WEAKENED: The Manhattan Bound Series Book One

by Juliet Braddock

  Perhaps she needed to cling to a fantasy beyond what he was really asking of her, but Maxine was also aware that she’d never uncover his true intentions if she didn’t broaden her own horizons and give him a chance.

  Maxine couldn’t gage Ben’s reaction. Maybe he was still thrilled for her over this budding relationship with Drew. More likely, though, he was left with too many questions of his own. Although she didn’t want to feel the need to seek his approval, his opinion mattered.

  “Is he seriously into all that?” he finally broke the silence. “That stuff is hardcore…”

  “He’s just…teaching me about it right now, Ben,” she said. “He wants me to decide if this is right for me. And without any knowledge to back up my decision here, I have to learn to…to trust him.”

  “OK…” For once, Ben didn’t have a clue what to say. With a crack of his knuckles, he shook his head. “Has he done anything with you yet? Physically?”

  “We’ve fooled around—in the Vanilla sense,” she said with pride for her use of the word that Drew just had to define for her.

  “Vanilla…” Ben shook his head. “I guess he is teaching you, isn’t he? Next you’re going to be telling me what your safewords are.”

  “Haven’t set those yet,” she said. “But you seem to know quite a bit about the subject.”

  “Well, I can’t say that I’ve engaged in much of it beyond a couple of spankings and light bondage, but—”

  Her dear eyes widened. “You’ve been spanked?”

  “Um, no, actually,” he said, turning away. “I did the spanking. Remember Cory Addison from the football team? Yeah, he liked it rough…”

  “You what? And with Cory Addison? How come I wasn’t aware of that one?”

  “One-night stand, after a big game. You went home for the weekend,” he muttered, clearly drowning in his embarrassment. “You, know, lots of people do it, but most don't call it a lifestyle. Just a little kink in the boudoir.”

  “I think Drew’s rather serious about his kink.”

  “Look, if you want to consider this, I'm not going to talk you out of it,” he assured her. “I just want to make sure that he knows what he's doing. Max, you must promise me, you'll be very careful until you know him better. And if you're ever in a position where you're feeling uncomfortable, you call me. I don't care what time—day or night. Doesn't matter where I am. I'll come get you.”

  Stretching her arms as far as she could, she closed her hands together behind Ben’s neck. “This is why you’re my best friend.” And she punctuated those words with a quick kiss on the cheek. “I love you, Ben.”

  “And I love you, Cap. Just worry about you.”

  “And please, don’t tell a soul…”

  “Who am I gonna tell? Your dad?”

  That thought literally made her sick at her stomach, but she held herself in check because she’d made a promise to Drew that she would refrain from throwing up. However, her father would definitely take the shotgun out of the cabinet if he knew about this!

  “Shit, want me to tie you up and spank you?” Ben shouted out just to lighten the mood. “I'll do it!”

  Without consideration, Maxine yanked the blanket away from her best friend and covered her head like she was playing ghost. “BEN!”

  “You’ll trust a total stranger but you won’t trust your best friend. I could whip your ass into shape like no other man. And your mother would be so proud of me for doing what she never had the courage to do herself!”

  “You know…I think Mike and Mandy should have issued some corporal punishments once in a while…”

  “I am saving my ass for Gaga and a paddle,” he insisted.

  The thought of that image he’d just illustrated far too clearly in her mind made her nearly convulse with repulsion.

  “Then again, you're saving your ass for Drew McKenzie and a paddle, too!” Ben doubled over on the couch, howling uproariously at his little joke in comparison of their two very different icons. And while she wanted nothing more, Maxine held her laughter inside. Ben—1. Maxine—0.

  “Um…Ben?”

  “What?”

  “Can I have my iPad back?”

  He’d totally forgotten that he’d taken it from her earlier. “What’s it to you, slave lady?”

  “The proper term for our pending relationship is ‘submissive,’” she corrected him.

  “Hasn’t been fucked. Hasn’t been spanked. But suddenly, she’s the go-to gal on all things S&M!”

  “If my mother were alive, she’d never let you get away with that…”

  “If Judy were alive, you’d tell her that Drew McKenzie wants to tie you up and beat the hell out of you until you both come in joyous bliss?” he challenged. “Yeah, you probably would tell her. You told her everything.”

  “She loved Drew—she’d never buy it.”

  “Ah, but who was her favorite of her two children?” Ben reminded her, pointing to himself. “Moi, baby.”

  Yes, Judy did adore him like her own, and Maxine’s heart swelled when she thought back to the memories of her mother and Ben together. However, at that very moment, she wanted to retreat to her room and read Drew’s e-mail. Holding out her hands, she said, “iPad?”

  “I'll give it back to you tonight,” he said, passing it back and then pulling it away just as quickly to tease her. “But I could use this in the future. Hold it hostage. Read Drew's e-mails, recounting how he suspended you from the ceiling and flogged you while you begged him for more…maybe even forward a few to your buddies at the New York Post…”

  Snagging it from his hands, she cackled triumphantly and dragged her tired body off the couch.

  “I’m going to bed, and you should, too,” she suggested. “Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”

  “Work, schmerk,” he waved her off. “And, by the way, in the midst of all your bondage bliss, don't forget we have a double-date with Mike and Mandy on Saturday. It's Mandy's birthday brunch, which I systematically attempted to forget again. And I may have to stay over there on Friday night for a family dinner. But you'll be out with Drewie-poo.”

  Friday night, she just remembered, was her deadline. While she dreaded the possible outcome, she had attempted to convince herself that Drew had no intentions of asking her to leave his life just yet.

  “See you tomorrow, silly boy…”

  “Yeah, I’m gonna stay up and watch some TV…” Ben stretched and yawned. “I haven’t had enough crazy yet this evening, and this show will just fulfill me…”

  One long, emotionally draining day behind her, Maxine shuffled her bare feet along and headed back to her room. She was already in love with her little private oasis from the world. Ben and Mandy truly did go above and beyond to personalize the space for her. Every morning when she awakened, her heart swelled with love and thankfulness that she'd been gifted with such a wonderful best friend. She had to wait nearly twenty years to find him, but Ben was, she knew, a permanent fixture in her life.

  After nestling herself under the covers, she returned to her iPad to pound out one last note for the evening.

  FROM: Maxine Kirk

  TO: Drew McKenzie

  SUBJECT: Too Many Choices/Too Little Time

  DATE: September 15, 2014, 9:32 PM

  Dear Ice Cream Man:

  I’m relatively certain that we can find a flavor that suits us both. Perhaps we should start with some frozen yogurt for breakfast tomorrow.

  I shall bring my appetites—for both food and my companion—along.

  Looking forward to seeing you in a few hours…have a good sleep.

  M

  Temptation flooded her to sign her e-mail with something a little more flirtatious, but after their day together, they both needed to get some shut-eye. She hit send, and then returned to her in-box to dash off a quick note to her father, telling him that she'd call him in the morning. However, Drew’s response came quickly, and she had to read it before she drifted off.

  FROM: Drew Mc
Kenzie

  TO: Maxine Kirk

  SUBJECT: Flavorful

  DATE: September 15, 2014, 9:44 PM

  Ms. M—

  As much as I love reading your notes, I must call it a night and bid you sweet dreams for now. But I, too, am so looking forward to seeing you.

  Meanwhile, have a restful slumber, little one.

  Nite-nite. Don’t let the bedbugs bite, as we do have an infestation in New York City…

  DM

  P.S. And look out for those lions, tigers and bears...

  Chapter Nineteen

  The most divine dream claimed her that night, immersing her into an alternate reality that seemed so very real.

  Tossing and turning, she could feel the pull of his lips at her breasts, suckling away at her nipples right through her thin, light blue tank top as she slept. Arching her back and raising her hips from the bed, she thrilled in the rather rough bite of his teeth, piercing sharply into her tender flesh.

  Instinctively, her hands raced between her legs, and she began to tickle herself right against her stretch pants. “Ohhh…” she moaned in her sleep. “Ohhh…Drew…”

  “What, little one?”

  Eyes shooting open, she could feel her heart, stuck and throbbing, in her throat. This was no dream. Drew was in her bed!

  “You know, I could punish you for touching yourself. I believe we’ve had this discussion already…”

  “What…” she gasped, her hand smacking against her breast. Her shirt was damp, right where Drew’s mouth had been tugging at her nipples. “Oh, God…did you just break into my apartment?”

  “No, Ben let me in. Now be quiet. Understand, little one? Or I’ll gag you, too.”

  “Gag me…” she muttered. “Too?”

  “After I restrain your hands…” Out of nowhere, he pulled out a wad of thick hemp rope, colored in a bright shade of red, and began to unravel it quickly.

  “Huh?” Just a minute ago, she was engaged in a deep slumber, having what she thought was a deliciously erotic dream. The last she knew, he’d e-mailed her, bidding her sweet dreams with the promise of seeing her in the morning. Now he was in her apartment—in her bed—just a matter of a couple of hours later, reprimanding her and binding her to her headboard.

  All of that…and he hadn’t even bothered to take care of the issue of her virginity yet! There would clearly be not a single dull moment in her life, so long as Drew remained a part of it.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked. “What time is it?”

  “Shortly after midnight. And yesterday, I promised you no more kisses until today. I thought you’d appreciate my effort here,” he said. “Now do you understand why I have to tie your hands?”

  “Because…”

  “Because you touched yourself. And that’s something you are no longer allowed to do without my permission.”

  “Was sleeping…didn’t know…I was…”

  “You are not allowed to touch yourself. Period.” Settling back on the bed, he pursed his lips in disdain. “You truly are going to be my greatest project ever, Maxine. I’ve got to start from the ground up with you, and I can already see that you’re going to be quite difficult to train…”

  Shocked by her reaction, those scathing words set her arousal into a tailspin. He'd convinced her that he could indeed tempt her further with his voice alone. She wanted him to berate her again—tell her what a lousy submissive she might make for him if he chose to keep her beyond their seven-day trial. Damn Ben for opening the door so late! Now she was a moist and soggy mess, weak and entranced under Drew's manipulation.

  Before she had a chance to beg, Drew ordered, “Arms above your head. Scoot up a little closer to the headboard, Maxine…closer…”

  Now he was about to tie her up…

  “Oh…fuckballs…”

  “Excuse me, little one?” Maxine thought she heard Drew cough a bit as he choked out his words. “Where did that potty mouth come from?”

  “Inspired…” she heaved, her nipples fighting against her stupid little shirt for freedom. She felt as though she should be struggling, too, but she readily acquiesced. This drug known as Drew McKenzie catapulted her into an alternate reality—a possibly dangerous dominion of the unknown—but she chose to embrace rather than to fight.

  What terrified her most was the fact that she was indeed turning into her mother with that cursing. Perhaps Judy was right, however. There was something rather cathartic about saying the word “fuck” really loud at least once every day.

  “You just…you carry a rope with you everywhere?” she asked as he readied her, maneuvering her upon a pile of three pillows while her fingers clutched at the cold metal bars of the headboard behind her.

  Groaning as he carefully intertwined the cable around her wrists and through the swirls of wrought iron, he snickered. “Only when I know I’ll need to use it. I adhere to the rules of the Cub Scouts: Always be prepared.”

  That Maxine didn’t believe. He had clearly arrived with every intention of tying her up. Drew was just lucky to find an excuse—and a good one—to carry out his dirty little deed.

  Before knotting, he wedged his finger in between the circle of rope around her hands to test its hold. “Too tight?”

  Unable to suppress her giggle, she found his question downright hilarious. “You’re asking me?”

  Drew caressed her shoulder before giving it a gentle pulse of encouragement. “Trust, Maxine, that’s what this is all about,” he reminded her. “I have no intentions of hurting you. At least not right now…and not until you’re ready…”

  “Uh…thank you…?” her voice rose in question.

  “Thank you…” he prompted. “This is getting old, Maxine. You know what you’re supposed to say…”

  “Oh, thank you, Kind Sir…”

  Stretching out, she wondered if there was any possible way to wiggle her foot into his lap. She wanted to touch him, feel his hardness, but since her hands were otherwise occupied, she thought she might try to shake him up a bit with her playful little toes. However, he sat at an awkward angle, and her legs were too short to reach around to him.

  “I brought enough for the ankles, too, little one,” he noted. “Just be forewarned.”

  “Ohhh…”

  “Ohhh…yes…” he mocked her and slunk across the bed to kneel between her legs. Taking her feet in his hands, he planted them firmly on the mattress, widening her legs. “Now I need you to lift your cute little ass up for me so that I can get these damn pants away from you. Got it, little one?”

  He’s going to fuck you, she thought to herself. Oh, damn, that word again…

  “Yes, Sir…”

  “How quick we are with responses when we want something!” he teased, easing one hand beneath her while the other plucked at the elastic waistband. “Such a bad little only child.”

  “Please take my pants off, Sir…”

  “On second thought…nah.” He sat back suddenly. “I think you need a lesson on patience tonight. That’s been nagging me since the night we met.”

  In disappointment, her hips plummeted back to the mattress. Seemingly dumbstruck, Drew shook his head. She thought she caught a sly smile playing on his lips in the darkness, but she couldn’t possibly imagine that she’d done anything wrong…

  “Did I tell you that you could just remove yourself from that position?” he asked.

  “But, Sir, you just said…that…to…patience…”

  “I said…that you need to exhibit more patience…but I did not tell you that you could just relax, Max…”

  Now she wanted to giggle. If she had a quarter for every time Ben sang that old Dinah Washington classic song to her, she’d be as wealthy as Drew. However, she had to figure out how to right this apparent indiscretion on her part before Drew issued another punishment.

  As he closed his eyes, he bobbed his head backward to face the ceiling. She could clearly see the wiggle of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed. “Lift that provoca
tive little pelvis now, Maxine…and remain in place until I tell you otherwise…”

  “Ooh, dammit…Sir…”

  “Now Maxine. And without the sass…”

  Slowly, she pushed her hips up from the bed, relying upon the awkward positioning of her bound hands for strength as her knees trembled all the while. In vain, she struggled to hold that pose. Yoga, clearly, would never be an option for Maxine.

  When he pressed his hand between her legs, she involuntarily bucked against him. Trouble. And she was in it. Again.

  “Sorry, Sir…didn’t mean to…”

  “So very wet already…can feel you through your leggings…through your panties…so many layers…” he taunted her. “And even more beautiful than I imagined, all tied up in your little bed, ready and waiting to see what I'll do to you next…”

  His compliments invigorated a greater need within her. Such an artist, he wasn’t satisfied with merely arousing her. Drew had to push every last button and dare to drive every single one of her inhibitions to the edge, only to leave her dangling.

  Always the master, he traced his thumb around her ankle. Even his lightest touch could ignite an inferno beneath her skin that blazed throughout her veins and carried its heat throughout her body. Squeezing her bottom tighter, she willed herself to hold her position as his hands slipped inside of each pant leg to tickle up her calves.

  “Uncomfortable, little one?” he asked as he dragged his chest along the mattress to a closer position right between her legs.

  Hands tugging, she tossed her head about the pillow. There was a slight scuff from the rope that she just ignored. If anything, she wanted to scratch the itch away from her wrists. “Trying…for…patience…Sir…”

  Then came those words: “Good girl…”