My heart jumps into my throat. But for the first time, my initial reaction to the word punishment isn’t fear—it’s anticipation. Still, I try to argue with him.
“Okay, I know I shouldn’t have taken off the harness and I swear I won’t do it again,” I said. “But you have to believe me when I tell you I came by accident.”
“So we’re back to that again, are we?” He pulls me away from him and eyes me skeptically. “Explain to me, Emma. How exactly does one have an orgasm ‘by accident’?”
“It was because of the damn harness being so snug,” I say and go on to explain exactly how it happened—how the harness was stuck, Barnes was knocking on the door, the vibrator somehow got turned on and lodged right against my clit… “I was all tangled up in my clothes and I fell on the floor,” I explain to Aiden. “And you hadn’t let me come for three days before that so I was already on the edge. When the damn vibrator hit my sweet spot, I just couldn’t help it—I went off like a freaking rocket.”
“Is that right?” Aiden murmurs, his eyes dancing.
“Yes, that’s right,” I say with as much dignity as I can muster. “And if it’s any consolation, I didn’t enjoy it at all. I mean, I was basically writhing all over the floor trying to tell Barnes how many people were coming to lunch while my body went crazy. It’s really hard to concentrate on pleasuring yourself when you have a proper English butler banging on the door and demanding a head count for high tea.”
Aiden throws back his head and laughs loud and long. It’s a deep, rumbling chuckle that seems to come from the bottom of his chest and fills the whole room. It occurs to me this is the first time I’ve ever heard him really laugh and even though his amusement comes at my expense, I can’t help liking the warm, intimate sound immensely.
“Poor Barnes,” he says at last, wiping his eyes where pinkish tears have begun to emerge. “He must have thought you were going mad.”
“I don’t know what he thought and I don’t want to know,” I say primly. “But I thought you should know it was an accident. I know I disobeyed you by taking off the harness but I didn’t lie to you.”
“Very well, I won’t doubt you again,” Aiden says, suddenly sober. “And I won’t punish you for your orgasm.”
“You won’t?” I’m surprised to hear a note of disappointment in my own voice.
“No.” Aiden shakes his head. “I will, however, take you to task for removing the harness in the first place.” He gives me a severe look. “I’m going to clear breakfast out of the way and then you’re going to assume the position, Emma.”
My breath catches in my throat and heat blooms between my thighs. “What-what are you going to do to me, Master?” I whisper, hardly able to get the words out.
“Five strokes with the belt across your ass ought to teach you a lesson,” Aiden says sternly. “And two more to your pussy, to teach you proper submission.”
“My-my pussy?” My hand creeps down to cover my tender, bare pussy lips reflexively as I remember the sharp sting of the belt’s kiss in this most sensitive spot.
“Don’t worry, darling,” Aiden murmurs. “You know I’ll kiss you better afterward. But for now, I need you to submit.”
“Yes Master,” I whisper again. And without any further protest, I do.
Chapter Twenty
“Absolutely not,” Professor Canton, who teaches my Advanced Herbology class, says flatly. “You’ve missed enough class as it is, Ms. Krist. There is no way I will consider letting you take the final exam anywhere but right here in the classroom.”
“I understand,” I say humbly. “It’s just… I don’t have a ride to class tonight.” Also, I have been forbidden to leave the house by my strict vampire Master, who is concerned about my safety. But that isn’t something I can really share with my prof.
“Look, Ms. Krist, I’ve been extremely patient with you,” he says. “I cut you a lot of slack because I think you’re the most promising student I’ve had in years. But enough is enough. You can find yourself a ride tonight and take the exam with all the rest of the students or fail the class.”
“Fail it?” I say, horrified. “But-but the damage that would do to my GPA would be irrevocable!”
“Then you’d better find a way to get here, hadn’t you? Eight o’clock tonight and don’t be late.” There’s a click and the phone goes dead…along with my future.
Thoroughly upset, I throw my cell on the bed and start pacing. This can’t be. I can’t let this happen. It’s way too late to drop the class and there’s no way Professor Canton will let me take the test online. Not that I blame him—it’s not really even fair for me to ask him. But I didn’t know what else to do.
I wish for the millionth time that Aiden were here. I’d been planning to talk to him about this, to get him to agree to let me go. Surely if he knew my whole academic career and future hung in the balance he’d be more reasonable. Hell, he could even drive me to and from the test himself if he wanted to. Thinking about it, I’m sure he would go for that idea—too bad I didn’t mention it to him before he left.
For the past two days, since Aiden had to leave suddenly, I’ve been on my own, knocking around the big glass mansion with nobody but Barnes to talk to. And since his conversation seems to be limited to what he ought to fix me for lunch or dinner, he’s really not very good company.
I hate to admit it but I miss my Master. I’m worried about him too. I wish he had left me a forwarding address or phone number but he left in such a hurry. He simply woke me up in the middle of the night and told me there was trouble. His gray eyes were worried, and when I asked him what was going on, he said that she-who-made-him needed him. He promised to be back as soon as possible and made me promise to stay in the house. I was so sleepy and disoriented, I agreed to everything at once. Now, however, I’m having second thoughts—lots of them.
Aside from my own current problems with school, I can’t help wondering about Aiden’s maker. All I really know about her is that she’s French and into kinky sex. Do vampire parents have the same relationship that humans do with their children? Or is their affection for those they awaken to the vampire life more…incestuous?
I try to push the thought out of my head but it won’t go. Or rather, it won’t go until something even worse and more pressing takes its place—like the idea of failing my test, ruining my GPA and being forced to work in the family herb shop for the rest of my natural life.
I’m still pacing around the room, practically pulling my hair out, when my cell phone rings. I pounce on it at once, hoping it’s Aiden or maybe my professor calling back to say he’s reconsidered. Fat chance, I know, but a girl can hope. It’s only Lexy, however, sounding bubbly as usual.
“Hey cuz, can I come over?”
“If you want to, I guess,” I grumble. “It’s not like I have anything else to do tonight—nothing I can get to, anyway.”
“Geez, don’t overwhelm me with your enthusiasm,” she says flatly. “Maybe I should leave you alone if you’re going to be in such a pissy mood.”
“No, I’m sorry.” I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “It’s just that I’m supposed to go to my final exam in Advanced Herbology tonight. I was going to ask Aiden to take me, since he’s forbidden me to leave the house without him. But he’s been gone for the past two days doing who knows what with the kinky French woman who turned him into a vampire in the first place.”
“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Lexy says. “I must have heard you wrong. You’re not really going to miss the final exam just because his High and Mightiness is off doing family bonding stuff with his vamp mom, are you?”
I start pacing again. “I don’t want to but I don’t know what else to do.”
“Go take the exam, of course,” Lexy says practically. “Look, I know you don’t have a car there. I’ll come get you and drive you myself.”
I bite my lip, filled with indecision. “I shouldn’t. Aiden will be so angry when he finds out and I’m sure Barnes will tell hi
m.”
“Emma, honey, have you ever heard the saying, ‘It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission’?” Lexy asks. “I think this is one of those cases. I mean, I know you—you’ve always been anal about your grades. You’ll never forgive yourself if you flunk a class just because the Grand High Poobah Vampire forbid you to leave the damn house.”
“It wouldruin my GPA and any future career I might have in botany or herbology,” I say, wanting to believe her.
“Exactly,” Lexy says. “And why did he forbid you to go out in the first place?”
I blow out a breath impatiently. “He says he’s worried about my safety. Apparently as the Sovereign he has lots of enemies who would love to get their hands on me.”
“Oh yeah?” Lexy sounds extremely skeptical. “And have you ever seen any evidence that everybody and their brother is out to get you?”
“Well…no,” I admit. Then I have a sudden thought. “Although I didget a weird note through the mail—that same day you first came to visit.”
“Really?” She sounds interested. “What kind of note?”
“It had some kind of quote on it. Something to do with too long a submission making the heart a stone. I don’t know. It really didn’t make much sense. In fact, I haven’t even thought about it again until just now.”
“Probably some jealous fairy bitch trying to freak you out,” Lexy says complacently. “Didn’t I tell you you’re the envy of every single supe girl in the entire Tampa Bay Area? They allwant to be in your place—is that what Aiden was talking about?”
“I don’t think so,” I say. “I’m not sure.”
“Well I’m sure of one thing,” she says. “If you don’t go take this test tonight and you flunk your class because of it, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your natural life. What time does it start?”
“Eight,” I say reluctantly. “But I’d probably need to be there by seven forty-five just to be sure.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven thirty,” she says promptly. “We’ll go to USF, get your test done and drive straight home. No muss, no fuss. We won’t even stop at Sonic for a cherry limeade.” Which is one of our favorite things to do together even though I get mine diet and Lexy gets hers full strength with extra syrup.
Just the thought of getting out of the house for the first time in weeks—aside from my dinner with Aiden at Bern’s, that is—makes me itch with anticipation. I’m normally a homebody and I love hanging around the house when my Master is here. But now that he’s gone, I’m starting to feel the worst case of cabin fever ever coming on. I want to get out and not just to take a final, to go riding with Lexy, singing along with the radio, a sweet treat in one hand and the wind in my hair. Still…
“I shouldn’t,” I say.
“Yes, you should,” my cousin insists. “And you’re going to. So take off that damn harness—if he’s still making you wear it—and get ready to go. I’m coming right over.”
She hangs up the phone with a final click before I can say anything else. Biting my lip, I go to find something to wear. Looks like I’m going to my final exam after all.
* * * * *
We get to USF with no problem and I ace the final. Professor Canton checks over my answers when I hand it in and looks up at me approvingly. “I must say, Ms. Krist, you really have a good grasp of herbology. It’s almost like you were born to it.”
I try to smother a smile. “I guess you could say it runs in my family.”
He raises an eyebrow at me. “The same family you’ve been having so many difficulties with this semester?”
“Uh…yes.” I can feel my cheeks getting hot. I’ve given him so many excuses since I moved in with Aiden and stopped going to class I’ve kind of lost track of them all.
“Well, never mind about that now.” Professor Canton stacks the papers in front of him into a neat file. “I’m just glad you made it here tonight. It would have pained me to give you a failing grade over transportation troubles.”
“Thanks, Professor,” I mumble.
He smiles. “I hope to have you in some of my other classes in the future. Provided you show up, of course.”
“Of course. Thank you.” I nod a quick goodbye and finally make my escape. Whew. I’m so glad that’s over! It will doubtless earn me a pretty severe punishment from Aiden—a whipping with his belt or maybe even a spanking over his knee. Or maybe a punishment fuck, whispers a little voice in my brain.
I bite my lip, my body in conflict with itself at the thought. Would I want that? Could I open myself to him, submit even though I knew what he was going to do was going to hurt? Of course, I already do that to some extent when I submit to the spankings and whippings and other punishments he gives me. But opening myself for a punishment fuck would be different…frightening…strange… My heart skitters in my chest and my pussy heats up. Would Aiden really do that to me?
“Hey, so how’d it go?” Lexy pops up from the bench where she was waiting for me, dropping the old Cosmo she found to keep her busy while I took the test.
“Great.” I grin at her in relief, trying to put my disturbing thoughts aside. “I nailed it.”
“Awesome!” She grabs me and hugs me hard, doing a little victory jig I have to shuffle to keep up with. “Okay,” she says at last, letting me go. “Now we haveto get a cherry limeade to celebrate. What do you say?”
I know I should decline and ask her to take me straight home but I can’t help myself—it feels too good to be out. To be free. “All right,” I say reluctantly. “But we’ll just go through the drive-thru and go straight home, okay?”
“Sure, whatever. As long as we go.” Lexy is just pleased to be out doing something again. It makes me realize that she’s missed me as much as I have been missing her. I’ll have to talk to Aiden when he gets back about the possibility of my cousin and I having more girl days together. Having her over for lunch once in a while just isn’t enough.
“Let’s go.” I hook my arm through hers and we clatter down the stairs together happily.
It’s only when we push past the thick metal outer door that I begin to feel uneasy. The sky was still light when I went in to take my final but now it’s full dark. To make things worse, the door we left by opens up onto a long, winding concrete pathway between some native Floridian tropical plants. They’re meant as an example of our hot, humid ecosystem but to me, the huge fanning leaves just look like a great place for someone to hide.
Stop being so stupid, I tell myself uneasily. There are campus security guards everywhere. Not to mention, you’re not alone. I’m sure nobody will mess with Lexy and me while we’re together—there’s safety in numbers. Right?
Still with my arm hooked firmly through my cousin’s, I start off down the path. Lexy parked in the lot that’s just around the corner and I’m sure—
“Excuse me. Can I interest you in the plight of tigers in China?”
“Huh?” I’ve been concentrating on the path so fiercely that the soft, feminine voice takes me by surprise.
“They’re being hunted to extinction.” A pretty co-ed holding a clipboard is standing right in our way, her eyes earnest. “They use these magnificent animals for all sorts of home-brewed remedies—the meat, the paws, even the coat is used.” She thrusts a picture into our faces of an orange-and-black striped tiger lying majestically on a rock.
Lexy takes the picture and studies it. “Huh. Well, it sounds like none of it’s going to waste,” she says at last, giving it back. “I mean, they’re using the whole thing down to the last whisker, right? So what’s the problem?”
I can tell my cousin is being sarcastic but by the way the co-ed is gaping at her, it’s clear she has no idea. “You don’t understand,” she begins again. “These people are killing tigers.”
“I’d kill one too, if it came too close,” Lexy says with a straight face. “I mean, if it’s you or the tiger, who are you gonna choose? I’m not living The Life of Pi over here.”
“It’s wrongto kill tigers.” The co-ed is speaking very slowly, as though Lexy were a learning disabled kindergartener. “They’re endangered. That’s why I’m going to give you a chance to sponsor one—”
“Sponsor it to do what?” Lexy demands, obviously really enjoying herself now. “Go to tiger summer camp or something?”
“Well, no.” The co-ed looks taken aback. “I mean—”
“What do tigers do all day anyway?” Lexy asks. “Just lie around and eat, right? I wish somebody would sponsor me to do that. I’m an endangered species—there’s only one of me and I bet there are a lot more tigers than that.”
“Their numbers are dwindling every day.” The co-ed sounds as if she’s reciting from a brochure somebody at the save-the-tigers place made her memorize. “Look.” She thrusts another picture in Lexy’s face. “This one’s name is Sheba. She’s a beautiful female and she’s pregnant. We think she’ll be having her cubs any day now.”
“So she’s a pregnant unwed mother who needs my support.” Lexy looks sympathetic. “Now I get it. Poor thing.”
“It’s very sad.” The co-ed looks as if she might actually start crying. “I’m glad you understand.”
“Of course I understand—I’m not a Republican.” Lexy pats her arm. “Unfortunately, my democratic ass is completely broke. So I’m afraid you’ll have to find someone else to support Sheba. Unless, of course, her baby-daddy shows up. Maybe he could get a job and bring home the bacon for a while.” She looks at the co-ed seriously. “Do tigers eat bacon?”
“No, but—”
“Excuse me, Ms. Krist. I’ve got a whole different animal I think you might be interested in. Right in my fucking pants.”
A musky, animalistic odor assaults my nose just as the deep voice snarls in my ear. I jump in surprise and start to turn but I’m already being held fast in two hard hands. The speaker turns me to face him and I see the slotted yellow eyes of a goat.