SimplyIrresistible (4 page)

When his hand left her slit she started to close her legs.

“Stay open for me, pet.” His tone was casual and yet utterly
compelling.

Achingly aware of the cream dampening her inner thighs she
held her position while Master Liam strapped what she assumed was a hot-pink
butterfly vibrator over her slit.

She kept her eyes respectfully lowered, watching him through
her lashes. When the toy didn’t buzz to life, she sighed.

“Relieved or disappointed?”

She flinched at his question then took in his amused
expression and admitted, “I’m not certain, Sir.”

His chin tipped in approval. “You’re an honest little sub.
You will tell me if anything hurts or scares you.”

Does he think nipple clamps are fun? He’s kidding, right?
Only one way to find out. She took a deep breath and blurted, “The clamps
pinch, Sir.”

He removed both pinchy hoops and adjusted the tension.

While he played with the clamps, blood raced back into her
freed nipples, stinging the tender peaks. She’d forgotten how much removing the
clamps hurt. A whimper escaped her lips. Then the butterfly hummed to life.

“More problems?” His eyes crinkled with amusement.

“They hurt worse now and I don’t like pain, Sir.”

“Is that right?” He cupped her mound, penetrating her
entrance with a thick finger. “Then why are you drenched, little one?”

Dear God, he’s right. What’s wrong with me?
She
shivered under his steady scrutiny.

“You’re cold.” He snagged a blanket from an open chest,
wrapped it around her shoulders and steered her into one of the curtained
alcoves.

She wasn’t actually cold, but she didn’t complain. He was
coddling her and she loved snuggling.

Velvet rustled behind them. The drapes enclosed them in a
four-by-eight, private chamber. She was alone with a powerful Dom. For a moment
she fought panic.

Indirect lighting added a romantic glow to the private
niche. Music from strings, bows and flutes played a poignant melody in the
distance. Laughter, shrieks of pleasure and the hum from dozens of
conversations were only slightly muted by the drapes. If she needed help all
she had to do was yell “red”, the dungeon’s universal safeword.

A gothic bench, upgraded by plush cushions, took up most of
the space. Liam lowered himself to the wooden couch and settled her on his lap.
He cupped one breast and then the other in his warm palms, easing the ache
until she sighed and melted into his heat. He wrapped the fleece more snugly
around her and held her close.

The solid comfort of his broad chest and the
perfect-for-her-head spot under his chin seduced her into burrowing into his
hard, hot body. Under the soft cotton of his shirt, thick pads of chest muscle
cushioned her cheek. Beneath her ear, Master Liam’s heart thudded in a steady rhythm
of reassurance.

She was alone with a strong Dom and she’d forgotten to be
afraid.

He shifted her carefully and tipped her chin to meet his
eyes. “Warm enough?”

“Yes Sir.” She dropped her lashes, unable to hold the
intensity in his gaze.

He kept her chin tilted until their gazes tangled. “When
it’s just us, I want your eyes on me. It helps me gauge what’s going on in your
head.”

Her jaw loosened into a middle-school girl’s crushing gape
at the implications that there was an “us” and they would share future alone
times.

“You may ask questions.”

He expects me to look at him and form intelligent
questions at the same time?
She focused on his sensuous lips, closed her
mouth and swallowed. “Why have you been away from the club, Sir?”

Her gaze skirted around his face, avoiding the dark orbs
that seemed to see right through her skin. The crinkles at the corners of his
eyes tightened and smoothed. There was no trace of paler skin to mark frequent
smiles and shared laughter.

“Two reasons, business and a lack of pleasure.”

Intuitively she sensed a test in his clipped response. She
wanted to ask what had happened to his former slave, but didn’t have enough
nerve to probe deeper. She sought another conversational prompt.

The steady, low-level buzz from the vibrator made it hard
for her to concentrate. Long moments passed in thickening silence without her
finding a single safe topic. She was so bad at this. Master Lewis was right. She
was pushing too fast too soon.

“Last spring I quit topping a longtime slave and needed some
distance.” Old pain buffeted his sparse explanation.

His volunteered information warmed her, more so because
something told her he didn’t explain himself often. This wasn’t easy for him
either. She heard the hurt in his tone and empathized. “Releasing her hurt you,
Sir.”

“You’re kind. The truth is I couldn’t give her what she
needed. There’s nothing worse than failing a submissive who has given you her
trust.”

Certainty overrode Tiana’s caution, making her braver. “You
would have never deliberately failed her. Sometimes circumstances are beyond
anyone’s control, even a Master’s, Sir.”

“Not an easy fact to accept.” One corner of his mouth tugged
into a crooked, bleak smile. “I won’t repeat the mistake.”

He’s going to dismiss me
.
Disappointment
leached most of her nerve. She shivered, bracing for his rejection. With a
spurt of courage, she reminded him, “You said I could ask questions, Sir.”

“True.” His harsh features softened. “I didn’t expect you to
ask such tough ones.” He tilted her head and lowered his, bringing their mouths
into perfect alignment. He held her in place—their lips no more than a breath
apart. “You’re a dangerously perceptive little slave.”

Master Liam nipped her lower lip. His primal bite stung, but
didn’t break the skin.

Erotic shock quivered through her body.

He used the flat of his tongue to soothe the small injury
before thrusting his tongue between her parted lips.

She softened, opening fully for him. Although she wasn’t
stopping to check, she would have bet money her hair had new waves. Her toes
had definitely curled. She angled her neck, inviting deeper penetration.

He accepted, taking the caress from seductive to
mind-melting. He kissed her until her barriers vanished. The fluffy throw slid
off her shoulders. She straddled his lap, pressing closer. Bound and helpless,
she was achingly aware of the dampness between her legs. Master Liam captured
her totally with nothing more than a kiss.

He cupped her hip, steadying her. “You do not come without
my express permission. Your climaxes belong to me for as long as I top you even
when we’re away from the club or apart. Understand?”

“I require my slaves verbalize their responses—saves
misunderstandings.” Liam had a damn good idea how Tiana had come by the nasty
red mark on her delicate skin. He also was pretty sure she had no intention of
confiding any of her troubles to him. She had a great deal to learn about being
his.
Whoa, Sir Sterling. She’s not yours.
He wasn’t collaring the woman.
He promised Guthrie he’d would top her for the rest of her probationary period,
if she agreed, and she damn well would because he wasn’t giving her a choice.

Tiana nodded again, adding, “I understand. I only want to
please you, Sir.”

“Prettily done.” No doubt those big brown eyes and sweet
manner had worked for her before. He had no intention of playing fair or taking
it easy. His gut said she’d been coddled plenty. He always trusted his instinct
when it came to subs, horses and the rest of the world. All that tiptoeing
around her feelings had done was left her clutching everything ugly and scary
to her gorgeous chest. That ended now.

The first three clasps of her corset popped open at his
touch, exposing more of her distracting breasts.

Tiana tried to scoot off his lap. “Nymph.”

He kept his right hand around her hip and left his palm
where it was—between her firm mounds, but he didn’t chase her and he didn’t
unfasten anything else. “You want to keep the corset fastened.”

“Yes Sir.” She kept her eyes downcast.

“Eyes on me.” He waited for her compliance before asking,
“Why?”

“Uh, the corset forces me to practice restraint, Sir.” She
blushed at the admission.

She was self-aware enough to understand she craved
restraint? Made perfect sense and hardened his already stiff cock past painful.

“Okay then you may enjoy the constriction while I play with
your nipples.” He refastened the clasps and tucked the lace cups back down
under her pert tips. Thanks to his clamps the rosy tips stayed pebbled.

“Nothing sweeter than responsive nipples on an obedient
woman.” He cupped the small mounds. They plumped against his palms, hungry for
his attention. He removed the small vises and ran a callused thumb over the
rigid peaks, teasing the taut tips with light plucks, tender pinches and firm
flicks. Her nipples darkened and stiffened into sweet, tight berries.

“Please, Sir.”

“Please what?” Liam licked one throbbing nub.

She arched nearer—a wordless plea.

He abandoned lapping at the stinging tip to lap at a
just-coloring bruise. “How did this happen?”

“A tailgater rammed my bumper, Sir.” She rattled off the
explanation on a single exhale and added a reproving glare.

“When?” He ignored the dirty look, stopped torturing her
nipples and waited for her to explain.

She swallowed a sigh. “This evening, Sir.”

He’d already surmised the contusion was recent and her start
at honesty pleased him, but it wasn’t enough. She’d deliberately led him to
believe the damage to her truck was the result of minor accident. “Why didn’t
you tell me before?”

Her lashes lowered. “There was nothing to tell, Sir.”

He pulled farther away, still keeping one hand at her waist.
“You were rammed by some maniac. Your truck was damaged. You were hurt. Those
three facts equal a great deal of information your Master deserved to know.”

She gave him a mulish look. “When was I supposed to work a
hit and run with a reckless driver into the conversation, Sir?”

Ignoring her attitude for the moment, he kept his tone even.
“The last time I asked you about the bruise.”

Her lashes dropped and her cheeks darkened. “I’m very sorry,
Sir.”

“Someone crashed into your new truck and drove off?”

“Yes Sir.”

He knew there was more. Silence usually worked well on edgy
slaves. He waited until she darted nervous peeks at his poker face. Then he
kept waiting.

Finally reluctant words spilled in a lowered voice. “The
second time, Sir.”

His eyes narrowed to slits. “He hit your truck twice?”

She nodded, plainly miserable. “Yes Sir.”

“Did you call the cops?”

“Yes Sir.”

“That’s my brave pet.” He lowered his head and suckled both nipples
thoroughly before pulling her closer.

Tiana sighed and nestled under his chin.

He wanted to cuddle her and keep her safe from harm, but
this wasn’t about him. She had been betrayed and needed to rebuild the
self-confidence to trust her instincts. “Next time you have a problem I expect
you to come to me first.”

“Yes, Master Liam.”

Pleased by her acceptance, he changed the subject. “You
enjoyed watching Master Jason discipline his slave. What part of the scene
excited you most?”

Tiana blinked, plainly flustered. “Is Master Jason the crop
wielder, Sir?”

“Yes, quit stalling and tell me what you liked about the
scene.”

She darted another peek at him. “Why? I mean why do you want
to know…Sir?”

“Talking is part of getting to know you. Your participation
is required.”

“I want to please you, but I don’t know what you want, Sir.”

He fought a smile at her honesty. “That’s easy. I’ll tell
you exactly what I want.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Doubts pleated her smooth brow.

“Were you punished for not guessing what a Master wanted?”

Her lashes fluttered open, revealing widened eyes. “Do you
read minds, Sir?”

Too bad her ex is already dead. I would have enjoyed
disciplining the bastard until he screamed before I killed the sick fuck
.

He kept his expression blank while he stroked the side of
her face and let his fingers drift along the impossibly soft skin on her
throat. “Just beautiful slave faces and responsive bodies.”

An enchanting blush tinted the tempting swells of her
flawless breasts. The color streaked up her neck and colored her heart-shaped
face. Her nipples pebbled, demanding his attention.

“Right now what I want is information from you.” He palmed
the sweet mounds, soothing her aching desire before he rolled a tight tip into
more urgent need. “Did you want Jason’s crop striking you?”

“No, Master Liam. But I wanted—” Her voice caught.

“To have a Master take care of you as he did his slave?”

She dipped her head in reluctant confirmation.

“Aloud.”

“Yes Sir.”

“Thank you for telling me. There’s nothing wrong with
wanting. Any Dom worth his toy bag sees to his sub’s needs before his own.”

Big brown eyes widened in shock or awe for a second before
her ridiculously long lashes dropped again. Every emotion she experienced was
reflected on her beautiful face. Doubts, wariness and heartbreaking shards of
fear flickered across her features along with sparks of hope, stunning courage
and cast-iron determination. She was miles away from the simple session of
light discipline and hard sex he’d intended to indulge in tonight. From the moment
he touched her, he’d been unable to resist the chance to play
Sir-Liam-to-the-rescue. Tiana called to protective instincts he should never
allow into his sex life. If he didn’t watch it, he’d wind up way more involved
with the little sub than was smart.

He pinched one tender nipple between his thumb and index
finger, easing his grip when she swallowed back a protest.

Tiana squirmed closer. The moist slit between her legs
dampened his khakis. Her fragrance of citrus, vanilla and submissive woman revved
his excitement another notch. His cock was already past hard with no acceptable
relief in the foreseeable future.

He wanted her with a single-minded obsession, but there was
no way in hell his brave, damaged sub was ready for skin-to-skin sex. He was
humbled she’d responded at all. Since she had, he would take her as far as she
was ready to go. If she climaxed under his command, he would drink in the
beauty of her release and count himself lucky. The trust required for her to
make herself that vulnerable would be an incredible gift. Much as he wanted her
surrender, he accepted the journey from trembling fear to release might not
happen…tonight.

Tiana needed his patience, control and discipline. He would
meet those needs or die trying, because there was no greater thrill than to win
the trust of a wary sub.

“Forcing you to confront your limits is part of my job. But
you need to understand my testing your boundaries never involves lasting
injury—physical or psychological.”

She darted a look of unflattering disbelief.

“The occasional sting of pain that brings exquisite pleasure
is another matter.”

Her lashes lowered, veiling her thoughts. “Yes, Master.”

He ignored the infraction once again. Tiana was doing her
best to obey him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll earn your trust before I demand it.” He
switched to tormenting her other needy nipple with rolls, pinches and flicks
while he covered the abandoned peak with his mouth. He swallowed the addictive
taste of her compliance and sexual excitement along with a hint of fear. All
his favorite flavors.

When both breasts were wet, swollen and dark to his
satisfaction, he blew across the taut nipples.

She whimpered as the tips tightened more. More honey
dampened her silky cunt.

He reached behind her back and unlocked her cuffs.

Tiana shot him a worried glance.

He held her loosely in his arms and carefully arranged her
hands at her narrow waist before refastening the padded bonds.

Her brow smoothed as soon as the restraints were secured.
Interesting. He lowered his hand, cupping the smooth, bare lips of her pussy.
“You’re very wet for me.”

She nodded.

“I need your responses aloud. That way I can look at more
than your beautiful face. Plus verbalizing your answers helps you own your
feelings more fully. This intensifies your sensual experience. I’ve explained
what I want. Since this is our first time together, I’ve given you two
warnings. The next time you fail to give me an audible answer you will incur a
penalty.”

Her breathing hitched. “What kind of penalty, Master?”

“What would you hate most?”

Those big brown eyes widened in clear alarm, the vein in her
left temple fluttered wildly. “I can’t say, Master.”

More like won’t, but I m not calling you on it, because I
don’t want you terrified
.
“I’m not going to do anything you hate or
anything that will cause lasting damage to your body. I don’t want to
permanently harm you in any way. I need your feedback so I know what you can or
can’t tolerate. Make sense?”

Her slender shoulders dropped and the pulse in her neck
slowed to almost normal. “Yes Sir.”

“Good, I think we’ve done enough for one night, pet.” He
leaned in, captured her mouth and took another long, slow taste of Tiana.

By the time he ended the kiss, her lips were wet and
swollen. His cock strained against his slacks and his balls were probably
turning blue. He would have loved having her kiss-stung mouth around his shaft,
but earning her trust was more important to him than any blowjob.

He removed the cuffs, tugged the cups up to cover her rigid
nipples, unfastened the butterfly and guided her to her feet.

“What about you, Sir?” She nibbled her lower lip and stared
pointedly at the bulge in his slacks.

Her level of concern made him wonder if her last Master had
demanded more than she wanted to give. “No matter what you’ve been told, a
hard-on isn’t fatal, just uncomfortable. You didn’t orgasm either.”

She shrugged. “I never do, Sir.”

“Ever?”

“I have, just not recently. I’m not certain exactly when I
stopped.” Tiana’s brow puckered in concern. “Years ago, Master.”

Her inability to find sexual release with her last Master
didn’t surprise him. Damn hard to enjoy a sadist’s torture unless you’re wired
for it. He made an effort to keep anger out of his tone. “Good. Then it won’t
be a problem for you to refrain from touching yourself. Remember for as long as
you’re with me your climaxes are mine. You do not come without permission.”

“Yes Sir.”

The pulse in her throat fluttered again. He bit back a smile
of relief. “I’m going to see you home safely.”

Her sweetly muddled expression suggested she thought he was
either a couple of bales short of a truckload or the best thing since
battery-operated vibrators. But she didn’t argue. Her acceptance of his
decision pleased him a great deal.

He kept a hand at the small of her back all the way to
women’s locker room.

Dominance displays were understood and expected at the
Crucible. Possessiveness was a whole other matter. He ignored the warning bells
going off in his head, because keeping her safe was more important. The little
slave brought out protective instincts that were far from simple—another
potential snake pit of problems he put on hold.

Some maniac had rammed her truck earlier this evening. There
was no way Liam would send her out into the night with a pat on her ass and a
see-you-later. Call him old school. He didn’t care. He wasn’t offering her a
choice when it came to her safety. He was seeing her right to her
damn-well-better-be-sturdy front door. The only acceptable alternative was
taking her home to the ranch. The idea didn’t scare his socks off—strange,
because it sure as fuck should have.

Tiana rejoined him in a prompt five minutes. Both her pretty
sundress and the blue sandals with the fragile ankle straps were back in place.
The faint outline of her corset was visible if he looked hard enough. The real
challenge was looking away.

He kept his hand at her waist as they left the dungeon and
crossed the full parking lot to her truck. In another hour the weekday crowd
would start to thin. At the moment, none of the other vehicles moved. His sixth
sense didn’t set off any alarms. Security patrolled the grounds regularly, but
he wasn’t taking chances.