“I"m very glad. I don"t think either of us wants a repeat of this.” He held her as she settled and relaxed into him, accepting his comfort, which helped them both feel better. As a submissive needed the security of a dominant"s arms, the dominant needed to provide it.
For some reason, with Gabrielle, his instincts cried out for him to hold her, to shield her, to protect her. Did she seem more vulnerable than most, despite the smart mouth, or was he pulled to her cheerful warmth like a winter fire? He tipped his head back and stared at the dark ceiling rafters. Damned if she wasn"t getting to him. God help me.
She felt so soft in his arms. Her breathing evened out, and her slender fingers unclenched; one hand rested on his shirt over his heart. His shoulders relaxed as he realized she was snuggling. How long since he had held a woman who snuggled against him?
With a silent sigh, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Up you go, darlin".”
When she rose, he steadied her on her feet. “Now show me your pussy.”
This time she not only didn"t smart off but looked downright frightened. Slowly she lifted her skirt and showed him the red curls still adorning the mound he"d ordered her to shave.
When Master Marcus shook his head in disapproval, Gabi took a step back and tried to blink away the tears filling her eyes. Her butt hurt so bad, she wasn"t sure she"d survive more punishment.
“I"m not fixin" to spank you again, Gabrielle,” he said and rose, “although I am disappointed.” Without further words, he hooked her cuffs together behind her, guided her to the submissives" sitting area, waited for her to kneel, and attached a chain from the floor to her cuffs.
“You just set here awhile. I"ll send for you in a bit.”
She hadn"t realized how much she loved the molasses-thick warmth in his voice until it had turned cold. She lowered her head, unable to summon any ambition to act like a brat.
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Chapter Five
Well, that had been amusing. The spotter for the Harvest Association sipped his bourbon as Marcus dragged the redhead to the area for chaining up submissives when their masters had duties elsewhere. Delightful show she"d put on, but now she appeared rather subdued. If one good spanking knocked the defiance out of her, she wouldn"t do at all.
Fairly pretty, although a shame about the scar. Marred goods brought a lower selling price. But she was a decent age. Young enough to appeal, old enough to have some reserves. The ones inexperienced in life tended to shatter like glass. The Harvest Association prided itself on offering quality stock, and for the upcoming auction, they were selling an attitude, essentially promising that a master would have a good amount of fun before he finally broke his new slave.
Well, no hurry to make a decision. He"d already targeted two subs from the Shadowlands. They could pick this one up in the next harvest if she proved satisfactory.
He smiled. He did have a fondness for red hair.
Marcus would take requests from doms to scene with her. Might be fun to sample the goods beforehand.
* * *
Gabi"s knees hurt. Her butt hurt. Her eyes felt swollen from crying, and her running mascara undoubtedly made her look like a raccoon. But inside she felt…content. Warm like when the kitties lay on her stomach. He"d spanked her.
Damn him, she told herself, trying to find a spark of true anger. None there.
She"d pushed him. Mostly as her bratty decoy dictated, but…part of her had wanted to see how far she could go. How far he"d let her go.
Not far at all, and he"d corrected her instantly. Painfully. He sure hadn"t done the constant, silent disapproval like her parents. And then he"d held her as if the spanking had wiped her slate clean.
Had she hoped he wouldn"t put up with her crap? Would take charge and punish her?
After fifteen minutes or so, she still hadn"t discovered any explanation for her weird emotions. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of red.
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In a short red vinyl skirt and bustier, the brunette trainee who always seemed so energetic trotted over. “Hi, Gabrielle. I"m Sally, if you don"t remember.”
Gabi straightened and pulled herself together. “You can call me Gabi. It"s a little easier.”
“Okay, Gabi.” The brunette leaned against a chair and massaged her foot.
“Damn Master Z"s rules that subs either go barefoot or wear übersexy stilettos that would leave us crippled. More crippled.”
Gabi managed a smile. “My feet haven"t hurt like this since I waitressed in college.”
“Oh, girlfriend, if your feet are the only things hurting at the end of an evening, you"re in good shape.”
“Yeah. So I"ve found.”
“He really pounded on you good.” Sally gave her a sympathetic look. “When he took us from Master Cullen, I thought he"d be a pushover. He"s such a gentleman, you know. So polite and he never raises his voice, but damn, he"s strict.”
Gabi grimaced. “No kidding.”
“He"s death on bratty behavior. I heard him tell Nolan that his ex-wife acted out a lot, and we"ve noticed he chooses only the super-obedient ones for himself.
Like his girlfriend—she makes you want to gag, she"s so sweet.”
He wanted his subs obedient and sweet. The information sent a pang through Gabi. He’ll never like me then. Even if she wasn"t acting defiant for the FBI, she"d still never be considered amenable. That just wasn"t part of her makeup.
“Anyway, he wants you in the medical room. Do you know where it is?”
“At the back, down a hallway on the right?”
“That"s it.” Sally unhooked the chain and unclipped Gabi"s cuffs, freeing her hands.
“Thanks.” Trying to imagine what Marcus planned, Gabi threaded her way across the room, around a knot of arguing doms, past a crying sub with a domme whispering, “There, there.” She dodged a gay couple working out their upcoming scene. Every man got a quick look to see if the perp might somehow give himself away. No such luck.
She passed the Goth-looking trainee and received a disapproving stare…as if her insolent behavior reflected badly on the other trainees. Gabi hadn"t thought about how the other subs would view her actions, and a stab of guilt made her wince. Sorry.
In the hallway, she approached the medical room with increasing apprehension. Last night she"d seen all the nasty-looking equipment…and Marcus was angry at her. She stopped in the doorway, absently rubbing clammy fingers over the scar on her cheek.
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The gynecological table took up the center of the room. A sink and cupboards occupied the left, shelves at the rear, and a rolling stand with an enema bag hanging from it stood in one corner.
By the sink, Master Marcus was removing his coat. He tossed it over the back of a chair and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, baring disconcertingly muscled forearms. Spotting Gabi, he patted the exam table. “Up here, sugar. On your back.”
Her feet stuck to the floor as if someone had covered the hardwood with adhesive. Last night she"d been appalled to see a woman getting an enema. It hadn"t looked like fun at all. Surely he wouldn"t…would he? She didn"t even have to fake her defiance this time. “Whatever you"re planning, I don"t want to do.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I believe I instructed you in the proper response to a command?”
The authoritative look in his eyes killed her rebellion dead. “Yes, Sir.” She moved toward the table so slowly he huffed a laugh and grasped her by the nape again as if she were a cringing cur. Yet the feel of his warm, firm hand settled some of her nerves, making it easier to jump up onto the table. Her sore bottom met the cool leather, and she squeaked.
He chuckled. Then with his hand behind her back and another between her breasts, he firmly pushed her flat. Her heart jammed itself up in her throat, and she couldn"t help glancing at the pole with the enema bag.
<
br /> A crease appeared in his cheek, and he ran his hands up and down her upper arms. “Relax, darlin". I"m not going to put long tubes up your pussy or ass.”
“Thank you, Sir,” she said fervently. He laughed, and damn, he seemed so different when he smiled that she wanted to say something, anything to keep the curve on his lips. He had a tiny crease off the corner of his—
“However, I am going to strap you down fairly tightly.”
Her gaze shot up.
“And then, I"m fixin" to shave that little pussy of yours.”
Oh God. No way. “I rather do it myself. Really.”
He ignored her and pushed the metal tray table toward her feet.
“Listen, I appreciate the offer, but I"m not interested in your help.” He"d touch her, look at her down there, and the lighting here was way too bright. Her insides curled right up into a tiny little ball.
“I didn"t ask your opinion.” His steady gaze pierced her. Then his lips quirked up. “You act nervous as a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs.”
With good reason, dammit.
At the foot of the table, he set her feet into the stirrups. When he strapped her ankles in, her eyes widened. Her gynecologist never did that. Oh, this isn’t good.
After pushing her skirt up to expose her lower half, he slid her down the smooth leather until her butt rested on the edge of the table. A wide strap across 44
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her body just below her breasts pinned her arms to her sides. Then he secured another one across her waist and nodded. “That looks just fine.”
Just fine? She wiggled, and as the full realization of her helplessness zinged through her, a thin sweat broke out on her body. She couldn"t lift her arms, and her dread rose with each thwarted movement.
Arms folded, he watched her struggle. “Gabrielle.” He spoke just the one word, his voice deep, breaking her out of the panic.
She looked into his steady eyes. He was utterly self-confident. Controlled.
Dominant. A weird, glowy feeling lit inside her like a candle, melting her fears.
And heating her instead. She tried to close her legs, testing the restraints without success. Her pussy was completely exposed, and he"d be putting those lean, powerful hands on her most private parts. Oh God. More heat poured into her as if the candle had set something aflame.
He smiled and said softly, “There we go.”
A metal stand held a bowl of water, razors, and bottles. After pushing it to the foot of the table, Marcus sat on a rolling stool and stationed himself between her legs. With a tsking sound, he pushed the stirrups father apart, opening her completely.
She stiffened, unnerved at the way he"d repositioned her. Not asking, just doing. He"d do to her just as he pleased. Excitement tingled across her skin, and she felt her nipples bunching so tightly they hurt.
The hum of conversation drew her attention to where people stood in the hallway, looking through the huge windows. At her. At her exposed pussy. She moaned and closed her eyes.
A warm hand stroked over her calf, a soothing, petting gesture. “Trainees are often on display, sugar. Can you handle that?”
His concern made her breath catch. How long since anyone had worried about her feelings? She tried to push the thought away. Don’t get caught up in this sub stuff, girl. You’re here as a decoy, nothing else.
And aside from the craving to run screaming out of the place, she was handling it just fine. Handle it better. What if the kidnapper stood out in the hallway with the other people? The thought chilled her and spurred her into action.
She rattled the stirrups and snapped, “Doesn"t look like I have much choice, now does it? Do you tie up all your girlfriends?”
Silence. The stool squeaked as he rose. He walked slowly to her side and looked at her for a long minute, and then the sternness in his gaze faded into such understanding that her eyes burned. He cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking over her lips. She had to firm her chin to keep it from quivering.
“Do you get more mouthy when you"re scared, darlin"?”
She couldn"t think of a thing to say.
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“Gabrielle, trainees have a lot more experience in the lifestyle, and they want what the Shadowlands offers. You, however…”
She stiffened, jolted into awareness that she might have pushed him too far.
She hadn"t even made it through two nights, and he wanted to boot her out. But Z
said he couldn"t if she refused to go. “I do, Sir. I want it.”
He studied her. “I don"t believe you. You know, if anyone but Master Z had admitted you…” He sighed. “If I asked you to leave right now, would you?”
She set her lips and shook her head.
“I think you"re biting off more than you can chew, but so be it.” He looked at her a minute longer, then touched his finger to her nose. “Stubborn.”
She inhaled in relief as he returned to his stool. A second later, a warm washcloth landed on her pussy, making her jump.
Marcus frowned through the entire shaving process. He could usually get inside the head of a sub and figure out what made them tick, what they wanted and what they needed as well. But this little one…
Not used to being handled intimately. Not comfortable with public display although he believed her when she said she"d played in clubs before. The Shadowlands, however, was more personal than a horde of strangers.
He finished shaving the top of her mound, then inserted two fingers into her vagina, ignoring her gasp. Hot and silky. Very nice. Again he noted her tightness—
as if she hadn"t had a man in a long time. He doubted her hiatus from sex came from a low sex drive since she was definitely aroused right now.
Thrusting unhurriedly in and out of her soft cunt, he felt her muscles constrict around his intrusion. His cock hardened, demanding he intrude farther, but he couldn"t do that. Although he"d arrange scenes for her with other doms, he"d wait for a while before taking her himself. She needed to know she could trust her trainer.
Eventually though…he looked forward to playing with her. Her sassiness didn"t annoy him, not in the way he"d thought it would. It was more of a challenge.
And in between her idiotic rebellions, her cheerful personality drew him like a fire on a cold mountain morning. A few burns from sparks might prove worth the chance to get warm.
After withdrawing his fingers from her vagina, he pulled the skin taut on her outer labia. She had pretty curls, the same golden red as on her head. A natural redhead. The fiery color was well suited to her personality. The razor scraped her clean, exposing skin the color of rich cream. Plump pink inner folds peeked out from the center.
He drew her buttocks apart, smiling at her instinctive stiffening, and removed the scant hair closer to her anus. The puckered bud would obviously need some preparation before she accepted a cock there.
After rinsing off the shaving cream, he massaged in gel to decrease the irritation and considered his problem. Unlike the other trainees, Gabrielle hadn"t 46
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been a part of the Shadowlands for months. To make the situation worse, her previous club play had been light. And because of her constant defiance, they"d gotten off to a bad start.
No wonder Z"s friend considered her a problem. No dom would put up with such excessive insolence for long. Or one might consider it an excuse to whip the hell out of her. The thought turned his stomach, yet he had few choices here. She needed to want to please him more than she wanted to defy him, but until she did or he figured out what would motivate her, he"d have to discipline her.
It seemed like punishing her was all he"d accomplished tonight. He stroked her thigh and felt the faint quiver. Her eyes were closed, her breathing a little fast, nipples in taut peaks. Needy. Already restrained. Marcus smiled. He"d very much like to give her as much pleasure as he had pain, and nothing made a woman more vulnerable or create
d a bond faster than giving her an orgasm.
Leaning forward, he framed her pussy with his hands and ran his tongue up and over her clit.
She"d known he"d finished when he rubbed in a cool gel and stroked her thigh comfortingly. Gabi relaxed. She"d worried for a minute when he"d pushed his fingers into her pussy, but then he"d simply resumed shaving her. He"d let her up now, and maybe she could leave. She really, really wanted to go home and try to get her emotions back under control.
She saw him lean forward, felt his hands pull her labia apart, and…something hot and wet slid right over her clit. She jerked so hard the straps pinched her skin.
Oh my God! He was licking— licking—her. The blast of heat ran through her like a forest fire.
His tongue worked inward, stroking newly bare areas never before touched like this, then playing with her clit, teasing the hood and grazing over the very top.
Her entire body hit complete need as if she"d turned into a sports car, zero to a hundred in eight seconds.
She gasped when he pushed two fingers inside her, ruthlessly stretching her open, sending pleasure deep into her core. He pulled back slowly, circled her entrance, then thrust his fingers in and out, setting up a fast, driving rhythm. Dear God, this wasn"t sex play, this was a total you-will-come-now, done by someone who knew just how to make it happen. Her hips kept trying to rise, defeated by the strap across her waist. Pressure formed low in her belly and coiled tight…tighter. She hovered on the peak for just a second.
And then he pulled her clit into his mouth and sucked, sliding his tongue over the most sensitive spot.
Everything inside her exploded, shooting pleasure outward so strong and fast that her head should have shattered. More waves of heat burst through her until her fingers tingled.
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