Bound to be Tempted: Emergence, Book 4 (13 page)

Chapter Nine

Margaret sat on her hands to keep from fidgeting while Carlton drove to the outskirts of town. She realized soon where they were heading. A fetish shop. Not surprising. And it was one she’d been to before, but not for a while. The entire time she concentrated on her surroundings to occupy her mind and keep from thinking about how wet her pussy was, naked beneath her skirt.

She stared at the buildings they passed, counting them. She watched a black sedan behind them follow them for miles, not saying a word to Carlton. Surely she was overreacting. Who the hell would be following her everywhere she went?

Eerily it continued to follow them, all the way to the shop outside of town. She shivered as they parked and the car went on by. She needed to stop obsessing over vehicles in her rearview mirror. She couldn’t shake the niggling in the back of her mind that someone had left her a very nasty note, and perhaps that somebody was following her. Ridiculous. Because who would do that, and who the hell cared so much about her private life?

“What’s the matter, baby?”

She glanced over her shoulder as Carlton helped her from the SUV. She shook off the strange feeling and turned to him with a smile. “Nothing.” No way was she going to tell him she felt like they’d been followed both last night and today. For one thing, it was absurd. For another thing, he would freak.

A complete safety nut, Carlton had an obsession with locking doors. He also buckled her into the car himself when they left the house this morning. He drove the speed limit and came to a complete stop at every sign.

When they stepped inside the store, Carlton greeted the owner as though they were old friends.

Margaret stood behind Carlton, her gaze downcast enough she couldn’t see the woman’s face.

“Carlton, it’s been a long time.”

“Yes, it has.”

“And even longer since I’ve seen you with a sub.”

Carlton chuckled. “Kelly, this is Maggie. She’s not new to the lifestyle, but she is new to me.”

Margaret said nothing. She wasn’t expected to. The introduction was purely for Kelly’s benefit, not Margaret’s.

“What can I help you with today?”

“We need a few outfits, and I’d like to try a variety of nipple clamps.”

Margaret stiffened.
Try?
She didn’t need nipple clamps if he was going to talk so bluntly. Her nipples perked up on their own at the mere mention of torturing them.

The urge to cover her breasts by crossing her arms was strong. She had to fight to keep her arms behind her back with one hand grabbing the opposite wrist. But Carlton had accomplished one thing—if he liked stiff nipples, she currently sported them.

“Follow me,” Kelly said as she meandered through the rows of bondage equipment and clothing. “I’ll get you a fitting room and then bring you a selection of outfits.”

When they reached the back of the store, Kelly used a key to open a door and ushered Carlton and Margaret through. “I’ll be right back.”

The room was large, with plenty of room for Carlton to stay and watch. She wasn’t sure if she found that disconcerting or comforting. Probably a little of both.

Margaret stood in the center of the cubicle and waited.

“Relax. You’ve purchased fetishwear before. You wear it every weekend.” He chuckled. “I haven’t brought you to the guillotine.”

He was right, of course. But she’d never purchased anything with anyone hovering over her. Nor had she let anyone else select her garments. Her previous Domme hadn’t been that strict. She’d let Margaret choose whatever she was comfortable with.

Within minutes, Kelly returned. She knocked softly on the door.

Carlton responded. “Come on in.”

Kelly entered, discreetly slipping through the entrance so other patrons in the shop wouldn’t be overly privy to what happened inside.

Margaret had been a sub for a long time. She’d been in public wearing all manner of clothing, some more risqué than others. She could only assume her nervousness this morning stemmed from the commanding presence of Carlton. When he was totally in the role, he was stern and serious. There was no telling what he might select for her to wear.

Kelly held up a variety of items. Carlton took them and shuffled them around. “This one, I think.”

He handed it back to Kelly and stepped up to Margaret. Without a word, he lifted the hem of her dress. “Lift your arms, baby.”

In an instant, Margaret was naked, with the exception of her sandals. Cool air from a vent blew across her skin, pebbling it with bumps. She shivered, though not entirely from the cold. Thank God she was required to keep her gaze lowered. She didn’t relish the idea of facing Kelly head-on.

Kelly sucked in a breath. “She’s exquisite.”

“She is,” Carlton responded. “I’m a lucky man.”

They spoke of her as though she were a porcelain doll, though she knew Carlton didn’t see her that way. He knew her better than to only see skin-deep.

Kelly didn’t, though. “If you tire of this brute, girl, give me a call,” Kelly teased.

Carlton chuckled. “Don’t even suggest such a thing. I’m liable to lose her to you before I’ve had my fill.”

Margaret flinched. His suggestion left nothing to the imagination. And it stung a bit that he could so flippantly pawn her off on Kelly.

Oblivious to the sting of his suggestion, Carlton took the black leather garment from Kelly’s hand and held it over Margaret’s head. “Arms again, baby.”

Margaret obeyed, lifting her hands in the air, completely aware of the rise of her breasts and the fact that her nipples stood erect again. They’d begun to do it on their own as though they knew Carlton liked it and wanted to please him.

Black leather slid over her body, not nearly enough of it.

Kelly stepped forward and smoothed it into place while Carlton circled Margaret. “Let your arms settle at your sides so I can see how it fits.”

“Yes, Sir.” She lowered her hands, her fists clenching as she stared down at the front of the “dress”. Thin straps held the leather over her shoulders. The bodice was almost nothing with the black material reaching around from under her arms to cover the outsides of her breasts. The two sides were connected with a crisscross of thin leather that snapped together at her cleavage to hold the material in place and keep her nipples barely covered.

Her entire belly was exposed beneath her breasts where a giant oval of leather was missing. The short skirt hung just low enough to cover her pussy and her ass, but only if she remained standing and didn’t lift her arms.

She could feel the breeze on her back, so she knew it matched the front with the missing oval of leather. If her butt crack was covered, she’d be surprised.

“God, baby. That’s so fucking gorgeous on you. Turn around. Look in the mirror.”

Margaret spun toward him. She lifted her gaze to see herself. On her tall, slender frame, the dress indeed looked like it was worn by a model. She wasn’t modest enough not to notice.

“I could sell a ton of these if you worked for me and modeled it all day,” Kelly said.

Margaret glanced at Kelly’s face, using the mirror as a way of discreetly checking the woman out. She was hardly less attractive herself. The woman was blonde and skinny and only about an inch shorter than Margaret. She wore the outfit she currently modeled at least as well as the dress Margaret wore. Surprisingly, Margaret didn’t find herself particularly interested in Kelly, and that was saying something.

“I don’t think she’s looking for a job,” Carlton said. He reached forward and caressed between Margaret’s breasts, letting his finger dance across the inside swell of each. When he dipped his finger under the leather to flick over a nipple, Margaret gasped. “So sexy. I love it. Do you love it?” He lifted his gaze to her, surprising her that he would care about her opinion.

She couldn’t lie. It was fantastic. “I do, Sir. I feel as sexy in it as you think I look.”

“Will you wear it to the club with me?” Again, he asked instead of insisting. Unusual for him. “I only ask because every man in Emergence is going to hit on you wearing this. You’ll have to fend them off. Can you handle that?”

“I’ve managed for several months, Sir.”

“Yeah, but you weren’t wearing this.” He reached under the material to tease her nipple again. “I especially love how easily I can fondle you.” He leaned closer, letting his thumb join his pointer under the leather until he pinched her nipple firmly.

Margaret sucked in a sharp breath and held it.

“Now that’s sexy.” He released her nipple and smoothed his palm down her torso until it flattened across her naked stomach. “Perfect.” He turned to Kelly, whom Margaret had all but forgotten. “We’ll take it.”

Margaret didn’t move a muscle, loving the way his splayed hand on her belly made her tingle in every cell.

“Can you bring us some clamps to choose from, Kelly?”

“Of course. Be right back.”

Margaret watched in the mirror as Kelly slipped out the door, the queen of discretion.

“You won’t wander out of my sight in this dress. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” she whispered. She had no intention of wandering out of his sight under any circumstances. The dress had nothing to do with it.

Almost soundlessly, Kelly stepped back into the cubicle. “I have several selections here. The best thing is to try them on and see how they feel. Give them a few moments each to make sure they don’t pinch too hard or too lightly. Everyone is different. Nipples are all different in size and sensitivity.”

Carlton lifted the hem of the dress and drew it over Margaret’s head, leaving her naked once again.

She was calmer this time, but still self-conscious stripped like this in front of Kelly, her pussy so recently shaved.

Kelly handed the first pair to Carlton. He gripped one in his left hand and played with the opening of the other.

“Those are tweezer-style, the most common. They pinch the nipple from underneath and dangle onto the breast below. They can be simple or ornate, depending on how much weight you want on them and how obvious you want them to be. You can adjust the intensity.”

Margaret doubted Kelly had anything to say that Carlton didn’t already know. But Margaret appreciated the explanation anyway, and perhaps that had been Kelly’s motivation for the providing such explicit details in the first place.

Either way, it helped prepare Margaret for what she was up against. Even after all these years as a sub, she’d never worn nipple clamps. She’d seen them on other people, but Lori hadn’t asked her to wear them, nor had any previous Domme.

Carlton cupped Margaret’s breast in one hand, weighing it as he stepped closer to her until less than an inch separated them. He leaned down to graze her ear with his lips and whispered, “Relax. We’re going to try several pairs and choose the best ones. I want you to wear them for me. I know they’ll look fantastic on you, no matter which ones we choose. Can you do that?”

She nodded, biting her lower lip as she fought the shiver his lips threatened to send down her body with each breath against her earlobe.

He stepped back a few inches and grasped her nipple with his thumb and pointer. She was growing accustomed to the sensation. He pulled outward, drawing the tight bud away from her body, causing her to sway forward.

“Stay still, baby.” His voice was gentle. Low. “Your nipple needs to be stiff when I clamp it.”

He rolled the offended tip in his fingers both directions, languidly, almost too far.

Meanwhile Margaret’s pussy grew wet with need. She inched her legs closer instinctively, praying a line of her moisture didn’t drip from her lower lips.

Carlton didn’t say a word, but he did step between her legs with one foot and nudge them apart again. While she was concentrating on her sex, he attached the clamp to her nipple. He let it go, leaving it to hang down from her breast.

Margaret gasped at the sudden sharp pinch.

“Breathe. It isn’t that bad. Concentrate. I want to find the right ones that hurt just enough to keep your attention, but also make you more aroused. If they’re too tight, you won’t be able to get beyond the pain to the pleasure.”

Margaret nodded subtly, not willing to move more than necessary and not trusting her mouth enough to separate her lips for fear she would moan.

He switched to her other nipple and worked it in a similar fashion until she had to press her lips together. When the pinch came, she was more prepared.

“How do those feel?” Kelly asked.

“Um…” Margaret wasn’t sure. “Okay, I guess.” She held as still as possible.

“I like these. Do they come in different styles?” Carlton turned toward Kelly.

“Yes. Different weights and a variety of dangles. I can show you a selection.”

“Okay. Let’s try another set.” Without warning he unpinched first one nipple and then the other.

Margaret gasped. She fought the urge to come. It seemed ludicrous she was that close without him touching her pussy.

“Better give her a second to recover, Carlton,” Kelly warned.

Thank God, because Margaret didn’t think she could have made her lips move to advise Carlton similarly.

Kelly opened another package. “Try these next. They tend to be a little more intense. I wouldn’t recommend starting with them, but you might want to purchase them for later. They’re called clover clamps. Their pinch is firmer, and they aren’t adjustable.”

Carlton didn’t give Margaret much time to think. He pinched one already offended nipple between two fingers and quickly clamped it with the new device of torture.

“Oh God. That’s tight.” Margaret squeezed her eyes shut. She hadn’t had permission to speak out like that, but she also couldn’t help it. “Too tight.”

Carlton removed it within seconds and he leaned forward to take the swollen bud into his mouth, licking it and sucking it until the sting eased. “We’ll leave that one for now. I don’t want you in so much pain you can’t derive pleasure. I’m not that kind of Dom.” He took her cheek in his palm and kissed her lips. “You know that, right?”

“Yes, Sir,” she said breathlessly. She was learning his ways. It hadn’t been twelve hours yet, and already she knew she could trust him. Actually, she’d known before last night, but the reinforcement was reassuring.