Underneath the printed words is one picture of me outside in the snow, then the same photo cut up into smaller pieces. They seem to be laying on top a pool of red ink, which I can only assume symbolizes my blood.
“He was here?” I ask distantly, my vision suddenly seeming disjointed. “This picture was from yesterday.”
“It was?” Alex and Gregory ask in unison, Gregory snatches the letter from my hands to examine the photograph.
“How would he find out where I’m staying? The apartment is registered to my company. My name isn’t even listed on the lease.”
“He must have followed me to your place, ma’am. I was there this morning to install a security system and to breach your friend Steven on everything. I apologize, Ms. Winston,” Gregory says, his sorrow permeating the room.
Inhaling a deep breath through my nose then exhaling through my mouth, I take a moment to try to calm my nerves.
“Gregory, I know it isn’t your fault. Please do not blame yourself. I’m more worried about keeping your family safe since this stalker is close by.”
“My job and duty is to protect you, Ms. Winston. My family will be fine. Now, if it’s ok with you, I’d like to take both letters to the police today, my truck can make it there since they’ve begun to clear the roads.”
“Ok.”
Looking towards Alex, I see fire flashing in his eyes and I know I need to find a way to remove the hate and anger from his body.
“Alex, I bet you wish you had your pickup truck right now. Think of all the fun we could have had in the snow.”
Still lost in his own thoughts, he doesn’t reply. I move closer to him, wrapping my arms around his waist.
“Remember all the fun we had on the beach? Me, you, and the fireworks.”
Remaining lost in his mind, I stare up into his face, which is locked in a silent scowl.
His lack of compassion spurs my own anger and I stalk away shouting, “You know what? I’m going to go read.”
Stomping up the stairs, I can faintly hear Gregory chastising Alex for not comforting me.
I recognize the pain in Alex’s voice when he replies, “What am I supposed to do? I can’t even protect her at my own home. I should just end things with her now before we move any closer. Send her back to Maryland where none of this will follow her.” I slide down the hallway wall, cold wood penetrating my skin with a chill. Tears falling from my eyes, I listen to their animated conversation.
“You’re a fool, Alex. You wouldn’t be able to let her go. I can see how much she means to you. That’s why you’re angry and upset at everything that’s happening.”
“But it’s because of me that he’s targeting her. If I’m not around, he’ll leave her alone.”
“Is that what happened last time? You left and she was fine? You don’t know that ending things with her will make this person go away. Hell, for all we know this person could have been working with Seth.”
“So what are you saying I do? Sit by and watch someone mentally tear her apart before he figures out a way to get his hands on her and tear her apart physically? She doesn’t have anything else to give.”
“No. What I am saying is let me handle this. I’m good at what I do, you know this. Don’t run, be there for her. She’s stronger than she looks and that woman was devastated when you rejected her just now.”
“I rejected her? When?”
“You’re blind, my friend. In a time when she should be scared out of her mind, she was trying to comfort you, because you were overcome with anger and hate. She was showing how much she loves you and by god, if you love her like I believe that you do, Do.Not.Leave.Her.” Gregory’s words are sharp staccato. “She’s not only trusting you with her heart, but she is trusting you to protect her life.”
Footsteps sound as if they are moving towards the front door.
“She doesn’t trust me,” Alex shouts.
The footsteps stop and then retreat back towards the kitchen.
“Like hell she doesn’t. She wouldn’t be here with you if she didn’t. And she most certainly wouldn’t allow you close enough to her heart to break it again if she didn’t trust you.” Gregory’s voice drops an octave. “Don’t fuck it up, Alex Stone.”
The steps hurriedly move towards the front door once more, and are followed by a loud slamming of wood.
At last I am able to rise from the floor and I move towards the far end of the hall. Deciding that I need space from Alex for a while, I make myself comfortable in the guest room I had originally chosen. After locking the door, I remove my clothing and slide into the chilled sheets, wearing just my lacy bra and panty set, which is dark purple, naturally.
Though it feels like only a few minutes since I have closed my eyes, I awake to the sound of the bed creaking as someone sits down onto the mattress. Alex must have used a key to get in. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, I find that I’ve been asleep for roughly forty-five minutes. Scooting up towards the headboard, I look at Alex. His arms are resting on his legs, casing his head in his hands. His wavy hair is mussed more than usual – it looks as if he’s been running his fingers through it.
“You want me to leave,” I say dispassionately.
Whipping his head in my direction, Alex stares at me, dumbfounded, like he can’t believe I would say that.
“I heard your conversation downstairs. And I’m sorry; I can’t leave, at least not yet. I’m contracted with my company to stay for three months.”
“I don’t want you to leave, Mallory. It killed us both last time,” Alex says, pools of moisture glistening in his eyes. “I just don’t know what more I can do to protect you. I want so badly to fix this so that we can move forward, but I’m at a loss as to how to proceed. I need someone to tell me what to do.”
“Alex, I know that you’ll do everything you can to keep me safe. Just don’t shut me out. I need you to be strong for me,” I say, moving forward to rest on my knees, inches from his face. I tangle my fingers into his hair. “I’ll do anything you ask me to do, Alex. I won’t go anywhere alone and you can stay with me every night. Just promise not to leave me again.”
“Sweetheart, I couldn’t leave you if I tried, my heart belongs to you.”
Leaning forward, Alex places a gentle kiss at the corner of my mouth, then the other corner, then brushes kisses across my entire face. Placing his hands across my jaw line, reaching into my hair, he tilts my head back, giving himself better access to kiss my neck. Nipping and sucking along my collarbone and shoulder, Alex tilts my head forward so that he can kiss me, tugging at my lip with his teeth. Opening my lips to him, his tongue twirls beside mine in a sultry rhythm. His fingers skirting along my rib cage, towards my back, Alex traces upwards along my spine before wrapping my hair around his wrist. Tilting and pulling at my tresses, Alex deepens our kiss, plunging his tongue farther into my mouth.
As he pushes me onto my back, Alex releases my hair, resting his body on top of mine, and continues kissing me senseless. With his entire bodyweight resting on top of me, I wait for my fear to make its presence known, but miraculously I feel no fear: just an immense, heady mixture of desire and passion for Alex.
Licking along my outer ear, Alex whispers, “I want you badly, Mallory.”
I want him just as badly and find I am craving him domination over me. Taking Alex’s face in my hands, halting his movements, I stare into his eyes.
“I trust you, Alex. Irrevocably, I trust you.”
“You want to play downstairs?”
“I want to play any and everywhere with you, sir.”
Kissing me fiercely, Alex scoops me in his arms and practically runs from the bedroom, towards the basement.
Chapter 13
Stopping outside his dungeon, Alex places me back onto my feet and opens the doors.
“When we go in here, Mallory, it will be like it used to be ok? But if you feel uncomfortable at any time, please use the safe word. Everything will stop the second you tell me to, ok?”<
br />
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you remember your safe word?”
Thinking back to one of our first scenes in the media room of Alex’s apartment in Maryland, I remember him mentioning “purple” as my safe word.
“Yes, sir.”
Taking a step towards me, Alex gently places his hands on my face, tilting my head back slightly so that he can stare into my eyes.
“I love you, Mallory. Very much. Thank you for trusting me.”
Tenderly kissing my lips, he steps back towards the door and his entire demeanor changes instantly. Alex is in full dominance mode.
“Please step inside, Ms. Winston. Stand beside the whipping bench, remove your undergarments, fold them, and place them on the floor next to your feet. In the future, you will find your black nightie from before resting on the bench for you. Once you have changed, kneel onto the mat you’ll find on the floor and keep your head down. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. You may proceed.”
Treading carefully inside the dimly lit room, I hastily make my way to the bench and remove my bra and panties, as Alex instructed. Locating the aforementioned mat, I kneel gently onto the cushion and tilt my head down, arms resting against my side. Without a clock in the room, I have no way to determine the length of time Alex has been away. I peek up from my downward facing position, and seize the opportunity to glance around the room again. The stocks I saw earlier seem to have been lowered a bit, as has the whipping bench I’m kneeling beside. The candle light in the room flickers off of all the metal that surrounds me, illuminating the dark room with an incandescent glow. The flames give the atmosphere a more romantic feel than I would have expected in the cold room.
As I reluctantly pry my eyes from my surroundings and gaze back towards the floor, Alex comes strutting into the room. Wearing black gym shorts and nothing else, Alex takes his time inspecting a few of the devices displayed on the dresser before walking around the room. He takes another moment to further adjust the furniture. Stopping at last where I kneel, Alex’s hand reaches forward and he strokes the top of my head, instantly relaxing all of my muscles.
“Good girl. Stand.”
Rising to my feet, I manage to retain my balance and keep from stumbling.
“Move in front of the bench, face it, legs shoulder-width apart, and stand about a foot away from it.”
Following his directions, I quickly move into his desired position. Retrieving some rope from the dresser, Alex begins knotting and threading the rope around my legs, waist, chest, and arms. He weaves an intricate pattern onto my body by strategically knotting certain areas differently than others. Placing the next series of rope between my legs, Alex ties a knot so that it rests directly onto my clitoris, before taking each section of rope to wrap around each of my legs.
As he continues his knotted masterpiece, Alex explains, “This is called Shibari. It’s an ancient Japanese form of rope bondage.”
Working the rope up around my upper body, Alex locks my arms in place above my head by bending my elbows and tying the rope against my wrists behind my head. When at last he has made his final series of knots, he connects all the rope with a final knot where it meets around my back. I had no idea that rope play could so easily arouse me. From where the knot rests upon my clit, gently rubbing every time Alex tugs on the rope, moisture drips down my legs in desire.
“Beautiful. You’re a work of art, Ms. Winston. Are you comfortable?”
“Yes, sir,” I breathe out.
“Splendid.”
Grabbing a hold of a chain that connects to the ceiling, Alex threads the rope around my wrists to the carabiner.
The moment Alex tugs on the opposite end of the chain, I find myself suspended in air and my inner fire blossoms to new heights.
“Is this ok?”
“Yes, sir.”
Stroking his hands across my exposed skin, Alex quietly examines his work. Taking his time, he walks around my body, his fingers touching every segment of skin that peeks out from behind the twine. With my breasts at eye level, he grabs each of them, softly working the peaks between his fingers. Moisture continues to drop down my leg as I feel myself becoming more and more heated with desire. Tugging on the chain again, Alex raises my body even higher, bringing his face directly to my sopping wet pussy. Without any hesitation, he leans forward and swipes his tongue at the moisture pooling between my legs, lapping at my slick folds. Holding back my moan, I attempt to rock my body against Alex’s mouth, but the stiffness of the ropes leaves me capable of making only small movements.
Attentive to my need as always, Alex releases the chain and lowers my feet back to the floor. After unhooking the carabiner, he tilts me forward so that my body is resting against the whipping horse. Bending forward, Alex caresses my wet folds one last time with his tongue before moving back to the dresser and retrieving the leather riding crop: the one with the woven rose tip - the same riding crop he had used in Maryland.
The blood continues to rush back to my limbs after being suspended, and Alex nips up and down my legs and back with the crop. He makes it a point to ignore my center, focusing only on the areas exposed by the ropes. Tightly gripping my hands together, I work to hold back a groan as he continuously passes over my throbbing core. The only form of friction I receive comes from the taps of the crop that causes me to squirm slightly, which allows the knot at my clit to rub against the heightened nerves. Finally, after what seems an eternity, Alex flicks the crop against my soaking folds and I writhe against my bonds in desire.
“Don’t come,” he demands.
Shutting my eyes tightly, I focus on the movement of the rope against my body, the feel of the chaffing against my skin. Ignoring the throbbing of my clit and the brush of the crop, my mind concentrates on the intricate pattern woven onto my body. As Alex continues to stroke and tap the crop across my body, paying close attention to my center, I find it harder and harder to separate myself from the pleasure. Just as I’m about to pray for mercy, Alex permits me to come and I detonate into my release, a kaleidoscope of colors swirling behind my eyes.
Slipping back into consciousness, I find that my body is still bound in the ropes. However, I discover that my arms have been extended in front of me, placed underneath the whipping horse, and tied to the area of knots directly above my mound. Spreading my legs wider apart, Alex rubs his hand against my uncovered pussy. I moan, when suddenly he removes his hand and strokes a cold piece of metal against my folds.
“This is a small butt plug. You’ll enjoy this when I fuck you.”
Rubbing the plug up to my rosette, Alex spreads my own juices so that it slides in easily. To my surprise, it does and it feels amazing. Dropping his pants to the floor, Alex kicks them to the side and comes to rest behind me, hands on my hips. In one fierce thrust, Alex is inside me, my center incredibly full with the joint sensation of his thick erection and the plug.
“Oh, Ms. Winston. You feel so good. I could fuck you all night. I’m going to fuck you like this and then I’m going to fuck your mouth and then I’m going to fuck you tied to my cross. What do you think about that?” he commands, thrusting into me harder.
“Yes, sir,” I reply, making a desperate attempt at catching my breath.
“You like it when I talk dirty to you,” he murmurs, sounding pleased. “Every time I say ‘fuck’, your muscles clench. You want me to ride you harder, Ms. Winston?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good, girl.”
As Alex continues to thrust faster and harder, I realize he can say anything he wants to me and I’d agree. I could never have enough of him. Skyrocketing over my peak, Alex twists and tugs at the butt plug as he tells me to come.
“I want your mouth.”
Bending my head up, Alex slides his penis effortlessly towards the back of my throat. The taste of my juices covering his erection, mixed with the musky taste of his skin, is my personal aphrodisiac: a taste all its own that is more than ca
pable of igniting my fire all over again. Thrusting a handful of times, he cries out as he dispenses his seed into my mouth, which I swallow swiftly.
Untying the rope that connects my arms to my torso, Alex helps me to stand from where I am currently resting on the whipping horse. When we reach the St. Andrews Cross, he places the cuffs around my ankles and stretches my arms above my head, connecting the ropes to the cuffs. Seemingly pleased with his work, Alex moves back to the dresser and returns with a set of nipple clamps. He fondles my breasts with his fingers until my nipples stiffen themselves into hard peaks. Snapping the nipple clamps into place, Alex connects their thin chain to the knot around my clit, explaining that with every thrust I will feel pleasure all over.
Unsure of how to reply, I simply say, “Yes, sir.”
Knowing that I am already soaking wet for him, Alex slides into me with ease. My breasts tingling and my clit throbbing, I doubt my ability to hold back a swift orgasm. Reaching around to grab my ass, Alex continues to push into me.
“It’s too much, I can’t,” I whisper.
Capturing my mouth, Alex immediately dispels any notion I had that it’s too much. I moan in the knowledge that he wants me to feel him everywhere.
“Come with me,” Alex instructs, tearing his mouth from mine.
I cry out as our releases occur simultaneously, and he sags against me as we try to catch our breath. Recovering himself quickly, Alex efficiently removes first the rope from my body, then the cuffs around my ankles. Helping me step down from the cross, Alex releases my hand by the whipping post, then moves to return all the toys to the dresser.
“How do you feel?” he asks.
“Good, sir. I was surprised at how much I liked the rope play,” I say, cocking my head to the side, slightly confused by the gawking gaze that has formed on Alex’s face.
“I’m sorry,” he says, shaking his head a little, “Can you put your clothing back on? I can’t concentrate when you’re standing there, gloriously naked in front of me. I won’t be able to control myself from ravaging you again.”
Stone Unhinged (The Stone Book 2) Page 12
