by Nikki Rae
“Please,” I whispered, “I would like that, Maître.”
I was afraid the term would seem off while addressing him, but the man in front of me Owned me just as much as the one who was oceans away.
With my chin between his fingers, he kissed my head again. “Are you going to listen to me, ma bonne fille?” My good girl.
Heat I hadn’t expected filled my chest. “Yes, Mr. B.”
I heard the fabric belt as he brought it to the cushion beside us. “Sit with your feet on the floor.”
Bare feet on the plush area rug, I waited for further instruction. As I let my hands fall into my lap, Marius took them. Perching himself on the coffee table, Marius arranged my arms so the fingers interlocked. Despite my body’s instinct to tremble, I stayed perfectly still as he wound the material around me once more. Setting my bound hands against his knee, Marius reached for his belt.
“I think,” he whispered as he moved my hands so he could sit next to me again, “you need a bit more than this.”
A shiver snaked through me as he lifted the hair from my shoulders and the leather surrounded my throat. He buckled it around me, and my eyes immediately widened with the new pressure. Marius didn’t stop. Instead, he made it snug—the way his hand had been.
Marius released my hair and tugged gently on the makeshift collar as he stood so I would come with him. At first, it was difficult to look at Marius as he led me the short distance to the bed. He halted, turning to me and loosening it again.
“You’re all right, Fawn,” he said, setting me on the edge of the mattress. Opening the bedside table, he took out a black sleeping mask and gently slid it over my eyes. “Don’t move,” he instructed. “I will be right back.” He was so close to my ear that goose bumps rose on my arms.
Given the proximity of his footsteps, I could hear him opening what I assumed was the closet.
“May I ask what you’re going to do, Mr. B?”
I heard him toss something on the mattress nearby. “Am I scaring you?”
I shook my head before I could say, “No.”
His fingers were along my throat, making sure nothing hurt me. “I want you to know what it feels like,” he whispered. “This thing that you need.”
Maybe Marius didn’t have a word for it either.
In front of me, he hooked something through the fabric binding my wrists. “What you were asking for earlier,” he said, “I only want to give it to you if you’re sure. I need to hear you say it, cherie.”
He lifted the blindfold just enough so I could see him, green eyes searching mine. Without thinking, I reached towards him and grasped his hand.
“I would like to belong to you, Maître.” It came out as a muted plea. “I trust you.”
I’d come to know that Marius was nervous when he bit the inside of his lip, but there wasn’t a trace of uncertainty in his smile.
“Thank you, Fawn.” He kissed me, warm yet too brief. Then the mask was back over my eyes. “You do belong to me, don’t you?”
“Yes, Maître.”
I could feel him grin against my cheek, and his satisfaction sent tingles through my face.
“There’s no need to be embarrassed, cherie.” Marius began to braid my hair, the same way Master Lyon had when he’d punished me. When they’d taken me riding. Tying the end, he arranged it over my shoulder. “You’re perfect. Don’t be afraid.”
I could have cried at the well-placed compliment, but I swallowed it down before more tears could escape.
Straightening, he helped me stand by holding me by the elbows. “Remember the hooks at the cabin?”
Mouth suddenly dry, I could only nod and hope he’d accept it as my answer.
“There are some here,” he said in a whisper, “above the bed.”
I bit my lip before I could ask why; it wasn’t Marius’ story to tell. It belonged to Master Lyon, and if he ever trusted me again, perhaps he’d one day reveal that part of himself.
With my face in his hands, he asked, “Would you like to know what that’s like?”
“Does it hurt?” I couldn’t refrain from asking. Afterall, it had been Master Lyon’s idea of punishment.
“No, sweetheart,” he assured me. “Not unless you need it to.”
Around my neck, he buckled the belt so he could keep a good grip on me.
“And if that’s something you would like, you only need to ask. All right?”
It was odd, being spoken to in a similar manner as Master Lyon would tease without the acidity. My Owner enjoyed pain for pain’s sake, while Marius reserved this practice for when it was specifically requested.
“If you need me to hurt,” I said in a small but firm voice, “I trust you with that, too.”
“Good girl,” he praised, bringing me towards him for a longer, deeper kiss. The neat stubble on his chin burned my face in the most pleasant way, and when he ended it, I felt cold.
“I’m going to stand you on the bed.” He picked me up under the arms and hoisted me onto the sheets. Once he’d ensured I wouldn’t lose my balance, Marius took off his shoes with a thud and then stood behind me on the mattress.
No matter which way I tried to look, I couldn’t see my surroundings. It conjured the day and half a night I’d spent alone in the dark, and when I felt him touch my waist I flinched.
“Shh.” His lips grazed my neck as he picked up whatever he had looped through the fabric around my wrists. I next felt what I could only describe as silky rope over my shoulder. Confirming nothing was too tight, he attached the end of the rope to one of the hooks, rigging it so my arms were raised above my head without straining any muscles. It eventually forced me to straighten my spine, and by the time he was finished I needed to stand on my toes.
Marius was quiet as he bent and picked up more rope, which was wrapped around my lower thigh. He knotted it in a pattern towards my hip, lifting my dress for better access and repeating the same motions on the other leg.
He bunched the fabric of my clothes into a fist, displaying my plain black underwear underneath. Then Marius strapped a length of rope over my shoulders again, centering the vertical rows at the waist before he knotted it behind my back.
This was what he used to keep my dress in place, tucking it into the bonds around my stomach. For the longest time, he didn’t touch me, but I pictured Marius scanning each part of me. It made me tense, face heating all over again. Breathing through my nose, I was determined to not speak until otherwise instructed. I nearly cried out when his lips met mine.
“Such a pretty girl,” he cooed, gripping the rope at my side so he could better position me exactly where he wanted. “You’re beautiful this way.”
His arms enveloped me, stealing the oxygen from my lungs. “Tell me, mon couer,” his fingers curled against my ribcage, brushing my sensitive nipples through my dress as he gently squeezed. “Are you particularly fond of this clothing?”
My head lolled back, resting in the crook of his shoulder. “No, Mr. B.”
He nuzzled my neck before kissing the skin there, tongue darting out. When a sigh left me, he chuckled softly. A second later, he ripped open my dress, nipping my neck as he tore it away.
I shook slightly as I heard it flutter to the floor, but Marius was there in an instant to soothe me.
“So well-behaved,” he said, cupping one breast and then the other. I found myself pressing into him, nipples straining against my bra and warmth pooling between my legs.
I should have been mortified, ashamed for liking the way he spoke and touched me while I hung helplessly. I’d been treading water at all times, and it was the most powerful feeling, letting all of it go as if caught up in a current. I couldn’t hold on to the present situation with tied hands and I couldn’t run when I was at his mercy. For now, I could be blind. I could pretend all that existed were Marius and I in this room.
In a slow, smooth motion, Marius tugged down my bra so I spilled out of it. I gasped at the sudden chill, and he warmed me with his ha
nds. He had always been somewhat shy around me, but once he’d had my consent, he could fully surrender. Likewise, so could I.
Marius’ nose carved a line across my throat. “Almost done, cherie.” A rougher gasp escaped me as he pinched one nipple, just on the verge of pain before he let go. “Then the fun can begin.”
Kissing me again, I whined when he pulled away, desperate for more. He laughed softly, bending down and using the rope around my abdomen for stability.
I stayed perfectly still as he tied two more around my ankles.
I heard him hop off the bed, but he rubbed my calf. “Very good.”
He said it quietly, like a prayer.
One by one, he lifted my feet until my legs were further apart, leaving no slack for me to reposition myself. He tied this to something I could only guess at, stepping around the bed to inspect his work.
“Still with me?” Marius asked.
I nodded, no longer able to speak.
He kissed the skin just behind my knee and I giggled, reflexively trying to move away but unable to do so.
“I like that sound,” he said, licking and making the skin there far more sensitive. I laughed more, unable to control it no matter how hard I tried to hold back. Thankfully, he relented before long. “Let’s see what other sounds you can make.”
Immobile and not able to see him, I could only rely on sound and touch. I stifled a cry when his tongue stroked a hot, wet line along my outer thigh.
He stopped again, but we both knew it was only to torture me. Standing on the mattress again, Marius slid down the blindfold and my eyes needed to adjust to the light before I could see him.
“One more thing.” From his pocket, he fished out a pair of earphones. I assumed their lack of wires meant he could abandon the device on the sheets, and as he lingered near my ears, he adjusted them so everything I heard was muted.
“You won’t be able to hear me or you.” He kissed my forehead. “But if at any point you want to stop—”
“I don’t want to stop, Mr. B.” I looked directly into his eyes.
His grin was all the praise I needed, and with that, he secured the mask over my head and backed away, starting to play music I didn’t recognize. The piano style was modern, so I supposed the soloist was current. They played a haunting melody with the right amount of force when the song needed it, and the volume was so loud I couldn’t even hear myself breathe.
All that I had to cling to was Marius’ touch—the next instant his fingers or mouth would grace my skin.
As always, he started small, purposefully tickling me until I was almost screaming with laughter I couldn’t control. Along my legs and under my arms, he ridded me of my giggles and replaced them with pleasant chills. The more comfortable we both became, the more adventurous Marius grew. He circled my behind, pinching and making me yelp with surprise every so often. However, he always soothed away any tinge of pain.
The music played on; it was an album of modern instruments, the composition almost as complicated as the ropes woven around my body. Master Lyon had marked me with ink, which I was punished for after my first transfer. This was in no way permanent, but I prayed Marius could brand me as his, if just for tonight.
I was brought back to the present moment when I felt him kneeling in front of me, mouth against my stomach as his hand traveled up my inner thigh.
Pausing, Marius slid higher and higher, squeezing my wet skin, slick with the overwhelming need for him. His other hand gripped me closer just under the buttock. Then tenderly, his tongue outlined the circular raised scars.
There were few times I disliked these marks, but I’d never expected anyone else to love them. Marius treated each one as though it were something precious.
When he released me from his spell, I could feel even more heat emanating from my core, which he intensified with a hand. He swept past my sex as if to convey what he had done to me—how he could make me feel. I squirmed, seeking more, but Marius wanted to tease me.
I’d scarcely had time to react before he was standing, tightening the belt around my throat. I wasn’t sure if it was this or the way he crushed my lips with his, but I panted once I could breathe again. Normally, I would have tried to calm myself, refuse to outwardly show the effect someone else had on me. That didn’t matter now. What was more, I wanted Marius to know how badly I needed him.
Already, I wished I could see what was going on, that I could hear him, tell him all I desired. Thankfully, Marius ventured further, mouth against my chest and then biting and sucking lower. His tongue curled around one nipple while he tugged me forward so I was flush against him, weight straining against the ropes.
Marius had done this intentionally, his hardness grinding into my hip. A strangled sigh vibrated my vocal cords when I realized he was naked—at least this part of him. I wasn’t scared in the slightest, only eager to give him whatever he asked in exchange for prolonging our last few hours together.
I fought the sensation of falling as he lowered me slightly. The rope holding my arms above my head was rigged in such a way that my back was now comfortably against the sheets and I was able to bend my knees. However, I remained prone with my fists against my chest, unable to shut my thighs.
Hands on my shoulders, Marius steadied me. Then I felt him kneeling between my spread legs. His hands roamed my sides, unintentionally tickling me and making me smile and flinch. Moving on to my thighs, he kneaded the muscles there.
Clutching the rope around my wrists with one hand, the other teased my wetness. My back arched into the ache the bonds around my torso caused and Marius’ mouth invaded mine, demanding I relinquish all I had. Just as I neared release, he slowed to a stop.
I wasn’t aware of the frustrated cry leaving my lungs until the song abruptly ended. In its absence was a static that was only amplified when Marius removed the headphones from my ears.
“That’s a good girl,” he encouraged against my temple. “I choose what you need. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, Maître.” It somehow sounded like I was out of breath, overly sensitive.
“That’s right, little Doe.” He licked the outer edge of my lip. “If I choose for you to come, I will tell you when.”
I opened my mouth to respond but he halted whatever I was about to say by yanking on the rope around my waist.
“And if I choose for you to hurt…?” His head dipped to one breast, teeth almost making me gasp. He added more pressure to the point I was sure I would bruise, and it was only then it occurred to me that he wouldn’t end this sweet pain until I finished his statement.
“You will hurt me if I need you to, sir,” I whispered, both wanting him to sooth the burn he’d left behind and ignite every inch of me.
Marius was careful as he let go, face close to mine but refusing to give me more. “Very good.”
I jumped at the sound of the belt buckle but easily composed myself as he adjusted it around my neck.
“Right now,” he whispered, “every breath belongs to me.” To illustrate, Marius increased the restriction. “The only reason your lungs fill with oxygen is because I allow it.”
Before he could prompt me with more, I mumbled, “I understand, Mr. B.”
He held my life in his hands, and I trusted him with it emphatically.
Marius relaxed the belt, softening as he planted kisses down my throat. My head sank into the pillow behind it as he buried his nose between my breasts, using long, flat strokes of his tongue all the way across my abdomen. Palming my backside, Marius all but bit into the skin, resulting in another short fit of giggles as my senses overloaded. This was met with a tiny swat, but it was playful.
Slowly, he lowered himself; I could feel his warm breath above my entrance, and I was helpless to him. “I have you all to myself, chérie. All mine.”
He was so close that there was no possibility of hiding, and it was a long time before he finally brought his mouth to where I needed him most. I cried out, already on the verge of p
leading. A single finger entered me, and this time when I cut off my own whimper, he obliged, licking the sensitive nerves.
“I…”
The words died on my tongue as he curled his finger, increasing the speed. I knew all I had to do was ask and Marius would give it to me. I’d always known this about him, yet I suddenly believed I didn’t deserve it. I wasn’t worthy of such adoration—not when I was about to set off a bomb that would scatter all of us.
“S-stop.”
It came out as a cracked sigh and he hadn’t heard me, adding another finger. He plunged into me, stealing my breath as my legs began to shake. Marius kept up this pace as his mouth traveled to my thigh, teeth digging into the skin as he sucked. “Would you like to come, Doe?”
Maybe if he hadn’t used the exact phrase Elliot had in similar situations, maybe if he hadn’t called me by the name my Owner had bestowed upon me, I could have kept the tears at bay.
Immediately, he stilled, but I blubbered without meaning to, “No. Please, please, no.”
Marius withdrew, and I heard him zip up his pants before he untied my arms and loosened the blindfold. My hands remained bound in front of me, and when he attempted to undo them, I jerked away.
Sitting next to me, Marius brought me into his side, letting me cry until his skin was damp and clammy. I cried for all of us. I mourned the loss of the love I’d just begun to understand. The irrefutable fact that when I damaged it again, I might not be able to fix it. I would have to leave it broken, and then what was left?
Marius didn’t try to stop me. He didn’t tell me pretty lies so I would feel better. He simply stroked my hair, cradled me against his chest until I couldn’t sob any more.
“I—”
“Shh,” he cut me off. “There is nothing to explain. Being vulnerable isn’t easy.”
He leaned to the end of the bed to untie my ankles, and when I didn’t back away, he freed my wrists as well. Marius left the belt latched around my neck, but unwound all the rope. Then he returned to holding me, rocking me like a child in his lap. Every so often, he made sure I was comfortable, covering me with the sheet, unbraiding my hair and rubbing away the slight indents my bonds had left behind.
