“I still love the movie, though. I told Ellen dinner would be at eight-thirty.”
“That will be fine, Katie. It will give Darien and me a chance to catch up to you two,” he chuckled as he stroked her back. “Make us a couple of drinks and you can tell us about your day.”
Kate walked over to the bar and began making the drinks while Edmond took a chair and Darien sat next to Sasha on the sofa. Kate handed the men their glasses and settled on the floor by Edmond.
Darien shook his head at Sasha’s wide-eyed tearful face and raised an eyebrow. “Where’s your phone?”
Sasha dug in her pocket and proudly produced the instrument. “I don’t always remember it. I never had one before this,” she said defensively.
“I’ll buy you a chain and you can wear it around your neck,” Darien threatened. “Sasha, I got you that for protection, too.”
“Well, I didn’t need protection over here and, besides, you could have gotten me on Kate’s phone,” Sasha reasoned.
“That’s not the point, Sasha. I told you to keep the phone on you so I could call you.” Darien noted the unease and beginning simmering anger in her eyes. “I knew you were having a bad day, and I wanted you to be able to call me if you needed me.”
“I’m fine, Darien.” And with that, she hiccupped. ‘Oh, great. That will get your point across.’
Kate laughed, and looked up at Edmond. “Sasha and I have had a couple of daiquiris,” she admitted.
“No kidding? I couldn’t tell,” Edmond chuckled. “Let’s get some food into you two.”
The men held out their hands and guided the ladies to their feet. Edmond and Kate left the room, and Darien held Sasha out in front of him. He studied her face, and the longer he looked at her the more uncomfortable she became. Finally, her eyes lowered to the floor.
“I’m sorry about the phone, Darien. I’ll try to remember to keep it with me,” she said softly.
“You’ll get used to it, Sasha. We are going to talk about your living situation.” Darien puller her close and tipped her chin to kiss her. “Let’s get some food into you first,” he chuckled.
They joined Edmond and Kate in the dining room, and Edmond stopped Ellen at half a glass of wine for the ladies as she served. The dinner was excellent. Sasha marveled over the varied courses.
It ended with a cordial and a small bowl of sorbet. Katie kept giving Edmond sideways glances; Darien watched Sasha, and Sasha studied her dinner, knowing the conversation was going to begin soon. She also realized everyone else in the room would be trying to convince her, so she thought about her options, which were, basically, none.
“All right,” she twirled her desert with her spoon.
Darien’s brows knit and he looked at Edmond. He turned back to Sasha. “What?”
“I said, all right. Darien, I really don’t have any choice unless Kate and Edmond will let me stay here in exchange for housework or something.”
Edmond almost choked on his drink, and Katie laughed softly and clapped her hands.
“You sure as hell are not going to be a housekeeper for my business partner,” Darien declared.
Sasha glared at him. “Then, why don’t you let me work at the club in exchange for one of the rooms upstairs. I’m a good bartender, or I could waitress.”
Darien ran his hands through his hair getting ready to respond, but before he could say anything, Edmond cut in. “Darien, may I?”
Darien waved his hand in frustration. “Please, obviously I’m not handling this well.”
Katie watched her lover with interest. “Sasha, Darien has already explained that working would put your summer plans at a disadvantage, and I cannot hire you at the club only to have you leave on constant, unexpected liaisons with Darien. It would not be fair to the other employees. Now, if you feel you need space for yourself, Darien has a big house. Katie has her own private room here as well.”
Sasha glanced nervously at Kate who nodded at Edmonds words. “I don’t use it that often, but it’s my space and Edmond understands I need that sometimes to get grounded. Sasha, we’ve talked, and you know this makes sense for right now. Honey, Darien’s going to show you a world you’d never get to experience any other way. If you decide it isn’t right for you, then so be it, but at least give yourself the opportunity. Give Darien the chance. I have never for one minute regretted my decision to stay with Edmond.” Kate smiled warmly at her lover’s face.
“I don’t know if I could even survive without him now, and I’m not sure he could survive without me. We are two halves of a relationship that continues to grow and complete itself. I know that is what we all wish for Darien, and we agree that you are the one who can do this. Please, Sasha, you are perfect for our family, and that’s what the partners are: a family.” Kate reached out and squeezed Sasha’s hand.
“Try it, please. Just for a while. If it doesn’t work, we’ll figure something else out,” Kate finished.
Sasha stared at the table for a few seconds in silence, and then slowly looked up at Kate and smiled. “I already said all right, Kate. It was quite an education watching the three of you gang up on me, though. I’ll remember that for future disagreements.”
Kate laughed, “Well, it’s much more fun when you’re one of us on the inside doing the ganging up.”
“Darien, I would like my own room, and Clara won’t have to worry about it. I can take care of it.” Sasha’s cheeks were flaming with embarrassment at being the center of the discussion.
“Of course, there’s a room next to mine with an adjoining door,” he replied.
“There’s also one at the end of the hall by the terrace,” Sasha defiantly reminded him.
“We’ll figure it out tomorrow,” Darien compromised.
The decision made, the men announced they had a few more things to discuss concerning the club, so Kate and Sasha wandered back to the recreation room to watch another movie. When the men came to get them, they found them curled up on opposite ends of the couch, sleeping.
“She’s quite beautiful, Darien,” Edmond said as he watched Sasha’s peaceful form.
“That she is, Edmond. She is a true precious gem in the rough, and I’m trying to be careful and move slowly with her. With all this business about the apartment, I may not get a chance to prepare her for tomorrow night.” The concern was apparent on Darien’s face.
“I’ll let the others know, Darien. You know Eric and William would never do anything to inhibit your relationship, and the girls, of course, will be there to help put back the pieces in the morning.” Edmond’s eyes flashed with desire as his eyes traveled Kate’s length.
“Perhaps I should wait until next month,” Darien suggested.
“No, Darien, you know it’s better to find out now, and you have tonight to prepare her. She’ll be fine. I’m feeling quite sure of this.” Edmond did not wait for a response. He moved to Kate’s side and gently rubbed her shoulder. She opened her eyes and pulled him close.
Darien moved to Sasha and knelt down. He woke her with a kiss, and she stretched and smiled. “I must have dozed off,” she said softly.
“It’s late, come on. Let’s go home.” Darien helped her with her shoes. She returned Kate’s peck on the cheek, thanked her for the nice afternoon and thanked Edmond for the lovely dinner.
Edmond and Kate stood at the door waving them off. “She’s going to be scared.”
“Yes, you were too, my lovely Kate. She’ll be fine. Eric and William know what to expect.” Edmond led her inside and closed the door.
Darien drove in silence. Sasha glanced over at him a few times, but could not think of anything to say. Finally, the quiet became unbearable. “Darien, I can’t figure anything else out. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know Liz was getting that attached to him. I haven’t been around the apartment enough. Maybe Debbie would consider letting me move back in.”
Darien sighed. “Sasha, I am not upset about you coming to live with me. I’m confused as to why it would not hav
e occurred to you when you found yourself in this situation. It seems you’re willing to throw yourself at everyone else’s mercy, except mine.”
Sasha thought quietly for a while and then spoke. “Darien, I think you are a remarkable man, perhaps too much so for me.” He began to speak, but she shook her head. “Please, let me finish. This world of yours is overwhelming. Everything from the money to our…” she licked her lips, “Games. I’ve had more excitement and feeling in my life in the past few days with you than I’ve ever experienced.”
She looked over at him. He was watching the road, but she could tell he was listening intently. “Darien, I don’t want it to end. I mean, a part of me keeps waiting for you discover what a mistake you’ve made with me. I may not live up to your expectations of me, but until that happens I want to be with you. I’m just afraid I’m going to make you feel trapped. I’m no princess, Darien. I’m a Midwest country girl with no family and no heritage. Hell, I don’t even have a college degree. I’m nothing, Darien, and you’re everything, and I’m so scared I’m going to lose you.”
Darien squeezed his eyes closed and then glanced at her. “Sasha, the only way you’re going to lose me is if you don’t let me be a part of your life. I know who you are, and the woman I know is not the woman you describe. You are strong, intelligent, and you cling to an independence you don’t really want. It’s something that has been thrust upon you. You grew up caring for yourself and your grandparents, and that is not the role you want to play. You want to be cared for and guided. We both know that, even if you would admit it to yourself, and I want so badly to be the one to take care of you.”
“Then, we’ll do this, Darien. We’ll try it and see what happens. I’m so afraid I’m going to be hurt again, but I’ll trust you.” Sasha looked out towards the road.
“I trust you too, Sasha. You’re not the only one with your heart and soul on the line,” he said quietly. They drove the rest of the way in silence.
When they entered the house, Darien stopped her at the foyer. He glanced at the stairs and in the direction of the library. They remained still for a moment, and Sasha realized he was letting her choose. She felt a rush of frightened excitement run through her. “Darien, can you show me more of the game room?”
Inwardly, Darien’s blood rolled with passion, and his confidence in his ability with her soared. She chose. She chose. He wanted to call Edmond, to scream, to tell someone. She was his and he would do everything in his power to guide her, to teach her, to love her.
They reached the bottom of the darkened stairway, and he had her wait once again. He came back with the blindfold.
“Darien, I don’t need that,” she protested. “I’ve already seen the room.”
He put his hands on her shoulders and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “That’s not the reason for the blindfold, Sasha. Every time one of your senses is blocked, whether it is touch while you are bound, smell, hearing, speech, or sight, the other senses are enhanced. When I take away your sight, you rely on your senses to let you know where you are being touched and how you are being touched. Your mind wanders through the fantasy, escalating your sensations.” He wrapped the blindfold around her head, and once again she was in darkness.
“Without sight, you are dependent on me to provide for you. I know what you are experiencing is real, because you can’t prepare for it and you can only respond to the stimulus I provide. You asked me what pleasure I derive from our games. That is my pleasure, Sasha, to take a beautiful woman, my beautiful woman, and bring her to the height of passion and desire. To know, I have done this, and that none of it comes from fantasies in your imagination, and that all of the pleasure you experience is from me and from what I choose to do, or not to do, to you.” He guided her forward.
Sasha’s center was already heating, dampness spreading in the strip of silk between her thighs. She wanted to ask him what this new game was going to be, but somehow she sensed he wanted her silence. It felt as though he had stopped her in an open space in the center of the room.
“Hold out your hands.”
She did as he asked, and she felt leather cuffs wrapped around her wrists and zipped tightly closed. He lifted one of her arms and she felt him hook a chain through a metal loop on the cuff, and then he repeated the procedure with her other wrist.
Her arms hung over her head with her elbows slightly bent. She felt him secure cuffs to her ankles and he pulled a leg wide and secured the ankle. When he secured the other one, it forced her arms to stretch. She heard him walk away and a drawer open, and then he was in front of her again, still silent.
Cold metal caressed her cheek, and she shivered as she realized it was a knife. Darien methodically stripped off her clothes, cutting through the expensive blouse and jeans, through the straps of her bra and thong, until she was naked and breathing raspy breaths of anticipation. His hand traveled down her side leaving goose bumps in its wake.
She felt his lips at her ear. “Three marks...three marks, Sasha. I need you to bear three marks for Friday night. You will bear them in silence.”
Sasha had no idea what he was talking about. She wanted to ask, but could not find her tongue. What she felt was fear, and for some indefinable reason, her core clenched with desire. She remained silent, as he had ordered. She heard the sound of his clothes being removed and his feet lightly slapping on the floor as he walked away. When he approached again, she trembled as her mind worked frantically to discern what this new game would be. Darien’s hand wrapped around her hair and pulled it gently over her shoulder, leaving her back naked and exposed, and he kissed her ear.
“You will do this?” he murmured.
“I’m scared,” she whispered, and her body began to shake slightly, punctuating her words.
“You will do this?” he repeated.
She was silent for a moment. “Yes, Darien, I’ll do this.”
As he retreated, Sasha found her eyes already becoming tearful. She had no idea what to expect and bit her bottom lip in preparation. She heard a swish, and a moment later her body rocked forward as a burning pain fired diagonally across her back. A soft, audible hiss sounded from the intake of breath passing her lips as she stretched to her toes and let the sensation ebb.
Soft fingers caressed the path of the whip. “You will do this?”
It took her a moment to find her voice. “Yes Darien, I will do this,” she managed in a hitched, breathy whisper.
The second lash circled her hips from the top of her right buttock to the bottom of the left. Inwardly, she screamed as her channel leaked its juices, grasping at nothingness.
Fingers trailed the mark. “You will do this?”
Her voice was shaky as she whispered again, “Yes Darien, I will do this.”
One more. Just one more. She could do this. Somehow, she realized this was some sort of turning point, an important decision. It was a decision she would make for him and he would make for her.
The searing burn glued itself to the top of her thighs like melted plastic, adhering in its agony. The sucking, inhaled hiss from her lips was followed by a quiet, “Oh,” of torment, and then it was over. He came up behind her tortured back and wrapped his arms around her slim waist. His head nestled into the crook of her neck as he began kissing and adoring her with his lips, while his hands traveled down her belly to her slick path. Fingers softly, expertly, manipulated her wet folds, caressing and pinching her engorged clit before a finger traveled deep in her channel.
Sasha pushed back into him, needing him even closer, and she felt his stiff erection pushing against her agonized bottom before he dipped and straightened, entering her. She gasped, and his fingers continued to play her cleft and breast. Her head fell against his chest as his hands circled her waist and he pounded his flesh into her until they erupted together in orgasmic fury.
He unsecured her ankles and wrists. She was still blindfolded as he led her to the small couch, and a part of her was grateful he could not see the tears and w
ide-eyed panic hiding behind the leather. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her head down to his shoulder. Gently stroking her side, they remained silent for several minutes until he felt her composure returning.
When he removed the blindfold, she looked down at the floor. Darien cupped her chin and lifted her face so that their eyes met, and Sasha bit her lip as her green eyes stared into his, looking for a sign. For some reason, she felt it was the most important thing in her life to see acknowledgement that she had done as he had asked.
“You can stand?”
“Yes, Darien.”
“Let’s go upstairs.”
Sasha, naked and marked by three bruising welts, followed him out of the library. She waited while he locked the door, and then they headed upstairs to the bedroom. Climbing under the covers, Darien held out his arms and she stretched out with her head on his broad chest.
Darien’s fingers ran through her long hair, twisting and curling a few strands, and Sasha waited for him to say something, anything, to explain what had happened. She wanted his encouragement that she had done as he had requested.
Fear that she had failed him somehow, encroached on her emotions, and she frantically searched her mind. She had gasped at the first unexpected strike, and an audible, muted groan passed her lips on the third strike along the top of her thighs, where the tender skin met the bottom of the globes of her striped bottom. Neither sound was emitted with any conscious thought. They were merely automatic responses to the whip, but he had ordered her to accept the marks in silence. Had she failed his test?
She became aware of his thumb brushing a rhythmic caress on her upper arm. Her hand was clenched on his chest as she concentrated on his touch. Her leg was thrown casually across his thigh and her naked pussy was pressed into the side of his hip.
The silence fed her fear, and she felt it building within her in time to the stroking of his thumb, leaving her stomach knotting and tight. She closed her eyes in overwhelming panic, and that was when her muscles spasmed. Deep within her channel she constricted in time with his gently gliding thumb and the anxious, building fright.
Sasha's Game Page 8
