by Lily Freeman
“Very.”
Just as Luke was about to convince her otherwise by sliding a finger inside her, two annoyingly familiar voices reverberated around the room, a second before a token gesture knock. PJ jumped to her feet, glanced down at her obvious lack of clothes then bolted across the lounge.
“Can you please keep them busy while I get dressed?”
She’d barely made it up the stairs when both Mika and Elliot appeared from around the side of them. Luke was stunned. Who fucking did that, just walked into someone else’s home like it was an extension of their own? And perhaps that’s how they saw it? She moved into their building and they moved into her life?
Luke was so angry he could taste it, acid burning the back of his throat, just like it had yesterday when he’d ended his call with Elliot.
Was this how it was going to be, him trying to find a moment’s peace with PJ while they tried to ruin it? He’d been here less than half an hour, had barely touched her when everything inside him was demanding so much more and now he was expected to share his time with the wanker who was openly sabotaging his relationship? There was no fucking way!
Chapter 22
Three hours, that’s how long Luke had to sit and converse with two men he could quite happily never see again. The Italian wasn’t so bad although he touched PJ in that way Mediterranean men do, whenever she got close to him, which thanks to Luke’s constant vigilance, wasn’t often. As for the other one, he just sat back and watched the entire afternoon, slipping the odd loaded comment in here and there every time PJ got comfortable. Luke could have quite happily punched him several times, instead he’d smiled, held her close and took comfort in the fact that at some point soon, they’d leave.
By the time they did he was strung so tight, his entire body ached. All he wanted to do was tell her, make her understand that he too saw how brutal he’d been, that he’d learned from it. He may not have been able to connect with his subs on an emotional level, but he’d learned to connect with them on a physical one. He’d learned to see them for what they were, people seeking an escape from life, just like him.
Beside him, PJ uncurled her legs. She’d been half asleep, cuddled up against him on the couch while Vader slept on her knees.
“What are you thinking about?”
Her fingers meandered along his thigh, back and forth in little swirly patterns until he smiled at her. “You.”
“I hope not, you looked stressed.”
The last thing he wanted to do was pass on any of his mounting anxiety, because if she started to second-guess herself, he couldn’t even contemplate where that might leave them. “Not stressed, just thinking.”
“About what?”
“Your neighbors actually.” Not a total lie.
“Oh, dare I ask what you were thinking?”
She looked nervous as she glanced up at him, but so was he. If he said the wrong thing, misjudged the level of friendship between them, he could inadvertently start the one conversation he never wanted to have with her, but he couldn’t sit back and let another man interfere in his relationship.
“How well do you know Elliot?”
“I don’t, not at all. I mean I’ve spent some time with him, but he’s made it clear he doesn’t want to be my friend, not like Mika does.”
Two things about that statement had Luke tensing again. Firstly, if Elliot wasn’t interested in her, why the hell was he getting involved? And secondly, what did she mean, not like Mika does? What exactly had Mika been doing?
“You don’t like him?” Wouldn’t that be a blessing?
“It’s not that I don’t like him, he just has this way of making me feel like I need to earn his trust or something, when I’ve never done anything to break it.”
Gently Luke brushed the unruly strands of hair back off her face before he kissed her.
“Maybe you should run with your gut feeling and stay away.” Was it too soon for those sorts of comments? Luke had absolutely no idea, no relationship history to refer to, still he had to take the chance. If he could keep her away from Elliot and Mika until she was committed to him, he would breathe freely again.
“It’s not that easy when you share a building like this one. We basically live together.”
“Have you considered moving? The resale on this place would be massive.”
She laughed before she kissed him again. “He’s not that bad.”
She might not think so, but Elliot had the potential to destroy everything they’d built together and there wasn’t a single thing Luke could do to stop it.
For a long time PJ lay in Luke’s arms, loving the feel of him, so big and warm as he held her. But something was wrong, with her or with him, she wasn’t quite sure. She’d never had a possessive partner. Sam had been far too selfish to even consider that someone else might have been paying her attention, not that they ever had. Yet the vibe she’d gotten off Luke was loud and clear—he saw Mika and Elliot as competition. The conversation that occurred not long after they left, merely confirmed it. She didn’t want Luke to feel insecure in any way, it was a horrible feeling to have in a relationship, but she wasn’t going to isolate herself either because Mika and Elliot were no threat to him. There was nothing about her that could possibly interest them other than a platonic friendship with the girl next door and Luke was just going to have to deal with it. Right now though he seemed to have other ideas.
“Vader looks tired. Why don’t you take him up to bed?”
The question made her smile. “Is he too young to see what you’re planning to do to me?”
“Way too young and innocent.”
PJ had been innocent, up until about three weeks ago. “You’re a very funny man, Luke.”
“Well, let’s see if you’re laughing in about half an hour.”
Something about the way he said that made PJ turn to look at him. The humour she adored was right there in his eyes, but so too was something else, something darker.
“Go, Baby. I’ll get my bag.”
Luke’s bag, as in the big black one capable of carrying lots and lots of wicked, deviant toys.
“Okay.”
When she returned downstairs after settling Vader on the bed, Luke was waiting. Moving slowly like he was gauging her reaction, he pulled her into his arms. His mouth latched over the rapidly pulsing vein in her throat, sucking gently while she stood perfectly still. “I need you, I really do.”
PJ didn’t have to ask, she could sense the change in him, feel the dominance in every move that he made. She wasn’t scared, but this Luke was a different man from the one who had played with her only nights ago.
“I’m yours.”
“Are you?”
“Yes—Master.” That got her a kiss, but not a smile.
“I have another rule for you, an important one.”
All Luke’s rules were important to her because they meant something to him, gave him the control he so clearly needed, yet she couldn’t help wondering if he needed something more tonight.
“No speaking unless I ask you a direct question. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master.”
Finally he smiled and just like that, all the anxiety she’d been feeling faded away.
“I want you to feel everything I do tonight. I want to take you deeper, teach you more about what we can do together.”
“Are you going to hurt me?” Shit. Two seconds and she’d broken his new rule, but she really needed to know because the strength with which he held her was both unnerving and incredible.
“I’d never hurt you like that, never, but you came alive when I spanked you and again the other night, when I used the flogger. Did I hurt you then, more than you could take?”
At the time she’d felt like she was right on the cusp of agony, but she hadn’t been. It was the combination of everything he’d done to her: the blindfold, the shackles, hot chocolate, cold strawberries. Even now her body was instantly humming at the memory.
“N
o, Master.”
“And I won’t now. You just need to trust me.”
“Okay.”
“Good girl, now I want you to walk over to the rug in front of the fire and strip.”
Very gently PJ felt herself sway in his arms. It could have been the heat in the room or the intensity of their conversation, but it all seemed to hit her at once. After a long, deep breath she lowered her head, slowly turned around, then walked over to the exact spot Luke had instructed her to.
It took three attempts before she finally managed to get her zipper down, her dress hitting the floor with a gentle thud. In her head she ran through a brief order in which ‘stripping’ would be the most visibly pleasing, but as she stood in her black stiletto boots, black lace stay up stockings and yet another set of French frilly things, she was thinking her order of removal was absolutely spot on. Not that she could gauge Luke’s reaction, he’d disappeared somewhere behind her.
The scrape of wood on wood alerted her to the fact that he was rearranging furniture, then the lights behind her vanished, plunging them into darkness before vibrant golden flames erupted from the gas fire. Slowly the shadows danced across the white sheepskin rug, first touching her boots, then her thighs, and finally her tummy. She watched, fascinated as the flames turned her skin a brilliant iridescent orange, red then back to a soft, golden yellow.
Behind her Luke was silent. She wanted to turn so bad, just to see him, but he didn’t want that and she wanted to please him.
Her boots came off next before PJ carefully worked her stockings down with trembling hands. Her bra, suspenders and knickers followed leaving her naked in front of the fire, and that’s when he stepped up behind her.
With a feather-light touch, he traced a line along her shoulder blades, outlining one then the other before he moved lower, down her spine to her hipbone.
“Turn around.”
His tone was impeccable, so calm and controlled with the faintest hint of something she didn’t recognize. It made her heart beat faster, harder, especially when she turned to find the new arrangement of her lounge. While she’d been striping Luke had shifted her club chair to sit on the rug with its back facing the fire. A pile of the large pillows from the platform leaned against it, several more along the floor in front.
“I want you to kneel on the floor facing me, as close to the back of the chair as you can.”
“Yes, Master.” PJ moved to the chair and knelt down. For a long time he watched her before he dropped down to his knees. She didn’t know what to expect with the abrupt change in his mannerisms and tone, but Luke was incredibly gentle as he pushed her back against the chair. Her wrists were captured, pulled behind her then pressed down to settle over her ankles.
“Hold tight. It’ll be easier for you.”
What? Easier how? For the first time since Luke had entrusted her with his demons, she wanted to know what he had planned, it was also the first time she couldn’t ask.
Reluctantly she obeyed, grabbing her ankles before wiggling back a bit to find a comfortable position. His hands slid along her thighs then down to the inside of her knees, nudging them apart until she was exposed, completely open and available to him.
“Ah, Baby, you’re adorable when you blush.”
Moving around to her side, he adjusted her hand before something cool and smooth was wrapped around it, binding her wrist and ankle together. Quietly he stepped to the other side, repeating the process then he disappeared. Her heart ground to a halt as all sorts of scary thoughts rioted through her head, which wasn’t helping. She needed to stay calm and she needed to trust him, but with so much unknown, that was becoming increasingly difficult.
A length of rope snaked over her shoulder, tickling her breasts as it dropped lower, gathering between her thighs. The stark contrast between black and white was a timely distraction before Luke reappeared, crouching down in front of her. His hands were sure and graceful as he scooped up the rope then he began tying her to the chair.
“Do you know how much I love seeing you bound, knowing that you’re mine, just mine?”
When PJ glanced up, she was stunned by the honesty and longing she saw in Luke’s eyes. He was without doubt, the most intensely passionate man she’d ever met. To be the center of his desire, she had no words to express that feeling, not that she was allowed to anyway, and not that she could as his lips brushed over hers, his tongue dipping in, teasing.
By the time he’d finished binding her, she was an intricate latticework of lines. He’d left her chest relatively exposed with just a single figure of eight pattern separating each breast.
“Look at me.”
Ignoring the waves of giddiness that were rolling through her, PJ glanced up.
“I have a reward for you for being such a good girl. Would you like to see?”
“Yes, Master.” All Luke’s rewards had been amazing so she was excited to see what this one would be. Reaching over the chair, he returned holding an adorable pink box with a white organza ribbon. Very slowly he undid the bow, drawing out every little movement as he stroked the lid before lifting it off. Straight away PJ saw the gems inside. The diamonds were gorgeous, sparkling in the firelight yet she couldn’t quite understand the arrangement of the jewellery.
“Do you know what they are?”
Not wanting to highlight her ignorance, but having no choice, she shook her head.
“No, but they’re beautiful.”
“Yes, they are, but they’ll be much, much prettier once you’re wearing them.”
Carefully he lifted one out, his fingers twisting the intricate little components at the side. Suddenly she saw the jewellery in a whole new light. They were clamps with tiny adjustable spikes. Her apprehension must have shown because he was down on his knees, so close to her before she had a chance to panic.
“No more than you can take, remember. I made you a promise and I fully intend to keep it, but I want to teach you things, things that you’ll love if you just trust me.”
She did trust him, but the idea of clamps scared the shit out of her. They were going to hurt, plain and simple, like the crop, his spanking, the flogger—and she stopped that train of thought right there. Where was the trust she’d only moments ago, convinced herself she had? He hadn’t done anything to break it and he wouldn’t. She could see it so clearly as he gazed down at her with a look of tender concern.
“I trust you.”
His smile was breathtaking, completely transforming his face before he kissed her forehead. “I love … that you do, Darling.”
Fuck! For a minute there PJ thought he was about to say he loved her, but it was just her stupid romantic heart running away on a crazy fantasy. She didn’t doubt that they could get to that place one day, but he hardly knew her or her, him.
The finger running down her quivering lips drew her back to the here and now. She watched it dip lower, through the valley of her breasts then back up to her nipple. Round and round he stroked, the skin under his fingertip tightening from smooth to rough as her breaths grew short and sharp.
Sweeping his thumb up, he caressed her one more time before he pinched, rolling the little peak until it was hard then he dropped down over her, capturing her nipple between his lips and sucked. She whimpered, caught off guard by the sharp burst of pain, but just as it was fading, he brought up the clamp and slipped it into place.
“Breathe for me, that’s all you need to do. It’ll be over in a minute.”
She very much doubted that as he began to tighten the screws. White-hot agony erupted through her breast and it travelled too far and too wide, yet for some reason she didn’t stop him when he moved to her other nipple, the clamp gleaming in the light along with a thin silver chain.
“One more to go then we can play.”
PJ hissed out a breath before she locked her jaw shut, it was either that or scream and she wasn’t sure whether that was breaking his new rule or not. The second clamp hurt just as much as the first, especially
when he connected the two together with the chain, placing the cool metal around the back of her neck.
One delicate tear fell down PJ’s cheek and then another. Luke was awestruck as he watched them, mesmerized. Everything about her was so real, from the honest response he’d just witnessed to her fear. He was pushing her and she was struggling just like he’d intended, but that wasn’t what had his heart pounding or his cock throbbing, his need so great that it too was painful. No, it was the fact that through everything he’d done; the total loss of control, the pain of the clamps, the element of uncertainty, she’d turned to him for reassurance, staring up at him with absolute trust and adoration.
He’d never felt so strong, so in control of not only his own destiny, but of hers. The dark part of him, the sadist that had been content to just hold her was enraptured, watching her struggle with the tiny bit of pain, although for the first time, the pleasure Luke had received at that moment felt wrong.
He’d never been conflicted like this, wanting something that was instinctive, like breathing yet choosing to fight it, but he had to. He’d promised her so much more and he was not a man to break his word.
Standing up, he reached for his next gift. It took a second to untangle the wires before he knelt down again, reaching between her thighs. Moisture glistened along her bare flesh which he caught, sweeping a finger through her folds, up over her clit then back, teasing before he pushed inside her. Her muscles clenched around him, hot and tight. There was an urgency to her breathing, like she couldn’t get enough, which was perfect because he had a hell of a lot more to give her.
“You’re wet, so fucking wet.”
Arousal slammed into PJ with an intensity that had her jerking uncontrollably. Desperately she tried to draw Luke deeper, but she couldn’t move, not even an inch. He could see her turmoil, she could tell by his cocky little smile. With a lazy thrust, he filled her, pumping once, twice before he removed his finger, bringing it to her lips. The taste was tangy and rich, overwhelming as he pushed it into her mouth. Slowly she sucked, savouring the distraction, yet she still noticed him pressing something against her pussy, stretching her before he thrust up, a dildo sliding inside. It wasn’t large, but her breath caught. It stopped altogether when he pressed a finger against her ass, pushing until he was inside her.
