“I’m impressed.” He tangled his fingers in the tips of her hair. She could almost feel his touch, as if the strands of hair were as sensitive as her heated skin. “With all the jewelry stores out there, I wouldn’t think there would be such a great business for custom-designed pieces.”
She shifted on the cushions. The tingles from his touch tickled her between her legs. “The majority of my work is for a specialized market.” Shit. Why had she said that? Now she’d have to explain.
“Really?” His fingers dropped from the edges of her hair and he traced the neckline of her dress. “What market is that?”
She swallowed before she spoke. She was never sure how people would react when she told them. “I craft erotic jewelry.”
She could have lied. She could have been vague. She’d like to blame the rum and coke, but she couldn’t. There was something about Scott, something that put her at ease and on edge at the same time.
“Erotic jewelry?” Scott’s brows lifted and he leaned in even closer to her. His breath was warm on her cheek. “As in…?”
He hadn’t twisted his face into a smirk, so that was good. He seemed interested. Intrigued, even. “Collars. Cuffs. Chains.” Her mouth was dry, but her drink was gone. “I specialize in chains actually.”
“Really?” His deep voice seemed to vibrate through her body. “I’m fascinated. There are a lot of people who want custom-made chains for erotic purposes?”
“You wouldn’t believe some of the crude, ugly chains out there. My clients are people who have been disappointed in the quality of the standard bondage jewelry available. They care for their slaves, their subs, and want them to be able to wear beautiful jewelry. Luckily, I have enough clients who are willing to pay the price for custom pieces.”
“So, how did you get into creating erotic jewelry?”
She shrugged. It had started so innocently and then things just went wild. “A friend of Tori’s wanted me to make her a pair of nipple rings. Then she asked if I could craft a pretty chain to connect them. She recommended me to some people she knew. And before I knew it, I was getting calls from all over the world.”
“Interesting.” Scott trailed his hand down her arm, until he reached her wrist. He circled it with his long fingers, just as she had imagined him doing when she first saw him. The thrill that shot through her system was troubling, but it was there all the same. “Do you ever wear cuffs and collars, Jenn?”
The room shifted and her breath shortened. She didn’t want to answer him.
He tightened his hold on her wrist, caught her chin in his other hand, and lifted her face to his. “I asked you a question.”
Her heart was scrambling in her chest. She licked her dry lips. “I have never worn any of the cuffs and collars that I make.”
“But you’ve worn them before, haven’t you?” His voice was deep, compelling.
Just because she made the jewelry didn’t mean she ever wanted to wear it. She didn’t want to examine that part of her past. Didn’t want to think that she could possibly become active in the lifestyle again. She was afraid of what would happen if she ever did.
He leaned over and brushed his face against her hair. His lips moved against her ear, his voice soft, yet clear. “Jenn, do you like to be tied up?”
She shuddered. She dropped her gaze to her wrist, shackled by his fingers. Her pussy gushed. Her stomach tightened.
He nipped her neck, just below her ear. “During sex, Jenn. Do you like to be tied up while a man plays with your body? While he gives you pleasure? While he takes his pleasure?”
She couldn’t answer. Couldn’t admit she loved it. Couldn’t admit the idea of getting back into the lifestyle scared the hell out of her and excited her at the same time. Or that the idea of him tying her up tempted her more than she could say. So she did the only thing she could think of.
She bolted.
Chapter Two
Damn, he’d scared her. Scott let go of Jenn’s slender wrist as she lurched from the sofa, and watched her weave through the crowd. He shouldn’t have blurted it out like that. Didn’t he know better? It was just that he was so hot and hard, he wasn’t thinking straight. He should have been more in control, but she’d taken him by surprise.
Just because she made the collars and cuffs didn’t mean she wore them. But he’d picked up a vibe from her the moment he saw her across the crowded room. And as they talked, he was even more certain that she was a submissive. Maybe she wasn’t even aware of it.
No, she knew. That’s why she ran. If she’d been shocked by his question, she would have laughed or been outraged at the idea. Instead, her breathing had picked up, her eyes had lowered. She’d squirmed in her seat. He’d bet his black leather paddle that she’d been a slave before. That she had plenty of experience with bondage. And some thoughtless Dom must have frightened her.
Scott stood and picked up the two empty glasses from the table. He had to find her before she left the house. In the short time they’d been together, he’d had a glimpse of a woman he’d like to get to know better. And even if they didn’t have a future together, he wanted to help her get over her fears.
If she craved the bondage, it should give her joy, not frighten her. He knew better than most that trying to ignore her basic needs would never make her happy. Something would be missing from her life forever.
Scott stopped at the bar and refilled both glasses, then went looking for Jenn. The crowd had spilled through the French doors out into the landscaped backyard. He found Jenn with Tori and Doug on the patio. She stiffened when he approached, but she didn’t leave.
“There you are,” he said with a smile. He passed Jenn’s glass over to her as if nothing had happened, then turned to Doug. “You throw a great party, man.”
“Thanks. I had lots of practice back in college throwing those bachelor bashes in the student union. Remember?”
“He didn’t do a thing but keep adding names to the guest list,” Tori said with a roll of her eyes. But she leaned over and kissed Doug gently, lovingly, on the cheek. Scott felt an odd twinge in his gut. That could have been him and Kayley. If he’d kept his mouth shut, his needs secret, he’d have a pretty wife by his side, kissing his cheek.
He pushed the image out of his mind. It wasn’t meant to be.
Scott smiled at Tori. “Jenn said you were just as much a pain in the ass decorating this house as you were with the plans.”
“I did not!” Jenn said and bumped him lightly with her hip. At least she wasn’t just standing like a statue anymore.
“Okay, so the pain in the ass remark was mine,” he said with a laugh. “Only because that’s exactly what you were to your architect.”
“I’m not going to apologize,” Tori said. Scott had always liked his friend’s wife’s no-nonsense attitude. “I like things my way.”
“She certainly does,” Doug said dryly, but with a spark in his eye.
“So do I,” Scott said. “You should never feel the need to apologize for wanting certain things.” He glanced quickly to Jenn “For having certain needs.”
“Well, I need to open some gifts,” Tori said. “Did you see the pile of packages in there? We should have built a house years ago!” She grabbed her husband’s arm. “How about it, handsome?”
Scott watched Tori and Doug walk back into the house. He thought Jenn might try to follow them in, but she stayed beside him.
He turned to her. “I’m sorry if I frightened you.”
Jenn shook her head. “I wasn’t afraid of you.” She stared into her glass, not meeting his eyes. “I was afraid of what I felt when I was with you. When you talked about…you know…the bondage.” She finished the sentence on a whisper, obviously not wanting the people around them to hear her.
“So I was right. You have had experience with it.” He stepped closer to her, put his arm around her. She didn’t relax into him, but she didn’t pull away. He leaned against her so he could whisper in her ear. Her hair was soft against his ch
eek. “You haven’t answered my question yet. Do you like to be tied up during sex?”
She glanced around them, but most of the people had gone back inside and those who were still outside weren’t paying any attention to them. She took a deep breath and her words rushed out on a breathless whisper. “I love it.”
He groaned and buried his face in her neck. He didn’t think he could get any harder. He smoothed her long, dark hair from the top of her head down to the nape of her neck. He grasped a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back slightly. “I’m going to taste you.”
Jenn licked her lips and nodded. She couldn’t resist any longer. Her body craved that high. That adrenaline rush that came from submitting. From letting go and flying high.
She’d worry about the lows later. The guilt and shame. The fear that she would lose herself when she lost control.
She’d expected him to crush his lips to hers, but the kiss was surprisingly gentle. A sweet brush of his lips across hers and then a sweep of his tongue along the center. She sighed and opened her lips for him, but he pulled away and released his hold on her hair. He stepped back, looking calm, while she still felt edgy.
“You’re beautiful,” he said. “So wide-eyed and needy.”
Was she needy? Did she want to be needy?
Jenn knew she’d walked into this house aroused and restless. Then Scott’s presence and his questions stirred up all sorts of memories, good and bad. It had been so long since she’d indulged in any bondage. So long since she’d given up even a shred of control over any part of her life. She’d vowed never to do it again, but she couldn’t resist. It would do no good to run away now. She couldn’t even pretend to want to.
“I see a bench over there by the bushes,” he said. He took her arm and led her away from the house, into the shadows. The curved back of the wooden bench was lined with flat narrow slats. Scott sat down beside her on the cushioned seat. He didn’t touch her at first, didn’t say a word.
Jenn’s heart raced. She took a sip of her drink. There was a slight breeze that helped lift the sweat off her skin. She still remembered the rules. A sub didn’t speak unless spoken to. Or were those just Rob’s rules?
“I’d like to hear more about the jewelry you make,” he said finally, so she didn’t have to wonder any longer. He took both their drinks and set them on the ground beside the bench. Then he leaned back and stretched his arm across the back of the bench, across the back of her body, and lightly brushed his finger along her arm.
“All right. What would you like to know?”
He skimmed his finger across her upper arm until he reached the swell of her breast then rubbed the tip of one finger along the underside. She shivered as tingles pricked her skin. “Are you working on an erotic piece now?” he asked.
“Yes.” He continued to rub the underside of her breast. She might as well have not even been wearing the dress, the sensations were so strong. She forced herself to concentrate on the conversation and not moan with need. “Would…um…would you like me to tell you about it?”
“I would like that.”
“One of my clients is marrying his longtime slave. He’s commissioned an elaborate piece that will be his wedding gift to her.” She drew a deep breath and pictured the piece in her mind. “The collar is wide and made of multiple strands of intricate gold chain threaded with tiny pearls. Two delicate gold chains run from the collar to the nipple rings.”
“Did you make the nipple rings you’re wearing now?”
He could probably see the outlines through the fabric. She swallowed. “Yes.” Getting her nipples pierced was one of the many things she’d done for Rob. Crafting the pretty gold rings was something she’d done for herself.
He slid his hand up and over her breast. Her dress was thin and she knew he’d be able to feel her nipple rings through the fabric. Her breast ached beneath the heat of his hand. He grabbed the ring between his thumb and finger and twisted. Not hard. Just enough for her to feel the pull.
And she wanted him to twist harder.
“You’re breathing faster, Jenn. Shallower. Do you like what I’m doing?”
She took a deep breath and tried to slow down her racing heart. “You know I do.”
“Tell me more about this piece you’re making. Collar and nipple rings and lots of chain. Is there more to it?” He twisted the nipple ring again.
She sucked in her breath at the sharp pull on her nipple. “Yes,” she replied, her voice slightly breathless. “There’s actually much more to it. There are chains that run from each nipple ring to meet at a navel ring. And a belly chain runs through the navel ring and will drape around her hips.”
“Is your navel pierced?”
“Yes.”
He continued to play with her nipple ring and slid the other hand across her abdomen until he found the crescent bar she’d designed that curved around the birthstone riding in her navel. “Go on.”
“Well, tonight, before I came to the party, I was fastening chains to each side of the belly chain and attaching it to the clit ring.”
His palm rested on her abdomen, the base pressing against her navel ring. His long fingers reached her mound. She’d parted her thighs before she realized it. His middle finger pressed through the skirt, onto her clit. She throbbed beneath his finger.
“Is your clit pierced? Your hood?” His voice sounded strained. Did he hope she said yes or no?
“No.”
He nodded and slid his hand off her lap. Then he twisted her nipple ring harder and her pussy tingled even more.
“I’m attracted to you, Jenn. You may have guessed I have a great interest in bondage myself. In domination and submission. I’m interested in seeing where this night might take us.” He released the nipple ring with a jerk and her breast bounced. He caught her gaze and she felt drawn into his presence. “So I have to ask you. Do we continue or do we end this now?”
Did she want to see where this night would go? Her body voted yes. After all, her best friend vouched for him. And she liked him already. He had a sense of humor. He was as sexy as the devil. He knew her secret weakness.
Or should she get the hell out before she got in too deep? Because, already, she could imagine getting in deep with this guy.
She could barely breathe. “I don’t know.” Jenn winced at the cry in her voice. “I’m sorry. It’s just, I wasn’t expecting anything like this tonight. I…I’m turned on, yes, but I don’t know if I’m ready…if I want to…”
He covered her hand with his. “Why don’t you tell me about your experience with bondage?” He slid his hand up and shackled her wrist with his fingers again. “Was it so terrible that you resist it even when your body craves the binding?”
She looked away from him, staring into the shadows surrounding them. She did crave it. The security of the bondage. The freedom of letting go of the control she normally held onto with an iron grip. But she didn’t want to lose herself like she did before. Could she bring herself to admit her experiences with Rob?
He cupped her chin and turned her face so he could study her. “Talk to me, Jenn. What are you afraid of?”
“Losing myself,” she blurted.
“No, you should never be afraid of losing yourself. You’ll find yourself, Jenn, if you surrender to your needs.”
She shrugged and looked down at her hands clenched in her lap.
“What happened?” He stroked her hair, soothing her nerves. “Was it recent?” His voice hardened. “Did someone around here treat you badly?”
“No. It was back in college.”
He cursed. “A boy playing at being a Dom?”
“I guess. But then I guess I was playing at being a sub.” Neither one of them had really known what they were doing. But when it was right, it had been amazing.
“I’m sorry you didn’t have a good experience.” He kissed her softly. “So basically your body responded even though he didn’t treat you right?”
“He didn’t always trea
t me badly,” she said, but she shivered as she remembered being tied up and left for hours while he got drunk with his buddies. “I think the power trip got to him.”
“A Dom’s first consideration always should be his sub,” Scott told her. He grasped her shoulders with his strong hands. “I want to show you the way it should be. Let me show you how good it can be, Jenn. Give me the weekend.”
“The weekend?” Was he crazy? “I honestly don’t know if I want to try bondage again, not even tonight.” Although if her body had any say, they’d definitely be having sex tonight, and she probably wouldn’t complain if there were ropes involved.
“I can smell your arousal, Jenn. I know your body is aching for a taste of bondage again.” He ran his hand up her thigh, dragging the skirt of her dress up with it. “Let me show you the way a Master should treat his slave.”
Jenn licked her lips and couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. Did she want to be his slave, even for one night?
“Let’s try something,” he said softly, seductively. “If you don’t like it, I’ll walk away from you and never bother you again.” He leaned over her and took one wrist in each hand. “Put your hands behind your back and grasp the slats.”
She nodded and leaned forward slightly to let him guide her hands behind her. He curled her fingers around the wood. “Now close your eyes.”
Jenn glanced around them and didn’t see anyone else nearby. Darkness was falling around them. She looked up at Scott, he was already difficult to see except for that white shirt. What would it matter if she closed her eyes?
“Jenn,” he said in a tone that told her he didn’t like to repeat himself. “Close your eyes.”
She closed her eyes and held on tight.
She was so beautiful, sitting there, trusting him. Scott would love to know what had happened during her last experience, but he wasn’t going to push her to tell him. She’d been so young it probably hit her hard. He would have to be careful.
Bound by Design: A Binding Ties Story Page 2
