The Sacrifice (14 page)

To my shame, a hot current of desire runs through my veins. Goddess,
what is he turning me into? Will I actually crave this kind of treatment, look
forward to being punished in time? I don’t have time to answer these questions.
All I can do is bend over the bed with my hands on the mattress and my head
bowed.

But apparently this isn’t the right position. “Lower,” Aiden
instructs me sternly. “Get your entire upper body on the bed, Emma. Then lift
your ass into the air and spread your legs for me.”

Goddess, it’s almost like he’s getting me into position to fuck
me! The idea makes my cheeks burn and I do what he says quickly, hoping he
can’t see me blush.

The bed is waist high on me so it’s not hard to simply rest my
chest and arms on it. I even nestle my cheek to the maroon duvet, trying to
take comfort from the feeling of cool satin against my face. Then I press my
ass outward—which makes the phallus still strapped inside me move in a most
disturbing way—and spread my legs for him.

The position makes me feel hot and vulnerable in a way I didn’t
think was possible. I can feel my insides clenching with a mixture of lust and
fear as I wait for the first stroke to fall.

“Are you ready, Emma?” he asks, his voice low and stern. “Ready to
take your punishment?”

I bite my lip and am hardly able to reply. But I force myself to
whisper, “Yes, Master. I…I think so.”

“Let’s see—shall we? This is for forgetting your collar and
snooping where you don’t belong.”

From the corner of my eye I see the blur of his arm and then with
a flat, smacking sound the belt falls. I gasp as it strikes me, flames of pain
licking over my exposed skin, marking me for my Master’s pleasure. I let out a
muffled cry and grip the satin duvet in trembling fists.

“That’s one,” Aiden murmurs. “You’ll have three more like it so
brace yourself, darling.”

Three more? But I thought he said he’d give me five?

The question is driven out of my head as the belt licks over my
skin again…and again and again. The pain is much sharper than it was when he
spanked me with his hand and yet,
somehow
I like it. Maybe it’s the feeling of being so open for
him, so helpless but the pain of the belt starts a fire between my legs, making
me want to shift from side to side and ease the growing pressure I feel in my
swollen clit. I don’t dare move though—not until the last blow falls.

But after four sharp licks with the belt, he pauses for a moment.
“Spread your legs wider now, Emma,” he commands softly. “You’ve had four on
your ass. You need one more between your legs to teach you a lesson.”

“B-between my legs?” I stutter, turning my head to look at him in
disbelief. “But—”

“Do as you’re told,” he says sharply. “At once, Emma!”

Biting my lip, I open my legs even wider and tense my body for
this last blow. The leather harness strapped between my legs shifts again and I
can feel it pulling back, revealing more of my naked, vulnerable pussy. Is this
where Aiden intends to spank me? On my tender outer pussy lips? But he can’t…he
wouldn’t…would he?

“This is for touching yourself when I told you not to,” Aiden
says, cutting off my frantic thoughts.

The black belt licks up between my legs, stinging my exposed pussy
lips, making me gasp and jump at the sudden heat that blooms there. Tears sting
my eyes for just a moment—this is a much more sensitive area. It makes me glad I
only had to take one blow there.

“Five,” Aiden says. “Your punishment is over—for now.” I start to
get up but he puts his hand on my hip, indicating I should hold still. “Wait a
minute, darling. I need to examine you first,” he says.

His hand strokes over my hip and begins exploring my sensitive,
tingling ass. A glance in the mirror shows bright pink stripes on my pale flesh
where the belt hit me. I wonder if my pussy lips are bright pink too and feel a
mixture of shame and heat I can barely contain.

“Such a lush, delicious ass,” he murmurs, stroking along my
quivering cheeks thoughtfully. “I love a woman with a heart-shaped ass, do you
know that, Emma?”

I’ve never heard my ass described as “heart-shaped” before but
then again, I haven’t had any lovers who might be interested in describing it.
“No,” I whisper. “I mean no, Master.”

“Well, I do and yours is perfect.” His hand roams lower, stroking
over the leather harness buckled around my thighs. “I see the phallus is
staying in place well,” he murmurs as his fingers trace the crotch of the
harness. “Are you getting used to wearing it?”

“Somewhat,” I whisper hoarsely. “I…I can almost forget it’s there
if I don’t move too much.”

“I’m going to take it off you now,” he says and I feel him
unbuckling the straps. “I want to examine your pussy.”

I let out an audible moan as he takes off the leather straps and
pulls the flesh-colored phallus slowly out of me. It’s a relief to be free of
the thing and yet…now I feel so empty. So unfilled.

“That’s good,” Aiden murmurs, stroking the small of my back with
his other hand, as though soothing a frightened animal. “Now turn around, Emma.
Lean back on the bed and keep your legs spread.”

I do as he says, feeling even more vulnerable now that we are face
to face. “Are you all right?” He cups my cheek and rubs his thumb gently under
my eye. “You’re crying a little.”

“Am I?” I put my hand to my cheek reflexively.

“Did it hurt that much?” His eyes are compassionate, almost
tender.

I bite my lip. “Not…not when you spanked my ass,” I whisper,
falteringly.

“Poor darling.” He cups my face and leans down to kiss my wet
eyelashes with disarming gentleness. “Let me see if I can make it better.”

He puts the harness to one side and kneels before me on the floor,
his breath hot on the insides of my thighs. I can feel myself blushing as he
examines the lips of my pussy closely, making sure he hasn’t hurt me too much.
They are dull red, just like the stripes on my ass, and tingling with heat.

“Poor Emma,” Aiden murmurs again. “I’m sorry I had to punish your
pussy, my darling, but it’s the only way you’ll learn not to touch yourself
until I tell you to.” Leaning forward, he presses a soft, hot, open-mouthed
kiss to the right side of my swollen pussy.

I gasp and nearly jump out of my skin. “What…what are you doing?”

He looks up at me, his gray eyes burning. “Kissing you better.
Remember—after the pain, the pleasure. Always, Emma.” Leaning forward, he
kisses the other side of my pussy as well. Then he spreads my cunt lips open
carefully with his thumbs, exposing my secret inner folds. I can see my clit,
framed like a little pink pearl and pulsing just for him.

“So beautiful,” Aiden murmurs. He nuzzles me gently, breathing in
my scent, and then kisses me again—this time right on my open pussy. I moan as
his hot mouth envelopes me and the soft, sweet suction begins. He is kissing my
pussy the same way he would kiss my mouth—gently, intimately, and very,
very
thoroughly.

His tongue laps gently over my clit but just as I think I’m going
to explode he stops and rises, licking his lips. “You taste delicious,
darling,” he assures me, his deep voice thick with lust. “Your pussy honey is
even sweeter than your blood.” He strokes my hot cheek. “I can’t wait to taste
you more thoroughly. But now we must get ready for dinner.”

“Dinner?” I croak. I’ve never been less hungry in my life—well,
for food, anyway. My entire body is crying out for more of this, more of his
touch on my skin, his mouth on my most secret and private places. I’m a mess of
raw nerve endings and exposed emotions. I need to come and I need my orgasm to
come from him—from his hand. The same hand that pleasured me. The same hand
that punished me. “Please…” I whisper. “Please, Master. I’m so…I need…”

“I know exactly what you need,” he murmurs. “But you won’t get it
now. Come, let’s get you dressed for dinner, shall we?”

Chapter Thirteen

My 'outfit' for dinner appears to consist of a pair of black,
satin-lined handcuffs and a black silk sleeping mask and nothing more—well, except
for the collar and nipple clamps that I am still wearing, of course.

“But how can I eat like this?” I protest when Aiden settles me
into one of the cushioned dining room chairs and places my cuffed hands in my
lap.

“Simple—I’ll feed you.” He makes it sound like the most natural
thing in the world for me to be dependent on him for every bite.

“But why?” I ask the forbidden question again as he puts the
sleeping mask in place over my eyes.

“Because you’re mine now.” His voice is a low, possessive growl
that sends a shiver down my spine. “Mine to care for, to protect, to cherish.
From now on I’ll feed you, bathe you, dress you if I want you to wear
clothing—take care of you in every possible way.”

His promise, spoken in that soft, deep voice affects me in a way
I’m not ready to deal with. Suddenly I can feel my heart hammering and my
breath coming short.

“I…I’m not some life-sized Barbie doll, you know,” I say, trying
to push back the feelings rising inside me. “Something you can take out of its
box and play with until you get bored and want to put it back.”

“I’m aware of that, Emma.” He lifts the blindfold and looks at me,
his gray eyes burning into mine. “But I don’t think
you’re
aware of how
deep a bond between a vampire dominant and his submissive can be. I will give
my very blood to nourish you if necessary—do you understand?”

My breath catches in my throat. Vampires take blood from others
regularly—it’s how they live. But they don’t give it. I think it has to do with
vampire biology—because blood is what animates them, their body doesn’t like to
part with it. They heal any cuts or abrasions almost instantaneously so
deliberately cutting themselves deeply enough to give blood would be agonizing.

It’s simply not done. And yet Aiden is offering this to me, and
the look in his eyes says he is completely serious. If the need arose, he would
suffer that I might live.

“You…you would?” I can’t help asking.

He nods, slowly. “It’s not simply that I own you, Emma—you own me
too. A piece of my soul.” He puts a hand to his chest and clenches it into a
fist.

“Vampires don't have souls,” I whisper and then wish I could call
the words back.

He closes his eyes and a look of pain passes over his face. It’s
gone so quickly I wonder if I imagined it. “Maybe not,” he says. “But you own a
piece of me nonetheless.” Then he replaces the blindfold and calls for Barnes
to bring out the first course.

I have no idea what to expect when I open my mouth for the first
bite and I’m surprised by the sharp and spicy flavor of the soup that hits my
palate. I taste the tartness of lime, the bite of red pepper, and other flavors
so rich and complex it’s hard to differentiate them.

Aiden gives me a moment to savor the taste before he gives me the
next bite. “What do you think?” he asks as I finish swallowing.

“Delicious,” I say. “But…unexpected. What is it?”

“Tom Yum soup—it’s Thai,” he says, giving me the next bite. “Do
you like it?”

“Yes—very much.”

“Good. We have other Thai dishes as well tonight.”

A vampire who not only eats, but enjoys ethnic cuisine. Go figure.

Not that I’m complaining. The next course is Pad Thai which I
have
had before, but never like this. It’s creamy and sweet and sour and salty all
at once. The noodles are perfectly
al dente
and the crunch of crushed
peanuts on top makes my mouth water.

Aiden seems to take pleasure in my enjoyment of the food. I wonder
if he is eating himself—it doesn’t seem possible since he’s so involved in
feeding me.

“What about you?” I ask after he gives me what he says is the last
bite of the noodle dish. “Aren’t you eating?”

“I enjoy food but I don’t need it to survive,” he says, blotting
the corner of my mouth with what feels like a linen napkin. “And I want to
concentrate on you—I love how sensual your mouth looks when you eat.”

I am immediately self-conscious. “It’s not fair,” I tell him. “You
can watch me as much as you want but I can’t see you at all.”

“That’s the point, darling,” he murmurs. “You need to learn to
trust me even more than your own senses. You need to give yourself to me completely.”

His words make me hot and cold all over. “I’m trying,” I whisper.
“I didn’t want to at first but, well, I don’t mind as much… now.”

“I’m glad.” I feel the cool brush of his fingertips over my cheek
and then he tugs very gently on the golden chain between my nipples. I moan
softly in surprise at the spark of pleasure/pain that runs through my body. “So
beautifully responsive,” he murmurs. “And now it’s time for dessert. You’ll be
glad to know that for this course I will remove your blindfold.”

I blink as the lighted room comes into view. Aiden is sitting
across from me, still dressed in his immaculate gray suit, though he has
removed the jacket and loosened his tie. He looks like a man just home from a
hard day at the office and I wonder what kind of business he runs. He passes
for human very well and he can go out in daylight. Is he working somewhere in
downtown Tampa, mixing with human colleagues who have no idea of his true
nature?