48 Hours

by Callista Arman

  Maddie bit her lip. “Yes.”

  “I ask again, cara—are you aroused?”

  “Yes.” Maddie forced the word from a mouth that had suddenly gone dry. “Very much so.”

  His gaze gentled. “That pleases me, Madeline.”

  Rafael’s praise caused a flush of pleasure. Maddie raised her wineglass and took a sip, all the while aware of his dark gaze upon her. Her stomach fluttered. She was awash in so many emotions, ones she’d never before given herself permission to feel. Somehow, Rafael had set them free.

  Dessert appeared, a square of tiramisu atop a delicate hand-painted ceramic plate, artfully presented with drizzles of mocha sauce and fresh raspberries. The waiter presented it to Maddie, leaving Rafael’s place setting empty. As the young man moved aside, Maddie caught a glimpse of Patrick. He was leaning back in his seat, arms crossed, watching her. She could feel his anger even at this distance.

  She looked away quickly. She didn’t want Rafael to turn and realize they were being watched. She should have leveled with Patrick, she supposed, about her reasons for wanting to come to this particular club. But the thought of geeky Patrick knowing her secret submissive fantasies had been too embarrassing. She’d assumed that if she found a man she liked, she’d be able to leave with Patrick none the wiser as to what she’d be doing with her new lover. She thought she’d be able to have the best of both worlds—the security of knowing Patrick was watching out for her, along with the thrill and risk of a night of D/s sex.

  She’d never considered the possibility her wingman would discover her motive. How had he found out, anyway? It wasn’t as if Montevale’s was decorated with whips and chains. She was mortified. Patrick McIllhenny knew her desire to be sexually dominated and had even threatened to tell everyone at KK&R.

  She should hate him. But to be honest, she didn’t. In fact, she felt strangely comforted that he’d ignored her order to go home and leave her alone with Rafael. She was just glad she’d had the foresight to make him sign that confidentiality agreement.

  Rafael made a slight sound of disapproval. Looking up, she found him waiting for her to taste her dessert. She gave him a tremulous smile and lifted her fork.

  Heaven. Light cream and mocha and…what the heck else did they put in tiramisu? She had no clue. “This is wonderful. I’ve never tasted anything like it.”

  “I am glad my chef’s creation pleases you.” He took a sip of wine, then set the glass on the table. “And I am glad you are not one of those women who refuse to eat sweets.”

  Maddie gave a rueful laugh. “Not me. I’d never turn down a dessert like this. I just hope I can starve off these calories before they turn into permanent weight.”

  “You do yourself a disservice,” Rafael said. “Your body is beautiful.”

  Maddie made a face. “I need to lose ten pounds.”

  “No. You need to lose your self-consciousness. Go on. Take another taste.”

  The cream and cake melted on her tongue. The luscious dessert and the wine combined to make Maddie’s head feel light. The subtle sensual stimulation of the silver balls on her nipples, clit and ass only added to the pleasure. She took another bite. Rafael watched intently. His hand moved slightly, dipping into the pocket of his linen jacket.

  The tingle in her clit started so subtly that at first Maddie thought she’d imagined it. Then Rafael’s arm moved again and the vibration increased.

  Maddie abruptly emerged from her fog. Oh, God! The silver balls were tiny vibrators.

  And Rafael held the remote.

  “Keep eating, cara.”

  Maddie clenched her fork more firmly and tried to do as he said. Tried to ignore her humming clit. She managed to take another bite before Rafael’s arm shifted again. The silver ball in her ass came to life.

  She gasped, dropping the fork onto the plate with a clatter. The older couple at the table to her right looked over at her. The man’s brow creased in a frown. “Anything wrong, miss?” he asked her.

  Rafael’s elbow moved and the clit’s vibrator changed to a pulsing rhythm. Her hips were moving now. She tried desperately to still them. “No,” she managed to get out. She picked up her fork and tried for a smile. “My fork just slipped. Clumsy of me.”

  The older man nodded and turned away. She looked back at Rafael. His expression was masked, but the arousal in his eyes was unmistakable. He was enjoying this. The thought gave her a burst of pleasure and a subtle feeling of power. But paradoxically, overshadowing both was a sensation of helplessness and shame. She was in a public place, surrounded by people. Surely he didn’t expect her to relinquish all control?

  The vibrators purred faster, drawing her taut. Now even the tiny balls on her nipple rings were quivering. She rolled her hips, trying to avoid the worst of the streaking sensations. Her body was wound up tighter than a spring. She wanted relief, but not here. Not surrounded by strangers, some of whom were beginning to glance at her with curious eyes. How humiliating that would be!

  She opened her mouth to tell just that to Rafael, but all that escaped her lips was a moan.

  The corner of his mouth twitched. “Are you feeling quite all right, cara?”

  And with that, he set the ball in her ass pulsing in an opposite rhythm to the one on her clit. She started rocking forward and back. In another few seconds, she’d need to come so badly she’d be beyond caring who saw—or heard.

  “Please, Rafael,” she begged. “Stop this. I don’t want it.”

  “Have you forgotten our agreement so quickly, Madeline? Your wishes have no importance. Only mine do. And right now, I wish to see you awash in pleasure.”

  “No,” she whispered. She clutched the table. Her pussy contracted in a hint of the bliss to come. Maddie struggled to keep her gasp inaudible.

  Rafael sipped his wine and chuckled softly. “You are very beautiful this way, cara. I imagine you will be even more so when you break.” But to her surprise, the pulsing in her ass and pussy slowed. “But not yet,” he murmured. “Not quite yet.”

  Her mouth was dry. She reached for her wineglass and took a sip. Her hands were trembling so badly she almost spilled it.

  Rafael reached across the table and gently eased the glass from her fingers. “I’m going to increase the speed of the vibrators again, but when I do, I want you to fight the pleasure. For as long as you can. Now. Lean back in your chair and part your legs.” When she hesitated, his tone hardened. “Do not defy me, Madeline.”

  More patrons were glancing their way now. Some wore knowing smirks.

  “Why are you doing this to me? Here, in front of all these people?” But her spine pressed against the seat’s padded back and her knees fell open under the table.

  Another flick of Rafael’s fingers and the vibration of the silver balls increased. “It amuses me.”

  Waves of pleasure lapped at Maddie’s body. She tried to distance herself, tried to ignore it. She looked from Rafael’s intent expression to a point just over his shoulder.

  Her gaze collided with Patrick’s.

  He was leaning forward in his seat now. Every line of his body was tense. His blue eyes held a mixture of shock and arousal. Oh, God. He knew. He knew what Rafael was doing to her. He raised his brows at her, shaking his head slightly, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. She tore her gaze away from him, panting as the speed of the vibrators increased.

  She wriggled in her chair, her ass coming almost out of her seat as she fought to beat back her climax. Instinctively, her hand crept toward her pussy. Maybe she could shift the ball on her clit to less sensitive territory.

  “Keep your hands on the table, cara.” Rafael voice was soft, but his tone allowed no argument.

  Maddie spread her palms on the table and curled her thumbs under the edge. A young man at the table to her left was staring openly now. His eyes darted to Rafael, then back to her and a cocky grin curved his lips. He leaned forward and whispered something to his date. The woman turned wide eyes on Maddie.

 
Maddie’s face flamed. But even knowing she had an audience, she couldn’t keep a small moan from escaping her lips.

  “Fight the pleasure, cara.”

  She was panting now, trying to hold off her orgasm as long as she could. And when she did come, she wasn’t going to show it. She would not humiliate herself in front of these strangers. But the going was tough. Her clit throbbed with the building pressure of her climax. The vibrations in her ass merged with those in her pussy, urging her higher. Her nipples tingled and itched unbearably. She shimmied her breasts a little, but that only made the balls sway and tug all the more. It was nearly too much. Another moan escaped.

  The older couple on her right were frowning, as if they wondered whether she was going to be sick. The younger couple on the left had given up all pretense of eating their dinner and were watching openly. And Patrick…

  He’d loosened his tie. He was sitting back in his chair, watching her from heavy-lidded eyes. His right arm was moving, his hand hidden under the white tablecloth.

  He was jerking off, Maddie realized with a shock. She couldn’t believe it. Shy, geeky Patrick McIllhenny had his cock out of his pants and in his hand. He was masturbating in a public restaurant.

  The thought turned her on like crazy.

  The vibrators kicked up another notch. Maddie’s gaze snapped back to Rafael. She felt herself slip onto the plateau, the one that signaled surrender would soon be upon her. She was so close. At the table on her left, the young man grabbed his date’s hand, his chest heaving.

  But she was too far gone to care. She forgot her shame, her humiliation at Rafael’s hands. Nothing mattered but her impending orgasm. She wanted it, needed it.

  “Please,” she gasped, looking into Rafael’s beautiful eyes. “May I come now?”

  “You are so beautiful.” The vibrations abruptly ceased.

  “No!” Maddie gasped. “Please, no! I want…”

  Rafael leaned forward, his voice a low caress. “There are people watching you, Madeline. Do you realize that?”

  “Yes,” Maddie said. “I don’t care. I want…” When he responded with only a slight shake of his head and a displeased slant to his brows, she knew she had done something wrong. Failed another test. But what? She racked her brain for the answer. Then it hit her.

  “Whatever you wish,” she said. “That’s what I want.”

  Rafael favored her with a smile. His hand moved and the vibrators sprang to life. “You are learning, Madeline. And every good student deserves a reward.”

  The balls hummed, building the pleasure to an unbearable level. Maddie’s hips gyrated, small gasps emerging from her lips. She reached with all her body for the pleasure Rafael had commanded her to feel.

  In the instant before the tide broke, her gaze sought Patrick. His expression was stark. His arm was pumping. She imagined his hand beating his cock in the darkness under the table. She’d never seen a man masturbate, never knew what a turn-on it could be.

  Their gazes locked as a surging wave of pleasure took her over the crest of a stunning orgasm. Patrick’s body stiffened and she knew he’d found his own release at the same moment.

  * * * * *

  Patrick was damn glad he was in a restaurant with cloth napkins.

  He slouched in his seat, heart racing, lungs heaving, trying to wrap his mind around what he’d just done. And what had caused him to do it. Maddie Brindisi coming apart, not fifteen feet away from him.

  And he’d come apart right along with her.

  She’d seen him watching her. She probably knew he’d been jacking off, too. She looked right at him when she came, her red lips parted, her eyes glazing. And damn if he hadn’t heard the sexy groan she couldn’t quite squelch.

  Furtively, he cleaned off his cock, then folded the soiled napkin and shoved it in his pocket. No way could he leave it for some poor busboy. He was still semi-hard, but somehow he managed to get himself safely zippered into his trousers.

  His gaze never left Maddie. Her head had dropped forward, the glossy fall of her hair obscuring her eyes. Montevale sat, sipping his wine. Damn. The guy was one cold bastard. How the hell could he have remained unmoved while watching that performance?

  A waiter approached Maddie, said something to her. Probably asking if she needed a doctor. Hell, Patrick wasn’t sure he didn’t need medical attention himself. His heart was pounding, he was sweating like a dog and his blood pressure was in danger of blowing off the top of his head.

  Maddie raised glassy eyes to the waiter. Then her spine stiffened and her expression sharpened. Her lips moved in a reply. Patrick marveled at how quickly she’d composed herself, though he supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised. He’d seen her in court. She could have been an actress.

  Montevale rose, drawing Maddie up from her chair. She swayed a little on her high heels, clutching his jacket lapel to keep from falling. The Italian’s arm went around her, anchoring her to his side. Jealousy surged hot and fierce in Patrick’s gut.

  He stood, extracting cash from his wallet and throwing it down on the table. He couldn’t afford to wait for his check to arrive—Montevale was already guiding Maddie to the exit. Patrick started after them. No way was he going to let Maddie out of his sight.

  He wondered where Montevale would take her. A private D/s club? His home? Wherever it was, Patrick was following. He wouldn’t let Maddie play out her fantasy without backup.

  Montevale escorted Maddie to the restaurant parking lot. His car was an expensive Italian model, sleek, black and gleaming. The damn thing cost more than Patrick made in a year. Ducking through the shadows at the edge of the building, he reached his own battered hatchback and eased himself into the driver’s seat. He pulled onto the street, keeping pace a short distance behind Maddie and her new Master.

  Chapter Four

  Rafael headed out of the city along the northern highway. He kept his eyes mostly on the road, allowing himself only the briefest of glances at the woman sitting quietly at his side. In the reflected illumination of the streetlights, her profile was a pale shadow against a darker background.

  So delicate and yet so strong. Conflicting qualities Rafael had discovered residing in the heart of a woman only once before. His hands gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles slowly turning white. In the years since Mariella, he’d claimed countless women, some from his club, others as gifts from friends. He had enjoyed their bodies and given them pleasure in return, always sending them away after a night or a weekend. But none of those conquests had felt so important as this one. It had been far too long since he’d felt so alive.

  Or so uncertain.

  A flash of light in the rearview mirror caught Rafael’s eye. He squinted at it, frowning. A car with one headlight dimmer than the other. It had trailed him out of the restaurant lot and was still riding on his tail.

  * * * * *

  A half hour passed before Montevale exited the highway. Patrick tailed at what he hoped was a discreet distance. The foreign sedan wove through a sleek suburb, then turned onto a deserted country road.

  The landscape was rolling and heavily forested. The road was broken only by glimpses of long driveways. This section of the county was affluent, with million-dollar estates the norm rather than the exception. Montevale turned onto a narrow road marked as a private lane.

  Patrick cut his headlights before following. Montevale continued on a wide curve to the right, passing two secluded driveways. Finally, his brake lights flashed. Patrick pulled his car into the woods at the edge of the road as Montevale made the turn into the drive.

  Exiting his car, Patrick kept to the edge of the woods, jogging toward the house. The place was a freaking mansion—it looked like something sprung from the Italian Renaissance. Built of stone, it managed to be bold and graceful at the same time. Three rows of windows marched across the façade, the upper ones with arched tops. The sedan had pulled into the shelter of a large entry portico.

  Avoiding the glowing puddles cast by the peri
meter lighting, Patrick crept closer to Maddie. As he crossed the sloping lawn, he caught the reflection of the moon on a glassy lake behind the house. Across the water lay darkness—not a single light marred the expanse of woods.

  He crouched behind a neatly clipped bush near the edge of the portico just as Rafael emerged from the driver’s side of his car. He circled the hood to open Maddie’s door. A perfect gentleman.

  He watched as Maddie swung her legs out of the car. She tilted her head, smiling up at her companion. Her expression nailed Patrick right in the gut. Goddamn it. Maddie really wanted to be a submissive to this guy. She had to know what Rafael had done to her in the restaurant was only the beginning. And yet it was clear she was looking forward to the rest of the night.

  Another stab of jealousy. Hell, if he’d only known Maddie got off on being dominated, he might be the one looking forward to a night as her Master. He imagined Maddie on a wide king-sized four-poster bed, arms and legs spread and bound.

  Yeah, right. Who was he kidding? He didn’t own a king-sized poster bed—his low-rent apartment didn’t have room for more than a double, and he didn’t even have a headboard. He winced, thinking of his shabby home. Mismatched furniture and bare walls. A jumble of gutted computer equipment. The neighborhood was highly questionable. Maddie, by contrast, lived in an upscale neighborhood. And Montevale’s mansion-on-a-lake? Patrick’s apartment was not even in the same solar system.

  No, just because Maddie wanted Montevale to tie her up and fuck her didn’t mean she’d be willing to let Patrick do the same. If he’d proposed such a thing she would’ve laughed in his face.

  Shrinking deeper into the shadows, Patrick watched as Rafael helped Maddie out of the car. The Dom guided her along a short path to the front door, stopping just a few feet from where Patrick crouched. Patrick imagined himself in the Italian’s place, his hand on Maddie’s bare back, urging her forward. Maddie’s gaze flicked toward the bush where he was hiding. Patrick thought her brows went up just a little.