by Poppy Flynn
"Jeez, no!" Charlotte maintained emphatically.
"Why not?" Micah was relentless.
"Because I knew about his lifestyle; I'd talked about it to Desi. She used to call me a prude and tell me I was repressed." A small smile at the memories softened her words.
"You'd just escaped the cult, just become independent, just recovered from a beating. I imagine the very idea of BDSM jarred against every piece of precious freedom you'd come to hold so dear." Micah pushed, now in full psychologist mode, "And yet, now, we're here, so what changed?"
"I gained a better understanding about…everything." Charlotte sighed. "I've had time to put my demons to bed, to grow my confidence and accept that control is always mine, even when I choose to give it up, and that's okay because I made that choice and I can choose to take it back."
"So, the time wasn't right for you twelve years ago, that's clear and undeniable. Is it too much to believe that the time wasn't right for Jake when you hooked up before? BDSM is a serious lifestyle choice. It's not something to be taken lightly. It's not something you cajole a lover into. It's something that has to be chosen by the individual, not by coercion or encouragement, but by personal and unprompted preference. Now that you've made that choice on your own, do you really want to forego the possibility of a relationship with Jake simply because he was too honourable to push you into a lifestyle that you may not have been comfortable with?"
Charlotte opened her mouth, then closed it again. Micah had very efficiently stolen all her arguments and, suddenly, she could think of nothing to say.
"How about I make things easy for you?" Micah grinned. "What if we temporarily transfer your submissive care to Jake for the duration of his time here. You can explore your relationship with him while still officially under contract with me and, if things don't work out, you'll have the safety net of our contract to fall back on while you decide how you wish to proceed in the lifestyle without pressure from the unwanted attention of other Doms."
He was giving her the perfect opportunity. Would she be a fool to take it or a fool to turn it down? Or was she being presumptuous? Jake might not even be interested.
"You need to make a choice, Charlotte. This seesawing of emotions you've just experienced is called 'sub-drop'. It's not uncommon after intense, emotional scenes like the one you shared with Jake. It's kind of like your body's personal drug. You experience the upper, then comes that downer, but it's hit you very hard and very quickly and it needs to be observed for longer than the time we've taken here. Overnight, if I'm honest, because of the way you've reacted so suddenly. The key to moderating sub-drop is good aftercare. Today, that should be Jake's job, and I imagine he's probably feeling pretty shitty right now, since he's been denied it. Aftercare is important to a good Dom and, whatever else he might be, Jake Blackwood is certainly a good Dom, and I would like to let him see this through. And perhaps, this time, with him will help you make a decision about my proposal. What do you say?"
It seemed too good to be true and Charlotte was reminded of another conversation that she'd had with Micah when she first embarked on this voyage of self-discovery. Did she really have anything to lose…except maybe her heart, and Jake already held more than his fair share of that, so there was hardly any further risk? The benefits, on the other hand, would be the chance to explore this lifestyle with Jake, the prospect of discovering whether there was any kind of future for the two of them, or if the obstacles that Jake had thrown up were really as insurmountable as he insisted. Or maybe just the opportunity to get Jake Blackwood out of her system, once and for all, so she could move on with her life, most certainly tipped the balance in favour of the 'yes' vote. She could live, or she could hide; the choice was hers, and hers alone, but the cult had stolen enough years when she should have been living. When all was said and done, she didn't want to lose any more years to irrational fear.
As one of her therapists had told her many years ago, 'Never be defined by your past, let it be a lesson, not a life sentence.' Since, in her case, it very nearly had been a literal life sentence, that was a principle that she tried to live by.
Looking into Micah's handsome, caring face, Charlotte smiled and placed a light, almost chaste kiss on his full lips. "Yes," she replied. "I think you're right, on both counts, Master Micah."
"Good!" He grinned irreverently, shifting her slightly so he could grab his mobile phone from his pocket and fire off a text.
"There, I've messaged one of the Dungeon Monitors to send Jake in here. If he's agreeable, then nothing in our contract will change, but Jake will temporarily become your Master until either one of the three of us reverses that decision, until our contract expires, or until he returns to the South Coast."
Micah had barely finished speaking before there was a discreet knock on the door and the man in question walked in, although Charlotte found she couldn't look him in the eye, and she wasn't convinced that had anything to do with the possible submissiveness of her nature.
She was happy to leave it all to Micah, regardless, though she knew a moment's surprise as his hand dipped below her blanket and intimately rubbed up and down her thigh.
"Ah, Jake. My sub is suffering from a rapid and quite severe episode of sub-drop as I'm sure you realised." Micah punctuated his words by grasping a handful of hair in his other hand and planting a series of kisses along her neck, surprising Charlotte again. What the heck was he playing at?
"My precious little sweetheart has been wracked with guilt after scening with you, but we've talked it all through, and although Cha-Cha's still new to all this, she understands better now."
Trailing his hand to her behind, Micah kneaded one bare buttock, the action lifting the edge of the blanket to give Jake a tantalising glimpse. With her eyes averted and her head tipped away, Charlotte didn't see the way his jaw tightened and his lips pressed together, but his expression wasn't lost on Micah.
"In fact, this has been a valuable learning curve for her, and in view of that, I have a proposition for you."
Jake nodded his understanding. "And what is this proposition?" he asked, quietly fighting between intrigue and envy and a blatant jealousy that it wasn't his place to feel.
"My proposition is that you resume Cha-Cha's aftercare, and after that, if you are both still agreeable, I feel it would be beneficial if you oversaw her contract for the duration of your stay."
There was a slight pause before Jake clarified, "So, let me get this right. You want me to temporarily become your sub's Master until I return home?"
"Or until any one of us decides to rescind that arrangement," Micah concurred. "But she needs overnight care, tonight, so decide now whether or not that is something you can provide."
Charlotte knew Jake needed to consider the proposal, mull it over, just as she had, but still, the silence seemed to stretch until Charlotte became so nervous she thought she might snap, the sting of rejection fresh in her mind. Before she could turn tail and run from the building in humiliation, Micah tightened his grip on her hair and plundered her mouth in a hard and surprisingly possessive kiss that tore a groan of surprise from her lips which he swallowed with his own.
"Agreed!" The single word seemed to explode in the quiet of the room like a bullet from a gun, causing Charlotte to start and Micah to end their embrace. She sat, bemused, as Micah gave Jake a single nod, then nuzzled into her neck and whispered, "Sorry, I just can't help winding him up. He's got it bad; take my word for it, sweetie." And before Charlotte could even make sense of his actions, Micah stood, sweeping her up easily in his powerful arms.
"Take the very best care of my sub!" he demanded without a trace of humour as he handed her over, both literally and figuratively, into Jake's care and walked out of the door.
Though she clung to his neck while he held her, Charlotte still couldn't bring herself to look at Jake. She felt anxious and awkward now that they were alone together.
Jake took Micah's place on the seat and settled her on his knee, but sti
ll Charlotte kept her head down and her mouth shut. What on earth would she say to him, anyway? 'Sorry I fucked you, then ran off to another man, but would you mind taking me home and looking after me overnight' didn't seem to be quite the right lead in. For the lack of any better rejoinder, she decided that keeping it zipped was probably the best option. Sometimes, this submissive stuff most certainly played in her favour, and she wasn't above using it.
"Charlotte!" Jake demanded, dropping all aliases and endearments. "Look at me!"
Slowly, cautiously, lifting her face to his. Charlotte was taken aback by the unrestrained look of hunger and possessiveness in cobalt eyes that had darkened with want. She felt a shiver of reciprocal longing before Jake yanked her towards him with a harsh hand at the back of her neck and invaded her mouth, forcing his tongue between her unresisting lips as he greedily helped himself to her sweetness, nibbling and sucking on her lips and stealing her breath, holding her head still for his delicious marauding.
A shudder of ecstasy rippled down her spine as his free hand held her tight…close, banding around her waist and making her feel secure and wanted. This was the difference. This was what she had never felt with any other man, not even dear, sweet Micah, who would probably blanch at being called dear or sweet.
This soul-deep, incendiary connection that made everything just feel right, like they were two halves of one whole and together they were complete.
Surely, something that felt so very right couldn't be entirely one sided. Surely, Jake must feel it, too.
"Damn it, angel, I want you again!" Jake grated gutturally.
He pulled her astride his thighs and ground against her, much like Micah had not thirty minutes before, but there, the similarity ended. Unlike the soft glow that Micah had elicited, Jake provoked a storm of need that had her core aching and her thighs clenching.
Leaning over, he grabbed at an item in the pile of clothes she recognised as her own, and she gasped as Jake made quick work of unthreading the ribbon that made up the halter neck of her top and wound it around her wrists that he now held behind her back.
Charlotte felt a thrill blast through her as the blanket fell away and Jake dipped his head to pull one taut nipple deep into his mouth, sucking it hard against the roof of his mouth before transferring his attention to the other.
Charlotte arched into him, offering more of herself, and Jake bit down on the tender nibs, the pleasure pain zinging desperate need directly to her pussy until a tell-tale moisture dampened her thighs.
For a moment, Charlotte wished her hands were free, so she could undo Jake's fly and guide the throbbing erection she could feel through the denim of his jeans to where she needed it to be. She wrenched against the bonds but couldn't loosen them enough.
As if he read her mind, Jake ripped open the buttons and freed himself, his biceps bunching as he lifted her bodily until he could position her above his straining cock. Then he pulled her down on top of him, thrusting up at the same moment until he was buried deep within her warmth.
Charlotte tipped her head back and groaned as he stretched her sheath with his girth and her body strained to accommodate him.
His mouth kept up the torment on her aching nipples while he pummelled her with the thrusting and tugging movements of his hands and hips.
The coarse denim fabric was rough against skin, still tender from their earlier scene, and the buttons from his fly dug against her with each forceful jerk as he hauled her down onto his dick which glistened with her juices. But that only served to twist her desire tighter, deeper, until her orgasm blew through her like a freight train in a tunnel. It was quick and sudden, and Jake rode it through to the very last ripples, never letting up his pace, until his own climax hit, and he emptied his seed deep inside her spasming sheath.
"Fuck!" Jake panted as he dropped his clammy forehead to her shoulder, both arms possessive around her waist as if he'd never let her go. His chest heaved and sent residual thrills where the coarse hair rubbed against her sensitive breasts.
Charlotte could do nothing except flop against him, her arms still tied behind her back, his grip secure enough to prevent her from moving off of him. Not that she wanted to, of course. She was sated and exhausted and she could stay right here forever.
Gradually, Jake came back to his senses. He unwrapped the ribbon from her wrists and massaged her shoulders as she brought her arms in front of her with a tired groan. He inspected her wrists, red, where she'd wrestled against the binding in her hunger for his cock. Jake rubbed and kissed them, but the skin wasn't broken despite her struggles.
Finally, he set her on her feet, steadying her when her knees threatened to give way and held her until they were both certain that her legs would hold her.
Looking down at the stickiness that coated his penis as he moved to button his fly, Jake jerked his head abruptly towards Charlotte, where she stood naked before him, still fighting to regain her equilibrium. Charlotte followed his line of vision and slowly filtered the awareness of his semen running down her thigh.
Jake's eyes widened, and his stare flew sharply to her face. "Damn!" he uttered hoarsely. "I forgot to use a condom!"
Chapter 12
Charlotte luxuriated in the bath, her eyes closed and the tension from her sore muscles and abraded skin soothed by the warm water and a good dose of Epsom salts. She made a mental note to thank Laurel for that little gem of information.
After the faux pas in the aftercare room back at Club Risqué, Jake had said very little and he'd wasted no time in hustling her out of the club and back to her home. Oh, he'd been considerate and attentive, but Charlotte could read the sudden reserve in his troubled gaze, his agitation clear in the way he kept dragging his left hand through his thick black hair.
They were both clean. Club policy required all members to provide regular medical checks, so STDs weren't an issue.
As to the other, well, she was too exhausted, both physically and mentally, to try to get her head around that one right now, except that she was most definitely in no hurry to rush out and get the morning after pill. So, what exactly did that mean?
Urgh! It meant she needed sleep. Sleep and a fresh perspective, which she would hopefully be availed of in the morning when she was refreshed and rested.
Hooking out the chain for the plug with her toe, Charlotte braced her arms on the sides of the freestanding claw foot tub and heaved herself out. Goddesses, she was tired. Her limbs felt so heavy, she barely had the energy to drag a towel down her damp body. She'd deliberately pinned her hair up, so it didn't get wet because she was too drained to even contemplate taking the time to dry its long, heavy length before she collapsed into bed. That would have to wait until tomorrow.
Padding into the bedroom, Charlotte collapsed face first on top of her comfy, Victorian framed bed, still wrapped in the towel. Her stomach gurgled, but she was too wiped to do anything about it. Her eyelids felt weighted and her eyes gritty from crying. It had been a true rollercoaster of an evening, and every ounce of energy had been depleted.
Charlotte barely registered the sounds of someone else in the room. Not until a strong pair of arms plucked her up and stripped the damp towel away, did she even crack an eyelid. And then only because the interloper was manhandling her and stopping her from sleeping.
She grumbled incoherently but couldn't find enough strength to bat them away. A moment later, she found herself upright, her back braced against inviting skin, denim clad legs bracketing hers and capable hands wrapping around her own, steadying the mug of broth Jake had placed in her limp fingers.
The heat of his body enveloping her, and the warmth of his voice had her relaxing again, feeling as if she'd been cocooned in tenderness. It was probably a dangerous place for her psyche to be drifting in, but she was too tired to fight it, so she just embraced the fantasy of the affection she so craved and pretended it was real, idly wondering what it would be like to be cossetted like this by a lover who truly adored you.
"Dr
ink this," Jake's deep voice rumbled comfortingly. "You need to get something warm and nourishing inside you."
He guided the cup to her lips, and it was all she could do to open her mouth and swallow. The thick, creamy soup was delicious and filling, and although her hands shook with the effort, Jake guided her like a tot who was learning to use a cup, and she felt tears prickling the backs of her eyes at his careful nurturing. She wanted this kind of devotion in her life. Not just tonight, not just as aftercare.
Suddenly, a deep yearning hit her to have this kind of attention from someone who loved her and supported her and cherished her for every day of her life.
When she'd had her fill, he produced a square of chocolate and popped it between her lips. It melted on her tongue and she sucked on it, lacking the inclination to chew. After a second piece, Jake passed her a bottle of water. "Just take a couple of sips for me," he coaxed. At least it was in a bottle with a sports lid, so there was less chance of her spilling it on herself or the sheets.
When the bottle hung limply from her fingers and Charlotte had snuggled down against him, content to pretend that this was her true place in life for just a little longer, Jake put it on the bedside table and carefully rolled his sleepy charge onto her stomach. She tried to curl into a ball, but he stretched out her long, slender limbs and pinned them with his thighs as he braced astride her, careful not to crush her with his weight, and grabbed a tube of cream from where he'd set it at the foot of the bed.
Warming it in his palms, Jake spread the pungent lotion across all the reddened areas of Charlotte's back, buttocks and thighs, taking extra care to check out any weals that stood out against her alabaster skin.
He couldn't help but admire his handiwork, even as he administered the arnica that would minimise any bruising and help her heal. Jake was no sadist; he was careful with his whip and didn't use it to welt or wound a sub, but Charlotte's complexion was so milky white that he wondered if it would discolour more easily. In fact, her pale skin displayed his marks so beautifully that he couldn't help the stirring of lust that accompanied his possessive thoughts as he stroked his fingers across the red stripes that decorated her body.
