Up In Knots

by Gillian Archer

  Stopping in front of a petite domme and her submissive, he bent down to help her out. “You don’t want to roll the rope. All your wraps should be even and parallel. Kyla!” He turned and gestured to his model. “Could you turn this way and show us your lovely legs?”

  His obedient model pivoted on her chair and extended her legs in his direction. She tilted slightly to showcase the parallel wraps extending from her heels to under her knees. Saliva pooled in his mouth. What he wouldn’t give to flip her over and tie her wrists to his headboard. To have her begging and pleading as he teased her with his collection of naughty toys until he finally kneeled behind her bound legs and thrust home.

  “Sawyer? Hello?”

  He blinked back into the present and found the blonde domme looking up at him expectantly.

  “How’d you finish the tie again?”

  Shaking his head, he ignored the lusty thoughts driving him insane and focused on guiding the domme through the end of the tie. Inspecting the rest of the class’s work, he helped a few tops who struggled with their rope. He really had to get it together. To have so many people confused with the rope was a reflection of his distracted teaching. If he couldn’t get his dick under control and teach a coherent course, no one here would be willing to pay for any future classes. Which would ding his checking account. His contractor’s business might be chugging along, but speaking fees at conventions like these were what kept him in the green. And got people to hire him for lucrative one-on-one and couples sessions later.

  Come on, Sawyer. Focus! You don’t wanna finally prove Dad right after surviving fifteen years all by yourself. The thought hardened his resolve. He’d do anything to show the bastard he was wrong.

  He focused his gaze on his temporary partner. All he needed was some one-on-one time with Kyla. Work her out of his system and he’d be in the clear. But where to start? There were so many deliciously deviant things to choose from. Rope? Definitely. Maybe some impact play, too. He could just see her hazel eyes shining with tears while he turned her ass a nice, bright pink. His lips curved slightly at the thought.

  She blinked, then graced him with a bashful smile in return.

  He took a second and adjusted his pants one more time. Yup, some one-on-one time with the very willing Kyla would put everything back on track.

  * * *

  Kyla’s heart raced at the predatory look Sawyer tossed her way. ZOMG! Had she bitten off more than she could chew here? She swallowed hard and smiled back at him.

  “All right, everyone. Now if you’re a nice top, you can untie your submissive before we get to work on the next tie.” He paused as most of the couples struggled with their rope before finally untying their partners. “But for those of you asshole rope tops who brought along extra rope, you can leave your partner’s legs tied for the next lesson. Everyone ready? Great. I’ll show ya’ll how to tie a rope shackle next.”

  Kyla held her breath. She was disappointed he was going to take away the rope so soon. The abrasiveness of the rope against her bare ankles reminded her every second of its presence. That she was trapped. At his mercy. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to try to calm her racing heart. It didn’t work. She wanted more.

  But instead of untying her legs, Sawyer reached into his bag and pulled out another length of rope. Her confusion must have broadcast over her face because instead of addressing the group, he turned toward her.

  “What? You didn’t think I was a nice guy, did you?” He barked a soft, cruel laugh. “Oh, honey. I think you might be in too deep here.”

  He might as well have called her a sissy. Little did he know, she was used to proving herself. She had years of training and self-discipline under her belt. Plus the crap she went through the last two years would have crushed a lesser person. But she had nerves of steel and bigger cojones than half the men she knew. She could handle whatever Sawyer threw her way.

  Sawyer stared down at her, assessing her. She knew if she didn’t say something soon, he would untie her and send her on her way. There were scads of eager, willing women to take her place. All he had to do was snap his fingers and the line would form to his left. A few titters from the group reminded her of their audience. She could feel their stares, but it didn’t faze her. Heck, she had practically grown up in front of an audience. This small group was nothing compared to the stress of a televised National gymnastic trial.

  She could do this. To see that thrilling look in his eyes, feel his hands and his rope on her body again and what it did to her... Oh, yeah. She was beyond willing. “Bring it.”

  “Ooooh,” a few brave souls in the group chorused.

  But Kyla didn’t turn in their direction. She couldn’t look away from his hypnotic stare.

  “Okay. Have it your way,” he growled menacingly.

  The implied threat in his voice had her sex swelling and pulsing in response. Cripes, this man was potent. And yet her inner imp couldn’t help but mutter, “Don’t you mean your way?”

  Apparently not quietly enough.

  His ominous expression told her he’d heard, and she’d be paying for it later when or if they were alone.

  A shiver swept her body and her nipples hardened at the promise of dark, forbidden things in his eyes. She really, really hoped they would be alone later.

  “I think after the rope shackle, I’ll show you all how to tie a gag for those bratty submissives.” He sent a significant glance her way, and the group chuckled.

  His voice murmured in the background as she felt his hand manipulating her arms, running up and down and leaving an outbreak of goose bumps in his wake. In a second the sensation doubled when his rope began winding around her wrists. She knew she should really be paying attention to the class, but she lost herself in the rhythm of his voice and the feeling of his ropes and hands on her body. His rope held her tight. His hands brushed against her body as he worked the rope, but even the accidental contact left her skin tingling. He slowly ran a fingertip up her arm as he addressed the group, lecturing about pressure points, but she wasn’t really sure, as all she could hear was her pulse pounding in her ears. The sight of her bound wrists lying so small in his strong, capable hands had her clenching her thighs together. There were some things she could do in front of a crowd. But orgasming definitely wasn’t one of them.

  “Kyla? Are you okay? Is the rope on your legs too tight?”

  She blinked away her sensual haze and found Sawyer kneeling down in front of her, his brow wrinkled in concern.

  “Kyla?” With a snap of his wrist, a pair of heavy-duty safety scissors appeared in his hand. He reached toward her bound legs.

  “No. Sawyer, stop. Really. I’m okay.” She was a little embarrassed to be called out for drifting off in front of their audience. Especially considering where she was drifting to.

  He felt her bare feet, checking her circulation. Her pinky toes wiggled in his grasp.

  “No. Stop. That tickles!” She squealed, writhing in his ropes. She was trapped between his hold on her feet and her precarious position on the chair.

  “Serves you right for disappearing on me like that. Where’d you go?” He set her feet back down and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.

  “What do you mean? I was right here.”

  “I think we both know that’s a lie,” he whispered.

  She looked down, unable to see his knowing eyes a moment longer. She could feel Sawyer’s stare on the top of her head but she wouldn’t—couldn’t—look at him.

  After an endless moment, he slowly unwound the rope from her legs. The fleeting touch of his hands on her had her heart throbbing, even as she mourned the loss of the rope’s embrace. The rope he had put on her body. The rope that made her safe and secure. And so incredibly turned on.

  “You feel it, don’t you?”

  She swallowed hard
at the husky notes in his voice and finally glanced up to see a glint of understanding reflected in his gaze.

  There was nowhere she could hide. Sawyer saw her. All of her. He knew what was inside of her, what she wanted. She wouldn’t be able to hide anything from this man. Her resolve weakened for a moment. It had been so long since she’d played, she’d forgotten this part—good tops could see everything. Could she handle him and his all-knowing ways?

  She had to. She couldn’t walk away from the allure of her newfound obsession with rope. All that time she’d spent researching bondage and daydreaming about being tied hadn’t even come close to the real thing. “I want more.”

  A few people in the audience tittered. Could they hear her conversation with Sawyer? She really hoped she hadn’t just thrown herself at Sawyer in vain. In front of an audience.

  Sawyer smiled smugly and stood up. “Don’t think about going anywhere when class is over, poppet. You and I are having a longer session with a hell of a lot more privacy. So no ducking out on me.”

  Her lips twisted. Like she would ever be tempted to run away from this man.

  Sawyer addressed the crowd. “As I said, it’s always important to check in on your partner. But as you can see, Kyla is still her usual bratty self. So, where were we?”

  The rest of the class passed in a blur. All she knew was the feel of Sawyer’s hands on her body, commanding her to bend this way and that. The graze of his rope twining around her, cupping her limbs, rubbing against her skin. The sound of his voice, authoritative yet warm. He kept the group engaged but never lost that edge of power to his voice. Even now as he unwound the rope from her body while addressing the class, she couldn’t hold back the shiver that swept her body. He was potent.

  And so very worth the momentary discomfort she’d felt at the beginning of the class. At least, she hoped so. Should be anyhow, if he could measure up to half of the dirty thoughts his dark glances promised her.

  “...any more questions? Well, then. I’ll be giving another class tomorrow afternoon called Bondage for Sex.”

  A few people on the far side of the room laughed.

  He gave an unselfconscious shrug. “What can I say? I’m not very creative with titles. I save my creativity for the rope. And my willing rope bottoms.”

  A fresh wave of goose bumps broke out over her flesh at the combination of his husky voice and the thoughts his confession gave her. She couldn’t wait to find out more about his creative side.

  “And in case anyone’s wondering, the class is open to couples of all kinds. Or triads even.” He nodded to the group on the other side of the circle. “Anyhow, I hope to see some of you there.”

  He pulled her up next to him, then stood silently by her side with one hand firmly on her shoulder while the majority of the group gathered up their belongings and left. A few people came over to ask some questions or to schedule a one-on-one appointment later on, but Sawyer didn’t move from his post. She half wondered if he was afraid she would leave the moment he turned his back. As if. She hadn’t plucked up the courage to dive back into the scene, only to run at the first sign of an interested dom. She wanted some one-on-one time of her own.

  His thumb absently rubbed her shoulder blade and she fought to remain upright. Even a simple touch from him was magnetic. She was surprised she’d lasted the entire class without dissolving into a puddle of goo at his feet. She practically melted with just the smallest touch.

  “Thanks for stepping in.”

  She jumped at the hand on her shoulder and turned to find her new friend, Lauren, standing next to her. “Oh, ah, well—”

  “When Sawyer’s model called and cancelled, I offered to help. Much to my boyfriend’s chagrin. You have no idea how territorial he is. But I couldn’t leave a good friend hanging. Anyway, I wanted to say thanks. You saved me from one hell of a punishment later.”

  “Saved?” A tall, dark and handsome man chuckled and pulled Lauren to his side. “Since when have you ever dreaded one of my punishments? Come on, kitten. We need to get going. Something tells me Sawyer is eager for some alone time with his model. Nice to meet you.”

  After a nod in their direction, Lauren’s man swatted Lauren on the butt, then made for the door with his giggling girl close to his side.

  With a wicked grin, Sawyer turned to her. “I think now’s a great time to have that talk. Over lunch.”

  He didn’t phrase it as a question. His statement made it obvious he expected to be obeyed. And the promise in his eyes let her know food wasn’t the only thing on the menu later.

  “I could eat.” Yep, just the two of them, a little rope and whole lots of naked fun time. Her nipples throbbed at the thought. She could hardly wait.

  Chapter Three

  Kyla wasn’t sure what had been more exhilarating, sitting next to Sawyer with the top down while they blasted down the Strip or the anticipation of what would happen next. It was probably a jumble of the two that had twisted her stomach into a nest of nerves and made her uncertain if she would be able to eat at all. But she didn’t want to be one of those girls. Besides, eating was her second favorite thing in the world.

  Kinky sex being the first, of course.

  Her nerves probably had something to do with the fact that it’d been two years since she’d had sex. And she was sitting next to The Sawyer. The man exuded sex from his pores. It was impossible to look at him and not think about naughty things in the dark. And it’d been so long since she’d been naughty.

  She had to remind herself to think unsexy thoughts as they walked through the parking lot toward the restaurant. It wouldn’t impress him if she drooled all over the man before they even sat down for lunch.

  As a Vegas native, she thought she knew the local hangouts. Apparently not. Sawyer had swept her away to The Bolt Hole, a few miles from the hotel hosting the Kinkster’s Con.

  Kyla peered around the softly lit Irish pub. When Sawyer had mentioned taking her to his favorite restaurant, this wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind. And yet it had an intimate, down-home feel that was perfect. The walls were covered in dark mahogany with brass accents every so often. Guinness cartoon signs warred with a few Miller Lite posters, as well as some political cartoons. But her favorite sign proclaimed “Husband Day Care, $30/hr.”

  Kyla finally stopped gawking and faced the man she’d been avoiding in a vain attempt to get her nerves under control. And found him staring unabashedly back at her. The intensity of his gaze heated her from within. He was magnetic. Without one single word spoken, she was eager and willing to do whatever he wanted. Only the fact that they were in vanilla company kept her on her chair and not on her knees in front of him, where she really wanted to be.

  “Have you always been a bratty submissive?”

  Sawyer’s sudden question sent a spear of panic into her stomach. “Bratty? I, uh, no. At least, I don’t think so.”

  “Relax, Kyla. This isn’t an interview. I was planning on saving negotiations for after lunch. That is, if you’re interested.”

  “I am. I mean, yes. Sure.” She gulped and looked away. Crap, she sounded like a fool. Where was the confident, sophisticated woman she’d promised herself she would be? If she didn’t calm down, she was going to blow it.

  He chuckled huskily. “Are you always this ebullient?”

  Taking a deep breath, she tried to force herself to calm down. “Sometimes. Not always. Usually the kids bring it out in me.”

  “Kids?”

  “Yes. I mean no. They’re not—” She broke off as the waitress appeared at their table.

  “What can I get you?”

  Kyla huffed in frustration at the interruption and turned to the waitress. “I’ll have an iced tea and a menu.”

  Sawyer covered her hand with his. “We’ll both have the special, and make it two iced teas.�
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  After a speculative look at both of them, the waitress nodded and left.

  “Special? What’s the special?”

  “I don’t know. They don’t have menus here. If you wanna eat, you get whatever the kitchen’s making. Sorry, I should’ve mentioned that. But trust me, it’ll be great.” He patted her hand once, then pulled away.

  “Great.” The emotional distance between them could’ve filled the Grand Canyon.

  An awkward silence sank over the table. Even the waitress bringing their drinks didn’t help. Kyla didn’t know what to say to break it. She had a hard time reading him. His entire face was in profile, hidden in the shadows of his side of the booth. But his body language wasn’t positive. Whereas before he’d been slouched nonchalantly exuding a confident air, now his shoulders were tense and he sat forward, twiddling the sugar packets between his fingers.

  “So, tell me about your kids.”

  Honestly, it was the last thing she wanted to talk about. She craved their earlier sexual tension that crackled between them. That yummy anticipation of wondering what would happen next. Talking about her kids wasn’t as sexy as talking about rope or submission, but she didn’t know how to steer the conversation back.

  “Oh, you know they’re...kids. Loud, noisy, sometimes obnoxious.” And yet she smiled as she thought about how much she loved her job. “But most of the time they’re eager to learn. Wanting to know everything about anything. I-I-It’s a great job.”

  Sawyer nodded and rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. “So what do you teach? Grade school? High school?”

  “I’m a gymnastics teacher. I teach six-to ten-year-olds how to stretch, tumble and balance.”

  “Gymnastics, huh?” Sawyer dropped the sugar packet he’d been playing with and leaned across the booth toward her. His blue eyes focused on her with laser precision while a naughty smile curved his lips. “So you can do all kinds of interesting, bendy things with your body? We might have to explore that tonight.”