Rise of the Dom

by Brenna Zinn

  “No.” Though a thick fog of lust filled her head, Emma pulled herself upright and stilled her body. “I don’t want to come this way. Not this time. I want to make love to you. I want to feel you inside me.”

  Chet eased his hand from her shorts. A soulful look of earnestness washed over his handsome face. “Say that again. The part about making love.”

  “I want to make love to you?”

  “Yes. I feel like I’ve waited an eternity to hear that.” He eased himself up onto his elbows. “Don’t get me wrong. I love being your Dom. There’s little that can rev me up more than playing with you in a dungeon. But I’ve wanted to make love to you for so long.”

  Heart lodged in her throat and butterflies flittering like mad in her stomach, Emma rolled off him, landing on the floor with both feet. “Then let’s not wait another minute.” She unzipped the zipper to her cutoffs and slid her shorts and panties off, leaving them heaped in a pile.

  Taking her cue, Chet stood. Before removing his jeans, he dug around in his pocket and produced a leather wallet. “We’ll be needing this,” he said as he pulled a foil pouch from the billfold and placed the small package on his bedside table. When he started to unbutton his pants, Emma placed her hands over his.

  “Please. I want to do this.”

  Before he had a chance to answer, she had already positioned herself on her knees before him and had his jeans down around his ankles. As usual, he had gone commando. Glancing up, she couldn’t help the near silent gasp that escaped at the sight of his aroused cock. Although they’d played the role of Dom and sub for several months, his stiff penis appeared bigger than usual. Thick veins pulsed beneath the thin skin of his shaft. Its purplish head glistened with drops of pre-cum.

  With long strokes, he used his fingers to rake through her hair. “Emma. You don’t have to do this. I want this night to be all about you. All about us.”

  “Trust me. It will be.”

  Emma cupped his balls, which were high and tight. With dovelike gentleness she squeezed. Chet’s only response was a brief quaking of his legs. After dragging the tip of a finger up the inside of his thigh, she positioned her other hand around the base of his cock. Without preamble, she placed her entire mouth over his throbbing shaft. The sound of Chet sucking in a gulp of air was quite possibly the sexiest thing she’d ever heard.

  For several minutes she took delight in the pleasure she gave him. With each flick of her tongue against the tight flap of skin directly below the head of his cock, he shuddered. Every deep throat she performed, he moaned. When his hand slipped from her head to grip the sheets and wadded the bedding in his palm, she knew it was time.

  Rising to her tiptoes, she kissed Chet and guided him back onto the bed, then ripped open the condom packaging. Once she had unrolled the sheath over his cock, she repositioned herself over him. Using care, she pulled and pushed her drenched slit over him several times until the entire length of his shaft was covered with her wetness.

  When he slid in, Emma couldn’t repress a pleasure-filled whimper. She was doing this. Loving him without spanks or tools, commands or punishments. And Lord, was it good.

  Emma rocked her hips forward and back, beginning a slow, steady rhythm. Up, down, forward, back, she never stopped moving. The feeling of his cock so deep inside and her clit rubbing against him was too delicious. Too sweet.

  Soon a light sheen of moisture covered their flesh, making their bodies shimmer. She looked down, deliberately allowing her hair to drape over her face and brush against his chest as she moved. Then she blew a cool breath over his stomach.

  “I can’t believe how good that feels,” he said on a sigh.

  He cupped her ass and Emma responded by arching her back again, thrusting her breasts toward his face. Chet leaned forward and latched on to one of the pink buds. Slowly he sucked and scraped the tender nipple with his teeth.

  She ran her fingers through his hair and grabbed hold. “Don’t stop.”

  Chet quickened their pace, thrusting deeper into her tight cunt and sucking harder on her aching breast. She closed her eyes and gasped as he took her over the edge then joined her.

  With you, like this. I never dreamed making love would be this way.

  Chapter Six

  Emma stood nude in her front yard, staring at her house. How she got there, she had no clue. One minute she’d been thinking about Hootie and the Blowfish and warm, comfy clouds. The next minute she’d appeared here, standing in the thick grass as naked as the day she was born, feeling vulnerable and afraid.

  High above, the full moon cast an eerie glow on her home and the surroundings. As though it were an antique silent movie, all color had been drained from the scene, leaving only varying shades of white and gray. The strange lighting made the two second-story windows and eaves look like dark, angry eyes. The bottom windows and door resembled a menacing grin.

  Though the humid night air was hot enough for rivulets of sweat to run down the narrow valley between her breasts, the hairs on Emma’s arms stood on end. The look of the house had her instincts tingling in warning.

  A sudden wind blew in, rustling branches and leaves in the oaks. Despite her hair whipping all around her face, Emma turned her head against the gusts, trying to make sense of the sound coming from the tall trees. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear she could hear whispers. Multiple female voices speaking at the same time.

  “Danger.”

  “Go back.”

  “Run away.”

  “Danger.”

  “Beware.”

  She wanted to heed the murmuring voices and leave her home as fast as she could. But as if commanded by some unseen force, her feet refused to obey her wishes. Step by reluctant step, Emma was drawn forward. Unable to stop. Unable to turn around. When she arrived at the front door, her heart raced and adrenaline poured into her bloodstream.

  More than anything, she wanted to flee. Escape this scary place. In spite of the horror paralyzing her body, her feet continued to advance even when the door creaked open by itself. The moment Emma passed the threshold into the dim foyer, the strong scent of Polo cologne filled the air and the heavy door slammed shut. Its loud bang reverberated through the floor, shaking her legs. Her torso and arms quaked in apparent sympathy when a shiver shimmied up her spine. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably. Tempting as it was to turn her head to see who or what had manipulated the entryway to her home, sheer fear prevented her from looking. Surely she would die of fright or worse if she actually saw the monster she envisioned.

  Like a sliver of metal being pulled by a powerful magnet, Emma was drawn toward the kitchen. To the dungeon. She loathed herself for not being able to stop as she shuffled through the shadowed hallway.

  Why, God, oh why can’t I stop? Please help me. Please!

  She then noticed the unframed photographs hanging at odd angles on the walls. Each picture contained the image of a naked young woman either strapped to some kind of torture device or stuffed into a wire cage. The women, terribly bruised and bloody, stared through open eyes in the unmistakable look of death. And just as had happened in her bedroom only hours before, thick, dark liquid oozed from the photos.

  Blood.

  Though Emma opened her mouth to scream, nothing, not even the sound of her breath, could be heard. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried harder. She pushed air through her lungs and out her throat until her chest burned. Only the hushed mumble of female voices was audible.

  “I wouldn’t bother, Emma. No one will hear you.”

  Emma’s body stiffened and her heart stopped. The voice, male with the hint of an unrecognizable foreign accent, had come from directly behind her. She hadn’t sensed the presence of another person, yet the man was close enough to speak into her ear.

  Hands balled into fists ready to strike, Emma prepared for the battle of her life. No way was some stranger going to take her down in her fucking house without a serious fight.

  She whirled around, the momen
tum nearly knocking her on her ass when she met nothing but thin air. “Who are you? What do you want?” The eked-out words scratched her dry throat like sandpaper.

  “I am your educator. Your new Master.”

  In a defensive move, Emma thrust her back against the wall, then quickly looked left and right. The son of a bitch in her home might have surprised her, but that was the sole advantage she’d give him.

  “You have been poorly trained as a sub. Prepare for a proper education.”

  Emma disregarded the loud thudding of her pulse and concentrated on locating the origin of the man’s voice. Unfortunately it seemed to be coming from nowhere and everywhere at once. The jumble of female whispers only added to the confusion.

  “Leave now before I call the police and no one gets in trouble. No one goes to jail.” She hoped she sounded much more confident than she felt. If he actually left, she promised herself and God she’d change her ways. She’d give more to charity. Volunteer at a women’s shelter. Adopt a pound puppy. Anything if this madman would leave her unhurt and never come back.

  His creepy laugh echoed throughout the house.

  “Seeing as how you have no clothes on, there is no place to hide a cell phone. You haven’t been in this house long enough to install a phone. Really, Emma. You are quite a funny little thing, aren’t you?”

  With as much stealth as she could manage, Emma flattened her right hand to the wall, then quietly shuffled her feet against the baseboard toward the front door. If she could make it there, at least she could try to escape.

  “Who are you? What’s your name?” She swallowed hard and hoped he’d be too distracted answering her questions to notice how much she was moving.

  “I’ve already told you who I am. I am your Dom. But please forgive my horrible manners, we have not yet been properly introduced. My name is Doctor Carl Skinner. This is my house, though you are very much a welcome guest.” The man paused then laughed again. “Just don’t plan on ever leaving.”

  Overwhelming terror consumed Emma. She bolted for the door and reached for the handle. When her skin made contact with the metal knob, she shrieked in pain and jerked away her hand. The handle, somehow blazing hot, had scorched her flesh.

  The sound of mocking tsks surrounded her. “You see, there is no escape. And before you and I are through, you will learn to submit to me. Obey my commands.”

  “Obey you? Submit to you?” A smoldering fury took hold, replacing fear with anger. Pushing the pain of her burned palm aside, Emma grabbed the umbrella near the door then held it before her like a shield. “I don’t think so,” she growled.

  Like tendrils of smoke entwining above a fire, individual wisps of black shadow peeled from the walls and swirled together. Within seconds a dark form took shape at the end of the hallway.

  Emma’s grip on the umbrella tightened and she stepped back. Before her eyes, the inky blob took on a human form, its arms and legs growing out from the center of the shadowy mass. The shifting figure slowly floated toward her. The smell of Polo cologne, now mixed with the sickly sweet scent of decaying flesh, grew stronger. Nausea threatened as the stench overpowered her senses. Afraid of losing control of her weapon to cover her mouth with her hand, she held her breath and crinkled her nose.

  As the mass came closer, it appeared more humanlike. Gray flesh instantly materialized. Unable to look away, Emma stared at the angular face of a man forming. Aside from the classic high cheekbones, he had a broad forehead that showcased slightly arched eyebrows. His lips, perfectly curved like a Cupid’s bow, suggested a sensuality she’d never seen on a man before. No doubt Doctor Carl Skinner had once been extremely handsome. Possibly even a model. But the two bullet holes just below his hairline and the maggots squirming in his rotting flesh now made him frighteningly hideous.

  A fresh wave of fear rolled through her as he appeared fully formed less than five feet away. She gasped for air and reeled back from his pungent odor. Head spinning and eyes watering, Emma lifted the umbrella. “What the fuck are you?”

  Skinner smiled, showing sharpened yellow teeth. “Your worst nightmare.”

  He lunged and grabbed her arms with fingers as cold as ice. “Emma! Wake up. It’s only a bad dream.”

  “Get away from me!” Emma struggled to sit up as she scratched and slapped the hands clasped around her biceps. She had to escape. Run away before it killed her.

  “You’re okay, you’re okay,” a male voice soothed. “You were having a bad dream.”

  Heart thundering in her chest, Emma’s wide eyes took in the dark, unfamiliar room. “Where—where am I?”

  “You’re in my bedroom. You stayed the night with me, remember?”

  Emma sucked in a gulp of air, fully prepared for the stink of Polo and decomposing body parts to burn her lungs. Instead she breathed in the reassuring smell of Eternity. Chet’s familiar scent.

  “I’m in your bedroom?” She turned. Even in the dim light she could see the concern etched on Chet’s face. “It was only a dream?”

  He nodded. “Only a dream. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Uncontrollable sobs took hold, shaking her entire body as relief allowed the tension in her muscles to relax. “It was so real.” Hot tears running down her cheeks, Emma wrapped her arms around Chet and squeezed. The solid contact with the man she loved and his return hug provided a sense of security she desperately needed. “He was going to kill me. In my own home. He was crazy.” She spoke directly into his shoulder, her voice little more than a muffled mumble.

  “Shh. Just a bad dream.” Chet gently rocked her back and forth. The slight movement offered a comforting balm to her shattered nerves. “Today while you’re at work, I’m going to have an alarm installed at your place. You’ll be safe then. Nothing is going to hurt you there. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she sniffed. The practical, logical side of her brain knew he was right. With the alarm in place, no one in their right mind would try to sneak into her house. She was living in rural Illinois for heaven’s sake. Not the rough side of Chicago.

  Yet seeing photographs of her pinned to her bedroom wall with shards of glass certainly wasn’t normal for this part of the country. Neither was the dull ache in her palm where she had burned her hand in the dream.

  * * * * *

  “That should do it,” Mason Burke said over the loud sound of hammering coming from Emma’s master bedroom. He replaced a screwdriver in his toolbox, then fished a pamphlet from his black briefcase. “Come with me to the control panel. I’ll explain the alarm functions and how to set the codes.”

  Chet nodded and followed the hulking co-owner of B&E Security to the small white box near the front door. At least twenty years his senior, the bald man wearing heavy black boots, solid black fatigue pants and a black T-shirt looked as though he’d just stepped out of the military. Impossible, considering his security company had been in business since the late seventies. Still, if a movie producer needed some big-ass extra for a war movie, Mason Burke would definitely be a man for the job.

  “Everything I’m going to show you is in this manual. You may not remember everything I say today, so keep the manual handy until you’re comfortable with the instructions.” Burke held out the glossy booklet. “Feel free to write your own notes in there. Your notes may end up making more sense than the manufacturer’s.”

  Taking the manual and pulling out a pen, Chet prepared for the onslaught of instructions. “Okay. Let’s take it from the top.”

  After a five-minute demonstration and a half page of notes, Chet closed the booklet. “That wasn’t as complicated as I thought it would be. The only thing Emma really needs to do is set a passcode and press this button to set the alarm. Cake.”

  “It’s important that you emphasize to Ms. Sutherland the fact this alarm system isn’t fully active yet. Until she gets her telephone installed, the alarm will not be monitored. Only the audible alarm in the house will be heard.” Burke’s tone took on a serious note. �
��She needs to have a telephone system installed right away.”

  “Understood. As soon as the workers finish repairing her wall upstairs, I’ll run into town and get things moving with the phone company. Hopefully they’ll be able to come out this afternoon.”

  Burke raised an eyebrow. “Unless you know something I don’t, I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you. The phone company takes their sweet time. Bearing in mind the history of this house, you may want to consider coming up with a plan B for her home security until this system is fully monitored.”

  “History? You mean besides what happened yesterday and the last owner who had a heart attack?”

  A deep furrow formed on the big man’s forehead. “You don’t know about the women who were killed here?”

  “What?” Chet’s eyes grew round. “I heard that the last owner, a young woman, died from a heart attack. Were there more?”

  “Plenty more.” A dark shadow crossed Burke’s face. “At least twelve, including my cousin Trina.”

  Chet reared back. The concern he already had for Emma’s safety rose to a full-on panic. “What the hell happened here?”

  “Back in the early eighties, an insane man by the name of Daniel Winters used to own this home. He was a professor of psychology with the school in town.” Burke shrugged his massive shoulders. “A fairly well-respected professor at that. Go figure.”

  “You mean the Dungeon Master? The guy who tortured then killed a bunch of women from the college? He lived here?”

  “The same one. My wife was almost his last victim. Turns out, he was hers.” Burke’s gaze turned cold as he stared beyond Chet into the kitchen. “My buddy, the other owner of B&E Security, and I found her downstairs in his dungeon. She was nearly dead. When Winters attacked us, she grabbed my gun and shot him twice in the forehead.”

  The Dungeon Master. Holy shit.

  A sickening mixture of bile and breakfast churned in Chet’s stomach. That evil bastard of a man had lived here. He’d killed so many innocent women. Hurt so many families. Nearly crushed the BDSM community.