Surreal (Divine Trilogy #3)

by R. E. Hargrave

  The brief spike of intense thrumming sent tingles up and down her body and had her dropping her chopsticks to clutch the counter edge. Then it receded, the vibrations dimming to an almost unnoticeable buzz inside her while He resumed eating like nothing had happened. Catherine did the same.

  Their dinner continued to play out in the same fashion—teasing, retracting, arousing. Master added his glancing caresses to the torture in the cab ride back to the hotel. However, He made everything she’d endured over the course of the afternoon and evening since getting off the plane worth it within moments of getting into their room.

  “Lift your arms.” Over the soft click of the door, he came at her in a rush, pulling her dress off with rough yanks that made her stumble even as her nipples hardened. “Goddammit, Catherine,” he nipped at her lips, “you’ve got my cock harder than steel. You did so well tonight, my hot little slut. Fuck me, but I’m a lucky man.”

  She cried out when her breast was gripped tight in conjunction with his fingers delving into her pussy, seeking her clitoris once they were coated in her own sticky fluids.

  “Come, Catherine. Hard. Fast. I don’t care. Just come!” The egg zinged to full power while he rubbed harder, circling her swollen clit so that it almost hurt. Almost. When he lowered his mouth to chew on her nipple, she exploded with a colorful collection of expletives and platitudes. The tingly current-like sensation, which had kept her attentive and on the edge, dissipated. In its absence, Catherine went numb and cold, a serene peace cocooning her.

  *~*~*

  Jayden sipped his coffee while staring down at her. Against the stark white of the hotel linens, Catherine looked like an angel—and a sin. He needed to wake her since their ride would be there soon, but she looked so peaceful.

  She’d given him a mild scare the night before with how fast, and how hard, she’d dropped into subspace when she came. Jayden would go so far as to say she’d crashed, since her knees had buckled during her orgasm.

  He’d caught her, of course, then carried her to the bed where he wrapped her in his arms and held her. In protective mode, he whispered soft words and cooed near her ear until the change in her breathing had told him she’d fallen asleep. After covering her and ensuring the blankets and pillows were pressed tight to her body to give the illusion of being held, he ducked into the bathroom to knock out his own release. She wasn’t the only one who’d been worked into a right state the evening before.

  Just recalling their activities from the night prior had Jayden’s cock swelling against his thigh. He took another sip of his coffee, set the mug down, and then stepped closer to the bed, cock in hand. Jayden knelt on the mattress, and she shifted. When she licked her lips, it pulled a needy moan from him.

  The corner of her mouth twitched minutely, but he caught it. She was playing with him. He darted his hand out to snatch back the covers, sending a cold blast of air over her naked torso. When her eyes and mouth popped open in surprise, he was ready to slide his cock in. Her initial protest morphed into the appreciative sounds of wet, eager sucking.

  Catherine reached for him, but he wanted to fuck her mouth, not get a hand job. It was simple to catch both her wrists in his large hand, and once he had them, he pushed them upward, stretching her arms above her head so those plump tits of hers taunted his senses. Jayden stared, fixated, while her breasts jiggled each time he thrust into her mouth. When he took hold of her gold hoops and pulled so that her nipples stretched, her teeth scraped his flesh, drawing a hiss from him. In order to tug on her jewelry, he had to release her wrists, but she kept her arms raised, not moving them from the spot where he’d left them. For Jayden, seeing her voluntarily restraining herself could be so much more intoxicating than real binding at times.

  Getting head from his girl was always an experience in extreme pleasure, and this time was no different—proven by how fast he came, which was almost shameful. But he didn’t give a fuck, and let his roar of satisfaction echo off the walls. The proud grin on Catherine’s face when he was able to open his eyes and look at her was more than enough justification for his actions.

  “Alright, beautiful. Let’s get a shower and get out of here. Okamoto’s driver will be here soon.”

  Glorious in her nudity, he watched her with a piercing gaze as she rose from the bed and stretched, then strolled toward the bathroom. When she drew abreast of him, a slight pivot spun her around so that she backed away from him the remaining distance. Upon reaching the threshold, she dropped to her knees and placed her hands, palms up, on her thighs.

  His submissive waited.

  *~*~*

  Though Master had tried to warn her, Catherine still felt a sense of overwhelming awe when they reached Sir Okamoto’s estate. From the outside, the house looked like a traditional Japanese dwelling, unassuming but ornate. When they breached the interior, the house was proved to be anything but. A better description for what waited inside would’ve included statements such as ‘feast of flesh’ or ‘house of perversion.’

  She found it odd, even a bit rude, but didn’t question it when they spent the first hour waiting for their host. So much for being expected. They were shown to a sitting area where Master got comfortable and gave her the signal to kneel next to him.

  The young woman who’d escorted them in offered tea in a soft voice, but Master politely declined while Catherine tried not to stare.

  He had been spot-on in his description of the rope master’s girls. Dolls. They were living, breathing erotic dolls. Everywhere she looked, or was able to look from her lowered position, were women . . . naked, bound, and on display.

  Some stood still as statues, spotlighted by sharp, white lights. These girls were decorations. Vibrant-colored ropes entwined their bodies, squeezing their breasts into taut purple mounds from which jutted their tiny brown nipples—some clamped, some circled by long pins or needles standing from the flesh like quills. It was acupuncture of the kink variety.

  The other women Catherine had noticed, like the tea girl, wore dresses fashioned with lengths of natural looking rope, skimpy but nothing that could be misconstrued as vulgar. Never knew who might be at the door, after all.

  Realizing Sir Okamoto took into consideration the sensitivities of potential unknowing bystanders gave Catherine a degree of assurance. The master was clearly intense in his practices and philosophies, but he was a long way from insane. Her mood darkened for a moment, becoming sad at the thought of how so many viewed their Lifestyle as something less—something sick or broken.

  “Catherine.”

  She looked up to find Master had stood, and next to him an older man—short and heavy set—appraised her. If she had to guess, she would’ve placed the man at about sixty or sixty-five years of age. The look on his face was a mix of distaste and fascination. Catherine averted her eyes.

  “Aye, Master?”

  “Rise, pet. Allow me to introduce you to Kinbakushi Hari Okamoto, my mentor and friend, and our host.”

  Keeping her eyes down, she dipped her knees in a curtsy. “Tis a pleasure, Sir. Thank you for your generous hospitality to Master and this girl.” The last thing the submissive expected was the bark of delighted glee bursting from Okamoto moments later. After the initial shock wore off, she smiled.

  “Very good, Jayden-san. I approve. You have done well, young man.”

  Master scoffed. “I’m not so young anymore.”

  Okamoto looked at Catherine and winked. “This is true for all of us, my friend, but when surrounded by youthful beauty such as this,” he gestured to her direction, “age is, how do you say? Just a number. Yes?”

  Master laughed, and the sound tickled her low, where she was nude beneath her skirt. The urge to squirm was strong, but she held herself still.

  “I welcome you both to my home. Allow me to give you the grand tour, and then I’ll leave you to get settled into your room. Dinner is served at six each evening, and lessons begin at six each morning. Come.”

  As the tour progressed, C
atherine found the house to be much larger than she’d first thought. Sinking back into the surrounding flora, the main house and gardens covered several thousand square feet. It was exquisite, especially the gardens. She hoped there would be some free time during their visit to enjoy the peaceful serenity promised by the babbling streams and precision-groomed landscapes.

  CHAPTER 21

  Blinking, then stretching, Catherine bolted upright and jumped out of bed in a panic. There was too much sunlight. It was late.

  She was late.

  Each day had begun in darkness, then carried forward into the afternoon while following the routine established by Sir Okamoto. Catherine had never been more tired, or endured such an overall body ache, as she had in the last two weeks. Not willingly, anyway. The abuse she’d suffered under Spencer hadn’t brought her any of the deep gratification that came from her voluntary service to Master. Learning from him and with him under Okamoto’s tutelage had been eye-opening and she knew had brought them closer as a couple, in all senses of the word.

  The gardens had indeed ended up being a place of reflection. Every morning, after their five a.m. dip in the heated baths, they assembled adjacent to the Zen garden for a workout of mind and body. Catherine had found the controlled, fluid-like movements awkward at first, but after a few days, she’d limbered up and gotten the hang of it. That was the point when Sir Okamoto allowed the binding lessons to begin.

  As each Shibari session became longer and more elaborate, Catherine welcomed their morning Tai chi—yearned for it, even. Going through the non-stressful forms eased her muscles and loosened them for the upcoming paces her Master would be putting her through. Okamoto had stressed how the combination of the Tai chi with the rope lessons was achieving the optimum level of kokoro, the Eastern philosophy of bringing the heart, spirit, and mind together as one.

  Following the morning ritual, they broke for a simple lunch—usually a hearty bowl of ramen with seafood—and then the submissive and her Master were left to their own devices until dinner time. Sometimes they napped, other times they scened, but whatever they did was Master’s choice. She was finding that the more time she spent in a full submissive mindset, the easier Catherine was letting go and trusting her well-being to Him. It was rather refreshing to be able to do so.

  Thinking back, Catherine realized the only discontent she’d felt the entire visit had come in the hours after the evening meal, when the household split up. Master and Sir Okamoto, along with any guests who’d joined them, retired for some “male bonding.” She didn’t know where they went or what they did, and therein lay her upset. Catherine hated being apart from her Master.

  Ironically, she also cherished this time, because while the men vanished into the bowels of the house, Catherine went to class. Along with the newest members of Okamoto’s harem, she was being taught the why of Shibari—properly known as Kinbaku. Getting to learn the history and ceremony behind the ancient Japanese rope bondage was proving to enhance the experience. She figured it was just a matter of time before she found herself in ‘rope-space,’ a trance-like state similar to sub-space, except brought on by the pleasure of being lovingly and artistically bound. Every inch of the asanawa touching her, cinching her flesh in hemp, bound her deeper to Master and cemented the certainty that there was no other for her. Knowing the symbolism of everything, from the materials used to bind, to the variety and placement of the knots, made her feel beautiful.

  These thoughts drove Catherine through a rushed stop in the bathroom to splash water on her face, brush her teeth, and empty her bladder. Glancing about for her outfit, since Master had laid one out for her each morning thus far, she found nothing. She donned the silk kimono that had been her allowed covering within their room—washitshu she whispered, practicing from her lessons—then slid back the . . . fusuma and stepped into the hallway. Looking left then right and seeing no one, Catherine opted to head for the usual workout area.

  When she arrived a few minutes later, the sight of Master and Sir Okamoto and no one else sitting at a low table sharing tea brought her up short. Steadying her resolve, she took a few more steps to get within Master’s peripheral vision, then knelt to wait for His acknowledgement. The longer she was ignored, the wetter she became. Something big was going to happen. The calculated routine had changed, and her body was awakening with naughty desire.

  *~*~*

  “Jayden-san, I must insist you enjoy the pleasures of nuru on your last night here.”

  Catherine knelt at her Master’s side, still ‘floaty’ from that morning’s session. She’d been correct in her hunch that today would be different from any other during their visit to Tokyo. At Master’s insistence, the submissive had been nude for their session, which had begun when he slipped the kimono from her shoulders after finishing his tea. Until today, he’d allowed her to wear a bodysuit or leotard to enforce the educational aspect of their instruction over the sexual. Today’s session could be likened to a final exam, and Master had wanted her to get the full experience of erotic binding amongst the lush gardens. Without a doubt, he’d followed through on his promise of heightening the session for her once they didn’t have an audience. Okamoto had observed but from a distance, letting the couple get lost in their connection.

  “Open for me.” Master brought a bite of udon and shark to her lips.

  She didn’t feel like eating but had recovered enough of her senses to know she needed the caloric infusion of the fatty fish and noodles and accepted the food. Closing her eyes, Catherine rested her head on his thigh and chewed.

  “That is kind of you, Bakushi. However, I’m afraid I must decline again tonight.”

  “Your girl is welcome to participate this time.”

  Hearing herself mentioned caused Catherine’s ears to perk up in mild curiosity. Was this where Master had gone each evening? Her stomach clenched. She racked her brain trying to put a definition to the term ‘noo Roo,’ but came up blank. It didn’t help that she was still shaking off the blissful cobwebs of their earlier activities.

  “Well, that may change things, then.”

  Catherine felt his hand stroking her head. When he tapped her lips, she left her eyes closed and parted them to take another bite. While the food settled in her stomach and her blood sugar levels evened out, their conversation became clearer, and she peeked through her heavy lids to observe the two men.

  *~*~*

  Jayden could tell she was coming around, regaining her senses. Her frame didn’t lean so heavy against his side, her breathing was taking on a more regular rhythm, and she was eating at last. She’d slept through lunch and most of the afternoon. For the evening meal, he’d had to practically carry her to the table, but he wasn’t letting her wait anymore. Catherine needed to get some food in her system.

  He needed her alert.

  While it troubled him to admit, Jayden sensed their welcome had run its course and was glad they were departing in the morning. His old friend was losing sight of the fact that he and Catherine were guests, not part of his harem.

  That morning, Jayden had gotten so involved in binding his jewel, stretching her limbs to their limits, then locking her in position with the ropes, that he’d forgotten Okamoto was observing. Nothing and no one else existed while Jayden watched Catherine’s emerald eyes glaze over and become unfocused. She was his everything when he took up the multi-tailed bull whip they’d recently graduated to under Jonathan’s teaching.

  Knowing Catherine was in the early stages of a drop, he pulled his arm back and snapped it forward to take her closer to the edge. A hissing whistle crackled through the air seconds before the thin, knotted tails connected with her puffy breast and sent a few strands of her scarlet hair fluttering around her face from the displacement of air.

  Her scream of pleasure incensed his desire almost as much as watching her nipple swell in conjunction with the red welts rising from her flesh. Again he withdrew his arm to unleash a lash upon her opposite breast; again she screamed, he
r tight bindings keeping her upright when her body began to slump.

  The Dom had taken care to tie her so that she was spread-eagle with a large knot rubbing against her clit and her tits wrapped at their base, to ensure they were full and distended. For a fun bonus, he’d wedged a fresh-carved finger of ginger into her ass, preparing her to beg for his cock later. His slutty girl always loved a deep, thorough fucking to try and combat the burn of the fragrant root.

  Over and over, he cracked the whip against her exposed flesh, speaking—taunting—while he moved about. Gentle words and crass alike, all delivered with the same praising tone that let her know her Master was there and she was safe to let go and fly. Sensing when she needed more, he dropped the leather then followed the whip to the ground. Kneeling in front of her put him at the perfect height to lean in and lap at the copious amounts of sticky wetness that coated her sex and had darkened the ropes around her cunt.

  It wasn’t until Catherine was begging with muted whimpers for permission to come that Jayden remembered their audience of one, because a new sound reached his ears. When he turned away from his jewel to find the source, he was quite surprised to see Okamoto tending his own flesh—a phenomenon Jayden had never seen.

  The rope master, to the best of Jayden’s knowledge, always found his release through one of his girls. Self-gratification was below the great man. So it wasn’t a big surprise that the sight had been shocking enough to yank Jayden from the lust haze he’d gotten lost in with his pet, and he’d ended the scene immediately.

  Now he wanted Jayden’s pet to be present for a nude massage? Yeah, fuck that. A strong need to protect what was his surged through him at Okamoto’s invitation to the slippery beds. “First, I need to clarify if you mean to have Catherine in service for the massage or if you’re just inviting her to observe.”