Haunted (16 page)

There was no return address.

She almost tripped over her own feet in her hurry to get to her apartment. She opened the door, turned on the light and slammed the door behind herself, leaning back against it as she fingered the envelope.

It was something good. She just knew it.

She both wanted to tear it open, and wanted to savor the uncertainty of knowing what was inside.

She hadn’t felt like this since Zach had tormented her with pleasure and pain.

Caitlyn’s heart was thudding when she opened the envelope and her heart was in her throat. It was lined with black paper and there was a single card inside.

An invitation.

To dinner.

That very night.

Caitlyn bit her lip as she stared at the last line.

I’ll pick you up at eight.

–Zach

She read it twice and then she smiled. Attendance was not optional. Her master was finally summoning her, and Caitlyn was more than ready to do whatever he commanded.

It was seven-fifteen. She had to get moving.

Caitlyn had to be ready on time, and she had to look perfect.

* * *

Half an hour later, Caitlyn did a final check of her appearance. She’d decided that this outfit was the most suitable for a private dinner party and hoped that Zach agreed.

Her corset was burgundy leather, pinched and pleated and fitted so that it make her look even curvier than she was. It had half-cups instead of a bra top, which left her nipples exposed, and she’d fitted them to hold her breasts in the best possible display. The corset fit her smoothly from bust to hip, and she’d designed it to hook up the front so she could put it on herself. There wasn’t a hair of extra space in it, and when it was fastened, she could barely take a breath.

She’d had to put her stockings and boots on first, because she knew she couldn’t bend over to lace the boots once the corset was fastened. Her boots were black and laced up the front, similar to the ones she’d worn at Windswept but with much higher heels. Her balance felt precarious in them, but she liked that sense of being out of control. Her stockings were black and shadowy, with seams up the back of her legs. Six garters stretched down from the corset to hold them in place.

She wore no panties, but instead had locked herself into the harness with the butterfly vibrator. She had the key to the harness and locked it, but didn’t have the control for the vibrator. She hoped that Zach still did. She put the key on a necklace chain and wore it around her neck. She chosen a chain that let the key just slip between her breasts, where its chill was close to her racing heart.

She’s bought a heavy black leather collar she’d bought in a BDSM shop in slightly too large of a size for herself, and lined it with white rabbit fur. It was both sensuously soft and so rigid that she stood up straighter when she locked it around her own neck. She admired the contrast between its rough look and the delicacy of everything else. It had a chain that hung down the back and was cold against her spine. Caitlyn had shortened it so that it just hooked into the back of the corset, into an eyelet she’d made at the top of the boning at the middle, but she couldn’t quite reach it herself.

Maybe Zach would like to do it for her.

She’d pulled her hair back tightly, making it as smooth as she could—which was a feat, since it wanted to curl in the humidity—and fastened it into tight bun. She looked almost like a ballerina, and certainly was close to standing on the tips of her toes in the boots. Her dress was very sheer, silk chiffon in burgundy, edged in black. The short sleeves fluttered over her upper arms and the hem swirled around her thighs. The bodice crossed, so the front of the dress was actually open in the middle, which would allow a man to slide his hand inside. Her corset, her harness and her nipples showed clearly through the cloth, so that she felt both dressed and on display.

She did her make-up with care, unable to deny that the sparkle of anticipation in her eyes made her look her best. She tied a scarf around her neck to hide the collar and pulled on a raincoat. She tucked a present for Zach into her purse, then left the apartment, filled with anticipation.

He was there. Of course. Early and waiting. He came to the door of the building with an umbrella in his hand and a welcome heat in his eyes. He was wearing a leather jacket and gloves, jeans that clung in all the right places and a T-shirt that showed he’d been working out all this time. His gaze swept over Caitlyn and he smiled just a little with what she hoped was approval. “Ready?”

“Yes. It’s so good to see you,” she said, then reached up to kiss his cheek. “Master,” she whispered against his ear and saw his eyes flash. He spun her around and guided her to his car, his hand feeling proprietary on the back of her waist. He opened the door and Caitlyn got in, practically buzzing with excitement.

It was when he was walking around to his side of the car that she felt the butterfly come to life. It vibrated against her clitoris, making her gasp. She saw that he had one hand in his pocket, then he opened the door, got in and started to car.

“Close your eyes,” he said and Caitlyn turned to look at him. “Still naughty?” he asked softly and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Very much so,” she said. “Especially as I’ve been unsupervised.”

“I see. We’ll have to work on that, then.”

“We will.”

“Close your eyes,” he repeated, his voice a little harder. “I have a surprise for you.”

Caitlyn did as she was told, more than happy to go wherever he wanted. “Yes, Master,” she whispered, and listened to the sound of the rain on the car.

* * *

Zach was surprised.

And delighted.

He’d needed to make preparations before he contacted Caitlyn, because he didn’t want there to be any half measures this time. All the same, it seemed that his plans were cursed. They’d experienced every possible delay in the modifications to the house, and he’d been concerned that she might have lost interest in him.

Or found another master to dominate her.

But now she was in his car, sweetly compliant. He could see that she’d dressed with care, and was curious about what she was wearing beneath the raincoat. That she’d pulled her hair back so tightly, just the way he liked it, was all the confirmation he needed that his plan would be a success.

He turned up the vibrator just a little as they drove into the mountains, stealing glances at Caitlyn when he could take his eyes off the road. She looked really good, better than he had remembered which was seriously saying something. Those boots were high enough that he could topple her over with a push of his finger and he liked how vulnerable they made her look.

It made him hard, and made him feel protective too.

Her lips were painted a fabulous red and she kept licking them in her agitation. The car was filled with the scent of her arousal and he liked how she periodically squirmed against the leather seat. He could have filled the time with small talk, but he preferred to leave her to imagine his plan, to worry about it, to anticipate it, to get more excited. Her eyes were closed, and he liked that he could essentially blindfold her with a command.

Eventually, they reached the neighborhood where he’d bought his secluded house. “Keep those eyes closed,” he commanded, his tone hard, and she nodded.

“Yes, Master. I won’t spoil the surprise.”

“No, you won’t,” he growled and felt her shiver.

He used the garage door opener from the end of the driveway, and parked inside. It was a triple garage with lots of room for his single car. He parked in the middle, to leave plenty of room to get out. He shut the garage door behind them and heard Caitlyn catch her breath.

“No peeking,” he murmured in her ear, watching how she swallowed.

“You don’t want me to know where you’re taking me,” she whispered, her excitement clear.

“That’s the best kind of captivity, I think. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, Master.”

God, how was he going to resist her? He opened the door to the house before he helped her out of the car, and couldn’t resist giving her a little tug when he closed the car door. She fell against him and he took a deep breath of her scent, her sweet perfume mingled with the scent of her wet puss. He spun her around and put his hand on the back of her neck to march her toward the door.

He felt the collar and a jolt ripped through him. It was at least three inches thick and made of heavy leather. There was a chain hanging from the back of it.

He’d underestimated her enthusiasm for the game.

That was just about the best realization he could have had.

More encouraged than he could have believed possible, Zach guided Caitlyn toward the door to the house. Her heels echoed on the concrete floor of the garage and he felt her shiver beneath his grasp. “One step up,” he said, his hand on her waist as he guided her. She took the step and he urged her into the house, turning back to lock the door behind them. The lights were on, just as he’d left them, but he guided her to the foyer, spinning her in place a couple of times to keep her off balance. He positioned her in front of the large mirror in the foyer, standing behind her.

“You can look now,” he said, his hands on her waist. “And I’ll take your coat.”

Her eyes flew open and she glanced around the foyer and what was visible of the living room. The house was like a fortress, which was what Zach liked about it, and built around a central courtyard. The courtyard was actually a conservatory, with a glass roof high above it, and a waterfall at the far end that flowed into a pond. Sliding glass doors opened from most rooms into the courtyard, and the sound of rushing water carried through the entire house.

“Oh!” Caitlyn said and her eyes lit. “I didn’t know you had a house.”

“I didn’t. I bought it after Windswept, and some modifications had to be made.”

Her gaze flicked to meet his in the mirror, her curiosity clear, but Zach indicated the closet. Caitlyn untied the belt of her raincoat, and removed her scarf, revealing the collar she wore. Zach couldn’t help but catch his breath at the look of the heavy harness against her delicacy. It looked both wrong and perfectly right.

He realized she was watching his reaction, because she smiled.

Then she slipped off her coat to reveal that she was dressed for his fantasies. His gaze roved over the corset, the harness, the way the feminine dress both revealed and disguised her outfit and thought he’d come in his jeans.

“Oh, Caitlyn,” he whispered. “You are very, very naughty.”

“Yes, Master,” she agreed softly. “I can’t stop designing clothes that display me for your pleasure.”

“How very very bad,” he murmured, walking around her and admiring the view.

“And I need your help.” She turned slightly and the chain hanging from the back of her collar slid across her spine. “I can’t hook it in to the corset myself.”

Zach took a deep breath as he hung up her coat, then lifted the chain in his hand. It was heavy but the perfect length to hook into the back of her corset. The collar pulled her head up slightly then, but she had lined it with fur. He slipped his hands over her, checking that all of the harness was snug but not too tight, then turned her to face him.

“The other guests will be tempted,” he said and felt her start.

Her face went white, then she flushed, her gaze flying to the rest of the house. “Other guests?” she echoed, her voice husky and Zach knew he’d found another forbidden fantasy.

He spoke sternly. “Don’t you want to be shared, Caitlyn?”

She closed her eyes and shook a bit, then swallowed and nodded. “If that’s what you want, Master.”

Zach knew that if she found the prospect so exciting, he would love simply seeing her pleased. He’d have to make sure it was the reality she wanted, though, not just the threat. He wasn’t so keen on sharing her himself, at least not yet. A balance had to be negotiated to keep things hot between them, and he was ready for the challenge.

For the control.

“Good thing I decided against company tonight,” he murmured. “It seems as if you have enough reason to be punished already.”

Her eyes sparkled a little in her relief. “Yes, Master.”

“You’ll have to make a list of your fantasies for me.”

“Yes, Master. It’ll be a long list, though.” She took a quick breath, her anticipation clear.

“That just means it’ll take a long time to discipline you, Caitlyn,” he said, speaking as if this was bad news. She smiled immediately, so he guessed that his true feelings were showing. “Maybe a lifetime.”

“Yes, Master. Quite possibly.” She lifted the chain from around her neck and gave it to him, pressing the key to her harness into his hand. “Fortunately, I know just the man for the job.”

He caught her head in his hands then, because he couldn’t resist any longer, and backed her into the wall before he kissed her thoroughly. She kissed him back, just as hungry for his touch as he was for hers.

“I have a surprise for you,” he admitted long moments later, knowing he was never going to get enough of her.

“Another one?”

“I thought it would wait until after dinner, but now I’m not sure.” He reached into his pocket and touched the remote control, liking how she gasped as the vibrator moved a little more insistently against her. “Too much?”