He held her tighter. “You were so beautiful. Was it everything you wanted it to be?”
She lifted her face and smiled. “Beyond my dreams. Were you okay?” She had reached a turning point in her life. She knew she craved the powerful experience that came from masochism, but she also loved this man with all her heart. If he couldn’t stomach the idea of dominating her in that manner, she would find a way to let it go.
He grinned back. “Perfect. I admit I was concerned, but watching you come undone like that was heavenly. It’s stressful because I worry constantly that I’m going to harm you in some way, but clearly Lincoln, Rowen, Faith, and Sasha weren’t worried. They gave their approval. I’ll get more comfortable with it every time I do it as I’m more reassured you’re strong enough to take the blows and even channel them into something stunning to watch.”
She smiled broader. “I can’t even describe the feeling. It’s like my body is purged of whatever crap builds up in my mind and I can let it go for a while.”
He nodded. “I can’t imagine what that feels like, but you aren’t the only submissive to describe it that way, so I get it. And I’ll do my best to make sure you have what you need from me.” As he spoke, he circled the back of her neck with his fingers, pressing her closer.
The weight soothed her, and she sighed.
“You like my fingers on your neck, don’t you?”
“Yes. It centers me. Reminds me I’m yours.”
“Mmm. What if it were permanent?”
She giggled against him. “You going to follow me around gripping the back of my neck.”
“No, but I’d love to collar you.”
She hesitated, trying to remember if she’d heard that term and coming up short. Finally, she lifted her gaze again. “Collar?”
He ran a finger around her throat, tracing an imaginary line like a necklace. “Sometimes people use a collar as an outward symbol of their commitment. It can be a literal collar that’s heavy and constant or a chain like a necklace that serves as a symbolic collar.”
“People wear them in public?” She’d occasionally seen something like that on younger people and assumed it was a style. She didn’t think it suited her.
He shook his head. “Some people do, but most people in the lifestyle reserve actual collars for private or when they’re at a club. When they’re in regular society, they wear a thin chain with a small symbol of their commitment that most people wouldn’t understand.”
“You’d like me to have one?” Her heart rate picked up at the idea that he wanted to make that kind of commitment to her. She couldn’t fully wrap her head around how it might feel to wear something like that, but she did know it seemed important to him, and she liked to please him above all else.
“It would be a dream come true.”
She smiled. “Then you shall have your wish.”
Eyes closing, he drew her closer to his chest and slid one hand to her heated bottom. It reminded her of his dominance and warmed her heart.
She swallowed back tears, tucking her face against his chest again. “I love you.”
“Baby, I love you so much it hurts.”
Chapter 26
For the next month Brooke settled into a routine with Carter. He had taken so much time off work to help her adjust that he needed to get back to his real life, and she insisted he do so.
So, he worked most days, leaving the house early and returning mid-afternoon, while she learned the ins and outs of his computer and spent her time studying for her GED. Until she got that piece of paper, she couldn’t move on with her life.
She was motivated by the fact that she wasn’t making any money. However, her desire to get a job was repeatedly met with a frown and a lecture, so she was gradually learning to accept that she could and would rely on him while she went to college. The prospect was exciting.
Every day she spent some time looking at local universities and scanning through the hundreds of degrees. She had no idea what she wanted to study yet, but knowing she would one day walk through the halls of a college campus made her so happy she could hardly contain her excitement.
It pleased Carter to see her that way, and he let her know every day.
When he was at work or the club, she often spoke to her new family members on the phone. She and Carter had gone to visit several times, and her father had come to see her twice.
Two weeks ago, Carter had come home carrying a precarious box in his arms. He set it gently on the kitchen floor as if the contents were glass. She was eyeing him suspiciously from the sink as he approached.
The twinkle in his eye made her pause. “I got you something.”
She dried her hands on the towel and turned to fully face him. “Why?” She couldn’t begin to imagine what was in the box.
He shrugged. “Because I love you.”
She glanced around him as a scratching noise caught her attention. What the hell? And then her eyes bugged out as a tiny white furry face peeked out of the top of the box. Shoving him out of her way, she rushed across the room to kneel in front of the kitten. In an instant, she had it in her arms and it was pawing at her face.
She giggled, glancing back at Carter. “You got me a kitten? I can’t believe it.” It was adorable, its little body covered with splotches of browns. When she scratched its neck, it purred.
“I guess you like it,” he teased as he leaned over, kissed the top of her head, and headed back to the garage. A minute later, while she sat on the floor playing with the fur ball, he returned with several more boxes, holding them up. “Litter box. Food. Toys. I didn’t know what all to get. The guy at the pet store helped me.”
She smiled, love making her choke up as tears ran down her cheeks. No one had ever done something so thoughtful for her. “Thank you,” she finally managed.
Over the past two weeks, the kitten had taken to following Brooke everywhere she went. Carter wasn’t superfond of it jumping up in bed with them, but he humored her most of the time. When the plans involved sleeping.
Carter worked at the club Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. She stayed home a few of the nights, but she liked to go with him and either perch on a bench near the entrance where he was the bouncer or hang out upstairs in his office.
Sometimes Sasha or Faith kept her company when she was upstairs, but she preferred to watch his broad sexy body by being near him on the main floor.
He often caught her staring at him and sent her a warning look that made her giggle. Sometimes he kissed her hard and fast or pinched her butt or cupped her breasts. Every touch made her arousal grow throughout the evening.
He hadn’t mentioned the collar again since their conversation after the cropping scene, but she had begun to pay attention to every member of Zodiac as they came and went from the club. Many of them had collars. Some were subtle. Some were obvious. Some even had chains attached to them—either dangling or held by their Masters.
Brooke wasn’t sure how she felt about the actual leashes, but the collars themselves were often intricate and specially chosen. They meant something to both the submissive and their Dom.
She wanted one.
Did he catch her staring at them sometimes? She thought so. Few things got by him. Sometimes his expression held a slight smirk, and then she would yank her gaze to something else. She never brought the subject up, though. It felt like something that needed to come from him.
It was a Sunday. She wouldn’t forget because Sundays were her favorite day of the week. Carter didn’t work at either job, and he insisted she take the day off from studying to spend quality time with him every week also.
The morning routine wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. He woke her early with his mouth on her pussy, pressing her legs wide. After she came so hard she was left limp and breathing heavily, he made breakfast.
But when she joined him in the kitchen, she knew something was different. He was quiet. Nervous. Not his usual self.
She stressed over whatever might
be on his mind while forcing eggs and bacon down her throat. He’d never faltered from his regular calm personality in all the time they’d been together, so this awkward vibe made her imagine all sorts of scenarios that brought bile to her throat.
She’d never considered what might happen if he got tired of her or broke things off. She would be lost.
On the flip side, there was no way he would use his mouth to send her soaring in the clouds if he intended to dump her an hour later. On that thought, she tried to relax.
After breakfast, he led her to the family room, sat on the couch, and guided her to her knees in front of him. Also not out of the ordinary. He was too quiet, but she forced herself to wait to hear what he had to say.
For a long time, he ran his fingers through her hair, keeping her face tipped to the floor and occasionally correcting her posture with a nudge to her shoulders or a tap to her inner thighs.
She was nearly out of her mind with worry when he finally spoke. “I got you something.”
She held her breath.
“It took a while. I had it made.”
Her heart filled. She was pretty sure he reached behind him to pull something out from between the cushions.
Moments later, he held a long narrow box in front of her. “Open it.”
She lifted her face to his and then released her hands from behind her back. Her fingers were shaking as she opened the box. And then she gasped.
The thick leather collar took her breath away. It was the lightest pink she’d ever seen, almost white. It was about two inches wide and adorned with several jewels as well as a few rings. She reached out with trembling fingers to touch it as Carter lifted it out of the box. “Do you like it?”
She sucked in a breath, meeting his gaze. “I love it.”
He smiled as he wrapped it around her neck, tipped her head forward, and brushed her hair out of the way to clasp it at the top of her spine.
When she lifted her head, the weight of the collar had an immediate effect. It spoke volumes, centering her, putting her in a submissive frame of mind, giving her a sense of belonging, making her feel loved and cherished. Owned.
She grabbed Carter’s thighs and squeezed them with her fingers to keep from toppling over as she became almost faint. “Thank you, Sir.”
His body jerked. He grabbed her face and tipped her head back. His eyes were wide. A slow smile spread across his face. “Say that again.”
“Thank you…Sir.” She had no idea that one word would have such an impact on him. They had never discussed it. Not once. She wasn’t sure if he wasn’t fond of the specific sign of respect or if he hadn’t wanted to pressure her to use it. In any case, she felt an overwhelming sense of ownership the moment the collar’s weight pulled on her neck. The word slid out naturally.
Apparently he was not displeased.
He stroked her cheek. “Again.”
“Sir.”
He smiled again. “Beautiful.”
She leaned her head into his touch.
“You’re mine.”
“I’m yours, Sir.”
That was the end of the talking portion of the day. Thirty seconds after that, she was in his arms.
Thirty seconds after that, she was in his bed.
Thirty seconds after that, she was naked and on her knees. The only thing she wore was the collar. It was all she needed. The constant reminder would be a powerful declaration of her love and submission.
Forever.
Enjoy the first chapter of Bound to be Taken from the Emergence series.
“I’m telling you that woman is super intelligent and more than capable of handling this promotion.” The deep voice rumbled from around the corner.
Stephanie froze in her spot just outside the break room. She held her breath, but her heart pounded.
The voice came from her boss, Jack Cane, co-owner of Seabring Inc. She wondered who he was talking to. Or more importantly, who he was talking about.
“I don’t know, Jack. I don’t care how smart she is, she looks like a librarian. She’s too stuffy. How are the clients going to relate to her?” Harold Reeves responded.
Well, that answers one question.
Her hands shook and she inched back to ensure neither man saw her in the doorway.
“Stephanie can do it. I just know it,” Jack stated. “I’d bet anything that under that façade lies a perfectly normal sexy woman.”
And that answers the second question. She was up for a promotion. The decision would be made Monday morning, one week from today. And the owners of the company were discussing her. That was a good thing. Wait. Did he say sexy?
“You could be right, but unless she shows some signs of humanity between now and Monday, I don’t see how we can promote her,” Harold retorted.
Stephanie closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Or perhaps, she was actually in the wrong place. It was early, not even seven a.m. yet. No one else was in the office. She had lofty goals of making a good impression this week, however. And the best way to do that would be to make a huge dent in the files on her desk. A giant stack of nicely color-coded files, one for each IT client she needed to wrap up.
At this point it wasn’t even going to matter how hard she worked.
“I’ll make you a deal.” Jack chuckled. “The company party is this Saturday. If that woman shows up for the party, socializes appropriately and brings a date, we give her the promotion. If not, it goes to one of the other senior managers.”
Stephanie had to bite her lip to stifle a groan. These guys were placing a bet on her.
It took Harold about two seconds to seal her fate. “Deal.” The man laughed, a deep belly laugh that made her cringe. “Do you suppose she even has a boyfriend? I can’t imagine that frigid woman having sex with anyone.”
Stephanie winced, picturing their faces. They were totally mocking her. And how inappropriate to base her entire future on how sexy she was, how social she could be and whether or not she had a date to a party.
“Oh, and Harold?” Jack added. His voice trailed farther away. He must have turned his back.
“Yes.”
“No interfering. Neither of us is allowed to speak to her about this matter. Whatever happens happens.”
“Agreed.” Stephanie could actually visualize Harold reaching out a hand to shake on the deal.
She inched back toward her office, making no sound.
Fuck. She didn’t know whether to be elated at what she knew the stakes were or pissed to realize how high the bar had been set. Could their discussion of her be considered sexual harassment? Probably not. After all, they thought they were alone. Still, their demeaning words ate a hole in her soul.
A date. Now she had to get a man to attend a company party with her in five days and make it look as if she hadn’t plucked him off the street.
She eased into her office, still walking backward.
As she shut the door with a silent click, she turned and leaned against the cool wood. Head hanging, she glanced down at herself. They were right about one thing. She did look like a librarian most days. And it worked for her. It kept men from ogling and pawing at her everywhere she went.
She didn’t need or want a man. All they brought to the picture was trouble. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.
But God she wanted that promotion. So bad she could taste it. She’d worked so diligently to prove herself, staying late most nights, arriving early. After all that hard work for the last year, it sucked to find out the only way she would get that promotion was to be exactly the kind of person she didn’t ever want to be. Somebody’s girlfriend.
Aiden moaned into his pillow. Judging by the line of moisture running up his back and sending goose bumps down his spine, he’d guess naptime was over. A smile spread across his face, even though Dane couldn’t see it from behind him. The man could do wicked things with his tongue.
Life was good. The best part
about owning a restaurant together was having the occasional leisurely afternoon free between the lunch rush and the dinner crowd to relax with each other. There was just one thing missing that would make their lives perfect… Icing on the cake…
“Do I have your attention?” Dane stroked a hand down Aiden’s side and across his hip.
“Hmm…” His cock jerked, pressing against the zipper of his jeans.
“I love it when you fall asleep with your shirt off. Gives me all this glorious, smooth, muscular skin to admire.” Dane whispered the words so close to Aiden’s ear a chill ran through him.
When Dane reached one hand around Aiden’s front and wiggled it between the sheets and the jeans, Aiden moaned louder. What had he been dreaming about that made him so horny so fast?
Oh, right. He closed his eyes in an attempt to seal in the image formed in his sleep. Visions of what he imagined the inside of a fetish club looked like. He could picture all manner of people dressed in lace and leather and almost nothing, bumping and grinding into each other as they danced and watched the show. Ahhh…
“Whatcha thinkin’?”
Aiden’s grin grew bigger, and he turned onto his side to stare into Dane’s eyes. “I’m thinkin’ we need a date for Friday night in a big way. I don’t want to miss that party.”
Dane smiled back, his hair rumpled from sleep, the dark brown locks falling across his forehead and begging Aiden to run his fingers through them. “And where do you propose to conjure up such a person in the next five—no make that four—days?” Dane leaned in and nibbled a path across Aiden’s face until he reached his mouth and took it in a rough, no-holds-barred kiss that sucked the brain cells out of Aiden’s head.
The man could kiss. And while he took control and slipped his tongue into Aiden’s mouth, Dane nudged Aiden onto his back and climbed over him.
Ah, the pressure. There was nothing in the world that could equal the feeling of having Dane covering his body while Aiden’s cock swelled and knocked against the other man’s. Even through the two layers of denim, it was apparent Dane was as turned on as Aiden this afternoon.
Collaring Brooke (Club Zodiac Book 3) Page 26
