An Invitation: Alayna's Training

by Jennifer Cole

“Generally you're health conscience and always order a side salad. You mix up your dressings. But Friday is your let-loose day. You go all out and have a toasted BLT with spiced mayonnaise, with a side of sweet potato fries. Your favorite soup is minestrone, and you detest chicken noodle—”

  “Introducing humor to break up a tense moment, very smooth,” he said, cupping her right breast in the palm of his hand, squeezing the erect nipple between his thumb and index finger.

  Alayna exhaled a nervous puff of breath.

  “Things were going so well, Logan. Or at least I thought they were,” she said, feeling her heart on the verge of breaking. “But any conversation beginning with 'there's something I need to tell you' or 'we need to talk' doesn't usually end well.”

  “It doesn't have to be like that, Alayna. And it isn't going to be like that this time.” Logan's voice took on such a serious tone, and Alayna couldn't help but be on edge.

  “All right,” she said and attempted to relax.

  “I said you were at a disadvantage,” he repeated, stroking a single fingertip over her exposed right nipple, which bobbed just above the waterline. “You see, I've had months to research and learn about you.”

  “You've been…investigating me?”

  “Sort of. I told you I wanted you from the moment I saw you, but I was prepared to deny myself you to my dying day, because I'm not worthy of your affections, or the gift of your submission. It's for that reason I decided if I couldn't have you, I could at least learn everything about you. Seemed like the perfect punishment for me.”

  “Logan,” she said, feeling very confused. “Why do you think you should be punished? I don't understand.”

  “I know you don't, baby. You asked me earlier why it took setting me up to come to you, and you deserve to know why. So I'm going to explain it. It isn't pretty, but you need to know before we can go any further. Actually, you should have known before the playroom, so you could have tossed me out of your life before I took advantage.”

  “Stop right there, buddy. You didn't take advantage of me. I came to this place of my own free will, knowing what went on here. So don't give me that shit.”

  “Stop talking, woman, or I will ball gag you,” he said, giving her nipple a sharp squeeze.

  Alayna squealed. “You wouldn't dare,” she challenged.

  “To stop that vicious tongue of yours from wagging? You're damn right I would.”

  Alayna gripped a handful of hair on Logan's leg and tugged.

  “Wench,” he growled.

  “Truce?”

  “Yeah, yeah, truce. But you're going to pay for that,” he said and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Alayna, something bad happened five years ago, and I vowed I never wanted to experience anything like that again.”

  The sudden pain in his voice tore at her heart. “Oh, Logan.” She wanted to turn and fold him in her arms and take his pain away. “You are so hurt. I can hear it.”

  “Her name was Tasha.”

  Alayna stiffened.

  “We'd been involved in a Dominant/submissive relationship for three years, and for several months before it ended, she'd been researching some rougher elements of the lifestyle. Things I was opposed to executing. You see, there are a variety of activities—”

  “I know some of that. The spectrum of experiences and fetishes are as broad as the people who engage in them. Everyone's tastes are different.”

  “That's right. I take pleasure in sexual dominance. Safety is always a top priority in this lifestyle. It is my main focus to fulfill my lover's wants and needs. I like to push my lover's buttons and limits to see just how far she will go for me, and in doing so to gain the most pleasure for herself. If my lover enjoys the implement of toys or perhaps foods in our play, I am more than happy to indulge her desires. My pleasure comes from seeing my lover bound for me, helpless and powerless while I take what I need from her. But a good master never takes without giving.”

  “I understand,” she said.

  “Although I am a believer that anything is acceptable between consenting adults, there are lines I won't cross. For instance, I'm not into cutting for pleasure. That just isn't something that turns me on.”

  “I don't think it would me either.”

  “Well, Tasha developed a craving for the darker side. She was seeking out ways to indulge in her new fetishes behind my back. One night she came to me wanting me to asphyxiate her while we had sex. She claimed it would bring her a heightened release.”

  “That is so dangerous,” Alayna said. She knew a little about sexual asphyxia, enough to know it could—and had—killed. It was a game some people played, either alone or with friends, and many lost their lives.

  “It is, and it's a game that I refused to play. She refused to listen to my advice. We fought. A week later, I ended our relationship.”

  “All that because you wouldn't choke her?” she asked, not bothering to hide her disgust.

  “Well, I suspect there was more to it than that. There were several things I wouldn't do because the lifestyle to me isn't about hurting my partner. Yes, pleasure can be found in pain. But hurting someone is a different ball game altogether and one I have no desire to play.”

  “What happened?”

  “Two weeks after that, Tasha was found dead in her apartment.”

  “Oh God. Were you the one who found—”

  She felt him shake his head behind her. “Her neighbor.”

  “What happened to the guy who did it?”

  “When he heard the news, he turned himself in.”

  “Well, that's something.”

  “I suppose. He wasn't experienced in the lifestyle, and even less so with sexual asphyxia. He claimed it was a consensual act between them that went too far. He admitted he didn't know the first thing about it and that he'd been taking direction from Tasha until she passed out. When the police paid me a visit, I told them about her wanting me to do it and my refusing. And I agreed I thought it probable their experience had been consensual.”

  “He just left her there even though she didn't wake up?”

  “Yeah. In his defense, he was just a kid.”

  “That's a piss-poor excuse.”

  “Perhaps, but he found himself caught up in a way of life he knew nothing about and had an older woman to show him the ropes. He has to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life.”

  “And you're living with the guilt.”

  “Yes.”

  “Why should you feel guilty?”

  “A master makes a vow to his sub to keep her safe and to see to her needs. I failed Tasha.”

  “I thought vows were only exchanged during a collaring ceremony. Were you two committed by contract or collaring?”

  “My little beauty has done her homework,” he teased. “No, we didn't have anything legal or otherwise binding us, but I had still vowed to protect her and fulfill her. In that I failed. I failed to keep my promise to her, and she died.”

  Alayna noticed the water around them had chilled, but she didn't want to leave the tub just yet. Logan was pouring his heart out to her, sharing his darkest secret, and to make any sort of sudden movement to exit would shatter what she suspected was a rather fragile emotional state. But the damn water was cold. She was starting to shiver.

  As she levered herself upright, Logan's hands released her without protest.

  He drew his legs up and gripped the sides of the tub to lift himself out. “I'm sorry, Alayna. I just wanted to tell you. You deserved to know,” he said. “I'll go and get you something to put on.”

  Alayna turned and pressed her palm in the middle of his chest. “I'm not going anywhere. We aren't finished talking. The water's just cold. I'm going to warm it up for us,” she said, pushing him back against the porcelain. “Relax.”

  Once she was satisfied he wasn't going anywhere, Alayna turned back around and pulled the plug to drain some of the cold water. Then after turning on the hot water tap, she used her hands to
push the warm water around the tub. Once the water began to heat, she put the plug back in the drain and continued swirling her hands around in the water.

  “Why would you want to stay with me after hearing what I just told you?” Logan asked.

  “You didn't do anything wrong,” she replied. “You weren't responsible for Tasha's death.”

  “I was responsible for her safety,” Logan snapped.

  Ignoring his outburst, Alayna turned the tap off and settled herself back against his chest. When he didn't wrap her in his arms, she reached for his hands and pulled them across her body.

  “You said she was going out behind your back while you were still together. Were polyamorous relations, swinging, or sharing part of your agreement?”

  “No,” he answered.

  “You told me you ended your relationship two weeks before she died.”

  “Yes, that's true.”

  “Well then, I'm confused. If she was cheating on you—and I'm sorry, Logan, but that's what it sounds like to me—your responsibility for her concluded the night she left. She decided she didn't want you to take care of her any longer. Your commitment to one another was null and void.”

  Silent minutes passed, and Alayna suspected she'd crossed the line with her last statement. But the situation had seemed pretty clear-cut to her. “I'm sorry. That was rather harsh of me.”

  “No, sweetheart, it wasn't. You're speaking the truth.”

  “Well then,” she began and then stopped. Turning in his arms, she looked into his eyes, studying his tense expression. “At what point do you allow yourself to let go of the guilt that isn't yours to carry and embrace life again?”

  She sounded just like Dane, but she was definitely a hell of a lot sexier.

  “I began my new life six months ago,” he said. Her expression dropped. “When I met you,” he added. “I just refused to acknowledge it at the time.”

  A sexy smile turned up the corners of Alayna's mouth. “Talk like that will get you laid, Mr. Abram,” she said.

  “I'm counting on it, baby. Come on, let's get out of here. You're wrinkling up on me.”

  When they came out of the bathroom, they saw Shendah had brought a tray of food, leaving it in the middle of the big bed.

  “Looks like we had company,” Alayna said and climbed onto the bed. Pulling the bottle of champagne from the ice bucket beside the tray, she grinned. “Are you going to do the honors, Master?”

  Taking the bottle from her hand, he returned her smile. “It'll be my pleasure.”

  After clearing the tray of the fruits and pastries they'd been brought, Logan placed the tray in the hallway. After he closed the door and engaged the lock, he turned and stalked toward the bed. Sitting in the middle of the bed, Alayna looked to him with wide eyes. There was no doubt he looked every bit the predator he felt. A hint of vulnerability flashed in her eyes, but trust outshone it.

  “I'm ready for desert,” he growled, climbing atop the bed.

  Alayna reached for him. As he brushed his lips along hers, she pressed harder against his mouth. Logan allowed her the briefest moment of dominating the kiss before exerting enough force to ease her back against the pillows along the headboard.

  Once she relaxed against the mattress, Logan grasped her hands where they cradled his face and raised them above her head. From the nightstand, he produced a set of bindings similar to the ones attached to the cross she was bound to in the playroom. Without saying a word, he looped the metal chain connecting the leather wraps behind the center support of the headboard and fastened them around her wrists.

  After testing the give of the restraints, she met his gaze and gave him a sexy smile. She seemed to enjoy bondage very much, which was a good thing. He fully intended to keep her tethered to his bed at every opportunity.

  She looked decadent leaning back with pillows surrounding her, her bound wrists effectively restraining her to his bed. The silk robe she wore had parted slightly, and the swells of her beautiful breasts were visible through the split.

  Logan urged her legs apart and settled himself between them. He took her mouth with his, swallowing her soft sigh. He slid his tongue along her tongue, using slow, purposeful strokes, savoring her taste. If he lived several lifetimes, he'd never get his fill of her. Against his thigh, his cock lengthened, growing thick and heavy with need.

  With a nip to her lower lip, Logan pulled away to look at her face. Desire flamed in her eyes. Her pert nose flared as she attempted to tamp her harsh breathing. The tip of her tongue ran sensually across her lip.

  “Will you trust me to see to your pleasure?” he asked.

  “With everything I am,” she whispered.

  Against the column of her neck, Logan peppered a smattering of kisses and love bites until Alayna trembled with soft tremors. Down her chest, his mouth explored until he reached the pale globe of her right breast. Logan slid his hand between their bodies to untie the belt around her waist. He pushed the silk fabric away, exposing her luscious curves. Once the offending material was out of the way, he cupped her left breast, massaging, reshaping, and simply enjoying the weight of it in his hand.

  The pink tip of her breast stood firmly at attention, beckoning his mouth. Not one to disappoint, Logan dipped his head and captured the straining peak between his lips. The hunger he possessed for Alayna was more powerful than anything he'd ever experienced. He rolled his tongue around her nipple. Each time he flicked the bud, Alayna moaned.

  The way she responded to his touch made Logan silently kick himself for being such a jackass over the past six months. Hell, if he'd just given in to his need and conceded to Dane's constant badgering, he and Alayna would have had six months of bliss under their belts already.

  Before turning his oral attention to her left breast, he sank his teeth into the peak between his lips. The sharp hiss she expelled made his balls tighten. His cock ached and throbbed, announcing its impatience to be inside her.

  Logan feasted upon her breasts like a starved man. He couldn't get enough of her taste on his tongue, the feel of her flesh beneath his touch. Atop the mattress she squirmed as his mouth worked more urgently against her. Feminine sounds rolled in her throat, vibrating all the way down to his hands where they held her breasts as he went from one to the other and back again.

  “Please, Logan,” she begged in a whisper.

  A chuckle rumbled in his chest. It would take time to train her to enjoy the pleasures he could bring and stave off her need to feed his. He looked forward to the challenge she would present. He'd brought her many orgasms since entering the playroom that morning, and she was certainly making up for lost time.

  The attention he paid to the underside of her breasts when he abandoned his assault on her nipples brought a savage growl from Alayna. Logan grinned against her belly as he descended lower toward the scent that had taunted him since they'd sat down to eat.

  The fragrance of her arousal was an aphrodisiac to Logan's senses. Judging by the heaviness of feminine musk swirling under his nostrils, he suspected she was wet.

  From between Alayna's splayed thighs, Logan glanced up. Her eyes blazed with heat, her lower lip quivered, and her breasts heaved with each breath she drew.

  “You will keep your legs open for me, baby. If you don't, I'll tie them open.”

  Holding her gaze, Logan used his fingers to part her folds and expose the pink petals in between. His suspicions were confirmed. Her lips were swollen with need and glistening with moisture. He dipped his head forward and dragged the flat of his tongue from the bottom of her opening all the way up to her clit. Alayna sucked in a breath and held it. When he made a second swipe along her slit, she squeezed her eyes closed and blew out a shaky puff of air.

  Logan closed his lips around her clit and suckled gently, ripping a cry from Alayna's throat. Her essence on his tongue threatened to finish him off before he even entered her. He tamped his own need as best as he could and focused his attentions on the woman writhing against his mo
uth.

  Over and over, he flicked his tongue across her clit. He alternated between licking and kissing. As he delved inside her pussy, her muscles gripped his tongue, quivering against him. Her legs began to press in against his shoulders.

  “Do I need to tie your legs open?” At being interrupted, his tone was firm.

  Alayna's eyes popped open, and she met his gaze. He knew the warning was clear in his expression. A shudder moved through her.

  “N-no, sir,” she replied and opened her legs back up.

  “That's my girl,” he praised.

  With one hand he held her lips spread, and using a finger from his other hand, he trailed a single digit from her clit down to the entrance to her body, rimming it before pressing inside.

  “Oh Logan,” she sighed as he sank deep.

  Several times he pumped his finger in and out of her pussy, becoming lost in the feel of her gripping him and the sexy sounds whispering past her lips. Her moisture made it easy for Logan to add a second finger and continue stroking. Curling his digits, he sought out her G-spot and applied gentle pressure to bring the spongy tissue to life. A long, low growl rolled from deep within her chest like the thunder of an approaching storm.

  Logan continued to stimulate her. The tissue swelled against the pads of his fingers, and he resumed lapping at her clit. Alayna wiggled her ass, pressing harder to his tongue. The raspy sounds of her struggling to draw a steady breath urged him on. Against the restraints binding her wrists, she yanked. The grinding of metal along the hooks fastened to the headboard echoed in the room.

  Alayna was close; he could feel her climb around his fingers. Her body tensed and relaxed as she fought the need to give in. Logan smiled at her self-restraint. Without words, he continued his ministrations until her teeth sank into her lower lip, and he knew she could withstand no more.

  “Let go, baby. Let me taste you.”

  As her muscles clamped around his fingers, her flavor danced on his tongue. A keening sob burst from her mouth. Her body trembled as the waves washed over her. Logan persisted, not allowing her a moment's reprieve, and drew a second climax from her.

  Before her muscles stopped spasming, Logan withdrew his fingers and mouth and rose up to his knees between Alayna's legs. Placing her ankles over his shoulders, he pressed forward, sliding his cock through her wetness.