Temporary Master (27 page)

A
surge of possessive anger washed over Ethan. “Sabella is mine. Tonight at the
club, she’ll be wearing
my
collar - not just the club’s chains.”

Davis’s
legs dropped from the desk in surprise. He leaned forward, his expression
hopeful for the first time in the past hour.
“Really?
You’re going to shake off the past and finally live? No more of this ‘temporary
Dom’ shit?”

Ethan
wanted to roll his eyes at his friend’s antics but refrained. While he wasn’t
sure he was ready to give up his title, he knew he wasn’t comfortable with the
idea of Sabella walking into his club without his collar. “I wouldn’t go as far
as that. I just want it clear to Louis she’s unavailable to him.”

Scowling,
Davis got out the chair. “I swear you’re the most stubborn-assed bastard I’ve
ever met, Ethan. You’re going to throw away a sub
who’s
perfect for you because you’re too damned scared.” He stopped in the doorway as
Ethan opened his mouth to protest. Holding up his hand, Davis shook his head.
“I don’t want to hear it, Tremaine. Eventually you’re going to realize the wall
you’ve built up around you isn’t going to protect you. If you don’t believe me,
ask the Chinese how they fared with their Great Wall.”

Ethan
stared at him, his fingers tightening around the pen in his hand. “This has
nothing to do with China.”

Davis
smirked. “Bullshit. You’ve built up your damn reputation as a Dom no one can
get close to…for what? So you can sit around by yourself at the end of the
day?”

“I
don’t sit around….I have my practice…the club…Sabella…”

Disgust
filled Davis’s face.
“Exactly!
You’re putting
everything before her. Just remember that when you find yourself alone because
you refused to commit to her.” He stalked out of the room, shutting the door
behind him softly.

If
he could’ve, Ethan would’ve run his hands through his hair. His partner could
be a dick at times. Just because he wasn’t ready to be led around by his nose
by a woman didn’t mean he was avoiding commitment. Turning back to the file of
applications, he focused on the top one. He had at least a dozen applicants for
Dom membership and nearly two dozen for submissive membership to plow through
before Subbie night started.

* * * *

Apprehension
filled Sabella as she kept her gaze on the floor, her concentration focused on
Sir’s leather pant leg, using it to judge his direction and distance. They’d
just left his private room at New Beginnings and her nerves were strung tight.
Not only was the situation different this time, but so was she. Dressed in a
pair of skin-tight leather shorts and matching halter specifically purchased by
her Dom, she was showing a lot more skin than she was accustomed to. Around her
neck, she could feel the weight of his collar resting there. The sinfully soft
white leather contrasted beautifully with the blue lapis lazuli cabochon in its
center along with a small silver tag inscribed with the Japanese characters for
‘rope bottom’. Sir had whispered, ‘my
nawa jujun’
as he’d placed it
around her throat. She still shivered a bit when she thought about it. Then of
course, to complete her outfit was the club chain. All the subs wore them as a
way to allow a Dom to tell what they were into. But hers, brushing her navel,
held another piece of lapis lazuli like her collar, and not the emerald hued
tags she’d worn last week. She was a walking advertisement of her Sir’s claim.
She belonged to Master Ethan - at least temporarily.

She
nearly ran into his back when he suddenly stopped. Keeping her eyes lowered,
she waited as he spoke softly with another man. Another Dom she could only
assume, as the man inquired about the planned demonstration.

“So
I hear you’re going to show us laymen how to properly tie up a submissive
tonight, Ethan?”

Her
Sir chuckled. “That’s the plan, Master Toby. My little one needs to accustom
herself to being on display in front of others.”

With
her eyes still lowered, her curiosity of who Sir was talking to got the better
of her and she peeked up through the fan of her lashes, hoping to catch a
glimpse. Shock rolled through her as she recognized the man Davis had kicked
out of the office the week before. Evidently Davis’s cousin was more than just
weekend help. It seemed like there were Doms coming out of the woodwork around
her and from the most unlikely of places.

“Come,
Sabella.” Sir’s command broke into her musings.

“Yes,
Sir.”
She obediently
followed him, content to see where he led. It was a short journey to a
wide-open space, the one she’d skirted when Kaleb had taken her to Sir’s
playroom the last time she’d been here.

As
they crossed the open area to the low stage, Sir was stopped several times by
Doms and submissives alike. As he handled both with ease, Sabella was amazed at
another facet of the man she loved. She’d known he was a powerful Dom in his
own right, but she’d never seen him in his role as an owner so vividly. Holding
her place behind him, she listened as he dealt with each interruption with
ease. By the time they finally made it to the small stage set up quite
similarly to Sir’s training room, she was a bundle of nerves. But she
immediately relaxed when his hand pressed on the small of her back, before he
lifted her with ease on to the stage.

“Prepare
our area, Sabella.” His command had her moving quickly to light the pillar
candles scattered around the stage. As she went through the motions, she could
hear him explaining what he was going to demonstrate tonight. The words
shinju
and
sakura
barely registered as she finished lighting the candles
and the lone incense stick. As the familiar scent washed over her, she found
herself settling even more into her role as her Sir’s submissive. At least
until he turned to face her, “Strip, Sabella.”

Shock
washed over her. When he’d told her they would be using tonight as a dry run to
make her comfortable, she hadn’t expected this request. For the first time in
their relationship, she faltered at a direct command.

Jumping
up on the stage, he walked over to her. “Do I need to repeat myself?” His emerald
eyes were cold.

Ut-oh.
Her fingers trembled as she reached the threaded laces on
the front of her leather halter. “No, Sir.” Fumbling with the tie, she let her
gaze drift downward.

“Look
at me, Sabella. There’ll be no hiding tonight.” His hands settled on her
shoulders as her eyes met his. The message in them assured her she could do
this. Nodding, she freed the laces until the air brushed over her breasts. The
answering fire in his gaze didn’t surprise her. Her Sir loved her breasts and
their sensitive nipples. “Finish it, little one.”

Turning
away as she hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her shorts, Sir pulled out
his ropes and gave a brief explanation, for those present, why he used a
neutral colored hemp rope as opposed to the more colorful ropes most shibari
artists preferred. While he did a quick history lesson for the newbies amongst
the crowd, she reminded herself she was in a BDSM club where nudity among
submissives was expected.

She’d
just folded the shorts and halter and placed them on the small stand provided
when Sir returned to her. As he came to a stop by her, she slipped down into
the
nadu
position. As he wrapped his body around her, Davis took over
the commentary as she relaxed in his arms. The brush of his lips over her ear
had her breath catching briefly before she adjusted it to match his. While
Davis touted the benefits of routine and ritual in
kinbaku
she forgot
about the crowd - instead concentrating on her Sir and their connection.

How
long they spent in that position Sabella wasn’t sure, but he finally urged her
to her feet. Once she assumed the
Leasha high
position, Sir faced the
crowd and spoke confidently about the first binding he was going to do.

“Shinju
refers to a very basic breast
bondage which you’ll find in kinbaku. As most of you know, I grew up in Japan,
and as such I can tell you we don’t use the word
Shinju
when referring
to this type of bondage. However as a transplanted Japanese American, I’ve
adopted it.” He gave the crowd a smile. “The word
Shinju
roughly translated
means pearls, and of course I’m sure there are many of you who’ll agree with
the euphemistic referral to a
submissive’s
breasts in
such a way.”

There
was a spurt of laughter from several of the men present as Sir continued his
explanation. She nearly jumped as he cupped one of her breasts without warning,
his thumb rubbing over the tip. “I particularly agree that I find my
submissive’s breasts to be quite the treasure. So much in fact, I’m going to
demonstrate to you how I show my appreciation to them.” He reached for the
coiled rope Davis was holding. “Step forward, little one.”

Placing
one foot in front of the other, she moved forward until she was front and
center before the crowd. Her heart leapt as she felt nearly a hundred pairs of
eyes on her. But she didn’t have time to worry about it as Sir stepped in front
of her. Pulling her close, he pressed a kiss on her startled lips. “Relax,
we’ve done this before.”

“Yes,
Sir.”
Standing
absolutely still, she raised her arms at his request. Holding them out like she
was going to be frisked, she sighed as hemp encircled her rib cage just below
her breasts. As he drew it around her back and pulled the ends through the loop
of the double folded rope, she savored the closeness of his body and the way his
leathers brushed against her bare skin. She felt remarkably vulnerable wearing
nothing but his collar and the slender sub chain around her waist.

“Watch
as Master Ethan pulls the rope back around to the front, this time coming down
on top of Sabella’s breasts. Lovely framing isn’t it?’ Davis continued to
narrate, explaining to the crowd as her Sir looped, twisted and manipulated the
rope to form the snug
Shinju
around her breasts. Each brush of the hemp
against her skin as it covered not only her torso but also her shoulders,
settled her deeper. She truly loved the feel of it against her body - another
thing she had to thank her Sir for. Before him, she’d had the desire but no
clear path to finding what she needed. Now with his refusal to let her hide from
her body’s responses, she had not only a direction, but a guide to lead her.

“Turn,
little one.”
His soft command had her frozen limbs moving
slowly,
never aware of how sensual they looked to not only her Sir but the rapt
audience. Presenting her back to the crowd, she moaned softly at the brush of
his fingers, as he worked the soft but slightly scratchy rope into an intricate
weave against her spine. She wanted to shift towards his fingers, but had
learned in a previous session it would only result in disapproval from Sir. He
wanted her still but relaxed as he bound her with his art.

“You’ll
notice here, how Master Ethan sets the finishing knot slightly off to the right
of her spine. This is important if you plan on having your submissive on her
back for any length of time. I dare say our intrepid
nawashi
has plans
for his little
nawa jujun.
Just remember in bondage, as Doms, we have to
be aware of any potential pressure points…” Davis’s comment drew the expected
laughter, but Sabella could see the promise in Sir’s gaze. Her thighs tingled.
She knew that look. After they were done, she was going to have to satisfy his
lust, not that she minded. While she loved the way he claimed her body, the
idea of dropping to her knees and pleasing him orally teased her. So far, he
still hadn’t let her get her mouth on any part of his gorgeous manhood. He
seemed to delight in tormenting her by ordering her to watch as he slid in out
and out of her, to watch as he stroked himself. But this ‘look but don’t touch’
was driving her nuts.

“Stay
with me, Sabella.” Sir’s voice brought her back to the present. He stepped to
her side, more than likely allowing the observers to see his handiwork. “Care
to tell me what has your mind wandering?” Keeping his tone low, he accepted the
next rope from Davis’s outstretched hand.

“You,
Sir.
I’m hoping
you’ll let me….” The blood rushed to her cheeks as she flushed.

“Let
you what?” He prompted softly, keeping his voice low.

Wetting
her lips, she finally just blurted it out. “Give you oral sex when we’re done.”

His
nostrils flared in response. “You want to suck my cock in front of these
people? To show how submissive you are to me?”

“I…no,
Sir.
Because it’ll
pleasure you and satisfy my need to taste you.”

He
folded the rope in half before looping it around her waist and above the
submissive chain. Using the length to pull her close, he jerked her up against
him, his head lowering. “If you reach rope-space tonight, I’ll consider it.”

She
moaned loudly. If she’d wanted rope-space before, now she wanted it even
more…the idea of
the such
a reward for her total
submission had her ready to beg for him to hurry.