Hidden Heat: Hauberk Protection, Book 4

by Leah Braemel

  Standing in front of the cheval mirror that reflected the image of someone she barely recognized, she tried to convince herself there was no reason why her stomach should be doing flip-flops the way it was. Or for her palms to be sweating. Oh yeah, she was going to have sex in front of total strangers.

  “May I offer you a glass of champagne, Miss Hallquist? It might help soothe your nerves.”

  She took the slender glass flute, needing to hold it with both hands to stop the shaking. What the hell had she gotten herself into?

  Jocelyne reappeared and gave Sandy a quick inspection where she expressed her approval. “Now do you have any other questions?”

  About a billion. Yet, none of them managed to make it from her brain to her mouth.

  “And you’re sure you wish to continue with tonight’s event?”

  “Yes.” Wow, were they ever obsessive in making sure she agreed. Although a lawsuit could be pretty embarrassing for everyone. Especially if a list of the club’s members ever became public.

  “Très bien.” Jocelyne held up a black satin blindfold. “Do you wish me to blindfold your lady now, Monsieur, or do you wish to do it yourself?”

  Sandy’s head whipped around to find Troy standing in the doorway behind her.

  “I’ll do it myself.” He walked across the space separating them and took the mask without ever taking his eyes from Sandy. “Thank you, Jocelyne, now leave us please.”

  He waited until they were alone before he trailed a finger across her collarbone and down her arm. “You’re beautiful.”

  She’d never felt as beautiful as she did when he looked at her. The rocks that had been taking turns tumbling in her stomach slowed. “Thanks. It’s just something I threw on at the last moment.” She rubbed the lapels of his tux. She’d seen him in it at company functions before, but never when she’d worn so little. There was something erotic about the combination. “You’re overdressed. Shouldn’t you be naked too?”

  “It’s part of the initiation.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. He rested his lips against her knuckles, his breath caressing the back of her hand. “Lie facedown on the massage table for me, will you?”

  The leather beneath the sheet creaked as she climbed onto the table. His warm palm nestled at the small of her back while something smooth and hard touched her ankle. He dragged it up the back of her calf, and along her thigh.

  “Have you ever worn an anal plug, sunshine?”

  “No.” Her pussy rippled and she knew if he touched her down there his fingers would come away dripping wet. “You’re not expecting me to do a threesome, are you?”

  His hand flattened over her behind. Though he didn’t tighten his grip, she could feel the intensity flowing from his skin to hers. “No. I will not share you, Sandy. Ever.”

  “Oh.” Wow.

  “Does that disappoint you?” His voice turned cool.

  “No. I don’t need another man when I have you.”

  His chuckle rippled through her, relaxing her. Until he touched her behind and parted her cleft. “Just relax. It won’t hurt you, I promise.”

  “It’s not exactly the most romantic way to start this weekend,” Sandy said once the mild discomfort of him inserting the plug passed. “I would have thought you would have had Crystal put that in.”

  “She offered.” He used a towel to clean off any extra traces of the lube he’d used. “I wanted to do it for you.”

  “Because that part of me is your property?” She hefted herself up on one elbow to look at him. Was he this possessive with all his lovers?

  “No.” His expression was unreadable when he met her gaze. “Because I couldn’t bear the thought that it might have hurt you. And if you found it enjoyable, I’d prefer that you think of me instead of a stranger.”

  “That’s kinky. But it’s nice too.” So what was up with that fluttery “I like that you’re so possessive” feeling in the belly? It’s not love, she told herself. It’s just lust.

  He held out his hand and helped her swing her feet to the floor.

  Jocelyne reappeared, a pair of five-inch stiletto heels in one hand and a matching thong in the other. “If you will put these on, Miss Hallquist, then you’ll be all done and ready for this evening.”

  Aware of both Troy and Jocelyne watching her, Sandy pulled on the thong. She took the stilettos and stuck her toes into the glittery silver shoes. The men that would see her wouldn’t care less about the height of her heels. They’d be focusing on her boobs and the easy access to her girl parts but if she fell off them she’d probably break her ankle. “I hope I don’t have to walk more than a couple steps in these.”

  “They’re mainly for show, of course. Just remember to walk from your hip and it’ll give your derrière that nice little swing men love.”

  Right, walk from the hip. And keep her butt clenched so the plug didn’t shift too much. Which was why they’d given her the thong to wear, she supposed. What else did she need to remember? Oh yeah, to breathe.

  Her heart pounded as Troy tied the silk-padded mask in place. The blackness enveloping her caused her heart rate to soar until she took a deep breath. This was all part of the experience, remember? The room that had seemed so quiet before came alive. The windows overhead couldn’t entirely mute the creak of the trees or the hum of the warm air blowing through the heating vents. Her breathing seemed louder, and she was certain he would be able to hear her heartbeat pounding like a bass drum.

  She sniffed. He smelled spicy and warm. Male. “You’re wearing that cologne I said I liked the other day.”

  The one he scoffed at when she’d tested it at the mall, saying he didn’t care for colognes.

  “Just for you.” Despite the blindfold she could feel his fingers tracing over her eyebrows. “I knew you were going to be wearing this, so I figured it was important to give you something else to focus on.”

  God, he’d thought of everything, hadn’t he? “Thank you.”

  Troy captured her hand and laced their fingers together and led her down the hall to the rotunda’s double doors.

  The murmuring swelled as they walked into the rotunda. Sandy didn’t need to take off the blindfold to imagine all eyes focussing on her.

  She’d always laughed when her friends talked about having a nightmare of being forced to walk naked down a street. No laughter came to her now. She gripped Troy’s arm harder. If she ran down the hallway, could she find her clothes? Not that she had her car here to make a getaway in, but maybe she could find a phone to call a cab?

  No. This was one of the things she’d put on her bucket list. She’d not run away like a coward. Besides, as she’d told Troy, he’d make sure she had fun. He wouldn’t let anything bad happen.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Jocelyne’s voice sounded far away, as if perhaps she were on the stairs or perhaps up on one of the balconies that ringed the room. “May I present Miss S., who joins us for her initiation tonight.”

  Following Troy’s murmured instructions, Sandy walked up the three steps onto the dais and wrapped her hands around the silk ropes. But when she was instructed to place one foot up on the jewelled platform, a woman’s laugh floated down from the balcony. Oh God, she was really doing this. In front of an audience.

  The lights in the hall had dimmed, though a halogen spotlight lit up the rose-bedecked dais where Sandy stood on display. God, she was lovely. The black silk blindfold highlighted the gold in her hair. Her skin glowed beneath the lights, the pose turning her into a living statue. Despite the warmth of the room, her nipples hardened into tight buds that begged his mouth to capture them, taste them.

  Jocelyne had tweaked the settings of the sound system until the taped conversations were little more than a murmur, the way it would be if there’d been a real crowd watching. Thank heavens Coop had agreed to close the place to any visitors except them tonight. He curled his fingers into damp palms. Shit, he was sweating like a frickin’ schoolboy called in front of the principal while she wa
s so frickin’ calm. What the hell was going on with him?

  Jocelyne approached, her head tilted to one side. “Are you well, monsieur?”

  “I’m fine, thanks.”

  “She is a beautiful woman. Enjoy your stay.”

  Only after Jocelyne disappeared down the main hallway, did he shrug out of his jacket. He fumbled with the clasp of his cuff link when a petal fell from one of the overhanging flowers and fluttered onto Sandy’s shoulder. Her soft intake of breath as it glided down her breast and over her belly highlighted her sensuality.

  God, he wanted to do this for her. He wanted to give her everything she desired. He wanted to give her softness and warmth, she wanted more. She wanted excitement. Once he was completely naked he picked up the flogger. “You liked being spanked, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.” The conversations all around her, the knowledge people were watching, or that some were not, should add to her confusion.

  He let the strips of leather dangle down her back and over her behind so she’d have a clue as to what he was about to do. “Do not let go of the straps. Or should I tie you to them?”

  “I won’t let go. I promise.”

  The first time he flicked the flogger over her ass, she hissed and jerked, but she didn’t let go. “Don’t come, sunshine. Not until I’m in you.”

  By the time her ass glowed a pretty pattern of red, her buttocks were rhythmically clenching around the butt plug. Her skin glowed in the light of the halogens, not from the glittery powder they’d dusted over her but from a sheen of perspiration as she struggled not to come. He let the flogger drop to his side to admire her. Not once had she objected to anything he’d suggested, not just tonight but during their relationship. She’d never felt the need to pretend to be something she wasn’t. Everything she felt was right there on her face for anyone to see. So trusting and open to anything as long as he was there with her.

  She was a surprise. A gift.

  She was his.

  Every nerve ending in Sandy’s body felt alive, on fire. Beyond the mask, the voices had continued their quiet chatter, occasionally she swore she heard someone else panting as if they were being pleasured and about to come. The first time the flogger had touched her flesh she’d nearly let go of the straps to protest. The damned thing hurt. The second time was harder, biting into her skin. To her surprise, the sting on her ass faded and spread to the pleasant warmth she’d first experienced when Troy had spanked her.

  “Everyone’s watching you. Can you feel them? Can you imagine the lust in their eyes?”

  Though she could hear voices, she wanted to see their faces as they watched Troy flogging her. Lust, as he’d suggested. Maybe even jealousy.

  The flogger fell again, driving the thought from her head, returning it to the warring sensations in her ass and her pussy. Trusting that he wouldn’t truly hurt her, she’d soon lost track, the pain turning to pleasure confusing her mind as her body craved more.

  The butt plug enhanced the experience of the flogging until her body hovered on the brink of orgasm. Yet he’d told her not to come. Sandy fought the muscles that clenched the plug, tightening her passage until her head lolled on her shoulder and tears gathered in her eyes, her whole body shaking with her need for release.

  Strong hands molded around her fingers, prying them free of the straps. “Let go, sunshine.”

  Where she would have sagged to the floor, he caught her, rubbing the circulation back into her arms. Once she was steady again, there was a gentle pressure on her shoulders.

  She sank down and discovered instead of the hard marble she’d expected, a pillow had been placed on the floor to cushion her knees.

  Something warm and velvety bumped against her lips so she parted them. Immediately his shaft thrust into her mouth, filling it until the thatch of hair at his groin tickled her nose. She breathed deeply, loving the musky scent mingling with the hint of cologne he’d worn simply because she’d said she’d liked it.

  His fingers threaded through her hair and he held her still as he worked his cock back and forth in her mouth. A hot bead of come tantalized her taste buds as his cock swelled and pulsed beneath her tongue. Her pussy throbbed with each stroke, as if he were plunging deep against her womb instead of her throat.

  “Yeah. Just like that.” The huskiness of his voice rasped her senses as surely as the sting of her hair as he tightened his grip. Despite the blindfold, she could picture him naked in front of her, his butt clenched with each thrust, his thigh muscles taut, his head thrown back as her mouth pleasured him.

  His thrusting shallowed for a moment as he struggled to hold off, then his control snapped and he surged deep, his thrusts wild and rough. Her hips rolled in time with his thrusts, the plug heavy against her needy tissues. A groan rumbled deep in her throat, her body forgetting the plug was not him as she approached her own climax. Too soon his release jetted out in a hot stream; she swallowed the creamy essence, licking the pulsing head until his movements gentled.

  She licked her lips once he pulled from her and released his hold on her hair. The extra stroke over her head had her turning to rub her cheek into his palm. He pulled her to a stand, his fingers lacing with hers. “Your turn now.”

  Was the public part done? Would they end up in a private room or would he fuck her right here in front of everyone?

  “Hang on to me for a moment.” He placed her hands around his neck then lifted her, carrying her. Cool leather touched her heated skin and her back had to arch…ah, he’d taken her to the curvy piece of furniture. Unhooking her arms, he positioned her over the highest arch and she realized the benefits of the curves and how the couch allowed her to be put on display. The possibilities of the positions they could use on the strange piece of furniture now seemed endless.

  Her legs naturally fell open as he knelt on the lower curve. He positioned himself between them and removed her shoes. The rough pads of his fingertips skimmed down the curve of her neck and circled her breasts, his thumb brushing over her areola until it beaded and quivered. They skimmed around the globes then skated across her belly.

  “You’re so beautiful, sunshine. So responsive.” He pressed a kiss to the ticklish spot above her hip. “You should see the looks you’re getting. The women wish they were you, while the men all wish they were me.”

  With each touch, with each murmur he gave, her core grew heavier, the skin of his belly that rested against her mons grew slippery with her juices.

  She squirmed when he flattened his palm over her belly and dragged it down to her mound. The heel of his hand pressed against her clit in a tantalizing promise of pleasure. As she lifted her hips to press into his palm, his mouth caught her breast, his lips, teeth and tongue teasing her until she was breathless and dizzy.

  “Can you smell your arousal? I can. So can everyone in the front row.” He slipped a finger through the wetness of her folds. She squirmed, wishing he’d breach her entrance, allow her to come. Instead he withdrew, causing her to moan in disappointment.

  “I know what you want, but you’re on my schedule tonight.” He traced the curve of her mouth, then slipped it past her lips. “Taste yourself, Sandy.”

  She licked her own essence from his finger and the scent of her arousal—and his—grew stronger. When he tried to withdraw his finger from her mouth, she caught his wrist and held him there, sucking his fingers deep as her hips rolled, pressing her mound against him. She couldn’t resist running her fingers along the ridges of his arms, loving the way the dark hair crinkled beneath her fingertips.

  “Such passion.” he murmured. “There’s a couple watching us—the woman is mimicking everything you do. Does that turn you on? Do you like the idea that you inspire passion in others?”

  She’d never thought herself an exhibitionist before, but the idea that others were watching, were getting off on what she was doing made her even wetter. Humming her assent, she sucked harder on his finger, rolling her tongue over it as she had done for his cock before rele
asing it. “Fuck me, Troy. Please. I need you.”

  “Not yet. It’s not a race tonight. It’s never a race.” His lips captured hers, his tongue sliding over her teeth, dancing with hers. His body covered hers, the crisp hair on his chest rasping her breasts until they ached for more of his touch. The length of his cock slid through her slick folds and over her clit until she cried out once again for him to take her. Instead he broke off the kiss and drew back, paying homage to her breasts, using his tongue and teeth in an onslaught that left her trembling with need.

  Leather creaked as he once again shifted his weight. His thighs pressed against the inner flesh of hers, and the hard head of his cock broached her entrance. He thrust into her with a slow but steady pressure until he filled her completely.

  “Oh, God.” Between his girth and the butt plug filling her, she’d never been so stretched.

  Her body reached a fervor she’d never known before. Her hips lifted, trying to find…something. He gripped her hips and pressed her back against the leather. The angle had changed slightly until the bulbous head scraped along a sensitive section that started her quivering. Once assured she wouldn’t move again, he released one hip and moved one hand to toy with her clit.

  Her vision removed, her world was reduced to sensation. The wet slapping sound each time their hips met, even the soft breath brushing her neck seemed warmer, more erotic. He groaned, the sound rumbling through his chest into hers. He drove her higher than she’d ever been before, the air seemed to thin, and her chest heaved, each breath more difficult than the last.

  When she finally couldn’t draw another breath, her body tightened, clenched around his shaft. Against the blackness of the mask, an explosion of fireworks sparkled in her vision. Just when she thought she was done, he drove her up again until she was shaking so hard she couldn’t stop.