Bound (5 page)

David gave a muffled groan, and then they wrapped their arms around each other, waiting for their breathing to slow and the last flickers of pleasure to die away.

“I knew I was right about you,” murmured David a little later, as he helped her put her dress back on. “You were amazing, my darling, absolutely amazing.”

* * *

When she woke the next morning, Grace couldn’t remember how they’d got back to their room. She realized she must have been so exhausted that she’d slept the sleep of the dead. Beside her, David was still sleeping, and in sleep he looked younger, more vulnerable, than usual.

Gently she brushed a lock of hair off his forehead, and immediately his eyes opened. “Good morning beautiful Grace,” he murmured, and she snuggled up close to him.

“Do we have lunch here before we leave?” she asked.

David yawned and stretched himself before kissing her lightly on the mouth. “You’re always hungry, although after last night it’s not surprising!”

She felt herself blushing, and he smiled. “There’s no need to blush. You were fantastic. We all had a wonderful time. I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

Remembering all that had happened, and what she’d allowed strangers to do to her, Grace wasn’t sure she agreed with him, but she knew he was right about one thing. To her own astonishment, she had enjoyed most of it, and she knew it would take her time to come to terms with what she was learning about herself.

“It wasn’t easy,” she said quietly. “Do you like watching your girlfriends having sex with strangers?”

“I like watching people learn about their sexuality, discovering new things about themselves,” he replied. “And I only bring very special women here, for obvious reasons. How about we share a bath now?”

Grace was tempted, but there was something she needed to know before that happened. “Maybe later,” she replied. “Right now I want to know about table five.”

David rolled onto his back, his arms behind his head, and sighed. “I don’t know why you’re so interested. It needn’t concern you at all. In any case, Club rules forbid it until table four has been completed. Only then does table five have any meaning.”

“That’s not fair. It’s obviously important, and if it’s going to be my final challenge then I want to know in what way it’s different.”

“It’s the rules, Grace, and anyway it’s irrelevant right now. You have three more weekend trials to complete before table five will mean anything to you. All I can say is that table five is best described as an optional extra. Does that satisfy you?”

“No, it makes me more eager to know about it! But you give me your word that then you can tell me?”

“Surprisingly,” said David slowly, “I’m beginning to have a feeling that I may have to tell you. Now, how about that bath?”

Three hours later, with David wearing a sports jacket, open-neck shirt and casual trousers, and Grace in the pale green A-line dress she’d originally intended to wear the previous evening, they went down to the dining room.

Only one other table was occupied when they sat down. “Where is everyone?” asked Grace in surprise.

“They’ve probably left. Some of them come quite a distance and have a long drive back. Amber and Andrew will join us though. I’ll ask Laura to get us some drinks. She’s usually working on Sundays.”

A few minutes later, Laura came into the dining room. She was wearing a conventional waitress’s uniform, except for the fact that the skirt was very short and her white top was a black strapless boned corset. Grace felt very uncomfortable seeing her, remembering only too clearly what Laura had done to her the previous evening, and how she’d given her such incredible pleasure.

Laura though looked tired and heavy-eyed as she took the drinks order.

“I hear you had a problem last night,” said David. Laura shook her head. “No, I didn’t. It was only that…”

“Amber told me all about it. I hope it doesn’t happen again, or your time here will come to an end I’m afraid.”

“It was Amber’s fault, she made me…”

“Laura!” David’s voice was sharp, and the blonde twin chewed nervously on her bottom lip. “I’m sorry,” she said apologetically.

“I’m sure you are. We’d like some wine please. White zinfandel for Grace and a sparkling water for me. I’m driving this afternoon unfortunately.”

He smiled at Laura then, but she only nodded and scurried away.

“Whatever’s the matter with her?” asked Grace.

“She disobeyed an order later last night and had to be punished for it. Amber has had problems with Laura before, but the twins add something to the Dining Club. I hope we don’t have to let them go.”

“Did Amy cause a problem too?”

“Not that I know of, but aesthetically it wouldn’t be the same to keep one of the girls. The Dining Club would have to train up another pair of twins if Laura doesn’t improve. I imagine Amber will keep her under control though. She’s very strict with the staff. That’s why the standard is so high.”

“What’s it all got to do with you?” asked Grace. “You don’t run the Club.”

“I’m one of the financial backers for the Dining Club, so naturally I’m interested in what’s happening,” he said smoothly. “I try to keep a sharp eye on all my financial investments.”

Grace, who hadn’t liked Amber at all the previous night, thought that the change in Laura since she’d last seen her was so great that she dreaded to think what punishment the blonde woman could have inflicted on the younger girl.

“I meant to be here to greet you both,” said Andrew, coming into the dining room. He smiled warmly at Grace, kissing her on both cheeks before sitting down at the table with them. As he started to ask her questions about her work, Grace’s worries about Laura were quickly forgotten.

Eventually Amber joined them as well, and over Sunday lunch of roast beef followed by lemon mousse, conversation flowed easily.

At two o’clock David glanced at his watch and turned to Grace. “We’d better be going. I have to drop you at your apartment, and then I have a business meeting.”

Grace, who’d been expecting him to spend a few more hours with her, couldn’t hide her expression of disappointment.

“Haven’t you seen enough of each other for one weekend, Grace?” asked Amber, getting up and standing behind David, her hands resting on his shoulders.

Grace didn’t like this possessive gesture, or the way Amber was looking at her as though she was an amusing toy who was no longer needed. “No,” she said shortly.

Amber massaged David’s shoulders. “You feel tense, David. Didn’t the weekend relax you enough?”

“Stop it, Amber,” said Andrew sharply. “I’m sure Grace is tired of us being around by now.”

In fact, Grace wasn’t tired of Andrew at all. The more she saw of him, the more she liked him. He was always so relaxed and laid-back, and unlike David he was easy company. With Andrew what you saw was what you got, and she liked what she saw. David didn’t let you see very much, but she realized that was probably why she was so obsessed with him.

Half an hour later the two of them were driving out of the gates of the Dining Club. “I take it you’ll be coming with me next month?” asked David.

“Yes, I will, if that’s what you want too?”

He glanced across at her. “It’s definitely what I want, but it won’t be quite as easy next time. The first test is always pure pleasure.”

Remembering how she’d struggled to control her desires, and how she’d wept in his arms when Saturday night was over, Grace wondered how he could call her experience pure pleasure, but she knew better than to say anything. If she really wanted this man to love her, then she needed to know what his deepest desires were, and whether or not she would be able to fulfill them.

“I’ll remember that. Will I see you next weekend?”

David shook his head. “I wish we could meet, but I have to work. I’m sorry about that, and I don’t expect any sympathy from you about how hard businessmen have to work,” he added teasingly.

A part of her wondered if he was testing her, trying to assess if she was becoming needy. She’d always known, instinctively, that he wouldn’t like that.

“That’s lucky really,” she replied. “I’ve got a busy week coming up, but I need to meet up with Fran sometime. Now I can do it at the weekend, so it suits me very well.”

“Good,” he said, squeezing her knee lightly and smiling at her.

She was surprised, and rather pleased, to note that he didn’t actually sound as happy with her reply as she’d expected.

Once at her flat he carried her case inside, pulled her to him, kissed her hard on the mouth as his hands cupped the sides of her face and then released her. “I’ll be in touch later in the week,” he promised. Then before she could say any more, he was gone, leaving her alone with her vivid memories of Saturday night.

* * *

Later in the evening she started to think about her next visit to the Club. After everything that had happened to her this time, she wondered what she would have to do in four weeks’ time. Clearly the experience would not, as David had said himself, be pure pleasure, and she now knew exactly what that meant.

She remembered how she’d struggled to control herself, begging Laura not to touch her because she couldn’t discipline her body any longer. The fear she’d experienced on entering the trial room was still vivid in her mind, but so too was the intensity of the orgasms they’d teased from her.

Even thinking about it started to arouse her again, and she realized that she was excited at the prospect of what lay ahead. Excited, yet at the same time scared. To make matters worse, the fear itself seemed to have become an aphrodisiac.

The whole weekend had showed her a side of herself that she’d never known existed, but whether she would still enjoy the experience the next time, when everything was going to be more intense, and they would doubtless be testing her reactions to different methods of arousal, she didn’t know.

All she knew as she lay in bed that night, her fingers lightly caressing her body to try and ease the sexual tensions her thoughts were arousing in her, was that despite being nervous she was rapidly becoming consumed by an overwhelming desire for her next visit to the Dining Club. Yet at the same time she was filled with anxiety as to whether or not she would be able to endure, let alone pass, the trial that awaited her.

Marina Anderson is the pseudonym of a British author. Her novels have sold over half a million copies worldwide and she is a
Sunday Times
bestseller.

Looking for more great digital reads? We’ve got you covered!

Now Available from Forever Yours

Young interior designer Ava O’Shea has no idea what awaits her at the Manor. A run-of-the-mill consultation with a stodgy country gent seems likely, but what Ava finds instead is Jesse Ward—a devastatingly handsome, utterly confident, pleasure-seeking playboy who knows no boundaries. Ava doesn’t want to be attracted to this man, and yet she can’t control the overwhelming desire that he stirs in her. She knows that her heart will never survive him, and her instinct is telling her to run, but Jesse is not willing to let her go. He wants her and is determined to have her.

* * *