by Casea Major
“I will show you to your room now. Once you’re comfortably settled, you may join Dominic in his room for drinks.” His green eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement.
Dominic. The name Madame Eve had called him, too. She’d been in such a whirl she’d forgotten to ask for his last name. What would he look, smell or taste like? She would know soon. Very soon.
She tried to throttle the alternating waves of excitement and terror rolling over her.
Gabriel guided her to a large suite of rooms with a tiled balcony overlooking the vineyard. She stepped out to the veranda. The sun had set below the horizon, but bright copper and red flamed in the sky.
She’d hardly had time to think about what she planned, let alone come to terms with it. Don’t over ponder. Just indulge. The evening air chilled her skin, and she stepped inside.
She set her toiletries on the bathroom counter and brushed through her hair. Examining herself in the mirror, she eyed her body critically. Hope he likes busty brunettes with blue eyes. Then she turned around. Craning her head back over her shoulder, she lifted her skirt. Only one or two noticeable cellulite dimples. The lace of the thong rubbed her tailbone. An image of a large hand smacking her bare ass filled her mind. She gasped and clamped her legs together.
Was she really ready for a spanking? Her eyes fluttered closed. She’d always found the idea of a spanking erotic and had actually tried it once with Jason. But it just hadn’t been in him to slap her hard enough. He’d said he hated the thought of hurting her. The whole experience left her disappointed, wanting more.
She shivered. But this Dominic, she felt pretty certain, would have no trouble hitting hard enough. At least if she completely embarrassed herself, she’d never have to see him again. And thank the gods I don’t know him. But tonight she’d get to know him, wouldn’t she? Intimately.
Erotic thoughts swam in her mind. She pictured him as slightly older, but fit. Strong and forceful. Her cheeks burned at the thought of the special request she’d made. Her sex twitched. Madame Eve made it a point to say he had no issues with her requests, although Mel couldn’t imagine a Dominant would have any inhibitions when it came to sex. She reapplied her lipstick and headed to Room 1467 down the hall.
When she reached the door, she stopped short. Sweat moistened her palms. She pulled her parched tongue from the roof of her mouth, and her sphincter clenched so tight she feared it might chew through her new underwear. Her hand trembled as she knocked.
“Enter,” a deep voice rumbled.
Chapter Three
Mel sucked in a breath, and opened the door. The darkened room flickered with the light of at least a dozen candles. She squinted as she walked in. The smell of incense and roses wafted in the air. Her sight adjusted, and the darker shadows of the space became visible. She scanned the scene.
In the middle of the room sat an oversized bed covered in black velvet and satin. Her arms and legs quivered. A roughly-made wooden table stood with two straight-backed chairs in the corner, and a tray of appetizing food waited.
She stood frozen, anticipating his appearance. Uneasiness stole over her, and a shiver ran up her spine. Was he hiding? She began to turn—
“Do not turn around, Miss Manning,” his voice whispered against her ear.
She jumped at the husky sound but didn’t move away.
He ran his hands across her shoulders and trailed his fingers down her bare arms. “Are you frightened, kitten?”
She tingled at his simple, but intimate touch. The heat from him radiated against her back though he never made contact with it. Although she couldn’t see him, his presence filled the room, and the walls seemed to shrink at his closeness. “I’m a little scared. I’ve never done anything like this before, but I guess you do—”
His finger glided up her shoulder to press against her lips, and his soft rebuke halted her rambling. “Silence.”
Her eyes fluttered closed. Pleasure and fear mingled in her mind and over her. She wanted so badly to turn her head and look at him, but his commanding presence told her she shouldn’t.
The spicy masculine scent of him filled the air, and his moist, heavy breath washed waves of delight down her neck. “During this portion of the evening you will only speak when asked a direct question, and you will address me as Sir. Understand?”
Concentrating on his words, she strained to hear him over her pounding pulse but nodded. In the dim light of the candles, her chest rose and fell rapidly. Excitement and fear zinged to her extremities and every place in between.
“There’s nothing to be frightened of.”
He trailed his tongue from her earlobe down to her nape. She gasped and tensed her shoulders as he nipped and sucked the sensitive skin on her neck. Goose bumps covered her from head to toe. Her nipples hardened and throbbed. The mystery of him enticed her as much as his touch and scent.
He slid his hand slowly over her stomach. She melted back against him, the heat of him wrapping around her, instant, carnal and very real. Throbbing need pulsed between her legs, replacing the chill of fear.
“I’m going to remove your dress.”
“Okay.” The word whooshed from her. Her head spun and she swayed, almost losing her balance. Is this really happening? His velvet baritone held a familiar lilt she couldn’t place, but surely if she’d heard that sexy sound before, she’d remember. Right then, she was so aroused it could be her high school boyfriend and she wouldn’t know—or care.
“Okay, what?”
She tensed at his rebuke. “Okay, Sir.”
“You have enough discipline coming this evening for past transgressions, Miss Manning. Let’s not complicate matters by increasing their number. All right?”
“All right, Sir.” She sucked in a breath at the mention of punishment. What would he do to her? She had stipulated mild discipline, but what did that mean to him?
He moved his hands from her abs upward, smoothing his palms across her breasts, grazing her nipples with every finger as he passed over the fabric of her dress. A long breath blew from her lips, and liquid desire gushed between her legs.
He trailed his fingers to her back and unzipped the dress, allowing it to fall to the floor with a whisper. The cool air of the room played across her bare skin. The vulnerability of her position built a pressure in her stomach not unlike the apprehension she suffered before her yearly employment evaluation.
Pulling her back against his bare chest, his arms slipped around her waist, his hands splaying across her flesh and grazing the lace of her bra. His touch scorched her skin and desire for more flooded her. She ran a hand over his forearms. The fine masculine hair stood at her touch, and he sighed into her ear.
A solid mass of muscle supported her back. His touch seared like magic. What did he look like? If he could make her feel so sexy and aroused, did his appearance even matter?
“You’re lovely. A beautiful woman. Why don’t we sit while you still can?” He chuckled and led her to one of the chairs.
Standing behind her, he spoke, “Tonight I’m the giver. You’re the receiver. I’m in control.” Clearly seeking her affirmation, he clasped her shoulder and hovered over her.
She nodded.
“If at any time you need the scene to stop, you can use a safe word. Once the safe word is used, the act will be terminated. Use the word at your discretion. It should be an expression that can’t be construed in any other way but to mean stop.”
He shifted behind her, and she tried to see him from her peripheral vision.
“What word do you choose?”
Mel said the first nonsexual thing that came to mind. “Imperial Oats,” hastily adding, “Sir.”
Silence lingered, and though she couldn’t see his face, she wondered if a smile spread across it.
“All right. The evening will be divided into two parts. The first being discipline. The second being desire. Miss Manning, do you suppose discipline to be pleasant?”
“No, Sir. I guess not.”
“Good. Then you understand discipline is to elicit a response, and it won’t always be pleasant.”
She faced forward, but the muscles in her neck burned to turn her head. Just to get one good look at the man.
“After your discipline, you can forego desire if you wish.” He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Or you can partake of my passion that will—I assure you—bring you to completion.” Her already hardened nipples throbbed painfully as his lips feathered over her ear.
He stepped in front, towering over her.
Goose bumps rose over her arms as she took in the sight of him. Simple black dress pants with a black leather belt met her at eye level, along with a healthy bulge that expressed his enjoyment of the evening thus far. She drew her gaze up from his hips, past his trim waist and abs. The golden muscles of his shoulders and chest rippled in the flickering light. He flipped the other chair around and sat backward in it, resting his powerful arms over the top. Her mouth dried at his supreme form. But her sight fixed in intrigue over his face.
A black silk mask like Zorro’s completely covered him from his nose to the top of his head and tied like a scarf in the back. Small amounts of dark hair and sideburns escaped from under the sides, and piercing gray eyes stared intently at her. Familiar eyes that—
“There will be three parts to the punishment tonight. One, you will lower yourself over my lap, and I will spank you with my hand.” He leaned forward in the chair and licked his ruby red lips. Had he been eating strawberries?
“Two, you will strip and be bound to the bed by these silk ties.” His stormy gaze pierced her, his voice a soft growl. “Are you familiar with this technique, little kitten?”
“Not personally, Sir. But I think I understand the concept.” Something familiar and forbidden about him danced on the edges of her mind. If she just had a minute to think, she could figure it out, but she had to concentrate on what he said.
“After tonight you certainly will.” He held strips of soft black fabric up for her to examine. She took them and slid them through her fingers. Visions of her naked and restrained on the bed while he teased her swam in her mind, almost drowning her. He cleared his throat. She shook the thoughts away and handed the ties back.
“I believe you’ve made a special request this evening. Is that correct?” A sly smile spread over his face.
Her clit throbbed. “Yes, Sir.”
“And what is that request?”
Shit. Her face flamed. He was going to make her say it. Out loud! She took a shaky breath. He continued to stare, unrelenting. She ducked her face and mumbled, “I requested oral sex, Sir.”
“Then we’ll use bondage time for that.” The vibrations of his hushed voice slid over her, touching private places. “Be warned, little kitten, when the time comes, you will speak.”
Oh, God. Ready to give him free reign, she’d almost climaxed right there in the chair. Lust flowed from him in rolling waves that crashed like magma into her. Then she saw the paddle. A lump formed in her throat, and her butt tensed. Heat flooded her cheeks—both sets.
He smacked the supple leather against his palm, the sound cracking through the quiet room. “This is my thou-shalt-not paddle. It has the ability to reach a person’s innermost thoughts.”
He passed it to her. Her hand shook as if she had Parkinson’s when she took it. She lightly tapped the bonded leather against her palm, the sound as fearsome as the sting. Yep. That would hurt like a son of a bitch with the slightest amount of force.
“During the third part of your discipline, you will truthfully answer my questions or receive this paddle on your bare bottom until you do.”
Her mind twisted with fear. What would he want to know? How much pain could she withstand before she spilled her guts? Then again, she didn’t really have anything to hide.
“Tears, screaming, and wiggling will not save your behind, Miss Manning. Only the safe word or complete release will stop the paddling.”
The soft sound of his voice did nothing to mask the harsh reality of his words. Dread snaked down her spine, but she’d signed up for this. Hell or high water, she would press on. He held out his large hand. She handed the paddle back to him. Her stomach knotted, but her clit continued to tingle. So did her ass.
Without warning, he pulled her up from the chair and took it for himself. She gasped at the suddenness and his firm grip. Seating her sideways on his lap, he cradled her head and slowly leaned in for a kiss. The hard mass between his legs pressed into her bottom. She was panting before he even neared her lips, but when their mouths met, electricity coursed through her like a circuit of harnessed power. The buzz hummed through skin, muscle, and bone as his warm lips insisted on having their own way. Deep and lush, his kiss engulfed her senses. A velvet hand trailed along her hip and down her thigh, holding her securely with the other arm.
She sighed into his mouth and laced her arms around his neck, pulling her flush with his chest. His heart beat fast and strong against her, and he moaned.
Dominic ended the kiss and nuzzled her hair. “I look forward to hearing you purr, little kitten. Do you want to experience that pleasure tonight?”
“Oh. Yes. Sir.” Desire burst into flames, scorching her. How could she get any hotter? She wanted him immediately.
The straight line of his nose became visible as the candlelight illuminated his mask in a soft glow. With his face so close, the smooth texture of his lower cheek and jaw revealed he’d shaved recently. Cupping her hand at his neck, she pulled him toward her so she could connect in another kiss.
He twisted his head from her fingers and pierced her with the steel gray stare that peered down all too familiarly. She dropped her hand and her gaze and gulped, trying to place those eyes.
“Do you have any questions?”
“Why are you masked, Sir?”
“It’s easier to find relief in anonymity than with someone you can identify with.” His voice still husky, he reverently cupped her breast, stroking the nipple with his thumb. “When your punishment is over, I’ll fuck you into another world.”
His words crashed into her like erotic bullets. Throwing her head back, she blew out a loud sigh. Her head spun, but there was something her muddled mind was missing.
“Any other questions?”
She slowly shook her head. “No, Sir.”
Chapter Four
Dominic helped Mel up from his lap, and she stood between his legs. Shyness overcame her. She dropped her gaze to the floor.
“Why are you in need of punishment, little kitten?”
His soft tone contradicted the harsh reality soon to come and she had to strain to hear. Her sex twitched, and her breath caught. “I’ve skewed my priorities and messed up my life. Because of my demanding job, I’ve forgotten those who are most important to me—my friends, family and ex-boyfriend who left me, Sir.”
He sat tall and straight as he drummed his fingers on her hips. “And what do you intend to do about this bad behavior?”
“I hope to reorganize my life so I can spend quality time with those I love. Including drinks once a month with my best friend, calling my parents once a week, and never again missing a previously planned engagement because of my job, Sir.”
He nodded once. “There is still the current outstanding balance to settle, correct?”
“Yes, Sir.” A spanking. More wetness drenched the lace of her panties.
“Then let’s get on with it. Bend over my lap.”
The authority of his deep voice sent ripples of fear and excitement from her butt cheeks and over the rest of her.
She swallowed hard as his strong hand guided her across his thighs. His erection dug into her hip. At least she knew he was turned on, too. Difficult to tell by looking at the stern set of his jaw. But his firm cock told the story.
He smoothed his hand over her behind that lay bare except for the thin string of her thong. “Spread your legs.”
Always a whisper. She parted them slightly, and he
slipped his fingers between the folds slickened with desire. He lightly circled her clit. Pure pleasure rippled through her. She moaned and arched off his leg with her palms flat against the floor.
“Kitten. You’re so ready for me, aren’t you?”
“Oh, yes.”
He landed a sound blow squarely across her ass, his fingers, coated with her arousal, leaving a wet band. And then another smack. “Yes, what?”
Snapped out of her lust by the loud crack and the painful slap, she flinched. “Yes, Sir.”
Maneuvering her like a doll, he placed a forearm over the small of her back at her waist, tucking his fingers snugly under her hip, effectively locking her in place with her bottom in prime position for a thorough spanking. Her toes barely touched the floor. He smoothed the other hand over her ass.
She shuddered. Her hair hung around her face, shielding her as he began a brisk but methodical barrage on her butt cheeks. Smacking each one in succession, he lit her ass on fire, and tears pooled in her eyes from the slow burn.
“Do you intend to reset your priorities, Miss Manning?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Do you intend to ignore your friends and family with your work anymore?” Smack.
“No, Sir.” She wiggled to free herself from the bombardment, but his arm clamped tighter.
His pace increased, and her answers became more desperate. His hand popped her bare flesh, abusing her butt that stung like all fucking hell. “Oww.”
“Will you forget to call your mother or father on their birthdays?” Smack.
“How did you know, Sir?”
Smack. Smack. Smack.
“Oww! Please, Sir, stop. Please stop.” Her cries filled the room. “I promise. I promise I’ll never let work come between me and my family again.”
His flurry of strikes ended as quickly as they began, and a gush of arousal flowed between her legs. He slid his hand across her flaming ass. Tingles shot to the front of her core. She pressed her clit into his flexed thigh and ground against him.
