by Gia Dawn
“Is it his compassion you desire?” Manette’s voice held a note of surprise. “He does not show that side of himself to many. You will have to earn his trust.”
For an instant Sakura entertained the possibility of a more permanent relationship with the stranger. Then she remembered Ian’s much more pleasant personality and let the notion go. While it might be fascinating to have an affair with such an intense and domineering man, she doubted she could live with him forever.
But she would revel in every whimper and squeal and scream for as long as she could stand the pleasure.
“Right now all I want is his darker side,” she admitted truthfully.
Manette’s expression tempered. “Then that is what you shall have. And he is magnificent in his domination. You will be well pleased. Of that I am certain.” Now the woman’s expression radiated wicked excitement, causing Sakura to feel a rush of the same depraved energy.
“Then I guess I better get started.” Still, her knees were shaking as she stood and smoothed down the front of her plain black dress, wondering if she should have worn something more provocative, or added something sexy underneath besides a lacy black thong and stockings. Her breasts weren’t big enough to warrant a bra although she had considered padding her assets for the occasion. Not that it would matter once he’d seen her naked. She had very few womanly curves to speak of and there was no way she could hide that fact from anyone. Nor was she truly tempted to try. If the Bakushi hadn’t found her attractive at their last meeting he wouldn’t have wanted to meet her again. She had to assume he liked what he’d felt—and he’d felt most everything, she remembered with a blush.
Madame Brisson frowned as if she’d read Sakura’s thoughts when she’d lapsed into introspective silence. “We women come in all shapes and sizes, ma cherie. You must trust that yours will be just what he desires.”
“I do.”
“Good.” Manette stood and shooed the cat from her lap who gave them both a petulant meow as he hit the floor and turned his back to lick one elegant paw. Then Manette bent and retrieved Sakura’s mask, running her fingers over the cascade of silk cherry blossoms.
Taking a breath for courage, Sakura turned and let the other woman fit the mask against her face, tying the laces in place beneath her hair.
“Excellent,” Manette said, adjusting the fit with a final twist of her fingers. “Are you ready?” Again that hint of mischief in her eyes.
“You enjoy this, don’t you?”
Sakura was startled when the other woman laughed, throwing back her head in decided amusement. “But of course I do. No woman who comes here ever leaves the same. She grows. She evolves. Sometimes she even falls in love. What is more wonderful than that? But no more questions from you. The time is slipping fast away and we don’t want you punished for being late on your very first night.” With a shake of her head she took Sakura’s hand and led her down a flight of stairs and along a richly carpeted hall before depositing her in front of a black lacquered door. “Good night,” she said, reaching out to knock twice. Then she opened the door and pushed Sakura through before closing it tightly behind her.
He was kneeling in the center of the room utterly still in a dark-blue kimono, his hands resting on his thighs, his head bowed in formal tradition. He didn’t say a word in greeting, just pointed to a spot by his side, but he grunted in warning as she took two steps across the floor, her heels clicking on the polished wood.
Her first mistake already. Sakura removed her shoes and placed them neatly by the door. She was in his world now, traditional Japan in all its male-dominated glory, and she would have to play by his rules if she wanted to remain. She studied him from beneath her lashes as she moved to kneel beside him, trying to see any expression on his face as he finally raised his head.
“Youkoso, welcome.” He placed both hands on the floor in front of him and bowed until his mask nearly touched the surface.
Sakura copied the movement, gritting her teeth against the discomfort of the straw tatami mat beneath her knees. She shifted trying to make herself more comfortable but froze when he whipped his head up, his lips turning down in displeasure.
“You will not move until I give you permission,” he said, his voice every bit as intimidating as his demeanor. “To perform the ceremony properly you must learn to disregard your personal comfort for the comfort of your guests.”
“Hai,” she said, stiffening her spine. If he thought she’d break so easily, he had another think coming. She’d spent years remaining still and silent at her father’s order, and although she hated it with a passion, she could sit seiza with the best of them.
And she was intrigued enough by the setting to take her mind off the pain. In the middle of the mat was a large iron pot set on a hotplate, a cloth napkin, two beautiful ceramic bowls, another pot off to the side and several bamboo utensils.
“What are those?” She reached out to pick up one of the utensils, stopping short when his hand landed hard against her thigh. “Ow,” she protested, blinking back a sting of tears.
“Do you wish to learn the Tea Ceremony or do you wish to spend the night with your lovely ass bent over my lap turning red beneath my palms?”
“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” She smoothed her hand over her thigh to ease the sting, noting the way his mouth twisted up in anticipation at one corner.
“Very much,” he answered benignly. “I intend to teach you some discipline one way or another.”
“The Tea Ceremony, please.”
To still the shaking of her fingers Sakura clamped them down on top of each thigh, swearing she wouldn’t move them a millimeter until he practically begged her to.
“Hai.” He jerked his head in satisfaction. “First I will perform the ceremony so you can watch. And it is as much about stillness as anything else. Shut off that flittering mind of yours and observe. Experience. Appreciate the stillness that comes with the ritual.”
“Is that why you like to tie women up? So they can appreciate stillness?” Sakura sucked in a horrified breath after she’d spit out the questions without thinking.
But to her surprise he answered her calmly. “That is why I promise to bind you, keisei. To force you to fully appreciate your pleasure.”
“I already appreciate my pleasure.”
When he grunted in exasperation she knew she was beginning to push her luck. “You do not understand a thing about pleasure. But I will teach you, even if I have to gag you as well. Is that what you need?” He lifted a hand and smoothed it along her hair. “Me to force you into silence?”
That thought did amazing things to her body. Her nipples puckered, her stomach flipped—and her sex throbbed with a need that left her speechless.
“Or I could think of another way to keep your gorgeous mouth occupied.” He ran his thumb across her mouth, pressing it through her lips and working it between her teeth until he had pried her jaw apart. She whimpered when he invaded her mouth, aroused already to the point where she was forced to press her legs together. “I can take my pleasure both now and later.”
Sakura could not keep her eyes from his face as his other hand reached down and untied the belt to his robe before he shrugged it from his shoulders. His thumb pushed deeper into her mouth, pressing down to force her jaw open even more.
“I have longed to feel your lips wrapped around my cock, keisei. Dreamed of it a hundred times since our last encounter. In fact, I think I need to have you suck me now as punishment for your constant jabbering.” He rose to stand before her, removing his thumb from her mouth as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her up on her knees, his other hand fisting the width of his erection.
If this was punishment, Sakura thought in defiance, bring it on! She wanted to taste him. Suck him. Run her tongue the length of his magnificent flesh. Then she wanted him to do the same to her in full and equal measure. She hungered for anything he would give her, and if it was her mouth around his cock he wanted, her mouth around his
cock was what he would get. If some secret part of her noted how complacent she was on her knees before him, she imprisoned it where it could not be heard, her need to please him much too strong to worry about something as insignificant as self-respect.
* * * * *
Ian had been aching to have her on her knees between his legs since the first night they had met. While he admired her intelligence and interest in everything, he’d had enough of her questioning his every move. It was time she learned he was master, and he could think of no better way than to have her give him pleasure while postponing her own.
At least for now.
Besides, he needed the tension release or he was liable to toss her facedown on his bed and take her without any attempt at control—which would do neither of them any good whatsoever.
He tugged her hair and lifted her face to his, watching as she ran her tongue along her lower lip. His dick grew another inch when she took that lip between her teeth and chewed on it nervously.
“Clasp your hands behind your back,” he ordered, taking her head in his hands and dragging her toward his erection, his need growing to a painful state as she opened her mouth and let him slip his flesh inside.
He held her steady as he slid into her throat, deeper than he’d intended, pulling out when he felt her gag reflex kick in. “Relax your throat and take all of me,” he told her before thrusting his hips forward once more. This time he drove in farther, hitting the back of her throat as she moaned around his flesh, feeling the vibration all the way to his balls. He thrust once more but she was still not experienced enough to suck him down to the root.
“Take me in your hands, keisei. Show me how fast you can make me come.” She complied readily, her hands grasping him so tightly he nearly cried out at her touch. But he liked it rough. He liked the pain, needed to see if her appetite was as decadent as his.
And his desire was already spinning out of his control. He wrapped his hands absently in her hair as she sucked him, twisting and tying it into intricate patterns as he tried to keep from coming too soon. But the slick of her spit along his length made keeping control a study in futility.
She licked and bit and stroked him with abandon. His hips bucked and his knees shook as he felt the orgasm nearing its peak, and each groan of hunger that slipped from his throat goaded her into harder action.
All too soon Ian felt his balls clench as he trembled on the edge. “Stop now,” he ordered, trying to pull her mouth away, “if you do not want me to come down your throat.”
But Sakura shook her head, her eyes looking up into his with such complete acceptance he rammed himself as far down her throat as he could, gritting his teeth to keep from begging her not to stop as the orgasm rolled up from his toes. He closed his eyes against the pleasure as his body tensed and he came in a rush of sweat and seed, his cock jerking over and over as Sakura continued to suck his flesh, milking him for every exquisite ounce of climax.
When it was over, he pulled her head against his stomach, unable to speak, barely able to breathe, her hair like a waterfall of silk against his skin.
“Well done, keisei,” he praised when he could finally manage to mouth the words. “Well done, indeed. Now we can get down to proper business.”
Chapter Four
It wasn’t until he stepped away and knelt again on the mat beside her that Sakura realized the form his punishment would take. She hungered in ways she didn’t know existed, her body aroused to a point of pain she hadn’t known was even possible. She wanted him to touch her—needed him to touch her, take her, fuck her, break her…anything to ease the desire that burned so deep inside her she swore she would die if he did not give her some relief.
But he sat sated and calm beside her, the expression on his face telling her he knew how desperately she needed to come…and that he had no intention of giving her that pleasure any time in the near future.
To take her mind off her body’s distress Sakura studied his hands. Fire hands, her mother would have called them, broad palms that tapered to supple, lean fingers. When she remembered those fingers thrusting deep into her body, she realized she needed a different distraction, so she put all her effort into concentrating on the Tea Ceremony.
He took a cloth napkin and folded it in a fan shape before turning the pointed ends back upon themselves. He set it on the mat and placed a bowl before him, picked the napkin up once more and slowly turned the bowl, running the napkin around the edge. Then he took the top off the kettle and used the bamboo ladle to pour hot water into the bowl before using a bamboo whisk to swirl the water and clean it before disposing of the used water in a different pot. There was not a single thing hurried or careless in his movements as he scooped powdered tea into the bowl and added another ladle of hot water before he whisked it into the proper consistency.
“Take the tea in both hands,” he said, handing her the bowl. “Then you will take two or three sips before passing it back to me. In a true ceremony you would pass the bowl on to the next guest so they could share the tea.”
Sakura brought the bowl to her lips and took a tentative sip. It was terrible. Bitter and much too strong. “Ugh.” She tried to hide the sound of disgust, hoping he would not take offense.
“It is an acquired taste,” he admitted, “but you will refrain from any negative expression or comment unless you wish to bring disgrace to your family and their honored guests. Now take another sip.” He placed his hands over hers on the bowl and lifted it to her mouth.
She drank as he told her to, the tea taking on an entirely new flavor as her body reacted to his touch. Desire flooded her senses, blocking out all other input.
Despite her best intention, she wiggled to ease the pressure between her thighs, then froze when she saw his mouth turn down.
“Take off your dress. Do you still not understand my rules?” he demanded when she hesitated. He grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. “Take. Off. Your. Dress.”
Sakura reached behind her back to pull down the zipper but her legs had grown numb from sitting on the floor and she stumbled, crying out when his hand clamped hard around her arm to steady her. Some of her anxiety must have shown on her face because he lessened his grip immediately.
He sighed and ran his fingers down her cheek. “You have no need to fear me. As your Bakushi it is my job to keep you safe. See that you are never harmed—no matter that I would love to wring your beautiful neck on occasion. But I will be obeyed. And for that you must trust me.”
“If I don’t?” She backed a step away, refusing his offer of support.
“Then leave. The door is open. It always has been.” He let his hands fall to his sides. “The choice is yours.”
“What if I stay?” The thought of never seeing him again was more of a sacrifice than she was willing to make. But she needed some assurances that he had her best interests at heart. “Don’t I get a safe word or something?”
He muttered a curse beneath his breath. “Forgive me, keisei. I should have thought of that before.”
“Are you admitting you made a mistake?” She couldn’t wait to hear his answer.
“Yes,” he stated simply. “I was too focused on my own gratification. It will not happen again.”
“But you still intend to tie me up?”
“I offer you the chance to experience something completely out of your comfort zone. Why can’t you accept my offer for what it is without trying to put your own definition on the process? How do you feel now? Are you excited? Are you aroused? Or have your defenses robbed you of those feelings?” He took a step toward her, his voice losing its rational tone and dropping back into its usual state of seduction. “Wouldn’t you rather ache with desire for me?”
Yes. She desperately wanted to be able to release her inhibitions and let him have his way with her. If the sound of his voice alone was enough to make her tremble, a full lovemaking session would surely blow her mind. And since he’d begun to woo her once more she’d started to respond in k
ind, her need returning in full and major force.
“How did you do that?”
“What?” He circled behind her, stalking his prey.
“Make me want you enough to stay?”
“Because I want you enough to demand it. You questioned me once about balance. Are you beginning to understand? And do you think I am stupid enough not to offer you the same pleasure that you gave me so freely before?”
Her cheeks grew so hot she swore her mask would melt in place, leaving her faceless forever. She had already seen him naked, sucked his cock in her mouth and swallowed when he came. It didn’t get more intimate than that. If she was going to wallow in embarrassment, shouldn’t she at least wait until tomorrow…after he’d given her the pleasure he’d promised?
“What’s my safe word?” Her fingers had already closed around the zipper of her dress. She slid it down and the dress fell to the floor at her feet.
“Cherry,” he said without hesitation as if he’d already thought of it long before. “I’d prefer cherry blossoms, but that is much too long to say if you are truly in distress.
Cherry blossoms. The meaning of her name. He’d mentioned the blooms before but she’d shrugged it off as coincidence. She didn’t think she could do it so readily now. But then again the flowers were an integral part of their cultural heritage, and she couldn’t think of a ready reason she could not use the word.
“Cherry,” she repeated. “Perfect.”
“Yes. It is. And so are you.”
He had moved to stand behind her and he slid his hands up the length of her back, stroking her skin until she felt it prickle, her nipples beading as goose bumps rose all along her flesh. She heard his swift intake of breath as he cupped her breasts in his hands and rubbed her nipples between his fingers. The tingle swept down her stomach to lodge between her legs, sharp and strong and sweet.
She did not protest as he led her to the bed, pushing her down on a stack of pillows. She looked up, startled to see herself reflected in a mirror on the ceiling, not having noticed it before. It didn’t surprise her that he would want to work beneath the reflective surface so they both could see and admire his art, but it was odd seeing her reflection, her mask hiding her features so well it was like looking at another woman entirely. And it became surreal when her Bakushi began his work.
