He opened his bag and removed a small flogger that she eyed warily. “Do you have a safe word?”
“You’ll laugh.” She tore her gaze away from the implement to meet his eyes. “Tangerine.”
“Tangerine?” he repeated. Despite his attempt to remain neutral, he grinned. “It’s unique. You’ll actually remember it during a scene?”
“I hate tangerines,” she said. “I’d never forget that.”
He laid the toy on the table. “And how about a word for slow?”
“I’ll go with yellow.”
“Did you use either the evening you were subject to the tawse?”
“No.”
He walked toward her. “Is there a reason for that?”
“I know this is ridiculous, but I was afraid of disappointing him.”
“Listen to me, Shelby.” Gently he took hold of her shoulders and rubbed his thumbs in tiny circles. Her skin was like silk, and she deserved to get what she wanted. “You will never disappoint a Dominant by using a safe word. We’re not assholes. I don’t want you to do something or act heroic because you think it will make me happy. It won’t. In fact, it will piss me off.”
She scowled.
“I mean it. Scening together, playing, isn’t meant to torture you. Yes, I may encourage you to try things, do things that push your comfort zone. But I never, ever want you to cross your boundaries. Not for me. Not for any man.” He stopped moving his thumbs. “Tell me you understand.”
“I’ll try.”
He needed more than that. “Shelby, the scene won’t be fun for me if you suffer needlessly. It won’t deepen our relationship, and in fact, it will destroy trust. Hearing your secrets is an incredible turn-on. That takes more guts than remaining silent. Is that possible?”
“You ask for a lot, Master Trevor.”
“I do. Your emotional honesty. Your vulnerability.” Maybe there was nothing more difficult.
“I…” She twisted her fingers together. “I’ll do my best. That’s all I can promise.”
His pulse accelerated. “I’ll be watching you, but I don’t have psychic powers.”
“There goes my whole fantasy. Up in smoke.” Her words were light, laced with a teasing air. “Trying to defuse the situation? I thought Doms were all knowing, all powerful.”
Negotiating was too serious for joking. “This is a two-way relationship, Shelby. You have to be an active participant.”
Her slender shoulders trembled a little, showing she understood what he’d said and revealing her trepidation. Despite that, she tipped back her head. Her beautiful eyes, the color of uncut spring grass, were wide, unblinking with no pretense, no artifice.
Trevor had told her he appreciated her trust, but it was so much more than that. She humbled him. The emotion plowed into him, hard. He’d worked hard for everything he had, sacrificing years of his life in pursuit of his dreams. He’d been driven, allowing nothing to get in his way.
But now the weight of the responsibility he had for Shelby settled over him. He waited for the obligation to chafe. It didn’t. Instead, he wanted it. Embraced it.
Silently he vowed not to fail her.
Very slowly, he released his grip on her. “Is there anything I need to know? Medical or physical conditions, perhaps?”
“None.”
He nodded. “How about your limits? Hard and soft.”
“To be honest, I don’t really know. That’s embarrassing, right?” She wrapped herself a little tighter. “Canes terrify me. I can’t even watch those scenes. There’s something about the sound of them, even.” She shivered. “And I don’t want to do anything that will break my skin.”
“Understood. And is the tawse a limit?”
“Actually it’s…” A small line formed between her eyebrows. “No. I might be willing to try it again, with you. But…”
He waited, giving her time to sort through her answer.
“I guess I want to be more than a random sub who gets spanked and forgotten.”
The soft pain in her voice gutted him. “I’ll tell you this, Shelby. You are not the type of woman to be easily forgotten.”
She gave him a half smile. Trevor was suddenly a greedy man. He wanted a dozen more.
He extended his hand, and she finally lowered her arms. “Come with me.”
She slipped her hand into his, and he drew her toward the side table. He liked having her close, her scent, that of innocence and unconscious seduction. Trevor wanted to wrap his hand in her hair and kiss her deep. Later, he planned to do exactly that. “I want you to unpack my things. As you take each toy out, talk to me about it. Let me know if you’re interested in trying it. Place it off to the left if you’re not. If you’re unsure or it’s a soft limit, place it in the middle of the table. We can discuss those at another time. The things you want to start with should go on the far right side.” He picked up the small flogger and dropped it back in the bag. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“I think I’d prefer if you just showed me what’s in there.”
“Why is that?”
“This seems too personal.”
“Ah, Shelby. Everything we do for the next week is going to be personal.” To the extreme. “I intend to explore every part of you, excavate your deepest secrets.”
She shivered as she looked up at him. “Should I be scared?”
“Should you?”
For a second, neither of them blinked.
Her eyes darkened, as if a storm approached. “You might not like what you find.”
Shelby’s words were light, but the apprehension hiding behind them was real. Suddenly he wanted to take away anything in her past that had hurt her. “Maybe I will.” He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“I hope you’re not disappointed, Master Trevor.”
He liked the way she said his name, with respect, maybe a hint of admiration. Holy hell. She was stunning. “I won’t be.”
“Uh, we didn’t discuss sex.” She knotted her hands into tight little fists at her sides.
“Go on.”
“Will you expect us to sleep together?”
“You are utterly desirable.”
At his words, she trembled. He liked that he had that power over her. “But I want to make it clear that I don’t expect you to engage in intercourse. I’d never demand that from you. Sex and scening do not have to go together, and as you know, very often they don’t. But if you’d like it, I’m more than happy to make love to you. Take you. Make you mine.”
“I’m…not on birth control.”
“Understood. I will always protect you, Shelby.”
“Well, then, if it works out, we can. I mean, that is, if we both want to.”
Trevor winced. He’d never lacked for willing romantic partners. Her nonchalance was nearly a mortal blow to his ego. “I promise you this—when, if, we have sex, you will desire me every bit as much as I desire you.”
“I didn’t mean to imply that I didn’t…” She blushed and turned away. “I mean, you’re a very handsome man.”
Her hesitant, honest words soothed him, making him grin. Oh yes. Most definitely, he intended to have her. “Whenever you’re ready, please continue.”
After nodding and uncurling her hands, she opened his bag wider.
The first thing she picked up was the small flogger. “I think I’m interested in trying this.”
“Excellent choice.”
After a soft breath, she pulled out a Wartenberg wheel. “I saw one of these at a vendor show a couple of months ago.”
At theme nights, the club often allowed members to showcase their wares. “Curious?” When she didn’t respond, he suggested, “Try it. On your palm. Then if you like it, on your arm.”
She did. “It’s not as intense as I thought it would be.”
“It can be, depending on the amount of pressure used. May I?”
She blinked but dropped it into his open hand.
“Wi
ll you take off your vest?”
After a slight hesitation, she shrugged out of it, and he placed it on the side table. Then he drew the spiky metal wheel across the enticing flesh of her right breast, above her bra cup.
Her gaze followed his action.
“Harder?” His question was soft and inviting.
“Uhm…” After a moment, she nodded. “Yes.”
He liked her boldness. He retraced his motion, this time with enough force that she sucked in a shallow breath. “Yellow?” he asked. “Tangerine?”
“No. In fact, it’s amazing.” She frowned, as if searching for the right words. “As if my skin is alive. On fire.”
He offered the handle back to her.
Without hesitation, she laid the medical toy next to the flogger before taking a breath and pulling out a set of lightweight tweezer nipple clamps. She tipped her head to the side, as if considering.
“Well?”
“Maybe.”
He nodded.
Next she fished out his most serious pair of Japanese clovers meant for advanced players.
“These are an absolute no. No, nope, no. No. Hell no, even.” Shelby shook her head so furiously that he grinned.
“Good to know.”
She dropped them, and the strike of metal on metal jarred the silence.
Hurriedly she reached in again.
With a frown, she placed a bottle of lube in the in middle of the table. Then she withdrew a small metal butt plug. “Oh. God.”
He watched her reaction—a wrinkled nose, and again, that curious tilt of her head.
“I don’t know what to say about this.” She studied it, then looked at him.
“Soft limit?”
“I don’t know.”
“Meaning?” When she hesitated, he asked, “You’ve never played anally?”
She pushed out a soft breath. “No.”
“As in zero experience? No fingering? Tonguing?”
“Absolutely not.”
Shocking him, a small blush crept up her cheekbones.
Trevor was captivated. In that moment, he realized how jaded he was. He scened with women who knew what they wanted and were forthright about it. This—being the first to introduce her to certain experiences—would demand something new from him. Patience. And it gave him a thrill he’d never found outside of his financial pursuits.
Realizing she was still holding the toy and looking to him for some sort of guidance, he brought himself back to the present. “Is it something you want to place off-limits, or would you be willing to try, given the right circumstances?”
Her blush deepened. “Can we talk about that later?”
“Of course. For now, put it in the consider pile?”
Rather than drop it, she placed it carefully before pulling out a blindfold. Unhesitatingly that went on the yes side of the table.
She fished around until she found his dragon’s tail. “Maybe.”
“We’ll have plenty of time in the next week to explore everything.” The two sets of restraints were an immediate yes. Interesting.
When the bag was empty, she hugged her shoulders and dug her fingers into her skin. Nervous tension radiated from her in heated waves. “Now what, Sir?”
“First of all, take a breath. Wait on my direction.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Practice stillness.”
She puffed out a gentle scoff. “I don’t think you have any idea what you’re asking for.”
“Perhaps I do.” Intensifying her emotions. Heightening her physical responses. Engaging her emotions. Expanding her psychological awareness. “I want to see more of your body. Look at it. Touch it. Begin to explore it. I appreciate that it may be difficult for you. But it’s going to happen, unless you need to refuse.”
Her eyes were unblinking. She was going to push through this. His heart responded with several rapid thuds. “You’re doing great. When you’re ready, please drop your hands to your sides.”
Slowly she did as he asked, her chest rising and falling in shallow motions.
“Concentrate on me. The sound of my voice. Block out anything—everything—except what I instruct you to do.”
“I’m not sure I can hear anything over the sound of my heart racing.”
He offered a reassuring smile. “I’ll repeat my commands if necessary.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Her voice, tremulous, deep from a combination of anxiety and anticipation, was like a drug in his veins. “Please turn around and spread your legs as far as you can and bend over.”
She hesitated before complying. “This is more difficult than anything I’ve done with any other Dom here.”
“Because I’m really seeing you? There’s no one else waiting for my attention. You matter to me.”
“That’s the problem.” Her voice trembled with vulnerability. “I don’t want to disappoint you.”
“You won’t.” He remained where he was.
“Nerves are killing me.”
“That’s okay. It means the scene matters to you too.”
She nodded. Then, quickly, as if scared she might change her mind if she thought too long about it, she turned and bent into the position he required. Her dark hair cascaded onto the floor, and her pink panties stretched taut over her derriere.
“Can you spread your legs a little farther?” It would expose her more, and she would be concentrating on following his order rather than anything else. “Shelby?”
“Yes.” She wiggled on those sexy heels, and he enjoyed every moment spent watching.
Trevor took a step toward her and outlined the tender spots where her silky panties snuggled the tops of her thighs. Her breathing increased. “Lovely. Now reach back and part your ass cheeks for me.”
It took her so long to respond that he wondered if she actually would.
Gently, he placed his hands on her hips. “Over the next week, I want to learn everything there is to know about you. I’m suspecting some of it will make you uncomfortable. But if my guess is right, you want that as much as I do, even if it’s scary as fuck.”
She nodded.
After several seconds and clenching her buttocks tight, she reached back.
“I won’t touch your ass while we’re here.”
Slowly she relaxed.
“That’s right. Give yourself to me.” Anal play would take discussion and plenty of preparation. In the end, though, he would claim here there as fully as he did everywhere else.
He bunched the gusset of her underwear and moved it to the side. Then he took one of her hands and moved it to the thin scrap of fabric. “Hold it there.”
Though she trembled, she did as he said.
“Everything about you is gorgeous.” Her fingernails were a striking shade of hot pink. The sight of the bold color nails against her gorgeous olive skin made his cock throb. He hadn’t had a sub, or any woman, in months. Suddenly he wanted to take her fast and hard, possess her, claim her, mark her as his for the entire damn world to see. What the hell had gotten into him?
Trevor shook his head. He couldn’t let the sweet, sexy image of her make him react as a caveman. After clearing his throat, he tried to regain control. “Stand up slowly and turn toward me.”
Her motions had a bit more elegance to them than they had a moment ago, thrilling him.
After she faced him, she instinctively looked down.
“So beautifully done, Shelby.” He’d studied her after the poker game. Now he allowed himself the time to appreciate her.
Her unruly hair fell over the feminine curve of her shoulders. She had a lovely, kissable neck, and the mother-of-pearl concha lay alluringly against her throat, making him think, for a dizzying moment, of seeing her in his collar.
Where the fuck had that idea come from? He’d never put a collar on a woman, even temporarily.
Realizing she was waiting for him with no idea of his inner turmoil, he forced his focus back to her. “Please remove your bra.” For now, fo
r his sanity, the chaps, panties, and the tantalizing little boots could stay.
She reached behind her to unfasten the clasp, then shrugged off the straps and allowed the silky fabric to fall to the floor.
Her breasts were lush, and her beautifully dark nipples were hard. “And your bolo tie, so it’s not in the way.”
After she removed it, she shook her head, tumbling the riotous mess of her hair over her shoulders.
When he arrived this evening, he’d thought he might opt for a short scene with a willing submissive. He had no idea he’d be thoroughly ensnared by a woman who knew nothing about her own power.
She handed over the bolo, and he placed it in a side pocket of his bag.
When he returned to her, he cupped her breasts and lifted them before flicking his thumb pads over her nipples.
Her knees bent. “Oh, Sir.”
Because her breathing had increased a little, he did it again, this time a little harder. “You like this.”
“Yes.” The word was half whisper, half moan.
He left her for a moment and returned with the Wartenberg wheel. “Keep your hands by your sides. If it’s easier, you may fold them behind you. In fact, do that. It will pull your shoulders back.” Which would force her breasts out. “That’s it.”
Trevor held one of her breasts in a cupped palm, then bent his head to suck one of her nipples. The bud stiffened as he swirled his tongue around it, and she swayed toward him.
When he eased back, she moaned.
“I’d take more of that, Sir.”
“Would you? Seems you can be a greedy little submissive.” He grinned.
In return, she gave him a small smile.
This was unique and welcomed. Teasing with a play partner, watching the tension drain from her body as they formed a bond with each other.
He circled her nipple with the spikes of the wheel, guiding it with his purposeful touch, methodical and light.
Her mouth parted a little.
With a small nod, he applied a little more pressure and went across her taut flesh.
“Damn.” Shelby made no attempt to pull away. In fact, she moved in a little.
Taking his time, he went a little deeper. Her eyes glazed over as she surrendered.
After a minute or so, she closed her eyes. Trevor used that opportunity to stop what he was doing.
His to Love (Titans Quarter Book 2) Page 3
