The Sacrifice (13 page)

I stumble up out of the lounge chair and run out of the pool
atrium and back into the house in a blind, naked panic. Which way is my room? I
turn down a long mirrored corridor that looks vaguely familiar but ends up in a
part of the house I haven’t seen before. Crap. I waste precious minutes
backtracking, trying not to get more lost. All the time I can almost hear the
clock ticking. Aiden said he would be home
precisely
at five and I bet
it’s only five ‘til now. If I’m not in the position he told me to be in…But I
don’t even want to
think
about that.

Finally I find the right hallway and make a mad dash for my door.
Outside the house I hear the crunching sound of tires on the crushed shell
driveway. Oh no, he’s home! I make it to the bedroom and tear open the door.
Rushing for the dresser, I grab the nipple clamps and clip them in place. I’m
so worried about being on time that I barely feel their bite as the fine golden
chain swings between my breasts.

With just seconds to spare, I run to the foot of the bed and bend
over it, placing my hands on the cool satin coverlet and pushing my ass out
into the air. I breathe a sigh of relief—
whew, made it!
My hair is
flying everywhere, looking positively wild, no doubt. I wish I didn’t look so
disheveled from my haste, but at least Aiden can’t give me another punishment
because I’m not following orders. I—

Suddenly I realize I am missing something.

I don’t feel the butter-soft leather band around my neck or the
weight of the ruby pendant in the hollow of my throat. Almost too horrified to
look, I turn my head slowly to glance at my reflection in the old fashioned
oval mirror over the dresser. Oh my Goddess, I don’t have on the collar! The
very first thing he gave me to wear and I lost it!

No, not lost—I took it off to swim. It’s just down by the pool. I
can still get it—

But just then Aiden stalks quietly into the room, ending my
fantasies of zipping down to the pool, grabbing the collar, and getting back to
the bedroom just in time to assume the position. “Hello, Emma,” he says and his
voice is so cold I feel like I swallowed a pound of ice cubes. “Are you ready
for your punishment?”

“Y-yes, Master,” I somehow manage to croak out. I keep my body
bent over the bed, trying not to shiver under his keen gaze. Now I’m actually
glad for my fly-away hair. Maybe it will hide the fact that I’m not wearing the
collar. My stomach clenches in fear—how angry is he going to be if he finds
out?

“You seem agitated,” he remarks, which is the freaking
understatement of the year. “Have you been that worried about taking your
punishment?”

I think about my hours of anxiety and obsessing, wondering what he
is going to do to me, and my pulse races. “Uh, you could say that,” I admit in
a low voice.

“Emma, that has to stop.” He sounds as though he is frowning but I
don’t dare raise my head to see. “Punishment is part of your life now. You
can’t submit properly if you fear it so much.”

“How am I not supposed to fear being beaten?” I demand, jerking my
head up to glare at him.

He looks offended. “I am not going to
beat
you. There’s a
difference between physical abuse and corporal punishment, you know. I’m simply
trying to train you to submit. A process you’re making infinitely more
difficult by—” Suddenly his eyes narrow. “Emma,” he says in a low, dangerous
voice, “Where is your collar?”

Shit!
My
heart pounds out a frantic rhythm and my mouth is too dry to talk.

“I asked you a question—
where
is it?” He’s still speaking
softly but the cold rage in his voice would be enough to freeze anyone in
place. “Did I not tell you that I wanted you naked, bent over the bed, wearing
the collar, the clamps and the harness?”

“Y-yes,” I manage to get out at last.

He takes a step toward me, looming over me, glaring. “Then
why
did
you disobey me? Are you deliberately trying for another, much harsher
punishment?”

“No, all right?” I burst out at last. I stand up and cross my arms
over my chest protectively. “I just forgot it. I left it by the pool—I took it
off so it wouldn’t get ruined while I was swimming. Then I…I lost track of time
and I had to rush back to the room only I got lost because y-your house is
s-such a freaking m-maze…” The lump I felt earlier while talking to Lexy is
suddenly back in my throat and this time I can’t swallow it down. I try to go
on but whatever I was going to say ends in a sob. I do my best to hold back the
tears—I don’t want to cry in front of him. It’s stupid and girly and weak and
it will probably just reinforce his view of me as a dumb little sex slave but I
can’t help it—the tears just come.

I don’t know what to expect from Aiden—maybe he will bend me over
the bed by force and spank me again? Or give me a look of cold disgust and then
leave. Vampires aren’t known for being warm and fuzzy and he doesn’t exactly
strike me as the hearts and flowers type.

But he does neither of these things.

Instead, he gathers me into his arms and sits on the edge of the
bed and just…holds me.

“All right, darling. It’s all right,” he murmurs, pillowing my
head on his shoulder. “Everything is going to be fine.”

“I…I don’t see how,” I say, trying to get myself under control. I
don’t want to, but I have to admit I like the feeling of his strong arms around
me. And his scent, the smell of cedar and dark, masculine spice, is comforting
somehow. “This isn’t going to work,” I tell him miserably. “I’m just…I’m not
the girl you want. This is all a big mistake.”

“Look at me, Emma.” He lifts my chin until our eyes meet. “I did
not
make a mistake when I chose you,” he says softly. “You absolutely are the
one I want—the
only
one I want. I don’t know how to make that any
clearer.”

“But you want a woman who knows how to submit, to do this kinky
S&M thing with you,” I protest. “And I…I’ve never even had sex at all, let
alone kinky sex. How am I supposed to do this?”

“With my help, every step of the way.” He strokes my cheek.
“Please believe me, Emma, I wouldn’t demand your submission if I didn’t have
to. But I do—a great deal is riding on it.”

I frown. “I don’t understand.”

“You don’t need to,” he assures me. “Not right now, anyway. But
it’s important for you to know that I’m here for you—I’ll help you. But you
have to do your part—you have to at least
try
.”

“Why should I?” I ask mutinously, swiping at my eyes. “Why should
I try so hard to get past my comfort zone and break down my boundaries just so
you can dominate me and turn me into a good little submissive?”

“Because you want to.” His voice has gone deep and soft and
dangerous again—his Master tone. “Because it makes you wet to submit to me—it
arouses you as much as it arouses me to see you being submissive.”

“What?” I shift uncomfortably in his lap, suddenly very much aware
of my nakedness. “I…what are you talking about?”

“Don’t try to deny it, darling.” He strokes my cheek again and
this time his touch sends slow fire dancing through my veins. “Tell me
something, what part of that ‘hot movie’ did you enjoy watching the most? Was
it when the Dom blindfolded his submissive…or when he tied her to the bed?”

My breathing is suddenly shallow and tense and my skin feels too
small for my body. “I…I don’t know what you mean.”

“Come now, Emma.” He is beginning to sound stern again. “Don’t
waste your time or mine by lying to me. You yourself admitted you found the
movie arousing. And even if you hadn’t admitted it, I caught you with your hand
in the cookie jar, so to speak.”

I feel my face heat as I remember how he caught me touching
myself. Goddess, I’ve never done that in front of anyone before—it’s such an
intensely private act. The fact that he saw me, even for a few moments, makes
me want to die of shame.

“Emma,” he says warningly and I know he’s waiting for my answer
about the movie.

“Fine,” I whisper, looking down at my hands. “I…I liked all of it,
all right?”

“No, it’s not all right.” He raises my chin again. “Look at me.
Tell me which part you liked the most. If you don’t, I’m going to take you into
the study and we’ll watch it together until I know simply by observing you.”

Oh Goddess, I’m going to have to tell him. “I…” I clear my throat.
“I liked the part where he went down on her.”

“Intriguing,” he murmurs. “And what exactly did you like about
that? Have you ever had it done to you before?”

“No, never.” My voice has dropped to a whisper but I still keep
talking. “I’ve never…never had a guy do that to me but I liked the way it
looked. The way he was so…so masterful with her and yet so gentle at the same
time. He was…was touching her, tasting her, and she couldn’t do anything about
it because she was tied down.”

Then I look away again, my heart beating and my cheeks burning.
Goddess, I can’t believe I just admitted that! Aiden is right, I
am
turned
on by this submission stuff.

It’s a revelation to me, but he doesn’t seem surprised at all.

“Good, very good. You see, you
can
obey orders when you
try.”

“I shouldn’t
want
to try,” I mutter, still looking away.

“But you
do
want to, don’t you, darling?” He kisses my
flaming cheek and I shiver with nervous tension. “You don’t want to admit it,
but you long to give yourself to me. To open yourself and let me master you,
just as the Dom mastered his lovely submissive in the movie you watched.”

“I…I…” I can’t quite bring myself to admit it out loud. But I know
that he sees the truth in my face.

“That’s all right—we’ll talk about it later. Right now we still
need to tend to your punishment.”

“What?” I look up at him uncertainly. “But I thought—”

“Darling, your tears roused something in me I haven’t felt in
years—compassion,” he murmurs. “But a submissive still has to take her
punishment.”

“What…what are you going to do to me?” I ask, my voice quavering.
“I’ve been thinking about it all afternoon, wondering…”

Aiden frowns. “I can see that with you anticipation turns quickly
to anxiety. That was never my intention.”

“I can’t help it,” I say. “I’m a worrier.”

“So I see.” He sighs. “Very well—this once I’ll tell you exactly
what I’m going to do. First, I’m going to bend you over the bed. Then I’ll give
you exactly five strokes with my belt.”

“Your belt?” I look down, studying the black leather belt around
his lean, muscular waist nervously. It has a very hard looking silver buckle.

“I’ll strike you with the belt, not the buckle,” he says, as
though reading my thoughts. “My intention is to punish you and teach you a
lesson, darling—not to injure or disfigure you.”

“Oh.” I swallow hard. “All right. Then what?”

“Then I’ll get you ready for dinner,” he says lightly. “Am I right
in assuming you barely touched your lunch?”

“Yes,” I admit. “I…I was too worried.”

“You never need to worry like that, Emma,” he murmurs, stroking my
cheek. “I will punish you often but never in such a way as to harm you
permanently. In fact, I hope in time you will look forward to being punished.”

“Look forward to it?” I look at him, wide-eyed. “Why would I
possibly do that?”

“Because, darling…” His voice has dropped to a low growl and his
gray eyes are hot. “In this contest of wills we are involved in, punishment is
as likely to include pleasure as pain. Do you understand?”

I bite my lip, feeling my body grow hot with some unspoken need.
“I…not entirely.”

“That’s all right,” Aiden murmurs. “I’ll teach you.” He stands,
pushing me gently off his lap. “Now run down to the pool like a good girl and
get your collar. When you come back, I want you to assume the position and get
ready to take your whipping.”

My heart thuds so loudly in my ears I can hardly hear my own
reply. “Yes, Master,” I whisper. And then I turn to do his bidding.

Chapter Twelve

I’m tempted to take my time getting to the pool and back but
something tells me Aiden won’t wait for long. And if he has to come find me,
five lashes with the end of his belt will be the least thing I’d have to worry
about. So I rush through the mirrored corridors, relieved when I find the pool
on the first try. Maybe I’m finally getting to know my way around this funhouse
maze of a mansion.

When I get back with my collar buckled in place, Aiden is sitting
on the side of the bed, long legs crossed and the black leather belt held
casually in one hand. He has the buckle end wrapped around his palm and the
other end of it trails down to the floor, looking like a long black snake. When
I see it, I feel my entire body break out in gooseflesh. How much is this going
to hurt?

“Assume the position, Emma,” he says softly, rising from the bed
in one fluid motion. He’s all grace and power—all vampire. And I feel like a
frightened little nothing of a witch as he strides around the bed to loom over
me. “It’s all right, my darling,” he murmurs, perhaps seeing the fear in my
eyes. “After the pain, the pleasure—remember?”