her. She looked up at the screen, where Sir Liam was watching intently, his hand now covering his crotch.
“You are beautiful, sub Allie,” he said, his voice low and masterful. “Now you’re going to masturbate for me with those shackled hands. I want to watch you come.”
Allie’s heart sank, just a little. She hated masturbating in front of someone else, even a lover. But maybe it would be different with Sir Liam. Maybe, this time, she wouldn’t have to pretend.
She licked the fingers of her right hand and lowered her bound wrists, glad at least to partially conceal her spread pussy with her hands. Her nipples had numbed to a manageable throb, which beat in time to the pulse in her rock-hard clit. She needn’t have licked her fingers—she was soppingly, embarrassingly wet.
She let her eyes close as she began to swirl her fingers over her labia, spreading her natural lubricant into the soft folds. She moaned softly as she settled into a good rhythm. She could do this. She could so do this. Sexy, sensitive, dominant Sir Liam was watching her, a witness to her lust. She would pretend he was the one touching her. She would imagine he was twisting her nipples. She could almost feel the grip of his strong, sure hand around her throat, holding her down in a primeval show of dominance and control. She shuddered as she visualized his whip, a cat with knotted ends that left tiny welts with each delicious, searing stroke.
Ah, she was close. She was close! Maybe, just maybe, this time—
“Open your eyes. Focus on my face. I will tell you when you have permission to climax.”
Startled by his voice, Allie opened her eyes to focus on the man she’d been conjuring so vividly in her imagination. He had shifted slightly in his seat, and she could no longer see the lower half of his body, but she guessed from the way his right upper arm was moving that he was masturbating, too. No fair—she wanted to see.
She knew better than to ask, however. Sir Liam wanted her to focus on his face while she made herself come.
You can do it, you can do it. Come on! She rubbed furiously, sliding a finger inside as she stroked her sensitive clit with increasing abandon. She began to pant, her heart beating wildly, sweat breaking on her brow.
“That’s it, yes!” Sir Liam panted in return. “Yes, yes. Oh! Now! Come for me, sub Allie. Now.”
She tried. Oh, how she tried, desperate to catch and ride that wave for Sir Liam, for herself. But the harder she reached for it, the more it receded. She could hear from Sir Liam’s voice and see from the twisted, ecstatic expression on his handsome face that he was climaxing at that moment.
I can’t disappoint him. I have to please him. I want to please him, more than I’ve ever wanted to please anyone. Damn it, Allie, just do it!
Meg Ryan took over, channeling her very best When Harry Met Sally impression at Katz’s Deli through Allie’s psyche. When she’d finished moaning, arching and sighing, even she was almost convinced she’d come.
Shaking back her hair, she sat up in the chair and focused on the screen. Sir Liam was smiling broadly once more, the unmistakable look of male pride at having satisfied his woman on his face. “You please me, sub Allie.”
Allie smiled back, ignoring the small, niggling voice of her conscience. “Thank you, Sir,” she replied.
Chapter 3
Liam sat bolt upright in bed, his heart pounding so hard it felt as if it had burst through his chest. He was panting, his body bathed in sweat, his leg throbbing as if newly mangled. His own shout had woken him, the sound still reverberating in his brain. The oncoming car hurtling out of control still loomed large and terrifying in his mind’s eye, as if the image had been burned onto his retinas.
Your fault, your fault, your fault.
He reached for the bedside lamp and switched it on to rob the nightmare of its lingering power. He glanced at the clock. A little after three in the morning—still too early to get up, but there was no way he was going back to sleep for a while.
He threw back the sweat-soaked sheets and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “You’re lucky,” he reminded himself aloud, as he often did when the pain licked like fire through the muscle, tendon and bone. “At least you’re still alive.” He eyed the bottle of pain pills, decided the pain was manageable, and hoisted himself to his feet.
He made his way slowly toward the bathroom without the benefit of his cane. He focused on walking with a smooth, steady gait, but was too tired to manage it. He turned on the shower and stood under the steamy spray for several minutes, letting the warmth soothe and settle him. Then he soaped up, rinsed, turned off the water and grabbed a towel.
He dried himself, wrapped the damp towel around his waist and went to the kitchen where he got a glass of water from the tap and drank it all. He felt calm and refreshed now, but also fully awake. Maybe a chapter or two of the book he was reading would lull him back to sleep. Returning to the bedroom, he stripped the still sweat-damp sheets from the bed and quickly remade it.
Climbing between the cool, fresh sheets, he reached for the e-reader from the nightstand, but his fingers instead chose the iPad. With Allie’s prior permission, he had recorded the intense, amazing session the night before, and he clicked it open now, his free hand going for his cock.
Even as his shaft rose and hardened, his heart squeezed with tender amusement at her obvious shyness, at least in the beginning. He loved her strength and her passion, but the sweet overlay of hesitation, of vulnerability, touched something at his core.
He stopped thinking as he watched her strip, her lovely, slender body coming into view on the screen. Had he been there in front of her, he would have run his fingertips lightly under her arms and over her smooth, soft mons. He would have let his fingers slip lower to caress the cleft, to feel the heat and the wetness there.
His cock throbbed as she turned in a graceful pirouette to reveal her luscious ass. He had been especially pleased to see the round, generous globes, ideal for spanking, perfect for whipping. Her legs and arms were tan compared to the creamy white of her lovely ass. As he pumped his cock, he imagined stroking her soft skin as she lay over his lap. He would start slowly, acclimating her to his touch. He would gauge her reaction to the first sharp slaps as he admired the jiggle of feminine flesh. He would slap harder, his palm cracking against her ass cheeks until she was panting and moaning. He would go as long as he could, until her white flesh was a dark, mottled red. He would continue until she began to struggle and cry in earnest. He would keep going until she surrendered; until she gave in to the erotic pain and let him guide her through it to where she needed to go.
She was touching herself now on the screen, so hot, so fucking sexy with her wrists bound together, her legs splayed, her head thrown back. Liam held himself on the edge until she was there, nearly there. Yes, yes, come for me, Allie, come for me.
He let the iPad fall to the bed as hot spurts of jism ribboned over his stomach. He lay motionless, eyes closed, for several long moments as his heart eased its rhythm. Finally, he opened his eyes, reached for a washcloth from the nightstand drawer, wiped himself clean and tossed the cloth onto the dirty sheets piled on the floor. With a satisfied sigh, he closed his tablet and rolled onto his side, letting his eyes close once more.
Several nights later, Liam sat at the dinner table at Matt and Bonnie’s house, pleasantly full and a little tipsy from several glasses of good red wine. “That was delicious, Bonnie. Thank you.” He set down his fork with a satisfied sigh.
“You want some more?” Bonnie pointed toward the half-eaten tray of lasagna. “There’s plenty left.”
Liam patted his full stomach. “I couldn’t eat another bite.”
“Too bad,” Matt chimed in. “That means you don’t have room for the chocolate mous
se she made for dessert. Ah well, more for me.”
“I didn’t say that,” Liam retorted with a laugh. “I couldn’t eat another bite of the lasagna because I’m saving room for the mousse.”
“Boys, boys”—Bonnie chuckled as she rose and began to clear the dishes—“there’s plenty for everyone. You know our family motto—only too much is enough.”
Liam watched as Bonnie moved gracefully around the table. Her dark hair was loose, tendrils falling over her face as she moved. She wore a silky red dress that clung to her curvaceous, lush form. Liam had always been a little in love with his best friend’s wife, but he loved Matt even more, and would never, ever do anything to compromise their friendship.
Still, he did like to look, and neither Matt nor Bonnie, active in the BDSM club scene, minded a bit. In fact, it pleased Matt to show off his lovely submissive at every opportunity and she, an exhibitionist, as many subs in the club scene were, seemed happiest when naked and in chains, no matter who was present.
Bonnie disappeared into the kitchen, returning a moment later with three fluted glasses filled with dark, rich mousse topped with whipped cream. Matt, meanwhile, had moved to the liquor cabinet in the corner of the dining room. He set three brandy snifters on the table and poured several fingers of Cognac into each glass.
Liam couldn’t stop the moan of pure delight as he took his first bite of Bonnie’s heavenly chocolate mousse. She was watching him over the rim of her brandy glass, a small smile on her lips. Matt, too, was watching him. They exchanged a quick glance, triumph in Matt’s expression, a shrug of amused defeat in Bonnie’s.
Liam set down his spoon. “What?” he demanded. “Why are you both staring at me like that? Do I have chocolate on my face or something?” He lifted his napkin to his mouth.
Matt laughed. “No. I made a bet with Bonnie earlier in the evening that you wouldn’t say a single word during dinner about the hot girl you’re having an online affair with and, sure enough, you haven’t.”
“You told Bonnie about her?” Even as he asked, Liam knew it was a dumb question. Matt and Bonnie told each other everything.
“He did,” Bonnie interjected with a wide smile. “And I think it’s wonderful, Liam. I hope things are still moving along well between you, and you’re just being discreet in not telling your very best friends about the most important thing to happen to you in a long time.” The laugh in her voice and the smile on her pretty face took the sting out of her words.
Liam lifted his snifter and took a long swallow of the brandy, savoring the burn as it bloomed in his chest. “Okay, okay. What do you want to know?”
“Let’s start with an easy one. What does she do for a living?”
“She designs jewelry. She makes really cool stuff. She sells her work at art shows and in galleries and boutiques all over Boston. She’s branching out, too. She has her own website and everything. In fact, it just went live this week.” Liam couldn’t help the swell of pride as he spoke, as if Allie were actually his girl, in real life.
“Hey, that’s great,” Bonnie said with a smile. “So, she’s self-employed, just like all of us.”
“Yeah, that’s right.” It was true—Bonnie was a therapist with a thriving private practice, Matt was a software design consultant for the high-tech music industry and Liam had forged a very successful career for himself, obtaining multi-million dollar grants for non-profit companies.
“And things are still going well between you? The connection is authentic? She’s a true sub? Not just a dabbler?”
“Yes,” Liam affirmed with quiet certainty.
“So, that’s all wonderful news, right? You’ve stepped out of your comfort zone—you’ve taken a risk and it’s paying off. That’s great, Liam. I’m so happy for you,” Bonnie said, smiling brightly, as if everything were that simple.
“It all sounds so easy when you put it that way.” Liam blew out an angry breath at how unfair life could be. “Look, she doesn’t really know”—he paused, but then forced himself to continue—”about me. The details. About the accident.”
About what I did. What I failed to do.
Bonnie put her hand over Liam’s, her smile falling away. The grave empathy and understanding in her eyes made Liam feel safe, and he unclenched the fist he hadn’t realized he’d made. “It wasn’t your fault,” she said softly, cutting directly to the heart of the matter as she so often did. “You didn’t cause the accident. You aren’t responsible for what happened.”
Liam bit his lip to keep from shouting the truth. He gave a brusque nod.
“If she’s the woman you think she is,” Bonnie continued, “she’ll understand. You know, you Doms ask us subs to put our complete trust in you, to trust that you’ll take care of us when you take control. You have to do the same, Liam. You have to learn to trust, not only in the context of D/s, but in the context of any meaningful relationship.”
“Yes, Dr. Wilson.” Liam forced a laugh. “Come on, Bonnie, it’s like you already have us married off. I mean, yeah, she’s pretty fantastic, but look, I’ve only known her a few weeks, okay?”
“A few weeks is plenty of time to know your own heart, especially if there’s a D/s connection. Matt and I fell in love during a single scene at a mutual friend’s play party,” Bonnie countered. “Has she expressed an interest in meeting you face to face?”
“Well, yeah, kind of,” Liam admitted.
“There you go, then.” Bonnie leaned back with a satisfied smile. “It’s a no-brainer.”
Liam glanced at Matt, silently willing him to tell his sub to be quiet, but Matt only nodded. “I totally agree. It’s time to get off your ass, Liam, my boy. Here’s what you do. Invite Allie to come see you here in Portland. I have a billion free miles from all my traveling for work and we’ll never be able to use them up. Say the word, and we’ll book a flight for her, first class. You know you want to.”
“Guys,” Liam pleaded, spreading out his hands in supplication. “Give me a break. I want to meet her, yeah. But I’m just not ready yet, okay?”
It was true. He wanted to meet Allie, to hold her, to kiss her, to claim her, more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. But he couldn’t face seeing the pity and disgust in her lovely blue eyes. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.
To his vast relief, Matt pushed back from the table and stood. “Okay, okay, you’re right. We said our piece. What you do with it is up to you. Now”—he turned his gaze to Bonnie—”I want to show Liam our new toy. Go get it and wait for us in the living room.”
The mood in the room shifted palpably at Matt’s words. Bonnie set down her brandy glass, her face softening and suffusing with an inner light. “Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir,” she said, her voice suddenly husky. She pushed back from the table and slipped quickly from the room.
Both carrying their snifters, Liam followed Matt into the living room, settling on a chair kitty-corner to the sofa where Matt sat. He set his walking cane beside the chair and leaned back as he sipped his brandy, eager for the show to begin.
Bonnie appeared a moment later, carrying something made of black leather in her hands. She handed it to Matt, who took it and said, “Present yourself, naked and on your knees in front of me.”
Bonnie stepped back and at once slipped the straps of her red dress from her shoulders. It slid down her naked body like silken water, pooling at her bare feet. Liam’s cock rose in automatic response at the sight, and he shifted in his chair in an effort to hide his erection.
Bonnie lowered herself gracefully to her knees in front of her Master, her eyes fixed on his face. “Tell our guest what I had made for you by the Leather Master, sub girl,” Matt commanded, making no effort to hide his erection, which bulged proudly at his crotch.
Bonnie turned to look at Liam, her eyes shining. “It’s a spiked breast binder, Sir,” she said, clearly in full sub mode.
“That’s right,” Matt interjected with an evil smile as he held up the bondage toy for Liam to see. “These
tiny spikes on the inside of the cups make for a biting reminder of who is in control. Then, these cutouts at the center of the cups leave plenty of room for some delicious nipple torture.”
“Sweet,” Liam said fervently, instantly picturing Allie’s in Bonnie’s place as the wicked-looking metal spikes pressed against the smooth, soft skin of her perfect breasts.
“Let’s try it out, shall we, sub girl?” Matt said, his eyes now fixed on his wife’s heavy, beautiful breasts.
“Yes, Sir,” Bonnie said eagerly.
Matt stood, indicating with his chin for Bonnie to rise from her knees. She lifted her arms as he strapped the wide leather band around her torso and fitted the cutout cups over her breasts. She winced in pain and pursed her lips as he tightened the buckles that held the contraption in place, but she made no protests. Her large, dark nipples were fully erect at the center of the leather cups.
Matt stepped back, admiring his leather-bound sub girl. “Beautiful,” he whispered. “Does it hurt, sweetheart?”
“Yes, Sir,” Bonnie breathed.
“Good. I like to make you suffer.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Liam looked away, longing washing so fiercely through him he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from screaming.
“Hey,” Matt said, making Liam look back at the couple. Matt reached into his jeans pocket, pulled something out and tossed it in Liam’s direction.
Liam automatically extended his hand to catch it, and saw he held a pair of black Japanese clover clamps. He lifted his eyebrows at Matt.
“Will you do the honors, Master Liam?” Matt said with an evil grin.
Liam pushed himself to his feet as Bonnie came to stand in front of him. He grasped her right nipple between thumb and forefinger. A jolt of sweet, painful recognition moved through his muscle memory—it had been so long since he’d touched a woman in this way.
Forcing himself to focus, Liam pressed open one of the clamps. Keeping her nipple taut, he carefully closed the lightly padded ends of the clamp over the base of her nipple, a rush of sadistic pleasure shooting through his loins as pain moved like a caress over her face. He did the same to her left nipple, another jolt of power kicking through his gut as the clamp bit into her flesh.